Rizal's 1st Birthday

Photo c/o emaze.com

If he was alive, Dr. Jose P. Rizal would be 156 years old today.  No one in recent history has lived up to that age, but in the hearts and minds of many Filipinos---JPR's ideals, dreams, convictions, love, purpose, desire, and hope for the Philippines lives on.  There have been many books, articles, essays, and stories written about him.  His life has been brought to life in the silver screen with movies and documentaries.  I believe, plays have been written and dramatized on stage about his life.  But this post is not about his being a hero, it's about his very 1st birthday.

In today's standard, he would have come from an upper middle class family, not too rich though, but still having a comfortable life.  His parents are leaseholders of a hacienda and a nearby rice farm owned by the Dominican Order.  Good business, yes, but could be threatened when a senator is contemplating to file a bill on "unlimited rice."  And that is on top of the encroachment of subdivision developers to the rice-fields in Calamba.

Since everyone has a nickname, his could be JP.  And what do Filipino families normally do when a child is one year old?  They'll have a children's party, either at home or in one of those fast-food joints that offers a venue, mascots, and food to celebrate a child's birthday.  His birthday party won't be as lavish as Al's (Paciano) his older brother which was held in the ancestral home.  Al (his dad adored Al Pacino, the actor and so it was decided that his 1st born son will be named Al, near enough to Paciano) had more than a hundred guests, with heaps of food that included three lechons.

His parents can choose from many venues, but most parents often go for either Jollibee or McDonald's.  It would be safe to say that his parents will choose Jollibee.  It will be their 7th time to celebrate a child's 1st birthday party, of course it won't be as huge and lavish but still important enough to justify celebrating.  Because his parents lead a very busy life, running a business and having seven kids, they'll opt to just get the Jollibee birthday food package that comes in various price ranges.  Of course the meal should always have spaghetti, chicken joy, Yum Burger, regular fries, soft-drinks, sundae.  Little JP will not eat these food because he is still fed mama's healthy breast milk.  That is the only sustenance that keeps him from being too sickly.  But he will have a very tiny bit of his birthday cake, homemade by an aunt.

Mind you, the food is not really for the kids, it's for the family, friends and guests, including a big group of ninangs and ninongs (most often the list is too long, the church seems to frown on these practice). There's something about a child's 1st birthday that draws, the ninongs and ninangs to come out and join (normally they'll only be present during baptism and the 1st birthday).  After that, it would be rare to see all of them in one place, and for some, even rarer to see them at all.  They'll be bringing all sorts of gifts (baby clothes, books, toys, etc.).  Some of his parent's business associates might get invited (to reinforce the business relationship), well some of them will even be ninongs and ninangs.

Little JP will be wearing his special 1st birthday party attire of a shirt and a jumper bought by his sisters, matched with white socks and tiny white rubber shoes bought by his brother.  They were purchased by his siblings from the shops inside SM City Calamba which is a couple of kilometers from their house and on his jumper will be his Jollibee name-tag of a smiling Jollibee that says "Hi I'm JP" plus the obligatory Jollibee party hat.

The party host together with Jollibee the mascot will then make sure that everything flows as smoothly as possible, from the food, party games, balloons, dressing up the venue, etc.  Everything is easily recorded by everyone's smartphones, there is no need to get an official photographer/videographer.  In fact, JP's life at this point, has already been well documented with photos and videos shared on Facebook.

JP carried by his mom blows the candle on the birthday cake and all the kids have a piece.  Towards the end of the party, all the kids will line-up to receive their loot-bags from JP.  By then, JP who has been watching all of these proceedings (perhaps with amusement and awe), bounced from one lap to another (sisters, relatives, ninangs) is already so tired and sleepy.

He may not remember all or any of these, but he just might, 32 years later when he's facing the firing squad in Luneta, when his life story comes in a quick flashback.  His 1st Jollibee birthday party might just be one of them.