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| PNP Baliwag and the BTECH Band led the flag ceremonies of the Mariano Ponce Day 2017 at the newly-restored Heroes' Park. |
The Municipality of Baliwag, Bulacan celebrates Mariano Ponce Day 2017 last March 22, 2017. The event commemorates the 154th birth anniversary of Mariano Ponce y Collantes, a hero from Baliwag, Bulacan. Malacanang Palace, through Proclamation 180, declared March 22, 2017, as a special non-working day in the Municipality of Baliwag, Bulacan.
The celebration started, at 7:00 a.m., with a solemn mass at the St. Augustine Church. Then, the Philippine National Police - Baliwag and the BTECH Band led the flag raising ceremonies at the Heroes' Park. A commemorative program and wreath laying followed at Plaza Naning which was attended, among others, by Provincial Administrator Mr. Eugencio C. Payongpayong, Vice Governor Daniel R. Fernando and Municipal Treasurer Martiniano D. Javier who represented Mayor Ferdinand V. Estrella.
The event was also attended by the Ponce Family, headed by Mrs. Pilar Ponce Valero-Bautista, a grand daughter of the hero. Joining her are Ponce's great grand children: Jacinto Ponce Samala Gonzales, Angelito Ponce Samala Gonzales, Fernando Ponce Villaroman and Maite Ponce Valero-Bautista.
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| The Provincial and Municipal Officials with the Ponce Family laid wreath before the statue of the Mariano Ponce. |
The ceremonies were witnessed by the municipal officials and employees of Baliwag, Bulacan, the supervisors, principals, teachers and some pupils of DepEd-Bulacan, the administration, faculty and staff of Baliwag Polytechnic College (BTECH), Bureau of Fire Protection and other offices.
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| Members of the BTECH Administration, Faculty, Staff and Student body joined the celebration. |
Later, at 9:00 a.m., an event called Palihan Para Kay Ponce at Muling Paglunsad ng Aklat na "Mariano Ponce y Collantes: Makabayan, Bayani" was held Conference Room, Municipal Hall, Baliwag, Bulacan. Dr. Jaime B. Veneracion, a renown historian, relaunches his book entitled Mariano y Collantes Ponce: Makabayan, Bayani. He also distributed copies of the said book to representatives of public basic education schools in Baliwag, Bulacan and BTECH.
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| Renown historian Dr. Jaime B. Veneracion relaunches his book: Mariano Ponce y Collantes, Makabayan, Bayani. |
Philippine history books portray Ponce, together with Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo del Pilar and Jose Rizal as the leaders of the Propaganda Movement in Spain to win political reforms for the Philippines. Although the movement failed to win much needed reforms, it was successful in provoking a revolution that ushered the birth of the Republic of the Philippines.
The Mariano Ponce Day 2017 events were made possible through the unceasing dedication and enthusiasm of the Pangkat Saliksik ng Kasaysayan ng Baliwag (PASAKABA), Samahang Pangkasaysayan ng Bulacan (SAMPAKA), Baliwag Historical Association (BHA) Municipal Mayor's Office, Administrator's Office, Tourism Office and the Ponce Family.
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| The BTECH Band headed by Mr. Eric Buenaventura sets the festive mood for the day. |
