November Days to Remember

1.Nov. 1,1542 _Ruy Lopez de Villalobos started his navigation from Navidad, Mexico which reached the Philippines. He named our country Filipinas in honor of King Philip of Spain.

2. Nov. 1 is also celebrated by Christians as All Saints' Day (Todos los Santos ) The following day, Nov. 2, is celebrated as All Souls' Day ( Todos los Muertos ).

3. Nov. 61574 _ Rajah Lakandula, the king of Tondo and uncle of Rajah Soliman , led an uprising against the Spaniards.   Nov. 6 is also the end of Boy Scout Week 

4. Nov. 9, 1935_Inauguration of the Philippine Commonwealth in Manila, with Manuel L.Quezon and Sergio Osmena sworn in as President and Vice-President, respectively. 

5. Nov. 9,1936 _The Institute of National Language recommended to President Quezon the adoption of Tagalog as the basisof the national language , which was later made the medium of instruction in Philippine schools. 

6. Nov. 9, 1938 _Philippine Legislature approved the Women's Suffrage

7. Nov. 9_15 _Clean-Up Week 

8. Nov. 14, 1875 _ birth of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar

9. Nov. 19 _ National Child Health Day

10. Nov. 24_30 National Book Week

11. November 3o, 1863_ Birth of Andres Bonifacio 

  

The Prince of Filipino Painters

 Juan Luna, the first Filipino painter to win recognition abroad was born on October 23,1857 in Badoc, Ilocos Norte..He was the third of the seven children of Don Joaquin Luna de San Pedro y Posadas and Dona Laureana Novicio y Ancheta. He studied at the Ateneo de Manila, then enrolled at the naval school.. He earned his license as a pilot for the high seas at the age of 17 years old. Later, he enrolled at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura in Manila under Agustin Saez . He transferred to the Academy of the Indies where Prof. Lorenzo Guerrero thought, he had exceptional artistic talent, and convinced Luna's parents to send their son to Madrid. He left for Spain in 1877 and specialized in painting in Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. He learned to paint in the academic style. It was in the Academic Tradition that he composed his first paintings in Europe under the tutelage of Alejo Vera. who became a friend, mentor and second father to him. When Vera moved to Rome, in 1878, he took Luna with him as an apprentice. Three years later, his painting, the "Death of Cleopatra" , won a gold medal in an international competition in Madrid. The contestants were famous painters from Spain,France and other European countries. 

Luna placed the Philippines in the map of the world when his masterpiece, the "Spoliarium",won first prize in the Exposicion National de Bellas  Artes held in  Madrid in May 1884. He was known in Europe as "the greatest painter the Philippines ever had". He was lionized in the solons of Spain and France. Filipino expatriates led by Rizal hailed him as "the first Filipino propagandist". Because of the fame he brought to his country, the Philippine government sent him a monthly pension of six hundred pesos for four years..In return, he was  asked to paint one picture a year to be hung in the government buildings in the Philippines One of these pictures was the "Blood Compact".

Juan Luna returned to the Philippines in 1894,but in 1896, he was imprisoned by the Spaniards together with his brother , Antonio, because he was suspected as a member of the Katipunan. In 1897, he was freed by the Spaniards. He returned to work for the release of his brother Antonio. While in Spain, he joined the propagandists led by Rizal to secure reforms for the Philippine government. He learned of the death of Antonio,on June 5,1899 and wanted to come home to investigate the cause of his brother's death, but on the way , he was overtaken by illness and died in Hongkong on Dec. 7, 1899 at the age of 42 years. 

The painting, the "Blood Compact" won posthumously for Juan Luna a silver medal at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis Missouri, U.S.A. in 1904. While his masterpiece, the "Spoliarium",the original of which was in the possession of the Spanish government, since 1884, was finally brought home to the Philippines as a donation of the Spanish government  sometime in 1980. It is estimated that Juan Luna painted about two thousand pictures. He was gone but his fame lives in the many paintings he left behind him.

