Former Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) commissioner and TV, film and theater writer Joe Lad Santos has recently unraveled and rediscovered a manuscript of a novel he wrote about the heroic Death March.
While he had recently observed Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) and has been celebrating National Literature Month this April, Joe Lad revisited a book he wrote titled “Ginto sa mga Sitas ng Florante at Laura (loosely translated as Golden Thoughts on Florante and Laura)” from his mini library.
“Florante at Laura” is a poetic saga written by Francisco Balagtas that delineates the adventures and struggles of Florante and Laura against tyranny.
Some of the manuscripts of his novel “Venceremos Tayo’y Magwawagi (We are the Victors)” were inserted in the pages of “Ginto” published by Rising Star Publishing House in 2006 and reprinted in 2020.
According to Santos, the protagonist in “Venceremos” is Nicanor Hicaro, grandson of the 1898 Revolution hero Pascual Poblete of Cavite who was with Marcelo H. del Pilar when they founded Diariong Tagalog.
“Si Nicanor Hicaro palibhasa'y dugong bayani ay pinanday ang pagkatao sa mga aral ni Balagtas. Palibhasa'y ginto ay nasilaw ako sa kinang ng nabuong pagkatao ni Hicaro sa (In as much as he had the heroic blood his being was molded by the didacticisms of Balagtas. He was golden so I was dazzled by his glaring persona in) ‘Venceremos.’ Nasa kahabaan siya ng Death March na naglakad mula sa kabundukan ng Mariveles, Bataan patungo sa concentration camp sa Capas, Tarlac nang makita niya ang nakapanlulumong Pilipino at Amerikano sa mahabang martsa ng kamatayan. Si Hicaro ay napabulalas, ‘Mahabaging Diyos! Bakit po? (He was in the Death March who traversed and climbed mountains to the concentration camps when he was saddened by the sight of Filipinos and Americans in the long march to death. ’Merciful Lord! Why?’ were the only words he could utter),” echoed Joe Lad.
In recognition of the courage and fortitude of the Filipino freedom fighters against foreign oppressors, Santos wanted the novel published as early as possible to commemorate the event.