Republic of the Philippines

Department of the Interior and Local Government

Philippine Public Safety College
PHILIPPINE PUBLIC SAFETY ACADEMY
Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba City, Laguna
Email Address: philippinepublicsafetyacademy@gmail.com

12 THINGS THAT I LEARNED FROM DOCTOR BERNARD KARGANILLA

Submitted to
Dr. Bernard M. Karganilla
FJP 102 – Philippine History

Submitted by
Cdt. 4C Gundao, Bernard Jr., S.
Section- COURAGE

December 2022
 12 Things that I Learned from Doctor Bernard Karganilla

Philippine History is full of secrets and surprises. Things were far from what we
were taught in elementary and high school. We studied Philippine History by starting
in the middle of the whole topic. Our subject with Dr. Bernard Karganilla in Philippine
History taught me a lot of new things far from what I have learned before.
Our subject with Doctor Karganilla started with a documentary entitled; The
Unsurrendered II. The documentary video was about the Hunters ROTC Guerilla
movement that existed during the Japanese occupation. The documentary film
exhibits the Hunters ROTC's contribution to the country's liberation. The Hunters
ROTC Guerillas were a bunch of cadets just like us at a young age that sacrificed their
youth and lives for our country's freedom. With this documentary, I learned that
leadership is not about age, it is about love, sacrifice, and being an exemplary model
for your subordinates.
Other than that, I also learned some of the most disturbing and interesting facts
about our history. I learned that the Philippine flag was designed to contemplate the
American flag. It felt different when I knew about it and it confused me. Well, I could
not imagine how come we did not realize all those color patterns and the star. I did not
know what to feel, should I be happy or should I feel sad about it? Although America
helps us in many ways and many times, they still have done wrong to us and it left us
with a horrible memory and identity of the Americans here in the Philippines. They
were savages, they used strategies that are against human rights.
The next point is about the credo of President Magsaysay. My understanding
of his credo is that he suggests that for the government to serve the voice of those
who are most in need of help in the community must be heard at the base. He said
that to them in the manner of a well-known adage by an unidentified author when
evaluating a nation's performance, one should consider how it treats its most
vulnerable citizens. Our nation is like a machine. We need to make sure that each
component is functioning properly for us to keep it moving and working properly. If an
issue arises that we are unable to understand, for us to identify the issue and create
a remedy, we must first attempt to comprehend each part to the next-smallest bit down.
The next point that I would like to share with you is what I learned from the
Japanese defeat. The story of a Japanese soldier and his journey is told in the film
"Fires on the Plain” when their defeat seemed almost certain. This movie depicts how
the Japanese practiced cannibalism during their loss in the war in the Philippines. The
Japanese lack the level of morality that is acceptable in the Filipino tradition and
attitude which led them to cannibalism. Their craving for human flesh originally was
not because of famine but because it resembles victory and pride for them. This
resemblance made it easy for them to consume human flesh when the time of hunger
came.
We also learned through various activities like local educational field tours. We
went to Rizal Residence and witnessed the place where our national hero was raised.
Usually, historical places like the house of our very own National Hero are not given
the value and importance that it is due. It is because only a few people understand its
contribution to the growth of the country and that is because most are unaware of it.
Although these places were taught at the primary and secondary levels of education,
the important lessons and wisdom that are embedded in these historical places were
not that appreciated because these were not that very much emphasized.
Meanwhile, in regards to the book “Veneration without Understanding” by
Renato Constantino, it talks about the issues and irregularity with Jose Rizal. I realized
that what I knew before was far from what it is written in the book. I also appreciate
how Renato Constantino viewed things from a different perspective. In life, we should
also try to look at things from a different perspective. We should not lean on our view
because the special recipe for perpetual ignorance is just by simply relying on one’s
understanding.
Moreover, Andres Bonifacio’s message to the Filipinos entitled “Ang Dapat
Mabatid ng mga Tagalog” is a message that is full of hope, encouragement, and faith
for the nation. It is an enlightening message for those who are not yet aware of the
happenings. This message is full of emotions that pushed his compatriots to give their
everything even more. This writing of Andres Bonifacio exhibits how the most
respected “Supremo” of the movement speaks to motivate his people.
On the other hand, we were also able to reflect on the past not just through
reading and discussions. We were also able to visualize the historical events through
the use of movies such as “Goyo; Ang Batang Heneral” and “Balangiga.” The movie
“Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral shows us how bad could it become if you let someone
use your skills unknowingly and in Goyo’s situation, deliberately. General Gregorio del
Pilar was a very good young general whose life was wasted on the wrong fight. He
was used by President Aguinaldo just like a pawn.
At the same time, in the movie “Balangiga”, although I was not able to
understand the deeper meaning of the movie and all of its symbolistic scenes, I was
barely able to catch the plot of the movie. However, if we were to attempt to connect
this film to our history class, I would claim that it does not contribute significantly to our
understanding of the Balangiga Massacre. The movie barely touched on the actual
massacre, how it occurred, who was involved, or the obvious justification for carrying
it out. The boy's perspective, who was obviously unaware of what was actually
happening, was more prominent in the film.
In the article, Andres Bonifacio is described as "Katungkulang gagawin ng mga
Z." Ll. B._ (The Decalogue), c. contains the obligations and liabilities of the
Revolutionary Government's members as of 1896. The Katipunan's labor and
sacrifices allowed for the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Government. The
katipuneros require a set of rules and guidelines to live by in order to be a successful
and well-organized revolutionary movement. The first and most crucial idea that the
article emphasized is their steadfast faith in the Almighty, to whom they offer
everything they do. They firmly believe that during their conflict with the Spaniards for
independence, they have been on the side of the Almighty.
 On other topics, the First Stage of Revolution, Chapter VIII of La Revolucion
Filipina by Apolinario Mabini, states that he was taken aback by the Katipunan's
expansion throughout Manila and into the nearby provinces. He also hinted in his piece
that while he was still in excellent condition, he attempted to put a halt to some of the
revolution's actions before they expanded. The Spanish Government's discovery of
the Katipunan also horrified him. You can read in his writings how much he admired
Jose Rizal and even compared his bravery to that of Burgos, who cried because he
was innocent. As a result of knowing that what he did was for the benefit of all Filipinos,
Rizal was not afraid to face the consequences of his actions and was happy to die for
his country. Additionally, he emphasized Rizal's contributions, emphasizing how they
inspired the Filipino people to rise up and fight the Spanish, and how Rizal's untimely
death even sparked the revolution.
And last but not the least, reading the booklet of Dr. Karganilla entitled, “Truths
and Opinions” is also a full packed knowledge. I'd like to examine this article in relation
to the film that we watched and spoke about in our recent Philippine History class with
Dr. Karganilla. the video showing the Japanese Emperor visiting the Philippines and
paying respects to the Rizal Monument and the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. By returning
the Balangiga Bells to the Philippines, the Americans paid tribute in a similar way to
how the Japanese emperor had done so in remembrance of the tragic events that
occurred during the Japanese occupation.