The 3 Balangiga Bells, which was revered as bells of sorrow and shame, chronicled the human nature that we are spiteful and are constantly seeking to find a way of how to get revenge to our foes. On September 28, 1901, in Balangiga, Samar, the Filipino insurgents, with bolos attacked the 74 American soldiers killing 48 of them including all the officers. In retaliation, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps crushed the insurgency killing several thousand Filipinos and got 3 Balangiga Bells as war trophies.
For 117 years, Philippine past presidents have been trying to convince America to return the 3 Bells to the Philippines for sentimental reasons as the Filipino heritage. It is only by PDU30’s braved, his hopeful, his innovative and his resourcefulness, and of course, his indefinable approach that the 3 Balangiga Bells were returned in formal solidarity.
For that, the Filipino people embrace PDU30 with our limitless love for his great job.
And I’ve learned from the return of the 3 Balangiga Bells that neither power nor poverty can make your life more magical or less tortuous. I’ve learned from what PDU30 has done that the dignity of a life, a human being, a culture, a religion, a country, actually resides in its ability for grace and compassion. I’ve learned that whatever moves you, whatever urges you to create, to build, whatever keeps you from failing, whatever helps you to survive, is perhaps the oldest and the simplest emotion is known to mankind and that is love.
Yeah, even with all the books of knowledge that you might read and impart your knowledge to others, but mankind will never be the wiser about its future unless it is coupled with a sense of love and compassion for their fellow beings. The word love if you understand that and practice it, that itself is enough to enlighten mankind.
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