Pio Valenzuela: Remembering Him, because No One Really Remembers Him

Tomorrow's Halloween, but more importantly, it's the time when Filipinos go to their family graves and pay respects to those who have gone ahead of us. Work is cancelled for a few days so that families living in bigger cities can go home to their respective provinces to visit the dead and also visit the living. Not too many people know this, but, the season we call Undas is a season to celebrate life and the unknown. I think that's why we still opt to celebrate Halloween... not only because it was introduced to us by our colonizers, but also because this is a reminder that we must celebrate the dead as we celebrate life.

I'm not going to talk about Halloween though. There are too many articles, both positive and negative, regarding the existence of ghosts, demonology, as well as the latest Halloween costumes and recipes for the same kind of pumpkin soup. This article is about a man forgotten by both family and nation. This article is about Pio Valenzuela.

Pio Valenzuela was one of the leaders of the Katipunan and the first Filipino mayor of the city of Polo, Bulacan (now Valenzuela City). He died in 1956 and is currently buried in the Valenzuela cemetery. His grave is next to my family's, so every year I see his grave.

For the past 10 years or so, I have noticed that his grave is unkempt and apparently never visited. It's now surrounded by water, and it's hard going into that part because the path is also very muddy. Leaves are scattered everywhere, and people just pass by without even looking twice. There's a medium-sized sign that spells out his last name, but no one seems to care. It's a projection of how many Filipinos do not take pride in knowing their history.

If Undas is about celebrating life and death, why have we forgotten the life and death of this man?

A watery grave.

The sign is there, but who remembers?

I deem it ironic, really, that Valenzuela City does not honor the man who they named the city after. Isn't that disrespectful? I've already talked to Doctor Zialcita and Doctor Ocampo about this matter, and it will take some time and public awareness to get people to understand, appreciate and act on cleaning up his grave and celebrating his life. And I hope to see this in my lifetime.














*Click to enlarge images. © 2010 Myta Santiago.

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Speaking of remembering our heroes, Instituto Cervantes is celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of the South American independence this November by showing movies about the Chilean revolution. Take some time to watch how the Chileans fought for their freedom, and how their creativity and courage in the arts have made them well-known!

Click to enlarge. Images by Instituto Cervantes de Manila.