1 Sep 2009
HAVE YOU BEEN TO FORT SANTIAGO?
Have you been to Fort Santiago?
I was there last August 8, 2009. It was my first time.
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Fort Santiago is within the walled city of old Manila: Intramuros. This was the barracks of the Spanish soldiers and served as a prison during the time of Spanish colonization of our country. This is where Jose Rizal was imprisoned before he was executed in Bagumbayan.
What is inside Fort Santiago?
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Beautiful Park
Now, the Fort Santiago is transformed in to a beautiful park– a tourist attraction.
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The Rizal Shrine
Inside Rizal Shrine is the prison cell of Rizal where he wrote the Mi último adiós (My Last Farewell)that was found by his sister hidden on an oil lamp. The shrine is a museum where Rizal’s memorabilia, manuscripts, paintings and other artworks are kept.
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Prisons and Dungeons
Below this guard post are the prison cells and dungeons where many Filipinos who fought against the Spaniards were held captive.
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Footprints of Rizal
Rizal’s brass footprints mark his route to his execution site.
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My realizations:
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There is power in writing. Great works of writing can influence many minds. Jose Rizal is a believer of this. His novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo provoked significant revolts by Filipinos that let to the independence of the Philippines. He wrote and wrote and wrote, even on the eve of his execution, he spent it in writing Mi último adiós.
- History leads us to our destiny. Jose Rizal famous quote says, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, di makararating sa paroroonan” (He who does not know how to look back at his past or where he came from will not reach his destination). There are still many things in the history of the Filipino people that I do not know by heart. During my high school and college, I took my history subjects for granted. I just memorized the facts and events for the sake of quizzes and examinations. Thus, most of these facts are already forgotten.
- Today, our country is suffering from the consequences of strife and division. Unity seems impossible. Yet we forget the lessons that our history teaches us: that we were once united and won our independence. We can be united. We just need to look back and learn from our past. Our anscestors who fought with their life believed that the Filipino’s destiny is freedom and not confinement in indifference and corruption; prosperity in love and not poverty due to lack of care for others and the environment; faith that does justice and not a “holier than thou” kind of faith that does discrimination and division.
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Filipinos are worth living and dying. I salute the many Filipinos who were imprisoned, tortured and killed in Fort Santiago in their fight for freedom. I hope that their efforts and sacrifices will not go in vain. I aspire the same conviction as theirs. I pray that I may be the Basilio in Noli Me Tangere who will not forget those were like Elias who died without seeing the dawn break… those who have fallen during the night…
I believe that someday, the dignity of the Filipino people will be restored and will borne the pride of their heritage.
- Jun-G Bargayo, SJ -
>>>My realizations:
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There is power in writing. Great works of writing can influence many minds. Jose Rizal is a believer on this. He wrote and wrote and wrote, even on his last breath, he spent it in writing Mi último adiós. He touches every heart of his readers. His novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo provoked significant revolts by Filipinos that let to the independence of the Philippines.
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History leads us to our destiny. Jose Rizal said, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, di makararating sa paroroonan” (He who does not know how to look back at his past or where he came from will not reach his destination). There are still many in the history of the Filipino people that I do not know by heart. During my high school and college, I took for granted my history subjects. I memorized many of the facts and events, but it was only for the sake of quizzes and examinations. Thus, most of these memories are already forgotten. Perhaps this is the reason why most of the Filipinos today do not remember anymore how to be united in moving forward, fighting against atrocities. Unity in our country seems impossible today, yet we forget our history that we were once united and won our independence. Unity is the key to overcome the plight of our country. Our destiny is freedom and not confinement in indifference and corruption; prosperity in love and not poverty due to lack of care to others and the environment; faith that does justice and not a “holier than thou” kind of faith that does discrimination and division.
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Filipinos are worth living and dying. I salute the many Filipinos who were placed in chambers, tortured and died in Fort Santiago fighting for our freedom. I hope that their efforts and sacrifices did not reap in vain. I aspire the same conviction as theirs. I pray that the dignity of the Filipino people will be restored and will borne the pride of their heritage.
huwaw!! BASE ako!!
aba, laboy trip ito ah?!
sama ako nek taym! toinks!!
ganda nmn po ng reflection nyo about that trip, sana ganyan din ako kaso malabong mangyari yata.. hehehe.. sa dami ng laboy ko, ilang reflections na sana naisulat ko..
jun-g: oo nga base ka! heehehe… walang panama to sa mga laboy entries mo jorge… ikaw lang ang certified palaboy dito… hehehe…
Jorge
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:30 ampermalink
saan ba ang intramuros? bat di mo tinuro sa kin yan? nakapagreflect din sana ako.. haHahaha
jun-g: hindi po natin nadaanan… pero malapit na yun sa luneta… sge next time. first stop natin yun… para makapagreflect agad… hehehe…
edi
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:59 pmpermalink
YES!!!… been there several times-missed it already.. huhuhu ( I blame you Father for this – you reminded me of how beautiful our country is). But my last one was the month before my wife left for the US… ( just followed her after almost three months – need to get my retirement pay first before saying goodbye for good to my previous employer ) and it’s a nice place really to reflect and chill out…
It’s just sad that you will see those footsteps of Rizal prior to his demise…but it’s a good thing to know and visit some historical places that we had…
And when you come out of there… there’s that beautiful church – the famous church were tons of rich people does their marriage vows… and just at the back of the church – just a few blocks, there’s a hidden bank in there where they sorted all the currency for the area before sending it back to the BSP. hehehehe….