References:_ In the Grade School _Sept. 1964 ;   The Modern Teacher_ Oct. 1980 :  MOD July 4, 1975

                       Philippine Free Press_July 31,1971;   A Portfolio of  60 Philippine Art Masterpieces

                      

Bits of Information About the United Nations

The United Nations Organization emerged through the desire of man  for collective security that will guarantee lasting world peace. During the Second World War, the Allied Nations headed by the ("Big Four" : USA, UK, Russia and China) decided to establish an international organization to ensure security and world peace and outlaw war in order to protect the world from another destruction.

The name "U. N.". was given by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Allied Nations which were fighting against the Axis Powers headed by Germany, Italy and Japan. The term "United Nations" is defined as an organization of sovereign states which have agreed to the maintenance of peace and security of the world.. The first time that the "U N" was used was in a document called "Declaration of the United Nations" which was first signed by 26 nations in Washington D.C. on Jan. 1,1942. The document embodied the aims of the Allied Nations, namely, 1.), to fight the Axis Powers ,2.) to make no separate treaty with any of the enemy nations, 3.),to safeguard the liberty and religious freedoms, and 4.),to preserve human rights and justice.

On April 225 to June 26,1945, a conference was held  at San Francisco, U.S.A., attended by 50 nations. After 62 days, of deliberations, the representatives drafted the Charter which became the Constitution of the United Nations. The Charter was signed on June 26,1945 by the delegates of the attending Allied Nations. Carlos P. Romulo signed the Charter for the Philippines. 

The Charter was ratified on July 28,1945. The U.S. was the first nation to ratify. There were 51 nations which originally ratified the Charter. It was finally ratified on October 24,1945. October 24 is known as the United Nations Day. At present, it has about 175 members.. The official languages are English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Russian.

The U.N. official flag was adopted and used by the General Assembly on October 20,1947 at Flushing Meadow, Lake Success, N.Y. City. The flag has a field of light blue with a white polar map embraced in twin olive branches . The U.N. Headquarters is in Washington D.C., New York. John D. Rockefeller, an American philanthropist and first billionaire in the world donated the land where it stands. The U N Organs are:

1.General  Assembly_ It is the policy-making body participated by ambassadors and delegates from member nations. It supervises general U N activities, discusses questions on international peace and security and gives recommendations to the Council.

2. Security Council_ It is responsible for the maintenance of peace and order. Each member has one representative. It investigates international disputes, takes action against the aggressor.

3. Secretariat_ It is headed by Secretary General, chosen for 5 years by the Assembly. It takes the minutes of the meetings of the Gen. Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council.

4. The Economic and Social Council_ It makes studies of solutions to international economic , social, cultural, educational and health related problems It advocates universal respect for human rights, initiates development of world trade, industrialization, natural resources, status of women, social welfare, science and technology, and prevention of crimes, illegal drugs and drug trafficking.

5. The Trusteeship Council_ It fosters development towards self-government or independence.

6. International Court of Justice. _It formulates international law. It decides legal disputes between nations. Boundaries of disputants are examined If a disputant ignores the U N and declares war. member nations might agree to punish the disputant by: !.)economic sanctions (trade embargoes)_not buying their products or not sending much needed goods to them. 2)collective military action_ condemns the aggressor and sends  U N army to fight until she agrees to abide by the U N decision.

Agencies of the U N :_

1. ILO_ International Labor Organization_ Helps workingmen, improves labor conditions, and living standards, and promotes social and economic stability.

2.FAO _ Food and Agriculture Organization_ Sends help to calamity -stricken countries,  and sends allocations of flour and other food to countries suffering from starvation.

3.UNESCO_ United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization_ It appropriates funds to help educationally backward countries, schools are established, experts are sent, countries exchange books and students.

