Editorial: Seriously?

THE country has a lot to worry about, but the lawmakers still find time to tackle an important measure – change the lyrics of the national anthem, “Lupang Hinirang.”

In a news report, Senate President Vicente Sotto III proposed to revise the lyrics of the anthem.

During the Senate debates on the proposed amendment to Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, the good senator suggested amending the last line of the centuries-old song, which he described as defeatist.

The line in question was the “Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi, ang mamatay ng dahil sa ‘yo.”

Instead of “ang mamatay ng dahil sa ‘yo,” he’d rather replaced it with “ang ipaglaban ang kalayaan mo.”

The suggestion was welcomed by fellow Senator Richard Gordon, who is also pushing for Senate Bill 102 that he co-authored.

The proposed measure aims to increase the number of rays in the sun on the Philippine flag from eight to nine to represent Muslim leaders.

He also suggested that the famous quote by the late senator Benigno Aquino Jr., “The Filipino is worth dying for,” should be also added to the revised national anthem.

Sotto, a composer himself, said he is not insisting to change the lyrics right away. He just wanted his fellow lawmakers to look into the law.

The Philippine National Anthem was composed in 1898 by Julián Felipe, and the lyrics were adapted from the Spanish poem Filipinas, written by José Palma in 1899.

The Spanish lyrics were translated into Tagalog versions in the 1940s. The current Filipino version was translated in 1956.

The thing is, the country is spiraling downward, and it seemed the lawmakers still have the luxury to talk about the national anthem and the flag. Seriously?

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