I Need Your Strength

Two top media company has already come in our place to look at the matter but we never see any light at the end of the tunnel. Days passed by swiftly and the thoughts of losing the roof on our heads beyond January 30, 2009 makes me weaker each day. I can’t even feel the Christmas in the air, although cold wind is already embracing me… I guess it just makes me numb each passing day. The show of force is so demoralizing, watching the regular round of soldiers in our neighborhood is creating fear and confusion among the children. I already written our cause to some top leaders of our society but it seem our issue had just fallen in deaf ears…

 

 

I started blogging to ease my pains

To ease my feelings and gain some friends

To voice out my opinions and ravings

and to pacify the anger in my surging veins

 

The journey to blogging seems interesting

It lessen the worries that makes me lame

It makes me feel alive once again

From more than 3 years of silence

 

I was silenced by the forces of evil

Who threaten to take my life If I never refrain

Refrain from what? You may ask me that

From being radical which narrowed my path

 

But I can’t live in silence for many years

It makes me crazy and will paralyze my brains

Now I need to go out once again

Maybe not in the street but in the field of blogging

 

 I love my kids, I don’t want to endanger them

That’s why I shut my mouth off and quit from work

But how long shall I stop and just stare at them?

While they are crashing our rights and our home

We were all strangers in this land

Which created by God for every man

But some men are greedy and cruel

They draw the boundaries and created their titles

 

But how dare you claim you own the land created by God?

You just draw the line and claimed it’s yours?

And for that claim you’re ready to harm and maybe kill

Whoever blocks your plans and claims?

 

Fights and wars has just one cause

The greed in every man’s heart to rise in power

By trampling the rights and freedom of other men

Just to place themselves in the pedestal of fame

 

The journey to freedom maybe long and hard

Millions of men had already sacrificed their lives

For the call of justice, equality and sovereignty

Despite all these, we still have to take our steps in this journey

 

I am drawing my strength from God and friends

And I am calling you to internalize the cause

The fight will be stronger if you joined mine

I need your strength in the darkest time…

 

~by: Juliet B. Corpuz ~

12-8-2008 4:00am

Poetry is my healing balm… I need to put into words all the bad feelings I have in my heart…

Related posts of our issue:

Demolition Issue

Demolition update

Eviction notice

Jan 1, 2009

I would like to thank all my readers and blogger friends who extend their hands and support to our demolition issue. The good words coming from you guys is very important to me as this keeps me going and stand on my feet each day.

I also want to give my sincere thanks to SSNUFY for a wonderful poem he composed for this post.

POEM FROM SSNUFFY

Be still my friend have you not forgot
that an awesome God Controls the lot
His word is law and very true
and you know the depth of His love for you

So Stand in faith and and trust His Word
to doubt His power is quit absurd
For He is God and on His Throne
and your promise is your not alone

In His good time this storm will pass
and you will stand at peace alas
and the threat so bold that held you there
will disappear in the morning air,,,,,,

Gods very best >>>SSNUFFY

Thank you very much….

Here is my response for this poem…

Thank you very much SSNUFFY
For this sincere poem you created for me
The thoughts made its way to my heart
Which adds to my strength and made me glad

Never will I forget I have a Big God
Who always leads my path
In him I draw my strength
To face all my struggles and pains

I always thank him for all the friends
That He sent my way as an instrument
Who cheers me up when I’m in vain
Which cushion the blows and ease the pains

I stand still and keep my faith
To trust His word is my shield
This storm will go and never win
Cause I have a God who never fail

<<<<Juliet >>> [January 1, 2009     7:30 a.m.]

BONIFACIO DAY

Let’s talk about our National History. I know many of you has no detailed knowledge about this so I did some research para naman medyo maka relate tayo ngayong araw na to… baka sakali… makita natin ang kahalagahan ng mga ipinaglaban nya… na sana lang ay hindi nga nasayang ang mga iyon… yung reference books ko ay hinalukay ko pa sa Baul ng tatay ko 🙂

Today is November 30, we are commemorating one of the important person in the Philippine history, Andres Bonifacio.

Who is the guy? ( He’s my Hero 🙂 )

Bonifacio came out after the failure of the reform movement headed by Rizal and M. Del Pilar. This paved way for a more radical and more active lines. He formed the Katipunan, a secret society which was founded at Tondo Manila, in a house on Azcarraga street then numbered 314, on July 7, 1892, the same date on which Rizal was decreed to be banished to Dapitan.

The secret society was popularly known as KKK which means “kataastaasan Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga anak ng Bayan” (The Highest and the most respectable Association of the Son’s of the People).

The two principal aims of the KKK as gathered from the writings of Bonifacio:

1. Unity of the Filipino people
2. Separation from Spain by means of Revolution

Rizal doubtless approved the first aim but refused to accept the second and this was the reason that he refused to go along with the “Katipuneros” (soldiers’ of the Katipunan) and voluntarily surrendered that leads him to prison and death.

