‘PBBM declares November 4 ‘Day of National Mourning’

APPARENTLY distraught by the widespread damage caused by severe tropical storm ‘Kristine,’ President Marcos Jr. declared Monday, November 4, as a ‘Day of National Mourning’ for the victims of the typhoon that caused widespread destruction mainly in the southern part of Luzon and took the lives of 139 victims.

Aside from the casualties, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also reported the widespread flooding displaced more than 1.79 million families or over 7 million individuals.

For four days, from October 21 to October 25, Kristine ravaged the country with the Bicol and Southern Tagalo regions bearing the brunt of its ferocity.

“The nation deeply mourns this tragic loss and joins the families and loved ones of our departed brothers and sisters in this moment of immense sorrow,” reads Proclamation 728 released by Malacañan on October 30.

“The entire nation is requested to offer prayers for the eternal repose of the souls of the victims,” it added. The announcement, however, did not state that Monday would be a non-working day.

An official estimate placed the total damage to properties, agriculture, and infrastructure at over P5 billion.

In a separate statement, the President also assured the public that the government remains “in full control.”

“All agencies and instrumentalities of government remain on full alert,” the President said, “and remain ready to deploy aid wherever it may be needed.”

Remembering Hermano Pule

In a separate proclamation unrelated to Kristine, Malacañan also issued Proclamation 728, declaring Monday as a non-working day in the province of Quezon to remember the heroism of Apolinario dela Cruz, also known as ‘Hermano Pule.’

A native of Lucban, Pule, born July 22, 1815, carried a revolt against Spain on religious grounds by establishing his own religious group, the ‘Cofradia de San Jose’ in 1832.

This predates by 70 years the establishment of the ‘Iglesia Filipina Independiente’ (IFI) otherwise known as the ‘Aglipayan Church’ spearheaded by Filipino priest, Gregorio Aglipay during the country’s war of independence against Spain.

Aglipay was the ‘Vicar General’ of the Philippine Revolutionary Army under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s government.

The IFI was formally organized in 1902 in Manila, at the start of American occupation. Its official slogan is ‘Pro Deo et Patria’ (For God and Fatherland).

Pule’s insurrection was short-lived, and he was decapitated by the Spaniards in the town of Tayabas and his head skewered on a bamboo pole for everyone to see on November 4, 1841.