Twenty-four years ago yesterday, four gunshots were heard. Then, shouts and commotion followed. Amid the chaos, two persons lie dead at the tarmac of Manila International Airport. One was Rolando Galman, the other, a bullet pierced through his skull, was Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, the man who said,”The Filipino is worth dying for.“
source:http://www.youtube.com/user/AquinoFdn
IF ONLY, we understood well and took these words of Ninoy, “The Filipino is worth dying for.“, into our hearts and minds, perhaps, our country would have been the greatest nation on earth. No Filipino would ever equate his or her worth to pieces or bundles of these.
Tags: ninoy aquino, pinoy, Filipino, Philippines, August 21
I wonder if a lot of things would be different if he was still alive. But definitely the Philippines deserves a better place under the sun.
myepinoy says, It could be. truly, the Philippines deserves the best.
I admire and thank you for being “more Filipino” than some quarters of our society.
Ninoy was the sacrificial lamb whose death removed the tyrant Marcos from a potential life long regime of despotic dictatorship. Sad to say Ninoy’s death wasn’t enough to bail out his country for good. I wonder if any more deaths are necessary to sensitize the people to wake up and do something. Marcos, the Americans have left – there’s no one more to blame
myepinoy says, I agree.
I miss Ninoy. How I wish that I could hear him speak and be amazed of his smartness and eloquence. But I think one doesn’t have to die to be called a hero or to really say that we did something good for the country. In fact, it doesn’t mean herculean efforts at all. Just being a good citizen like paying our taxes, following traffic signs, et al, can make a whole lot of difference. Don’t you think?
myepinoy says, without being mayabang, I am a hero and I am still alive and it is true. LOL.
Doing what is right as a true Filipino really makes a whole lot of difference. Can we consider this as Patriotism?
thanks for visiting my blog.
as for linking me up – it would be a pleasure.
i’ll link you up also? if its ok?!?
thanks.
myepinoy says, no problem.
When it happened I was so young like maybe 6 or 7 years old and everyone in the house was talking about it. I wondered how popular the name Aquino at that instant and years after, as I have grown older, I realized so fully how important Ninoy was and now, I believe it is one incident that had brought so many changes in our society, a landmark day, a momentous occurence. This way, Ninoy is so much a national hero that he is now.
myepinoy says, I just do not know if our young people really know what “Ninoy Aquino” is all about.
I agree with BW.
Ninoy’s death on August 21, 1983 raised an awareness among the Filipinos. He was indeed the sacrificial lamb.
The good thing I see as a result of this was the rise of press freedom which the Philippines didn’t have during the Marcos era. Because of press freedom, the government’s corrupt ways are exposed.
However, Filipinos have such a short memory. They don’t learn from history. Always repeating the same mistakes by voting the wrong people (e.g. Erap). (But I’m not sure what happened in the most recent local elections.)
The Philippines truly deserves the best and nothing less.
myepinoy says, Filipinos should really learn not to make the same mistakes over and over again. Could it be that because of short memory, we do not learn anything from history?
“the filipino is worth dying for”, what does it mean?
myepinoy says, if you are a true Filipino, you know exactly what it means. If you are a Pinoy politician, I am sure you know when to use these words.
Forgive me if I can not explain what these words mean.
indeed Ninoy is the sacrificial lamb. he was the best opponent. so he has to be eradicated by the Marcoses. but just the other day, there was this documentary about the soldiers who were implicated and who were in the prison for years now. only one of them was so brave enough to relate what happened the time Ninoy got killed. he told the interviewer that he was told who the master mind was. i am not sure if my ears picked it right (that part was not repeatedly aired) but i heard ‘tao daw sila ni Danding’. wonder how true that allegation was.
myepinoy says, that is the problem with dictatorship. they can do almost everything and the first in their order of battle are the people or group of people who they perceive as threat to their power.
But you know bilib ako sa kanila kasi till now, la pa rin bumibigay. Parang all for one, one for all. In sickness and in health, till death do us part, bilibid or not.
I also think of it a lot … how we would have fared if Ninoy Aquino didn’t die and became president. Minsan, the could have beens, might have beens can be romanticized.
