Maligayang Araw Ng Kalayaan

It is (still) Philippine Independence Day as I write this.., about two hours before midnight.., so the day has not 'expired' yet! Therefore I am not (yet) very late to greet everyone a Maligayang Araw Ng Kalayaan!

Guilty feeling. I haven't greeted anyone a Happy Independence Day today. That is not very "me"!

If the "senior moments" did not attack, I probably should have seen interesting and memorable things or events as I'm in Clark, Pampanga. There must have been a parade or some ceremony this morning.

No wonder... yesterday, after a meeting, I walked to SM Clark as my meeting venue was just nearby,

and I saw some display, demo and recruitment booths of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

I know they do this regularly at malls or at public events/venues like at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. But it did not occur to me, that this was their way of celebrating Araw Ng Kalayaan with the Filipino public!

'Badness me', even the prominent flag displays everywhere failed to remind me!

Today, in-between AM and PM meetings, I strolled around Stotsenburg Park and saw flags again (first pic above). I wondered why so many new flags. That is when I finally realized Independence Day pala!

Wasn't I lucky strolling a field with great significance to our independence? This was Clark Airbase!

If I may put forward my interpretation of things, when we talk about war and Philippine Independence, Clark, through the years, had been on both sides of the coin - just not highlighted in our history books!

This was foremost, and originally, Fort Stotsenburg, officially created by TD Roosevelt in 1903. Eh sino ba kalaban ng mga "kano" noong panahon na iyon? This was still Philippine-American War (Season 3) hehe! Yes it started in 1899. Although the Americans declared 'war was over' in 1902 (syempre winner sila according to chika and their press release but) both sides knew 'hindi pa tapos ang laban ni Juan'!

Fort Stotsenburg was a military fortification established in Angeles, that was so vast, reaching far and wide. In fact, "Clark Field" was just a small part of it - landingan lang ng mga edroplano nila! Now, why would you establish a military base in 1903, kung tapos na pala ang digmaan noong 1902? Afraid ka!

Afraid kanino? Aba ke Juan! Remember, they made tadtad the "Kano"s in Balangiga last 1901 lang?!

Fastforward dahil nasakop na nga si inang bayan netong mga dayuhang malalaki ang ilong. So Clark grew, it became their biggest airbase in the pacific, hanggang dumating na lang si World War II. Aba it was not all good. Na-capture din ng mga sakang ang buong Clark in 1942 pero nabawi din naman nila in 1945. That time, sakop rin lang naman tayo ng mga 'GI Joe', kakampi natin ang nilalaman ng Clark!

Di ba masaya balikan ang nakaraan? I'm not sure kung Marcella Ramos din ang nagturo nito sa akin!

Anyway.., and now the debate.., kelan ba talaga iyang Araw ng Kalayaan na yan, June 12 o July 4?

Sa bandang ayaw ng June 12, we were not really independent during that time, dahil parang ibenenta lang naman daw tayo ni Spain dun ke America. Remember the Treaty of Paris? Di ba nga yun nga ang naging mitsa bakit nag-aklas ang ating mga ninuno kaya nagkaroon ng Philippine-American War? Da!

Sa mga gusto ng June 12 naman, that is the day naman daw kasi, at 4:30PM, when the Philippine Flag was first raised and the Marcha Nacional Filipina was played doon sa bahay ni Emil sa Cavite. Ganun! At Doon din binasa yung 21-page na Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino.

Sagot nila "ayaw sa June 12" - wheh, drama lang yun, dahil ang totoo, dictated and controlled silang lahat ni George na syang nagpa-all expenses paid trip para mag balikbayan si Emil galing Hongkong!

Yun mga gusto naman ng July 4 (na I suspect sila yung ayaw ng June 12) say: this was the date (July 4, 1946) stipulated in the Tydings–McDuffie Act/Law signed by Harry na independent na si PI. Ganun!

Against July 4: eh drama din lang yun, itinapat pa nila sa sarili nilang independence day. Matagal na lumipad ang ating watawat! Therefore ang Kalayaan was June 12 1898. Da!

For July 4: aba, so hindi independence day ang gusto nyo kung hindi "Flag Day". Hmm me point din!

Haay ambot sa langaw pilay edad sa ok-ok! Basta anyway, today June 12 is Independence Day.

Sa ganang akin naman, according to my lowly royal mind from the hinterlands, what's vital is not the holiday, but how we prove to ourselves that we're an independet nation - sa isip sa salita at sa gawa.

Alright, Happy Philippine Independence Day again.

Tara tara.., let us roam more around Clark!