GOD BLESS YOU PRESIDENT CORY!

GOD BLESS YOU PRESIDENT CORY!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Hooray to the Senate for Inquiring Into Vanishing Cellphone Loads — How About an Inquiry Into a Vanishing Monumento and Our Defaced National Honor?

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL SENATORS OF THE PHILIPPINES,
CHAIRMAN AMBETH OCAMPO AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE NHI,
ARCH. REYNALDO INOVERO OF THE NHI,
NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CULTURE AND THE ARTS (NCCA)
THE DOTC, LRTA, MMDA, 
MAYOR RECOM ECHIVERRI AND CALOOCAN CITY COUNCIL, 
CHIEF JUSTICE REYNATO PUNO,
PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO,
VICE PRESIDENT NOLI DE CASTRO,
GOVERNORS AND CONGRESSMEN OF THE EIGHT PROVINCES
THAT FIRST ROSE IN REVOLT AGAINST SPAIN IN AUGUST 1896,
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORG. (UNESCO),
WORLD MONUMENTS FUND (WMF) 
DEPED SECRETARY JESLI LAPUS, CHED CHAIRMAN EMMANUEL ANGELES
OTHER DEPED & CHED OFFICIALS MANDATED TO TEACH 
RESPECT FOR AND PRESERVATION OF PHILIPPINE CULTURE,
HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES PROFESSORS AND TEACHERS
NOTED FILIPINO ARTISTS AND OTHER CIVIC LEADERS,
MEMBERS OF PHILIPPINE MEDIA,
PEOPLE OF CALOOCAN CITY, PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES,
AND EVERY PINOY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

17  June 2009

Yesterday, June 16, 2009, the Philippine Senate started its inquiry into vanishing cellphone loads, a phenomenon that has stricken no less than the Honorable Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate President. 

As the investigation began yesterday, cellphone users across the country cheered as the Senate once again did this country some concrete service.  June 16, 2009 was a milestone for the Filipino consumer.

But even as the Senate protects the rights of the Philippine consuming public, I fervently wish that it will also take one simple step of reminding our public officials to stop the ongoing desecration of the Monumento. Chief Justice Reynato Puno reminded us in stark terms several days ago, "Wala pong tunay na katwiran na magdiwang ang ating kalayaan kung ganito ang kalagayan ng ating Inang Bayan."

He must have had the abject poverty widespread in our country, the untold graft and corruption and the looming specter of Cha-cha and Con-Ass uppermost in his mind when he uttered those words.  

But right in front of his eyes, there was these — giant billboards dwarfing the Monumento, a giant crane and a drilling equipment boring a hole right at the Monumento Rotonda where, reportedly, foundation posts in support of either a physical interconnection between the LRT and MRT3 or a passenger walkway will be placed.  

This is a desecration that even the dreaded Japanese Imperial Army did not dare do during the Second World War.  Which Chief Justice of the Philippines, do you think, will approve of that?!







I call on the Philippine Senate to come to the defense of our national dignity and honor by inquiring into the vanishing Monumento.  Two vistas of the Monumento are now gone — the one at Rizal Avenue which has been blocked long ago by the LRT 


and now, the vista from EDSA which is now blocked by the MRT3 whose northwestern end is now just meters away from the Monumento.  


Right now, the remaining two vistas of the Monumento are from Samson Road and MacArthur Avenue.  Once they go down, the Monumento will be completely encircled ... vanished from view ... the greatest monument to valor and to love of freedom on earth imprisoned! It is a cultural holocaust of unimaginable proportions!  

The entire Filipino nation will be guilty of nonfeasance, to borrow the term used by Senator Richard Gordon in describing the negligent actuations of telcos and government regulators in yesterday's historic hearing of the vanishing load issue. We will be the laughingstock of the world and by that time, we shall thoroughly deserve it. 

While Con-Ass threatens  to destroy the political fabric of our country, the cultural holocaust at the Monumento signals something far worse — it will finally destroy the spirit of our nation. There are things that money cannot buy and that is the honor and dignity of a free, self-respecting nation. The fact that the Philippines is a states party to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention of 1972 only makes our responsibility as a nation even more onerous. We expect the Senate to stand as one and deliver the message that we will not allow this continuing desecration of our honor and dignity as a nation at the Monumento. 

