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NINOY AQUINO DAY: “The Filipino is Worth dying for”

Author

Mary Grace Campos

Published

Aug. 21, 2021

Ninoy Aquino Day

Commemorating Ninoy Aquino’s life is really worth remembering. The watershed moment in the Philippines history happened in the year 1983, 21st of August. This was the date that Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. was slain after returning to Manila following a three-year exile. For this result, many Filipinos open their eyes, spoke their lips and many thoughts arouse. It was at that time that many Filipinos were encouraged to fight for their independence from the tyranny. Ninoy is not just an ordinary people. He was a hero who symbolized a new age of hope, justice, integrity and a healer of the country and people’s catastrophic wounds inflicted by the people who dredged him down to his death.

During his time, there was a statement uttered by him that indeed recognized how he was so dedicated to serve and forfend the Filipinos in this country. Let’s talk more about him and know why we commemorate him as a hero.

“The Filipino is Worth dying for”

Whenever we heard this quotation, there’s only one thing that comes into our mind and that is Senator “Ninoy”. These were the words uttered by the late Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. – a significant and inspirational Filipino politician. Words that keep us proud as a Filipino. Words that make every Filipinos be brave enough to fight for their freedom. Words that inspire us to have our dignity, integrity and worth on our loving democratic country. And, words that would mean that the Filipinos are significant enough to exist and endure for future generations. Our forebears’ and heroes’ sacrifices and deaths are completely heartfelt. The lives they’ve offered were selflessly recognized and accepted by the current generations. As we continue living in this country, let’s make this statement meaningful and memorable as the late Senator “Ninoy” left these words to embed in the mind and heart of every Filipinos.

Who is NINOY AQUINO?

Ninoy Aquino or Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr. was born on November 27, 1932 in the province of Tarlac. He was a Filipino politician who served as a governor of the province of Tarlac and as a Senator of the Philippines from 1967 up to 1972. Also, he was the husband of the late President Corazon Aquino, and a father of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. During the era of martial law in the Philippines, he was the chief opposition leader alongside with Senator Jose W. Diokno together with Gerardo Roxas and Jovito Salonga who helped him form the leadership against then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

Aquino was captured in 1972, along with others linked with the armed insurrection of the New People’s Army. He was imprisoned for seven years shortly after Martial Law was imposed. According to several accounts, he has been depicted as Marcos’ “most renowned political prisoner”. He formed his own political party, “Lakas ng Bayan” and ran candidates in the 1978 Philippine Parliamentary election. However, the party’s candidates all lost.

As the situation was deteriorated in the Philippines, Aquino made the decision to return to confront Marcos and revive the democracy to the country despite of several threats. Unfortunately, on his way back from his self-imposed exile, he was slain at the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983.

In his honor, Manila International Airport has been renamed “Ninoy International Airport”. Moreover, his death anniversary has been declared as a National Holiday in the Philippines.

Ninoy Aquino Day

Remembering the death of Ninoy Aquino annually, it became a holiday by virtue of the Republic Act No. 9256 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on February 25, 2004. It was declared that August 21st was the “Ninoy Aquino Day”, a national non-working holiday in the Philippines.

  1. https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/ninoy-aquino-day/
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benigno_Aquino_Jr.
  3. https://www.facebook.com/BicolUniversity/posts/the-filipino-is-worth-dying-forthese-were-the-words-of-an-influential-and-inspir/3667076479987053/
  4. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benigno-Aquino-Jr
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninoy_Aquino_Day

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