To achieve unity of the Filipinos, propaganda work must be done and this was through massive education and civic trainings of the Katipuneros. To that end, Bonifacio prepared his now well-known Decalogue, and Jacinto his famous “Kartilya ng Katipunan” (Primer of the Katipunan)

Here is an excerpt from the second paragraph of the Kartilya which states that;

“The object pursued by this association is great and precious: to unite in ideas and purposes all Filipinos by means of a strong oath and from union derive force with which to tear the veil that obscures intelligence and thus find the true path of Reason and Light”

The strong oath was documented and signed with the blood of the “Katipuneros” (blood compact). They swore at the Katipunan creed; To defend the oppressed, fight the oppressor even to the extent of supreme self- sacrifice.

Organization of the Katipunan

The Katipunan has 3 levels of authority:

Kataastaasang Sanggunian (The Supreme Council)
Sangguniang Bayan (The Provincial Council)
Sangguniang Barangay (Town Council)

It was founded in 1892 but Andre4s Bonifacio assumed the presidency in 1894

Table of Organization

President – Andres Bonifacio
Secretary – Jose Turiano Santiago
Fiscal – Emilio Jacinto
Treasurer – Vicente Molina

Executive Department (1896)

President – Andres Bonifacio
Secretary of State- Emilio Jacinto
Secretary of War – Teodoro Plata
Secretary of Justice – Briccio Pantas
Secretary of the Interior – Aguedo del Rosario
Secretary of Finance – Enrique Pacheco

Membership of the Katipunan

With Bonifacio as the Supreme leader, the society gains active followers in the provinces of Morong (Rizal), Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Tayabas. The number of Katipuneros has been estimated at 123, 000 in Manila and the surrounding provinces. Women also organized themselves into an Auxiliary of the Katipunan including the 29 relatives of the Katipuneros.

Ritual of the Katipunan

Katipunan also adopted some of the features and practices of the Masonry, such as conferring of degrees, secret ceremonies and symbolic names.

A first degree of the Katipunan was called “Katipun” meaning an associate and the sacred word was “Anak ng Bayan”. A second degree member was called “Kawal”, a soldier and the sacred word was “Gom-Bur-Za” which stand for Father Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. A member of the third degree was called “Bayani”, a hero and the sacred word was “Rizal”.

The symbolic name of Bonifacio was “May Pag-asa (There is hope), Emilio Aguinaldo as Magdalo and Emilio Jacinto as Pingkian.

The call to Arms

It was a lieutenant of the civil guard stationed in Pasig, who in July 5, 1896, reported in confidential writing to the Governor of Manila that persons coming from the capital and neighboring towns were enlisting men for an “unknown purpose” and that they were making recruits sign wit their blood a pledge not to reveal, even under threat or death the purpose of the association and its intentions.

On August 19, 1896, the offices of the “El Diario de Manila was forcibly searched by the “guardia civil” and lithographic stone with 2 blank receipts of the Katipunan was found including the By-Laws and other incriminating documents. This leads to multiple arrests of many suspects that ends up in their tortures and death.

The First Cry of Balintawak – The first cry of revolution

On August 20, at the last series of meetings held in Kangkong, a barrio in Caloocan, Bonifacio and his followers plan and agreed to attack Manila on August 29, 1896. That decision marked the triumph of the radicals under the leadership of Bonifacio and Jacinto. Resolved not to return home, the Katipuneros, as proof of their determination to break off their allegiance to Spain, tore up their “cedulas” (certificate of residence), shouting “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!” (Long live the Philippine Republic)

That was the start of the Philippine revolution which took place in many parts of the land. Many Katipuneros had died in the battle for the sake of freedom and liberty. Bonifacio has fought for this purpose until the last breath of his life.

300 years of Bondage. Millions of Filipinos had lost their lives fighting for independence.

The Spanish is too proud to surrender to what they call idiots and stupid Filipinos. They rather surrender to Americans. And so it was done.

The history tells us who the real heroes are. ..who fought to liberate this land. It was clearly written but Bonifacio, was denied the title of a National Hero. My daughter asked me that same question. I said, maybe because Bonifacio is a radical person and must not be idolized by future generation. They want us to be meek and just pray and ask for God’s mercy. Not fight and bear the unbearable… and whoever raised his voice against the government must be silenced… legally…brutally.

The Cry of Balintawak still echoes in the wind. For every life that is wasted, for every leader who dies because of a word called “principle”. I wonder if independence was really achieved because until this day, the Spanish styles of killings and tortures is still existing. Activists are killed. Organizations are busted. Workers are displaced. Unions are abolished.

The journey to freedom is long and hard. The price of bravery and principle is high.

The day of real freedom and independence still remains a dream…

 

References: History of the Philippines by Conrado Benitez

The Philippine Islands – by Dr. James A. Robertson, Blair and Robertson

>>> My dad’s books from his very old collections…