Filipinos have had a long history of struggle before gaining freedom and independence. The Philippines was under the colonial rule of Spain for almost 200 years. Insurrections led by our brave national heroes broke out because of the authoritarian and abusive Spanish rule. It only came to an end accidentally as a result of the United States’ involvement with Cuba, another Spanish colony.
The United States declared war on Spain in 1898. The Battle of Manila Bay was the first hostile engagement of the Spanish-American War. US gained the support of the Filipinos through the help of Aguinaldo who went back to the Philippines after being exiled in Hongkong. He then gathered his rebel forces and re-established a revolutionary government and declared Philippine Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 at his ancestral home in Kawit Cavite.
The flag of the Philippines was first flown in that event. It was made in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad. It is also where the Philippine National Anthem was first played by the San Francisco de Malabon band, composed by Julian Felipe, The song was played under the name Marcha Filipina Magdalo, later renamed as Marcha Nacional Filipina. This declaration however was not recognized because on December 10, 1898 at the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States.
The US did not intend to recognize Philippine Independence, which forced Aguinaldo to move his capital from Cavite to Malolos. Aguinaldo and his advisers were eager to prove that the Filipinos could govern themselves and started to organize the Philippine Republic. He proclaimed the Malolos Constitution on January 23, 1899 and two days later, the Philippine Republic was inaugurated in Malolos Bulacan
Hostilities between the Americans and the Filipinos began on February 4, 1899 which led to the collapse of the Philippine-American alliance and continued on for two years. It took the lives of many Filipinos. Aguinaldo and his government escaped the capture of Malolos on March 31, 1899, disbanded his forces in November and were captured on March 23, 1901. He was forced to swear allegiance to the United States, called on his soldiers to put down their arms and on July 4, 1901, the United States declared an end to military rule.
President McKinley noticed the determination of the Filipino people to gain their independence and recommended the establishment of a civilian domestic government. He appointed the Taft Commission and gave it authority over the civilian government. It eliminated three centuries of Spanish governance, established the laws and institutions of a modern civil state, constituted a code of law, a judicial system and an elective municipal and provincial governments.
In July 1907, the Nacionalista Party of Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmena won the first elections to the Philippine Assembly and continued to reign until World War II.
In 1916, an elected Philippine Senate replaced the appointed Philippine Commission and the former Philippine Assembly was renamed the House of Representatives. The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 established the Commonwealth of the Philippines and in 1935, a plebiscite on the constitution for the new Republic was approved.
On July 4, 1946, representatives of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines signed a treaty of general relations between the two governments. The treaty provided for the recognition of the independence of the Republic of the Philippines and the relinquishment of American sovereignty over the Philippine Islands.
Manuel Roxas became the first President of the Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946. He was succeeded by Elpidio Quirino in 1948, Ramon Magsaysay in 1953, Carlos Garcia in 1957 and Diosdado Macapagal in 1961.
Soon after taking office, President Macapagal signed Republic Act No. 4166 and proclaimed June 12 a national holiday in celebration of Philippine Independence. General Emilio Aguinaldo, who first proclaimed Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, was the guest of honor at the first Independence Day celebrations held on June 12, 1962.
Since then, every 12th of June, Filipino communities worldwide never fail to celebrate this momentous event known as the Philippine Independence Day.
( Published on June 10, 2009 in MDWK Magazine p. 6 )
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