Chief Justice Reynato Puno Warns of "Social Volcano" — Says "Walang Tunay na Katwirang Magdiwang ng Kalayaan Kung Ganito ang Kalagayan ng Inang Bayan"

12 June 2009

Chief Justice Reynato Puno led the flag raising ceremonies in today's Independence Day festivities at the Monumento in Caloocan City but in his speech, the country's chief magistrate stressed, "Wala pong tunay na katwiran magdiwang ng ating kalayaan kung ganito ang kalagayan ng ating Inang Bayan!"

"Isang bansa na gaya ng isang bulkan, ay tila handa nang sumabog," that was how the Chief Justice characterized the present state of Philippine society especially given the administration ongoing attempt to effect charter change through the much-criticized Con-Ass or constituent assembly.

Here's the report from ABS-CBN's Mariton Pacheco via kyte.tv:

end

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Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job and Livelihood Fair, June 12 to 14 Will be Held at the Rizal Park

11 June 2009

On my way home from the Anti Con-Ass Rally in Makati last night, I snapped this photograph of a DOLE streamer at the Monumento Station of LRT.  It says that the three-day Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job and Livelihood Fair will be held at the Rizal Park:

please click on the image to enlarge

Pasensiya na po kung hindi ko ito naalala nang mas maaga. Please drop by again today; I'll try to contact the DOLE to find out exactly where in Rizal Park is the Kalayaan 2009 job fair venue.

UPDATE

11 June 2009, 10:28am

I contacted DOLE a few moments ago at 527-3000 local 701 to 707 and I was transferred to another local no. , probably 504.  

There, Miss Norie informed me that the venue in Rizal Park is between the carabaos and the grandstand.  She says it will start around 8:00am.  

I was asked to call up again in ten minutes' time to talk to Jenny who knows more about the matter.  

UPDATE

11 June 2009, 10:52am

I've talked to Ms. Jenny Laviña of the DOLE at 527-3000 local 504 and she confirmed that the venue of the Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job and Livelihood Fair tomorrow, June 12 is at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Field in Rizal Park.  This is the large open field between the carabaos and the Quirino Grandstand. The affair will be from 8am to 5pm.

I relayed to Ms. Jenny might suggestion that the DOLE should issue participant nos. to the jobseekers in order to avoid a repeat of the terrible inconveniences experienced by Jobapalooza '09 jobseekers who had to suffer waiting for long hours on interminable queues at SM MOA SMX  last May 1.  

If jobseekers have their participant nos., they can fall out of line to take their breakfast, merienda or lunch or go to the comfort rooms, with full confidence that their place in the line will not be lost when they come back.  Konting pagbabago sa sistema, pero malaking ginhawa para po sa mga kababayan nating naghahanap ng trabaho.

God bless po sa inyong lahat!

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Will the Filipino Nation Meekly Surrender Its Honor and Dignity at Monumento? Will Our Presidentiables Ignore the Issue of Cultural Preservation?

10 June 2009

While everybody is preoccupied with the Hayden Kho sex video scandal and now the nationwide effort to oppose Con-Ass, I appeal to all fellow Filipinos, wherever you may be to rise as one and defend the honor and dignity  of our nation at the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, also known simply as the Monumento.  

What is happening at the Monumento is a legacy worse than Con-Ass because while Con-Ass threatens to destroy the political fabric of our nation, the desecration at Monumento will forever tarnish our dignity and honor as a nation. 

This is how the Monumento looked in the 1980s

This is how the Monumento looks today ... 

and like this and much worse is coming ...

unless we wake up and fight for our country's honor

The desecration that is happening  at the Monumento is unprecedented in our history.  Not even the Japanese who occupied the Philippines from 1941 to 1945 dared to  do what is happening now at the Monumento — the imprisoning and desecration of the greatest monument to valor and to love of freedom on earth! 

To make the task of explaining easier, I'll attach at the end of this post an earlier article I posted entitled, May 10, 2009 is the 112th Death Anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio, National Hero of the Philippines — Does the National Historical Institute Care?

The short video clip below which I took yesterday, June 9, will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. It shows the Monumento Circle and the area where the northern edge of the LRT will reportedly connect physically with MRT3.  The video clip shows a huge crane and a heavy digging equipment preparing the hole which will serve as one of the foundations of the physical interconnection.  This is what is known as "closing the LRT-MRT3 loop" project.   

