LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

Celebrating independence
March Fianza

Baguio folks used to look forward to long and colorful Independence Day parades. These were usually capped by an exhibition by Philippine Military cadets. The parades and exhibitions enticed everyone, including kids from neighboring communities who aroused their parents early if only to grab the best spot at the Melvin Jones football field.

Parades in old Baguio were a community undertaking. These involved officials, the police in their blue uniform, girl and boy scouts, teachers, athletes in colorful school uniforms, bankers, bands from PMA, Camp Holmes and the colleges, Chambers of Commerce, the Chinese community and their dancing dragon and more. At least, it united people from Baguio and Benguet once in a year. That was how independence days were celebrated in the past.

It was in the early 70s when as a youthful Boy Scout, I joined one of the last parades celebrating the anniversary of Philippine Independence. Perhaps that must have been the last time Baguio experienced a well-organized parade. We hardly noticed how the parades died. They must have been overtaken by events after the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. Ironically, it was in that period when the country longed for freedom that an activity such as an Independence Day parade met its natural death.

Today, we do not care about parades or uniting in Independence Day. Any president can even readjust its date, and then simply celebrate the day by laying a wreath on statues. What we tend to sustain are parades that bring in money. Just like flower festival parades. It’s all about money now. Forget about Independence Day celebrations. A president can declare one – anytime he or she wants it, in anyway he or she wants it.

The better celebration was that of the anniversary of the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day in Baguio last June 09. I saw independence in its character as Peter Ng of Supreme Hotel boldly told the audience of their sincere commitment to celebrate anniversaries for the sake of cooperation and unity.

Just like anyone, the Filipino and Chinese audiences were electrified by the traditional dances performed by students of the Baguio Patriotic High School . The first traditional dance, “Jasmine,” was presented by the students garbed in their luminous light-green flowing dresses, interrupted by wide-rimmed pink bamboo fans.

The second presentation called “Xin Jian” was performed by elementary pupils in long bright yellow dresses with vests and red linen caps. Dr. Charles Cheng of the Baguio Chinese Hospital described the third presentation as a traditional dance depicting the brave Chinese and Mongolian horsemen. The student performers wore cowboy hats on electric-yellow dresses with red straps.

Watching the young performers while we partook of the food reminded me of my youth when I also did perform traditional Filipino dances in elementary school. Who still feels the pain from getting stuck in the foot by doing the tinikling? I even remember performing a Muslim dance in Grade Four. Those are the things we miss.

We are drifting farther away from becoming truly independent as children today are adapted to performing their version of the commercial dances “otso-otso” and “ispageting pababa – ispageting pataas” that were popularized by noontime comedians.

P.E. or Music and Arts teachers, who were then given additional assignments as dance choreographers minus the proper salary, were the children’s heroes. Now, elementary school children “adore” the TV personalities since they learn from them the “neo-dances.”
School teachers were once upon a time called the “unsung heroes” as they shape up the future of their wards. Today “they don’t teach them like they used to” and traditional Filipino dances are no longer taught in the classroom. There go our heroes. There goes independence.