Monday, April 9, 2012

Holiday heroics

Great photoshop work replacing Jose Rizal's head with Pacman's

A semester ago I wrote a paper on Rizal and asked street children what to them are heroes. When asked about this, they all replied Rizal, hence, equating a proper name to a certain quality just as other kids would probably say Superman when asked what a hero is, except that Rizal is very real. Now my problem is, is Rizal really real for these kids? Or is he just a fictional comic book character?

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Today we celebrate Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor). It signifies the surrender of the U.S. and Filipino troops in Corregidor. I don't understand why we call it as such when the day's all about surrendering. Why the need to commemorate one's fall? Do we lack victorious moments that we scrimp on other historical moments such as falling just so we be able to celebrate something? Or could it be that there's some wisdom attached to it like courage is not only found in continuous struggle but that it is also apparent in being able to accept defeat? Regardless, the working class see this as a blessing for the very long weekend it allows for them.

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