THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL HEROES

JOSE RIZAL 1861-1896 (Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda)

Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines as Jose Protacio Rizal
Mercado Y Alonso Realonda.

He was a writer, known for El filibusterismo (1962), Sisa (1951) and Noli me tangere (1930). He died
on December 30, 1896 in Bagumbayan [now Luneta], Manila, Philippines.

Rizal was a national hero who exposed the corruptions and wrongdoings of the Spanish colonial
government through his writings. He founded the progressive organization “La Liga Filipina,” which
was considered a threat by the Spanish authorities and ultimately led to his arrest.

Tributes and trivia: The Rizal Monument now stands near the place where Rizal was fallen at the
Luneta in Bagumbayan, known to all as Rizal Park. The Taft Commission of June 1901 further
approved Act 137 renaming the District of Morong into the Province of Rizal. Today, the wide
acceptance of Rizal as the country’s national heroes is evidenced by the countless towns, streets, and
numerous parks in the Philippines named in his honor. Moreover, Rizal’s literary works continue to
be immortalized through cinematic depiction and plays.

Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897): Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 – May 10,
1897) was a Filipino revolutionary leader and the president of the Tagalog Republic. He is often
called "The Father of the Philippine Revolution".[3][4] He was one of the founders and later Supremo
(Supreme Leader) of the Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or
more commonly known as the "Katipunan", a movement which sought the independence of the
Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution. He was also one of the
Filipino historical figures to be recommended as a national hero of the Philippines
Bonifacio founded the Katipunan, a secret society which spearheaded the uprising against the
oppressive Spanish rule. It was the groundwork for the first Philippine Republic. He faced a trial for
acts inimical to the existence of the new government, and was sentenced to death by a military
tribunal.

Tributes and trivia: Besides Rizal, the only other hero given an implied recognition as a national hero
is Bonifacio whose date of birth on November 30 had officially been proclaimed as a national holiday.
Monuments of Bonificio, like Rizal, are common across the nation; and again, like his compatriot,
this inspiring hero’s life has been immortalized on film and television, such as 2014’s Bonifacio: Ang
Unang Pangulo (starring Robin Padilla), 2013’s TV series Katipunan and 2014’s Ilustrado (both
starring Sid Lucero).

Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964): Emilio Aguinaldo was born on March 22, 1869, in Kawit, Cavite,
Philippines.
Nicknamed Miong, Aguinaldo was the seventh of eight children. His parents were of Chinese and
Tagalog descent. His father, Carlos, died when Aguinaldo was just nine years old. Widowed, his
mother, Trinidad, sent him to attend public school in Manila.

Having had to cut his studies short at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran due to a cholera
outbreak, Aguinaldo returned home to Kawit, where he developed a growing awareness of Filipino
frustration with Spanish colonial rule.
While serving as the head of barter in Manila, he joined the Pilar Lodge chapter of the
Freemasonry in 1895. The Freemasonry was a government- and church-banned resistance group. It
was through his role as municipal captain of this fraternity that Aguinaldo met Andres Bonifacio, a
key figure in the fight to overthrow Spanish rule.
Aguinaldo is a revolutionary, politician, and military leader who is officially recognized as the First
President of the Philippines. After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, he cooperated
with the new forces, and appealed on radio for American and Filipino soldiers to surrender in Bataan.
He was arrested as a collaborator upon the return of the Americans but was later freed on general
amnesty.

Tributes and trivia: In 1931, an American Pre-Code documentary titled Around the World in 80
Minutes with Douglas Fairbanks, showed host Fairbanks in an interview with former Philippine
president Emilio Aguinaldo.

Aguinaldo has also been portrayed in various films centered on the revolution, with such actors as
Mon Confiado in Heneral Luna, and Jericho Ejercito and E.R. Ejercito in El Presidente highlighting
his controversial life.

Juan Luna (1857-1899):

Born in the town of Badoc, Ilocos Norte in the northern Philippines, Juan N. Luna was the third
among the seven children of Joaquín Luna de San Pedro y Posadas and Laureana Novicio y Ancheta.
In 1861, the Luna family moved to Manila and he went to Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he
obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree. He excelled in painting and drawing, and was influenced by his
brother, Manuel N. Luna, who, according to Filipino patriot José Rizal, was a better painter than Juan
himself.
Luna enrolled at Escuela Nautica de Manila (now Philippine Merchant Marine Academy) and became
a sailor. He took drawing lessons under the illustrious painting teacher Lorenzo Guerrero of Ermita,
Manila. He also enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts (Academia de Dibujo y Pintura) in Manila where
he was influenced and taught how to draw by the Spanish artist Agustin Saez. However, Luna's
vigorous brush strokes displeased his teacher and Luna was discharged from the academy. However,
Guerrero was impressed by his skill and urged Luna to travel to Madrid to further pursue his work.
Luna was a painter, sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th
century. He is also considered a master Philippine artist for paintings, which often depicted his his
sentiments for country.
Tributes and trivia: Luna’s most revered artwork, “The Spolarium” is held in prominent display at the
National Museum. Of his sought after masterpieces, “¿A Do…Va la Nave?” sold for P46.8 million at a
Makati auction.
In film, the brilliant Luna had been portrayed by Bryan Benedict in Ilustrado; and Allan Paule Heneral
Luna.
Marcelo del Pilar (1850-1896):

Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitan was born on August 30, 1850, in Cupang (now Barangay San
Nicolás), Bulacán, Bulacan. He was baptized "Marcelo" on September 4, 1850. "Hilario" was the
original paternal surname of the family. The surname of Marcelo's paternal grandmother, "Del Pilar",
was added to comply with the naming reforms of Governor-General Narciso Clavería in 1849.
Del Pilar's parents belonged to the principalía (upper class). The family owned rice and sugarcane
farms, fish ponds, and an animal powered mill. His father, Julián Hilario del Pilar, was a well known
Tagalog speaker in their town. He was also a well known poet and writer. Don Julián served as a
"three-time" gobernadorcillo (municipal mayor) of his pueblo (town) and later held the position of
oficial de mesa (government clerk) of the alcalde mayor (provincial governor). Blasa Gatmaitán, del
Pilar's mother, was a descendant of the noble Gatmaitáns. She was known as "Doña Blasica"
The ninth of ten children, del Pilar's siblings were: Toribio (priest, deported to the Mariana Islands in
1872), Fernando (father of Gregorio del Pilar), Andrea, Dorotea, Estanislao, Juan, Hilaria (married to
Deodato Arellano), Valentín, and María. The share of the inheritance of each child was very small
and del Pilar renounced his share in favor of his siblings.
Del Pilar was a Philippine revolutionary propagandist and satirist. He tried to marshal the nationalist
sentiment of the Filipino ilustrados or bourgeoisie, against Spanish imperialism. He founded the
newspaper Diariong Tagalog to propagate democratic liberal ideas among farmers and peasants.

Tributes and trivia: For his 150 essays and 66 editorials, mostly published in La Solidaridad and
various anti-friar pamphlets, del Pilar has long been regarded as the “Father of Philippine
Journalism.”

As such Samahang Plaridel, an organization of veteran journalists and communicators, was founded
in October 2003 to honor his ideals. The group further promotes cooperation and understanding
among Filipino journalists in service of the nation.

In the 1998 film, José Rizal, del Pilar was portrayed by actor Dennis Marasigan.

Melchora Aquino (1812-1919): Melchora Aquino de Ramos (6 January 1812 – 19 February 1919)
was a Filipina revolutionary who became known as "Tandang Sora" ("Elder Sora") because of her age
during the Philippine Revolution.
She was known as the "Grand Woman of the Revolution" and the "Mother of Balintawak" for her
contributions.
One of two females among the nine historical figures for recommendation as heroes, Aquino operated
a store, which became a refuge for sick and wounded revolutionaries. She fed and provided medical
attention to the revolutionaries, while encouraging them with motherly advice in pursuing their
battles, and offering prayers.

Secret meetings of the Katipuneros were also held in her home, thus earning Aquino the titles
“Woman of Revolution”, “Mother of Balintawak”, “Mother of the Philippine Revolution”, and more
famously “Tandang Sora.”
Tributes and trivia: As a token of gratitude, a district and road expanse in Quezon City had been
named after Tandang Sora. She was also commemorated in the five-centavo coin, which existed from
1967 to 1992; and is considered the very first Filipina to be featured on Philippine peso banknote, in
this case, a 100-peso bill from the English Series (1951 to 1966).

Apolinario Mabini (1864-1903): Apolinario Mabini y Maranan (July 23, 1864 – May 13, 1903)
was a Filipino revolutionary leader, educator, lawyer, and statesman who served first as a legal and
constitutional adviser to the Revolutionary Government, and then as the first Prime Minister of the
Philippines upon the establishment of the First Philippine Republic. He is regarded as the "utak ng
himagsikan" or "brain of the revolution".
Two of his works, El Verdadero Decalogo (The True Decalogue, June 24, 1898), and Programa
Constitucional dela Republica Filipina (The Constitutional Program of the Philippine Republic,
1898) became instrumental in the drafting of what would eventually be known as the Malolos
Constitution.
Mabini was the “brains” of the revolution. He served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the
Revolutionary Government, and then as the first Prime Minister of the Philippines upon the
establishment of the First Philippine Republic. Mabini performed all his revolutionary and
governmental activities despite having lost the use of both his legs to polio shortly before the
Philippine Revolution of 1896.

