From ‘Mayon in Naga’ to ‘Enrile as Avenger’: #RP612fic 2018 pokes fun at past year’s top stories
When Independence Day was declared in June 12, 1898, perhaps no one present would have foreseen that one day, the day would be marked by a unity in memes rewriting Philippine history.
To say much has happened in 2018 so far would be an understatement, in terms of politics and the generation of memes from the first half of the year.
Here are some of the entries which depict Philippine history in 2018’s strange terms:
Article continues after this advertisementFirst, on a serious note, jokes on Apolinario Mabini’s disability should finally come to an end.
Image: Twitter/@joshuasarcos
There are many ways to make a meme without putting down a certain group of people. For instance, “Avengers: Infinity War” is arguably the year’s biggest blockbuster, but Filipino netizens couldn’t help give it a local twist.
Image: Twitter/@oozmakabaloo
Fun fact: Juan Ponce Enrile, born in 1924, is older than the first Captain America comic which was released in 1941.
Article continues after this advertisementThought seeing your favorite superheroes in one screen was a difficult feat? What about brilliant minds sent to study in Europe at a time when there was no internet or mobile phones?
Image: Twitter/@_eddelossantos
And before Thanos, a woman no less than Imelda Marcos held more infinity stones than he could put on his oversized purple hands.
Image: Twitter/@yogon
Of course, national hero Jose Rizal’s literary contributions remain unforgotten. (The meme contains a spoiler if you haven’t read “El Filibusterismo”.)
Image: Twitter/@sonseungwet
The same goes for his several affairs around the world. IV of Spade’s “Hey Barbara” is one way to memorize each of his lover’s names:
Image: Twitter/@vicentejian
It’s also not hard to imagine that like Nadine Lustre, Josephine Bracken, Rizal’s last love, didn’t care for society’s judgment on relationships. Aside from being cool about marrying an excommunicated man, Bracken joined the Katipunan after Rizal’s execution.
Image: Twitter/@poteytoooo
History says Rizal was alone in his prison cell, but he might have been happier with some company.
Image: Twitter/@jaredlacaran
Independence Day does make one wonder what it means to be a Filipino. It seems Liza Soberano’s statement of loving sinigang has a precursor:
Image: Twitter/@jaredlacaran
And even before the concept of being a Filipino came to be, our ancestors did not give up their land without a fight. (Perhaps they wouldn’t be thrilled to learn that unsteady infrastructure like this Zamboanga bridge cost taxpayers P12 million.)
Image: Twitter/@karlaldrentan10
Let’s not forget that women also joined the rebellions, including the brave Gabriela Silang.
Image: Twitter/@archzyx
And in case you didn’t know, the date of our Independence Day was previously set on July 4, because on that day in 1946, the Treaty of Manila was signed. The country’s most important representatives were there to recognize the independence of the Republic of the Philippines.
Image: Twitter/@asdchivijkl
Today, we also celebrate Filipino culture, which includes a sense of bayanihan or community, whether it’s moving houses or volcanoes.
Image: Twitter/@theengrdane
And finally, we can picture the age-old folktale of the moth flying too close to the flame in this video. JB
https://twitter.com/tonibooeh/status/1006225563516743680
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