Independence Day
( fil, Araw ng Kasarinlán; also known as ''Araw ng Kalayaan'', "Day of Freedom") is an annual
national holiday in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
observed on June 12,
commemorating the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 1898.
History
![Php_bill_100000](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Php_bill_100000.png)
The earliest recorded event related to the holiday was when
Andres Bonifacio
Andres or Andrés may refer to:
*Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US
*Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France
*Andres (name)
*Hurricane Andres
* "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7
See also ...
, along with
Emilio Jacinto
Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking officers of the ...
, Restituto Javier, Guillermo Masangkay,
Aurelio Tolentino
Aurelio Tolentino y Valenzuela (October 15, 1869 – July 5, 1915) was a Filipino playwright, poet, journalist, and revolutionary. His works at the turn of the 20th century depicted his desire to see Philippine independence from its colonizers. He ...
, Faustino Manalak, Pedro Zabala and few other Katipuneros went to
Pamitinan Cave in
Montalban, Rizal to initiate new members of the
Katipunan
The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...
. Bonifacio wrote ''Viva la independencia Filipina!'' or ''Long Live Philippine independence'' on walls of the cave to express the goal of their secret society. Bonifacio also led the
Cry of Pugad Lawin
The Cry of Pugad Lawin ( tgl, Sigaw ng Pugad Lawin, es, Grito de Pugad Lawin) was the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire.
In late August 1896, members of the '' Katipunan'' led by Andrés Bonifacio revolted s ...
, which signals the beginning of the
Philippine Revolution. Members of the Katipunan, led by Bonifacio, tore their community tax certificates (''cedulas personales'') in protest of Spanish conquest.
The Philippine Revolution began in 1896. The
Pact of Biak-na-Bato
The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 15, 1897, created a truce between Spanish colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow rev ...
, signed on December 14, 1897, established a
truce
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
between the
Spanish colonial government and the Filipino revolutionaries. Under its terms,
Emilio Aguinaldo and other revolutionary leaders went into exile in Hong Kong after receiving 400,000 pesos from the Spanish Government.
At the outbreak of the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
, Commodore
George Dewey
George Dewey (December 26, 1837January 16, 1917) was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, with ...
sailed from Hong Kong to
Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...
leading the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily inv ...
. On May 1, 1898, Dewey defeated the Spanish in the
Battle of Manila Bay
The Battle of Manila Bay ( fil, Labanan sa Look ng Maynila; es, Batalla de Bahía de Manila), also known as the Battle of Cavite, took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish–American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore ...
, which effectively put the U.S. in control of the Spanish colonial government. Later that month, the U.S. Navy transported Aguinaldo back to the Philippines.
Aguinaldo arrived on May 19, 1898 in Cavite.
On June 5, 1898, Aguinaldo issued a decree at his house located in what was then known as
Cavite El Viejo
Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit ( tgl, Bayan ng Kawit), is a first-class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of the notable places that had ...
proclaiming June 12, 1898 as the day of independence. The ''
Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino'' was solemnly read by its author,
Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista
Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista y Altamira (December 7, 1830 – December 4, 1903), also known as Don Bosyong, was a Filipino lawyer and author of the Declaration of Philippine Independence. A distant relative of the Rizal family, Bautista often gave ...
, Aguinaldo's war counselor and special delegate. The 21-page declaration was signed by 98 Filipinos, appointed by Aguinaldo, and one retired American artillery officer, Colonel L. M. Johnson. The Philippine flag was officially unfurled for the first time at about 4:30 p.m, as the
Marcha Nacional Filipina
"" ("Chosen Land"), originally titled in Spanish as "" ("Philippine National March"), and commonly and informally known by its incipit "" ("Beloved Country"), is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Juliá ...
was played by the band of San Francisco de Malabon.
The proclamation was promulgated by 190 municipal presidents from the 16 provinces controlled by the revolutionary army on August 1, 1898 at
Bacoor
Bacoor (), officially the City of Bacoor ( fil, Lungsod ng Bacoor), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
, and was officially ratified on September 29, 1898 by the
Malolos Congress
The Malolos Congress (also known as the Revolutionary Congress), formally known as the National Assembly, was the legislative body of the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Members were chosen in the elections held from June 23 to Septe ...
.
![Philippine Independence, July 4 1946](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Philippine_Independence%2C_July_4_1946.jpg)
The Philippines failed to win international recognition of its independence, specifically including the United States of America and Spain. The Spanish government later ceded the Philippine archipelago to the United States in the
1898 Treaty of Paris. The Philippines Revolutionary Government did not recognize the treaty and the two sides subsequently fought what was known as the
Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
.
