schoolscolleges2020 hed news


BAYAN KO. Talents from the XCCA Artist Center render songs with nationalistic themes during the June 10 celebration of the 118th Commemoration of the Declaration of the Philippine Independence at Xavier University. 

Words by Stephen J Pedroza
Photos by Trajano Dagala Cabrales

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — Beyond rekindling the timeline on how we acquired our independence from the colonizers, Filipino academics have put the spotlight on seeking the truth in studying our history and its promotion particularly to the millennials.

“Why do we still need to study our history?” drummed Dr Dulce Dawang, vice-president for basic education of Xavier University during the celebration of the 118th Philippine Independence Day on June 10, two days before the actual holiday.

“I remember in our History 10 class, I didn’t understand why we need to study our history again and again, from elementary up to college,” Dr Dawang recounted.

“One day, there was a long test and we had to answer what was the significance of the Battle of Tirad Pass in our nation’s history. I already knew the important dates, protagonists or the cast of characters in that battle, but these were not enough,” she related. “My answers were without substance, just flattery here and there. The next meeting, our teacher returned my paper with a comment on my two-page answer, ‘How sad naman.’”

It was a defining moment for Dr Dawang; she could not forget that part of her freshman year in college. She had to study her history lessons harder.


A DEFINING MOMENT. Vice-president for basic education of XU, Dr Dulce Dawang relates her defining experience on why we need to study our history and tells senior high school students to draw lessons from our country's past. 

Fighting for freedom

“So why do we celebrate the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence?” she asked. “We celebrate this declaration as a symbol of our bravery, determination and unity to live free with human rights and dignity.”

Observed by Filipinos across the globe, Araw ng Kasarinlan is an annual holiday every June 12, commemorating our liberation from Spain on June 12, 1898, and to heighten the awareness on our culture.

“Even though we are an archipelagic country, our islands are separated from one another and we speak different dialects, our forefathers still managed to unite and revolt against the Spaniards in 1898 and centuries before that. Despite many differences, they were united for one cause.”

“Why? Our ancestors were not stupid, those Filipinos were not cowards. They knew and it was clear to them what was right and wrong, and they stood on the side of the truth.”

Dr Dawang told the young students to pursue the truth in knowing our history, to see through the unfounded claims and to learn from the mistakes of the past.

She added that it is our responsibility to safeguard and nurture the freedom that our brave heroes fought for us.

“We do not want a system where our human rights are stripped, where those in position abuse their power. We condemn the unsolicited arrest and torture [of political activists], and the discrimination against fellow Filipinos.”

Dr Dawang cited a few historical events where the Filipino people trampled a crooked system and rose against tyranny, most prominently, the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

“This is what our heroes had died for: change.”

Beyond the timeline

On June 12, 1898, the first Philippine Republic, led by President Emilio Aguinaldo, ratified the "Acta de la proclamacion de independencia del pueblo Filipino," where “Lupang Hinirang” was also first sung in public in Kawit, Cavite.

Those who paid attention to their history lessons will remember that the Philippines did not remain free from an imperial power after that 1898 declaration.

However, rather than to acknowledge that the declaration of the Philippines, Spain, whose power over the Philippines was already severely weakened at the time, chose to sell our country and its other colonies to the United States of America via the Treaty of Paris, signed in December 1898.

Until July 1946, years after Aguinaldo's Declaration of Philippine Independence, our country was ran as a colony by Mother America. 

On July 4, 1946, US granted the Philippines its independence with “many strings attached.”

Sixteen years later, in 1962, then President Diosdado Macapagal, through Proclamation No. 28, moved the Independence Day celebration from July 4 (also the Independence Day of US) to June 12 to follow the 1898 declaration.


MUSIC AND HUES. Select members of the XU Cultural Dance Troupe showcase various Philippine dances in colorful costumes. Part of the annual celebration of the PH Independence Day is the promotion of Filipino heritage and culture. 

'Pagkakaisa, pag-aambagan at pagsulong'

Carrying the national theme, “Kalayaan 2016: Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong,” the celebration at Xavier featured a flag-raising ceremony and a showcase of performances from various performing arts companies and artists, held at the XU Covered Courts Friday morning, June 10.

Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA) director Hobart Savior was at the helms of show. “I would like to emphasize that the theme to me is like a collective prayer which reminds us that we have a responsibility and opportunity to help our country attain progress, eradicate extreme poverty, and stop corruption.”

Nationalistic performances by the talents from the XCCA Artist Center, Soundtable, XU Glee Club, and XU Cultural Dance Troupe dotted the event that, as Savior put it, has "promoted a sense of identity and pride as we stand for our independence."

The XU Band also scored the raising of the PH flag while the Xavier Reserve Officers' Training Corps led the Foyer Honors.

The members of the audience, mostly composed of Xavier Senior High School students, tied ribbons of the Philippine flag colors—blue, red, and yellow—to the trees positioned in different locations inside the covered courts.

The Xavier Stage artists also rendered “Dapat Bantayan,” a song that encourages the electorates to exact accountability and claim what was promised by politicians during the May 2016 polls, now that the country is about to shift administration.

“The theme also tells us to move forward despite all the political squabbles brought about by the recent election,” Savior said.

“All we have is our choice to be one as citizens of this republic and be part of the change and be changed from within ourselves and then our country benefits the nature of our songs to progress.” ∎