Gov’t Honors Commanders of PHL Revolution with Trading Cards on Nat’l Heroes Day

Manila (PNA) — A special set of printable trading cards featuring the commanders of the Philippine Revolution was released by the government as part of its National Heroes Day celebration on Monday.

The trading cards, feature 24 of the Philippine Revolution commanders including the following:

1. General Antonio Luna

2. General Macario Sakay

3. General Artemio Ricarte

4. Major Manuel Quezon

5. General Baldomero Aguinaldo

6. General Manuel Tinio

7. General Edilberto Evangelista

8. General Mariano Trias

9. General Emiliano Riego de Dios

10. General Miguel Malvar

11. General Emilio Aguinaldo

12. General Pantaleon Garcia

13. General Gregorio del Pilar

14 General Pio del Pilar

15. General Jose Ignacio Paua

16 General Santiago Alvarez

17. General Isidro Torres

18. General Tomas Mascardo

19 General Juan Cailles

20. General Venancio Concepcion

21. General Leandro Fullon

22 General Vicente Lukban

23. General Licero Geronimo

24. General Vito Belarmino

Each card provides info on the year of the commanders’ birth, death as well as his birthplace, occupation and faction.

Among other information available on the card such are the commanders’ battles, the year it was held and whether it was a defeat or victory.

These cards aim to raise awareness among the youth, especially students, of some personalities who have managed to get their names published in history books by virtue of their words or actions.

According to the Malacañang site, National Heroes Day specifies no hero; the law that put into practice the celebration does not name a single one.

“…This lack of specifics offers an opportunity to celebrate the bravery of not one, not a few, but all Filipino heroes who have braved death or persecution for home, for nation, for justice, for freedom,” Malacañang said.

The celebration of National Heroes Day was first signed into law through Act No. 3827 of the Philippine Legislature on October 28, 1931. The Act declared the last Sunday of August of every year an official national holiday.

President Corazon C. Aquino’s Administrative Code of 1987 adopted this in Book 1, Chapter 7, which provided for a list of regular holidays and nationwide special days, setting National Heroes Day as a regular holiday celebrated on the last Sunday of August.

The Administrative Code provides that the list of holidays and special days may be “modified by law, order or proclamation.”

On July 24, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law Republic Act No. 9492, which amended Book 1, Chapter 7 of the Administrative Code.

By virtue of R.A. 9492, the celebration of National Heroes Day thus falls on the last Monday of August. (PNA) LAM/ANP

Image Credit: malacanang.gov.ph