A SOLEMN ceremony and a peaceful protest greeted the 159th birth anniversary of the father of the Philippine revolution and hero Andres Bonifacio in Cebu City Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022.
The Cebu City Government held a wreath-laying ceremony together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines at the statue of Bonifacio in Plaza Independencia.
The activity was organized by the Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) and was attended by Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, and some city councilors.
In his speech, Garcia encouraged the youth to look at the life of Bonifacio and use it as a source of inspiration.
“In his life, we could find wonderful qualities such as bravery, selflessness, patriotism, nationalism, and big love for the country. Truly, Andres Bonifacio is a role model worth imitating,” said Garcia.
Protest
Just after city officials held the ceremony, some cause-oriented groups marched from Freedom Park in downtown Cebu City where they aired their concerns on various issues.
Denwhil Cañete, vice chairman of Anakbayan Cebu, told reporters that the goal of their protest is to stop the injustices that are happening in our country, especially on issues surrounding red-tagging, state fascism, climate change, and human rights.
Cañete said that the participants of the protest are student leaders and student publication members of different schools in Cebu, members of Kabataan Partylist, and people from different sectors.
She added that around 100 from the youth sector have joined the activity, especially since this age group is vocal against the black propaganda and fake news being shared on social media.
“We believe that the youth has the intellectual capacity, it has the most energy, creativity, and the skills to amplify these issues that we are currently facing,” said Cañete.
Cañete further said that activism has been an effective tool in correcting injustices and ending societal issues that have been a burden to the masses.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to continue honoring the country’s heroes by being the best version of themselves amid the commemoration of Bonifacio’s 159th birth anniversary.
Marcos said every Filipino can be a hero in his or her own way, thus urging them to imitate the loyalty and love for the country of Bonifacio, who led the Katipunan movement to free the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule.
“We can do this because we are with our modern heroes -- our doctors, nurses, soldiers, police, overseas Filipino workers, and every Juan and Juana -- who wholeheartedly serve for others,” he said during the wreath-laying ceremony at the Andres Bonifacio National Monument in Caloocan City. (IRT, TPM / SunStar Philippines)