Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Regional Office IX, Zamboanga Peninsula

7 Zest for Progress

Z Peal of artnership

4th QUARTER – Module 6:

MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

Name of Learner: ___________________________

Grade & Section: ___________________________
Name of School: ___________________________
Mathematics – Grade 7
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 4 - Module 6: Measures of Central Tendency
First Edition, 2020
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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Abdurauf J. Baldomero
Editors: Divine T. De Guzman
Haifa D. Ternida
Reviewers: EPS, Mathematics Vilma A. Brown, Ed. D.
Principal Salvador C. Bucoy, LMD
Management Team: SDS Roy C. Tuballa, EMD, JD, CESO VI
ASDS Jay S. Montealto, CESO VI
ASDS Norma T. Francisco, DM, CESE
EPS Mathematics Vilma A. Brown, Ed. D.
EPS LRMS Aida F. Coyme, Ed. D.

Printed in the Philippines

Department of Education – Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Office Address: Tiguma, Airport Road, Pagadian City
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1
Introductory Message
This Self – Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners, can continue
your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions, exercises, and
discussion are carefully stated for you to understand each lesson.
Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you step-by-step as you
discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.
Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in each SLM. This will tell
you if you need to proceed on completing this module or if you need to ask your facilitator or
your teacher’s assistance for better understanding of the lesson. At the end of each module,
you need to answer the post-test to self-check your learning. Answer keys are provided for
each activity and test. We trust that you will be honest in using these.
In addition to the material in the main text, notes to the Teacher are also provided to our
facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how they can best help you on your
home-based learning.
Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on any part of this SLM. Use
a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises and tests. And read the instruction
carefully before performing each task.
If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in answer the tasks in this module,
do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.
Thank you.

What I Need to Know

This module was written as an aid in the basic statistics lesson of the fourth quarter of
Grade 7-Mathematics. The module follows a step – by – step approach to computational
statistics supported by examples and exercises. It covers the key concepts of measures of
central tendency for grouped and ungrouped data.
After going through the module, the learner is expected to:
⚫ illustrate the measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) of a
statistical data. (M7SP–IVf–1)
⚫ calculate the measures of central tendency of ungrouped and grouped data.
(M7SP– IVf–g–1)

What I Know
Directions: Read and understand each statement carefully. Write the letter of the correct
answer on a separate sheet.
1. Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency?
A. Mean B. Median C. Mode D. Range
2. What is the median of 9, 5, and 7?
A. 6 B. 7 C. 8 D. 11

2
3. Which of the measures of central tendency will you use if you want to know the common
age of grade 7 students?
A. Mean B. Median C. Mode D. Range
4. What is the mean of the grouped data below?
CLASS INTERVAL 𝒇 𝒙𝒎 𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎
51 – 55 3 53 159 A. 19
56 – 60 8 58 464 B. 25
61 – 65 10 63 630 C. 61
66 – 70 4 68 272 D. 73
25 1525
5. Using the grouped data given in item number 4, which is the modal class?
A. 51 – 55 B. 56 – 60 C. 61 – 65 D. 66 – 70

LESSON MEASURES OF CENTRAL

TENDENCY FOR UNGROUPED
1
DATA

What’s In
ACTIVITY GUESS WHAT
Directions: Organize the data below in the frequency distribution table given and answer the
question that follows.
The data show the age of 15 grade 7 students at Don Pablo Lorenzo Memorial High School
11 12 12 11 12 13 12 12 12 12 12 12 14 12 11
AGE TALLY FREQUENCY QUESTION:
11 III 3 If Mario is an incoming grade 7 student
12 and belongs to the most common age, what
13 could be his age?
14
TOTAL
Organizing data through tables and graphs can help in describing the situations, drawing
conclusions, and even make inferences about events. But summarizing the data can help in
predicting outcomes in the future and make sound decisions and judgments.

What’s New
ACTIVITY WHO IS WHO
Directions: Compare the two set of data below.
The data show the Mathematics grades of sections A and B.
Section A 82 83 84 84 84 85 85 85
Section B 70 70 80 81 85 90 93 95

QUESTION: Which of the two sections performed better? Justify your answer.

