Executive Summary

No law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or issued officially

proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero. However, because of their
significant roles in the process of nation building and contributions to history, there were
laws enacted and proclamations issued honoring these heroes.
Even Jose Rizal, considered as the greatest among the Filipino heroes, was not
explicitly proclaimed as a national hero. The position he now holds in Philippine history
is a tribute to the continued veneration or acclamation of the people in recognition of his
contribution to the significant social transformations that took place in our country.
Aside from Rizal, the only other hero given an implied recognition as a national hero is
Andres Bonifacio whose day of birth on November 30 has been made a national
holiday.
Despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming them as national
heroes, they remain admired and revered for their roles in Philippine history. Heroes,
according to historians, should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left
to academics. Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough.
1. Selection and Proclamation of National Heroes

1.1 National Heroes Committee

On March 28, 1993 , President Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order No.75 entitled
Creating the National Heroes Committee Under the Office of the President.
The principal duty of the Committee is to study, evaluate and recommend Filipino
national personages/heroes in due recognition of their sterling character and remarkable
achievements for the country.
1.2 Findings and Recommendations of the National Heroes Committee
In compliance with Executive Order No. 75 dated March 28, 1993 , the National Heroes
Committee submitted its findings and recommendations.
1.2.1 Criteria for National Heroes

The Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee held a series of meetings
on June 3, 1993 , August 19,1993 , September 12, 1994 and November 15, 1995 ,
defining, discussing and deliberating upon the merits of the various definitions and
criteria of a hero. The Committee adopted the following criteria as basis for historical
researchers in determining who among the great Filipinos will be officially proclaimed as
national heroes:
Criteria for National Heroes
(Adopted by the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee on June 3,
1993 , Manila . Members of the Committee included Drs. Onofre D. Corpuz, Samuel K.
Tan, Marcelino Foronda, Alfredo Lagmay, Bernardita R. Churchill, Serafin D. Quiason,
Ambeth Ocampo, then known as Dom Ignacio Maria, Prof. Minerva Gonzales and Mrs.
Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil)
1. Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for
the nations freedom. Our own struggle for freedom was begun by Bonifacio and
finished by Aguinaldo, the latter formally declaring the revolutions success. In reality,
however, a revolution has no end. Revolutions are only the beginning. One cannot
aspire to be free only to sink back into bondage.
2. Heroes are those who define and contribute to a system or life of freedom and order
for a nation. Freedom without order will only lead to anarchy. Therefore, heroes are
those who make the nations constitution and laws, such as Mabini and Recto. To the
latter, constitutions are only the beginning, for it is the people living under the
constitution that truly constitute a nation.
3. Heroes are those who contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a nation. (As
defined by Dr. Onofre D. Corpuz)
Additional Criteria for Heroes
(Adopted by the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee on November
15, 1995, Manila)

1. A hero is part of the peoples expression. But the process of a peoples internalization
of a heros life and works takes time, with the youth forming a part of the internalization.
2. A hero thinks of the future, especially the future generations.
3. The choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in
history, but of the entire process that made this particular person a hero. (As defined by
Dr. Alfredo Lagmay)
1.2.2 Historical Figures Recommended as National Heroes
On November 15, 1995 , the Technical Committee after deliberation and careful study
based on Dr. Onofre D. Corpuz and Dr. Alfredo Lagmays criteria selected the following
nine Filipino historical figures to be recommended as National Heroes:
a. Jose Rizal
b. Andres Bonifacio
c. Emilio Aguinaldo
d. Apolinario Mabini
e. Marcelo H. del Pilar
f. Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat
g. Juan Luna
h. Melchora Aquino
i. Gabriela Silang
1.2.3 Status of the Report/Recommendations Submitted by the National Heroes
Committee.
Since the submission of the report/recommendations by the National Heroes Committee
to then Secretary Ricardo T. Gloria of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
on November 22,1995 , no action has been taken. This was probably because this
might trigger a flood of requests for proclamations. Another possibility is that the
proclamations can trigger bitter debates involving historical controversies about the
heroes.

