The Filipino is worth dying for. That's one phrase that will always remind me of Ninoy, the late senator Benigno S. Aquino, Sr. and his death on August 21, 1983 -- the death that sparked courage and hope in the hearts of millions of Filipinos enough to overcome a political regime through the 1986 EDSA People's Revolution (People Power).
I was but a young girl of 9 back then with no inkling whatsoever of the political and social climate in the country and of why a respectable looking man, on his way home to Manila, was shot and left dead on the tarmac. I was young then but the image of Ninoy, his body being dragged by a soldier, is vividly etched on my mind.
Now, that phrase poses a question in my mind: are we still worth dying for? Am not going to play scholarly here and try to answer that question but instead share what I saw and learned at the recently concluded 'Ninoy, My Hero' photo exhibit at the Atrium of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
I was fortunate to have gotten a chance to visit the exhibit that was staged to celebrate Ninoy's life and commemorate his martyrdom. The overall feel of the exhibit is that of heroism and love for fellowmen and country. The colors yellow and black dominate the Atrium and the phrase "The Filipino is worth dying for" is prominently displayed all around.
The third floor Atrium showcased different artist interpretations of Ninoy and his assassination while the second floor was occupied by larger than life images showing the various facets of Ninoy's life, both personal and professional. All these, in an effort to refresh the memory of the older generation while attempting to educate the younger generation and hopefully make Ninoy relevant to this day and beyond.
Ninoy may have been part of the distant past but the youth should know and understand what he stood for and lived by because that part of the past was what made this present and will eventually shape the future.
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