THE NOBLE FILIPINOS
There are so many Filipinos who serve to be a hero and a model to their fellow Filipino people. There are meanth to be followed in terms of intelligence and abilities or maybe their bravery and heroism. Nowadays many Filipino have become famous on their field of interests. This simply means that our country is rich of Filipino people that can be proud of and are now imitated by the younger generation.
Yesterday's most Noble Filipinos
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| Dr. Jose Rizal |
DR. JOSE RIZAL
JOSE RIZAL, the national hero of the Philippines and pride of the Malayan race, was born on June 19, 1861, in the town of Calamba, Laguna. He was the seventh child in a family of 11 children (2 boys and 9 girls). Both his parents were educated and belonged to distinguished families. At the age of 3, he learned the alphabet from his mother; at 5, while learning to read and write, he already showed inclinations to be an artist. He astounded his family and relatives by his pencil drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay. At the age 8, he wrote a Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga Kabata," the theme of which revolves on the love of one’s language. Having traveled extensively in Europe, America and Asia, he mastered 22 languages. These include Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and other native dialects. A versatile genius, he was an architect, artists, businessman, cartoonist, educator, economist, ethnologist, scientific farmer, historian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist, nationalist, naturalist, novelist, opthalmic surgeon, poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist, sculptor, sociologist, and theologian. His two daring books were the NOLI ME TANGERE, a satirical novel exposing the arrogance and despotism of the Spanish clergy and EL FILIBUSTERISMO, his second novel and a sequel to the NOLI and more revolutionary and tragic than the latterwas printed in Ghent.
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| Andres Bonifacio |
ANDRES BONIFACIO
Andrés Bonifacio was born in Manila in 1863, the son of a government official. When both his parents died in the 1870's, he left school to support his five brothers and sisters. By the mid-1880s, he had become a fervent Filipino nationalist; when José Rizal established the Liga Filipina in 1892, Bonifacio was one of its first members.
After the Spanish arrested Rizal in July 1892, Bonifacio decided that the Philippines would only achieve independence through revolution. On July 7, he founded the Katipunan, a secret society open to both peasants and the middle class that employed Masonic rituals to impart an air of sacred mystery. It insinuated itself into the community by setting up mutual aid societies and education for the poor. By 1896, the Katipunan had over 30,000 members and functioned at the national, provincial, and municipal levels.
Following the execution of Rizal in 1896, Bonifacio proclaimed Filipino independence on August 23, 1896. This time, the Spaniards moved against him, forcing his flight to the Marikina mountains, while other forces headed by Emilio Aguinaldo were more successful and won control over some towns. When Bonifacio tried to rein him in, Aguinaldo ordered him arrested and charged with treason and sedition. He was tried and convicted by his enemies and executed on May 10, 1897. Today he is regarded as a national hero.
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| Emilio Aguinaldo |
EMILIO AGUINALDO
Emilio Aguinaldo was born from a local elite family in Cavite. His father was mayor of Kawit, Cavite, a post he himself held. He joined the secret organization of Katipunan founded by Andres Bonifacio, but came to be its leader when the two Katipunan factions united and elected the officers of what would become the Revolutionary Government.
Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, and a year later was proclaimed president of the Philippine Republic. The United States did not recognize his authority, having earlier won the Philippine Islands as a war trophy in the US-Spanish War of 1898. In February 1899, Aguinaldo declared war on the US and led what was to become the Philippine-American War that lasted until Aguinaldo's capture in March 1901. Filipino resistance, however, continued until 1902.
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| Melchora Aquino |
MELCHORA AQUINO
Melchora Aquino de Ramos was a Filipina revolutionary. She was born on January 6, 1812 in Caloocan. She was the daughter of a peasant couple, Juan and Valentina Aquino. She never attended school, but was seemingly literate at a young age and talented as a singer. She performed at the Mass for her church as well as at local events.
Melchora Aquino was known for her heroic contributions in the history of the Philippines revolution. The revolution broke out in 1896. She was 84 years at that time. Most of the wounded and sick Filipino revolutionaries sought refuge in her store. She not only gave them medical attention, but also encouraged the revolutionaries with prayers and motherly advice. Many revolutionaries also held secret meetings at her home. She earned the name “Mother of Katipunan (revolution)” and was also known as “Tandang Sora”, where “Tandang” meant old.
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| Juan Luna |
Juan Luna y Novicio (October 23, 1857 — December 7, 1899) was an Ilocano Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th century. He became one of the first recognized Philippine artists.
