Father of our country (2nd of 3 Parts)

MANILA, Philippines - His name is Alejandro Roces, former Secretary of Education under President Diosdado Macapagal. Notwithstanding his high pitched voice and constantly repeated corny jokes, to be with him is to be welcomed into the company of an educated man.

In his mind, Philippine history lives and breathes, hovers over our people like a mother hen, ever reminding each of us that we Filipinos do not really belong to ourselves. We belong to each other, and to something outside of and greater than ourselves — the nation.

General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Republic, has one worthy descendant, Justice of the Supreme Court Ameurfina Melencio Herrera, plus a grandnephew, Prime Minister Cesar Virata, who supported the IMF’s policy to keep the nation agricultural.

Secretary of Education Alejandro Roces and myself as chairman of the National Economic Council (like today’s NEDA) served in the cabinet of President Diosdado Macapagal who was the one most responsible for giving due honor to President Emilio Aguinaldo. 

In recognition of Aguinaldo, Macapagal officially declared that henceforth the Independence Day of the Philippines is to be June 12th, the day the First Republic was promulgated by Aguinaldo in 1898, instead of July 4th as the Americans mandated in 1946. Roces was assigned to implement the proclamation and the nation’s first celebration of the Independence Day.

On the day the change was official, Anding went to Kawit to inform General Aguinaldo about it. Ushered into the General’s bedroom where the old man in his 90s was already half blind and deaf, no longer in full possession of his faculties, Anding announced the momentous news.

Leaning over to listen to the General’s hardly audible voice, Anding heard our hero’s reaction to the news, in these words: “Yes, Yes. May importante pang sasabihin ko sa iyo. Ang akin apo na bagsak sa examination, puede mo ba siyang tulongan maging teacher?” Anding almost fell off his chair, as the General continued, “Isa pa. Gusto kung mag diskorso sa Luneta. Ibanggit ko yong pension ko na inalis ni Quezon noon kami nagkalaban sa halalan ng 1935.” Anding shakes his head and laughs today, “No wonder we lost the revolution.”

It was an impressive June 12th celebration at the Luneta. The President spoke, and so did Aguinaldo. Then came a dramatic reenactment, directed by master director Lamberto Avellana, of the capture of Aguinaldo by the Macabebe Scouts led by General Funston.