The Old and The Revised Panatang Makabayan (Patriot's Oath)

When I was in grade school, we recited the "old" Panatang Makabayan (Patriot's Oath). I noticed that my son Adi is now learning the "revised" version.

Revised Panatang Makabayan

Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas,
aking lupang sinilangan,
tahanan ng aking lahi,
kinukupkop ako at tinutulungang
maging malakas, masipag at marangal.

Dahil mahal ko ang Pilipinas,
diringgin ko ang payo ng aking magulang,
susundin ko ang tuntunin ng paaralan,
tutuparin ko ang tungkulin
ng mamamayang makabayan:
naglilingkod, nag-aaral at nagdarasal
ng buong katapatan.

Iaalay ko ang aking buhay,
pangarap, pagsisikap
sa bansang Pilipinas.

(I personally prefer, naturally, the classic version...)

"Classic" Panatang Makabayan

Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas.
Ito ang aking lupang sinilangan.
Ito ang tahanan ng aking lahi.
Ako’y kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan,
upang maging malakas, maligaya at kapakipakinabang.

Bilang ganti ay diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang.

Susundin ko ang tuntunin ng aking paaralan.
(Wasn't this ever tatalimahin ko ang tuntunin...?)

Tutuparin ko ang tungkulin ng isang mamamayang makabayan at masunurin sa batas.
(Wasn't this Tutupdin...?)

Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan nang walang pag-iimbot at nang buong katapatan.
(...ang aking bayang ng buong linis at katapatan?)

Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino,
sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.

Hmmm... those last lines "Sisikapin kong maging..." (I will try to be) somehow transformed to "Ako ay magiging..." (I will be) when I was in high school. Or maybe my memory fails me now? How many versions were there anyway?

Strange how one can miss reciting something one found utterly boring many years ago. I guess that's another classic case of the "you don't know the value of something until..."

Related Links

Roco’s revised pledge of allegiance launched (Nov 12, 2001) -- "Gone are the lines that, written to reflect a more stately era, inadvertently gave boisterous students brought up on television an excuse for merriment. In their stead are shorter lines using more conversational Filipino."

Do you know who wrote the original Panatang Makabayan? If you do, please let me know via the comment form below. Thanks!

[ First posted on 06/30/2003 by Manuel Viloria ]