4.ICAO_International Civil  Aviation Organization_ Solves problems of international civil aviation and promotes development of international air transportation

5. World Bank_ Lends money to countries that lack capital for development of its natural resources ,port facilities. electric power, factories, agriculture and infrastructure. The country pays back the loan in installments. All member nations contribute money to the World Bank. The total contributions are lent to countries needing cash.

6. WHO_ sends medical experts to help and recommend medicines and ways to combat diseases.

7. IMCO_ Intergovernmental Maritime Consultation Organization_ Provides cooperation between governments on regulations dealing with international shipping.

8.IMF_.International Monetary Fund_ Determines the value and exchange rate of the currency of every country based on their gold deposit It also provides low interest loans to developing member countries.

9. IRO_ International Refugee Organization_ helps refugees in finding homes and jobs 

10. International Trade Organization_ helps increase production, consumption and exchange of goods to promote industrial and economic development.

!!. UPU_ Universal Postal Union_ unites all member nations into a single postal territory to improve postal services of the world 

12. UNICEF_ United Nations International  Children's Emergency Fund_ sends food and medicine to countries where the children are undernourished and suffering from various diseases. 

13. WMO_ World Meteorological Organization_ coordinates, standardize and improve methods of weather observation and reporting

14. IAFC_ International Armed Forces Contingents _formed to subdue, control and fight aggressors  ,terrorists defiant violators of  The Charter of the U N.

15. Military Staff Committee 

16 Commission for Conventional Armament .

17. Atomic Energy Armaments_ (" When the American pilot looked down from the window of his war plane and saw the havoc that resulted when he dropped the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he exclaimed, "MY God! , What have I done?" His deep remorse torment and anguish caused his nervous breakdown. The Americans realized that in war, nobody wins. That is why the U N was born. They vowed never to use the atomic energy for destruction but for preservation of mankind.  The U N is the precursor of  the Four Freedoms _ freedom from want, freedom from fear, freedom of worship and freedom of speech and press, practiced by the democratic countries. Only people suffering from megalomania, genocidal tendency, killer instinct and psychopathic disorder are war freaks."_ MLT)

References:_ The Filipino Teacher, Oct. 1987 ; Pambata, Oct. 2000  ; One world Old and New , by Teodoro Agoncillo,  Philippine Junior Red Cross Magazine,  Intermediate Geography  and Colliers Encyclopedia

  

 

 

October 13,1917: The Last Apparition of the Lady of Fatima

The children,Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco had foretold the day and hour at which the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima would occur. So, in spite  of the bad weather , thousands congregated at the spot.

"Look at the sun !"the ten-year-old Lucia cried.Together with her even younger cousins ,Francisco and Jacinta Marto, she stood beside a small oak tree in the middle of the vast crowd_as many as 70,000 people on that day in Portugal gathered in a hollow of rock strewn field and pastureland called Cova da Iria .They witnessed the great miracle at noon of Oct.13,1917.,the manifestations of the sun which paid homage to the Queen of Heaven and earth.

What happened,men and women had never seen and may never see again.The phenomenon was not registered in any astronomical observatory and could not therefore have been of natural origin,was witnessed by tens of thousands of people of every category and class, believers and unbelievers, journalists and newspapermen, a fact which destroys the theory of collective hallucination. Whatever it was, in the verdict of believers and unbelievers, there is no denying that something most unusual and astonishing occurred that noonday at Fatima; an event moreover that remains one of the most documented in our insatiably curious and crowded century..

Don Jose Correia da Silva, Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria, which included the parish of Fatima, Described the event as"the most marvelous nature of the solar phenomenon of Oct. 13 "The rain stopped .The clouds parted and the sun appeared,like a pale, metallic disc that everyone could gaze at without being blinded.

As published by a journalist, Avelino de Almeida ,in the anti-clerical government newspaper,  O   

Seculo, "Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, the sun trembled,made a sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws_the sun "danced"and whirled on itself like a giant catherine wheel and it lowered itself to the earth as if to burn it in its rays. They saw it change colors successively...".

