Categories
History and Culture

Andres Bonifacio, a Bible Reader

Bonifacio’s classmates call him a “voracious” reader even as a boy. It is a habit he retained. The books he read greatly influenced his leadership and aspiration for liberty.

La Sagrada Biblia

The Holy Bible, in 5 volumes [possibly La Sagrada Biblia, nuevamente traducida por Don Felix Torres Amat, 5 vols. (Madrid: Imprenta de D. Miguel de Burgos, 1832)]; and Rogelio H. de Ibarreta’s anticlerical La religión al alcance de todos, 2 vols. (Madrid: Imprenta de M. Romero, 1884). The Bible was then rarely found in Filipino homes – it is said there were only a thousand or so copies in the whole country. The Catholic Church did not encourage the laity to possess or read the scriptures without supervision through fear that “false interpretations” and “freethinking” would
proliferate.

Jim Richardson, Andres Bonifacio: Biographical Notes, Part I: 1863-1891
Categories
History and Culture

Sampung Utos ng Mga Anak ng Bayan

1. Ibigin mo ang Diyos nang buong puso.

2. Pakatandaang lagi na ang tunay na pag-ibig sa Diyos ay siya ring pag-ibig sa Tinubuan, at iyan din ang pag-ibig sa kapwa.

3. Itanim sa iyong puso na ang tunay na kahalagahan ng puri’t kaginhawahan ay ang ikaw ay mamatay dahil sa ikaliligtas ng Inang-Bayan.

4. Lahat ng iyong mabuting hangad ay magwawagi kapag ikaw’y may hinahon, tiyaga, katwiran at pag-asa sa iyong inaasal at ginagawa.

5. Pag-ingatan mo, kapara ng pag-iingat sa sariling puri, ang mga pasiya at adhikain ng K.K.K.

6. Katungkulan ng lahat na ang nabibingit sa malaking kapahamakan sa pagtupad ng kanyang tungkulin ay iligtas sukdang ikapariwara ng sariling buhay at kayamanan.

7. Ang kaugalian natin sa ating sarili at sa pagtupad ng ating tungkulin ay siyang kukunang halimbawa ng ating kapwa.

8. Bahaginan mo ng iyong makakya ang sino mang mahirap at kapuspalad.

9. Ang sipag sa paggawa na iyong ikabubuhay ay siyang tunay na sanhi ng pag-ibig, pagmamahal sa sarili, sa inyong asawa’t mga anak sa iyong kapatid at mga kababayan.

10. Parusahan ang sino mang masamang tao’t taksil, at purihin ang mabubuting gawa. Dapat mong paniwalaan na ang tinutungo ng K.K.K. ay mga biyaya ng Diyos; na anupa’t ang ninanasa ng Inang-Bayan ay mga nasain din ng Diyos.

Andres Bonifacio
Categories
Character Development

Filipino Character

On September 18, 1987, Senate Resolution No. 10 enlisted the areas where the Filipino Character is in need of development:

  • Pagmamalaki sa Bansa
  • Kakayanang Magmalasakit
  • Katapatan at Pananagutan
  • Pagsisikap
  • Pagpapahalaga at Pagsusuri sa Sarili
Categories
Laws, Circulars and Issuances

Senate Resolution No. 10, s. 1987

Full Title: Resolution to direct the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture and the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Development to conduct a joint inquiry into the strengths and weaknesses of the character of the Filipino with a view to solving the social ills and strengthening the nation’s moral fiber.

In September of 1987, former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani filed a resolution urging the senate to study the strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino character. The premise was to identify the positive qualities needed for nation building.

Presidential Proclamation No. 62, s. 1992 clearly sums up the recommendation of the study:

WHEREAS, the Senate Task Force, after comprehensive study, has established the need to develop in the Filipino — (1) a sense of patriotism and national pride, or “pagmamalaki sa bansa” — a genuine love, appreciation and commitment to the Philippines and things Filipino; (2) a sense of the common good or “kakayahang magmalasakit” — the ability to look beyond selfish interests, a sense of community living, a sense of justice and a sense of outrage at its violation; (3) a sense of integrity and accountability, or “katapatan at pananagutan” — an aversion towards graft and corruption in society and an avoidance of the practice in one’s daily life; (4) the value and habits of discipline, hard work or “pagsisikap”, self-dignity and self-reliance; and (5) the value and habits of self-reflection and analysis or “pagpapahalaga at pagsusuri sa sarili”, the internalization of spiritual values, the emphasis on essence rather than on form;

Presidential Proclamation No. 62, s. 1992