Tributes and trivia: There are two shrines devoted to Mabini: The house where he died is located on
the grounds of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Santa Mesa, Manila; while his
hometown in Talaga, Tanauan City has long been the site of his burial.

In films, he has been portrayed by Ronnie Quizon in the 2012’s El Presidente, and by Epi Quizon in
the 2015’s Heneral Luna.

Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat (1581–1671):

Kudarat was a Sultan of Maguindanao in the Philippines. He successfully opposed the Spaniards who
attempted to conquer his land during his reign. He was also a hindrance to the Christianization of the
island of Mindanao much like the other Muslim rulers of the southern Philippine Archipelago.

Kudarat was a direct descendant of Shariff Kabungsuwan, a Malay-Arab missionary who brought
Islam to the Philippines between the 13th and 14th century.

Tributes and trivia: The province of Sultan Kudarat is named after this brave Filipino, together with
the Municipality of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, where his descendants of datus and rulers remain
to be political leaders.

Gabriela Silang (1731-1763):

María Josefa Gabriela Cariño de Silang (19 March 1731 – 20 September 1763) was a Filipina
revolutionary leader best known as the first female leader of an Ilocano movement for independence
from Spain.[1] She took over the reins of her husband Diego Silang's revolutionary movement after his
assassination in 1763, leading the Ilocano rebel movement for four months before she was captured
and executed by the colonial government of the Spanish East Indies.

Silang was a revolutionary best known as the first female leader of a Filipino movement in the fight
for independence from Spain. She took over the reins of her husband Diego Silang’s revolutionary
movement following his assassination in 1763. During this time, she led the Ilocano rebel movement
until she was captured and executed by the colonial government of the Spanish East Indies.

Tributes and trivia: The organization and party list Gabriela Women’s Party, which advocates
women’s rights and issues, was founded in April 1984 in Silang’s honor. A statue of this female hero
on horseback was further commissioned and erected by the Zóbel de Ayala family at the corner of
Ayala and Makati Avenues.

The Tangadan Welcome Tunnel in Abra is also the site of the Gabriela Silang Memorial Park with a
monument to the brave Filipina.

The report recommending these nine historical figures as national heroes was likewise submitted to
the Department of Education, Culture and Sports on November 22, 1995. However, no action was
taken by the government agency afterward based on speculations that an official proclamation by law
of national heroes might trigger debates on historical controversies surrounding a number of them.
Nevertheless, despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming the nine patriots as
national heroes, they remain admired and revered for their pivotal roles in Philippine history.

As writer Quennie Ann Palafox points out in her article, “Reinventing the Filipino Hero” from the
NHCP archives, “Heroes are not born, but they are chosen by the society among men deserving
esteem and emulation.”

She continues, “There must be public acclamation and pronouncement of their contributions to the
society. Otherwise, they will be similar to others who unselfishly helped for the betterment of others
and yet they are unrecognized.”

In recent years, the concept of hero in the Philippines has constantly been redefined in response to the
changes and challenges of our times. Filipinos in general are being regarded as heroes without having
to give up their lives for country, but for their vital contributions to nation building. These are faceless
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), teachers, policemen and soldiers, among others, without whom
the Philippines cannot hope to grow and reach its full potential.

With this, one may be able to salvage something good out of the lack of a proper law in the country to
officially declare national heroes. For on this holiday, and every year after, we may also celebrate the
selflessness of modern day Filipinos who, albeit not in bloody revolutions, also sacrifice their lives for
a greater Philippines.

Julian Felipe
- is the composer of the Philippine national anthem Lupang Hinirang. He was born in Cavite
City, Cavite on January 28, 1861. A dedicated music teacher and composer, he was appointed by
Emilio Aguinaldo as Director of the National Band of the First Philippine Republic. He died in
Manila on October 2, 1944.

José Palma y Velásquez (3 June 1876 – 12 February 1903) was a Filipino poet and soldier. He was
on the staff of La Independencia at the time he wrote Filipinas, a patriotic poem in Spanish. It was
published for the first time in the issue of the first anniversary of La Independencia on 3 September
1899. The poem fit the instrumental tune Marcha Nacional Filipina by Julián Felipe, and it has since
been the basis for every translation of the Philippine National Anthem.

Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz (April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862), commonly known as
Francisco Balagtas and also as Francisco Baltazar, was a prominent Filipino poet during the
Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is widely considered one of the greatest Filipino
literary laureates for his impact on Filipino literature. The famous epic Florante at Laura is regarded
as his defining work.
The surname "Baltazar", sometimes misconstrued as a pen name, was a legal surname Balagtas
adopted after the 1849 edict of Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua, which mandated that the
native population adopt standard Spanish surnames instead of native ones. His surname is also
sometimes given as "Balagtas Baltazar" when instead he used one or the other but not both at the
same time.
His mentor was José de la Cruz, otherwise known as Joseng Sisiw.