Another corespondent's in the Lisbon paper, O Dia, told how the sky "illuminated the vast landscape with a strange light. The grey mother-of-pearl tone turned to silver as the clouds were torn apart and the silver sun , enveloped in the same grey light, whirled and turned in the circle of broken clouds....The streaks of light turned blue as if coming through the stained glass windows of a cathedral and spread over the people. The blue light faded and turned to yellow that fell on the white handkerchiefs of the women."

Dr. Domingos Pinto Cuello, an eye specialist, wrote in the newspaper, Orden :"The sun at one moment surrounded with scarlet flame, at another, aureole in yellow and deep purple,seemed to be moving  whirling rapidly, at times appearing to be loosened from the sky and to be approaching the earth, strongly radiating heat.".

Dr. Almedia Garrett, a professor of the University of Coimbra, saw, "the sun's disc spinning round on itself in a mad whirl.It seemed to break loose from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge and fiery weight"

Said Maria da Capelinha,, a devout woman from Aljustrel :"The sun turned everything into different colors. Then it shook and trembled . It looked like a wheel of fire that was going to fall on the people.."

Said Manuel Marto, father of Francisco and Jacinta,:" What was most extraordinary was that the sun did not hurt our eyes. Then it stopped spinning. It began to move and dance in the sky until it seemed to detach from the sky and fall upon us. It was such a terrible moment." 

Wrote Fr. Manuel Perrera da Silva :" The sun appeared with its circumference well-defined. It came down as if to the height of the clouds and begun to whirl giddily like a captive ball of fire which lasted for about eight minutes." 

Then, suddenly Lucia cried: "The Lady is here! Put down your umbrellas !" They saw her uplifted face turn rapturous , radiant as if reflecting. Witnesses saw a white light shining from an invisible source. Such was the brightness of light that the witnesses could not directly see the face of the Virgin Mary. The Lady asked Lucia to tell the people to pray for the conversion of sinners for the salvation of the world from destruction through a world war.

Fr. Horacio de la Costa, Jesuit scholar and historian,said that the Mother of God revealed herself to the three children, as a "Lady of Light" as Lucia described her as "all of light, wearing a tunic and mantle that were like "waves of light". The folds of her dress were not really folds but " undulated light" and what appeared to be the gold edging of her mantle was an 'intenser light'...".

Each of the monthly apparitions, from May to October 1917, _"was announced by a flash of light, accompanied by unusual changes in the color of sunlight". Such was the brightness that Jacinta and Francisco at times could not look directly on the face of the Blessed Virgin . The multitude  present at the last apparition of the Lady of Fatima saw with their own eyes the "great miracle of the sun".

In 1943, Pope Pius XII consecrated the whole world with special mention of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, heeding the message of the Lady of Fatima to Lucia, that..."If my demands are listened to, Russia will be converted and there will be a period of peace . Otherwise, Russia will spread terror throughout the world,stirring up wars and persecutions of the Church".

The power of community prayers took effect when the cold ,war between the U.S. and Russia melted away during the era of Gorbachev and the communist block was dismantled  granting independence to the members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 

Tragically, however, another anti-Christ has risen in Russia  in the person of , Puten ,who manifests that the peace of the world depends to a great extent on Russia. 

In the contrary, peace in the world is a moral problem ;the problem of sin. , not only of those who wage war, but OUR sin too _ we are in part responsible.  Through our social injustices, heartless exploitation of the workingman, and of colonial peoples, the mad pursuit of sinful pleasure while the less fortunate are dying of hunger and disease. 

To dispel the darkness that engulfs the world, the people must solve the problem of sin _ so nations will be strong and Russia under Puten will have no power over the whole world. To achieve this, the people should go back to "Our Lady of the Light" The power of collective prayer of the holy rosary,in homes, churches, communities, everywhere all over the face of the earth, shall be our weapon to cast out idolatry, pride, hypocrisy , greed, lust, falsehood, hatred, violence,and indifference to the sufferings of others.