I have posted the much longer video clip below at youtube wherein I made an appeal for national unity in defense of the Monumento (I would like to beg your kind indulgence if there are pauses in this video; this is probably due to the annotations I made earlier, then deleted, but still appears to affect the playing of the video):  

What can each of us do?

For a start, I'll send a copy of this post to the Office of Senator Loren Legarda and Senator Mar Roxas.  Senator Loren Legarda gave emphasis to cultural preservation during her appearance at the 2nd ANC Leadership Forum on June 5 at the UP School of Economics Auditorium.  I'd like to see how Senator Legarda matches her public stand with her firm public pronouncements.

Senator Mar Roxas is the Chairman of the Senate Committtee on Education, Arts and Culture. Much earlier, his office, in response to my appeal, wrote letters to the offices of Mayor Enrico "Recom" Echiverri of Caloocan City, the LRTA and the MMDA.  I am reproducing here a copy of my post dated March 6, 2009 on that issue:

Friday, March 6, 2009

The Office of Sen. Mar Roxas Shows Concern For the Monumento

5 March 2009

This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to notice an email in my inbox whose subject reads: "re: Feedback from Sen. MAR."  The short message reads:

"Hi. Please see attached files.  We would appreciate confirmation of receipt."  

The attached files consist of three (3) letters sent in PDF format.  Clicking on any of the images below produces an enlarged copy:

Letter to LRTA Administrator, Melquiades A. Robles:

Letter to Caloocan City Mayor Enrico "RECOM" Echiverri

Letter to MMDA Gen. Mgr. Roberto Nacianceno

For expressing interest and concern in the ongoing desecration of the Bonifacio Monument, and for sending referral letters to responsible officials of our government encouraging them to promptly respond directly to me, copy furnished his office, thanks to Sen. Mar Roxas!  Thanks as well to Atty. Blas James G. Viterbo, Sen. Roxas' Chief of Staff, who actually signed the three referral letters in behalf of the Senator.

I'd say a good job, so far, from the office of Mr. Palengke.    

This is my start of earlier post dated May 10, 2009:

Sunday, May 10, 2009

May 10, 2009 is the 112th Death Anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio, National Hero of the Philippines — Does the National Historical Institute Care?

10 May 2009

Today, May 10, 2009 is the 112th death anniversary of Andres Bonifacio.  

The National Historical Institute (NHI) is the government agency tasked with protecting our cultural heritage and that includes national monuments such as the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, also fondly known simply as the Monumento.

This is the link to the full NHI Guidelines on Monuments Honoring National Heroes:

I will quote here excerpts from the NHI's guidelines and show pictures of the Monumento for us to find out whether the NHI follows its own guidelines:

GUIDELINE

Monuments and memorials must, therefore, be treated as sacred3 or hallowed grounds andaccorded with the same full reverence as we have for the Philippine Flag. Any form of desecration against the monument, such as squatting, graffiti andimproper advertising commercialism shall not be allowed. (NHI Guidelines, Section 1, Definitions. Paragraph 4)

REALITY

GUIDELINE

Maintain a simple and unobstructed landscape development. Commercial billboards should not proliferate in a town center where a dominant monument is situated. (NHI Guidelines, Section 2, Definitions. Paragraph 4.2)

REALITY

This is what the National Historical Institute (NHI) website has to say about May 10:

If we zoom in on the relevant portion, this is what the NHI is saying:

That's right!  "10 May ... No Today in History events were found."

After coming out in force against performing artist Martin Nievera for alleged improper rendition of the national anthem before the Manny Pacquiao - Ricky Hatton boxing championship bout in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, what should officials of  the National Historical Institute (NHI) do regarding the Monumento? What is in their hearts and minds right now?  In fairness to Martin Nievera, I don't think anyone can say that he did not give his heart out in singing Lupang Hinirang in the Pacquiao-Hatton bout.

I believe NHI Chairman Ambeth Ocampo and the other Commissioners of the NHI owe all Filipinos an explanation as to why they are allowing the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City to be treated in this manner.

Perhaps the question equally important is: What are we, who call ourselves Filipinos, going to do about this?  Close our eyes and do nothing and be proud about it?!  

