PBBM declares Sept. 3 as nat’l day of mourning for Federico Caballero

FILE: Facade of the Malacañang Palace as seen from Pasig River. (Photo by Architect Jorge Ramos (d. 2015) for the underlying copyrighted work (Malacañang Palace). Image is by Official Gazette of the Philippines, originally uploaded on Commons by User:P-JR – Commons:File:Malacañang Palace (Cropped).jpg, Public Domain)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Wilnard Bacelonia, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has declared Tuesday as a Day of National Mourning over the passing of Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure) awardee Federico Caballero, an epic chanter and culture bearer of the Sulod-Bukidnon tribe in Central Panay.

With the issuance of Proclamation 678 signed by Marcos on Monday, the national flag shall be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset, on all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines and abroad on Sept. 3.

Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines provides that the Philippine flag shall be flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning on all buildings and places where it is displayed, on the day of interment of a recipient of national order and decoration.

Caballero was declared a national living treasure when he received the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan award in 2000 for his expertise in the Sugidanon, the epics of Central Panay.

He died on Aug. 17 at the age of 88.

Marcos issued the presidential proclamation in recognition of Caballero’s commitment to safeguarding and propagating the Sugidanon tradition of his community.

“The death of Manlilikha ng Bayan Federico Caballero is a great loss to our nation, and it is appropriate to honor his outstanding commitment to the preservation of the Panay Bukidnon cultural and artistic heritage,” he said in Proclamation 678.

As a culture bearer, Caballero persevered in documenting the 10 Panay Bukidnon epics, which were rendered in a language that, though no longer spoken, is related to Kinaray-a.

Caballero worked with researchers to piece together the epics of Humadapnon and Labaw Donggon.

Caballero was also an arbiter of conflicts who helped resolve disputes at the local level to prevent people from being alienated from each other and preserve the social fabric of their community.

Meanwhile, Senator Loren Legarda highlighted the importance of recognizing Caballero’s “indelible legacy” in preserving Filipino heritage.

She said Caballero, also known as “Nong Pedring,” kept the Sugidanon – the epic tales of Central Panay – alive and vibrant by faithfully chanting them in the Kinaray-a language, ensuring that the rich oral traditions of his people are passed down to future generations.

“We urge our kababayans to join in recognizing the efforts of Nong Pedring and remember his contributions to our vibrant culture and heritage,” Legarda said.

She also committed to preserving the chants and traditions that the culture bearer safeguarded, to the best of her “resources, time, and capability.”