More Unsung Heroes
Jose Rizal, Emilio Aguinaldo,
Gregorio del Pilar - these men are just some of the prominent figures
immortalized in our history books.
But no matter how
courageous these men had been, they did not fight the war or the battle
alone. Below are some of the many “unsung heroes” and their significant
contributions to our country:
Macario Sakay
– Born in Tondo in September 13, 1907, he relentlessly fought against
the American rule during the American colonization. He was the one who
founded the Tagalog Republic, an organization which pushed for Filipino
self-determination and independence.
Jose Palma
– Born also in Tondo, he was a poet aside from being a soldier. He
wrote a Spanish poem titled “Filipinas” which was published in the La
Liga Filipina. The verses of “Filipinas” later became the lyrics to the
Philippine National Anthem.
Dr. Maximo Viola –
Dr. Viola met Rizal when he was a medical student in Barcelona, Spain.
It was he who loaned Rizal the money to be able to print the first 2000
copies of Rizal’s now classic and renowned novel “Noli me Tangere.” It
was to him that Rizal dedicated “Noli” in gratitude for his help.
Galicano Apacible
– He became the first president of La Solidaridad, a society of
Filipino intellectuals in Spain who tried to represent the Philippines,
to bring forth its issues and concerns, in the Spanish parliament. La
Solidaridad was also the name of the newspaper they created, to publish
news and issues regarding the Philippines during the Spanish
colonization.
Lt. Col. Honorio Guerrero – He
was the overall commander of the composite rescue team made up
primarily of Filipino guerrillas who collaborated with the soldiers
from the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 672nd Amtrac
Battalion sent by the US to the Philippines. Their joint effort
succeeded in freeing 2000 POWS from the Japanese Internment Camps in
Los Banos in February 23, 1935. This successful collaboration between
the US and Philippine forces was later documented in this nation’s
history as the famous Raid of Los Baños.
These are but a few of
the innumerable individuals who bravely fought alongside the heroes of
this great nation. We hope your students will be encouraged to learn
more about them.
Sources:
60th Anniversary, World War 2, 1944-2004,1945-2005, A Salute to Valor. (n.d.) Retrieved August 29, ’07 from
http://www.dotpcvc.gov.ph/Events/Leyte%20Gulf%20Landings/leyte-welcome.html#anchor308233
History of the Filipino People. Teodoro A. Agoncilo and Central Luzon and NCR. (n.d.) Retrieved August 29, ’07 from
www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/katipunan.html
Jose Rizal: Lineage, Life, and Works by Austin Craig.(n.d.) Retrieved August 29, ’07 from
http://rizalslifewritings.tripod.com/Biography/rizaslife.htm
Katipunan activists in Manila, 1892-96. (n.d.) Retrieved August 29, ’07 from
http://kasaysayan-kkk.info/studies.kkk.mla.table.1.htm
National Heroes: Macario Sakay. (n.d.) Retrieved August 30, ’07 from
http://www.globalpinoy.com/ch/ch_category.php?category=heroes&name=Macario
Sakay&table=ch_heroes&startpage=1&endpage=15
