Suntok sa Buwan

"I want to watch in movie theaters because I want to sing our National Anthem!"


Moved by the article written by Isagani Cruz, of the Philippine Daily Inquirer dated today, May 15, 2005 on not singing the National Anthem in moviehouses and Duty Free Shops, well, me I want to sing it! I recently watched "Can This Be Love" in Market Market and we were on the last full show, they normally play it on the last show, we were only 4 or 6 people in the cinema. We were eating Greenwich pizza, chicken and spaghetti when it was played. Irwin do not want to stand up. We were holding this big styro with food and we have to stand up. I stood up, I sang, it was new, now this is by the Hukbong Pangdagat, so Philippine Marines were shown. =) Everybody else was standing honoring the National Anthem. So far, I never encountered anybody not standing while the National Anthem was being played. Well, maybe once because they were foreigners, someone asked them to stand up. They stood up.

Why do I stand up? Because, I do not want to wait for the time when singing the National Anthem would get me killed. I want to sing it freely, like a real Filipino. Back in high school, I was given a chance to sing the anthem, to lead everybody in singing it. It felt good, though I missed some notes.

I liked it when Lani Misalucha sang it in the Pacquiao Boxing in Las Vegas. I feel proud to be a Filipino.

Was it the location? Filipinos in Duty Free Paranaque and moviehouses in the same area do not stand up when the Lupang Hinirang was played? Was it the social status? well, we frequently watch at Eastwood and Shangrila but I never encountered it. Everybody was respectful of the National Anthem. People going to this cinema are rich because they can afford it, well, they are well mannered but I do not know why people in Duty Free Shops in Paranaque do not stand up.

do not want to sing any other National Anthem. I only want Lupang Hinirang, whether in Tagalog, English or Spanish. I know it and I can sing it.