But don’t get me wrong. Ninoy is my hero and I wore yellow and was thrown confetti and was at Edsa in 1983, practising with a group what to do when tanks come and was even disappointed they didn’t — at least not on the part of EDSA where we were. .
myepinoy says, I’d say we won’t know.
I probably had that “kapit-bisig” with you at Ortigas Avenue together with the nuns and the elitista with their maids in white uniforms, the guys in the frontline were the disabled riding their wheels (wheelchair. bakit nga ba ito ang tawag dito?).
Yes, I’d say it’s patriotism. Any form of PURE (with emphasis on the word) love for one’s country is patriotic enough.
myepinoy says, I agree.
They gave women flowers to give to the soldiers .. but they didn’t come. Ang sarap sanang magtapang-tapangan.
I wish I remembered to post my memories of EDSA 1 last sept. 21. But teka, People Power’s real anniversary is February, right?
myepinoy says, Sept 21 is the declaration of Martial law by Makoy, August 21 is the death of Ninoy and Feb 23-26 is the EDSA 1. I have my post on this Memories of Edsa.
BTW, i just remembered, the lady I was with at that time, I learned, Dr. or Prof IBAY. forgot the first name.
And just got married on jan86 and my wife was pregnant at that time (feb86). If the tanks rolled, kami ang first casualties; my wife, my unborn kid, me and the rest of us who were in the second line.
That time, was one of “the most courageous moment of my life” na willing ako to die for the country, sa mga organized rallies, balewala kasi meron strategies at pwede ka tumakbo, pero doon, spontaneous and no way na. ha ha ha.
I really wonder what the Philippines would have been like today if the United States would have kept the Philippines and granted statehood to the three main islands. Three more states and all the benefits of being in the Union of states. How would he Philippines look today, how would Asia perceive the Philippines. Would the corruption within the government still be there or would there be a history of accountability.
I know many will look to the US Bases that were in the Philippines and say,,not if that is a representation of the US, which in many ways it is and many ways it is not.
I pray that the leaders in the Philippines make the correct decisions for those they represent and that the Philippines becomes a nation greater then it is now.
oi maayos naman tagalog puro kayo english mga pinoy tayo alam nyo ba yun maaarte kayong lahat bwisit
mga imba kayong lahat mga tanga bobo inutil shut up hindi na me magrereply
bwisit kayo mga gamban griffon gamban
as they said, “FILIPINOS ARE WORTH DYING FOR” . many lives sacrifice in this country, since Spanish colonial time. our heroes fight for our freedom and they sacrifice their lives in order for us to have freedom and good companionship with each other. but look, our government now doesn’t mind how these people sacrificed. they are now proclaiming CHA-CHA! CHA-CHA is a long term of the pres., arroyo will benefit more of this and not us! if only our heroes are here, they will be disappointed on what government we had. charter change is not the way to solve our problems. infact, our government made these problems. because of their “PANGUNGURAKOT”!
ahm, sensya na po, nd q alam english ng pngu2rakot e.
corrupting po pla ung eng. nun .
@abigail,
rightly so, our government made these problems because of their pangungurakot.
Maraming salamat sa yo.
i now reside in a foreign country but i cannot help myself but to say that i am really proud to be a filipino. i will come back one day and there is really where i should be. i was born during the height of troubles in 1986 and i now truly appreciate the cause that ninoy died for. i watched his speech in los angeles and i was amazed by his eloquence and his love for freedom and for the people. i just really wish that more politicians like him will provide a way for the philippines to progress and that the people will follow that way instead of being impatient and revolting against the government. God bless the Philippines.