This is the end of my earlier post dated May 10, 2009:

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Earth Hour 2009 - The Philippines Votes for the Future of Mother Earth

29 March 2009

Last night, March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 pm, the Philippines marked Earth Hour 2009 in what is possibly the biggest participative event in world history.  The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Department of Energy (DOE), other government agencies, commercial sponsors and the general public made the event a success. 

The following videos courtesy of GMA-7 showcase the Philippines' participation for two years running in this historic event:

Earth Hour 2009

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Earth Hour 2008

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

After we flicked off the light switches at home and turned to a small candle's flickering power, I went outside but unfortunately, Caloocan City did not appear to have much organization as far as this event was concerned.  It seems our local government officials are concerned with other things, like looking the other way while private contractors working for the national government dig up the Monumento Rotunda.  Samson Road all the way up to the Monumento area was well-lighted.  Next school year, we should all suggest to the DepEd, the CHED, and Philippine media to conduct a year-long information campaign on Earth Hour 2010 and other related events.  

Anyway, country-wide, there is no doubt regarding the positive impact of Philippine participation in Earth Hour 2009.  This blog is proud to have participated in a small way towards that success.  Given more time to prepare, we should do a lot better next year. The fate of Mother Earth hangs in the balance.

  

 

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Ordinary Pinoys Caught in the Middle of a Power Play at Monumento Grand Central

14 March 2009

Yesterday evening, millions of Filipinos saw on primetime TV the hysterical standoff between the court sheriff and his assistants and the Grand Central legal counsels and their  security guards and mall employees as both sides tried to prevent the other from gaining the upperhand in this real-life drama.

What many people normally do not see is what happens after the confrontation.  It was past nine when I reached Monumento yesterday evening and this is what I saw:  ordinary Filipinos, uniformed policemen mingling with Grand Central security guards, resting after a hard day's work.

Which brings us to the lessons of this drama:

First, what the standoff demonstrates is that, in this country, if you have money and you can hire high-profile lawyers and deploy an army of security guards, you can basically hold off the Philippine government.  With money, you can match force with force, power with power.  At least long enough to buy time to think about your next move.  But if you're a nobody, the authorities will simply run you over.  Wala kang kalaban-laban.  

Second, in the struggle, it is the ordinary people -- security guards, mall employees, police officers, court workers -- who are pitted against each other, ready to bang their heads and bruise their bodies simply to get the job done for whoever is paying their salaries.  With the open-close-open-close nature of their recent operations, the small stall owners inside the mall are in a daze, anxious about what the future holds for them and their businesses.  

On the other hand, the mall owners, Caloocan City Hall officials, the judge who issued the order, all of them are physically detached from the confrontation.  Safe sila, malayo sa disgrasya kaya madali sa kanilang mag-isyu ng mabibigat na mga confrontational orders.  Well I guess that's how the system works, but it doesn't mean that it's fair.  

Third, the force of the law and police power should be used responsibly by those in position of authority.  They are meant to equalize life's opportunities and access to justice for both the poor and the wealthy instead of unsettling them further.  But I don't think the paradigm should change at all.  

Hearts and minds need to change if we are to really be a nation under the rule of law and not of wealthy and powerful men.    

   

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Tension at Grand Central in Monumento

13 March 2009

A big number of heavily-armed security guards remained posted yesterday at the gates of the Gotesco Grand Central mall along Rizal Avenue Extension in the Monumento area.  I happened to pass by at around mid-afternoon and even saw some placard-bearing picketers who refused to give any comment when asked by an ABS-CBN lady reporter who arrived in the area.  

Lately, the Grand Central mall has been the scene of a confrontation between City Hall and the mall administration.  The confrontation stemmed from the attempts to serve on the mall's administrator a writ of possession issued by the Caloocan City RTC for Grand Central's alleged failure to settle more than P700 million in tax liabilities. 

I hope the standoff does not lead to anything bloody.  There is simply no sense in all of these posturing.  Things would be better if a public discussion were called and the people informed of what's really happening.  That way, the reasonable people of Caloocan can probably intervene and prevent what is potentially a deadly showdown.  The evening news brought video clips of Atty. Archie Guevarra making accusations against City Hall officials and Caloocan City Mayor Enrico "Recom" Echiverri asking him to name names.

As a footnote, many Filipinos probably still recall that decades ago, the place where the Grand Central mall now stands used to be a school, the Cecilio Apostol Elementary School, where many poblacion residents finished their grade school days.  Now, it's in the news again.  What is it with this place that makes it the center of so much controversy?