3
 What is It
A Data
Data in statistics are a collection of facts, such as numbers, words, measurements,
observation or just description of things.
Data can be classified into two forms namely: grouped and ungrouped data.
Data
Ungrouped Grouped
Classification
Ungrouped or raw data are Grouped data are data that are sorted or
data that are not yet sorted, grouped in different classes called class
Definition classified, or grouped. They intervals.
are data that are first gathered
in an experiment or study.
21 23 19 17 12
CLASS INTERVAL TALLY 𝒇
15 15 17 17 19
Example 1 – 10 0
23 23 21 23 25
Marks 11 – 20 |||| - |||| - | 11
25 21 19 19 19
obtained by 20 21 - 30 |||| - |||| 9
students in a
These data are ungrouped The data are grouped using a frequency
Mathematics
since they are just gathered distribution table to serve as a
Examination
data without classification or convenient way to present the data since
even arrangement. it is easy to read and understand.

B Measures of Central Location or Tendency

Measures of Central Location or Tendency is one way of summarizing data by
representing a data set using a single value. It is commonly done by finding the central value
of a data set or the typical value. The most common measures of central tendency are the
mean, median, and mode.
Measure of
Central MEAN MEDIAN MODE
tendency
Definition The Mean is commonly Median value of a The Mode or the modal
known as the
data set is simply value of a data is the
“average” in your the middle value most frequent value or
grade school
of the set arranged the value that appears
mathematics. It made in ascending or most often. A set with
use of all the data to descending order. two modes is called
describe the set of data.
In case there are bimodal set. If no data
two middle values, value or values occur
add the two values most frequently, the data
and divide it by 2. have no mode.
Illustrative STEP 1: Add all the STEP 1: Arrange Find the value that
Example 1 data. the set in appears most often or the
increasing order value that has the highest
Data Set: 9 + 7 + 4 + 7 + 3 = 30 (also called Data number of appearances.
9, 7, 4, 7, 3 Array).
9, 𝟕, 4, 𝟕, 3

4
 Number of STEP 2: Divide the sum 3, 4, 𝟕, 7, 9
Data: 5 by the number of data 7 appeared twice while
to get the mean. STEP 2: Get the the rest of the data
𝟑𝟎 middle value. appeared once
𝑴𝒆𝒂𝒏 = 𝒙 ̅= =𝟔
𝟓 Middle value: 7 𝑴𝒐𝒅𝒆 = 𝒙 ̂=𝟕
𝑴𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 = 𝒙 ̃=𝟕
Illustrative Sum of data: Data Array: Note:
Example 2 80 + 92 + 83 + 80 + 83 + 81 80, 80, 𝟖𝟏, 𝟖𝟑, 83, 92 80 and 83 appeared most
𝑺𝒖𝒎 = 𝟒𝟗𝟗 often
Data Set: Note: There are 2
80, 92, 83, 80, 83, 81 𝟒𝟗𝟗 middle values. ̂ = {𝟖𝟎, 𝟖𝟑}
𝒙
̅=
𝒙 = 𝟖𝟑. 𝟏𝟕
𝟔
Number of 𝟖𝟏 + 𝟖𝟑 𝟏𝟔𝟒
̃=
𝒙 =
Data: 6 𝟐 𝟐
̃ = 𝟖𝟐
𝒙

What’s More
Directions: Find the measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) of the
ungrouped data below.
The data show the age of fifteen
randomly selected grade 7 MEAN MODE
students at Don Pablo Lorenzo Total Number of Data
Memorial High School. ̅)
MEAN (𝒙
11 12 12 13 12 MEDIAN
16 13 13 18 13 DATA ARRAY
11 13 12 14 12 ̃)
MEDIAN (𝒙

LESSON MEASURE OF CENTRAL

2
TENDENCY FOR GROUPED DATA

What is It

Mean of Grouped Data

To compute for the mean of grouped data, first, we need to extend the basic column of
frequency distribution table by adding two additional columns. For this example, we will
remove the tally column.
CLASS INTERVAL FREQUENCY (𝒇) CLASS MIDPOINT (𝒙𝒎 ) 𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎
16 – 20 6

a. CLASS MIDPOINT (𝒙𝒎 )

