Tirad Pass 1899. 1999 and Goyo 2018

19 years ago, our motley mountaineering group trekked to Tirad Pass to explore the geographic connection between Ilocos Sur and Mountain Province. Passing through trails protected from soil erosion by rip raps, we reached a site where stands the monument of a brave, young and honorable man, Gregorio Del Pilar. Recalling from history, at 23, he led a troop of older and untrained soldiers protecting President Emilio Aguinaldo from American capture.

Retracing history like their escape, we leisurely trekked for hours camping near the peak on 1 December 1999, exactly a hundred years after the general’s death by a smiper bullet signaling the submission of the Philippine sovereignty to the colonizers. Del Pilar as a hero was then a concept to us immortalized in a monument of stone riding on a horse.

Last September 2018, working on a roadshow project, transported me to various landmarks in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Pangasinan. From Cabanatuan, I proceeded to Sto Domingo in Nueva Ecija via public transport, Tarlac via Victoria and eventually settling down in Sta Barbara, Calasiao, Dagupan in Pangasinan.

Little did I know that these two events, almost 20 years apart will be linked together in Metro Manila in a Jerrold Tarog’s movie Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral #GoyoAngBatangHeneral .

Suddenly, there was a character in Del Pilar and there was historical significance in the places. The well-crafted movie demystifies the hero as human facing his demons, foreboding death, identity trauma, frustrated romance but eventually leveling up to an expectation interpreted as his redemption. “Miong, may plano ako!” Goyo in his unanticipated and accidental death is personified as a brave hero driven by love for country and its causes and not by personalities and its leaders. In his death, the boy known for his vanity, charm and impeccable image lying on the ground was stripped of clothes, jewelry, ornaments, clothes and dignity with a disfigured face.

Many reviews have been written about this piece of art on its visuals, audal, story line, characterization, script writing, musical elements, scoring among others. Among my favorite scenes were grand scenes such as the plaza program honoring the general, the dance and courtship scene, the brutal torture of Manuel Bernal, the photography set up scenes of Joven and Uncle Miguel, letter reading and exchanges, the love of country and dying for the country battle cry of Goyo, the eye contacts of lovers, parents and soldiers. On a more intimate level, engaging and impactful were the one on one conversations of Miong with Pule and MLQ and the fraternal relationship scenes of Goyo, Julian and Vicente. Particularly highlighted is the shared affinity of the two (to a certain extent Joven) in supporting Goyo whenever he is vulnerable with his identity.

I attempted to view the movie in Bacoor Cavite but was on limited screening time. I caught the movie on its 3^rd week in a commercial Metro Manila theater missing the critical first 15 minutes. Needing closure, I looked for another movie house this Saturday 22 Sept and discovered Cinema ’76 in Aurora Boulevard fronting St. Joseph Church to complete my viewing. I found out that tickets for the 2:45 PM screening have been sold out. I asked around for spare tickets from the waiting ticket holders but failed. As I was about to leave for another theater, a man from Bulacan who I had an earlier conversation with chased me to say, his brother is no longer bringing a friend and is giving me the ticket for free. This act of kindness allowed me entry in the intimate movie house.

Viewing it the 2^nd time around, I appreciated the structure even more examining the detailed production work concluding the bio epic, a large scale film with sweeping score, spectacle and impassioned characterization was a product of a passionate and disciplined professional actors, creative team and staff. At the Question and Answer segment after the screening, I expressed my appreciation to Director Jerrold Tarog for putting life to a man who 20 years ago was just a monument to me.

But the message that resonated well with me was the line of Apolinario Mabini “Ang tawag sa maliit na kabutihan ng nasa mababang posisyon ay karangalan. Ang tawag sa maliit na kabutihan na nasa mataas na posisyon ay kapabayaan.” Small acts of kindness from the ordinary people is honor. Small acts of kindness from those in power is neglect. The kindness shown by the Bulakenyo, province mate of Gregorio and Marcelo Del Pilar made it possible for me to experience the movie and the conversation with the director and actors (he was the one who asked Jerrod if a trilogy is forthcoming). (At di pala rapist at gangster si Mon Confiado. Walang kaso sa kanya pero galit ang mga Kavitenyo sa kanya).

Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral 1899. More than a century from now, the lessons from his tragedy is still relevant now, thanks to the storytelling of J. Tarog. The spirits of Mabini, Del Pilar, Aguinaldo, Bernal, Angelito, Vicente, Julian are alive. Heroes who matter now are those humans who breathe, live going through pains yet making choices favoring principles more than loyalty.

https://tochs.blogspot.com/2003/10/tirad-pass-as-challenge-for.html

https://tochs.blogspot.com/2004/08/green-view-cool-weather-full-blue-moon.html

Related article posted 27 October 2002

Tirad Pass is mountain range (with a 1,300 M ASL peak) which connects Ilocos to the Highlands, an important gateway to the Cordilleras during the Spanish period. It has historic significance because it was here where Gregorio Del Pilar was killed by an American’s sniper bullet in December 2 1899.

Today after more than a hundred years, the trail is still accessible only by trekking overtaken by other modern roadwork networks. This trail is not known to many up until this 2001 except for a handful like the Samahang Pangkasaysayan ng Bulacan (Sampaka), a cultural oriented organization that preserves and commemorates relevant historical artefacts. One of them is the heroic act of their province mate, Goyo born in San Jose Bulacan.

Sampaka, a cultural group based in Malolos Bulacan is known to have institutionalized the significance through the December 1- 2 Heneral Goyo Anniversary, a heroic pilgrim from Bulacan to Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur to pay tribute to the youngest Bulakenyo General of the Phil Revolution. Marathon biking and trekking are regular features along with on the spot painting at the monument site.

Just this year, the Tirad Pass range from Candon Ilocos Sur to Cervantes then to Mt. Province is gaining popularity as a trekking destination.

September 8,1999, the Ateneo High School Outdoors Club through its President Aiel Vergara launched a charity project to raise funds through sponsorships and donations for the public grade school of this Class E town. He wrote in their web site "December 2 is the feast day of the Filipino Hero Gregorio del Pilar who died in battle in Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur. A town just on the foot of Tirad Pass, known as Del Pilar Town, is hounded with poverty and people living there are classified as CLASS E, the lowest among all 5 classifications of Filipinos. The children trying to obtain essential education in a school present here receive only the worst of the worst in the Philippines."

http://www.geocities.com/ateneooutdoorsclub/itineraries/pasong_tirad.htm

Under the guidance of their clubs' adviser Mr. Jay Hernando, an open climb materialized this November 30-1 December 1999.  15 joined the trek with the AOC: 3 from Globe Adventure Club, 2 from PSI and 2 from Philippine Airlines Mountaineering Club PALMC and freelancers.

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/4033/tirad.html

Since then, materials which were scarce before have now become openly available through the web for the world to discover the wonder of Tirad Pass. Itineraries, photo albums, narrations and MFPI discussions are stimulating visits to the town.

The town officials, recognizing the benefits of eco-tourism have given full support to open their natural wonders to transients as a source of livelihood.

Metropolitan Mountaineering Club Itinerary

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/1030/itineraries/tiradpass_sagada.htm

Mystic Waters Personal Account

http://www.stormpages.com/mysticwaters/tirad/tirad.html

PALMC/ CBR

http://www.geocities.com/thetropics/shores/4033/tirad.html

www.geocities.com/thetropics/shores/4033/tiradjan02.html

http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=74576427203&n=7409827

To those studying the Limits of Acceptable Change, here is an opportunity to isolate the town Gregorio Del Pilar and the mountain range Tirad Pass and assess, what impact is the increasing demands on the town, the community and the range and what change can it take? Any takers?

The LAC process has been developed as a means of coping with increasing demands on recreational areas such as the outdoors in a visible logical way.  The challenge is not one of how to prevent any human-induced change, but rather one of deciding how much change will be allowed to occur, where, and the actions needed to control it.  The process requires deciding what kinds of conditions are acceptable, then prescribing actions to protect or achieve those conditions.

WHAT IS THE LIMITS OF ACCEPTABLE CHANGE (LAC) PROCESS?

http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/gwj/nra/LACWhat%20is%20LAC.htm