The Ugly Truth Behind Today's Celebration of the Philippine Independence

This more-than-a-just-life-size monument of Andres Bonifacio along with some symbolic figures of the rebolusyonarios was constructed in 1933 in Caloocan, Metro Manila. This bronze sculpture was designed by the country's National Artist for the Visual Arts (Sculpture) in 1973, Guillermo Estrella Tolentino. 


It's 6:30 in the morning and I am on my way home after a night shift duty. I thought it's gonna be an easy day for me, but this heavy traffic along EDSA near Monumento has just quickly given me some headaches. And oops, yeah! I almost forgot that today is going to be another special day for the Filipinos. I realized that today, June 12, is a major holiday and it's the commemoration of the 116th anniversary of the Philippine independence.

And that could be an unquestionable reason why as early as past 6 in the morning today, people from different parts of Metro Manila are already flocking the areas of the Monumento Circle. I guess, some are just curious observers only, and maybe others were already a constant, annual witnesses to this occasion. While quite a few maybe--like this street vendor, might just be here for business reason alone.