It is a lovely place and it is somewhat “cool” weather wise in there… less chaotic than the outside world… ( what a total opposite during the time of the Spaniards – - huh? )
jun-g: yup. the church is called the Manila Cathedral. Intramuros can ignite the patriotism in every filipino’s heart. marami pang pwedeng puntahan dun… it is a historical goldmine.
JONEL
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:42 pmpermalink
yep, madalas kami jan nung collge kami..hehe
jun-g: siguro malapit lang school nyo doon
The Lady in Green Ruffles
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:35 pmpermalink
Kapatid, I have not been in Fort Santiago!!!!
It will be a photographic feast and a historical delight for me!!!
I do look forward for a visit in Manila soon, and this will be part of my itinerary along with Paco Park…
Ahh Rizal… I am currently reading Leon Ma. Guerrero’s The First Filipino… I conditioned my mind to read it like I have never known Rizal to really maximize the reading experience…
And now I’m reading about Rizal’s life while he was in Ateneo – the class contests, his Jesuit teachers… I am educated by La Sallians… Now I bent to say that I envy those who were educated by Jesuits… hehehe… My professors and the La Salle Brothers would perhaps frown on this.. hahaha!!!
Yes, Rizal’s life is the ultimate example that “the pen is mightier than the sword.”
History tells us of our identity as a nation and as a people. It is only with becoming familiar with our past, I believe, that we will be able to make manifest our glorious future ahead of us. For our history will tell us about ourselves, and knowing ourselves as a people will pave the way for a higher consciousness. Only then would we be able to rise out of the mire of our own making…
jun-g: naku! lagot ka nga sa mga La Salle Brothers… hehehe… hehehe… but seriously, i agree with you >>> History tells us of our identity as a nation and as a people. Kaya ako din nagsusumikap na malaman ang ating kasaysayan. This is a reminder for me and for every Filipino.
coolwaterworks
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:09 pmpermalink
wow! ang ganda na dyan!!twice palang ako napunta dyan 1st: nung grade5 ako at 2nd nung college na.(kasama ka jorge,wag mong itanong kung saan yan)
gusto kong bumalik haha kasi nung nagpunta kami dipa uso ang digicam nun haha wala akong magandang kuha dyan kaya sana sa bakasyon eh magawi ako dyan!!! wahiooooooo!!
jun-g: uy… pagpupunta ka dun, isama mo ako… para kasama din ako sa mga piktsuran. hehehe…
bonistation
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:43 pmpermalink
ganda naman jan! padaan po!
jun-g: maganda ang dumaan! salamat po sa pagdaan…
pinkdiaries
September 4th, 2009 at 5:14 ampermalink
nice dimple… pupunta ako jan jun-g… 1st time ko dito sa bahay mo… nice pics.
jun-g: salamat po sa pagdalaw. kung kailangan mo tour guide… sabihan mo lang ako… hehehe…
livingstain
September 4th, 2009 at 6:50 ampermalink
hindi ko pa napuntahan ang Fort Bonifacio. pero dahil sa blog mo parang nabisita na rin.
Sa Dapitan City, Mindanao kung saan na exile si Rizal lang ang naupuntahan ko – - that was around 1990’s.
Wala pa kasing digital camera noon at kahit ung regular camera wala rin. kaya walang ala-ala.
Anyway, thank you for sharing Jun-G.
jun-g: uy… nakapunta din ako dun sa dapitan… mga 8 years ago ata yun… hehehe… ganda din ng place na yun… niloloko namin na duon nahulog ang tsinelas ni rizal sa river beside rizal’s sanctuary… hehehe
darbs
September 4th, 2009 at 11:47 pmpermalink
ahhmm kuYA juN-G aKOuh NgA pLA unG iSA dUn sa pRAyEr LifE NA pInUntAhaN nio..aHmm sLAmAt NgA PoH PLA kaCe MArami rin POeh KAmiNg NAtuTUnAn..
aT sa WKAs NAkiTA koUh pOEh aNg wEbsiTe nio..
jun-g: hi shaniel… salamat sa pagbisita… it was a privilege to be your speaker… sa uulitin.
shaniel
September 15th, 2009 at 1:47 pmpermalink