In computing for the mean, we will use class midpoint instead of the entire class interval
to represent each class interval by a single number. We can compute for the class midpoint

5
 by getting the average of the lower limit and the upper limit of the class interval or
simply adding the lower and upper limit divided by 2.
𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒙𝒎 = (𝑳𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕 + 𝑼𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑳𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕) ÷ 𝟐
b. FREQUENCY × CLASS MIDPOINT (𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 )
To solve this column, we need to multiply the frequency and the class midpoint.
𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 (𝒇) ∙ 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 (𝒙𝒎 )
c. TABLE COMPLETION
CLASS
𝒇 𝒙𝒎 𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎
INTERVAL
16 – 20 6 (𝟏𝟔 + 𝟐𝟎) ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟑𝟔 ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟏𝟖 𝟔 ∙ 𝟏𝟖 = 𝟏𝟎𝟖
21 – 25 14 (𝟐𝟏 + 𝟐𝟓) ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟒𝟔 ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟐𝟑 𝟏𝟒 ∙ 𝟐𝟑 = 𝟑𝟐𝟐
26 – 30 8 (𝟐𝟔 + 𝟑𝟎) ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟓𝟔 ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟐𝟖 𝟖 ∙ 𝟐𝟖 = 𝟐𝟐𝟒
31 – 35 2 (𝟑𝟏 + 𝟑𝟓) ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟔𝟔 ÷ 𝟐 = 𝟑𝟑 𝟐 ∙ 𝟑𝟑 = 𝟔𝟔

d. APPLYING THE FORMULA

After extending the frequency distribution table, we can now compute for the mean.
FORMULA SYMBOL DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE

∑(𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 ) ∑(𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 ) Sum of 4th column ( 𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 ) 720

𝑥̃ =
∑𝑓 Sum of 2nd column
∑ 𝑓 or 𝑛 30
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝒇
To solve for the mean, we just need to substitute the necessary value from the table
to the formula.
∑(𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 ) 108 + 322 + 224 + 66 720
𝑥̃ = = = = 24
∑𝑓 30 30
Therefore, the mean of the grouped data above is 24.

Median of Grouped Data

Similar to the mean, before we can solve for the median, we need to extend the basic
columns of the frequency distribution table by one column called cumulative frequency.
CLASS INTERVAL FREQUENCY (𝒇) CUMULATIVE FREQUENCY (𝒄𝒇)
16 – 20 6

a. CUMULATIVE FREQUENCY (𝒄𝒇)

Cumulative frequency is the continuous addition of the frequencies in a frequency
distribution table. To solve for the cumulative frequency, we need to get the first frequency
and add the frequency of the next row to get the cumulative frequency of the next row.
ROW NO. CLASS INTERVAL 𝒇 SOLUTION 𝒄𝒇
1 16 – 20 6 Start by getting the first frequency 6 6
To get the next 𝒄𝒇, add the next frequency 14
2 21 – 25 14 to the previous 𝒄𝒇 6 20
6 + 14 = 20
3 26 – 30 8 20 + 8 = 28 28
4 31 – 35 2 28 + 2 = 30 30
We need to make sure that the last 𝒄𝒇 is equal to the sum of the frequencies ∑ 𝒇. In
this case, ∑ 𝒇 = 𝟔 + 𝟏𝟒 + 𝟖 + 𝟐 = 𝟑𝟎 which is equal to the last 𝒄𝒇 30.

