Post by VeeVee on Jan 23, 2010 21:31:05 GMT -5
News article in reference to this event (see thread)
pinoyhistory.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=upcomingevents&action=display&thread=1333&page=1
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www.mb.com.ph/articles/239493/wearing-history
WEARING HISTORY
By RONALD S. LIM
January 21, 2010, 1:05pm
The image of Andres Bonifacio leading the forces of the Katipunan into battle – wearing only a camiso chino and red pants – is an iconic one. For most Filipinos, it is the image that they most identify with the Supremo of the Katipunan.
But what most Filipinos may not necessarily know is that Bonifacio and the Katipuneros, just like any armed force in the world, actually had their own set of uniforms. These uniforms evolved, alongside the various adversaries our forefathers had to fight with in order to gain our independence.
The evolution of the Philippine revolutionary uniform, as well as the battles that were used in, was the focus of the lecture “The Filipino Revolutionary Uniform: Myths, Facts, and Victorious Battles”.
Conducted by Pedro Javier, a collector and member of the Buhay na Kasaysayan Reenactment Group, the lecture is the first in a series being held every Saturday alongside the exhibit “War and Dissent: The U.S. in the Philippines, 1898-1915”, ongoing at the National Museum.
“It is important that we know our real heroes. It’s not MacArthur, Napoleon, or Alexander the Great. Our real heroes are the Filipinos who gave their life for the freedom that we have today,” says Javier. “If you look in our museums and in paintings, there are mistakes in the way our national heroes are represented.”
JUAN LUNA AS UNIFORM DESIGNER
Javier’s lecture uncovered some little known facts about the uniforms worn by the Filipino revolutionaries at the time.
For one, while Katipuneros fought wearing the familiar red pants and white camiso chino, they also had a set of uniforms, insignias, and epaulettes that distinguished the ranking officers from ordinary foot soldiers. These were already being used in battle as early as 1896, and were even designed by the great artist Juan Luna.
“When Antonio Luna became head of the Philippine Army, replacing Artemio Ricarte, Luna asked the help of his brother to design the uniforms, including the ranks,” explains Javier. “What he came up with is one of the most unique ones I’ve seen in the world because kapag tumataas ‘yung ranggo, dumadami ‘yung insignia. Pero kapag na-promote ka noon, kumukonti ‘yung insignias.”
Each unit also had a specific color assigned to them. Red pants were for Aguinaldo’s guard, blue pants for the dreaded Tiradores dela Muerte or Shooters of Death, composed of excellent Filipino snipers. White, on the other hand, was for officers for special occasions.
Another interesting fact that Javier brought up during the lecture was that even though the Philippine Revolutionary Army had its own unique uniforms and insignias, a lot of the early fighters went into battle barefoot!
“Even those under the Spanish Army were barefoot. Ang ganda ng uniporme sa taas, tapos sa baba! Kapag lumaki ka kasing naka-paa, the tendency is that your soles become thicker. The toes on your foot are also spread wide. Hirap talaga silang naka-sapatos,” explains Javier.
According to Javier, the enemies that our ancestors fought against also determined the evolution of the uniforms of the Philippine Revolutionary Army. Since funds were lacking, a lot of the Katipuneros on the battleground would take the outfits of their fallen enemies and incorporate it into their own uniform.
THE VICTORIES THE YOUTH MUST KNOW
Javier also recounted the triumphant battles that the Katipuneros won and where these uniforms were worn.
“Itong mga victories dapat ang tinuturo sa mga kabataan. If you look back at how history has been taught to us, palagi na lang ‘yung mga talo. Ang panalo, ‘yung mga foreigners. Now that we have our freedom, it’s time for us to recognize our people. Itama natin kung ano ang dapat matutunan,” he says.
One such battle was the one in Pulang Lupa, Marinduque. Under the leadership of Gen. Maximo Abad, 250 Filipino soldiers and a thousand bolo men defeated the entire American garrison -- in one day!
Another battle that Javier noted was the Battle of Paye in San Mateo, Rizal, where Gen. Henry Lawton of the American army fell under the sharp eyes of the Tiradores dela Muerte.
“Lawton died 300 yards away from the shooters, who were under the command of Gen. Liecrio Geronimo. There were several Filipinos who were experts. There are accounts from Americans about Filipinos shooting them and killing them from beyond the shooting rang,” says Javier.
JUST PICK A UNIFORM
Recounting these victorious battles is an important part of the lecture, according to Javier, and is part of the core objectives of the Buhay na Kasaysayan Reenactment Group, which is composed of Filipinos from different walks of life who have a passion for history and dressing up. Buhay na Kasaysayan was first established in 2005 and was inspired by the United States’ Civil War reenactors.
Making the uniforms was the biggest challenge the group faced starting out, as most of them aren’t available on the market.
“Meron kaming taga-gawa ng uniforms and the research that goes into it is very extensive, especially for the Katipunan uniforms. For the World War II uniforms, most of them are bought from abroad. We also have our own suppliers,” explains Javier. “We would also like to do reenactments, pero hindi pa namin kaya kasi maliit pa lang kami.”
The group also visits cosplay conventions to bolster its ranks. Joining the group is easy as well – just pick a uniform from Philippine history and you’re set!
“We don’t require money. Hindi mo rin kailangan maging historian. Iba-iba ang professions namin. May engineers, may call center agents, may teachers!” he quips.
Javier says that he sees the group as working towards building a Filipino identity that we can all be proud of.
“I feel that there is something very noble in this hobby. We change the mindset of the Filipino. We have corruption and crimes in our society because Filipinos are not proud of their identity,” he says.
