As UN Women hails the bravery of women’s rights defenders, we pay tribute to some of those killed in the past year
Good evening everyone! For my extra credit blog post, I would like to talk about how our Filipino Student Association here at UCSC uses a “unity clap” to close our events. The Unity clap originated from the United Farm Workers Movement of the 60's which consisted of mostly Filipino/Filipina and Latino/Latina farm workers. Due to a language barrier (many were illiterate in English and only spoke their native tongue) and physical barriers of the cornstalks, they needed a common way of communicating with each other. At the end of each day, the farm workers would start a unity clap. They would start off slow like a heartbeat then increase in speed. The unity clap/common heartbeat symbolizes our solidarity with our allies in our similar struggles and experiences. In unison, we say "Isang Bagsak", which in Tagalog means "one down" or "one fall". We carry this meaning so that we and our allies know that we rise and fall together. Our campus barely instituted a Critical Race and Ethnic Studies class which is not enough to satisfy any needs for learning about one’s culture. Our association created a 2-credit class called Pilipino Historical Dialogue (PHD) which is taught by undergraduates as a mean to teach about Filipino history. One thing that resonated with me is the United Farm Workers movement. My father picked fruits in Hanford, California when he came to America. He worked all kinds of jobs over the course of his life such as driving small trucks, peeling potatoes (which is why he rarely eats French fries), and custodian work. Even after the bargaining agreements for better conditions, he said that the reason he still is dark skinned was from the sun that roasted him when he was still a teenager. I would like to pay my respects to the Filipino farmworkers as well as the Latino farmworkers since we did not get to watch the Delano Manongs. During the Cesar Chavez movie, it didn’t fully capture how powerful it was to unite the two farmworker groups. The leaders of the movement were Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz and they were powerful speakers and united the voices of Filipinos all around. The Delano strike was a turning point as it crippled many of the capitalist owners of the fields. Under the Feet of Jesus makes a good point that we are very disconnected with the labor that goes into picking the produce we eat. It’s a strange feeling knowing that my dad did a unity clap just as how I do after we finish our events here for FSA. Know history, know self. No history, no self.
As UN Women hails the bravery of women’s rights defenders, we pay tribute to some of those killed in the past year
12 Days of Action for the Philippines 29 November 2018 - 10 December 2018 Why the Philippines and Why Now? In the past two years the situation of human rights and democracy in the Philippines in general and women human rights defenders in particular
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A former revolutionary recalls the feats and follies of his involvement in the underground movement.
As UN Women hails the bravery of women’s rights defenders, we pay tribute to some of those killed in the past year
On this, the 103rd Anniversary of the U.S. Occupation Forces' execution of General MACARIO SAKAY, Freedom Fighter & President of the Tagalog Republic, here are some notes from Paul Flores about "the Barber who stopped cutting his hair" (Sakay's Freedom Fighters would often let their hair grow to signify how long they had been committed to the armed struggle against the invaders:) "Contrary to popular belief, Philippine resistance to American rule did not end with the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo in 1901. There were numerous resistance forces fighting for Philippine independence until the year 1910. One of these forces was led by Macario Sakay who established the Tagalog Republic. Born in 1870 in Tondo, Macario Sakay had a working-class background. He started out as an apprentice in a calesa manufacturing shop. He was also a tailor, a barber, and an actor in comedias and moro-moros. His participation in Tagalog dramas exposed him to the world of love, courage, and discipline. In 1894, Sakay joined the Dapitan, Manila branch of the Katipunan. Due to his exemplary work, he became head of the branch. His nightly activities as an actor in comedias camouflaged his involvement with the Katipunan. Sakay assisted in the operation of the Katipunan press. During the early days of the Katipunan, Sakay worked with Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto. He fought side by side with Bonifacio in the hills of Morong (now Rizal) Province. During the initial stages of the Filipino-American war, Sakay was jailed for his seditious activities. He had been caught forming several Katipunan chapters and preaching its ideals from town to town... GUERRILLA TACTICS In late 1904, Sakay and his men took military offensive against the enemy. They were successful in seizing ammunition and firearms in their raids in Cavite and Batangas. Disguised in Philippine Constabulary uniforms, they captured the U.S. military garrison in Parañaque and ran away with a large amount of revolvers, carbines, and ammunition. Sakay's men often employed these uniforms to confuse the enemy. Using guerrilla warfare, Sakay would look for a chance to use a large number of his men against a small band of the enemy. They usually attacked at night when most of the enemy was looking for relaxation. Sakay severely punished and often liquidated suspected collaborators. The Tagalog Republic enjoyed the support of the Filipino masses in the areas of Morong, Laguna, Batangas, and Cavite. Lower class people and those living in barrios contributed food, money, and other supplies to the movement. The people also helped Sakay's men evade military checkpoints. They collected information on the whereabouts of the American troops and passed them on. Muchachos working for the Americans stole ammunition and guns for the use of Sakay's men..." Sakays parting words: "Death comes to all of us sooner or later, so I will face the Lord Almighty calmly. But I want to tell you that we were not bandits and robbers, as the Americans have accused us, but members of the revolutionary force that defended our mother country, Filipinas! Farewell! Long live the republic and may our independence be born in the future! Farewell! Long live Filipinas!" ~ Last words of Katipunero, Revolutionary General & President of Katagulugan (The Tagalog Republic) MACARIO SAKAY, after he and fellow freedom fighter LUCIO DE VEGA were captured through the treachery of the U.S. invaders and their henchmen in the Philippines, accused of banditry by the U.S. puppet regime. SAKAY had his anting-anting (protective amulet, pictured here) taken by his captors. SAKAY and DE VEGA were executed on September 13th, 1907. This was over 5 years after the U.S. President (Teddy Roosevelt) had claimed that the Philippine-American War was over, and fighting continued in other areas until at least 1910. (cf- G.W. Bush's declaration of "Mission accomplished" in Iraq)
Art to live must go back to a bigger audience. For this it must have the power to communicate and not to repel. That is why I love to paint big murals, for like a composer I can create a symphony from the history of our country or our own way of life.
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