Hi Everyone!

Today, we will continue with Mama’s story of Philippine independence.

Philippine Independence Day (Filipino:Araw ng Kasarinlan, Araw ng Kalayaan) commemorating the country’s declaration of independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 is a regular holiday in the Philippines.
The event was led by General Emilio Aguinaldo in his mansion on June 12, 1898. The flag of the Philippines, which was made in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, was first flown in that event. It is, also, where the Philippine National Anthem, composed by Julian Felipe, was first played by the San Francisco de Malabon band. The song was played under the name Marcha Filipina Magdalo, later renamed as Marcha Nacional Filipina.

The Philippines celebrated its Independence Day every July 4, the date in 1946 that the United States granted independence to the nation, until 1962. In that year, President Diosdado Macapagal signed the Presidential Proclamation No. 28, changing the official celebration to June 12, the date in 1898 that Emilio Aguinaldo declared the nation’s independence from Spain. The government  offically named June 12 as Araw ng Kalayaan (Independence Day) and July 4 as Republic Day and Philippine-American Friendship Day.
On June 12, 1998, the nation celebrated its centennial year of Independence from Spain. The celebrations were held simultaneously nationwide by, then, President Fidel V. Ramos and Filipino communities worldwide. A commission was established for the said event. The National Centennial Commission, headed by former Vice President Salvador Laurel, presided over all events around the country. One of the major projects of the commission was the Expo Pilipino, a grand showcase of the Philippines’ growth as a nation for the last 100 years, located in the Clark Special Economic Zone (formerly the  United States Air Force  Clark Air Base) in Angeles City, Pampanga.

In future postings, Mama and I will continue with the history of the Philippines and the beautiful culture of our people.

See you tomorrow!

 

Technorati Tags: Celebration, Emilio Aguinaldo, Philippine History, Philippine Independence, President Macapagal

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