[ELPIDIO QUIRINO, A FORGOTTEN LEGACY]

Elpidio Quirino; The Forgotten President

The year was 1890, Elpidio Quirino y Rivera was born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, and baptized three days later. He was the son of Don Mariano Quirino, who was originally from Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. Mariano was an excellent soldier who earned the rank of sargento contador, the highest position that a native could hold in the colonial army and was said to have been sent to Spain for training. He later took over his father’s trading business and served as the warden of the Vigan provincial jail. In Agoo, La Union, he met and married a 14-year-old by the name of Gregoria Rivera y Mendoza. While the Quirino family has claimed that Gregoria Rivera was supposedly a Spanish mestiza, the baptismal record of Elpidio states clearly that his mother was an india, not a mestiza.

The Quirino family started in Abra but by the second generation had already relocated to Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. The earliest traceable ancestor of the president’s line is Juan Manuel del Rosario, the father of Don Mariano Quirino. Juan Manuel was believed by the family to have adopted the surname Quirino to replace Del Rosario, although “Quirino” does not appear in the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos. He owned several sailboats that were used for coastal trading. It is thus safe to assume that by the time Elpidio Quirino was born his family was comfortably well-off.

Elpidio Quirino’s career began with his election as a member of the House of Representatives from Ilocos Sur’s 1st district in 1919, serving until 1925. He ran for and won as a senator in 1925, serving 10 years. He was appointed secretary of the Interior by President Manuel L. Quezon from 1935 to 1938. Although he was again elected senator, he was unable to serve because of the outbreak of World War II. After the country’s liberation, he was elected president pro tempore of the Senate. He became the running mate of Manuel A. Roxas in the 1946 elections and was elected vice president. He then became president of the Philippines, serving the remainder of President Roxas’s term after Roxas passed away, and then winning a fresh mandate in 1948, with Fernando Lopez as vice president. He ran for reelection in 1953 but was defeated by Ramon Magsaysay.

Although he served longer than both his predecessor and successor, Quirino is not as well-remembered. His presidency saw many historic moments; he was the first Philippine president to visit the United States since we became fully independent; Carlos P. Romulo was elected president of the UN General Assembly, the first Asian to hold this distinction; and Quezon City was made the country’s capital, replacing Manila. Though the nation was facing new issues, the country had positive projections. Economic recovery advanced successfully and development opportunities were expanding. In actuality, the Philippines was in a good position to succeed by 1953.

When it came to postwar prosperity and reconstruction, the nation was the envy of many. Unfortunately, his term was also marred with accusations of government corruption. Some historians believe that Quirino was given a raw deal by being highly vilified by a virulent and biased press, making his administration look corrupt when it was actually very effective. He was made fun of for decisions he most likely wasn't completely aware of, including even the most superficial of things like two expensive purchases in Malacañang as it was being renovated --a new bed and an orinola (chamber pot).

Politics was dirty during Quirino’s term and the media did not help with their bias and vitriol. Things truly have not changed much today. Looking back at our history, we see many similarities between then and now. 

Reference/s:

https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2022/11/16/2224147/president-elpidio-quirino

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elpidio_R_Quirino.jpg

https://fili02pamumuno.wordpress.com/2016/09/11/elpidio-quirino/

https://historylearning.com/history-of-the-philippines/post-colonial/president-quirino/

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[EMBRACING DIVERSITY]

EMBRACING DIVERSITY

Philippines, an archipelagic country, an island of diverseness and unity. This National Indigenous Peoples Month 2024, we are all gathered and encouraged to look after for our kin and unique siblings across the country. Additionally, we are expected to observe the Indigenous Peoples Month and the 27th Year Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) Commemoration from October 1-30 with the theme “Mga Katutubo at Katutubong Dunong: Pahalagahan, Pangalagaan at Parangalana.” (Valuing, Nurturing, and Honoring Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Knowledge). 

In commemoration of the event, the mandate strongly fosters the rights for equality and recognition to our fellowships. It strengthens the philosophical idea of heroism through helping indigenous people, not by force, but by obligation. Moreover, God created humans equally, regardless of gender and ethnicity. We breathe, we talk, we feel, no matter ethnicity, we are all humans. Additionally, this event would also promotes a more dignified community by the reinforcement of anti-harassment laws for the indigenous people (IP's) which we ought to follow in order to preserve their ancestral cultures.

