Kung bakit hindi ginamit ni Teodora Alonzo ang apelyidong Rizal
Kung hindi ko nabasa ang pahayagang Renacimiento Filipino noong isang taon sa Philippine National Archives, lilipas ang Agosto 16 ngayong 2011 nang hindi ko maaalala ang kamatayan ni Teodora Alonzo y Quintos, ina ng ating bayaning si Dr. Jose Rizal. Eksaktong 100 taong patay na ang ina ng bayani. Kung babalikan ang pahayagang Renacimineto Filipino, makikita kung gaano kamahal si Teodora Alonzo ng mga Pilipino noong 1911.
Hindi mahulugang karayom ang sementadong kalsadang yari sa cobblestone (walang katumbas na salin sa wikang Filipino) sa Maynila sa araw ng kanyang libing sa dami ng mga taong nakikidalamhati sa pagpanaw ng 84 na taong gulang na ina ng bayani. Tulad ng nakaugalian noon, may banda ng musiko sa unahan at puno ng mga tao ang gilid ng kalsada. Marami ring taong nakasunod sa karwaheng hila ng kabayo. Sa likod ng karwahe, may mga taong nakasakay rin sa kabayo.
Parang dagat ng mga taong nakaputing may suot ring mga sinaunang sumbrero sa paligid. Maluwag ang kalsada ngunit puno ng mga tao. Malalaki ang mga bahay na yari sa kahoy at bato. Payat at di kataasan ang mga kahoy na poste sa gilid ng magkabilang kalsada.
Sa Santa Cruz, Maynila ipinanganak ang butihing matanda noong 9 Nobyembre 1827. Marami ang nakipaglibing sa kanya sa Maynila hindi lamang dahil sa ina siya ng isang bayani kundi dahil na rin sa kanyang mga sariling nagawang kabutihan sa kapwa at sa bayan.
Nasukat ang katatagan at lakas ng loob ni Teodora Alonzo sa katindihan ng pag-uusig ng mga Espanyol sa mga mapanlabang Pilipino. Sa panahong inuusig ang kanyang pamilya – mula sa matandang anak na si Paciano hanggang sa batang si Rizal (ikapito sa 11 anak niya) – pinanghawakan niya ang mga prinsipyong pinaghuhugutan rin ng lakas ng pambansang bayani.
Isa sa mga naging hamon sa matanda ang pagpapatawag sa kanya ng mga Espanyol dahil sa hindi niya paggamit ng apelyidong Rizal. Nangatwiran siyang hindi kaugalian ng mga Pilipinang gamitin ang apelyido ng kanilang asawa. Aral si Teodora Alonzo sa Colegio de Santa Rosa sa Maynila at mula sa pamilyang mga nakapag-aral rin at may kaya sa lipunang Pilipino noon kaya mas lalong pinalakas ng kanyang edukasyon ang kanyang paninindigan.
Idinagdag ito sa naunang kaso niya sa kanyang paglason umano sa kanyang hipag na napatunanayan namang hindi totoo sa hukuman. Ngunit hindi pa rin siya makaligtas sa galit ng mga Espanyol. Pinalakad nila ang matanda mula Ermita, Maalat, Pineda (Pasay sa kasalukuyan) hanggang Las Pinas.
Anang pahayagang Renacimiento Filipino: “ Sa bayang ito’y (Las Pinas) isinalin ng mga veterana sa guardia civil ang pagtatanod sa kanya. At noon di’y inilakad naman na ang pinagdaanan niya’y ang mga bayang Muntinglupa, San Pedro, Tunasan, Binyang, Sta. Rosa, Kabuyaw, Kalawang, Pila at Santa Cruz (Laguna).
Naawa sa kanya ang mga taga-Binyang, Laguna at nakiusap sa mga guardia civil na isakay sa duyan ang matanda at sila na lamang ang maglakad para sa kanya ngunit hindi natinag ang mga guardia civil. Markado na ang pamilya Rizal simula pa lamang noong 1872 nang maganap ang pag-aalsa sa Kabite at patayin ng mga Espanyol ang tatlong paring Gomez, Burgos at Zamora. Malapit na estudyante at nakatira si Paciano Rizal kay Padre Burgos noon.
Sinamsam ng mga Espanyol ang ari-arian ng pamilya Rizal sa Calamba noong 1890 kung kaya nagsilipat sila sa Maynila. Nakitira sila sa makabayang si Higinio Francisco sa Trozo (bahagi noon ng Binondo ngunit bahagi na ng Santa Cruz, Maynila ngayon), ayon pa sa pahayagan. Aabot pa hanggang sa ikatlong henerasyon ng kanilang angkan ang mga kasong ipapatong laban sa kanila (Encarnacion Alzona, Selected Essays and Letters of Jose Rizal, p. 31).
Bago pa ito mangyari, napaunlad ni Teodora Alonzo ang kanilang negosyong azucarera – (”nagmamatamis” ang ina ni Rizal, ayon sa pahayagan) at taniman sa Calamba. Inquilino o kasama (tenant) ang mag-asawang Rizal sa lupaing pinauupahan ng mga paring Dominikano sa Calamba ngunit dahil sa pag-aalsa ng mga magsasaka (may kinalaman kaya rito ang mga Rizal?) sanhi ng mataas na renta at buwis, nagalit ang mga Dominikano at nagtanim ng galit sa pamilya.