("Our Lady of Fatima and her Son need not come down to earth again ; we should storm heaven with our collective ardent prayers.From there, They can  hear our pleas and smother the flame of war ,so that world peace will reign ."_Maria Luisa )

Reference :  Sunday Inquirer Magazine _October 16, 1988  

A Fragment of a Friend's Life Story

     The stories  I love to tell most, are those about the lives of great men and women, achievers like the one I will tell you:

     Born under the sign of Virgo, the zodiac sign of the virgins, this lady is hard to keep in low plane of life,as with her active, aspiring nature, she is constantly coming to the surface in her earnest endeavors to live superior to the common level of humanity.

     She was born in September, the month when the leaves start to fall, as this is the advent autumn, and it was three days before the birthday anniversary of Mama Mary when she first saw the light, in the year when the rock 'n roll dance craze was as hot as the high noon in the ballroom.

     She first entered school in 1962, and finished Grade Six with flying colors, garnering the First Honors. She graduated from high school as Third  Honorable Mention. She studied Bachelor of Science in Education at the West Visayas State College, major in Elementary Education, with concentration in Mathematics.

     In 1996, she earned the degree of Master of Arts in Education. She was already the Head Teacher III of Dapdap Elementary School then. As it is said that "Once a teacher, always a student", her quest for knowledge did not end in being a Master of Arts in Education. Refusing  to wean herself from student life, she went on quenching her unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and so, the lady is now a Doctor of Education; too high to be reached in her ivory tower, looking down from her window, waiting for her knight in shining armor to pass by or shall remain in her single blessedness, or, rather,  blessed singleness status.

     Ladies and gentlemen, this is the fragment of the life story of my friend, Dr. Ernina Tayag, whom I fondly call, Nenang.

"An Englishman with an Ilonggo's Heart"

The Father of the Philippine Sugar Industry is a British  named Nicholas Loney , who was born in Plymouth, England. He did not receive much formal schooling , as his family was far from well-off.His      father was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy who was able to raise  ten children despite of his frequent absence from home. Loney made up for his lack of education through his readings.

At the age of 16, he left home and went to Venezuela where he learned to speak Spanish .He traveled further to New Zealand ,Australia and Singapore. There, he heard of Manila and applied at Ker and Co. for work in their Manila office. He stayed at Ker @ Co. correspondence department for four years, then he resigned to return to England, but before departure, he was nominated as Vice Consul for Iloilo on September 29, 1855.

The challenge of promoting trade in "forgotten dot of the universe"that he called Iloilo, probably appealed greatly to him. He spent 12 years of his life in Iloilo. He developed a waterfront from a swampland. He built the first stone warehouse to hold the huge stores of sugar to be shipped to Manila and later for export to British market. He built a road leading from the interior town of Iloilo to the port.. He called the road Calle Progreso. 

When Loney arrived in Iloilo, farmers were still using the old wooden plows. He became the first businessman in the Visayas to offer farm equipment to farmers at installment basis and at low cost. He sold mills supplied to him by British firm,which were operated with the use of carabao or an ox, and another run by steam, using bagasse and wood for fuel. In 1861 ,there were 30 iron mills in Iloilo and one in Antique.

Loney introduced better varieties of sugarcane imported from East Indies. He offered crop loans at almost give -away interest and cash advance  to farmers in Iloilo and Negros , without collateral, 

promissory notes or receipts . All his accounts were listed in one notebook. He redesigned the lorcha, the boat that carry loads between Panay and Negros based on the lines of Brixham trawler, to be able to carry heavier loads of sugar. He even put up a shipyard in Guimaras for building lorchas.

Loney opened the sugar trade from Iloilo to Australia. He was tireless in seeking development not only of sugar trade but of the entire country.He conceived of a telegraph line to be laid by the British government and presented before the Madrid authorities  the opening of a railway line in Luzon from Manila to the port of Sual and an interisland steamer line between Manila, Iloilo and Cebu.