6
 b. MEDIAN CLASS
Before we can compute for the median, first, we need to identify which among the rows
∑𝒇
is the median class. To find the median class, we need to compute for the value of and
𝟐
look for the row which has a cumulative frequency (𝒄𝒇) equal or greater than the value of
∑𝒇
.
𝟐
∑𝒇
In the example above, our ∑ 𝒇 is 30. So, our is 15. Looking at the 𝑐𝑓, 15 belongs to
𝟐
row number 2 with a 𝑐𝑓 of 20 since it is the first row with 𝑐𝑓 greater than 15. Therefore,
our median class is row number 2.
c. APPLYING THE FORMULA
After extending the frequency distribution table FORMULA
and finding the median class, we can now compute
∑𝒇
for the median by identifying the value of each − 𝑪𝒇𝒃
̃ = 𝑳𝑩 + ( 𝟐
𝒙 )𝒊
𝒇𝒎
symbol in the formula.
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
LOWER BOUNDARY of the
median class. (Subtract 0.5 to The lower limit of the median class is 21. So,
𝑳𝑩
the lower limit of the median 𝑳𝑩 = 𝟐𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟓 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓
class)
∑𝒇 Sum of 2nd column (frequency) ∑ 𝒇 𝟑𝟎
divided by 2 = = 𝟏𝟓
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
CUMULATIVE FREQUENCY
𝑪𝒇𝒃 We need the 𝑐𝑓 of row number 1 which is 6
BEFORE the median class
FREQUENCY of the median We need to find the 𝑓 of row number 2 which
𝒇𝒎
class is 14
Using the class interval of row number 2 which
𝒊 CLASS WIDTH
21-25, we can count that the class width is 5
To solve for the median, we just need to substitute the necessary value from the table
to the formula given above.
∑𝒇
− 𝑪𝒇𝒃 𝟏𝟓 − 𝟔 𝟗 𝟒𝟓
𝑥̃ = 𝑳𝑩 + ( 𝟐 ) 𝒊 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓 + ( ) 𝟓 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓 + ( ) 𝟓 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓 + ≈ 𝟐𝟑. 𝟕𝟏
𝒇𝒎 𝟏𝟒 𝟏𝟒 𝟏𝟒

Therefore, the median of the grouped data above is approximately 23.71.

Mode of Grouped Data

Unlike the mean and median of grouped data, we don’t need to extend the basic columns
of a frequency distribution table. We only need the class interval and frequency.
a. MODAL CLASS
Before we can compute for the mode, we need to identify which among the rows is the
modal class or the row with the highest frequency.
CLASS INTERVAL FREQUENCY (𝒇)
16 – 20 6
21 – 25 14 Modal Class
26 – 30 8
31 – 35 2
b. APPLYING THE FORMULA
FORMULA
To compute for the mode of a grouped data, we
𝑫𝟏
need to identify the value of each symbol in the ̂ = 𝑳𝑩 + (
𝒙 )𝒊
𝑫𝟏 + 𝑫𝟐
formula.

7
 SYMBOL DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
The lower limit of the
𝑳𝑩 LOWER BOUNDARY of the modal class modal class is 21. So,
𝑳𝑩 = 𝟐𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟓 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓
Difference in the frequency of the modal class (𝑓𝑚 ) and 𝑓𝑚 = 14 and 𝑓𝑏 = 6
𝑫𝟏 the frequency of the class interval before it (𝑓𝑏 ) 𝐷1 = 𝑓𝑚 − 𝑓𝑏
NOTE: If there is no row before the modal class, 𝑓𝑏 is zero. 𝑫𝟏 = 𝟏𝟒 − 𝟔 = 𝟖
Difference in the frequency of the modal class (𝑓𝑚 ) and 𝑓𝑚 = 14 and 𝑓𝑎 = 8
𝑫𝟐 the frequency of the class interval after it (𝑓𝑎 ) 𝐷2 = 𝑓𝑚 − 𝑓𝑎
NOTE: If there is no row after the modal class, 𝑓𝑎 is zero. 𝑫𝟐 = 𝟏𝟒 − 𝟖 = 𝟔
𝒊 CLASS WIDTH The class width is 5
To solve for the mode, we just need to substitute the necessary value from the table
to the formula given above.
𝑫𝟏 𝟖 𝟖 𝟒𝟎
̃ = 𝑳𝑩 + (
𝒙 ) 𝒊 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓 + ( ) 𝟓 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓 + ( ) 𝟓 = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟓 + ≈ 𝟐𝟑. 𝟑𝟔
𝑫𝟏 + 𝑫𝟐 𝟖+𝟔 𝟏𝟒 𝟏𝟒
Therefore, the mode of the grouped data above is approximately 23.36.

What’s More
Directions: Find the mean, median, and mode of the grouped data below. Show your solution.

ROW NO. CLASS INTERVAL 𝒇 𝒙𝒎 𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 𝒄𝒇

1 90 - 98 6
2 99 -107 22
3 108 - 116 43
4 117 - 125 28
5 126 - 134 9

What I Have Learned

ACTIVITY FILL ME UP
Directions: Differentiate the process in solving for the different measures of central tendency
of ungrouped and grouped data.