2. Laws Honoring/ Commemorating Filipino Historical Figures

2.1 Heroes
2.1.1 Jose Rizal
2.1.1.1 Decree of December 20, 1898 , issued by General Emilio Aguinaldo, declared
December 30 of every year a day of national mourning in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal and
other victims of the Philippine Revolution.
2.1.1.2 Act No. 137, which organized the politico-military district of Morong into the
Province of Rizal , was the first official step taken by the Taft Commission to honor our
greatest hero and martyr.
2.1.2 Andres Bonifacio
2.1.2.1 Act No. 2946, enacted by the Philippine Legislature on February 16, 1921 ,
made November 30 of each year a legal holiday to commemorate the birth of Andres
Bonifacio
2.1.2.2 Act No. 2760, issued on February 23, 1918 , confirmed and ratified all steps
taken for the creation, maintenance, improvement of national monuments and
particularly for the erection of a monument to the memory of Andres Bonifacio
2.1.3 Other Heroes
2.1.3.1 Act No. 3827, enacted by the Philippine Legislature on October 28, 1931 ,
declared the last Sunday of August of every year as National Heroes Day.
2.1.3.2 Proclamation No. 510, issued by Pres. Fidel V.Ramos on November 30, 1994 ,
declared the year 1996 as the year of Filipino Heroes as a tribute to all Filipinos who,
directly and indirectly, gave meaning and impetus to the cause of freedom, justice,
Philippine independence and nationhood.

2.1.3.3 R.A. No. 9070, April 8, 2001, declaring the eighteenth of December of every
year as a special working public holiday throughout the country to be known as the
Graciano Lopez-Jaena Day
2.2 Other Historical Figures
2.2.1 R.A. No. 6701, February 10, 1989, declaring September One of every year, the
death anniversary of Gregorio Aglipay y Labayan, as Gregorio L. Aglipay Day and a
special non-working holiday in the Municipality of Batac, Province of Ilocos Norte
2.2.2 R.A. No. 7285, March 24, 1992, declaring February Nineteen of each year as
Doa Aurora Aragon Quezon Day a special nonworking holiday in the Province of
Aurora in order to commemorate the birth anniversary of Doa Aurora Aragon Quezon,
the first President of the Philippine National Red Cross, and Foundation Day of the
Province
2.2.3 R.A. No. 7805, September 1, 1994, declaring January 28 of every year as a nonworking special public holiday in the City of Cavite to be known as Julian Felipe Day
2.2.4 R.A. No. 7950, March 25, 1995, declaring December Eighteen of every year as
Araw ng Laguna and a special working day in the Province of Laguna and the City of
San Pablo to commemorate the memory and death of the late Governor Felicisimo T.
San Luis
2.2.5 R.A. No. 9067, April 8, 2001 , declaring April 15 of every year as President
Manuel A. Roxas Day which shall be observed as a special working public holiday in the
Province of Capiz and the City of Roxas
*From the Reference and Research Bureau Legislative Research Service, House of
Congress

BONIFACIO AT 150 The Philippine flag flutters in the wind at the

monument of Andres Bonifacio in Caloocan City as the nation celebrates
the 150th birth anniversary Friday of the Father of the Philippine
Revolution. A proposal has gone up in Congress that would designate
the leader of the Katipunan as national hero in place of Jose Rizal.
MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
To this day, Filipinos debate who between Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, who died
opposing Spanish rule and only months apart, deserves to be revered as national hero.
Three members of the House of Representatives hope to put an end to the debate by
introducing legislation that would take away the accolade from the ilustrado from
Calamba, Laguna province, and hand it to the poor boy from Tondo, Manila.
The attempt at a congressional act to settle the debate comes as the nation
commemorates Bonifacios 150th birth anniversary.
Bayan Muna Representatives Neri J. Colmenares and Carlos Isagani T. Zarate have
filed House Bill No. 3431 declaring the leader of the revolutionary movement
Katipunan the national hero.
There has never been legislation declaring a national hero. Instead there was only a
number of proclamations that gave recognition and honor to a few historical figures
for their contribution to society, the most famous of whom are Jose Rizal and Andres
Bonifacio, Colmenares and Zarate said in their explanatory note.
After learning from research done by his staff that the Philippines has no official
national hero, Rep. Edgar Erice reckoned it was an opportune time to give Bonifacio
the honor that he had been deprived of for more than 100 years.
Its about time we named Bonifacio the national hero, Erice said in an interview.
Erice has proposed the allotment of P400 million to refurbish the 80-year-old
Bonifacio monument created by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino at the northern
gateway to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) in Caloocan City.
If Rizals monument at Luneta Park has a full-time guard, it is but fair that the
Bonifacio monument should be given the same reverence, he said.
Official acts
Colmenares and Zarate pointed out that it was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo who issued in
1898 the decree designating Dec. 30, the day of Rizals execution at Bagumbayan,
Manila, as Rizal Day.
They also said it was the American-led Taft Commission that named a Philippine
province after Rizal.
Colmenares and Zarate said Congress in 1918 approved the erection of the Bonifacio
monument and in 1921 declared Nov. 30 Bonifacio Day.
Twenty years ago, Colmenares and Zarate said, a National Heroes Committee was
created through Executive Order No. 75 to study and evaluate Filipinos of national
prominence and recommend them as heroes to recognize their sterling character and
remarkable achievements for the country.

