In 1998, the country had euphoria in celebrating the centennial of Philippine Independence. Billions of pesos were spent to celebrate the 100 years of freedom of our country. But is it really true that we have five independence days excluding June 12, 1998?
Ocampo, a well known historian and an extraordinary one, wrote in one of his articles that there are six independence days of our country. He enumerated the following declarations of Phil. Independence.
- April 12, 1895 in Pamitinan Caves in Montalban.
Andres Bonifacio wrote, “Long Live Phil. Independence” on walls of one of the Pamitinan Caves.
- August 23, 1896 at Balintawak. Andres Bonifacio and his Katipuneros shouted. “Long Live The Phil.” On the said date while tearing up their cedulas.
- October 31, 1896 in Cavite. On the said date, Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree which runs this way “all Filipino citizens, to rise up in arms, to proclaim the liberty and independence of the Phil.”
- June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite. The most celebrate with very much fanfare Independence Day happened at the window of Aguinaldo’s house in Kawit, Cavite wherein the declaration of Phil. Independence was read to the people who attended the occasion.
- October 14, 1943 in Manila. During that time, our country was occupied by the Japanese forces. The puppet government declared on that day that, “The Filipinos people hereby proclaim to the world that they are… a free and independence nation…”
- July 4, 1946 at Luneta. On the said date, after the American forces liberated the Phil. From the hands of the Japanese soldiers, a document prepared by US President Harry Truman was read at Luneta. It runs this way, “The United States of America hereby withdraws and surrenders all rights of possessions, supervisions, jurisdiction, control or sovereignty… and I do hereby recognize the independence of the Phil. as a separate and self governing nation.”
How did the 4th declaration of Philippine Independence Day become the officially recognized or celebrated date? In 1961, the late Diosdado Macapagal issued an edict which declared that June 12, 1898 is the official Independence Day of the Phil.
Let us do our share in propagating the ideas behind the said independence days to the Filipino children who will take our place in the future.
Reference
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. and Milagros C. Guerrero. History of the Filipino People, Quezon City R. P. Garcia Publishing Co., 1977
Ocampo, Ambeth R. “Independence in Six Variations” in looking Back, Phil. Daily Globe, August 6, 1988.
By: MR. RODEL C. DUMALAG | Teacher I | Bataan National High School, Balanga City, Bataan