Measure of Central
Ungrouped Data Grouped Data
Tendency
Mean
Median
Mode

8
 What I Can Do
ACTIVITY WHICH IS WHICH
Directions: Identify which measure of central tendency (mean, median, or mode) is applicable
for each given situation.
1. Favorite subject of students 2. General average of a student in a quarter
3. Most common age of grade 7 students 4. Middle salary of a country or city
5. Average income of a country

Assessment
Directions: Read and understand each statement carefully.
1. Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency?
A. Mode B. Outlier C. Median D. Mean
2. What measure of central tendency can be applied to get the average salary of government
employees?
A. Mode B. Outlier C. Median D. Mean
For items 3 to 5, refer to the data below showing the age of 9 newly hired public school teachers
21, 25, 19, 19, 24, 21, 19, 25, 25
3. What is the mean score of the data set?
A. 21 B. 22 C. 25 D. 27
4. What is the median score of the data set?
A. 21 B. 22 C. 25 D. 27
5. Which of the following is a modal score of the data set?
A. 21 B. 22 C. 25 D. 27
For items 6 to 9, refer to the grouped data below showing the scores of students in a
20-item quiz.
CLASS INTERVAL 𝒇 𝒙𝒎 𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 𝒄𝒇
1–5 10
6 – 10 12
11 – 15 6
16 – 20 2
6. How many students were surveyed?
A. 10 B. 12 C. 22 D. 30
7. What is the mean of the grouped data above?
A. 8 B. 10 C. 30 D. 240
8. In which row will the median class fall?
A. 1 - 5 B. 6 - 10 C. 11 - 15 D. 16 - 20
9. What is the frequency of the modal class?
A. 2 B. 6 C. 10 D. 12
10. What does the measure of central tendency tell us?
A. The central value of the data set C. The collection of information
B. The position of a value relative to other D. The spread of the data set
value

