In Ilocos Norte, Marcoses mark patriarch’s 105th birth anniversary

THE DAWN IS HERE | A monument in Batac, Ilocos Norte, titled “Daytoy ti Bannawag” (This is the Dawn) in honor of the father and namesake of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., serves as the center of celebrations marking the older Marcos’ birth anniversary on Sept. 11. The event was led by President Marcos, his sister Sen. Imee Marcos, and other members of their family. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Information Agency in Ilocos Norte)

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte, Philippines — The Marcos clan marked the 105th birth anniversary of their patriarch and former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. on Sunday for the first time since staging their return to Malacañang with the victory of President  Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the polls in May.

Crowds gathered at the “Daytoy ti Bannawag” (This is the Dawn) monument of their “Apo Lakay” (Marcos Sr.) in Batac City to witness how the country’s 17th President honored his father and namesake.

President Marcos arrived around noon in Ilocos Norte, his family’s bailiwick, on Sunday.

Before flying to the province to join Ilocanos and other Marcoses to celebrate the birthday of the province’s “favorite son,” Marcos first joined the family matriarch Imelda Romualdez Marcos and his sister Irene Marcos-Araneta for a Mass at Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) in Taguig City, where the deposed dictator was buried in 2016.

During his speech in Batac, Marcos honored his father by urging the public to “return to the values that we had learned from President Ferdinand Marcos.”

“We return the value of honor and duty and of compassion,” the president said.

Birthplace

Earlier on Sunday morning, Sen. Imee Marcos and her son, Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc, led a separate wreath-laying ceremony and thanksgiving Mass in Sarrat town, the birthplace of Marcos Sr.

The senator was joined by first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and the other presidential sons, Vincent and Simon, during another wreath-laying ceremony at Marcos Sr.’s monument in Batac, their family’s hometown.

The Marcoses have been commemorating the birthday of Marcos Sr. since 2011 after Imee became governor of Ilocos Norte. Events and activities for Marcos Sr.’s birthday were part of the “Marcos Fiesta” held in the province every month of September.

This year, however, the birthday celebration was grander because of the presence of a sitting president.

‘New Ferdinand’

Imee, in a speech, expressed elation over having a “new Ferdinand Marcos” in the person of his brother as president, describing it as “certainly the fruit of the pudding” as she retraced the beginning of their late patriarch’s political career in Batac.

“It was here also that he wanted to come back in the final days of life, desperate to come home again,” expressed Imee.

Marcos Sr. died in exile in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1989, or three years after he and his family were booted out of Malacañang following the bloodless Edsa People Power Revolt in 1986.

‘Marcos Fiesta’

The revelries for Ilocos Norte’s Apo Lakay began on Sept. 8 in the province with a four-day practical shooting competition, opening of a tourism and trade exhibit, a debate cup and literary and musical competition, a job fair and a “Marcos Fiesta” concert, among others.

On Sept. 7, Marcos declared Sept. 12 a holiday in Ilocos Norte to mark his father’s birthday. But groups and martial law victims lambasted the holiday declaration.

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said that the holiday “dishonors” victims of martial law.

“This is another step toward rehabilitation of the dictator, a means to glorify him and erase his crime from our history books,” the group said.

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