RIZAL OR BONIFACIO? House Bill No.3431 was recently filed declaring Andres Bonifacio as the National Hero instead of Dr. Jose Rizal. Rizal advocated peace and education and used his writings to bring reform [to convince the Filipinos that the Philippines should be recognized as one of the provinces of Spain]. Bonifacio advocated armed revolution after that their publication office [La Liga Filipina office/publishing house] was raided and disbanded by the Spaniards. He founded the Katipunan to revolt against the Spanish colonization that led to Philippine independence. Not finishing his normal education, Bonifacio was self-educated. He read books about the French Revolution, biographies of the Presidents of the United States, books about contemporary Philippine penal and civil codes, and novels such as Victor Hugos Les Misérables, Eugène Sues Le Juif errant and José Rizals Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo. Aside from Tagalog and Spanish, he could speak a little English, which he learned while working at J.M. Fleming and Co. In 1892 he joined Rizals La Liga Filipina, an organization which called for political reforms in Spains colonial government of the Philippines. However, La Liga disbanded after only one meeting as Rizal was arrested and deported to Dapitan in Mindanao. Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini and others revived La Liga in Rizals absence and Bonifacio was active at organising local chapters in Manila. La Liga Filipina contributed moral and financial support to the Propaganda Movement of Filipino reformists in Spain. Bonifacio also used his writings. Within the society, Bonifacio developed a strong friendship with Emilio Jacinto, who served as his adviser and confidant, as well as a member of the Supreme Council. Bonifacio adopted Jacintos Kartilya primer as the official teachings of the society in place of his own Decalogue, which he judged as inferior. Bonifacio, Jacinto and Pío Valenzuela collaborated on the societys organ, Kalayaan (Freedom), which had only one printed issue. Bonifacio wrote several pieces for the paper, including the poem Pag-ibig sa Tinubúang Lupà (Love for Ones Homeland) under the pseudonym Agapito Bagumbayan. The publication of Kalayaan in March 1896 led to a great increase in the societys membership. The Katipunan movement spread throughout Luzon, to Panay in the Visayas and even as far as Mindanao. From less than 300 members in January 1896, it had about 30,000 to 40,000 by August 1896. The writings of Bonifacio was designed to convince the Filipinos that Philippines should be for Filipinos without any foreign control. Bonifacio had a concept of the Philippine nation called Haring Bayang Katagalugan (Sovereign Tagalog Nation) which was displaced by Aguinaldos concept of Filipinas. In documents predating Tejeros and the First Philippine Republic, Bonifacio is called the president of the Tagalog Republic. The Kartilya defines tagalog as all those born in this archipelago; therefore, though visayan, ilocano, pampango, etc. they are all tagalogs. Rizal used his pen to inspire Filipinos to rise against Spain to only be recognized as one of the provinces of Spain but Bonifacio used not only his pen but included action that catalyzed revolution against the oppressive Spain. Rizal the demagogue. Bonifacio the activist. The rich guy Rizal and the working class Bonifacio. Rizal was never been explicitly proclaimed as a National Hero by the Philippine government. It was the Americans who proclaimed him as the national hero because Bonifacio was an activist whose radical ideas could inspire resistance to American rule. Rizal or Bonifacio? Bonifacio o Rizal? Sino ang pipiliin mo?
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 13:18:25 +0000
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