Controversies
In 1995, the committee submitted a short list of candidates to the then Department of
Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), which did not act on the list, saying it could
polarize the nation.
Colmenares and Zarate acknowledged that choosing one hero over another could lead
to debates on controversies involving the heroes and that a lot has been said in favor
of or against both Rizal and Bonifacio.
It is true that Jose Rizal through his writings was able to put across the need for
changes in the country that was dominated by Spanish colonial power. His writings
influenced intellectuals who actively participated in the fight for reforms in society,
the lawmakers said in their explanatory note.
Andres Bonifacio, on the other hand, was an intellectual impassioned by the need to
change the oppressive and exploitative system not merely by writing about it but also
by acting on it, they said.
Revising history
The difference, in so far as their contribution to society is concerned, lies in the
ability of Bonifacio to translate Rizals writings into a language understandable to the
Filipino masses and to transform and develop them into practice. Because of his actual
participation in the [Katipunan], Bonifacio was able to organize and mobilize
thousands of [Filipinos] in a revolution that ended the [Spanish regime] and led [to
the] Filipino nations independence, they said.
Their bill would empower the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the
Department of Education, and the Commission on Higher Education to formulate
policy that would make education on the life and heroism of Bonifacio part of the
curriculum in elementary, secondary and tertiary schools, revise history books, and
authorize dissemination of pertinent information.
The bill would also mandate the Department of Public Works and Highways to erect a
Bonifacio bust in every province, city and town, apparently to equal or surpass the
ubiquitous presence of Rizals image in the country.

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ITS been half a century now, but Filipinos continue to debate on who should be the countrys national hero
Dr. Jose P. Rizal, or Andres Bonifacio?