Let's pray that reason and sanity prevails and that senseless bloodshed is averted in this surprising development at Grand Central.

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Senator Roxas Expresses Concern on LRT-MRT3 Diggings in Monumento (A Quick Reaction from Cebuano Blogger Kevin Ray N. Chua)

8 March 2009

Kevin Ray N. Chua, an 18-year old blogger from Cebu City, Philippines and an IT student at Cebu Institute of Technology noticed the entry in my blog about the action taken by Senator Roxas' office regarding the Monumento and quickly made this post in his own blog, Senator Roxas Expresses Concern on LRT-MRT3 Diggings in Monumento.

One sharp, speedy blogger.  Senator Mar Roxas is one fortunate presidentiable to have somebody like Kevin Ray on his side.  

From the land of the unconquerable Rajah Lapu-lapu and the Cross of Magellan to the beleaguered Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City is quite a long way.  But Visayans are bridging distances and are joining the rest of our countrymen in rallying to the call for national unity and the defense of national dignity and honor at the Monumento.  Thanks to people like Senator Mar Roxas and Kevin Ray Chua for caring for our cultural heritage.  God bless!  

 

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Kapusong Gani Oro, Mabuhay Ka! Going on Air at DZBB 594kHz SuperRadyo

28 January 2009

This afternoon, I was blessed with the opportunity to what I set out to do -- to get on air via radio and what better place to do it than at   in Mr. Gani Oro's super program, Aksyon Oro Mismo.

I will be forever grateful to Kapuso Gani Oro and his staff, DZBB 594KHZ SuperRadyo and the entire GMA network for airing an urgent appeal for the Philippine government to cause an immediate suspension of the LRT-MRT3 construction near Monumento to give way to a public consultation that will spare the Monumento from further desecration.

True to Aksyon Oro Mismo's format, Ka Gani hosted a discussion on air between us and LTFRB Chairman and DOTC spokesman Thompson Lantion.  During the discussion, I was able to make the appeal for immediate suspension and public consultation.  Chairman Lantion asked me to write the DOTC.

To hear our on-the-air discussion:  

  

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Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, A Giant of Our Times

27 January 2009

Today I had the chance to personally hand over to the Bishop of Kalookan, the Most Reverend Deogracias S. Iñiguez, D.D., a copy of my appeal to government authorities to immediately suspend the LRT-MRT3 diggings near Monumento and to conduct public consultations that will allow our people to arrive at a solution that will spare the threatened Bonifacio Monument from further desecration.  

The good bishop promised to look into the matter and asked me to furnish him other materials that will support the call for public consultation and dialogue on the issue of the LRT-MRT3 closing the loop project at Monumento.

Bishop Iñiguez is a giant of our times.  I consider it a privilege just to stand beside him.  Here is a man who stands head and shoulders above ordinary mortals, exerting his spiritual and moral authority on earth for the good of God's people.

 

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Calling on All Filipinos to Unite in Asking for An Immediate Suspension of the LRT-MRT3 Diggings Near Monumento

27 January 2009

Today, I'll try to go on air via radio and will attempt to reach other sectors of media to issue an urgent appeal to Philippine authorities led by PGMA,MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and Caloocan City Mayor Enrico "RECOM" Echiverri for them to cause an immediate suspension of the construction related to the "closing the LRT-MRT3 loop" project being conducted near the Monumento area.  The Bonifacio Monument is the greatest monument to valor and to love of freedom on earth.  We are not against modernization but progress should not come at the price of desecrating our country's soul.  We have an online petition to have the Bonifacio Monument included among the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

We hope that Filipinos whom we look up to for leadership, moral courage and ardent nationalism will speak out in support of this call.  Our leaders have to consult us closely on every vital issue and this has not happened in the issue of the Monumento. 

We call on people like Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez of the Diocese of Kalookan, Bishop Antonio Tobias of Novaliches, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus Is Lord Church, Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai, Executive Minister Eraño Manalo of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Engr. Jun Lozada and Mr. Joey De Venecia (who exposed the ZTE broadband scandal) to mobilize our fellow Filipinos in heeding the call to defend the Monumento.   