His winning the gold medal in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts, along with the silver win of fellow Filipino painter Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, prompted a celebration which was a major highlight in the memoirs of members of the Propaganda Movement, with the fellow Ilustrados toasting to the two painters' good health and citing their win as evidence that Filipinos and Spaniards were equals.
Regarded for work done in the manner of the Spanish and French academies of his time, Luna painted literary and historical scenes, some with an underscore of political commentary. His allegorical works were inspired with classical balance, and often showed figures in theatrical poses.
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| Francisco Baltazar |
FRANCISCO BALTAZAR
National hero Francisco Baltazar, the great orator and poet hails from
the province of Bulacan. He was born on April 2, 1788 in Panginay,
Bigaa, Bulacan. His parents were Juan Baltazar and Juana dela Cruz. He
became a great a writer and poet. It was Dr. Mariano Pilapil who taught
him how to write and Joseng Sisiw was his mentor in poetry. Francisco
wrote his greatest masterpiece, Florante at Laura. This piece was
written in Tagalog. The book vividly and artistically illustrated the
true state of the country at the hands of its Spanish colonizers.
Francisco Baltazar who was also known as Francisco Balagtas died on
February 20, 1862 at the age of 74. It was from Francisco Baltazar that
the name Balagtasan was derived to honor his excellence and greatness
in the field of poetry.
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| Francisca Aquino-Reyes |
FRANCISCA AQUINO-REYES
Popularly known as the Mother of Philippine Folk Dancing,
Francisca Aquino-Reyes was born in Lolomboy, Bocaue, in the province of
Bulacan, on March 9, 1899. She was the eldest of three children of
Felipe Reyes and Juliana Santos Reyes of Manila. As a prolific writer,
she authored 15 books and many articles on folk dances. In 1959, she
was elected as representative to the World Conference of Teaching
Profession in Washington, DC. And in 1962, she received the much
coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award for her valuable role in recording and
preserving Philippine folk dances. When she died at age 84 on November
21, 1983, she was honored with a state funeral. She was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
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| Guillermo Estrella Tolentino |
GUILLERMO TOLENTINO
A conservative who belonged to the old school, Guillermo Estrella
Tolentino was named National Artist in Sculpture in 1973. More into
clay modeling, he was a product of Philippine art’s Revival period, and
studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. In 1925, upon
returning to the Philippines from Europe, he joined the University of
the Philippines School of Fine Arts as a professor. He became its
fourth director from 1952 to 1955. There he was mentor to sculptors
like National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva.
In 1935, he was commissioned to create the Oblation, which became a
symbol of freedom, for the UP. Among his other works are the bronze
figure of President Quezon at Quezon Memorial, busts of Jose Rizal at
UP and UE, the marble statue of Ramon Magsaysay at the GSIS Building,
and granolithics of heroic statues representing education, medicine,
forestry, veterinary science, fine arts and music at UP. He also
designed the seal of the Republic of the Philippines and the gold and
bronze medals for the Ramon Magsaysay Award. However, his masterpiece
is the Bonifacio Monument that stands at the intersection of Rizal
Avenue and EDSA in Caloocan City. It was completed in 1933 and
represents the first encounter between Andres Bonifacio and the
Katipunan.
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| Benigno Aquino |
BENIGNO “NINOY” AQUINO
Benigno
Aquino of the Philippines was a leading opponent of the rule of
President Ferdinand Marcos (1917–1989), who governed the Philippines
from 1966 to 1986. Aquino's opposition ended in August 1983 when, after
living in the United States for three years, he returned to the
Philippine capital of Manila and was assassinated (killed) at the
airport. Aquino's death touched off massive demonstrations against
President Marcos.
Aquino became famous for his gifts as a public speaker and for his
brilliant mind, as well as his great ambition. He became the leading
candidate for the presidency in 1973, when President Marcos was
scheduled to leave office after completing the maximum two terms as
president. Aquino's ambition to be president was never realized,
however, because President Marcos declared martial law (a state of
emergency in which military authorities are given temporary rule). At
the same time Marcos dissolved the constitution, claiming supreme power
and jailing his political opponents, including Aquino. Aquino was
charged with murder, subversion (intention to undermine legal
authority), and illegal possession of firearms. Although he denied the
charges, Aquino was found guilty and was convicted by a military
tribunal, or military court, and spent over seven years in prison. In
1980 he was allowed to go to the United States for a heart bypass
operation. He remained in the United States as a refugee until
returning to the Philippines in 1983. Upon arriving at the Manila
airport he was shot and killed.
