![]() On National Heroes Day 2022, it is timely we understand the ecological dimension of the Katipunan (K.K.K) ideology. The last Monday of every year is the country's commemoration of National Heroes Day that remembers the start of the revolution led by the Kataas-taasang Kagalang-galangang KATIPUNAN ng mga Anak ng Bayan (K.K.K ng mga A.N.B.) that ended 333 years of Spanish colonization and paved the way for the birth of the Republic of the Philippines and its eventual struggle against the subsequent American colonization, the Japanese occupation and neo-colonization that continues today. It was on the last Monday of 1896 on August 23, that the KKK held a meeting where they agreed that the revolution would begin that succeeding Saturday (August 29). It was also on this day that the real first government of the nation - the Haring-Bayang Katagalugan (*) was declared to govern the revolution and the subsequent nation it wanted to form Unknown and misunderstood by many, the "Haring-Bayang Katagalugan" represented the much deeper ecological dimension of the Katipunan ideology. Today, as we struggle with our current multiple crises in environment, climate, economic recession, malgovernance, ill effects of wars-near and far and biodiversity collapse, it is time to see the Katipunan ideology from a fresh view of deep communitarian ecologism. We got to know the Katipunan as an armed revolutionary movement. Also, we know that born out of the 1896 revolution led by the same Katipunan, we now have the Republic of the Philippines. But why do many say that this revolution is an unfinish one? Which part of the aims of this revolution were not achieved? The Katipunan had 3 main aims as a movement - political (separation from Spain & other colonizers using all means possible - even an armed struggle), social or the self-help notion of community building and the least know of all - MORAL, the re-affirmation of values that define us as a people. It is in this 3rd aim where closer inspection of the Katipunan ideology manifest its ecological dimension that is most relevant for us today. You would be surprise to know further which is which! Reading through the Katipunan Decalogue written by Supremo Andres Bonifacio, it was clear from the very beginning what TAGALOG or Katagalugan meant when they named their revolutionary government as such: Haring-Bayang Katagalugan. The Decalogue declares Katagalugan as everyone who "sprouted" from these islands. Obviously, the Katipunan could not use the word "Indio" to refer to us as a people as this was a derogatory term used by our colonizers. Much the same as the word "Filipino" or "Pilipino" as these was the colonial term used to assert claim of the Spanish monarchy on our people. ![]() Ang what of the term "HARING-BAYAN" before the word "KATAGALUGAN"? Did this meant that Bonifacio wanted to be Hari or King? Or did it meant that the government declared was a regional one representing the areas we now refer to the land/waters of the Tagalogs? Of course these are both absurd and wrong. If one reads more carefully, "Haring-Bayang Katagalugan" literally means that the sovereign is the "bayan" or the people and the people are the "Tagalogs" -- or anyone who "sprouted" o "tumubo" from these islands. The hidden key wisdom here is so obvious that it hides in plain site but can easily be revealed upon studying carefully the footnote in the Katipunan Decalogue where besides the word "Tagalog" it says "...sa salitang Tagalog ang katutura'y lahat ng tumubo sa sangkapuluang ito; sa makatuwid, bisaya man, iloko man o kapampangan man ay tagalog din". Tagalog also literally means - "taga ilog", people of the rivers. Kapampangan -from the root word "pampang" or river bank so literally people from the river bank. Ilocano is rooted from the words "Lukong" or flatlands and Looc - or "Bay" and indeed Ilocandia today remains a land where there are flatlands besides numerous Bays. Bisaya or Visayan is said to come from the Sri Vijayan or the name of an ancient empire in parts of what is now South East Asian countries that included islands in the Visaya regions today. But looking at some of the more localize name such as "Sugbo" the original name of Cebu which is a central part of Visayas literally means to "wade or walk in water" connoting that Sugbo is a place of shallow water. Many other names of our local communities such as "Bay-i", the precursor to the name Laguna de Bay meant settlements by the lake. This is much the same as the word "Maranao" or people of the lake since "Ranao" is literally lake. All these points to our pre-colonial practice of naming our local communities not just in reference to local habitats but also connotes these peoples relationship with these habitats. Furthermore, the concept of "pagtubo" or sprouting from the islands or lands likewise reinforces this recognition of our communities relationship with their habitats to whom they are part of. Another equally revealing concept in the Katipunan ideology is their battle cry or the "Sigaw ng Kalayaan!" On using the word "Kalayaan" we often thing of the root word "Laya" or "libertad" or "freedom" that during that time was a popular concept highlighted by an earlier revolution across the continent -- that of the French revolution whose battle cry included : LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY. However, according to Dr. Rafael Ileto in his milestone book "PASYON at REBOLUSYON", during that time, the local dictionaries that were compiled did not record the word "LAYA" but instead the closest word was "LAYAW" akin to the warm and care that a child would feel being cared for by his/her mother. It is not surprising that during that time; as well, the image of a mother in local literature is often link to depicted to the concept of "INANG LUPA" or the mother land. Incidentally it is from such land or mother land that everything "sprouts" from or "tumubo". Therefore, is it not possible that the "Sigaw ng Kalayaan" was not actually a cry for FREEDOM and LIBERTY or libertas but was actually a "Sigay ng KaLAYAW-an" or a cry to return back to our peoples relationship with the caring mother earth or "inang lupa"; from where all of us sprouted from (tumubo) and the very reason why we named each of our local communities in relation to ecosystems and habitat that we are part of in a common ecology that defines our values and being as a people?
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