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[av_heading heading=’ BORDERLESS | Respect for the Philippine National Anthem’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RHODA GARZON-CAMPILLAN
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Thursday, June 29, 2017
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Bayang magiliw
Perlas ng Silanganan,
Alab ng puso,
Sa dibdib mo’y buhay.
Lupang hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.
Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.
Ang kislap ng watawat mo’y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya’s
Kailan pa ma’y di magdidilim.
Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati’t pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo;
Aming ligaya, na pag may mang-aapi
Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.
THE National Anthem of the Philippines is played every flag ceremony in schools. Children stand straight with their hands on their left chest as a sign of respect to the Philippine Flag.
Outside the school, vehicles show reverence by stopping. Passersby also halt and look at the flag with the highest esteem possible. This scenario is very vivid in my mind when I was a kid. It gives me goose bumps every time I see Filipinos singing the anthem wholeheartedly.
Unfortunately, nowadays, some forget the essence of paying respect to the Philippine National Anthem; the sense of patriotism and pride long gone and this saddens me.
Just recently, the House of Representatives approved House Bill 5224 and I am very grateful. The lawmakers approved it via an undisputed vote of 212-0. The next stop of the bill is the Senate.
House Bill 5224 is about the correct rendition of the national anthem, “Lupang Hinirang” and requiring everyone to sing along when it is played in public. Harsh penalties await the violators, the penalty range from P50,000 to P100,000. The penalty is heavier compared to the P5,000 to P20,000 fine provided for by the current Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.
The following are the highlights of the House Bill mentioned in inquirer.net article: Singing along when the anthem is played at public gatherings shall be mandatory and must be done with fervor. In the current Flag Code of 1998, the word mandatory was not mentioned. In the recent House Bill, mandatory was emphasized.
As a sign of respect, all persons must stand at attention facing the Philippine flag, if displayed, or the band or conductor; civilians salute the flag with their right palm over the left chest. For me, this is the right thing to do. I have observed that foreigners stand with pride each time their national anthem is played in public. Why can’t we do the same?
The House Bill is flexible in terms of Filipinos whose religious beliefs forbid them from singing. However, they must nonetheless, show full respect…by standing at attention. The House bill also seeks to standardize the proper rendition of Lupang Hinirang in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe. DeoEd, CHED and TESDA are mandated by the proposed Flag Code to ensure that the National Anthem shall be committed to memory by all students.
In relation to this, I saw in the news last night that several people were asked to sing “Lupang Hinirang” and unfortunately most of them cannot remember the lyrics completely. It means there is a need to emphasize the value of this in schools.
Teachers should inculcate into the minds of the students not just the lyrics but also the whole point why the need to give respect to the flag and the national anthem.
We should be proud of our heritage and our culture as Filipinos. If other nations are proud of their roots, why can’t we do the same?
If this House Bill becomes a law, we should follow it not because we are scared of the penalty but because we are proud of who and what we are…we are proud of being Filipinos. (rcampillan@usa.edu.ph/PN)
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