A Glimpse of the Past. June 12, Independence Day.

Tomorrow (June 12) is the celebration of the Independence Day. Surely most of our dear students will be joyous for this but let us take a look back and learn some of our history.
For 333 years, the Philippines was colonized by the Spanish government. They ruled for over three centuries, but with the heart of a patriot, heroes rose up to fight against the dominion of the Spaniards. Through endless efforts, from the farmers to the most renowned heroes, we were finally set free, refusing to become forever captives.
So “Independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 between four and five in the afternoon in Cavite at the ancestral home of General Emilio Aguinaldo some 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Manila. The event saw the unfurling of the Flag of the Philippines, made in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, and Delfina Herboza, and the performance of the Marcha Filipina Magdalo, as the national anthem, now known as Lupang Hinirang, which was composed by Julián Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon marching band”, according to Wikipedia.
Whilst it was an important milestone for Filipinos, the Spanish government did not recognise our independence. They then went on to give the Philippines to the United States after the Spanish-American war as part of the peace treaty. After a war and the Philippines’ own treaty with the United States, independence was granted to the Philippines on July 4, 1946, coinciding with the American Independence Day.
July 4 was celebrated as Independence Day until 1964. After mounting pressure from the community, the government declared that June 12 would be The Philippines’ Independence Day and a national holiday. July 4 in the Philippines would then become the Philippines’ Republic Day.
The battles were fought in the past for the present to be a better day. Through courageous acts of resistance and marvelous wonders made with a pen, we are now living in a more peaceful world. We at DepEdTambayan would like to give our deepest gratitude and respect to all of our heroes and encourages anyone to be a hero of their own. Let us make this world to be better each day as we celebrate this years Independence Day.  Happy holiday.

Click this link to know more about The Philippine Holidays 2019.