The United States of America granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946. In accordance with the
Philippine Independence Act
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
(more popularly known as the "Tydings–McDuffie Act"), President Harry S. Truman issued Proclamation 2695 of July 4, 1946 officially recognizing the independence of the Philippines. On the same day, the
Treaty of Manila was signed.
July 4 was chosen as the date by the United States because it corresponds to the United States'
Independence Day, and that day was observed in the Philippines as ''Independence Day'' until 1962. On May 12, 1962, President
Diosdado Macapagal issued Presidential Proclamation No. 28, which declared June 12 a special public holiday throughout the Philippines, "... in commemoration of our people's declaration of their inherent and inalienable right to freedom and independence." On August 4, 1964, Republic Act No. 4166 renamed July 4 holiday as "Philippine Republic Day", proclaimed June 12 as "Philippine Independence Day", and enjoined all citizens of the Philippines to observe the latter with befitting rites.
Flag Day
![PH flags near ccp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/PH_flags_near_ccp.jpg)
Prior to 1964, June 12 was observed as
Flag Day in the country. In 1965, President Diosdado Macapagal issued Proclamation No. 374, which moved National Flag Day to May 28 (the date the
Philippine Flag
The national flag of the Philippines ( tgl, Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas; ilo, Nailian a bandera ti Filipinas; ceb, Nasudnong bandila ng Pilipinas; es, Bandera Nacional de Filipinas) is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicol ...
was first flown in the patriot victory in the
Battle of Alapan
The Battle of Alapan ( fil, Labanan sa Alapan, es, Batalla de Alapan) was fought on May 28, 1898, and was the first military victory of the Filipino Revolutionaries led by Emilio Aguinaldo after his return to the Philippines from Hong Kong. Afte ...
located in
Imus
Imus, officially the City of Imus ( fil, Lungsod ng Imus), is a 3rd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines ...
,
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
in 1898). In 1994, President
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
issued Executive Order No. 179, extending the celebration period from May 28 to Philippine Independence Day on June 12, ordering government departments, agencies, offices, government owned and controlled corporations, state agencies, and local government units, and even private establishments, to prominently display the National Flag in all public buildings, government institutions, and official residences during this period; ordering the Department of Education, in coordination with the private sector, non-government organizations, and socio-civic groups, to enjoin the prominent display of the National Flag in all public squares and, whenever practicable, in all private buildings and homes in celebration of national independence.
Holiday customs
Most government offices are closed on that day as this is a national holiday and so also are most educational institutions, either public or private. Since 2020-2021, June marks the formal end of the academic year for most schools and educational institutions.
As required by law, the
Flag of the Philippines
The national flag of the Philippines ( tgl, Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas; ilo, Nailian a bandera ti Filipinas; ceb, Nasudnong bandila ng Pilipinas; es, Bandera Nacional de Filipinas) is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicol ...
, first flown on that day in 1898, is displayed in homes and establishments from as early as May 28, Flag Day, or on a selected date of May by the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herita ...
, which serves as the organizer of the celebrations, to the 30th of the month.
Kawit
Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit ( tgl, Bayan ng Kawit), is a first-class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of the notable places that had ...
,
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
holds a yearly commemorative act with the flag raising at the Aguinaldo Shrine and the reading of the
Philippine Declaration of Independence
The Philippine Declaration of Independence ( fil, Pagpapahayag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas; es, Declaración de Independencia de Filipinas); es, Acta de la proclamación de independencia del pueblo Filipino, link=no) was proclaimed by Fili ...
. Worldwide, Filipinos gather on June 12 or a date close to it to publicly celebrate, sometimes with a
parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
. There are also local celebrations as well, as well as a national celebration in Manila, the national capital, which in past years included a civil-military parade of uniformed organizations and public and private entitles, the last major parade was held in 2018 to mark the 120th year of nationhood.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Expanded summary of the parade
In the afternoon after the holiday toast ceremony or in the hours after the morning ceremonies in Manila, the commemorations continue with the civil-military parade at the historic Quirino Grandstand. For many years the civil-military parade in the capital was part of the national celebrations and was a key highlight.
The parade begins with the arrival of the President, Vice President and other guests in attendance. On the moment of the President's arrival, together with the AFP Chief of Staff, full arrival honors are given by a company of cadets of the Philippine Military Academy and members of the Presidential Security Group with the PSG Band or PMA Band in attendance. As the band plays the
honors music
The anthem for a person, office or rank is music played on formal or ceremonial occasions in the presence of the person, office-holder, or rank-holder, especially by a military band. The head of state in many countries is honored with a prescribe ...
