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Privilege speech by Rep. Edgar M. Chatto
REMEMBERING CARLOS P. GARCIA
[Privilege Speech delivered by Rep. Edgar Chatto
in Congress yesterday, Nov. 4, 2019

Honorable Speaker, my dear colleagues, today I want to say “Happy 123rd Birthday to Bohol’s most illustrious son, President Carlos P. Garcia” – the 8th President of the Republic of the Philippines.

It was on November 4, 1896 when Mayor Policronio Garcia and Ambrosia Politisco welcomed their second child – Caloy, in the municipality of Talibon in the province of Bohol.

Caloy acquired his primary education in his native town Talibon, then took his secondary education in Cebu Provincial High School, now Abellana National School, both at the top of his class. Initially, he pursued his college education at Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, and later studied at the Philippine Law Schoolwhere he earned his law degree in 1923 and later, he received his honorary degree, Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa from National University in 1961. He was top 7 in the 1923 bar.

Rather than practice law right away, he worked as a teacher for two (2) years at Bohol Provincial High School. He became famous for his poetry in Bohol, where he earned the nickname "Prince of Visayan Poets" and the "Bard from Bohol". His most famous poem is entitled “Ang DalagangPilipinhon”.

FIRST GOVERNOR UNDER AMERICAN REGIME

The young Carlos P. Garcia entered politics for the first time at the age of 29, was elected Bohol’s 3rd District Representative in 1925 and served three terms until1931. He became Bohol Governor from 1934 to 1941. He was the last provincial governor under the American Regime.

He served the Senate for three terms from 1941 to 1953, interrupted by World War II.A neophyte senator in 1941, President Quezon told Garcia to go home to Bohol to help the people carry the hardships of the occupation when the Japanese invasion disrupted government functions.

Garcia refused to cooperate with the Japanese during the war. He did not surrender even when he was placed on the wanted list with a Php 50,000.00 price on his head. He, instead, took part in the guerilla activities and served as adviser in the free government organized in Boholearning even more trust and fame from his co-guerillas and the national leaders who learned of his exploits in Bohol.

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER

When he resumed duties as senator after the war in 1945, he was chosen Senate majority floor leader. The press consistently voted him as one of the most outstanding senators.

After the war, he also participated in several missions to Washington to work for the approval of the Philippine Rehabilitation and War Damage Claims. He was a delegate to the World Conference at San Francisco to draft the charter of the United Nations Organization in May 1945. He acted as presiding officer of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Conference in Manila in 1954, which produced the Manila Treaty and the Pacific Charter.

VICE PRESIDENT OF MAGSAYSAY

By 1953, Garcia was so popular that he was picked to be the running mate of Ramon Magsaysay, and they both won in the elections.

On March 17, 1957, President Ramon Magsaysay died in a plane crash in Cebu. This ushered Garcia's eventual ascent to the country’s top seat to lead the country until the end of the remaining term.By the next presidential elections, Garcia won with Diosdado Macapagal as Vice President.

Garcia’s transition to the national politics was not without an interesting story, Bohol historian Jose MarianitoLuspo recounted how the death of Senator Jose Arsenio Clarin, the senate speaker pro tempore and the country’s third most powerful man, seemingly opened a way for the Boholano teacher, poet, and governor to start his path to the country’s top seat. 

It was said that the sudden death of Senator Clarin in 1935 had President Quezon’s executive secretary, Jose Yulo, come to Bohol to finalize the funeral arrangements. It was there when he met the governor for the coordination that Yulo took notice of Garcia speaking impeccable Spanish. He arranged for President Quezon to meet Garcia. The president, also known as the Big Spanish, was so impressed with the governor from Bohol that he encouraged him to run for senate.And the rest is history.

THE CPG PRESIDENCY; FIRST TO WEAR BARONG

The Garcia Presidency was anchored on three (3) major policies and programs: Filipino First Policy, Austerity Program and Cultural Revival.

Honorable Speaker, my dear colleagues, perhaps the greatest legacy and commitment of President Garcia to nationalistic values is found in his Filipino First Policy, the definitive program that distinguished his administration from the rest.

