Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's bronze sculpture by National Artist Napoleon Abueva stands in front of the Bayambang Municipal Hall.
It is a sole marker that reminds us that Bayambang became the fifth capital of the First Philippine Republic after Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo encamped here on November 12, 1899, bringing with him the entire fledgling Philippine government.
Among Aguinaldo's legacy are: the Philippine Constitution, a national army, a government organizational structure (with executive, legislative, and judiciary branches), a unifying flag, and a national anthem.
The Philippine national anthem, "Lupang Hinirang," was written by Jose Palma reportedly inside a train couch in nearby Bautista, which was once a part of Bayambang.
The Aguinaldo monument is reportedly the only one in the country outside the general's home province of Cavite.
In Bayambang, our fledgling government disintegrated as it fled the pursuing elements of the American Army and declared an all-out war against the foreign invaders. This is the reason why Bayambang town today commemorates November 12 as "SingKapital" Day so as not to forget that day in history when our heroes bravely took a stand for self-determination and spilled copious blood for it, and that is why we enjoy our freedom today.
No comments:
Post a Comment