"Marangal na Parangal" and the combined honor guard presents arms, a
21-gun salute is performed by a select battery from the Philippine Army Artillery Regiment in the same time. As the march ends, the honor guard commander orders the parade to order arms and informs the President and the CSAFP of the readiness of the honor guard to be reviewed. The guard is then reviewed as the band plays a inspectiob march and the two salute the colour guard. As the review ends the honor guard presents arms again and afterwards, after the guard orders arms, the commander informs the President of the end of the inspection of the guards. They march off as the President and the CSAFP walk towards the grandstand area to meet the other dignitaries present.
It is followed by the National Anthem, a joint holiday ecumenical prayer, and later by the opening remarks and the Presidential address if needed.
Cultural performance
Before the parade would start, performances by dance groups and choirs celebrating the anniversary of the nation's independence follow the Presidential address. The traditional cultural performance is a retelling in theatrical form of the Revolutionary period leading up to the formal declaration of independence and the proclamation of the First Republic.
Civil military parade
As the military parade portion commences, the AFP Combined Band plays "AFP on the March" as it marches past the grandstand and takes post to give way to the AFP parade, led by a general officer and his staff (either on foot or motorized) and followed by the color guard carrying and escorting the National Flag, the Armed Forces Flag and the component flags of the AFP and the combined color guard of the Philippine Marine Corps carrying the colors of the different units, commands and institutions of the Armed Forces. The parade commander in this segment is usually a Major General or Rear Admiral. Following the AFP contingents are units of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine Coast Guard. Joining them is a flypast of aircraft belonging to the AFP, PNP and PCG, and drive pasts of different vehicles of the uniformed services.
A civil parade segment follows at the end of the military parade. It is composed of contingents from the government and the private sector marching past the dignitaries. Floats celebrating the national holiday and marching bands take centerstage passing by the dignitaries in this segment. A civilian mobile column is also part of this segment. A common saying during the parade is "Viva la independencia Filipina!".
= Full order of the military parade
=
*
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The ...
Divisional Contingent
** Parade Commander and Staff
** National, Armed Forces And MSCs Color Guard
** Armed Forces Units Color Guard
** AFP Composite Band
** 1st Parade Brigade
*** Brigade Commander and Staff
***
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
*** Officer Candidate Schools of the Armed Forces
***
Presidential Security Group
The Presidential Security Group, shortened as PSG, is a Philippine close protection agency. It is the primary agency concerned with providing close-in security and escort to the president, their immediate families, former presidents of the Philip ...
*** Philippine Army Security and Escort Battalion
*** Philippine Air Force Honor and Escort Squadron
*** Philippine Navy Headquarters Security Group
*** AFP General Headquarters and Headquarters Service Command
*** AFP Technical and Administrative Service
** 2nd Parade Brigade
*** Brigade Commander and Staff
*** Philippine Army Infantry
*** Philippine Marine Corps
*** Composite battalion of Philippine Navy base personnel
*** 710th Special Operations Wing
***
AFP Special Operations Command
AFP most often refers to:
* Agence France-Presse, an international news agency
* Australian Federal Police
AFP or afp may also refer to:
Media
* Advertiser-funded programming, a television funding model
*American Family Publishers, a magazin ...
Combined Regiment
**** 1st Battalion: Army Scout Rangers, Special Forces Regiment and Light Reaction Regiment
**** 2nd Battalion: Naval Special Operations, Marine Special Operations and company of Armed Forces EOD experts
*** AFP Composite Female Battalion
*** Joint Task Force NCR
*** Composite regiment of Armed Forces Reserve Command
**** ROTC
**** Active Reserves
*** AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center Cadet Battalion
*
Philippine National Police Divisional Contingent
** Parade Commander and Staff
** Philippine National Police Band
** PNP Color Guard
** 1st Parade Brigade
*** Corps of Cadets, Philippine National Police Academy
*** National Police Institute Cadet Battalion
*** Highway Patrol Group
***
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is the primary investigation arm of the Philippine National Police.
History
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group was established as the Criminal Information Service whose origin t ...
*** PNP National Capital Region Police Office composite regiment
**** Headquarters personnel
**** Regional Public Safety Battalion
**** Composite battalion of personnel of police districts and city police offices
**** Composite SWAT battalion
*** PNP Maritime Group
** 2nd Parade Brigade
*** National Police Institute Cadet Battalions in training and combat uniforms
***
Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group
The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) is responsible for enforcing laws and regulations related to air travel in the Philippines.
In the past, their duties were performed by the Philippines' Aviation Security Comm ...
*** Drug Enforcement Group
*** PNP Special Action Force
*** Explosives Ordinance Disposal and Cannine Group
*** Composite battalion of SAR personnel from NCR Police Office
*** PNP Health Service
See also
*
List of national independence days
*
RP612fic – a social media event held every Philippine Independence Day since 2009
References
{{Philippine national holidays
Public holidays in the Philippines
June observances
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...