People in Southern Philippines Reminisce Nation’s Hero’s Life in Four-day Festival

December 29, 2008
DAPITAN, Philippines — Just like most treasures, this city, with its quiet streets and tree-shaded groves leading to sloping gently beaches, hides a trove of Filipino heritage and history.

The history of this city spans over 700 years, from the arrival of the first native Subanon settlers who were soon joined by the Boholanos to the coming of Spaniards and later the Americans. In the 1700s, this small town was under the rule of Spanish government. In 1892, the city became the home of exiled hero Dr. Jose Rizal, until his departure in 1896.

In this shrine city where Rizal spent part of his life for years, considered to be the best of his life, the nation’s hero’s memory was celebrated by thousands of foreign and local tourists who recalled his contributions in a four-day festivities that started on December 27, culminating on the day of his death, December 30.

Dubbed as Handuraw, a local term for flashback or looking back, is the 3rd celebration of Dapitan’s significant role in the country’s history, being a place where Rizal went on exile in 1892. Rizal spent the part of his best years here, leaving behind contributions that have continued to describe the city imbued by history, according to local experts here.

Foreign, and domestic tourists, locals, young and old, bask in the contributions that the city has played in the country’s history. In a series of activities such as tree planting, fashion show, painting, sculpture, and book launching, remind people of looking back to the past. Many relearn the teachings and the values of Rizal.

Handuraw unfolds the footprints left by the vanishing civilization in this small city that Dapitan has in the historic past.

“The traces that are left behind by the fading era are carefully preserved in the deep niches of Handuraw for the coming generation to know and understand the bridge tat connects the past to the present” said Dominador Jalosjos, the mayor.

“It is through deeper understanding of the life and works of this man (Rizal) that we can also value our being Filipinos as well as improved the well being of our community,” said city councilor Apple Agolo.

“We hope our annual festival will remind our people that only by looking back to our past so that we can move on to our future,” she added.

On Sunday afternoon, about one hundred boats of fishermen coming from coastal villages sailed at Dapitan bay for the fluvial parade.

“It was Rizal who taught us taught us before about fishing,” Agoro said.

Rizal, the father of the movement for independence from Spain, was publicly executed by a Spanish firing squad not in their usual method of garroting.

Meanwhile, Prof. Pedro Walpole, Executive Director of Ateneo de Manila Environmental Science for Social Change, cited the riches of Dapitan and how the people are loosing them.

“The shore is changing. Now Talisay areas and the shrine is the only place left that has quality of forest in the low lands of Dapitan. Really Dapitan is an island of different sediments created by the sea. But the seas are getting angry,” Walpole said.

“Everything are being thrown into the sea and you get more sedimentation which will create more flooding. Today, the sea is getting angry and it’s loosing all its fish. Where is the livelihood
of the people will go?” he added.

Walpole said Rizal has challenged the state, church and entire Flipino to look back, recollect, reorganize out thoughts and experiences to move forward in new way.

“You cannot preserve Dapitan as in preserve as a museum. You have to be alive….to keep things alive. As part of Handuraw activity is to look back in order to go forward,” Walpole noted.

“There are many challenges that we have to address this in new ways. We have to use the human condition and ability to respond to the education. Education is one of the biggest problems we have,” he added.

Walpole also cited “Rizal said youth is the hope of our nation but what is the nation doing in relation to the youth? What is level of education throughout the Philippines?”

Walpole said he talked to some officials here and they expressed interest in developing land use scheme as part of effort to preserve their country’s only Rizal Shrine.

The city recently launched a project where they will pay 50 cents for every banana trees planted by children. Also highlighted during the celebration that commemorates the life of Rizal here include the showcase of fashion by local designers of Dapitan and the playing of “angklong”, a bamboo musical instrument only produced and played in Dapitan. (Jeoffrey Maitem)