JOSE RIZAL SHRINE
NATIONAL HERO
Extraordinary. This is the term that befits a courageous and multi-talented individual, that is Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado (later, Jose P. Rizal), our national hero. Born in Calamba, Laguna, Pepe, as he was fondly called by family members, exhibited an uncanny ability to analyze things at an early age. He was, by far, more intelligent than his peers and developed a great thirst for knowledge while growing up. Educated in the best schools that our country had to offer, he developed a deep sense of patriotism and longing to share what he knew to the less fortunate people of the Philippines. His versatility inspired alot of Filipinos during his time and until now, he is known in different parts of the world for his contributions in the field of art, literature, medicine, zoology, botany, anthropology, agriculture, ichthyology, conchology, and politics. Because of the tight reign of the Spanish conquistadores during his time, he ventured abroad to quench his desire to learn new things and live freely among peers. Although he had been out of the country for so long a time, the fire in his heart to free his country from the grasp of a formidable foe never dampened. Albeit, this drove him to conduct his battles with a pen. A proficient writer and linguist (speaking more than ten [10] languages), he had translated different poems and prose to Tagalog, written a lot of articles, letters, plays and books (two of which are his famous novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo). Armed with only paper and pen, he ignited the flames of revolt in the hearts of his countrymen by distributing newspaper articles and copies of his famous novels throughout the country. When he was captured and detained, he was more than ready to give his life for the love of our country and ultimately, its freedom. His trial was swift, with the ultimate verdict of death by firing squad at Bagumbayan. Before facing his fate, he wrote his last farewell (Mi Ultimo Adios) on a piece of paper, put it inside a lamp and entrusted it to his sister. This document, written on a lowly piece of paper (as seen in the photo above) has been translated in different languages and has been described as a loving song of patriotism, inspiring millions of people worldwide. On that fateful day of December 30, 1896, he was brought to Bagumbayan to be shot from behind, but made a last request to be shot facing the squad, which was denied. They wanted to shoot him from behind so he would die face down, humiliated. When the command "fuego" was given, Dr. Jose Rizal made a last ditch effort to face his foes and died facing the brightly lit morning sky of his beloved country. The end of his life was the beginning of a more fervent longing of his countrymen to obtain freedom. His death was in essence, a gift of life for those who have suffered in a country where they were born and that will ultimately be called their own.
(First and Last Verses of Mi Ultimo Adios)
Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun caressed,
Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,
With gladness I give you my Life, sad and repressed;
And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best,
I would still give it to you for your welfare at most.
Farewell, parents, brothers, beloved by me,
Friends of my childhood, in the home distressed;
Give thanks that now I rest from the wearisome day;
Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, who brightened my way;
Farewell, to all I love. To die is to rest.
INTRAMUROS
THE HEART OF THE CAPITAL
My hubby and I were born and raised in Makati so we are used to the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life. Everywhere we go in this city, we see skyscrapers left and right, top-of-the-line shops and boutiques, sleek cars and posh modern houses here and there. Although we are both content and used to these everyday Makati scenes and hold clinics in multinational companies here, we opted to put up our own diagnostic center in Manila. You see, it is rare for us to see an area or side in Makati without an erected structure. In Manila however, the side of Manila Bay is open for us to view and enjoy. During daytime, the bay area magnifies the sun's rays and makes it a sight to behold. In the evenings, the water is twinkling with lights reflected from the boats and surrounding lamps, creating an image mirroring the twinkling of the stars above. It is also here that we see a diversity in transportation (sleek cars admixed with kalesas or horse-drawn Filipino-style carriages). A few days ago, we were invited by a Health Partner to join them in a tour of Intramuros. Of course we were both eager to join so in a bat of an eyelash, we RSVP'd and prepared for the exciting day. Yesterday, with our cameras in tow, we set off to Intramuros. Although we have been there alot of times already, we were ecstatic. Intramuros is a very popular tourist destination, field trip location and wedding venue (because of the very popular churches there like San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral). Entering its walls would immediately transport you to a different era because you would not only see old structures that are still erect and functioning but also guards in the typical garb reflecting that time. Intramuros, also known as the walled city (intra: inner; muros: walls) was built by the Spaniards to act as the main stronghold for its military forces, center for trade and commerce of the city and home to the Peninsulares, Insulares and some Mestizos during that time. Stratification of the people in Intramuros was important because it was a great determinant of the positions held and the way of living. Peninsulares were those born and raised in Spain, Insulares were pure Spaniards born in our country, Mestizos were of mixed Spanish and Filipino heritage and Indios were the pure Tagalogs (ie, "taga-ilog") or Filipinos who were usually the servants in the walled city.
Once there, we were greeted by the wonderful and accommodating team of JD Astro . We were then escorted to the their funny and endearing VP, Mr. Jay Buenfalor. Jay gave us an interactive tour that was composed of gregarious story telling, fun role-playing and crazy antics. Again, from the start of the tour, we were magically transported to a time long gone but not forgotten. Walking on the bridge over the moat and entering the arc of Fort Santiago was amazing. Although I had walked through the arc long ago, during one of my childhood fieldtrips, back then it was all play. Now it is something different. It gave me a paradoxical feeling because on one end, I was entering a place I should abhor since it is where alot of our countrymen were detained, had suffered a great deal and coerced to accept the culture of people who enslaved them. On the other hand, the place all the more gave me a sense of patriotism since the culture that was ingrained and mixed with our original one is what makes us the Filipinos of today. This of course, excited me all the more. The twenty two (22) feet high by eight (8) feet wide walls did not give me a feeling of awe for the architectural prowess of the Spaniards but gave me a sense of pride that Filipinos (the Indios of that time), painstakingly erected the structure with bare hands, using simple tools, fortifying it with very large slabs of stone (mixed with their blood, sweat and tears). The fort is reminiscent of European castles and fortresses, complete with dungeons, an open theater, wide lawns and a magnificent view of the Pasig river from an open space above. The Pasig River's quays, according to Jay, served the early interisland trade during that time. The Chinese traders (known as Sangleys), although segregated from the populace or restricted to an enclave called Parian (ie, "puntahan") and were not allowed to enter the walls, were the main businessmen of that time. Early in the morning, the gates of Intramuros (Puerta de Parian) would be open for people to mingle with Sangleys, buy their needs or conduct trade. Later on, because of fires that razed Parian, a new Parian was set-up on the hilly side of Manila, known as Binondo (ie, "binundok").
After the tour of the grounds, we were escorted by Jay to the Shrine of Dr. Jose Rizal. Inside, we saw his cell, some memorabilia, few of his books, the original copy of Mi Ultimo Adios, photos, a collection of shells, some animal specimens, clothes, a diagnostic set of some sort and a relic of the great hero himself (one of his vertebrae). Inside the shrine I was in awe of the great contribution of this man. He was for me, not the Jack of all trades master of none but the "Jack of all trades, MASTER,BAR NONE"!
Our last stop for the day was the Light and Sound Museum. After some refreshments, we were ushered into the cold dark place but were then treated to an hour and a half of sensory tour de force of lights and sounds highlighting each critical event in the Philippine History. The tour was capped-off by a short speech from Ms. Rynah Ventura, President of JD Astro, then a patriotic song, Bayan ko, which more than ever made me proud of our heritage, thanks to the men and women who, up to this day, ignite the flames of love for our country. I can say that here is a lady who is proud to be Pinay! Kaya to all our kababayans and balikbayans out there, tara, MANghILA na, papuntang MANILA... :)
Our Tour guide, Mr. Jay Buenaflor (Thank you Jay)
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