National Heroes Day

On Monday, 26 August, the nation commemorates National Heroes Day. It is a day for remembering the valor and gallantry of the fallen men and women whose martyrdom helped save us from foreign domination.

It is a regular holiday and national and local government units are bound by tradition to celebrate it with fanfare and ways befitting its importance. It is a time also for families to unite and renew their affection for one another.

It is most coincidental that the Islamic City of Marawi, which just celebrated its 84th Charter Day, which makes it among the oldest cities in the country, just engaged in an activity related to the holiday.

In tandem with the BARMM Commission on the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, the city unveiled four historical markers in predesignated locations, which were identified through research and testimonies attesting to the accuracy of the situs.

Prominent guests from Manila like Professor Regalado Trota Jose, chairperson of the National Historical Commission, and Dr. Salem Lingasa, chairperson of the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, and others were present to lend importance and significance to the ceremonies.

Concrete markers with inscriptions of brief historical accounts were unveiled.

One commemorates the First Marawi Battle between the Spanish conquistadores and the Maranaw freedom fighters on 21 August 1891 where the outnumbered and outgunned Maranaws defended the City which compelled the invaders to retreat to Iligan.

Another marker shows the second attack on Marawi where the Maranaw defenders were martyred, including their leader, Amaipakpak or Datu Akadir Akobar, and many others on 10 March 1895.

A marker was also unveiled near the City Hall complex where Kota (fort) Marawi was located, with observers seeing the irony because it is the same place where the present mayor, Sultan Majul Gandamra, led the last stand against the ISIS-inspired Maute-Abu Sayyaf rebels who sieged the city for about five months beginning 23 May 2017.

What was the significance of the memorial activity? It kicked off a project to elevate the heroism of Datu Akader, historically called Amaipakpak, to the status of a national hero. While his heroism and valor have been recorded in various narratives which qualify him to be declared a national hero, no attempt has ever been made to elevate him to the ranks of Rizal, Bonifacio et al. The breakthrough was a joint program of the City and the BARMM Commission.

We were informed that before the project was initiated, research and vetting were thoroughly conducted to document and validate the stories surrounding the heroism of Amaipakpak. And the process is continuing until a formal declaration is made by a national office which has the mandate to formally declare him a national hero.

The heroism of the Moro revolutionaries who fought against the foreign invaders contributed immensely to the war of independence fought by other Filipinos in other parts of the country, and later the Katipuneros.

The full force of the Spanish conquistadores was not employed against the Philippine independence fighters because of the distraction and resistance of the Moros.

The war by the latter divided and diffused the Spanish forces. Without the Moro resistance, the trajectory of the rebellion for independence of the Filipinos in Luzon and elsewhere would have been otherwise and, worse, might have favored the invaders.

This tale should be immortalized for the next generation to know that in the distant past, their forefathers fought to martyrdom and gave the invaders a hell of a fight despite being outnumbered and outgunned. They showed the foreigners that in this part of the world men know how to die for country and faith.

Finally, we learned from the Commission that the activity will likewise jumpstart the documentation and vetting of the heroism of Sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao and of other tribes for their eventual elevation and inclusion in the pantheon of national heroes.

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