A personal reflection on history

OPINION | Letter to the Editor Posted on 2026-03-12 04:08:02

When Wilson Lee Flores invited me to join a panel of historians at the Pandesal Forum, I immediately accepted. It was more than an opportunity to share my family’s lineage—it was a chance to show how history shapes our present. I brought two books: Lost Graves, Found Lives, co-authored by my cousin Agapito Del Rosario and my literature professor, Dr. Rosario Cruz Lucero, who I later discovered was also my aunt; and a rare volume on Pedro Abad Santos by Huk Supremo Luis Taruc, likely self-published by the Supremo himself. These works reminded me that history is not a distant archive—it lives in our society today.

I introduced myself with pride: Ako po si Agapito Del Rosario Zaldarriaga, anak ni Cristina Baby Sicangco Del Rosario Zaldarriaga, apo ako ni Agapito Abad Santos Del Rosario. My grandfather, Tatang Pitong, was a former mayor of Angeles, Pampanga, a founder of the Partido Sosyalista ng Pilipinas, and an early member of Upsilon Sigma Phi at the University of the Philippines. My grandmother, Felicidad “Feleng” Sicangco Del Rosario, became Kumander Sisa, the lone amazona of the Huk movement after being widowed during the Japanese Occupation. She led guerrillas, negotiated with American forces, and helped stabilize Angeles after the war. Their lives were not just family stories—they were chapters in the nation’s struggle.

The forum also focused on the Philippine-American War. My great-grandfather, Kapitan Isabelo Del Rosario, known as Kapitan Bikong, was executed in 1901 for refusing to surrender to American forces. Before his death, he played Danza Habanera de Filipinas on his violin, then smashed it to the ground—a defiant act of resistance at just 22 years old. His sacrifice resonates because it reminds us that the nation’s freedom was not freely given; it was claimed through courage and loss.

Understanding this history is essential. Today’s challenges—inequality, political polarization, debates over sovereignty—are not isolated issues. They are deeply rooted in historical struggles. The colonial experience, resistance movements, and sacrifices of leaders like Kapitan Bikong, Tatang Pitong, and Kumander Sisa explain why Filipinos value freedom, continue labor movements, and engage in debates about justice and governance. Without history, we risk misinterpreting the present as disconnected from the past.

In my family, resistance was a recurring theme. Kapitan Bikong fought the Americans. Tatang Pitong resisted the Japanese. Kumander Sisa led guerrillas in Central Luzon. Each chose sacrifice over comfort. Their courage teaches that heroism is not confined to battlefields; it lives in civic life, institutions, and even in communication.

As a professional communicator, I carry their legacy into the modern world. In times of crisis, communication bridges institutions and the public. Speaking is not enough; we must explain, clarify, and provide truth—lessons history teaches us are essential to survival.

Beyond my professional life, I advocate for those often unheard. Through my social media channel, Manong Joe, I write about the welfare of senior citizens, a cause close to my heart at 62. I also support animal welfare, believing compassion for all living beings reflects a society’s values. These may not seem like revolutions, but they are daily struggles for dignity and justice.

History is not merely dates or battles. It is about choices: to resist, to serve, and to build. By remembering these choices, we gain the perspective to understand our present and the responsibility to shape our future.

NPO NEWS TEAM | PIA - PR

Share:

Writer :

Link :