The Story of Philippine National Anthem Essay Example

his audience who promptly titled it “Marcha Nacional Filipinas”.

As historical books narrated it, when General Aguinaldo proclaimed the country's independence on June 12, 1898, the "soul-inspiring masterpiece without lyrics" was played by the music band of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias, Cavite), while the Filipino flag (made in Hongkong, red, white and blue with the sun shining through) was being hoisted outside the central window of the Aguinaldo ancestral home which still stands now in Kawit, Cavite. Being a Marcha, no one sang it, because it had no wordings then. The music was a beautiful and deathless patriotic hymn which awed the audience.

For more than a year the anthem remained without words. Towards the end of August of 1899, a young poet-soldier named Jose Palma the brother of Rafael Palma and member of the editorial staff of La Independencia, wrote the Spanish lyrics to suit the hymn, “Filipinas” for the ardent patriotism and fighting spirit of the people.wrote the poem titled "Filipinas". This poem expressed in elegant Spanish verses the ardent patriotism and fighting spirit of the Filipino people. During the 1920s, with the repeal of the Flag Law which banned the use of all Filipino national symbols, the American colonial government decided to translate the national hymn from Spanish to English. The first translation was written around that time by Paz Marquez Benitez of the University of the Philippines, who was also a famous poet during that time.

The most popular translation, called the "Philippine Hymn", was written by Senator Camilo Osias and an American, Mary A. Lane. The "Philippine Hymn" was legalized by an act of the

Philippine Congress in 1938. In 1943, the poets Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Ildefonso Santos translated it into Tagalog. In 1956, a new version penned by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (Institute of National Language) was adopted. Entitled "Lupang Hinirang," it was declared by President Ramon Magsaysay on May 26, 1956, as the official Tagalog version of the Philippine National Anthem. Minor revisions were made in 1966, and it is this final version which is in use today. The Filipino lyrics have been confirmed by a new national symbols law in 1998, but not the English and Spanish words.

The anthem is an indestructible reminder of the people’s nationhood and oneness as a nation. It is not just a battle song of revolution, it is a genuine unifying force forged in history, in blood and in faith. It is a song composed by Julian Felipe, who fought with music as well as a sword. It is a solemn and dignified material tune that stirs the people with patriotic fervor and racial pride. It is not usual for Filipinos abroad to shed tears while singing or listening to the Philippine National Anthem. A timeless musical legacy is now our national treasure. It speaks of our beginnings, without which we will not be what we are now. May we never forget to tell our children one of the most beautiful stories in the history of our country.