Through the British firm R @J Henderson, Loney brought about the first direct foreign trade in Cebu and direct importation from Europe to Iloilo of sugar mill machinery and coal on a ship.He established the Hacienda Matabang in Negros. 

Loney settled in Iloilo with his wife, Leontine Trashler, a Spanish -French teacher he met in Madrid. They had two children. In 1866, he became the British Consul in the Philippines. In1869, he climbed Mount Kanlaon with a few friends, but caught malaria before reaching the peak. He died at the age of 43 in Iloilo.

Today, a bronze statue stands on the Iloilo waterfront.It is a memorial to the "Father of Philippine Sugar Trade." The first memorial, a marble obelisk with inscriptions in Ilonggo, Spanish, English and French had raised after his death in 1869. It was destroyed after the war, bulldozed in the process of expanding the street.For many years, the only memorial to Loney was the waterfront in Iloilo City and a street named after him in Silay City.

In March, 1981, a life-size bronze statue was unveiled at the "Muelle Loney"by the British Ambassador to the Philippines,William Bently and Philippine Sugar Commission Chairman Roberto S. Benedicto, who donated the site in the waterfront. The memorial was funded by former British Ambassador to the Philippines, Turpin , and Addis , British and Filipino companies as well as private individuals.The sculptor who made the statue was Leonides  S. Valdes, a well -known sculptor who studied bronze and marble sculpture and chemistry and metallurgy at the Instituto de Bellas Artes in Florence. 

The statue faces the waterfront.The right hand clutches a pocket bible , indicative of a stern, religious character of a man who got things done and done well. Nicholas Loney was described by Gov. Conrado Norada as a "Britisher with an Ilonggo's Heart". Ambassador R.S.B. said of Loney, "The Spaniards could have done it if they wanted to, but it took a Britisher  to give the direction." 

The solid foundation of sugar industry that for 150 years was the mainstay of the country's foreign trade came from Loney. He could have become one of Iloilo's richest tycoons but he did not put the love of money among his priorities. In a tradition of boundless gratitude, Gov, Norada spoke for generations of Ilonggos, "In our hearts, we shall forever keep him our friend".  

           

October Important Events and Celebrations

 1.Oct. 1-7 _National Museum Week and Cottage Industries Week                                                                   2. Oct. 2_  National Food Production Day 

 3.Oct.  4_ World Day for Animals

 4.Oct.  6, 1868_birth of Aurelio Tolentino ,patriotic dramatist, newspaperman and founder of a                           revolutionary newspaper ,"Filipinas"

 5. Oct. 7-13 _Universal Children's Week

 6. Oct. 12-16_ Hispanic Week  or Semana  Hispanica

 7.Second week of October _National Health Education Week 

 8. Oct.  16, 1907 _Inauguration of the Fist Philippine  Assembly

 9. Oct. 20, 1944 _Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed in Leyte to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese

 10. Oct. 24 _United Nations Day (official founding was Oct. 24, 1945) ;Oct. 17 _ 24 is U.N. Week

 11. Oct. 24, 1857 _ birth of Juan Luna, the Prince of Filipino Painters

 12. Third week of Oct. _Fish Conservation Week and Credit Union Week

 13. Oct. 29, 1868 _ Birth of Gen. Antonio Luna, the Mainstay of the Revolution, founder of the                           Philippine  Military Academy

 14. Third week of Oct. _Midwifery Week, _ the last day of which falls on the birthday of Dr. Jose                       Fabella,   the founder of the first midwifery school in the Philippines

 15. Oct. 25-31 _ Boy Scout Week 

 16. Oct. 31, 1936 _Approval of Commonwealth Act No. 111, creating the Boy Scouts of the                          Philippines

 17. Last week of Oct. _Senior Citizens Week , National Nurses Week , and Consumers" Protection      

         Week

  18. Oct. 26,1863 _birth of Jean Henri Dunant, a Swiss founder of the Red Cross Society. He died on              .Oct 30, 1910

     19. Whole month of October is International Trade Month