Sun and Stars Alight

PREFACE This book "Sun and Stars Alight" is the third of a set of four books, the fourth and last being "For Us Thy Sons", a testament to the future generation. The first two, "With Fervor Burning" and "Behold the Radiance" consisted primarily of essays written for the "Ways and Means" column in the Manila Times, the "Ang Ating Nagbabagong Bansa" (Pilipino) in the Liwayway Ma- gazine, the "Daytoy Agluplupos a Pagiliantayo" fllocano) in the Bannawag Magazine, the "Ang Nagkabalhin nga Dagway sa Atong Yuta" (Cebuano) in the Bisaya Magazine, and "Ang Pagpanibag-o Sang Atong Pungsod" (Ilongo) in the Hiligay- non Magazine. The essays therein were contemplative and intended to be thought-provoking. This present volume on the other hand, consists mainly of extemporaneous talks delivered on the television program "Larry Henares, the Citizen" on Channel 11 during the year 1966. These talks were recorded, transcribed and translated into print. They were meant not to be read, but to be heard. And they were intended not so much to provoke thought as to provoke action, a call to arms. As a purveyor of words, I am primarily a stylist, and am particularly addicted to a fluent style, an apt phrase, and perorations "like the closing of great cathedral doors". I read a lot and being gifted writh a somewhat photographic memory, I can quote and paraphrase whole passages from my favorite authors. In many instances I have repeated and repeated these passages in my college lectures and ex- temporaneous speeches that I have forgotten the sources and rephrased and paraphrased, these passages became eventually my own. In my television series, I spoke extemporaneously, often wilhout notes, and I must beg the reader's indulgence if I sometimes digressed. And I must acknowledge that many passages were not original and were paraphrases and quota- tions from authors more knowledgeable and more fluent than I. A prime example is the piece on "Rizal, The First Fili- pino" in which I quoted mostly from my favorite author, Leon Maria Guerrero, often without quotation marks. In the same way, I acknowledge my debt to Nick Joa- quin (Quijano de Manila) for his series on Filipino heroes in the Philippines Free Press; Cesar Majul for "Mabini"; Teodoro Agoncillo for "Bonifacio"; Time and Life Magazines; Teilhard de Chardin; Theodore Friend; Teodoro Locsin, Claro M. Recto, Carmen Gucrrcro-Nakpil, Salvador Araneta and all the others I cannot at present recall. To these people, my gratitude, and apologies if I fail to place their words between quotations, since somehow their exact words seem to have been mixed up with mine. An extemporaneous speech differs in many ways from a written piece. A speech passes like the wind, raising sand- storms, carrying clouds and rain and lightning. Once spoken, it is no more, and cannot be recalled, scrutinized and dissected. A written piece is carved in stone; once written, it can be re-read at leisure and analyzed. A speech has to have direction primarily, and depending on the audience, di- gression and repetition; a written piece must have balance, order and a mark of permanence. Another thing. These television programs coincided with a period of "anger and anguish" in my life (as Josefa Constantino so pointed out). Like Voltaire before the French Revolution and Rizal and Plaridel during the Propaganda Movement, I was caught up in the "actions and passions" of our time. If I was overly harsh in my judgment of Ame- ricans, I can only explain by referring the reader to the con- temporary literature of the 1960's, particularly what the Ame- ricans and their allies had to say about nationalists in gen- eral and myself in particular. This volume is printed not to reopen old wounds, but to set the record straight. It is my legacy to future histor- ians who will make the final judgment on the events of the turbulent sixties. Into their hands and into yours, dear reader, I commend my spirit. (more inside)