Beng, an exceptional Filipina

It
was yesterday when the Arroyo government declares non-working holiday
(naguguluhan talaga ako sa pabago-bagong desisyon.. Okay lang naman,
ikanga “Save by the holiday” kasi may three exams kami and I’m not
ready… ) for the celebration of the National Heroes day. So, it’s
my task today to elevate the social consciousness of the masses. I’ll
present to you a person whom for me, a heroine.



I read an
article and it’s all about Benjaline Hernandez and I was about to
realize. Her friends, colleagues and acquaintances oftenly called her
Beng. She was a simple, honest, down to earth woman and the Vice
President of the College Editors’s Guild of the Philippines for
Mindanao wayback 2001. She became a victim of a summary execution at
Sitio Bukatol, Brgy. Kinayawan in Arakan Valley on April 5, 2002 and
died together with some of the farmers after being tugged as members of
the New People’s Army (NPA). She
is a martyr and must be given enough tribute and recognition for her
own simple ways, she made a mark to the hearts ofthose who aspire for
peace, justice and human rights from the government that is now called
a growing monster who kill it’s own people because of the politicians
who are starving for power and greed.



I did not have
the chance to met herbut it made me think that I somewhat I knew her
through her poem “Ang Bata”. She wrote it on August 3,2000.

Noong ako’y limang taong gulang,
Ako’y mataas na sa lengguwaheng magsasaka.
Naiintindihan ko na ang ibig sabihin
ng gutom, bantito at renta.

Nagpapaligo na ng kalabaw, nagiigib na ng tubig
Nagbabantay na ng kapatid, naghaharbes na ng mani
Nanghuhuli ng palaka upang ulamin
at kung anu-ano pa…

Walang puwang ang laro sa baryo namin
Sapgkat ang buhay dito ay di nakakatuwa,
Tanging ligaya kapag may anio at pagkain.
Walang bata dito, lahat magsasaka

Noong ako’y sampung taong gulang
Ako’y mataas sa lengguwaheng militar.
Kabisado na ang putok ng armalite, garand, carbin at M14
at M79

Hindi dahil ang laruan namin ay ganito
Subalit dahil normal nang pagala-gala
Ang mga militar sa aming baryo.
Sundalong parati na lang galit,
Parating nakasinghal, mga mukhang aswang,
kung aswang nga ba’y totoo?

Hindi na ako nag-aaral
‘Di rin naman ako makapagtapos
Hindi naman makakain ang test paper
At di tinatanggap ni Bantito ang mataas na grado.

Noong ako’y kinse
Ako’y mataas na sa lengguwaheng Agraryong Rebo,
Naiintindihan ko na, ang ibig sabihin ng Bantito
at panginoong may lupa ay walang ipinagkakaiba sa pasismo.

Yumaman sila, hindi dahil sila ay matalino
kung hindi dahil sila ay mapagsamantala.
At humihirap kami, hindi rin dahil kami ay tamad,
kung hindi dahil   kami ay magsasaka.

Iyan ang batas ng pyudalismo.
Problemang sintado ng 75%
“Panahon na upang palayain ang mga magsasaka!”
Yan ang turo sa akin ng mga sundalong nais lumaya.

Ngayon na ako’y dise-otso
Ako’y mataas na sa lengguwaheng armadong pakikibaka.
Ako pala ay kailangan ng rebolusyon
Upang tapusin ang daan-daang tunggalian.

Magpapaalam na kay Nanay at Tatay,
At pati na rin sa aming baryo.
Sasama na sa mga kaibigan,
at magiging isang Pulang Hukbo.
Mababawi na ang lupa mula kay Bantito
Mapuputol na ang kadena ng imperyalismo,
pyudalismo at barukrata kapitalismo.
Mababago na ang ating lipunan
Kapag tayo mismo ang kikilos at sasanib sa hukbo.

Wala namang dapat pagnilay-nilayan pa,

sapat na ang 20 taong pagsasawalang-bahala

Ako man ay may murang edad,

Subalit kung wawariin ay kay tanda na.

Dahil kahit kailan, ‘di totoong nasa edad ang pagkamulat.

At kahit kailan, ‘di batayan ang edad sa pakikibaka.

Gets
the pic”(and I don’t mean the pictures above)? On how Beng fought in
her struggle as could be seen  in her poem? She is just one among
the millions of people who still seek for justice and peace. Everyone
of us faces serious condition and we can’t understand why there are
deprivation, oppression and discrimination in society. Where rich
people became more richer and poor people became more poorer.

I
stand firm in my belief tht one should strive to survive to fight for
justice and for acceptance. Those who were blindfolded and refused to
see the truth were a great losser.

Now
I know, that no matter how difficult, we have to do something different
that we can prove to the world that we are not a losser. We should
fight for the right we deserve. And we must continually strive to
achieve the peace, justice and human rights taken from us. We need to
be free. Ano ba’ng slbi ng ating mga bayani, if this is the case? We
need to escaped from the cage that treat us as puppets. We must fight
in order to win, for this is a battle….