April 26, 2008
The music was composed by Julian Felipe upon the request of then first Philippine president, Emilio Aguinaldo, to compose a dignified, solemn and majestic hymn that would arouse patriotic fervor and national pride. Originally called “Marcha National Filipina”, it was first played on Sunday, June 12, 1898 by the San Francisco de Malabon town band “on the occasion of the proclamation of Philippine independence” [1▼] in Kawit Cavite. “Although this march was known since the beginning of the revolution, and was hummed by everybody, it had not yet then any words accompanying it.” [2▼] The Philippines was just liberated then from 365 years of Spanish rule. So, Jose Palma wrote a poem in Castellaño and called it “Filipinas”. First published in September 3, 1899 in La Independencia, “The spirit of his verses glowed with an optimistic faith in the future because it was the general belief that it would be impossible for the American forces to dominate the entire archipelago.” [3▼].
When the Americans succeeded in occupying the Philippines as her own colony, there was an unwritten ban on all national symbols from being publicly displayed to destroy the budding nationalism [4▼]. During one of the campaigns for deputees to the Phillippine Assembly, in July 30, 1907, the Philippine flags was much bigger than American flags and to the right during the rallies and in different gatherings, some patriots were shouting “Down with the Americans!” In reaction, the colonial government officially banned the flag and song from being played with the passage of the Flag Law in September 6, 1907.
Upon repeal of that law in October 22, 1919, it was rendered (not a strict translation) in English by Camilo Osias (who later became a Senator in 1947 and President of the Senate in 1952) [5▼] and Mary A. Lane as “Land of the Morning” [6▼] and legalized by an act of the Philippine Congress in 1938. [7▼] Tagalog translations started to appear in 1940s, with the “O Sintang Lupa” of Julian Cruz Balmaceda, Ildefonso Santos and Francisco Caballo approved as the national anthem in 1948. During the term of President Ramon Magsaysay, he commissioned the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa to translate it into Tagalog and was first played in May 26, 1956. It has some minor revisions in 1966. [8▼]
The current version of the National Anthem is governed by the Republic Act No. 8491, the 1998 Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which reads “SECTION 36. The National Anthem shall always be sung in the national language within or without the country.”, specifies the lyrics in Tagalog, and provides fine and imprisonment penalties for violations: “SECTION 50. Any person or juridical entity which violates any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000) nor more than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000), or by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court: Provided, That for any second and additional offenses, both fine and imprisonment shall always be imposed: Provided, further, That in case the violation is committed by a juridical person, its President or Chief Executive Officer thereof shall be liable.” [9▼] But in Cebu province [10▼], the national anthem is sung in Sugbuanun. [11▼] It was being sung in Butuanon and Maranao in Mindanao as well.
There are supposed to be several translations into Bikol when I studied this in college, but I don’t have the material now. Will post later when I go back to the Philippines later this year.
RONAЧ KAŊ MAWI•LIH
Dagaŋ namoчmoчtan
Чa•kiч kah nin sira•ŋan
Tiŋraw niyaŋ mala•чad
Nasah siчmoŋ daghan.
Ronaч kaŋ mawi•lih
Nagimaчtan baya•nih
Чan mansala•kay
Daчih kah babata•yan.
Sah siчmoŋ la•ŋit, bu•kid
Hayop kadaga•tan siriŋ man
Nagkukutab nagbabana•чag
Чan siчmoŋ kataliŋka•san.
Siчmoŋ bande•rah nah nagkikintab
Sah hokboh nagla•yaw
Daчih naŋgad mapapa•raч
Чan siчmoŋ bito•чon чaldaw.
Dagaŋ nawili•han, maчogmah, maliwa•nag,
Sah limpoy moh hamis mabu•hay
Minamarhay mih kun чikah pagbasa•ŋan
Чan bu•hay mih siчmoh чidu•say.
RONA KANG MAWILI (Coastal Bikol)
Dagang namo-motan
Land beloved
Aki ka nin sirangan
Child you of east
Tingraw niyang malaad
Light of her burning bright
Nasa si-mong daghan.
In (to) your chest.
Rona kang mawili
Place you fondness
Nagimatan bayani
Born up with hero
An mansalakay
(The) invader
Dai ka babatayan.
No you step on.
Sa si-mong langit, bukid
In (to) your sky, mountain
Hayop kadagatan siring man
Animal seas like also
Nagkukutab nagbabanaag
Flickering, gleaming
An si-mong katalingkasan.
(The) your freedom
Simong bandera na nagkikintab
Your flag shining
Sa hokbo naglayaw
In army replete
Dai nanggad mapapara
No truly will be erased
An simong bitoon aldaw.
(The) your star sun
Dagang nawilihan, maogma, maliwanag,
Land fondness happy, bright
Sa limpoy mo hamis mabuhay
In shade of you sweet to live
Minamarhay mi kun ika pagbasangan
Good of us if you degraded
An buhay mi si-mo idusay.
(the) life of us to you offer
Sources:
[1▲] http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/marcha.html
[2▲] http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/filipinas.html
[3▲] http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/filipinas.html>/a>
[4▲] http://flagspot.net/flags/ph-reint.html
[5▲] http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/senlist.asp
[6▲] http://www.mabuhayradio.com/content/view/191/51/
[7▲] http://www.hilmar-klaus.de/lupang_hinirang.htm
[8▲] http://worldlanguages.multiply.com/notes/item/111
[9▲] http://www.gov.ph/aboutphil/RA8491.asp
[10▲] http://www.indopedia.org/Cebuano.html
[11▲] http://newsletter.up.edu.ph/previous/2004aug30.htm
[12▲] http://www.geocities.com/csundita/filipiniana/anthems.html
Tahoŋ kadlagan чakoh (I am a man of the forest).
