Ang Kadakilaan ng Bayaning si Hen. Luciano San Miguel

"Ang isuko ang buhay para sa Inang Bayan at kanyang kalayaan--ito lamang ay tunay nang kaligayaan at karangalan!"

Isa sa mga pinakadakilang bayani ng Taga-Ilog/Pilipinas, kahit kulang siguro sa pagkilala, ay si LUCIANO SAN MIGUEL y SAKLOLO.

Lumaban mula Unang Yugto ng Himagsikan laban sa Kastila hanggang sa mas madugo, malupit, at nakakadurog-pusong Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano (1899-1914). Binuhay ang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan (KKK) at pinagpatuloy ang pagtatanggol ng Kalayaan laban sa masamang Kalbong Agila kahit na niyakap na ni Hen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo, Pangulo ng Republika, ang kaaway.

Bago bawian ng buhay habang nasa labanan ng Koral-na-Bato sa Antipolo, sinambit niya ang mga katagang ito:

“To give up one’s life for the Motherland and her freedom – this alone, is true happiness and honor!”


 Batis: http://www.nhi.gov.ph/downloads/mp0135.pdf


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TODAY IN HISTORY


27 MARCH

Then-Col. San Miguel conferring with
imperialist Col. Stotsenburg, Feb. 2, 1899

1903 - Gen. Luciano San Miguel y Saklolo, one of the most valiant, nationalistic, and greatest though underrated Filipino heroes and revolutionaries, dies fighting the imperialist American forces and traitorous mercenaries during the Battle of Koral-na-Bato in Antipolo, Rizal, four years into the bloody and protracted Philippine-American War (1899-1914); the real last Philippine Republic general who chose to continue fighting the vile Bald Eagle invaders despite Gen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo's capture and prompt swearing of allegiance to the enemy flag, a dying San Miguel will manage to utter the glorious words of heroism: “To give up one’s life for the Motherland and her freedom – this alone, is true happiness and honor!; a Caviteno who joined the underground-society-turned-revolutionary-body Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan (KKK) in 1896, San Miguel was a bonafide man of the Supremo Andres C. Bonifacio under the Magdiwang KKK chapter;  he received the command of the northern provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Morong, Batangas, Laguna, and Manila as colonel during the Second Phase of the Revolution against Spain; during the Fil-Am War, he led military actions in central and western Luzon as general in the battles of 1899 and will revive the KKK in his command in Zambales; at the time of his death, he was the generalissimo in charge of overall field operations command of the Republic of Katagalugan, the anti-imperialist revolutionary body that took off from Bonifacio's 1896-1897 Katipunan, which San Miguel co-formed with Gen. Macario Sakay; similar to that of Bonifacio who died under the hands of his countrymen, Gen. San Miguel's heroic death in Rizal's Pugad-Babuy district was effected by the imperialist pawns Philippine Constabulary and mercenary Philippine Scouts forces that mostly consisted of traitorous, co-opted Filipinos; the (third)  Battle of Corral-na-Bato will later be regarded as the last great anti-imperialist-American battle in the Luzon but following San Miguel's death, a new phase of the guerrilla struggle of the Filipino freedom fighters in the Philippine's Luzon island will continue unabated for four more years with popular support. 

(Reprinted from http://philippines-islands-lemuria.blogspot.com/2012/03/27-march.html)

Panawagan: Magtayo ng Museo ng DIGMAANG PILIPINO-AMERIKANO

Ang pagkiling nga naman ng Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas para sa Kalbong Agila. Nakikita sa mga itinayong istrakturang pangkasaysayan. No wonder Leftists consistently dub GPH as "tuta ng Kano."

Imagine the partiality for World War II battles and soldiers over the longer, bloodier, and more important Philippine-American War (1899-1914). We have much of Corregidor as WW II national shrine whereas there a re so few shrines and landmarks dedicated to commemorate the Fil-Am War. Dapat nga ay mas pagtuunan ng pansin ang Digmaang Pilpino-Amerikano kaysa sa paglaban sa Hapon noong Pangalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig dahil mas mahaba, mas madugo, at mas mahalaga ang una.

 

 

The Fil-Am War was way much longer because, having lasted from some 14-15 years, with the last battles fought around 1913 compared to World War II's Japanese rule that lasted for a mere three years. The Fil-Am War's about as bloody as the Japanese Occupation bloodier because some estimates put the total direct and indirect Fil-Am War (Filipino) deaths at a million--about the same figure as in World War II. The Fil-Am War is more important by virtue of our status as combatant country--the Philippines was an independent nation battling the imperialist United States, compared to us being a mere U.S. colony fighting against Japanese Occupation during WW II.

