REMEMBRANCE. Bulacan province commemorates the Malolos Congress inside the patio of Barasoain Church in the City of Malolos on Friday (Sept. 15, 2023), starting with the laying of flowers at the monument of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines. The Congress also ratified on Sept. 29, 1898 the proclamation of the Philippine independence held in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898. (PNA photo by Manny Balbin)
CITY OF MALOLOS – Bulacan province commemorated on Friday the 125th anniversary of the inauguration of the Malolos Congress at the grounds of the historical Barasoain Church in this city.
On Sept. 15, 1898, the Malolos Congress was convened here as the country’s first legislature tasked to draft the country’s first constitution.
Anchored on the theme “Kongreso ng Malolos Saligan sa Pagsulong ng Nagbabagong Panahon,” the celebration started with a flag-raising ceremony followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the president of the First Philippine Republic.
The activities were led by Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Loren Legarda as guest of honor and speaker, Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro, Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad, Bishop of Malolos Dennis Cabanada Villarojo and Dr. Emmanuel Calairo, chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
In her message, Legarda said the contributors of the Malolos Congress remain the voice of the people in the current and changing times.
She said the Congress of Malolos' sessions from Sept. 15, 1898 to Jan. 21, 1899 have remained the model and basis for the drafting and adoption of current congressional laws.
"It is reasonable that if the delegates of the Malolos Congress heard the voice of the Filipinos then, the current generation of citizens should also continue to make their voice heard through active solidarity with the congress today," Legarda said.
Calairo said based on the historical data of the NHCP, in October 1898, the Congress of Malolos approved the first floating domestic loan worth PHP20 million payable within 40 years. It funded the operation of the First Republic.
The Congress of Malolos ratified on Sept. 29, 1898 the Act of the Declaration of Independence proclaimed in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898. It included the granting of basic rights to Filipinos such as being able to study, voting or being voted, owning properties, expressing opinion, choosing religion and other civil rights.
Castro said the strength of the Republic is in the hands of the current generation of Filipinos. If this can be used in the right way such as studying hard for the students, what was fought for to make education a right would be repaid.
Meanwhile, Natividad said the dedication of leaders to their sworn duty is crucial and the voice of the people who gave them the power to govern must be heard.
"The constitution adopted by the Congress of Malolos is the most important document of being a Republic of the Philippines," he said.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate will continue the principle of independence and urged his colleagues to keep the spirit of the first legislature of the Philippine government alive.
“Here in the Senate, we will continue to uphold the principles of independence and sovereignty that have been the foundation of the Malolos Congress,” Zubiri said in a statement.
He took pride that the secretary of the Malolos Congress, Pablo Ocampo Sr., was his grandmother's grandfather.
“And I am very proud to carry on his legacy as a public servant,” he said.
The commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of the Malolos Congress is the culminating activity of the weeklong Singkaban 2023 celebration and was organized by the NHCP, along with the provincial government through its Provincial History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office. (With a report from Leonel Abasola/ PNA)
