20 June 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Canberra celebrated Apolinario Mabini’s 150th birth anniversary on June 12 with a photo exhibit about his life, works and his contributions to the Philippines. The theme for the celebration was “Apolinario Mabini: Talino at Paninindigan (Wisdom and Integrity).”
Apolinario Mabini came to be known as the “Brains of the Revolution,” being one of the trusted advisers of President Emilio Aguinaldo during the revolutionary period. In July 1898, President Aguinaldo appointed him as the first Secretary of Foreign Affairs following the establishment of the first Philippine Republic in June of the same year. He also wrote the “True Decalogue,” a set of fundamental rules which aimed to arouse the patriotic spirit of the Filipinos.
In commemoration of the event, Canberra-based Filipino photographer Allan Mañalac submitted a photo interpreting Mabini’s 10th principle in the True Decalogue - “Thou shalt consider thy countryman more than thy neighbour; thou shalt see him thy friend, thy brother or at least thy comrade, with whom thou art bound by one fate, by the same joys and sorrows and by common aspirations and interests.” Displayed at the event, the photo, entitled “Kapatiran,” seeks to show the Filipino spirit of brotherhood under all circumstances. END