My August Reflections
- Aug 16, 2025
- 2 min read
“Ganito ring araw nang agawan ka ng laya,
Labintatlo ng Agosto nang saklutin ang Maynila”
I am pleased to report that my interactive presentation on the August 18, 1898 Mock Battle of Manila, entitled “Scripted War, Silenced Victory,” held in the Screening Room of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), was well received. This was held on Wednesday, August 13,2025, 127 years ago today.
However, there was an important detail I did not address during the presentation, which may have gone unnoticed by the audience. This pertains to a missing line from Amado Hernandez’s impactful poem.
Later that night, around 2 am, I found myself reflecting on this omission and unable to sleep, as the absent line from Hernandez’s poem continued to occupy my thoughts. The missing line is: “Ganito ring araw nang agawan ka ng laya, Labintatlo ng Agosto nang saklutin ang Maynila.”
Feeling compelled to document this oversight, I experienced a sense of surrealism while tracing the source of this version available on YouTube:
To further understand the context of this medley, I conducted additional research online using Co-Pilot, and the following information was generated:
“The protest album Bangon! Arise! was produced and released in 1976 by Paredon Records. It was a joint project of revolutionary cultural workers from the Preparatory Commission for the National Democratic Front (Philippines) and the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP) in the U.S.
The album was conceived in 1971, but production halted due to Ferdinand Marcos's declaration of martial law in 1972. Recording then moved underground, making rehearsals and access to equipment extremely difficult. It ultimately took over four years to complete.
The album is a powerful sonic archive of the Philippine National Democratic Struggle, featuring songs in Tagalog that blend grief, courage, and resistance.”
The line - “Ganito ring araw nang agawan ka ng laya, Labintatlo ng Agosto nang saklutin ang Maynila”—is indeed from Amado V. Hernandez's original poem "Kung Tuyo Na ang Luha Mo, Aking Bayan." It refers to August 13, 1898, the date when United States forces staged the Mock Battle of Manila to symbolically transfer control of the city from Spain, excluding Filipino revolutionaries from entering.
It is notable that this specific line was not included in the Bangon! Arise! album’s rendition of "Lumuha Ka, Aking Bayan." Whether by design or oversight, its omission removes a direct literary reference to colonial manipulation and betrayal. The line serves as a significant historical marker denoting the experience of exclusion.
The absence of this line may provide an opportunity to encourage both Filipinos and Americans to remember and reflect on the events of August 13, 1898, emphasizing their ongoing relevance and impact on contemporary society.
There are two versions of this poem that are available in YouTube. I highly recommend Angie Ferro.
This poem is intended to inspire our community to deepen its historical awareness and foster a shared commitment to collective memory, liberation, social justice, and prosperity.
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