We call on the Honorable Chief Justice of the Philippines Reynato S. Puno, perhaps our country's greatest living jurist (who normally gives the keynote address at the Monumento during Independence Day) to rally our people in defense of the integrity of the Bonifacio Monument.  

We call on war hero and senior statesman, Sen. Jovito Salonga, the best President the Philippines never had, to relive the heady days when he led the Philippine Senate in rejecting the RP-US Bases treaty thereby ending the last vestiges of centuries-long foreign military presence in Philippine soil.  This time, we need his unswerving commitment to freedom and his unfailing vision in preventing the loss of the monument that he can rightfully call his own. 

We call on NUSP and Youth Act Now! led by Mr. Alvin Peters, its spokesperson, to mobilize the youth of this country in the struggle to save from desecration a priceless symbol of our country's rich cultural heritage. 

We call on our Senators and Congressmen, especially those who in 2010 will seek higher positions of public office to make known their stand.  Will they stand for the dignity and honor of our country or will they turn a blind eye to what is going on?

We call on all people's organizations and NGOs and our party-list representatives to set aside their differences and unite all Filipinos under the banner of the Monumento.

Monumento in January 2009 -- at this critical time in our history -- is a true acid test of Filipino nationalism.  Are we going to pass this acid test or are we going to flunk the call for the defense of the dignity and honor of our country?  This is a golden opportunity to renew national pride and greatness. It will show to the world that even in a time of severe economic crisis, Filipinos everywhere still have the capacity to respond to the call for cultural nationalism founded on our spirituality and faith as a people.  

Dito po sa Heroes del 96 at sa ibang lugar sa Caloocan City, alam namin na mahirap ang laban na ito.  Ngunit sa tulong po ng ating Panginoon, bigyan Niya sana kami ng sapat na lakas upang manatiling nakatindig nang may dangal. 

Before I end this post, I'll take the opportunity to publish here a short excerpt from the poem Monumento, Kaluluwa ng Bayan Ko by Jose David Ricardo:

Sana nama’y mula ngayon kapag natanaw mong muli

Sa malayo pa lang Monumentong pilit ginagapi

Ialay mo ang lakas at buhay sa pagpupunyagi   

Nang ang kaluluwa ng bayan mo’y 'wag mapalunggati       

Gunitain ang dusa't pagpapagal ng iyong lahi    

Pinoy, Mabuhay ka, kamtin ang laya mong minimithi!   

Laya mula sa gutom, pambubusabos at pang-aapi   

Laya ng bayan kong sinisinta’t pinagbubunyi   

Mula sa Silangan, libong sulo nga’y magliliyab   

Dala ang apoy ng damdaming tigib ng pag-aalab   

Minamahal ko ang bayang kong Pilipinas   

Buhay ma’t yaman ko’y sa sarili’y ipipilas    

Sukdulang mawalay ang buhay sa katawan    

Sukdulang ialay ang munti kong buhay   

Makita ka lang sagana at may tunay na kalayaan   

Sapat na ‘yang tagumpay ko, Pilipinas, Inang Bayan.        

Kaunlarang pangmayaman, pangdayuhan, pang-iilan,    

Tandaan mo, kaibigan, wala itong katuturan    

Kung bayan mo'y nagdurusa't nakalublob sa putikan    

Tutulan mo't salungatin, ito'y isang kahibangan    

Daang taon mula ngayon, patuloy titingalain    

Monumento na bantayog sa giting ng lahi natin    

Kung tayo ma'y nakalugmok, panahon na ng pagbangon    

Burol sa lamay ng laya mo, tapusin na at iahon    

Iahon mong buong giting, itong bayang nakasadlak    

Iahon mo sa dusa, sa pagdarahop at pagsasalat    

Iahon mo't huwag nang hayaang dumausdos muli    

Iahon mo sa putikan, ilayo mo sa pusali    

Hahayo ka't anong bitbit sa puso mong ma'y lunggati    

Hahayo ka't anong lakas mayroon sa diwa mong sawi    

Humayo kang sa puso mo'y Monumento nakakintal    

Humayo kang sa puso may dambana ng iyong dangal

Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!  Mabuhay si Gat Andres Bonifacio at ang magigiting nating mga bayani!  Mabuhay ka Pinoy nasaang sulok ka man ng mundo!

