BOOK REVIEW
In Memory of Those Erased from Memory
Review of Sala sa
Saysay, an anthology of poems by Richard R. Gappi, published by the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
Award-winning poet
Richard Gappi’s first book of poems, Sala sa Saysay (Fault in the
Narrative), is a slim volume – all of 41 pages – that speaks volumes about
a forgotten part of the country’s past. What the Constantino couple did
historiographically, Gappi does poetically in this slim anthology.
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN
REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
Award-winning poet Richard Gappi’s
first book of poems, Sala sa Saysay (Fault in the Narrative), is a
slim volume – all of 41 pages – that speaks volumes about a forgotten part
of the country’s past.
In his books The Philippines: A
Past Revisited and The Philippines: The Continuing Past, the
late historian Renato Constantino – with his wife Letizia as co-author in
the second book – wrote a history of the Philippines highlighting the
fights and feats of those who are rarely mentioned in the official
histories – and are more often than not demonized if they are ever
mentioned. They are the heroes of the Philippine-American War (1899-1907),
a war that claimed the lives of 1.5 million Filipinos.
Sometime in late 1897, the U.S. – then
at war with Spain - had contacted Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, then in
self-exile in Hong Kong after agreeing to a continuation of Spanish
sovereignty in the Philippines by signing the Pact of Biak Na Bato, and
offered him help in fighting the Spanish occupation forces and securing
independence for the Philippines. Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines
and called on all Filipino resistance forces to continue with the
struggle, even as it was only the small clique he led that stopped
fighting the Spanish forces.
The U.S. forces played only a small
part in the fight against Spain, and by the time independence was declared
(June 12, 1898), they controlled only Manila and Cavite – meaning that the
Filipino resistance fighters had wrested control of all other Philippine
areas by themselves. The independence Aguinaldo declared was one that had
the Philippines under the “protection” of the U.S. – a fatal mistake as
the protector would soon become a conqueror.
This part of our history is told
poetically in Sala sa Saysay. What the Constantino couple did
historiographically, Gappi does poetically in this slim anthology.
Gappi ensures that no one misses the
point in his “Prologo” (Prologue), a sonnet which ends with the couplet: “Hayaang
tula ko’y titis ng pulbura/Sa ngala’t gunitang di dapat mabura” (Let
my poems be sparks of gunpowder/For every name we ought to remember).
In many of the other poems in this
collection, Gappi brings back to life selected personalities distinguished
for their exploits or plight as fighters in the Philippine-American War.
In “Dung-aw sa Aking Pagbitay”
(Dirge for My Execution), Gappi is Sancho Valenzuela, the first man to be
executed by the Spaniards for participation in the 1896 Revolution. In “Parapamatbat”
(The One Who Leads the Prayer), he is Casiana Nacionales who with rosary
beads held up called on the people of Balangiga, Samar to attack the
American occupation forces. In “Dila ng Umaga” (Tongue of the
Morning) he is Vicente Candillosas, the boy who by ringing the bells of
the Balangiga Church gave the signal for the attack.
In “Walang
Katapusan ang Hibik ng Filipinas” (There is No End to the
Struggle of the Philippines), the poet becomes Macario Sakay, who is
described as “the most maligned resistance leader in the history of
Philippine libertarian movements.”
Sakay, who led in continuing the
resistance against U.S. imperialism after the capture and eventual
cooptation of Aguinaldo, is seldom mentioned in official histories and
when he is mentioned, he is usually described as a “bandit” – in
furtherance of the American colonial line. He was arrested in 1907 after
being invited to talk peace with the American colonial regime, and
sentenced that same year to death by hanging.
In a few poems Gappi presents how the
U.S. colonial regime gave justification to the occupation of the
Philippines: there are pieces referring to U.S. President William
McKinley’s doctrine of “Manifest Destiny” soldiers “simply following
orders.”
In “Hagulgol ng Gubat” (Sobs of
the Forest), Gappi gives a chilling description of what became of
Balangiga after Gen. Jacob Smith gave orders to “kill and burn” in
retaliation for the attack on the U.S. forces:
Ngayon ay labinsiyam at isa.
At dito sa aking tahanan, langit man
ay naliligalig, ayaw tumahan.
Nasasaid ang aking lakas
upang bigyan pa ito ng ibang pangalan.
Maliban sa impiyerno, impiyernong katahimikan
ang nakaratay sa lupa.
Sa maraming taon,
nakaukit sa kanyang mga puno at bundok
ang kanyang pangalan.
Ito ang Samar!
Sa maraming taon,
ibinulong ng hangin at dalampasigan
ang kanyang pangalan.
Ito ang Samar!
Ito ang Samar!
Ngayon ay labinsiyam at isa.
At dito sa aking tahanan,
ang nakahimlay na kapayapaan
ay nakaukit sa lapida ng mga namatay.
(It is nineteen-one.
And here in my home, even the heavens
would not be calmed, would not cease weeping.
My strength is spent
when I try to give this a different name.
Aside from hell, there is an infernal peace
sprawled on the soil.
For so many years,
its name has been etched
on the trees and the hills.
This is Samar!
For so many years,
the shore and the heavens
whispered its name.
This is Samar!
This is Samar!
It is nineteen-one.
And here in my home,
at rest is a peace
that is etched on the gravestones of those who perished.)
Gappi ends the collection with “Panata
ng Makabayan” (Patriot’s Pledge), which he describes as a parody of
the “Panatang Makabayan” (Patriotic Pledge) which students are told
to recite in the flag ceremonies. In the poem he speaks of conquerors
coddling the few wealthy ones in society – in the present tense, to tell
us that the reasons for the Philippine-American War are still with us. The
poem’s persona – who can easily be made out as a youth – pledges to stand
by the workers and peasants in their fight until the country is led by
true Filipinos.
Gappi, born and based in Angono, Rizal,
is a Philippine Studies graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP)
and former editor of the Philippine Collegian. He was the
editor-in-chief of the defunct Manila East Watch, and is presently
president of the Neo-Angono artists’ collective.
Bulatlat
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