It was a governance aimed at putting the Filipino ahead of others in the economic, business and social fields of endeavors.It sought to give local businessmen more priority over foreign investors as well as filipino products over foreign products. He was the first Philippine president to wear barong in his inauguration.

In 1958, the Garcia administration succeeded in hitching the Bohlen- Serrano Agreement, an accord that reduced the stay of the US bases from the original 99 to a mere 25 years.

The Austerity Program was implemented by Garcia in order to curt the rampant graft and corruption within the country. The program centered on wise spending, industry, thrift, trustworthiness, integrity and honesty.

The Garcia administration also put emphasis on cultural revival, due to the colonization of many countries he felt that the revival of the Filipino culture was needed. It gave birth to the “Republic Cultural Award” given to Filipino artists, scientist, historians and writers.

It was also during his time that the Philippine government successfully negotiated with the US government for the return of documents seized by American troops during the Philippine-American War – the so-called Philippine Insurgent Records(PIR), the magnetic lode of so many researchers who want to know more about our nation’s historical past.

In his own words, during a speech at the Manila Law College in 1957, President Garcia said,

“Every Filipino loves his country. But not every Filipino is a true patriot. He who loves the Philippines only for what the country can give him — lands, houses, plantations – is not necessarily a patriot.

Patriotism is unselfish like Rizal’s love of country. Patriotism is a passion that cannot be denied like Mabini’s attachment to his beloved Philippines. Patriotism is boundless like Magsaysay’s devotion to his people.

But this infinite affection, this predilection for our country, means a number of concepts. It means a belief that our land is the most beautiful, the most fertile, the most healthful in the whole world. Patriotism also means that wherever we may be we are proud of our culture — our dance and our arts and the traditions of our people.

To us, the most glorious history of all mankind began with the scroll written with the blood of LapuLapu in Mactan, which was unfolded through the centuries and embellished with the deeds of Dagohoy, Tamblot, Del Pilar, and the unsung heroes of ’96 and of Corregidor and Bataan.

Patriotism has come to mean love of our countrymen. Each one is a part of us. Each one is a part of the Philippines. You hurt one Filipino and you hurt the whole nation.

Every Filipino is an inherent part of our nature. Therefore, any misfortune that a Filipino suffers is a misfortune of the entire Philippine archipelago. Thus, perhaps among ourselves, we do not feel intensely the harm we sometimes inflict upon our own fellow-countrymen. But let a foreigner pull one single hair from a Filipino’s head or step ever so lightly on his toes and, as one man, we rise in his defense.

And so patriotism means that we love and cherish our fellow-Filipinos. We admire their courage, their diligence, their patience, their peaceful and law-abiding nature, their hospitality, their kindness.

We feel a terrible pain when Filipinos are accused of indolence, indifference, smugness, and complacency. And we proceed to teach ourselves to be more alert, more industrious, more persevering. This explains why PATRIOTISM is such a perennially fascinating subject. Patriotism is progressive and, like wine, it mellows with time. Patriotism is not isolationism. It is not chauvinism. It is the antonym of patrioteering.

How can we preserve this love of country forever? We can keep the patriotic spirit through education and information; through the practice of honesty and the observance of honor — above everything; through constructive action often impelled by what is known as civic conscience.”

CONCON PRESIDENT

On June 1, 1971, Garcia was elected delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. Convention delegates elected him president of the convention on June 11, 1971.

However, just four days after his election, on June 14, 1971, Garcia suffered a fatal heart attack. Garcia became the first layman to lie in state in Manila Cathedral—a privilege until then limited to a deceased Archbishop of Manila.

FIRST PRESIDENT BURIED AT LIBINGAN NG MGA BAYANI

Garcia was also the first President to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Today is CPG Day – a fitting tribute to the favorite son of the province of Bohol. We have a day filled with activities. During my time as governor, we even conducted chess competitions in recognition of his favorite pastime as well as poetry reading and poetry writing as a tribute to the Bard of Bohol.

Bohol is proud to have contributed to Philippine governance through President Garcia. He is our ultimate inspiration in putting the Filipino first in our public service and in ensuring that culture is integrated in the Filipino way of life.

Thank you very much. Daghang Salamat.

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