The disagreement is true among Dabawenyos as we, Edge Davao reporters, found out when we conducted
an opinion survey among readers whose cellular phone numbers were on our phone books.
Of the total of 34 respondents who texted back their opinion, 18 people or 53 percent, favored Dr. Rizal to
be our national hero. However, 14 or 41 percent, said it should be Bonifacio for a number of reasons.
One respondent, or 2 percent, had great admiration for both Rizal and Bonifacio, but could decide who
between them should be our national hero. We filed these reports:
10 of 10
By Vannah Crisjana Ang
ALL 10 readers who responded to my opinion survey were unanimous in choosing Dr. Rizal as more
deserving to be the Philippine national hero compared to Andres Bonifacio.
A common reason cited was Rizals peaceful weapon choice of knowledge and literary skills used to defeat
the oppression of the Spaniards, while Bonifacio decided to battle them through the means of warfare.
Here are some of the best answers I gathered from the survey.
Jose Rizal. He has the greatest example of a life dedicated for ultra nationalism and unbendable patriotism.
He chose education and knowledge as his primary weapons to defeat oppression instead of violence. -Alexa
Jeanne Bangoy
Jose Rizal a pacifist, global citizen and an intellectual. We need more of his kind in the Philippines. We
already have enough angry, dramatic false nationalists. -Carlos Celdran
Yes, Rizal might not be a full pledged Filipino like Bonifacio but he treated and love the country as a full
blooded Filipino. He died for the countrys freedom. He revolted against the Spaniards not through war like
Bonifacio but in a way that people will be guided as well as to be educated on the injustices that was going
on and on how to overcome the challenges faced by the Filipino people. Inna Melissa Escandor
6 of 12 for Bonifacio;
One was undecided
By Cheneen R. Capon
OF the 12 who texted back, six said they were for Andres Bonifacio, and only five for Dr. Jose Rizal. One who
had great admiration for both men, couldnt decide who should be the national hero. A sampling of their
reactions:
I am for Bonifacio. Rizal was a noble man, but a product of circumstance. He had good education and was
behooved to be a leader. Bonifacio was a great man. His patriotism is the patriotism of the masses. He was
great in spite of his circumstances. -Atty. Cynthia D. Perez- Alabanza, spokesperson of the National Grid
Corporation of the Philippines.
Rizal wrote,and Bonifacio fought.
Rizal thought and talked, and Bonifacio listened and acted.
Rizal wanted change thru peaceful means, Bonifacio believed change possible only through war. And it was
through war that the Spanish gave up.
Bonifacio should be our hero, and Rizal may be credited for helping. John Gaisano Jr., Davao City
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. chairman.
I think the national hero should be Bonifacio since he represents the Filipino masses who are oppressed and
he embodies the true filipino character of courage. Rizal was an aristocrat and was chosen by the Americans
as our nationall hero so we would also emulate his timid ways of objecting to foreign rule.- ret. Col. Yusof
Jimlani, City Demolition Unit and Task Force Drainage chief
Jose Rizal, since he had great contributions in his time (a doctor, artist, poet, etc.) I still believe in the
power of pen not in Bonifacios physical warfare. The national hero should be the one with the greatest
influence, and thats Rizal. Erolle Linus Miranda, Interface Development Interventions (IDID) media
advocacy specialist
If the basis is intelligence, vision, empathy and concept of peace, its Rizal hands down. But in terms of
taking action, guts and intense love of country, I give huge credit to Bonifacio. In short, they are
incomparable as they are leaders with different styles and ideas. And one cannot be lesser than the other.
- Davao City Councilor Leo Avila III
Both of them are great heroes. But in my opinion, it should be Andres Bonifacio. A proletariat hero, true
revolutionary. He was one of the founders of Katipunan, aspiring for national liberation from the chains of
slavery and colonialism of Spain. None the less, Jose Rizal is duly recognized for his patriotism, his skills in
writing was a major contribution on d Philippine history. But he was more inclined to reformism. - Hanimay

Suazo, secretary general, Karapatan-SOUTHERN MINDANAO REGION.

I favor Dr. Jose P. Rizal and also as a gift for his 153rd birth anniversary today. His heroic performances
were better than that of Gat Andres in my personal opinion. - Regional Director Demetrio E. Casipung of
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Davao
Its Bonifacio. He risked his life by leading d katipuneros in arm struggle versus the Spaniards. Executive
Director Vallente Turtur of Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao Inc.
Other who participated in the survey were Compostela Gov. Arturo Congkee T. Uy, and Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) secretary general Joel Villanueva.
8-3 for Bonifacio
By Daniel Joaquin
EIGHT of the 11 who answered my opinion survey picked Andres Bonifacio as the rightful national hero.
Here is a sampling of their answers:
Jose Rizal. He travelled to places to equip himself with knowledge to help his country.- Stephen Lim
- Andres Bonifacio. He wanted total freedom and independence for the Filipinos. He also formed KKK while
Rizal only wanted special treatment like that of the Spaniards for the Filipinos.- Justin Lim
Andres Bonifacio. He was a very brave man and fought first hand for his country. Atapang atao hindi
atakbo... Diana Lhyd Suelto
Andres Bonifacio. He fought the Spaniards first hand. The impact of what Jose Rizal did was greater, but it
was all in the background during the time.- Vincent Galleros
Others who chose Bonifacio were photojournalist Cado Ninal, Franz Chavez, Sherwin Dumago, Nelly
Magallanes and Chad Velez, while those chose Rizal were Miko Chin and Nhel Orpina.