A boatman was accused of having brutally murdered two men in their sleep in the waterfront of Cavite. He was arrested and was put to jail without a preliminary investigation and a proper trial. After languishing in prison for twelve years, the Americans found him in 1898 still awaiting his day in court. That poor man was named Juan dela Cruz. He was a victim of injustice, the kind that existed not only during the Spanish, American and Japanese occupations but also is recent times.
The name Juan dela Cruz speaks clearly of our colonial past with Spain. During their occupation of the islands, they required the natives to take on family names with mostly Christian first names, many of which were derived from the names of saints. Juan was the most popular first name, there being more saints named Juan. Thus the name became the first choice when our Spanish masters required the native unlettered Filipinos to sign documents. Since they could not write, they just affix the letter X and since the most popular name was “Juan”, anyone writing their names as” X” was thus known by the Spaniards as Juan of the Cross (X) or Juan dela Cruz.
The use of “Juan dela Cruz” became a collective reference to Filipino citizenry and a national identity because it is the most common name among Filipinos even in contemporary times. It was perhaps also a reminder of the many injustices done to the Filipinos as exemplified by the experience of that boatman from Cavite who carried that name. We may also come to think that the tag was intentionally used by our new colonial masters (the Americans) to ram-in the idea that there was so much injustices during the Spanish Regime and that the former have come to put our country in order by ushering in their own brand of democratic ideals, justice for all being one of them.
However, it was not to the credit of the Americans that the use of “Juan dela Cruz” gained popularity in reference to the Filipino masses. Much of the credit goes to the Scottish publisher of the Philippines Free Press, Robert McCulloch-Dick in the early 1900’s. McCulloch noticed that Juan dela Cruz was a common name in the court dockets and in the police blotters. Thus, he started to write small verses about Juan de la Cruz and his petty crimes. When he ran out of stories about petty crimes committed by this character, he expanded his concept of the typical Filipino who is friendly, hospitable, humble, God-fearing, hardworking, family oriented and gullible, among other virtues.
Indeed, “Juan dela Cruz” has become the national personification of the common Filipino and is oftentimes depicted wearing the salakot, the camisa chino, native pajama type trousers and barefooted (or using the native slippers). The term is sometimes shortened to just “Juan” which also refers to the Filipino psyche. Thus, we have characters as Juan Tamad (the lazy one), Juan Pusong (the clever one) and Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, the hero of Rizal’s Noli Mi Tangere, to name a few.
So we now see two types of Juan dela Cruzes. One is a victim of injustices and naturally desires a better life for himself through freedom from tyranny. We picture him as a man in chains and sometimes when shown beside the caricature of Uncle Sam, as a victim of American imperialism. This Juan dela Cruz yearned for freedom as his ultimate fulfillment.
The other Juan dela Cruz is a simple man torn between virtue and the will to survive. He is a good man yet commits a lot of petty crimes just to make both ends meet. He dresses as a lowly agricultural worker suggesting that most Filipinos of today have not coped up with modern times. He is fatalistic and goes wherever the wind blows. He humbly survives by the small droppings of the economic and political elite.
In a political rally shortly before the last elections, the candidates of one political party dramatized their advocacy for change by imitating a popular television drama series entitled “Juan dela Cruz: Ang Simula”. They came up the stage “armed” with wooden bolos and did some acts as if slaying an imaginary enemy (the evils of society). The main character actor of that TV series was Juan dela Cruz, the Tagabantay (savior or vanguard) against the “aswangs”.
That television series is just like any other mode of entertainment. However, the non-fantasy part of its plot is something to ponder upon. Here is a Juan de la Cruz involved in a crusade to rid the world with the evils that surround it. This suggests that perhaps we need a more dynamic type of Juan dela Cruz to portray the modern Pinoy who is aware of what is happening around him, who knows what to do to confront the situation and is willing to sacrifice a little for his future.
The new Filipino is one who is proud of his talents and could compete with others. He is one who has the dignity to sit side by side with other citizens of the world because of his ability. He is one who takes active part in chartering the destiny of his country. It is about time that the image of Juan dela Cruz be changed. We can now portray him as one who is dressed in jusi or piña barong, not the camisa chino worn by the early Chinese migrant laborers. He should now sport well tailored slacks, not the pajama type trousers used by the barefoot Katipuneros of old. He should be wearing inexpensive Marikina shoes and no longer be barefooted like the farmers who manually till their land. It is about time that we think of a new beginning for Juan dela Cruz in order to be relevant to our times. (Juan dela Cruz: Ang Simula)
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