Aquino leads Tuesday’s Freedom Day rites

SWEET TASTE OF FREEDOM Two women put the finishing touches on the Philippine flag made from some 5,000 pieces of “yema” (caramel) candies at SM City Davao annex on the eve of nationwide celebrations of Independence Day. The candies will be distributed to mall customers Tuesday. BING GONZALES/INQUIRER MINDANAO

Underscoring his administration’s sense of history, President Benigno Aquino will lead Tuesday’s celebration marking the 114th anniversary of Philippine independence at Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan.

“This is also to emphasize the importance of these places in the role of gaining our independence,” Mr. Aquino’s spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda, told reporters.

The National Historical Commission presented the idea to the President to mark Freedom Day in historic sites during his term, Lacierda said. Last year, Mr. Aquino led the celebration in Kawit, Cavite.

“We believe this is one way of imbibing the historical significance of these places,” Lacierda told reporters. “And also it’s more fun in the Philippines to visit the historical sites.”

Mr. Aquino will lead the flag-raising and wreath-laying activities at Barasoain Church, simultaneously with those at the Rizal National Monument at Luneta in Manila; Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite; and at the Bonifacio National Monument in Caloocan City.

Vice President Jejomar Binday will lead the rites in Luneta, Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas in Kawit, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in Caloocan City.

Pamintuan mansion

Another Cabinet member, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., will attend the rites at the Pamintuan mansion in Angeles City, where the Philippine republic commemorated the first year of its freedom from Spain 114 years ago.

The President is expected to give a “philosophical” speech, according to Lacierda. “I believe it is something that lays down also the philosophy of what he’s fighting for. So that’s the broad stroke.”

From Bulacan, Mr. Aquino will head to Malacañang to lead the traditional vin d’honneur scheduled at 10 a.m. Tuesday. He will also give an Independence Day message.

Jimenez’s participation in activities at the Pamintuan mansion as announced by Malacañang is regarded as an official recognition of the June 12, 1899, event, said Carmen Tayag-McTavish, president of Kuliat Foundation Inc. (KFI).

A year after the centennial of Philippine independence, the KFI started reenacting excerpts from the outdoor Mass and grand military parade of some 2,000 soldiers (then led by Generals Gregorio del Pilar of Bulacan and Manuel Tinio of Nueva Ecija), and President Emilio Aguinaldo’s speech to the troops.

Aguinaldo speech

In the speech found by a US Army historian, Capt. John Taylor, in the Philippine Insurgent Records, Aguinaldo said: “Let us remember that this day commemorates the greatest event in our political evolution, the first anniversary of the proclamation of our independence in Cavite the 12th of June 1898, the date on which the Philippine people, thirsting for liberty, justice and the exercise of their proper rights, thronged to Cavite, to carry out this high patriotic manifestation, the beginning of a new era of progress and well-being for our idolized country, to the cry of ‘The Philippines Free and Independent.’”

“We will be slaves to none, nor will we allow ourselves to be deceived with soft words,” Aguinaldo said.

From the window of the Pamintuan mansion on Miranda and Santo Entierro Streets, Aguinaldo unfurled the Philippine flag sewn in Hong Kong and used in the Kawit rites, local historian and KFI trustee Daniel Dizon, 81, said, citing documented accounts of that event.

The mansion served as the seat of government and presidential palace of the first republic in Asia, KFI research showed.

But while the then National Historical Institute had installed a marker recognizing the historical importance of the place, no President or department secretary had come for the rites.

Traffic rerouted

With Secretary De Lima as keynote speaker, the Freedom Day program at Monumento Circle will be attended by Caloocan officials led by Mayor Enrico Echiverri, according to Leuterio Nicolas, the city’s public information officer.

Traffic will be rerouted in the area from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., Police Officer 2 Kennedy Arellano of the city’s traffic enforcement unit told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

All vehicles coming from MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City will execute a counterflow at the eastern portion of the Monumento Circle to get to Monumento, Edsa or Manila. Public utility vehicles will turn right at A. de Jesus Street in Caloocan to get to Manila.

Buses coming from Edsa on their way to Monumento and Sangandaan in Caloocan and Valenzuela will turn right at Gen. Simon Street in Caloocan.

Jeepneys and other vehicles will turn right at MacArthur Highway and left at Pinagtipunan Circle to reach Gov. Pascual Avenue, both in Malabon. They may access Monumento and Sangandaan through Samson Road in Caloocan.

Jeepneys plying Gen. San Miguel Street in Caloocan will turn left at Dagohoy Street and access Caimito Road to get to Pio Valenzuela Street in Valenzuela. From there, they can reach Monumento.

Private vehicles coming from Gen. San Miguel Street will take A. Mabini Street in Caloocan and turn left at 10th Avenue to get to Rizal Avenue Extension. They may access Monumento from there.

Vehicles coming from Manila through Rizal Avenue Extension will turn right at 9th Avenue and left at B. Serrano Street to reach Edsa. To get to MacArthur Highway, they have to make a U-turn in front of the SSS building from the major thoroughfare.

Buses and trucks originating from Malabon are advised to turn right at Dagat-dagatan Avenue, left at C-3 Road, and left upon reaching B. Serrano to access Edsa or Balintawak.

Manila

In Manila, at least two major roads will be closed to vehicular traffic. These are portions of Roxas Boulevard, from Katigbak Drive to T.M. Kalaw Avenue, as well as Ma. Orosa Street, from Padre Burgos Street to TM Kalaw Avenue.

Superintendent Reynaldo Nava, head of the Manila Police District’s Traffic Enforcement Unit, advised motorists traveling through the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard from the Del Pan Bridge to turn left to Padre Burgos Street and straight through Taft Avenue.

Those taking the northbound lane of Roxas Boulevard are advised to turn right to Kalaw, left to Orosa or go straight to Taft.

Jeepneys coming from the MacArthur, Jones and Quezon Bridges should go straight to Taft and turn right to Kalaw instead of passing through Orosa.

Cargo trucks traveling through Osmeña Highway should turn right to President Quirino Avenue, go straight to Nagtahan Bridge, AH Lacson Avenue, Yuseco Street, cross Jose Abad Santos to Raxabago Street then Capulong Street. Reports from Christine O. Avendaño, Kristine Felisse Mangunay and Jeannette I. Andrade in Manila; and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon