The Legacy of Gat Andres Bonifacio

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As we look back, we shall never forget the persons behind the colorful, painful, victor and tragic past that significantly molded the history of our land.  One of these men, the Ama ng Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio, is my great, great grandfather.  As we celebrate his birthday today,  my cousin Patricia Page Bonifacio pays tribute to our grandfather by writing an article about him.

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The Legacy of Andres Bonifacio
by Patty Bonifacio

The last day of the month of November marks one of the most important dates in the history of our Filipino heritage. In 1863 a little baby boy was born in a small hut among a cluster of humble residences in Azcarraga (now Claro M. Recto Avenue), Manila. Twenty nine years later that child would establish the Katipunan, the secret society that would unite the Filipinos against the colonial forces. That man, later recognized as the Father of the Philippine Revolution and the Great Plebeian, was destined to change the story of the Filipino people. One hundred and forty seven years ago, Gat Andres Bonifacio was born.

            A poor boy who was orphaned at the age of fourteen, Bonifacio had to stop schooling in order to support his five younger siblings. In spite of his lack of formal education, he taught himself to read and write in Spanish and Tagalog, and was actually so good at it that he later got a job as a clerk-messenger at Fleming and Company. He was also a wide reader, always seen with a book open in front of him even while having his lunch. Later on, his exposure to novels that tackled American politics and the French Revolution would spark a sense of patriotism in Bonifacio that would fuel one of the greatest episodes in our history.

            But behind the wielded bolo and fierce, fearless stance lies great suffering at the hands of his fellow Filipinos. Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were unjustly accused of betraying the country, and were sentenced to death. One would be shocked to find out that contrary to popular belief, Bonifacio was not shot. Eyewitness accounts tell of a more gruesome demise: he was hacked to death by bolos and bayonets of Katipuneros ordered by General Aguinaldo to carry out the death sentence. His remains were buried in an unmarked tomb. As the years passed the great Supremo’s story was forgotten, until his memory was diminished to a footnote in the history books of our time.

            Where does Bonifacio stand thus, in the age of DotA, nightclubs, and jejemons? Does the memory of the Supremo of the Katipunan thrive merely on a once-a-year non-working holiday, ten peso coins, or cold, looming monuments? Sadly, Bonifacio is but a faded memory in the lives of most young Filipinos today: a paltry name memorized at the age of seven, forgotten by the age of seventeen. Nowadays the day of his birth simply translates to a long weekend. Who is Bonifacio, then, to the Filipino youth?

            Bonifacio was not merely a revolutionary; he was a Filipino who put his life on the line for a cause he believed in. Bonifacio was not just a supreme chief of some secret society; he was a leader who was determined to bring his people together in the name of solidarity and freedom. Bonifacio serves not just as a champion for the sake of bravery and bravado: he is also an example of a just, hopeful, and humane hero amidst the desolate condition of his country. Dig a little deeper, and one will find that aside from the countless revolts and uprisings he led, his values and principles also constitute his legacy to the modern-day Filipino.

            The sacrifices, hardships, and death of Andres Bonifacio may be things of the past, but absolute recognition has not yet been granted to his name. Therefore, a humble plea for the Supremo: do not bury his name in the sands of time. Instead, remember his deeds and live by his example. Do not crush the dreams of the Great Plebeian: strive to live for the good of others, for the benefit of all, for the advancement of the Filipino people. Permit not the recurrence of his demise: do not slay the Father of the Katipunan by sentencing him to a death by lack of remembrance. Only then, only when we truly understand the significance of the last day of November, shall Bonifacio be justly honored.

with permission to grab from:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1698624272740&set=a.1698623912731.95270.1451890970#!/notes/patty-eliza-paolo-bonifacio/the-legacy-of-andres-bonifacio/173962959298846


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Package of Johnson's Baby Bedtime Soap

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Last September, Nuffnang gave me the opportunity to host a survey here in my humble blog that concerns mostly of baby's bedtime routine, activities and beliefs. It was actually a survey from Johnson's Baby Bedtime line. My survey needed one hundred respondents, and as a sign of gratitude, we are to receive tokens from Johnson's and Nuffnang. I got mine last week, yehey!!

 

Romulo Cafe experience, finally!

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Finally, we had the chance to experience the much talked-about restaurant in Quezon City.  Romulo Cafe's been buzzing for quite some time now, and I was itching, really itching, to land there.  A lot of reviews were written about how good--or should I say excellent?--the food is.  Prior to this which was few months back, upon knowing that the food served is Filipino cuisine, I gave my initial unfair judgement that went like:  yeah, yeah, another patriotic restaurant trying to make a statement. So, to be honest, I was really not looking forward to the food.  Initially, that is, and I am stressing that out.  What I was after for-- the ambiance.  The experience.  You see, I have been going in and out Google University's library, searching for images of Romulo Cafe, for I learned that the interior is interesting and unique.  True enough, the images Google gave me ignited my desire to visit the place.  I just had to be there to see and feel it myself.  Husband and I planned endlessly to have lunch or dinner there, to be declined several times because the place was always (really, always) full.  They asked us to make  reservation via phone but everytime, the response would be--maam, full na po kame sa dinner.  My lust for it dwindled.  Who would not?  Weekend after weekend, the same old reply with almost the same intonation was given to me:  the place is full. 

As our anniversary drew near, my husband gave me the task of choosing where to eat for dinner.  I learned that our special day would fall on a weekday and also, we will be tagging  our little man along. So that meant the restaurant had to be somewhere just near our place for the convenience of the three of us.  Aha! That was when my yearning for Romulo Cafe resurrected.  If it was always full on weekends, then maybe on a weekday it's....? Maam, full na po kami sa dinner Tuesday.  What?  Even on a weekday? Pero meron po kami maam sa labas nalang po.  Geez. But it did not stop me.  I blurted out: Okay then, please reserve me a table for three, outside.

November 16, Romulo Cafe.  Finally.

There was no parking space, so the streets were loaded with cars, courtesy of Romulo Cafe's diners.  It was perfectly safe, though.  Five to six manongs from different corners of the street that surround Romulo watched the cars intently.  As we stepped inside, the waiting area alone pushed my lips to say WOW.  A quite large sofa in solid black was in the middle of the al fresco dining area, which for me is something different.  I discreetly surveyed the place.  My vista led me from the al fresco dining area up to some point of the main dining place (on the first floor).  My eyes loved what I saw--clean, fresh and perfect combination of black and white interior. I just simply adored it.  Unfortunately , though I brought with me my camera, little man that time did not want to play with his daddy but wanted me to be his playmate instead.  The mother in me won over the picture taking so I just gathered pictures from Romulo Cafe's FB page so to give you an idea how lovely the black-white interior is.


 
    The waiting area, right in the middle of the al fresco dining area

 

 

 

Sadly, even if the place's diners are mostly of families, they do not have highchairs for the little creatures. I was a bit disappointed, but it did not qualify as one of my sentiments.  Personally, highchairs will look off for this place.  Anyways, we just brought with us the stroller, just in case Migo would not settle on an adult chair.  Kudos to the waiters, for upon knowing that we had with us our little man, they transferred us to a room upstairs, appropriate for the three of us (bigger space for the stroller and for the restless Migo).  Therefore, bye bye to al fresco dining... hello Kaligayahan Room!


 

 

 

 

  



 


The waiter handed us the menu, though I knew already what to order.  Best sellers are kare kare, flying tilapia and chicken relleno.  Since it would be just hubby and I plus a half-sized  man, we opted to just get kare-kare for meat viand and flying tilapia for fish viand.  I LOVE IT!!  The taste was heavenly!! The flying tilapia came with three kinds of sauces that were equally intriguing and delicious.  By the way, that tilapia was the biggest tilapia I have seen so far, and the flying effect made it look like a work of art.  The size could very well feed three to four heads. The kare kare which was a medley of meat, offal and vegetables, had the most generous sevings among the kare kare's I have tried in my lifetime. The sauce is a genuine.  By genuine, I meant no hocus pocus just to arrive to that delightful dish.  The dominant taste of peanut made this dish really authentic up to the last drop.  And can I just say that the bagoong alone can pose as a main dish?

 

 
Needless to say, I bowed my head in shame.  The food, despite being straight Filipino, tasted soooooo delish!  I was after the ambiance, but I paid more attention to the food as it arrived, and I forgot all about the interior that initially influenced me to visit the place.  I was glued to the food!  And as I observed, my husband and the little man enjoyed and appreciated the food, too.  Little man clapped every after a spoonful of rice and kare kare sauce, which meant that the taste passed his discriminating and picky taste buds.  Overall, the food AND the place--- SUPERB!!

Can I just also share this? My husband compared it to Abe's.   But with an interior, ambiance and--beat this-- affordable price to boot, plus servers that are so accommodating, friendly and neat-looking in their handsome and crisp black uniform, we will definitely be Team Romulo. Though there's no competition going on ;)

Romulo Cafe is located at 32 Scout Tuazon corner Dr. Lazcano, Tomas Morato Quezon City.  Please make a reservation days prior.  332-72-75 is the number to dial.


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Happy November 16, honey!!

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November 16 has always been so special to me and my husband simply because---it's our anniversary!!  Today, we are celebrating our seventeenth year of being committed to each other, and our fifth year as a wedded couple.  This year, as my pasabog, I made a special video composed of our wedding photos which had stories to tell behind it.   It took me just three days to finish this thing.  I did it last month, October 13 to be exact and finished on October 16--a month before the big day.  I wanted to surprise him by posting it on my FB account on the day of our anniversary, and of course, tagging him.  But for whatever reason, on the night of October 16 and exactly one month before the big day, he opened the laptop I was using (the laptop that he never touched for months and I almost own) and found my secret.  Needless to say, he found my hardwork, watched it up to the credits, went to bed (I was already sleeping by that time), shook me a little (to wake me up), and gave the most nakakainis smile.  My eyes were half-open and it almost popped out when I saw the beaming laptop.  All he said was:  Thank you, hon.  I love you, too.