Research of the Month

-can be sent thru mail; accumulated or per month

August
1. December 30 is celebrated as a national holiday for Rizals death while November 30 is
delegated for remembering Bonifacios birth. Why not both deaths or both births? Why
celebrate Rizals death and Bonifacios birth?
We celebrate Jose Rizals death on December 30 given its significant impact to our countrys
nationalistic awakening. His death at Bagumbayan was an act of bravery and commitment to
the Filipino people that justifies and immortalizes his position as our countrys national hero. His
martyrdom also signified to the Katipunan to take up arms and stand up against Spanish
oppressors and can even be argued to have contributed to awakening the Filipinos from their
nationalistic stupor.
Andres Bonifacio, on the other hand, is remembered on November 30, his date of birth instead
of his death. According to many historians, it is largely because Bonifacios death is a shameful
part of Filipino history given that he was killed by and on orders from his fellow countrymen. It
can be remembered that the Katipunan was divided into rival factions, Magdalo (headed by
Aguinaldo) and Magdiwang (headed by Bonifacio). After arguing heatedly against the results of
the rigged Tejeros Convention of 1897 where Aguinaldo was elected president and Bonifacio
had to make do with being Director of Interior, he attempted to regroup his remaining allies and
follow through with his plans for the revolution.
However, Aguinaldos forces seized Bonifacio under false premises. After a kangaroo trial which
was presided over by Aguinaldos men, Bonifacio was found guilty and executed along with his
brother, Procopio on May 10, 1897.
Therefore, to remember Bonifacios death is to cast shame since he wasnt killed by foreign
oppressors like Rizal, but was executed under orders from the State, specifically from the first
president whose orders were carried out by fellow countrymen whose descendants are now
prominent figures in the local political and business scene (Paternos, Abaya, Virata).
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Opinion&title=bonifacio-day&id=119381

September

2. In Rizals last poem, the title wasnt included the phrase pearl of the orient was used.
The phrase is used to refer to the country as a repository of pearls which was then
appropriated by Jose Palma in Lupang Hinirang. Was Rizal the first to use the phrase
pearl of the orient? Were there any other European historians who used the phrase
first?
In 1751, Father Juan J. Delgado, a Jesuit historian coined the phrase pearl of the orient. Jose
Rizal used the phrase in his poem which has collectively been called as Mi Ultimo Adios on the
eve of his execution on December 30, 1896.
Source: Tope, L. and Nonan-Mercado, D. (2002). Philippines. Marshall Cavendish: Singapore.

*Additional:
Who is the patron saint (who was born) on your birthday?
-other famous celebrities who share your birthday
Saint Thomas Aquinas from the Dominican Order who served as a Doctor of the Church and
author of Summa Teologica, celebrates his feast day on January 28th.
Julian Felipe, who composed the national anthem Lupang Hinirang was born on this day.
Other celebrities who share the same birthday include female senator Loren Legarda, Elijah
Wood of the popular series Lord of the Rings, and painter Jackson Pollock who was a major
figure in the abstract expressionism movement.
3. October
1. Who was the first pope
St. Peter the Apostle is traditionally regarded as the first pope after having been declared
by Jesus himself as the rock of the Church and bestowed keys to the Church.
2. First pope to become a saint
St. Peter the Apostle
3. Longest serving pope
Pope Pius IX served the longest of all popes, reigning from 1846 to
1878. His total reign was 31 years, 7 months and 23 days.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/12/world/gallery/longest-reign-popes/
4. Shortest serving pope
Pope Urban VII reigned for a total of 13 days in 1590, making him the shortest serving
pope though this remains contested as Pope Stephen II who was elected on March 24,
752 who died two days later.
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/shortest-papal-reign
5. First bishop appointed in the PH (during Spanish era)

Domingo de Salazar, O.P. served as the first bishop of the Philippines from 1579 to
1584.
6. First pope to visit PH
Blessed Pope Paul VI was the first pope to visit the Philippines on November 27, 1970.
The state visit from the pope was received by the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos.
7. Incumbent cardinal in PH (Manila) and what is his religious order
The incumbent cardinal is Luis Antonio Tagle. He is from the Jesuit religious order after
training under the San Jose Seminary.
8. Largest religious institution in the PH
9. Smallest religious institution in the PH
10. First local, PH-made religious institution in the PH

November
4. The Spaniards also occupied the Latin Americas except Brazil which was already
colonized by Portugal. Why is the 1896 PH revolution delayed compared to other
revolutions in Latin America (1830s)? What are the factors to be considered? Why did it
take us longer? Were we too far (proximity) to be influenced? Leadership? Colonial
mentality?
The Philippines and Cuba share largely the same experience of colonization under Spanish
rule. Both countries were part of Spains conquest for more colonies in its expansionary bid
against Portugal.
However, the Cuban revolution for independence occurred relatively earlier than the 1896
Philippine revolution. Several factors can be interpreted as to why the revolutionary awakening
occurred later in the Philippines. For one, it can be argued that there was a lack of leading figure
to rally and mobilize the colonies until Jose Rizal came. Cuba had one in the form of Carlos
Manuel de Cespedes who rallied Cuban forces with the Cry of Yara which is eerily similar to
the Cry of Pugadlawin in 1896 which signaled the start of the revolution.
Cuba remained relatively loyal
The emergence of Jose Rizals writings (Noli and El Fili) which sprouted up in the latter half
It could be argued that American intervention occurred earlier in Cuba than it did with the
Philippines. When the Americans stepped in to oppose Spanish presence in the Latin American
country,

Worried about the American people living in Cuba, the American

government decided to send the battleship Maine. However, 15

February 1898, the ship exploded, killing hundreds of sailors.

Due to this incident and American peoples sympathy for
Cuban independence struggle, many Americans called for war. As a
result, in 1898, United States declared war on Spain. US landed
troops in Cuba on 6th June, 1898. After of Spanish fleets and been
lost and land battles near Santiago de Cuba were lost, the Spanish
requested a peace treaty. On 10 December 1898, Spain signed the
Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish colonization of Cuba.