Marikina City Host to two Monuments of Marxist-Leninist Revolutionaries

Note: I'll make this short, and hopefully, sweet. But I think I'll improve and expound on this later, when time and (more importantly) motivation permit...

Distinguished historian Prof. Vicente Rafael of the University of Washington, in his erudite foreword entitled, "Radiant Hope, Dark Despair," for the remarkable autobiographical opus Subversive Lives: A Family Memoir of the Marcos Years (2012) of the siblings Susan and Nathan Quimpo, wrote in his beginning paragraph (bold letters mine):

THERE ARE NO monuments to communism in the Philippines. Instead, there are numerous statues of nationalist figures. Whereas it is common, perhaps even essential, to commemorate national heroes, the nation seems unable and unwilling to acknowledge those whose nationalism was colored by communism. Even the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, which is run by a private foundation and not by the government, commemorates the victims of the Marcos regime primarily as nationalist martyrs rather than members of a radical revolutionary movement. Why this absence of memorials to communists?

The fact is, Marikina City holds the distinction of hosting not just one but two monuments to socialist revolutionaries! As "early" as  2001, then city mayor Bayani Fernando erected a statue of labor leader Filemon "Ka Popoy" Lagman (March 17, 1953 - February 6, 2001) -- just a few months (I believe) after the latter's assassination. To this day, it stands proudly at the middle of a busy intersection of Barangay Concepcion Uno:

(Yours truly took this photo recently, of the statue of -- in the interest of full disclosure -- my uncle, my mom's brother. :) )

Then in 2014, only a month after he perished in a vehicular accident, Arvin "Tado" Jimenez (March 24, 1974 - February 7, 2014), renowned TV personality, activist and comedian of the absurd (preceding Ryan Rems Sarita), was honored with a mural along a road straddling Paliparan, Marikina:

(Photo from marikinacity.wordpress.com.)

Trivia: There was this encounter between Ka Popoy and Tado, when the former allegedly grabbed the latter by his long hair, angrily, and...I think I'll just let their comrades, who actually witnessed that, complete the story. ;) Still, years after Ka Popoy died, Tado proudly declared in an interview with Kris Aquino his deep admiration for the murdered revolutionary, that he emulated him. So, regarding their respective months of birth and death: coincidental? 

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This blog is sponsored by Limitado

phone nos. 09167840522/ 023588753

and S.P.R.A.W.L.-MMA

3rd floor JN Building, 657 EDSA corner Monte De Piedad Street, Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, Quezon City

Si Tado, ang Masunurin at Responsableng Apo ng Kanyang Lola (Alangan Namang Siya’y Apo ng Kanyang Nanay)

Ang post na ito ay ang aking tribute sa first death anniversary ng isang kasama, kaibigan at brod: si Arvin Jimenez aka Tado (March 24, 1974 – February 7, 2014). Palagi ka naming maaalala't ipagpupugay, kasama!

Tinawagan ako ng kaibigan kong si Tado noong last quarter ng 2012. Sumulat daw ako ng kahit ano tungkol sa kanya, isasama daw niya iyon sa isang libro na koleksiyon ng mga ala-ala ng mga kakilala niya kung sakaling namayapa na siya. Natuwa naman ako sa konsepto. At bilang kaibigan, mabilis din naman akong nakatugon sa request niya. Dahil mahina ang memorya ko, may mga kasama kami sa student movement noong 1990's na nakalimutan ko na ang mga pangalan, kaya mali ang pag identify ko sa isa sa kanila doon sa unang kopya na sinabmit ko kay Tado. Pagtapos kong magtanong-tanong at napa-alala ulit sa akin ang tamang pangalan, inedit ko ang draft at nagsabmit ng second at final draft. In-acknowledge naman niya ang huling kopya. Kaya bagamat proud naman ako noong makabili ng kopya ng aklat niyang Bio-Eulogy, may disappointment din ako at di niya pala naihabol yung pangalawa't pinal na anecdote ko -- yung may maling first draft ang na-publish. Pabirong may hinanakit na sinita ko siya noon, pero natawa na lamang siya at nagsabi na, "Mabilisan na, eh." Mabilis naman talaga si Tado sa maraming bagay, kasama na doon ang guerilla publishing, hehe. Eniwey, tunay na karangalan pa rin naman sa akin na masama doon sa anthology, at malagay pangalan ko doon sa back cover. Ang sumusunod ang di naihabol na final draft ng aking anecdote kay Tado (sa ibang salita, "This it how it should've appeared"):

Ang Masunurin at Responsableng Apo ng Kanyang Lola (Alangan Namang Siya’y Apo ng Kanyang Nanay)

