BRILLANTES LAW: Abrenianism

BRILLANTES LAW: Abrenianism: abrenianism [ a Talk which my cousin Fr. Mike Brillantes requested from me in 1988 in connection with Rissik II whose theme is Abrenianism...

BRILLANTES LAW: Abrenianism

BRILLANTES LAW: Abrenianism: abrenianism [ a Talk which my cousin Fr. Mike Brillantes requested from me in 1988 in connection with Rissik II whose theme is Abrenianism...

Abrenianism

abrenianism [a Talk which my cousin Fr. Mike Brillantes requested from me in 1988 in connection with Rissik II whose theme is Abrenianism (Ilokano-Tingguian Cultural Heritage) but which I failed to give due to some miscommunication, resulting in me arriving a day late]

Good morning and Happy New Year. This is a historic event in the life of the people of Abra. For through this program, we signal the ever increasing spirit of Abrenianism among our people, the key to the advancement of our efforts to realize our people’s aspirations for greater prosperity, freedom and happiness.

To be able to use Abrenianism as a potent tool for significant change, we must be able to fully understand it. This task, I have taken as my humble contribution to the people of Abra, a people dear to me, I being myself a true son of the Abrenian race. Thus, we ask: What is Abrenianism? Who is the Abreño?

Is the Abreño a person who was born in Abra; or perhaps one though born somewhere else, nevertheless has his roots traceable to Abra? The past and even the present is a continuing witness to the numerous native sons and daughters of Abra who have excelled in their chosen field of endeavor: lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers and many others. This is but an eloquent proof that the people of Abra have the intelligence, capability and determination to succeed.

Most probably they now enjoy a life of comfort, way above the subsistence condition of the majority of our people. In such a state, do they ever still think of Abra, the land of their birth, the land of their forefathers? Do they ever feel concern over the backwardness that remains to be true in their province? Are they taking steps to extend help, to share their time, talent or treasure for the social upliftment of their people.

One may be an Abra native but not necessarily an Abreño. For the true Abreño, I contend is one whose mind, heart and very life is imbued with the spirit of Abrenianism.

To awaken the spirit of Abrenianism, an intimate knowledge of the land and people of Abra is needed: their condition, aspirations and struggles both past and present, with the end in view of finding out how one’s self is related to Abra.

Abra is not as richly endowed in terms of natural resources as compared with the other provinces. The land area suitable for settlement and agriculture is rather small, considering that the big portion of our province’s land area consists of forest lands, mostly located in mountainous areas. Notwithstanding the rather inhospitable environment of our land, we as a people have survived and have grown from the fruits of agriculture. This we owe to our forefathers who did not surrender in the face of the stinginess of nature but rather have struggled to obtain to the fullest whatever the land can offer and have carved the land making it suitable for settlement.

Considering this environment, our forefathers have acquired the virtue of industry, frugality and a cooperative spirit. Whatever wealth  Abra now enjoys can be attributed to these admirable virtues of our forefathers, which we also have inherited to this day.

In addition, our forefathers through history have consistently manifested the virtues of bravery and love for freedom in the face of the efforts of foreigners to subjugate them. This character of theirs can be deduced according to my grandfather Adolfo Brillantes y Cariño from the fact that Bangued was founded by the Spaniards twenty three (23) years after the founding of Vigan, despite the not too far distance between them.

The history of the Filipino nation bears witness to the active involvement of the people of Abra to the Philippine struggle for national independence against Spain, America and Japan. Thus, whatever freedom we enjoy today no matter how limited, we owe to our forefathers who have sacrificed and offered their lives that we their children may be free.

In response, we too must continue to cultivate and live the virtues that have characterized their lives and that is exactly the spirit of Abrenianism: a life characterized by industry, frugality, a coooperative spirit, bravery and love for freedom; the spirit of love and service for the people of Abra; a consciousnes of being one with them in their condition and aspirations; that their joys are my joys and their sorrows are mine too.

That is how they have lived. That is how they have loved us. What then shall be our response?

N.B. In the book entitled "Deo Gracias", written by my late grandfather Adolfo Brillantes y Cariño, I recently learned that I am not only a proud descendant of the heroine Gabriela Cariño Silang and my grandfather Adolfo who was a bar topnotcher and once lone representative of the Province of Abra but also of my great grandfather Manuel Brillantes y Belmonte (father of Adolfo), who was an official of the revolutionary government and due to his services to the revolutionary army was imprisoned at Fort Santiago.