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| What remains of the Cemeterio de Tampus gate |
According to oral history, Cemeterio de Tampus was the final
resting place of Martin Lardizabal, Marinduque’s first military governor during
the first phase of the Philippine revolution in this island-province.
When the
Philippine-American War started Lardizabal was still the governor but due to a
lingering illness he appointed Col. Maximo Abad, Chief of the Marinduque
Revolutionary Force to replace him.
If the local Church’s death records of that period are still
intact today, Lardizabal’s burial place has remained undocumented, however.
Surviving descendants may still have memories of one of Marinduque’s noble
heroes.
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| The Church of Boac |
Ten years ago in 2008, however, the Philippine Senate in a
move to honor the courage and self-sacrifice of Filipino heroes whose deeds
remain lost in history books and in memories of the people, adopted a
Resolution.
Resolution No. 54 was adopted for the establishment of a separate
grave site or a memorial in Libingan ng mga Bayani to honor the heroism of all
Filipino soldiers during the Philippine-American War.
In this significant Resolution lesser known names were cited
and included the names of Marinduque’s Martin Lardizabal and Ciriaco Vida
(known in those days as “Alapaap”).
Curiously, the name of Marinduque’s foremost hero, Col.
Maximo Abad, of the ‘Battle of Pulang Lupa’ in 1900 was not included. Ciriano
Vida was one of Abad’s trusted officers.
Libingan ng mga Bayani
This was established by the Philippine Government in 1947,
then known as the Republic Memorial Cemetery, to commemorate the lives of
fallen Filipino soldiers who fought in World War II.
Established in 1947, Libingan ng mga Bayani was first known
as the Republic Memorial Cemetery. It was established by the Philippine
government to commemorate the lives of the fallen Filipino soldiers who fought
in World War II.
Based on the Allocation of Cemetery Plots at the Libingan,
veterans of the Philippine Revolution of 1890, World War I, World War II and
recognized guerillas could be interred there alongside Filipino military
personnel, other heroes and patriots.
A Memorial for the
Philippine-American War heroes should suffice if remains could not be interred.
But has such a memorial for the heroes of what was once called by the
Americans as “Philippine Insurrection” been built in our time? Ten years after the
Senate’s Resolution?
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| Teatro Balangaw Ensemble in a Battle of Pulang Lupa commemoration (2007) |
Republic of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
SENATE
Pasay City
14th Congress
First Regular Session
Resolution No. 54
RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE TO
ESTABLISH A SEPARATE GRAVE SITE OR A MEMORIAL IN THE LIBINGAN NG MGA BAYANI TO
HONOR THE HEROISM OF ALL THE FILIPINO SOLDIERS WHO COURAGEOUSLY FOUGHT IN THE
PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR
WHEREAS, ON February 4, 1899, or one hundred and six (106)
years ago, American Sentry Private William W. Grayson haplessly fired at two
Filipinos (one of whom was identified as Anastacio Felix), who were innocently
passing along Calle Sosiego;
WHEREAS, that day marks the beginning of the
Philippine-American War, a fourteen-year bloody struggle between the Filipinos
and Americans;
WHEREAS, FOR ALMOST A CENTURY, THE Philippine-American War
has been dismissed by the Westerners as the “Philippine Insurrection”, in an
effort to paint a false picture of a second-class people, barely unable to
stand up against their white colonizers;
WHEREAS, IT WAS ONLY IN 1979 THAT THE INACCURATE TERM :Philippine
Insurrection” was officially designated as the “Philippine-American War” by the
United States Library of Congress;
"WHEREAS, during the Philippine-American War, Filipino
soldiers, though limited in rifles and ammunition and armed mostly with bolos
and bamboo spears, bravely risked their lives to achieve independence;
WHEREAS, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Macario Salcay and
General Mariano Lukban are among the familiar names, which come to mind as
Filipino heroes during the Pliilippine-American War;
WHEREAS, less popular characters such as Juan Cailles,
Martin Lardizabal and Ciriaco Vida, as well as almost 16,000 names of Filipino
soldiers who selflessly laid down their lives during the Philippine-American
War remain lost in Philippine history books and, sadly, in the memories of the
Filipino people;
WHEREAS, the heroism and patriotism of the Filipino men and
women, who refused to succumb to American rule, but fought for freedom to the
point of death, should not be lost in historical amnesia;
WHEREAS, the heroes and heroines of the Philippine-American
War, especially those not identified in the scrolls of history, should be
honored for their courage and self-sacrifice, and remembered as a testament of
the Filipino people’s love for their country, especially in these times of
national crisis;
WHEREAS, it is important that the heroic deeds and
patriotism of the Filipino heroes and heroines during the Philippine-American
War be honored and immortalized in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people,
especially the youth, who can draw inspiration from the ideals and the
patriotism, and even learn from the mistakes, of the Filipino men and women who
fought for Philippine independence;
WHEREAS, the Libingan ng mga Bayani is a public memorial
cemetery for the gallant Filipino men and women who brought honor to the
country and who fought for the sake of freedom;
WHEREAS, the Libingan ng mga Bayani does not have a separate
grave site designated, nor a memorial structure established in honor of the
valiant Filipino soldiers who fought in the Philippine-American War;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 107 issued on
January 26, 1977, the Department of National Defense is the agency tasked with
the “administration, maintenance and development” of the Libingan ng mga Bayani:
Now, therefore be it
Resolved,
further. That the Senate of the Philippines calls on the Department of
Education and the National Historical Institute to conduct, using the Filipino’s
own perspective, studies and research on the personalities involved and the
events which transpired during the Philippine-War, and to popularize and
inculcate among Filipinos, especially the students, the heroism of the
Filipinos during such important period of Philippine history.
Adopted,
MANNY VILLAR
President of the Senate
This Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 4,
2008.
