BULAKAN, Bulacan—The commemoration Friday, July 4 of the 129th death anniversary and heroism of Marcelo H. Del Pilar, editor of La Solidaridad, the Father of Philippine Journalism, a Reformist and a Propagandist was made more meaningful as the seven volunes of the 159 issues of the Philippine-Spanish Revolution newspaper are geared to be declared as a Memory of the World by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Prof. Nick Deocampo, chairperson of the National Memory of the World Committee of UNESCO in a Philippine Press Institute (PPI) forum in Quezon City on June 27 said the University of Michigan in the United States hasjust confirmed early during the week its possession of four out of the seven volumes—159 issues of La Solidaridad.
La Solidaridad
The NHCP’s Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s National Shrine and Museum in Sitio Cupang, Barangay San Nicolas in this town, holds in possession the first three volumes of La Solidaridad. The newspaper was founded 136 years ago and existed for more than six years from its maiden issue on Feb. 15, 1889 until its last issue on Nov. 15, 1895 in Barcelona, Spain, Alex Aguinaldo, curator of Marcelo H. Del Del Pilar Shrine and Museum told NEWSCORE Bulacan on Wednesday.
La Solidaridad, an 11″ x 8.5″ sized biweekly newspaper which was founded and initially edited by Graciano Lopez Jaena was aimed to become the voice of the Filipinos before Spanish government for the reforms they long desire to achieve for their motherland. Jaena however did not continue being the editor from which Del Pilar took over.
The newspaper was named after La Solidaridad, a group established by reformists Jaena, Del Pilar and Jose Rizal to be the Filipinos representation in Madrid for the needed reforms they were fighting for.
At Del Pilar’s Shrine and Museum, beside the three volumes of La Solidaridad being kept inside glass cases was the hero’s scriptions referring to La Solidaridad as “Munting Pahayagan” (THE LITTLE NEWSPAPER).
“Nais bumuo ng epektibong pahayagan ang mga miyembro ng La Solidaridad na kakatawan sa repormang hinihingi ng mga Pilipino sa Madrid. Noong 15 Pebrero 1889, lumabas ang unang bilang ng pahayagang La Solidaridad, sunod sa pangalan ng samahan, sa pamamatnugot ni Graciano Lopez Jaena,” (the memners of the La Solidaridad desired to establish an effective newspaper for the group which will represent the reforms being oursued by the Filipinos in Madrid. Its first issue was published named after the newspaper theough Gracenao Lopez Jaena).
La Solidaridad’s entry as Memory of the World was conceptualized last year at a Bulacan’s heritage forum workshop in this city conducted by Provincial History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office (PHACTO) of Bulacan through its then head, the late Eliseo dela Cruz.
Seven Volumes
Deocampo told NEWSCORE Bulacan that he immediately investigated the locations of the complete seven volumes from which he discovered that the four original volumes are in the Univerisry of Michigan.
“Plaridel’s La Solidaridad is tangible and deseves to be in the International Registry in the Memory of the World of UNESCO. But, its seven volumes must be complete. Madrid and the University of Santo Tomas has similar collection but are incomplete. We are now waiting for the University of Michigan to sign the concurrence,” he said.
Complete copies are also kept in the Augustinian Archives in Valladolid, Spain, Aguinaldo also said.
According to Deocampo, the International Registry requires the highest forms of collections of different heritage which includes the bible.
Deocampo said they target to make the nomination before the deadline in November.
New PHACTO chief May Arlene Torres said they are now working on with the draft of the nomination. The content of the nomination will be the basis for the successful entry in the Registry, Deocampo said.
According to Deocampo, who is a documentary filmmaker and film historian and an associate professor at the University of the Philippines Film Institute, La Solidaridad would be the sixth International Registry of the Philippines to the Memory of the World of UNESCO.
Philippine’s Memory of the World
Among the Philippine entries which already made it to the International Registry includes documents that are globally recognized for the impact they made to contribute to the collective memory of humankind such as first, the Manuel L. Quezon Presidential Papers – compiled writings by the Commonwealth president; second, Radio Broadcasts of the People Power Revolution – radio broadcast transmission during the four-day EDSA revolt; third Jose Maceda Collection – musical archive and field notes ; fourth Philippine Paleographs (Hanunoo, Buhid, Tagbanua, and Pala’wan) – ancient syllabary etched on bamboo.
For the Asia-Pacific Regional Register, two significant entries showcase both historical and oral traditions: [Regional registry is a category that includes documents that are significant for the Aisa-Paciifc region.], the Philippines has Doctrina Christiana (1593) – one of the earliest printed books in the Philippines and Hinilawod Recordings – epic chant narratives from Panay Island, preserving pre-colonial oral literature, Deocampo said.
The National Registry that includes documents that are recognized for the impact they made to contribute to the collective memory of a particular nation like the Philippines incouded Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? – film classic chronicling Filipino identity during the epochal birth of the Philippine nation and The FPJ Productions Archives – cinematic legacy of Fernando Poe Jr. including his films, scripts, photographs, and other ephemera, Deocampo added.
The Memory of the World Committee was first established in the Philippines in 2006. UNESCO created the Memory of the World in 1992.
Deocampo said nomination can be done eery two years with two entries each. “We can enlist as many as can possibly be. China has already more than 200 documents in their registers. The Philippines has only nine and La Solidaridad can be the 10th,” he added.
Del Pilar was remembered for spending his last penny sent to him by his wife and two children from their house where the shrine is erected today for the printing of the last few issues of the newspaper and had to pick up cigarette butts in the streets of Barcelona to survive. He died on July 4,1896 in Barcelona, Spain.
La Solidaridad’s entry to the International Registry of the Memory of the World of UNESCO, Aguinaldo said will bring to the world and gain international recognition the heroism of Del Pilar, Jaena, Rizal and all the heroes of the country as they fought for our freedom during Philippine-Spanish Revolution.