Hence, the preferment for the rights and culture for indigenous people through the commemoration of Indigenous Peoples Month and the 27th Year Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) would greatly bring our associate to a socio-economic uprising which they would bestow as an opportunity to fight for their unification as one diverse community.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8371

AN ACT TO RECOGNIZE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, CREATING A NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, ESTABLISHING IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFORE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

CHAPTER I

General Provisions

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as “The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of State Policies. — The State shall recognize and promote all the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) hereunder enumerated within the framework of the Constitution:

a) The State shall recognize and promote the rights of ICCs/IPs within the framework of national unity and development;

b) The State shall protect the rights of ICCs/IPs to their ancestral domains to ensure their economic, social and cultural well being and shall recognize the applicability of customary laws governing property rights or relations in determining the ownership and extent of ancestral domain;

c) The State shall recognize, respect and protect the rights of ICCs/IPs to preserve and develop their cultures, traditions and institutions. It shall consider these rights in the formulation of national laws and policies;

d) The State shall guarantee that members of the ICCs/IPs regardless of sex, shall equally enjoy the full measure of human rights and freedoms without distinction or discrimination;

e) The State shall take measures, with the participation of the ICCs/IPs concerned, to protect their rights and guarantee respect for their cultural integrity, and to ensure that members of the ICCs/IPs benefit on an equal footing from the rights and opportunities which national laws and regulations grant to other members of the population; and

f) The State recognizes its obligations to respond to the strong expression of the ICCs/IPs for cultural integrity by assuring maximum ICC/IP participation in the direction of education, health, as well as other services of ICCs/IPs, in order to render such services more responsive to the needs and desires of these communities.

Towards these ends, the State shall institute and establish the necessary mechanisms to enforce and guarantee the realization of these rights, taking into consideration their customs, traditions, values, beliefs, interests and institutions, and to adopt and implement measures to protect their rights to their ancestral domains.

Reference/s:

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1997/10/29/republic-act-no-8371/

https://medium.com/@2020047211/the-role-of-indigenous-peoples-in-philippine-society-2971f2353158

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Philippines#/media/File:TribalPhilippinesTraditionalRange.png

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[Filipino Perseverance Amid Climate Change]

 

Climate Change Versus Filipinos' Resiliency 

Among the nations facing the worst of climate change is the Philippines which is further worsened by its geography. Just located above the equator, the Philippines face a tremendously high temperature throughout the year. Being an archipelago in the Pacific, the country finds itself frequently battered and dishelved by typhoons, threatened by rising water levels, and experiencing unpredictable weather. These changes in the physical environment, whether abrupt or gradual give Filipinos a harsh consequence. Families are displaced, livelihoods are lost, critical infrastructure is damaged due to coastal inundation and storm surges. On the other hand, excessive droughts and excessive rainfall disturb agriculture, potentially resulting in food and economic crises in rural communities.

These transformations have a major cause that lie in the staggering amounts of greenhouse gases that are emitted as a consequence of human actions. Global warming raises the temperature which causes the polar ice caps to melt and consequently the level of water to rise increasing the amount of flood in low-lying areas. The illegal felling of trees for timber and clearing land in cities for buildings contributes to the deforestation of the Philippines, which in turn produces soil erosion and makes it difficult for the forests to reduce carbon dioxide levels. Moreover, urbanization and the poor disposal of garbage increases pollution and induces a cycle which exacerbates climate change worldwide.

All these obstacles aside among other solutions Filipinos have more hope than despair many have survived countless disasters and continue to do the same. Many communities that have been sorely affected by a natural disaster have a tendency to unify themselves in times of need through "bayanihan" which is a Filipino tradition of community.

Reference/s:

https://www.greenpeace.org.ph

https://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph

https://www.undp.org

[2024 National Children's Month Celebration]

"32nd National Children’s Month seeks to end all forms of violence against children"

(Break the Prevalence, End the Violence: Protecting Children, Creating a Safe Philippines)

Children are the future of our country, and they are the source of light, togetherness and hope. Their playful nature and innocence should be found in every nook and cranny of the Philippines. Nonetheless, such joy is often spoiled because of violence, societal problems and neglect which often renders children in pain and grief. As we celebrate this year’s National Children’s Month, we are all reminded of our responsibility as a whole society, to ensure its safety for all its future children.

In the Philippines, the situation is rather complicated wherein there are multiple factors that work against a child’s safety as well as their well-being. Poverty, political issues and economic strains all create circumstances where a number of children’s fundamentals are rendered ineffective. Parents, out of frustration or poverty, sell their own children into worlds of violence and exploitation. Moreover, children today lose their freedom of childhood because growing up has been so normalized.

In order to overcome these challenges, companies in as well as outside economics must be protected to ensure all children are safe. Violence and neglect are social problems that affect many families and their prevention requires community involvement, governmental measures and active work at the local levels of society.

(In celebration of the 32nd National Children’s Month (NCM) this November, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), an attached agency of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), announced that this year’s event is focused on advocating to end all forms of violence against children.)

Reference/s:

https://newsbeastph.com/2022/10/childrens-month-celebration-promotes-protection-rights-of-children/

https://www.dswd.gov.ph/32nd-national-childrens-month-seeks-to-end-all-forms-of-violence-against-children-cwc-exec/