𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚

 

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

- ,John F. Kennedy

Independence Day (Filipino: Araw ng Kasarinlán; also known as Araw ng Kalayaan, "Day of Freedom") is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed on June 12, commemorating the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 1898.

The Philippines, consisting of more than 7,000 separate islands in the western Pacific, declared independence from Spanish rule over 120 years ago.  Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was responsible for making this claim but it wasn’t until 1962 that then-President Diosdado Macapagal made it a public holiday through a presidential proclamation.  The Filipino flag was unfurled for the first time on this day June 12 in 1898 at an inspiring celebration, which also featured the first public playing of the Philippines national anthem. 

From Blue Book of the First Year of the Republic:

The Philippine flag, its red bar below the blue in token of beneficent and dearly bought peace at last, began to wave in the sweeping wind. The wind came in swift, low gusts… From the west came a rain-laden gale. And the long, slender crystal threads came down from the gray, white masses in the sky, as if to unravel the blending, shifting, immaterial fleece. And the rain blended with our tears—tears of joy, of gratitude, and of pride in supreme accomplishment. Above us flew for the first time and over this embattled land, alone, happy, and unperturbed amidst sweeping gales and whipping rain—the flag of the Philippines.

July 4, 1946: The Philippine flag flies alone in Philippine skies. (Colorized by the PCDSPO)

The nation has made great strides. It’s considered to be an emerging market and a newly industrialized country.

It's a good moment to think on what freedom means on the day we commemorate the founding of our country and the freedoms we acquired by gaining independence. Many people believe that they can do anything they want. The opposite could not be further from the truth. The freedom we celebrate in this country is a blessing, but it was not earned by letting everyone to do anything they pleased. True freedom comes from deciding to follow our Creator's higher principles and accepting the grace bestowed upon us through Christ.

 The Philippines, throughout its recorded history, had endured colonization, wars, including a World War; natural disasters with tragic consequences, and its own internal strife, which continue to the present time. It rose from the ashes and ruins of WWII to slowly, but surely, gain its footing and takes its rightful place in the community of free nations and people. The Filipinos are very much aware that freedom and the democratic process are crucial factors in nation-building. They are a proud people, proud of their heritage, culture, their country, and the legacy of their forbearers that is for them to safeguard. This is true of any race of people. (From  PHILIPPINE HISTORY, Remembering our Past by Jommel P. Taqtaquin)

REFERENCES:

"Independence Day (Philippines) - Wikipedia" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(Philippines)b

https://nationaltoday.com/philippines-independence-day/ 

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