Bago mamatay ang butihing ina ng bayani, binigyan siya ng pabuya at pensiyon ng pamahalaan dahil sa mga nagawa ni Jose Rizal para sa bayan. Ngunit tinanggihan niya ito. Hindi umano siya nagpapabayad sa kanyang pagiging Pilipino. Kung marami rin lang umanong salapi ang pamahalaan kung kaya ipinamimigay ito, ipinapayo niyang babaan na lamang ang pagbubuwis sa mga mamamayan.
Hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit naging bayani si Jose Rizal.
Ople Center lauds OWWA’s decision to recall welfare officer from Jordan
The Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-profit organization that assists distressed overseas Filipino workers, lauded Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Chief Carmelita Dimzon for issuing a recall order for a welfare officer based in Jordan based on individual formal complaints the recently repatriated OFWs lodged.
Aside from five earlier complainants, the Ople Center in partnership with the Sagip OFW Program of Senator Manny Villar, assisted three more complainants in executing sworn affidavits citing Welfare Officer Carmelita Mag-uyon for neglect of duty and gross misconduct.
“The stories of eight repatriated workers were consistent and had a common pattern. They alleged that Welfare Officer Mag-uyon advised them to go back to their abusive employers or pay back the cost of deployment which obviously these women could not afford to do. This goes against the mandate of a welfare officer which is to care for and defend the rights of distressed overseas workers especially those trapped in situations of forced labor trafficking,” Susan Ople, president of the BFO Center, said.
Thea E., one of the three new complainants, said that Mag-uyon sided with her female employer in a meeting to resolve their dispute despite the OFW’s fears for her personal safety after her male employer exposed his private parts to her.
“She (Welfare Officer Mag-uyon) insisted that I go back to work or pay the deployment costs of my employer otherwise I’ll go to prison,” Thea recalled in her affidavit. When she refused, the welfare officer surrendered Thea to the police where she was imprisoned for 11 days. While in prison, Thea was maltreated by members of the Jordanian police and was forced to go back to her employer. Upon her return, she was locked up in a room on the fourth floor of the household.
Thea had to take down the curtains, tie the ends, and use it as a ladder so she could climb down and escape at midnight. She took a cab and headed for the Philippine Embassy at around 1.30 AM. Upon hearing of her plight especially on the hands of the police, the welfare officer treated her more kindly, Thea told the Ople Center.
Another complainant, Wilma S., said she was physically abused by her employers and fed spoiled food and at times, was not allowed to eat at all. This forced her to escape and return to her Jordanian agency. Unfortunately, the agency negotiated with her employers that she would be returned and made to work for one year to pay off the deployment costs. Wilma found a way to escape and seek refuge at OWWA’s Bahay Kalinga in Jordan.
According to the distressed OFW, the welfare officer asked her for $500 as payment for an air ticket to the Philippines. She was also instructed to go to the police station to face charges filed against her by her employers. In the end, the said OWWA officer relented and included Wilma in the list of OFWs whose repatriation costs would be shouldered by her agency.
The Blas F. Ople Center also expressed gratitude to the Office of Senator Manny Villar for providing the eight complainants with a lawyer. “Having a lawyer to guide them and advise them of their rights under the law emboldened these women to file their complaints. Our next step is to help these women get back on their feet again in partnership with the labor department and OWWA,” Ople, a former labor undersecretary, said.
Phl Embassy in London cautions Filipino community
The Philippine Embassy in London issued on Tuesday an advisory to the Filipino community in the United Kingdom to be vigilant and to exercise due caution in light of the riots that occurred around London and in other UK cities over the past days.
“The Embassy urges all Filipinos to stay away from high street areas, to avoid large gatherings and to avoid joining or going to places of riots or get involved in any public disturbance,” Charge d’Affaires, a.i. Reynaldo A. Catapang said in a Department of Foreign Affairs press release.
The Embassy has also called on the Filipino community leaders and members to contact the local police immediately and/or the Embassy if there are any untoward incidents in their respective areas or to report any information on Filipinos who may have been injured or seriously affected by the riots.
The Embassy remains in close contact with UK authorities and Filipino community leaders and is closely monitoring events and developments.
It has also activated a round-the-clock monitoring team to continuously ascertain the situation.
The Embassy may be contacted at its trunk line 0207451780 or emergency mobile number 07802790695, as well as mobile numbers 07809737672, 07542095133, 07553203793 and 07817479313.
Saudi-based OFW is missing
An overseas Filipino worker based in Dammam, Saudi Arabia has been missing, the Filipino migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East reported today.
Mauro Pentinio Magtibay, 51, from Batangas City has been missing for a week now, his co-workers reported to Migrante via electronic mail. He works as a technician for a Dammam-based company.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante – Middle East regional coordinator, said in a press statement that this report prompted them to issue an advisory to the Filipino communities hoping that they could report any information that would lead them and his company to locate him.
“We were also informed that subject OFW’s company officers already visited various police stations in Dammam, Al-Khobar, and Jubail but still they did not find him,” Monterona added.
Monterona added they will also alert the PH embassy and consulate in Riyadh and Jeddah, respectively, about the missing OFW and seek their help to disseminate this advisory.
The group also urges the Filipino communities to report any information or citing of Magtibay.
Please call Migrante-ME’s John Monterona or Glenn Vanguardia, co-worker of OFW Magtibay, on his mobile phone no.00966 500457756 or phone no. 00966 3 890 7451 ext.223.