ON PAEANTAWAN FAR AWAY

A Rebuttal By

Monoy Blanco/Houston, TX

 

This is in response to Mr. Mario Gregorio Masangkay’s (of Sta. Cruz Barrio Council) letter, opposing the erection of the cross on the top of Paeantawan Hill of Sta. Cruz.

The basic shape of a cross has, since prehistoric times, been employed in almost every culture throughout the world and all the roughly similar shapes of cross symbols have wildly different meanings. The cross variously symbolized health, fertility, life, immortality, The union of heaven and earth, spirit and matter, the sun, the stars... It is seen a world center and a cosmic axis, the cross represents the human form, with its four cardinal points it can be mapped to fourfold systems: the four directions: north, south, east, and west; the 4 seasons; the four elements; the four winds...


On religion, the cross has symbolic meaning before it assumed its Christian’s connotations. It has been employed as a sacred, protective, or decorative emblem in almost every culture throughout the world. It has been found in China and Africa. It appears on bronze-age stones in Scandinavia, in ancient Greece, in pre-Columbian America an in the Euphrates -Tigris region in around 1500 B.C. The origin of the word ‘cross’ is the latin word ‘crux’, from the verb cruciare, meaning to torture. When the successful new ideology of Christianity began to spread, the worship of suffering also spread...and the promoters of apostles had the honor of having a torture rack named after them (like the cross of St. Peter, the cross of St. Andrew, the cross of St. Phillip, etc.).

The cross symbolizes Christianity. It distinguishes Christianity from other religion. It is not only right for Sta. Cruz - a Christian barrio, in a Christian country - but proper, to identify itself with a cross as it does by its name.

The English flag, and its colonies or former colonies/territories - Australia, New Zealand, Anguila, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario (of Canada), Fiji, Hawaii (of U.S.), Heard and McDonald Islands, Monserrat, Niue, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu and Virgin Islands - proudly display the crosses of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Michael, all three crosses-in-one, on their flags. Other countries represented by a cross are those of Scadinavians – Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden; so is the country of Iceland and of Faroe Islands, Bouvet Island and Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands. Countries of Greece, Malta, Switzerland and Tonga are also represented by crosses - couped crosses!

As landmarks, Rio de Janeiro is represented by statue of Cristo Redentor in an outstretched arms position, on top of Mt. Corcovado overlooking the city, viewed from far as a cross. A similar statue can also be seen on the top of the Saqsaywaman hill overlooking the mountain-top Andean city of Cusco in Peru.

Landmark crosses can also be seen in Sta. Fe, New Mexico, (Cross of Martyrs), Yorktown, Virginia (Cape Henry Memorial Cross), La Jolla, California (The Cross of Mt. Soledad), Lydney, England (The Cross), the Rhine, Germany (Alternahr and the White Cross), at Mt. Samat, Bataan (a cross on Dambana ng Kagitingan) – to name a few.

Are these just innocent mistakes in the part of these cities, states, and countries? I don’t think so. Were they shamed, insulted, by the three crosses on their flag and cities? Again, I don’t think so.

The cross is the hope of Christians, the resurrection of the dead, the way of the lost, the staff of the lame, the guide of the blind, the strength of the weak, the doctor of the sick, the hope of the hopeless, the freedom of the slaves, the power of the kings, the water of the of the living things, the consolation of the bondsmen, the cloth of the naked…

Why is Mr. Masangkay be so insulted if his tiny bitty barrio of Sta. Cruz be represented by a cross, while strong and mighty countries like England, are rather proud of having their countries represented by a cross or crosses on their flags?

While you are on it, Mr. Masangkay, why not just as well suggest to the council to change the name “Sta. Cruz” to something more “appropriate” – say “Ginbarilan” or “Ginkugosan” o “Ginripan”? Why continue calling the barrio santa, when it is just a shame, an error, etc., etc, etc.? Yes, why “santa” - holy - when the atrocities by the Japanese Imperial Army been committed in the place? This is a “very big and important” historical fact, in-a-wink time in the life of a barrio. Why don’t you glorify those atrocities instead, by holding a “meaningful” annual commemoration – however you celebrate it? Or build statue of Japanese soldiers shooting down people and raping native women, instead of the cross, on the top of Paeantawan Hill … Sounds logical, Mr. Masangkay, is it not?