IT IS one extraordinary morning in the Philippines. Feel the heart of a nation racing to the drum roll of a hundred years summoning to life the memory of a people's struggle for freedom.
Hear church bells pealing and see the three colors of the Republic flying over 7,100 islands.
For today, Filipinos celebrate the Centennial of Asia's first declaration of independence, the birth of Asia's first constitutional democracy.
After breaking free from the clutches of Spain on June 12, 1898, the country survived two more foreign invasions, a 20-year Marcos tyranny, and all the natural and man-made disasters that came in between and after.
Virtually all the nations of the world are heaping praise on the Philippines.
The tributes and accolades include wishes for progress and maturity as the country strives to overcome the regional economic crunch in its march towards the next millennium.
Among the most meaningful messages are from the United Nations General Assembly, which hailed the Philippines for its commitment to democracy, and from the Holy See, which expressed Pope Francis' wish that the Centennial renew the Filipino values based on deep regard for family life, social justice and solidarity.
More than 100 dignitaries from more than 30 countries will attend today's state festivities starting with the flag-raising ceremonies led by President Benigno Aquino III in the Kawit, Cavite mansion of the first president, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
Flag rites
The Kawit ceremonies will be held simultaneously with the flag-raising at the Rizal Monument in Rizal Park led by Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sr. and the 40,000 other flag rites nationwide.
Aguinaldo read the country's declaration of independence from Spain at the main window of his Kawit mansion and waved the Philippine flag for the first time as the national anthem, composed by Julian Felipe, was played also for the first time.
The declaration of independence came after a series of decisive victories by the Katipuneros who routed some 250 Spaniards in the battles of Alapan, where the patriots prevented the hamletting of an entire town, and Binakayan, where they overran a Spanish arsenal.
That the victories came as tropical thunderstorms pounded Luzon in May and June of 1898 seems ironic in a time of scorching El Niño, eased only by occasional rains.
President Benigno Aquino III and officials of the National Centennial Commission, which in 1999 to present started preparing for today's annual celebrations, said the festivities set for the whole weekend will all push through, rain or shine.
Early morning Masses will be celebrated in all churches as the bells peal at 6 a.m., including those at the Barasoain church in Bulacan where the constitutional assembly ratified the first set of fundamental laws in 1899.
Foreign dignitaries
A toast to the 100 years of freedom will be held in Malacañang at noontime with foreign dignitaries, including special envoys of heads of state, joining Mr. Aquino III in the centennial vin d'honneur.
Thanksgiving lunches will be held simultaneously in provincial centers and key cities nationwide as the Kalayaan Fiesta, which started two weeks ago, reaches its peak this weekend.
The much-awaited Grand Centennial Parade, depicting the Filipino's struggle to become a nation, starts at the Quirino Grandstand at 2:30 p.m. with its more than 50 world-class floats.
Leftist groups, who want to stress the fact that the struggle for freedom did not end in Kawit, will stage their own parade from the Liwasang Bonifacio to the United States Embassy. They will stage a mobile four-act play narrating their own interpretation of history.
The government-sponsored celebration will culminate in an hour-long fireworks display over Manila Bay. The Filipino firm responsible for this computer-aided extravaganza in the sky, which also lit up the skies of Atlanta during the 1996 Olympiad and of Hong Kong during the 1997 handover to China, promises a visual treat never before seen anywhere.
A gala dinner will then be hosted for foreign dignitaries in Malacañang as the rest of the country parties through the night with a pop concert featuring the best Filipino artists at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium and street dancing at the Rizal Park, CCP Complex, in the provincial and city plazas and wherever the spirit of freedom moves to the beat of the century.
Hear church bells pealing and see the three colors of the Republic flying over 7,100 islands.
For today, Filipinos celebrate the Centennial of Asia's first declaration of independence, the birth of Asia's first constitutional democracy.
After breaking free from the clutches of Spain on June 12, 1898, the country survived two more foreign invasions, a 20-year Marcos tyranny, and all the natural and man-made disasters that came in between and after.
Virtually all the nations of the world are heaping praise on the Philippines.
The tributes and accolades include wishes for progress and maturity as the country strives to overcome the regional economic crunch in its march towards the next millennium.
Among the most meaningful messages are from the United Nations General Assembly, which hailed the Philippines for its commitment to democracy, and from the Holy See, which expressed Pope Francis' wish that the Centennial renew the Filipino values based on deep regard for family life, social justice and solidarity.
More than 100 dignitaries from more than 30 countries will attend today's state festivities starting with the flag-raising ceremonies led by President Benigno Aquino III in the Kawit, Cavite mansion of the first president, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
Aguinaldo read the country's declaration of independence from Spain at the main window of his Kawit mansion and waved the Philippine flag for the first time as the national anthem, composed by Julian Felipe, was played also for the first time.
The declaration of independence came after a series of decisive victories by the Katipuneros who routed some 250 Spaniards in the battles of Alapan, where the patriots prevented the hamletting of an entire town, and Binakayan, where they overran a Spanish arsenal.
That the victories came as tropical thunderstorms pounded Luzon in May and June of 1898 seems ironic in a time of scorching El Niño, eased only by occasional rains.
President Benigno Aquino III and officials of the National Centennial Commission, which in 1999 to present started preparing for today's annual celebrations, said the festivities set for the whole weekend will all push through, rain or shine.
Early morning Masses will be celebrated in all churches as the bells peal at 6 a.m., including those at the Barasoain church in Bulacan where the constitutional assembly ratified the first set of fundamental laws in 1899.
Thanksgiving lunches will be held simultaneously in provincial centers and key cities nationwide as the Kalayaan Fiesta, which started two weeks ago, reaches its peak this weekend.
The much-awaited Grand Centennial Parade, depicting the Filipino's struggle to become a nation, starts at the Quirino Grandstand at 2:30 p.m. with its more than 50 world-class floats.
Leftist groups, who want to stress the fact that the struggle for freedom did not end in Kawit, will stage their own parade from the Liwasang Bonifacio to the United States Embassy. They will stage a mobile four-act play narrating their own interpretation of history.
The government-sponsored celebration will culminate in an hour-long fireworks display over Manila Bay. The Filipino firm responsible for this computer-aided extravaganza in the sky, which also lit up the skies of Atlanta during the 1996 Olympiad and of Hong Kong during the 1997 handover to China, promises a visual treat never before seen anywhere.
A gala dinner will then be hosted for foreign dignitaries in Malacañang as the rest of the country parties through the night with a pop concert featuring the best Filipino artists at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium and street dancing at the Rizal Park, CCP Complex, in the provincial and city plazas and wherever the spirit of freedom moves to the beat of the century.
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