Belmonte to lead Independence Day rites at Barasoain Church

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines  – Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. will represent the national government in leading the 113th Independence Day celebration at the historic Barasoain Church here tomorrow.

Local officials and historians noted the national government gave importance to the legacy of Barasoain Church in the country’s history.

Local historians led by Isagani Giron of the Samahang Pangkasaysayan ng Bulacan (Sampaka) said that based on the hierarchy of historical importance, Barasoain Church ranks third after Luneta and Kawit, Cavite.

He said Luneta, which used to be known as Bagumbayan, is where the country’s national hero Dr. Jose Rizal was martyred; while Kawit, Cavite is the place where the late General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed independence from Spain.

Giron, however, pointed out Aguinaldo’s proclamation of independence in Cavite is meaningless without the ratification by the Malolos Congress in September 1898.

The Malolos Congress was held in Barasoain Church.

With this hierarchy of historical importance, Giron said the President, as the highest elected official of the land, will lead the Independence Day celebrations at the Luneta; while the Vice President usually leads the celebration in Cavite.

This leaves the Barasoain Church for the next highest official of the land to lead the Independence Day celebration tomorrow.

The national government is usually represented by the Senate President or the Chief Justice at the Barasoain Church.

Local officials and residents, however, lamented the past administration would usually send representatives to Independence Day rites here.

At one point, an undersecretary of the Department of Education was sent to Barasoain to lead the celebration, and it drew unsavory reactions from Bulakenyos who said that the historical importance of Barasoain Church was being disregarded.

Even worse is the absence of local officials in the celebration.

“It’s different now, we want to have a citizenry grounded in history, that’s why we required all employees of the provincial government to be present,” said Jim Valerio, the provincial administrator of Bulacan.

Valerio said that promoting the culture and history of Bulacan is one of the seven-point agenda of Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado.

“Bulacan is a special place because it is the only province in the country where three republics were established,” Valerio said, referring also to the Cacarong Republic in Pandi town established by Eusebio Roque, and the Biak-na-Bato Republic where the Pact of Biak-na-Bato was held after a Constitution was prepared by Aguinaldo.

Both the Cacarong and Biak-na-Bato republics preceded the Malolos Republic when the first Philippine Congress was convened at the Barasoain Church.

Belmonte will lead the Independence Day celebration here with Alvarado, Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando and local officials. Bishop Jose Oliveros of the diocese of Malolos will lead the invocation.

A civic-military parade will usher in the celebrations to be followed by the raising of the national colors at the patio of Barasoain Church.     This will be followed by the offering of flowers at the statue of Aguinaldo to be led by Belmonte. – With Ric Sapnu