This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 47, January 8-14, 2006
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 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 © 2006 Bulatlat
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