Daily TribuneForget the Spanish frailes — our modern-day ‘colonizers’ wear tailored suits and drive luxury cars and their oppression comes in the form of ghost projects.
As the nation gears up to commemorate the brave spirit of Andres Bonifacio this 30 November, it’s worth pausing our TikTok scrolling and our daily commute to ask a truly electrifying question: What would the Father of the Philippine Revolution — the self-made man, the Supremo of the Katipunan, the champion of the masses — say if he walked our streets today?
Forget the Spanish frailes — our modern-day “colonizers” wear tailored suits and drive luxury cars and their oppression comes in the form of ghost projects, endless corruption and a cost of living that is bleeding the common Filipino dry.
If Andres Bonifacio, with his revolutionary fire and working-class grit, were to see the Philippines of 2025, his Sigaw sa Pugad Lawin (Cry of Pugad Lawin) would become a thunderous “Supremo’s Second Cry” against a new kind of tyranny.
Sins of the “New Masters”
Bonifacio, who fought against the inequality of Spanish rule, would first cast a scathing eye on the rampant corruption and the political dynasties plaguing our government. He’d see the shocking reports of billions lost to bogus flood control projects — funds meant to save the taumbayan (people) from typhoons like Tino — being siphoned off by government officials.
The v wouldn’t just write a manifesto; he’d be shouting in the halls of Congress: “Mga Anak ng Bayan (Children of the Nation)! We tore up our cedulas (community tax certificates) to end the abuse of the foreigners! Why have you allowed your fellow Filipinos to become the new abusers, stealing the very lifeline of the poor?!” He’d see the “ghost projects” as the ultimate betrayal of the collective effort and sacrifice his revolution was built upon.
A New Katipunan
for collective action
Bonifacio’s greatest legacy is collective action — the idea that the masses, united, are the nation’s true strength. He wouldn’t pick up a rusty bolo today. Instead, he’d master the modern sandata (weapon): social media and civic organizing.
He’d likely found “Katipunan 2.0,” a highly organized, nationwide movement that will bypass the traditional, often compromised, political structure. Its new password wouldn’t be “Rizal” but “Integrity.” He’d use Facebook Live to expose injustice, and TikTok to mobilize the youth against “red-tagging” and the intimidation of activists, reminding everyone that courage is not just fighting, but speaking the truth.
He’d champion the struggles of the farmers, fisherfolk and minimum wage earners who battle high inflation, a crisis that his generation also faced under colonial economic exploitation. For him, economic justice is the modern-day independence.
Call for Pag-ibig
sa Tinubúang Lupà today
Bonifacio’s profound poem, “Pag-ibig sa Tinubúang Lupà” (Love for One’s Homeland), speaks of ultimate sacrifice. Today, he’d redefine that love not just as fighting an invader, but as demanding integrity and accountability from our own leaders.
His call to the modern Filipino would be simple and clear: “The revolution is not over! Independence from a foreign flag was only the first chapter. Now, you must secure your freedom from domestic tyrants — those who enrich themselves while the nation drowns in debt and disaster. The spirit of the Katipunan lives in every act of unity, every demand for transparent governance, and every vote cast with a clear conscience. Huwag mag-bulag-bulagan (Do not be blind)!”
On Bonifacio Day, let’s honor the Supremo not just with statues, but by adopting his principles: courage in the face of daunting odds, unity for the greater good and an unwavering fight for justice, especially for the common people.
