History is the living past

Last Thursday we wrote about the fact that two great threats to our freedom occurred on August 21 – the Plaza Miranda bombing of the Liberal Party candidates in 1971 and the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983. Today we would like to call attention to other great significant historical events that happened in August.

It was on August 23, 1896 that Andres Bonifacio tore his cedula at Pugad Lawin and issued what has historically come to be known as "The First Cry". On August 25, the Katipuneros arrived at the home of Melchora Aquino, an 84-year old lady popularly known as Tandang Sora. There they were fed and housed. The following day, the first encounter between the Filipinos and the Spaniards took place at Pasong Tamo. Nothing has been done to put a historical marker on this place. On August 26, Andres Bonifacio unfurled the Katipunan flag in Balintawak. Two days later, he issued the manifesto proclaiming August 29 as the official start of the uprising against Spain.

The first to be arrested by the Guardia Civil and imprisoned at Bilibid Prison was Tandang Sora, the Mother of the Philippine Revolution. It was noteworthy that she was so pretty when she was young and that she was almost the perennial Reyna Elena in the santacruzans of her district. She also had an excellent singing voice and was always one of the lead singers in the reading of Christ’s passion during Holy Week. Tandang Sora flatly refused to give any information about the Katipunan and so she was deported to Guam. When the Americans took over, she was repatriated to the Philippines. She was totally impoverished, yet when the government offered her help because of her past donations to the cause of the revolution, she declined. She lived up to the ripe old age of 107! Who remembers her now?

We have other lady heroines. Another good example is Gabriela Silang. After her husband, Diego Silang, who led a revolution way back in 1762 was killed, she continued fighting the enemy riding astride a white horse. There is a monument to her in Makati. But no one has remembered Tandang Sora.

We urge the National Heroes Commission to do something so that Tandang Sora is not altogether neglected and forgotten. One of the obligations of the present generation is top rescue from oblivion those who should be remembered. For as Albert Shweitzer said, "Example is not the main thing in life - it is the only thing." She is the finest local example we have that old age is not a detriment to doing great and noble things. And she is not only an example for the aged, but for all ages. And we don’t mean just the young, the middle-aged and the aged. We mean then and now.