20
filipino globe
forum
June 2008
TINGINNAMIN

Unang kasaysayan ng
paglikas ng Pilipino
I
sang pasintabi ang pagsulat
ng kolum na ito sa
ITAASMO
iginagalang na pangunahing kabayan
manunulat at historyador ng
Pilipinas, Carmen Guerrero-
Nakpil.
Nalathala ang kanyang sinulat
na may pamagat na The First
OFW sa
Teo
The Philippine Star
kamakailan. Kalalabas lamang
Antonio
ng kanyang unang dalawang
aklat na “autobiographical
ng Africa patungong Lisbon.
trilogy” na Myself, Elsewhere at
Pagkalipas ng 10 taon, si Enrique
Legends & Adventures.
ay pangunahing alipin, isang
Kasalukuyan siyang tagapangulo
‘arquebus carrier’ at mahalagang
ng Manila Historical Heritage
alalay. Maaaring kasama siya ni
Commission.
Magellan sa pakikidigma laban
Pansinin ang makabuluhang
sa mga rebeldeng Moro sa North
paglalarawan niya kay Enrique:
Africa, nang mapilay ang tuhod
”Bandang 1508, una nating
nang bumagsak ang kanyang
makikita ang ating bayani,
kabayo sa digmaan, sa mga taong
kabataang Malayo mula sa
minamaniobra ni Magellan ang
arkipelago na kalaunan ay
landas tungo sa korte ng pulitika sa
tatawaging Filipinas, nakasuot
“byzantine Renaissance” sa Lisbon
ng maikling sarong na di matiyak
at Madrid, si Enrique ay natuto ng
ang kulay, nakabilad sa init ng
mga wikang Portuges, Kastila at
araw sa magaspang na tablang
Pranses.”
entablado sa palengke ng mga
Sa paglalarawang ito sa
alipin sa Mollucas (Malaysia). Ang
pagtatagpo ng panginoon at alipin
kanyang katayuan bilang alipin
ay lalong magkakakulay ang
ay patunay na iniwan niya ang
pagkatao ni Enrique bilang alipin at
lupang tinubuan laban sa kanyang
tagapagsalin ng wika ng panginoon
kagustuhan mula sa dalampasigan
at katutubo sa pagkakadiskubre ng
ng Silangang Bisaya na ang mga
ating bansang Pilipinas.
piratang Muslim ay sumalakay
“Labis ang kagalakan na
We’re getting bits and pieces, as usual
para sa kanilang imbentaryo
Si Enrique ang simbolo ng ating
D
o the math. If the government as the workers to make their case for a two-year contract, the
approved a $100 increase in with the government. government cut wages of FDHs
paglikas at sa pagbabalik ay lubos
the minimum wage, foreign None of this, however, will matter by $400, which is exactly what the
na natatagpuan ang tunay na
domestic helpers would still be off much in the final analysis because employers pay the government each
the pre-Sars mark ($3,670). the government has its own way of month. Since then, FDHs have been
kariktan ng ating lahi at bansa
Assuming a best-case scenario of a dealing with the wage issue. It treats getting bits and pieces – $50 here,
$200 raise, which is highly unlikely, the matter as a zero-sum game. $80 there and so on – that add up to
they would be better off than they This means that one side’s gain very little because inflation has eaten
ng kalakal ng pagkalap ng mga
makakauwi siya sa kanyang
were five years ago by just $10. is exactly the other’s loss, and vice up most of these.
alipin.”
tinubuang lupa. Si Enrique ay
The figures are telling because versa. It can be argued, of course, that
Makulay din ang paglalarawan
binigyan ng tulugan sa barko o
either side of the wage issue That’s how it was applied in the employers bear the burden of rising
ni Chitang Nakpil sa pagtatagpo
Flagship Trinidad. Ang limang
– employers and workers – claims levy five years ago, and that’s what prices, not the helpers.
ng alipin at panginoon: “Nang
barko ay umalis mula San Lucar
to have their numbers right. The applies right now. But in a zero-sum game, no one
araw na iyon sa Mollucas, naakit
de Barrameda sa Espanya, nang
employers trot them out as forcefully In levying the employers $9,600 wins.
ng pagngiti ang bihasa-sa-unos na
Setyembre 1519, kasama ang mga
magdaragat [seaman] at lagalag
opisyal at 260 tauhan sa barko na
SULATLETTERS
[explorer], na nakatayo sa maingay
mga Kastila, Portuges, Pranses,
na palengke ng bentahan ng mga
taga-Britanya at taga-Hilagang
alipin, ng mga namimili ng alipin.