Sa totoo, mas maraming national shrines/landmarks/ monuments patungkol sa Himagsikan laban sa Kastila, kabilang ang pook ng labanan, katulad na lamang ng Pinaglabanan Shrine. At dapat lamang. It is just so anomalous that what's in-between the Revolution and World War II seems largely forgotten. Or glossed over.

Meron din namang patungkol sa Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano subali't kaunti lamang ito. Ang Tirad Pass National Shrine ay kung saan napatay si Hen. Gregorio Del Pilar. Nandiyan din ang Bantayog ni Ricarte o Ricarte National Shrine na nagpapahalaga kay Hen. Artemio "Vibora" Ricarte, lumaban mula Himagsikan at hindi sumuko sa mga Amerikano. Ang Miguel Malvar Historical Landmark ay maisasali na dahil si Hen. Malvar na lumaban din mula Himagsikan ay isa sa pinakahuling heneral na sumuko sa imperyalistang kaaway.

Subali't ihambing sa dami ng patungkol sa Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig. Kabilang riyan ang Dambana ng Kagitingan o Mt. Samat Shrine (Shrine of Valor) na nasa Mt. Samat, Pacific War Memorial Museum at ang Corregidor National Shrine na mga nasa Bataan. Ang Paggunita sa Capas o Capaz National Shrine na nasa Tarlac. Ang Bantayog Sa Kiangan na matatagpuan sa Ifugao province at kung saan sumuko si Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita. Nandiyan din ang Bantayog ng Balantang (Balantang Memorial Cemetery National Shrine) na nasa Panay. At pati ba naman ang pagdating ni Hen. Douglas McArthur sa Leyte--ang McArthur Landing Site. Sabihin pa, nandiyan ang Battling Bastards of Bataan Memorial na para lamang sa mga Amerikanong sundalong at nasa loob na Camp O'Donell sa Tarlac.

Even at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB), the lack of appreciation for Fil-Am War patriots/soldiers is apparent. While there is a pylon for Philippine World War II Guerillas and also for Vietnam War Memorial and Korean War Memorial, there is none for Philippine-American War freedom fighters.

Sixty-four years (64) after our supposed independence from the Bald Eagle nation, and 112 years after the Filipino-American War, the Philippine government still acts subserviently before the imperialist Americans. Bahag pa rin ang buntot natin sa Kano? Kesehodang mabaluktot ang ating kasaysayan.

Nakakaawa ang mga bayani nating lumaban sa imperyalista at rasistang Amerikano. Mas lalong nakakaawa siguro ang maraming henerasyon Pilipino na napailalim sa "brainwashing" o colonial miseducation kung kaya't naiwaksi ang pait at katotohanan ng pananakop ng, at marubdob nguni't nagaping paglaban natin sa kaaway na, Estados Unidos.

Mas mahaba pa sa Himagsikan ang pakikipaglaban natin laban sa Amerikano. It is possibly even the most important because our freedom fighters then fought with us having the status of a free nation. Time to have more Fil-Am War shrines and landmarks, including one about the Republic of Katagalugan/Gen. Sakay. Dapat din tayong magkaroon ng Museo ng Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano.


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Photo art: Jesusa Bernardo

Raw Photo credits:

http://server.pvao.mil.ph/militaryshrine.html

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/94123_famous-historic-shrines-and-monuments-in-the-philippines

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Philippines/Province_of_Cavite/Corregidor_Island-1402136/Things_To_Do-Corregidor_Island-TG-C-14.html

http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2005/11/paying_due_resp.html


References:

Gordon L. Rottman. War 2 Pacific island guide. Illustrated Edition. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002

DECLARING NATIONAL SHRINES AS SACRED (HALLOWED) PLACES AND PROHIBITING DESECRATION THEREOF
http://www.chanrobles.com/presidentialdecrees/presidentialdecreeno105.html

A Soldier of Courage and Compassion
http://www.nhi.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=75&Itemid=10

Shrines and Landmarks
http://www.nhi.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=1&id=9&Itemid=10

Famous Historic Shrines And Monuments in The Philippines
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/94123_famous-historic-shrines-and-monuments-in-the-philippines

National Parks in Luzon
http://www.visitphilippines.org/guide/8_0_37_1_National-Parks-in-Luzon-.:-VisitPhilippines.org-a-Best-Destination-Travel-Guide-by-Travelindex.html

Corrigedor Island Tour
http://trailsntravelogues.com/2008/02/corrigedor-island-tour.html

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