This is how the Monumento looks as Chief Justice Reynato Puno delivered his now-immortal "Walang tunay na katwirang magdiwang ng kalayaan" speech on June 12, 2009.  That's how beautiful this monument is with the golden rays of the Philippine sun projecting powerfully from the octagonal base — not only as an aesthetic icon but as the virtual embodiment of our existence, honor and dignity as a nation. 

Narito po ang Monumento noong 1980s, walang billboards at matatanaw mo kahit nasa malayo ka pa — nagpapasigla sa diwang namamanglaw, pumupukaw sa damdaming makabayan, nagpapataas ng tingin sa atin ng sinumang dayuhan —  malayong-malayo sa progresibong putikan ng kawalang-paggalang na kinasadlakan niya ngayon. Ito'y pangitain na hindi mabibili kahit ng trilyon piso mang salapi, isang pangitaing banal na imbes na pagyamanin ay tila baga pilit natin ngayong iwinawaksi:


Letters from our individual Senators and if possible, from the Chief Justice, asking Chairman Ambeth Ocampo and Commissioners of the National Historical Institute, DOTC, LRTA, MMDA and the local government of Caloocan City to explain why they are allowing these things to happen are a giant step in the right direction. A Senate Resolution expressing the same sentiment and a public inquiry into this monstrous disregard of our cultural heritage will be even better. 

Ito po'y isang munting pakiusap mula sa isang maliit na tinig na may dalang mensahe na alam kong saloobin rin ng bawat Pilipinong mayroon pang natitira kahit konting pagmamahal sa bayan at paggalang sa dangal ng kanyang lahi. Sana po ay makatanggap ako mula sa inyo kahit kapirasong sulat na nagsasabing napakinggan n'yo ang panawagang ito.

Maraming salamat po and God bless. 
  
Mabuhay ang Pinoy!  Papuri sa Panginoon!  


ROLANDO G. OCAMPO
185 Heroes del 96, Caloocan City
Email: rollyocampo@yahoo.com
Tel. No. 3623459
Cellphone: 0908 2168441
 

P.S.:  Ang URL po ng open letter at blog article na ito na mula po sa Philippines Rising (Taga Monumento) ay: http://tagamonumento.blogspot.com/2009/06/hooray-to-senate-for-inquiring-into.html
        
Ang URL po ng panawagan ko tungkol sa Monumento na pinamagatang "A Call to Defend Filipino Honor at the Monumento, June 9, 2009"  na nakapost sa youtube ay: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REqeh-c2A1o

5 comments:

  1. Hi Rolly,
    I just visited Paris and like any other cities in Europe they respects their history especially monuments. Modern infrastructure is inevitable but historical building, monuments etc.should be taken into considerations. These European cities are hundred year old and you can still feel the soul yet with a modern environment. Our Country is still young but it's like our history is slowly fading being erased one by one not only by removing or by moving historical artifacts but by disrespect.What will happen to our country if every new politician who sits in power changes everything especially if it was a project was initiated by the other camp.
    I hope the politicians will tackle important issues not another sex scandal,or any other sensationalized issues. How about lifting aupair ban which a lot of immigration officials are feasting every time somebody will go out as an aupair or make a bill against desecrating historical building monuments etc.,Filipinos should wake out this coming election.
    Regards Rolly

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gusto kong maiyak sa kalagayan ng Monumento. Sana huwag nang magsitakbo ang mga presidentiables sa 2010 kung pababayaan nila at ipagwawalang-bahala ang isyung ito.

    Kung ikaw nga na nasa Europa ay nagbabalik-tanaw at nagpipilit depensahan ang Monumento, eh di mas hamak dapat silang tumindig at ipaglaban ang banal na dambanang ito sa giting at sa pagmamahal sa kalayaan nating mga Pilipino.

    Salamat Ana. May awa ang Panginoon, alam kong hindi niya pababayaan ang ating bayan. Ngunit kailangang kumilos ng mga Pilipino, hindi yung maghahalukipkip lang. If people will send email messages or letters to our Senators telling them that they need to stand up and speak out on this matter, then I know something good will happen.

    Regards to your family and God bless always!

    ReplyDelete

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