Please support the Monumento World Heritage Global Campaign.  To sign the online petition, click this link:  www.gopetition.com/online/23996. I also hope you can visit and follow my blog at http://tagamonumento.blogspot.com/,

To God be the glory!

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Update to the online petition at www.gopetition.com

As of 11:26pm, 1 January 2009 (Philippine time), the Monumento World Heritage Global Campaign online petition at www.gopetition.com has thirty-nine (39) signatures.

Many thanks to those who have signed.  Mabuhay si Gat Andres De Castro Bonifacio at ang mga bayaning pinararangalan sa Monumento!  Mabuhay ang Pinoy!

A Blessed Happy New Year to all!

 

To sign the petition, please click this link:  www.gopetition.com/online/23996.

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Monumento World Heritage Global Campaign

Monumento World Heritage Global Campaign

No. of Signatures

Published by Rolando G. Ocampo on Dec 14, 2008 

Category: Culture

Region: GLOBAL

Host:  www.gopetition.com

Target: The Philippine Government and the UNESCO

Description/History:

The Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City is considered by many Filipinos to be the greatest monument to valor and to love of freedom on earth honoring as it does the Philippines' greatest revolutionary hero, Andres Bonifacio, and the brave band of selfless men and women who joined him in igniting the firestorm of the Philippine Revolution in August 1896.

Its creation was mandated by Act No. 2760 of the Philippine Legislature on February 23, 1918 to be a lasting monument to the memory of Gat Andres Bonifacio and to the Katipuneros he led in 1896 in Asia's first national uprising against European colonial misrule. Act No. 2760 predated by three years the passage of Act No. 2946 by the Philippine Legislature on February 16, 1921 making November 30 of each a legal holiday to commemorate the birth of Andres Bonifacio. Aside from Dr. Jose Rizal, Bonifacio is the only national hero to have a legal holiday marked in his honor. The passage in 1918 of Act No. 2760 is that much more remarkable and historic because, at that time, the Flag Law which forbade the display of the Philippine flag (and even emblems of the Katipunan) was still in effect and would be lifted only on October 22, 1919 when the Flag Law was repealed by Act No. 2871.

The Monumento World Heritage Global Campaign and this online petition signing effort are part of the year-long commemoration of the diamond jubilee (75th anniversary) of the Monumento which was completed by renowned Filipino national artist Guillermo Tolentino in 1933.

Today, the integrity of the Monumento, as the Bonifacio Monument is fondly called, is under threat with the closing of the loop of the LRT and MRT. It is ironic but the greatest monument to freedom faces the risk of being imprisoned by the light rail ring of concrete and steel that is steadily going up around it. Today, giant billboards have sprung up around the Bonifacio Monument thereby unduly diminishing its stature and importance.

Filipinos everywhere are called upon to appeal to the government of the Philippines and the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to save the Monumento from further desecration. The best way this can be done is by having the Monumento enshrined in its rightful place among the UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites. Andres Bonifacio gave us our freedom. The least that we can do is to defend the integrity of the monument that is the enduring symbol of our nation's honor and dignity.

We call upon the Philippine government and its various instrumentalities and the UNESCO together with its parent organization, the United Nations, to take every step necessary to ensure the eventual inclusion of the Bonifacio Monument in the UNESCO list of World Heritage cultural sites.

(Sgd.)
Rolando G. Ocampo
Founding Member, Caloocan City People's Council
Lead Convenor, Monumento World Heritage Global Campaign

This petition is supported by the Caloocan City People's Council and its component organizations, among them SAMATRIP and the PD 1517 Coalition, primary defender of the Heroes del 96 community. Heroes del 96 is the largest urban community nearest the Bonifacio Monument. The history of this locality is closely interlinked with that of the Monumento and its people are the proud bearers of a magnificent cultural heritage and identity. Host convenor of the Caloocan City People's Council is Mrs. Luz Ambre of Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, Philippines.

Petition:

We, the undersigned, call on the Philippine government to support the campaign to have the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

We likewise call upon the UNESCO including its Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Committee to assist the Philippine government and the entire Filipino people in achieving the dream of having the Bonifacio Monument recognized and included among the UNESCO World Heritage List of Cultural Sites.

To sign this petition, please click this link: www.gopetition.com/online/23996

For those who have already signed, many thanks.  Your support will go a long way towards heightening awareness about the Bonifacio Monument and the need to preserve and enhance it for future generations of Filipinos.  

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