What was in your mind when you recited "Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas...?

The illustration above probably by Fernando Amorsolo is vintage mid-1920s, a quarter century after the fall of the new republic to the Americans, when the public schools were no longer teaching the conjugation and proper use of the Spanish verbs like estar and ser but were training pupils to read, write and speak in impeccable English.

The subject was the 'patriotic pledge of Filipino school children,' which a million of them could recite instantly, a report said, because it was part of their lessons on patriotism.  We don't exactly know when the first mass recitation occured.  But it was Camilo Osias (born 1889), president of National University at that time (1921-1936), who wrote the original pledge and featured it in the Philippine Readers (a rare 1924 copy is on sale at eBay), his compilation of reading materials that served as textbook of elementary schools for a very long time: 

I love my country, the Philippine Islands, and I love my people, the Filipino people.  I intend to be a good Filipino citizen and be loyal to the cause of my country and people.  I want my country to be free and independent, and I want my people to be happy and prosperous.

I believe in good, strong clean government.  As a citizen, I deem it my duty to bear my share of the sacrifice and burden and responsibility.  I will obey the law and help the government officials enforce the law.  I will try to be honest, self-supporting, serviceable.

I love peace, but I will gladly fight for the sake of right, of freedom, and of justice.  I love my life, but I will gladly die for the sake of my family, my people, and my God."

The pledge followed the singing of two national anthems--the Land of the Morning and the Star-Spangled Banner--when the flags were hoisted up one flagpole, the Stars-and-Stripes above the Red-White-and-Blue.

In 1955, the pledge was revised following the passage of Republic Act 1265, which required its recitation in all public or private schools 'that are meant for or of which majority of the students are Filipinos.'  Since we were taught English from day one in the primary grades with the Pepe and Pilar basic readers, post-war babies like us sang both the national anthem  and this new pledge in English during the morning flag rite --

I love the Philippines.  It is the land of my birth.  It is the home of my people.  It protects me and helps me to be strong, happy and useful.

In return, I will heed the counsel of my parents. I will obey the rules of my school. I will perform the duties of a patriotic, law-abiding citizen.

I will serve my country unselfishly and faithfully. I will be a true Filipino, in thought, in word, in deed.

We do not know if the school children who went to school during the Japanese regime ever recited the Osias  pledge or a revision thereof to reflect the imperial design of the invasion forces.  We surmise that when the schools reopened after liberation, they went back to the pre-war pledge until it was revised in 1955.

What's glaring in the post-war edition is the deletion of the entire credo of believing in a good, strong and clean government, and of the citizen's vow of helping make that happen.  This time though the last line expresses a very strong conviction of becoming "a true Filipino in thought, in word and in deed."

We don't remember when the shift to Pilipino happened in both the anthem and the pledge. We know that in our entire high school we sang Bayang Magiliw and recited the Panatang Makabayan.

As we think about it now, we sang the pledge or recited the panata by rote during our age of innocence and had no vision yet of ourselves as adult citizen.  Did our years of pledging define what we are now and what roles we play (or neglect to do or share) in community or nation-building?  How effective was/is it as a tool to teach patriotism?

We think one paragraph in the pre-war pledge is very meaningful today: "I believe in good, strong clean government. As a citizen, I deem it my duty to bear my share of the sacrifice and burden and responsibility. I will obey the law and help the government officials enforce the law. I will try to be honest, self-supporting, serviceable."  Should it be restored? And how can it be made a conscientious, living commitment? 

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P.S.  Among those who pledged "I love peace, but I will gladly fight for the sake of right, of freedom, and of justice. I love my life, but I will gladly die for the sake of my family, my people, and my God" in the primary schools included Ferdinand Marcos (born 1917) and Imelda Romualdez (b.1929), Fidel Ramos (b. 1928), Benigno Aquino, Jr. (b. 1932) and Corazon Cojuangco (b. 1933).  There were also the pensionados and self-supporting students in American universities who did not tarry any longer in the US but returned 'to work and save, live and serve' a country gearing for full independence, and those who went to war against the Japanese.

Ramon Magsaysay (b.1907) and Diosdado Macapagal (b.1910) were already in high school when the pledge came out in the Philippine Readers; they could have learned it with a more conscious appreciation.  Elpidio Quirino (b. 1890) and Carlos P. Garcia (b. 1896) were contemporaries of Camilo Osias, and they did not declare their patriotic fervor as school boys.

Joseph Estrada (b. 1937), Mike Velarde (b.1939) and Jose Ma. Sison (b.1939) probably recited both pledges in their youth.

Those who swore to be 'a true Filipino in thought, in word and in deed' include Jejomar Binay (b. 1941), Richard Gordon (b.1945), Eddie Villanueva (b. 1946), Bayani Fernando (b.1946), Gloria Macapagal (b.1947), Manuel Villar (b.1949), Nicanor Perlas (b.1950), Edu Manzano (b.1955), Jay Sonza (b.1955), Mar Roxas (b.1957), Jamby Madrigal (b.1958), Loren Aldeguer (b.1960), Benigno Aquino III (b. 1960), Gilbert Teodoro (b.1964), and Juan Carlos de los Reyes (b.1970). 

Likewise, Gregorio Honasan (b. 1948) and the RAM boys, Antonio Trillanes IV (b. 1971) and the Magdalo boys; also Efren Penaflorida (b. 1981) and Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr. (b. 1982).