“By doing this, subconsciously, we will change their perspective. We will create Filipino citizens that are patriotic, but we’re not doing it directly. We are slowly incorporating it into their minds.”
pinoyhistory.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=upcomingevents&action=display&thread=1333&page=1
----------------------
www.mb.com.ph/articles/239493/wearing-history
WEARING HISTORY
By RONALD S. LIM
January 21, 2010, 1:05pm
The image of Andres Bonifacio leading the forces of the Katipunan into battle – wearing only a camiso chino and red pants – is an iconic one. For most Filipinos, it is the image that they most identify with the Supremo of the Katipunan.
But what most Filipinos may not necessarily know is that Bonifacio and the Katipuneros, just like any armed force in the world, actually had their own set of uniforms. These uniforms evolved, alongside the various adversaries our forefathers had to fight with in order to gain our independence.
The evolution of the Philippine revolutionary uniform, as well as the battles that were used in, was the focus of the lecture “The Filipino Revolutionary Uniform: Myths, Facts, and Victorious Battles”.
Conducted by Pedro Javier, a collector and member of the Buhay na Kasaysayan Reenactment Group, the lecture is the first in a series being held every Saturday alongside the exhibit “War and Dissent: The U.S. in the Philippines, 1898-1915”, ongoing at the National Museum.
“It is important that we know our real heroes. It’s not MacArthur, Napoleon, or Alexander the Great. Our real heroes are the Filipinos who gave their life for the freedom that we have today,” says Javier. “If you look in our museums and in paintings, there are mistakes in the way our national heroes are represented.”
JUAN LUNA AS UNIFORM DESIGNER
Javier’s lecture uncovered some little known facts about the uniforms worn by the Filipino revolutionaries at the time.
For one, while Katipuneros fought wearing the familiar red pants and white camiso chino, they also had a set of uniforms, insignias, and epaulettes that distinguished the ranking officers from ordinary foot soldiers. These were already being used in battle as early as 1896, and were even designed by the great artist Juan Luna.
“When Antonio Luna became head of the Philippine Army, replacing Artemio Ricarte, Luna asked the help of his brother to design the uniforms, including the ranks,” explains Javier. “What he came up with is one of the most unique ones I’ve seen in the world because kapag tumataas ‘yung ranggo, dumadami ‘yung insignia. Pero kapag na-promote ka noon, kumukonti ‘yung insignias.”
Each unit also had a specific color assigned to them. Red pants were for Aguinaldo’s guard, blue pants for the dreaded Tiradores dela Muerte or Shooters of Death, composed of excellent Filipino snipers. White, on the other hand, was for officers for special occasions.
Another interesting fact that Javier brought up during the lecture was that even though the Philippine Revolutionary Army had its own unique uniforms and insignias, a lot of the early fighters went into battle barefoot!
“Even those under the Spanish Army were barefoot. Ang ganda ng uniporme sa taas, tapos sa baba! Kapag lumaki ka kasing naka-paa, the tendency is that your soles become thicker. The toes on your foot are also spread wide. Hirap talaga silang naka-sapatos,” explains Javier.
According to Javier, the enemies that our ancestors fought against also determined the evolution of the uniforms of the Philippine Revolutionary Army. Since funds were lacking, a lot of the Katipuneros on the battleground would take the outfits of their fallen enemies and incorporate it into their own uniform.
THE VICTORIES THE YOUTH MUST KNOW
Javier also recounted the triumphant battles that the Katipuneros won and where these uniforms were worn.
“Itong mga victories dapat ang tinuturo sa mga kabataan. If you look back at how history has been taught to us, palagi na lang ‘yung mga talo. Ang panalo, ‘yung mga foreigners. Now that we have our freedom, it’s time for us to recognize our people. Itama natin kung ano ang dapat matutunan,” he says.
One such battle was the one in Pulang Lupa, Marinduque. Under the leadership of Gen. Maximo Abad, 250 Filipino soldiers and a thousand bolo men defeated the entire American garrison -- in one day!
Another battle that Javier noted was the Battle of Paye in San Mateo, Rizal, where Gen. Henry Lawton of the American army fell under the sharp eyes of the Tiradores dela Muerte.
“Lawton died 300 yards away from the shooters, who were under the command of Gen. Liecrio Geronimo. There were several Filipinos who were experts. There are accounts from Americans about Filipinos shooting them and killing them from beyond the shooting rang,” says Javier.
JUST PICK A UNIFORM
Recounting these victorious battles is an important part of the lecture, according to Javier, and is part of the core objectives of the Buhay na Kasaysayan Reenactment Group, which is composed of Filipinos from different walks of life who have a passion for history and dressing up. Buhay na Kasaysayan was first established in 2005 and was inspired by the United States’ Civil War reenactors.
Making the uniforms was the biggest challenge the group faced starting out, as most of them aren’t available on the market.
“Meron kaming taga-gawa ng uniforms and the research that goes into it is very extensive, especially for the Katipunan uniforms. For the World War II uniforms, most of them are bought from abroad. We also have our own suppliers,” explains Javier. “We would also like to do reenactments, pero hindi pa namin kaya kasi maliit pa lang kami.”
The group also visits cosplay conventions to bolster its ranks. Joining the group is easy as well – just pick a uniform from Philippine history and you’re set!
“We don’t require money. Hindi mo rin kailangan maging historian. Iba-iba ang professions namin. May engineers, may call center agents, may teachers!” he quips.
Javier says that he sees the group as working towards building a Filipino identity that we can all be proud of.
“I feel that there is something very noble in this hobby. We change the mindset of the Filipino. We have corruption and crimes in our society because Filipinos are not proud of their identity,” he says.
“By doing this, subconsciously, we will change their perspective. We will create Filipino citizens that are patriotic, but we’re not doing it directly. We are slowly incorporating it into their minds.”
