Mindanaotoday.com | El Pueblo a Sus Heroes Park, certainly not Bonifacio
RAI Bollozos Sanchez | Historyahe!
“CAGAYAN de Oro’s Bonifacio Day celebration was grand but done in the wrong monument.’ – Nyor Raul Ilogon
Would we celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Andres Bonifacio at “El Pueblo a Sus Heroes” park in Plaza Divisoria?
Local historical commissions are crucial to contextualizing the historical truth behind commemoration.
If its membership does not follow the proper historical method or the people behind it, are not immersed in the discipline of historiography, and commemorating historical events becomes erroneous.
A friend, and a mentor, Nyor Raul Ilogon, posted on his Facebook account about our city’s embarrassing truth, especially today’s celebration of Bonifacio Day, which was “done ceremoniously in the wrong place.”
Yes, I agree with Nyor Raul’s statement that the monument is not dedicated to the “Great Plebeian” but to the fallen heroes who fought against the “Americans at the turn of the century,” especially of those who died during the “Battle of Agusan Hills” on May 14, 1900.
Which took the lives of many Kagay-anon revolutionaries, including their commander, Capt. Vicente Roa.
You see, the establishment of the “El Pueblo a sus Heroes” took place during the mayoralty term of Apolinar Velez from October 16, 1928, to October 15, 1931, to commemorate and inter his fallen comrades during the unfateful Battle of Agusan.
Additionally, the monument’s construction may have been explicitly done sometimes within Mayor Velez’s term as mayor.
Regarding Apolinar Velez, I agree with Nyor Raul’s statement that the Kagay-anons did not fight with Bonifacio’s Katipunan.
Instead, we fought together with the Spanish military officials against the “Disciplinarios” – a large group of criminals from Manila that were sentenced for robbery, murder, and rape; that the Spanish government made use of and militarily trained them to fight against the Muslims in the Lanao area. The unfateful event was called the Mutiny of Kalaganan.
To help suppress the mutiny, Apolinar Velez took leave as a civil servant, volunteered, and became a 2nd Lieutenant (after training) in the “Tercio de Voluntarios de Cagayan (Tercio)” – a unit of Filipino volunteers who helped the Spanish officials to suppress the uprising.
2nd Lt. Velez was an officer in charge of the defense of Cagayan (de Misamis), employing all phases of protection in the outpost, deployment of men, and the safety of the residents, natives, and Spaniards.
The Tercio was victorious against the rebels, and then 2nd Lt. Apolinar Velez was militarily decorated, including the prestigious “Medalla Campanas de Mindanao.”
Additionally, some of the “Tercios” became members of the Spanish regular troops armed, equipped, and fed by the Spanish colonial government.
At the same time, some of them were sent to Luzon or Visayas to help suppress the Katipunan revolution.
One was Don Vicente Roa, who was sent to fight the Filipino rebels and rose from Sergeant to 2nd Lieutenant.
Going back to the question, would we celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Andres Bonifacio at “El Pueblo a Sus Heroes” park? By any means, it is a historical misappropriation.
Based on the historical writings I cited, for these reasons,
1. The local Kagay-anons, through the Tercio de Voluntarios de Cagayan, fought side-by-side with the Spanish officials against the bandit Disciplinarios during the Mutiny of Kalaganan in 1896—one of them was Apolinar Velez;
2. Apolinar Velez and perhaps Vicente Roa were highly decorated Tercios after the success of suppressing the Mutiny;
3. Many Tercio were absorbed into the Spanish regular troops who fought against the Katipunan and rebel forces in Luzon and Visayas during the Philippine Revolution in 1896 – one of them was Vicente Roa; and
4. Finally, the park was constructed “in memoriam” to the dead comrades of Mayor Apolinar Velez, who fought against the Americans during the Philippine-American war and, most notably, the Battle of Agusan – who Capt. Vicente Roa died on the unfateful day of May 14, 1900.
These historical jottings could prove that Cagayan de Misamis was friendly against the Spaniards and were willing to volunteer for whatever rebellion and insurrection were happening within the Spanish colonial Philippines.
While the involvement of the Kagay-anon revolutionaries was invested during the Philippine-American War, most notably with the famous battles of Cagayan, Agusan Hills, and Makahambus Hill.
I hope and suggest, commemorating the birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio may be held at Gaston Park since it was a Plaza Mayor of the Cagayan Pueblo, who is an extant remnant of Spanish colonization in Cagayan de Misamis.
Again, local historical commissions are crucial to contextualizing which members should be trained in the methods and discipline of content and contextual history.
Furthermore, the organization should consult the academe and stakeholders among the city’s local historians. (MT)
####