We all know the root cause of all the problems, now the question is what are we to do about this. HINDI BA DAPAT MAGSIMULA TAYO SA SARILI NATIN??? hindi lang ung magsuot tayo ng AKO MISMO na tags, kung hindi TAYO MISMO ang magsimula ng pagbabago.
me says, Tama ka Kit. Tayo dapat ang magsimula ng pagbabago.
i would like to join your topic, for me, i can notice that, as what you have said, the Filipinos who have done and contributed much on our independence today are not really given emphasis. thus, many Filipinos today are not knowledgeable of these people like Ninoy, some may have been in EDSA or the people power but there are some who just go on with their lives not knowing that these people are the reason why we are living free, kulang ng utang na loob, sana mabigyan sila ng emphasis para makilala sila ng hustong-husto at ang iba ay makokonsensya sa mga ginagawa nila, katulad nalang ng pangungurakot, sana makonsensya tayo na magsimula sa mga maliliit na bagay na ating magawa para maiahon ang bansa. sana ay hindi maaalis sa ating history ang mga ginawa nila dahil sa napapansin ko ngayon unti-unting nawawalang bisa ang mga buhay na ibunuwis ng ating mga munting bayani. i hope that they, especially the politicians, wont waste the things our heroes have done for our country and i hope that they would not just think about money but THE KAPAKANAN OF OUR FELLOW FILIPINOS.
@Maly,
Thank you very much for your comment.
I hope that there are still many out there like you who have a clear mind and still love our country.
Mabuhay ka.
Salamat muli.
I was born on September 1983. I saw fragments of Ninoy’s speech in t.v. and I’m so moved by his eloquence, wit and true love for our country. I cannot help not to compare him nowadays to our current politicians. I wish they learn something from his example. Senator Ninoy, although 26 years has passed your bravery and love for our country will never be forgotten- thank you for the freedom.
@Eugene009
Thanks to you too.
You belong to the “HOPE’ of this nation and I hope you have been doing your part everyday.
Thanks to Tita Cory too. She helps us remember Ninoy in a meaningful way and in doing so, we re-discover ourselves and the true spirit of being Pinoy.
what does worth dying for mens?
wHat does worth dying for mEans?
im rEally qURyus Bout that..
Hope yoU know!
@bOnde/michaela:
I believe you are the one who can answer that for yourself.
are you worth dying for? whether your answer is a yes or a no to this question, i know very well that you know what it means.
i like the discourse here. someone used to be very close to me once commented, “walang bagay na hindi nadadaan sa mabuting usapan.”
http://roleplayingguru.wordpress.com/index/
magandang umaga gabi o tanghali. eto po talaga ang takdang aralin ko. gusto ko puing malaman ang tungkol kay ninot aquino. grade 5 pa po ako pwede ko po bang malaman ang ibigsabin ng filipinos are worth dying for. is that the answer is “Filipinos are worth dying for because kung sa tagalog pa po eh. ang pagkamatay nating mga filipino ay may halaga”. ok na po ba yun? maroon pa po akong problema eh ano po ba english nun??? when the filipinos die it is very important because we are filipino. sana pwede na yun! bilib talaga ako dahil naging filipino ako. ang paburito ko pan naman kulay ay yellow o dilaw…
ay nako sorry po na wrong po spelling ko ninoy po yun. sorry po ulit…
lucien,
and ibig sabihin sa simpleng pananalita ay: ikaw, ako, bawat isa sa ating mga Pinoy ay mahalaga at pwedeng alayan ng buhay. Ito ang pananaw ni ni Ninoy at masasabing inialay nya ang kanyang buhay para sa bawat isang Pinoy dahil kahit alam nya na sa pagbalik nya sa Pilipinas mula sa Amerika ay posibleng sya ay ikulong muli ni Marcos o ipapatay pagbaba sa eroplano hindi sya natakot. at sya nga ay napatay sa Airport.
At dito nagsimula ang pagnanais ng karamihan sa pagbabalik ng kalayaan at demokrasya sa Pilipinas. Nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob ang karamihan (na sa katagalan ng panunupil ng diktaduryang Marcos ay nasanay ng manahimik na lang kahit inaabuso), hindi na natatakot magpahayag ng kanilang pagkagalit laban sa rehimen ng diktador na si Marcos.
Sunod sunod na ang mga panyayari simula dito at hanggang sa mapatalsik si Marcos sa kanyang pwesto at mapataob ang gobyerno ang kanyang diktaduryang gobyerno.
Sana meron ako naitulong sa yo kahit ang pananaw ko dito ay di kasing galing noong mga eksperto sa history or literature.
Maraming salamat sa paglagay mo ng iyong komento dito.