There are different ways of looking at Emilio Aguinaldo, considered as the first president of the Philippines.
Sa isang banda, may nagtutulak na ituring siyang bayani. He was among those who fought during the Philippine Revolution that led to the ouster of the Spaniards from the Philippines. Aguinaldo himself promulgated the Philippine Declaration of Independence in his mansion in Cavite.
But there are also those who see Aguinaldo as a traitor. He played a role in the execution of (notably less affluent, less educated, less “classy”, et cetera) Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio, and of Gen. Antonio Luna. Aguinaldo took an oath of allegiance to the United States. And during the 2nd World War, he collaborated with the Japanese.
@outragemag Was #EmilioAguinaldo a hero or traitor? Unanswered during this #LGBTQ trip to #AguinaldoShrine in #Kawit, #Cavite ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
You won’t see or hear any of these in Aguinaldo’s ancestral house, which was constructed from 1845, and is now one of the more popular museums in Cavite (and the Philippines, for that matter).
Declared as a national shrine in 1964, and is managed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the place that is somewhat well-kept may be worth checking out for various reasons. Halimbawa, kahit hindi ka history buff but have seen a re-enactment of the unfurling of the Philippine flag sa isang veranda, then know that this is where it happened. Makikita mo rin dito kung paano namuhay ng isang mayamang pamilya in the olden times. And yes, dito na rin nakalibing si Aguinaldo.
But the place fails to capture the complexity of Aguinaldo. All you get when coming here is an unoccupied house, a rich man’s unoccupied house. There are no history lessons here. No museum guides. No flyers, pamphlets, handouts. No recorded narrations. Waley.
And so we have a missed opportunity particularly for those who may want to learn more. And for those who should be taught about lessons from our history.
Throughout the Filipino history, uso ang pagkamkam ng kapangyarihan. Pagpanig sa foreign forces. Pag-traydor sa kapuwa Pilipino.
Aguinaldo’s story could have shown us these… and maybe more. But his shrine is – apparently – not where we can learn those, or even get to know Aguinaldo more.
This mansion is a witness of our history. Sadly, it cannot speak, and has no way to share lessons learned. So we are forced to discover more is we want to learn more.
The Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine is located in Kawit, 4104 Province of Cavite.
