Mamang’s Independence Day
by Oliver Carlos
On Independence Day of 2016, I visited my maternal grandmother, Amparo B. Tamolang. She was 97 years old at that time, and turning 98 in a month’s time. I was wearing my classic rayadillo uniform that day, that’s the uniform of the Philippine army in 1899 during the time of Gen. Antonio Luna. When Mamang saw me, she didn’t recognize me at first. She said, “Sino ka? Pinadala ka ba dito ni Aguinaldo?” (Who are you? Did Aguinaldo send you here?)
Apparently, Mamang still had memories of the old general from Cavite and the uniforms his soldiers wore. Although Mamang wasn’t born yet when the Philippine Revolution took place, she said Aguinaldo was quite visible to the public eye up to the 1960s. She knew him because he’s often in the newspapers, radio, and television. Further research also revealed that there’s a group called the Veteranos dela Revolucion (Veterans of the Revolution) who paraded wearing their rayadillos on special occasions during Mamang’s youth and middle age. Her memories of those festivities must have been unearthed when she saw me standing at her door.
Mamang lived her last years in Uncle Felix’s household. On that 2016 visit, I didn’t know my pastor uncle was observing me and was likewise mesmerized by my full battle attire. Weeks later, in our Sunday service, he preached about the Armor of God, and used my uniform as an illustration. The part of my get-up that he liked best was my combat boots. He said they were handsomely shiny. His preaching focused on it. He connected it to the Roman soldier’s footwear that represents readiness for battle:
“So use every piece of God’s armor…Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God.” (Ephesians 6:13–15, TLB)
Soldiers must always have their boots on so that they can respond quickly to their call of duty. In the same way, we believers must be ready every time there’s an opportunity to share the Gospel to others. Life is short and Jesus is coming soon, and so people need to hear the good news that they can be with God in eternity. We can be 100% sure that we will go to heaven if we surrender our sins to Jesus and let him take control of our lives.
From that Independence Day visit in 2016, Mamang was able to live one full year afterwards. The Lord called her home on the Independence Day of 2017, a month short of her 99th birthday. It was indeed her freedom day from all the earthly pain and hardships. It was sad for us relatives to see a beloved leave us, but in the end, we are happy for her because we are confident that Mamang is now enjoying eternity in God’s presence. Uncle Felix shared to her the Gospel years before she passed away, and she accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior.
As for Uncle Felix, he followed suit 4 years later, he met his Maker in May 2021. In those last 4 years, he planted a church, the Bay Bible Community. There, Felix shared the Gospel to so many people- men, women, and young people in the villages. Moreover, he also told about Jesus to people in his secular work, and in our family. Even in his last online preaching in March 2021, he was inviting people to make a decision for Christ. Those were his last words in his last public appearance. He was already battling a rare terminal illness at that time, and 2 months afterwards, he was with Jesus. Felix was a good soldier of the Gospel who carried out his mission till the very end, so that many would experience true freedom in Christ.
For me, these are very fond memories that I would always ponder on every Independence Day.
