Ilocanos honor hero of two wars

By Freddie G. Lazaro

BATAC CITY, Ilocos Norte — The heroic deeds and memoirs of the late General Artemio Ricarte were recalled during the celebration of his 147th birth anniversary here Monday.

The significant event for Ilocanos, which has been instituted by the Philippine Vetarans Affairs Office, was attended by hundreds of veterans and their dependents, students, teachers and local officials.

It was highlighted by a Holy Mass, wreath-laying ceremony, a medical mission, and the awarding of surviving war veterans aged 95 and above.

Batac City Councilor Florencio P. Laud, who was the guest of honor and speaker at the celebration, described Ricarte as a model to teachers and an inspiration to the military forces in the country.

Gen. Artemio “Vibora” Garcia Ricarte, who was a teacher, soldier and patriot, was born in Batac on Oct. 20, 1866 to Esteban Ricarte Faustino and Bonifacia Garcia y Rigonan.

Laud narrated that while Ricarte was working as a teacher, he met Mariano Álvarez, another school teacher and a surviving revolutionist  of the 1872 Cavite mutiny.

“Ricarte then joined the ranks of the Katipunan under the Magdiwang Council, where he held the rank of Lieutenant General and he adopted the nom-de-guerre ‘Víbora’ which means ‘viper’ or cobra.

After the start of the Philippine Revolution on August 31, 1896, Ricarte led the revolutionists in attacking the Spanish garrison in San Francisco de Malabon.

He crushed the Spanish troops and took the civil guards as prisoner,” narrated Laud.

He also fought in various battles in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas.

Aguinaldo designated him to remain in Biak-na-Bato, San Miguel, Bulacan.

Ricarte settled down in Japan, where he taught the Spanish language at the Shogio Kugio Gakko in Kanagawa and Kaigai Shokumin Gakko School in Tokyo. He lived a very quiet life there until the outbreak of World War II in 1941.

He returned to the Philippines with the Japanese Army to help in the pacification campaign with the promise of Prime Minister Tojo to grant Philippine Independence after a year, which was held on June 12, 1943.

Towards the end of the war, he refused to leave the country.

He died on July 31, 1945 of dysentery in Barrio Nagparaon, Kalinga at 78.