JUNE 12 marks the celebration of Philippine Independence Day and this year is no different. Every year, millions of Filipinos from all over the world gather around and celebrate this important day.
The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in the Philippines. Filipino revolutionary head General Emilio Aguinaldo (who later became the Philippines’ first Republican President) proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain after the latter was defeated at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.
The declaration however was shortlived as it was not recognized by the United States or Spain. The reason was because the Spanish government ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, in consideration for an indemnity for Spanish expenses and assets lost.
In the Treaty of Manila, the US recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946 and it was observed in the Philippines until President Diosdado Macapagal signed Republic Act no. 4166 into law on August 4, 1964, designating June 12 (which had been previously observed as Flag Day) as the country’s Independence Day.
Here in the United States, Filipinos In the United States, earlier generations of Filipino immigrants did not celebrate Philippine Independence in significant ways. However, during the past two decades, Philippine Independence has been widely celebrated among Filipinos in the United States and is now a major event for many Filipino-Americans to rekindle their roots and heritage and generate cultural awareness for Filipinos.
The largest among Philippine Independence celebrations in America takes place in New York City every first Sunday of June. Traditionally held along Manhattan’s Madison Avenue from 23rd to 40th Streets, the culmination of the preparation, the Grand Parade, Street Fair and Cultural Show, is the biggest celebration of Philippine Independence outside the Philippines. The 2009 Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City took place last June 7th. The celebration in Northeast USA includes not only New York but also the twelve states under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in New York, namely, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In the Bay Area, the celebration started on June 6, with the Pista sa Nayon held at the Vallejo Waterfront. Organizers said that it was the Filipino community’s 23rd year of celebrating Philippine Independence Day and that it is, by far the biggest in Vallejo in terms of attendance according to Norma Placido, general chairperson of the 2009 Philippine Cultural Committee. This yearly free outdoor festival featured 97 vendor booths, a parade and activities for all ages.
On June 7, the Sacramento Filipino Festival at the Jose Rizal Center gathered the Filipino community with offerings of food, fun, booths and entertainment. We may think that Philippine Independence Day is always about history and freedom. There is in fact, another factor that makes it more significant—it is a chance for Filipinos all over the world to remember their roots, their culture. (With reports from Cynthia de Castro)
( Published on June 11, 2009 in SF Magazine p. 2 )
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