9
 10
data/central-measures.html.
"Finding a Central Value", Math Is Fun, Accessed June 2, 2020, http://www.mathsisfun.com/
com/data/data.html.
"What is Data?," Math Is Fun, accessed June 1, 2020, http://www.mathsisfun.
References:
Assessment: What I Can Do:
1. b 2. d 3. b 4. a 5. c 1. Mode 2. Mean 3. Mode
6. d 7. a. 8. b 9. d 10. a 4. Median 5. Mean
What’s More: Lesson 2
ROW NO. CLASS INTERVAL 𝒇 𝒙𝒎 𝒇 ∙ 𝒙𝒎 𝒄𝒇
1 90 - 98 6 94 564 6
2 99 -107 22 103 2, 266 28
3 108 - 116 43 112 4, 816 71
4 117 - 125 28 121 3, 388 99
5 126 - 134 9 130 1, 170 108
108 12, 204
Mean Median (The Median Class is row number 3)
𝟏𝟐 𝟐𝟎𝟒 𝟓𝟒 − 𝟐𝟖
𝒙
̅= = 𝟏𝟏𝟑 𝒙
̃ = 𝟏𝟎𝟕. 𝟓 + ( ) 𝟗 ≈ 𝟏𝟏𝟐. 𝟗𝟒
𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝟒𝟑
Mode (The Modal Class is row number 3)
𝟐𝟏
𝒙
̃ = 𝟏𝟎𝟕. 𝟓 + ( ) 𝟗 = 𝟏𝟏𝟐. 𝟕𝟓
𝟐𝟏 + 𝟏𝟓
What’s More: Lesson 1 What I Have Learned:
Total: 195 Number of Data: 15 Answer will vary
Mean (𝒙̅): 13 Mode: 12 and 13
Data Array:
11,11,12,12,12,12,12,13,13,13,13,13,14,16,18
̃): 13
Median (𝒙 What’s New:
Section A performed better since its
average (84) is greater than the
What’s In:
average of section B (83).
Age 𝒇 Mario could be 12
11 3 years old since it is
12 10
13 1 the common age of What I Know:
14 1 grade 7 students 1. d 2. b 3. c
TOTAL 15 4. c 5. c
Answer Key
 I AM A FILIPINO
by Carlos P. Romulo
I am a Filipino – inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the
uncertain future. As such, I must prove equal to a two-fold
task – the task of meeting my responsibility to the past, and
the task of performing my obligation to the future.
I am sprung from a hardy race – child many generations
removed of ancient Malayan pioneers. Across the centuries,
the memory comes rushing back to me: of brown-skinned
men putting out to sea in ships that were as frail as their hearts
were stout. Over the sea I see them come, borne upon the
billowing wave and the whistling wind, carried upon the
mighty swell of hope – hope in the free abundance of the new
land that was to be their home and their children’s forever.
This is the land they sought and found. Every inch of shore
that their eyes first set upon, every hill and mountain that
beckoned to them with a green and purple invitation, every
mile of rolling plain that their view encompassed, every river
and lake that promised a plentiful living and the fruitfulness
of commerce, is a hollowed spot to me.
By the strength of their hearts and hands, by every right of
law, human and divine, this land and all the appurtenances
thereof – the black and fertile soil, the seas and lakes and
rivers teeming with fish, the forests with their inexhaustible
wealth in wild and timber, the mountains with their bowels
swollen with minerals – the whole of this rich and happy land
has been for centuries without number, the land of my
fathers. This land I received in trust from them, and in trust
will pass it to my children, and so on until the world is no
more.
I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes
– seed that flowered down the centuries in deeds of courage
and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that
sent Lapulapu to battle against the alien foe, that drove Diego
Silang and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign
oppressor.
That seed is immortal. It is the self-same seed that flowered
in the heart of Jose Rizal that morning in Bagumbayan when
a volley of shots put an end to all that was mortal of him and
made his spirit deathless forever; the same that flowered in
the hearts of Bonifacio in Balintawak, of Gregorio del Pilar
at Tirad Pass, of Antonio Luna at Calumpit, that bloomed in
flowers of frustration in the sad heart of Emilio Aguinaldo at
Palanan, and yet burst forth royally again in the proud heart
of Manuel L. Quezon when he stood at last on the threshold
of ancient Malacanang Palace, in the symbolic act of
possession and racial vindication. The seed I bear within me
is an immortal seed.
11
It is the mark of my manhood, the symbol of my dignity as
a human being. Like the seeds that were once buried in the
tomb of Tutankhamen many thousands of years ago, it shall
grow and flower and bear fruit again. It is the insigne of my
race, and my generation is but a stage in the unending
search of my people for freedom and happiness.
I am a Filipino, child of the marriage of the East and the
West. The East, with its languor and mysticism, its passivity
and endurance, was my mother, and my sire was the West
that came thundering across the seas with the Cross and
Sword and the Machine. I am of the East, an eager
participant in its struggles for liberation from the imperialist
yoke. But I know also that the East must awake from its
centuried sleep, shake off the lethargy that has bound its
limbs, and start moving where destiny awaits.
For I, too, am of the West, and the vigorous peoples of the
West have destroyed forever the peace and quiet that once
were ours. I can no longer live, a being apart from those
whose world now trembles to the roar of bomb and cannon
shot. For no man and no nation is an island, but a part of the
main, and there is no longer any East and West – only
individuals and nations making those momentous choices
that are the hinges upon which history revolves. At the
vanguard of progress in this part of the world I stand – a
forlorn figure in the eyes of some, but not one defeated and
lost. For through the thick, interlacing branches of habit and
custom above me I have seen the light of the sun, and I
know that it is good. I have seen the light of justice and
equality and freedom, my heart has been lifted by the vision
of democracy, and I shall not rest until my land and my
people shall have been blessed by these, beyond the power
of any man or nation to subvert or destroy.
I am a Filipino, and this is my inheritance. What pledge
shall I give that I may prove worthy of my inheritance? I
shall give the pledge that has come ringing down the
corridors of the centuries, and it shall be compounded of the
joyous cries of my Malayan forebears when first they saw
the contours of this land loom before their eyes, of the battle
cries that have resounded in every field of combat from
Mactan to Tirad Pass, of the voices of my people when they
sing:
“I am a Filipino born to freedom, and I shall not rest until
freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance—for
myself and my children and my children’s children—
forever.”