|
|
By:
Benny Luzentales and Ma. Christina R. Villanueva
For many years after July 4, 1946, the
Philippines observed its Independence Day on the
fourth of July.
The local observance was patterned after
the American celebration of Independence Day.
After all, it was the United States government which granted our
independence on July 4.
It took several years before Filipino
historian and researchers discovered that the real independence of the
Philippines took place on June 12, 1898 when then President Emilio Aguinaldo
established the first Philippine Republic.
Unknown to many Filipinos, particularly the younger generation, is the fact that
the legislator who changed the date of Philippine independence from July 4 to
June 12 came from Quezon Province.
He was Rep. Manuel S. Enverga (1st
District), a staunch nationalist and statesman of the highest order.
As chairman of the Lower House foreign affairs committee in the early 1960s,
Rep. Enverga introduced a number of bills that reflected his intense
nationalism, and one of them was the House Bill changing the date of the
country’s independence from July 4 to June 12.
In introducing the bill, Enverga said that
Philippine history must be viewed, written and rewritten in the context of the
Filipino mind.
Son of a poor farmer from the coastal town
of Mauban, Quezon, Manuel S. Enverga studied law at the University of the
Philippines, Philippine Law School, University of Santo Tomas and Universidad
Central de Madrid in Spain.
He was a man of varied accomplishments:
leading educator, banker, civil leader, modern-day thinker, nationalist and
statesman.
As educator, Enverga pioneered the
establishment of educational foundations in the country.
In his desire to provide quality education and a more abundant life for
the youth of his province, he established the Manuel S. Enverga University
Foundation (MSEUF) in Lucena City.
Now
on its 54th year of dedicated service to the youth, The MSEUF has
produced leading figures in local governance, public service, education, law,
military, medicine, judiciary, journalism and other professions.
As legislator, Enverga advocated an
independent and dynamic foreign policy and spearheaded the move for the retail
trade nationalization and our educational system.
As chairman of the House foreign affairs
committee, he led the first Philippine mission to Russia, Poland, Hungary and
five other communist countries.
The Enverga mission led to the opening of more export markets for various
Philippine products in socialist countries in Europe.
Following closely in his illustrious
father’s footsteps in newly re-elected Quezon Governor Wilfrido L. Enverga, a
leading educator, business leader, sportsman, model family man and outstanding
public servant.
Willy Enverga served three consecutive terms in the Lower House before he was
first elected governor on May 11,1998. / Benny Luzentales and Ma. Christina R. Villanueva,
P.O. Box 67, Lucena City.