BINMALEY — The 110th Philippine Independence Day was observed here Thursday with officials and citizens witnessing and fervently singing the first-ever town hymn and praising the town’s revolutionary hero, Pedro Gumapos.

Mayor Simplicio Rosario and Vice Mayor Pedro Merrera also led the wreath-laying at the foot of the newly reconstructed monument of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the national hero, just beside the newly-built Binmaley Museum as the highlight of the day’s events.

Sung by the Binmaley Municipal Employees Choral Group, the hymn, according to Municial Administrator Josefina Victorio, evokes pride in Binmaley’s past and present as well as the future.

The hymn actually embodies the history of the town and the people’s aspirations, she said.

The lyrics was written by Fr. Immanuel Escano while the musical scoring was by University of the Philippines professor Gerry Domingo.

Rosario said he has issued an executive order directing all public and private elementary and high schools in the town to teach the hymn to pupils and students in order to perpetuate the history of the town.

He said he has also sent a copy of the hymn to Binmaley residents in the U.S. and many of them wrote or called to say they love it.

At the same occasion, Rosario hailed the role played by Gumapos (Pedro) who was the first revolutionary figure from Binmaley to rise against the Spanish rulers.

“Many may not have noticed it but the bridge just before the public market along the road from Dagupan to Lingayen was named after Gumapos for his role in the Philippine Revolution,” the mayor said by way of historical comment.

The name of Gumapos has been immortalized in the history of Pangasinan, along with Juan dela Cruz Palaris, Andres Malong, Daniel Maramba and many others, he said.

Rosario noted that Pangasinan may not have been one of the eight provinces historically labeled as one of the eight original provinces that first rebelled against Spain but. He said the fight was actually started way, way back by Malong in the 1400s and by Palaris in the 1700s.