Tag-init ng 1996 noong makasama ko si Tado nang magdamag sa isang safe house sa Subic, Zambales sa isang pagpupulong ng mga miyembro  ng youth sector ng Kilusan ng Kristiyanong Kabataan (KKK). Mala-martial law ang palakad ng mga Gordon sa umuunlad na Subic noon. (Pagkatapos nilang humagulgol at maglupasay sa paghangad na manatili ang base militar ng mga Kano sa bakuran nila habangbuhay, eh kaya naman pala nilang magsarili’t paunlarin ang malawak na baybaying iyon.) At taimtim naming ipinagdarasal sa aming fellowship, na pinangungunahan ni Pastor John Bayarong, na nawa’y huwag namang makompromiso ang kalayaan sa pagpapahayag at karapatang pantao ng mga mamamayan doon, lalo na’t host ang munisipyong yaon sa 4th APEC Leaders' Summit bago matapos ang taon.

Sa kalagitnaan ng aming bible study, ay bigla na lamang sumirit sa pagsinga ang sinisipon na si Tado sa laylayan ng kanyang suot na t-shirt. Kaya naman siya’y napuna ng aming sister na si Jojo Arias, na noo’y kasalukuyang chairperson ng PUP-Sta. Mesa student council.

Sister Jojo: “Hoy, Tado! Ang laki-laki mo na, sumisinga ka pa sa damit mo. Kadiri ka!”

Brother Tado: “Noong bata ako, pinagbabawalan ako ng aking lola na suminga sa aking damit, ngayong malaki na ako, pwede na!”

Ayan si Tado, magalang sa nakatatanda, at patunay nito ang kanyang pagiging masunurin sa kanyang mahal na lola. Ngunit, siya rin ay lumaking responsable at independiyente, na kayang magdesisyon para sa kanyang sarili nang hindi na kailangang gabayan ng ibang tao.

Iyan ang magiging aral at pamana ni Tado sa kabataang Pilipino, sa mga susunod na henerasyon ng ating magiting na lahi: Ang kalayaang makapagsarili at magdesisyon kung sisinga sa suot na damit—o hindi.

Tulad ng Subic na ngayo’y malaya’t tinatamasa ang kaunlaran paglipas ng dalawang dekada noong nilisan ito ng dating mala-sipong lagkit at kapit ng dating Subic Bay Naval Base.

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At heto naman yung lumang article ko tungkol sayo at sa racket natin ni Kasamang Alvin Ruas: Tado hosts “X-sena: Just Like the OId Days” X Games and tattoo event at QC!

Tol, tinutupad ko pa rin usapan natin noon, na "sponsor" ka ng blog na ito, hehe.

This blog is sponsored by Limitado

phone nos. 09167840522/ 023588753

and S.P.R.A.W.L.-MMA

3rd floor JN Building, 657 EDSA corner Monte De Piedad Street, Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, Quezon City

Tado hosts “X-sena: Just Like the OId Days” X Games and tattoo event at QC!

This Sept 30, 2012, Arvin Jimenez A.K.A. Tado will hold and host a grand X Games and tattoo competition and exhibition at the Bernardo Park Covered Court in Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City. In cooperation with Punong Barangay Jayson Encomienda, the event entitled “X-sena: Just Like the Old Days” expects hundreds to patronize the various featured activities.

The X Games events of skateboarding, BMX bike stunts, fingerboarding and all-girl skating, along with the tattooing competition, will run from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The concert featuring iconic bands like Greyhoundz and Arcadia commences right after the X Games.

Also in the afternoon, S.P.R.A.W.L.-Mixed Martial Arts and the Wrestling Association of the Philippines (WAP) will hold MMA, grappling, Muay Thai and wrestling exhibitions.

With cerebral comedian of the absurd and social activist Tado at the helm—with co-hosts Skunx RiotRiot and Nognog Dgk—expect an Xtremely fun Sunday, morning to midnight, on the 30^th. 

Entrance fee is only Php50.00 each for spectators. Registration for competitors is from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. For X Games athletes, it's Php150.00 each (they may practice at the venue as early as 8:00 AM); for tattoo art contestants, it's Php700.00.  

“X-sena: Just Like the Old Days” is organized by X Games veteran Alvin Ruas in cooperation with the QC Office of the Vice Mayor (our Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte will grace the event), and sponsored by QCTimes Magazine, Gubat Photographer Club, Skatepirate Skateboarding, Limitado Clothing, Wrestling Association of the Philippines, S.P.R.A.W.L. MMA PHL, among others.

This blog is sponsored by Limitado

and S.P.R.A.W.L.-MMA

3rd floor JN Building, 657 EDSA corner Monte De Piedad Street, Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, QC

Contact Number:             0910-440-8035      ;             0907-302-0384      ;            0927-703-6912