Those were difficult years.
Afrikano.Ang ekspedisyon ay
Ka Bel’s legacy
Isa siyang Portuges, aristokrata si
The pressure to oust Marcos
dumanas ng maraming paghihirap
Fernao Magalhaes (lalong kilala na
intensified during the Aquino
at matinding sakuna. Mula Espanya
lives on in us
Ferdinand Magellan).
assassination.
ay naglakbay ang barko patungong
“Sumang-ayon siya sa nakita
We were so busy setting up the
Timog sa Cape Verde, tumawid sa
Ka Bel lived a full life serving the
sa nadakip na Malayo: nakataas
Nationalist Alliance for Justice,
Atlantiko at naglayag sa paligid
people. I had fond memories of
ang ulo na may mahaba, makapal
Freedom and Democracy it
ng dalampasigan. Inutusan si
him. Unlike most labor leaders,
never dawned on me how Ka Bel
na itim na buhok; malapad ang
Enrique na makipagtalastasan
he spoke not in the fiery form as
coped with the financial burden
balikat, makintab at di nasisindak
sa mga kayumangging tao sa
most labor leaders do. He spoke
His love for his family, of supporting such a large brood.
na pangangatawan, malusog na
dalampasigan.”
in a soft, modulated voice full of
especially Ka Osang, is shown He never talks about the
kalamnan, malakas at matatag na
Sa matalas na panulat lamang
conviction and logic.
not only by his having fathered personal pressure he was
binti.
ng historyador na tulad ni Carmen
He earned my respect the
11 children, but also how he had facing. He was steadfast, always
“Pasulong na humakbang ang
Guerrero-Nakpil, matatagpuan
first time I met him in the early
had his family’s full support to his available and was focused on
namimili at binili ang kabataang
ang malinaw na pagsala ng ating
1980s.
cause. the issue.
Malayo ng ilang salaping ginto.
kasaysayan at makabagong
Though it has been his wish
I remember Ka Osang and his Ka Bel’s departure leaves not
Natapos ang transaksyon sa
pagsipat sa nagbabagong
to die fighting for the cause, Ka
daughter Ofel pitching in during only a vacuum in the people’s pagbibinyag ng kasamang
kasaysayan ng mga Pilipinong
Bel died struggling for a cause
gatherings and rallies when he movement for justice and prayle sa paglalakbay ng
not many people recognize
pumapalaot sa walang hanggang
was not around or during the few equality but also in our hearts. Kristiyanong pangalan na nang
as something primary in his
pagtuklas ng kaunlaran.
times that he was incarcerated. Ka Bel, the best way to honor panahong iyon ay kilalang Santo
agenda.
He was a tireless worker, you is by carrying your legacy of
Si Enrique ang simbolo ng
‘Enrique’ at iniuwi sa bahay ng
He died using whatever time
diligently attending meetings service to the people.
paglikas ng ating mga kababayan
kanyang panginoon sa Portugal.
he had to show his love for his
during the anti-Marcos years Mabuhay ka!
at sa pagbabalik ay lubos nilang
Naglakbay sila sa Indian Ocean,
family by fixing a leaking roof not
while going about his union Daphne Ceniza-Kuok
natatagpuan ang tunay na kariktan
patungong kanluran sa baybayin
many men his age would do.
duties and tending a large brood. Hong Kong
ng sariling lahi at bansa.
PUBLISHER Reggie Amigo ExECUTIVE EDITOR Rex Aguado PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Philip Evardone ADVISERS Therese Necio-Ortega, Prof Dr Maurice Teo
CORRESPONDENTS Eddie Alinea (Manila), Celeste Terrenal (Manila), Terrie Fucanan (Manila), Chito Manuel (Jeddah). Rick Sumallo (New Jersey), Loi Liwanag (Los Angeles)
ACCOUNT ExECUTIVES Bernie Domantay, AccessPoint (Philippines) Josephine Miranda (Philippines), TJ Badon-Doble (Philippines), Bob Waterfield (Hong Kong)
EDITORIAL BOARD Reggie Amigo, Rex Aguado, Philip Evardone, Prof Dr Maurice Teo CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Beting Laygo Dolor, Teo Antonio, Chito Manuel, Danny Vibas, Dante Vino
Filipino Globe is published once a month by Apex Services (HK) Ltd, Suite 1905, Lippo Centre Tower 2, Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong, telephone (852) 2918 8248, email info@filglobe.com. No part of this publication
may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers. Printed by Premier Printing Group, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong
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