MANILA — On this day in Filipino history, December 26, 1849, marked the conclusion of Narciso Claveria y Zaldua’s tenure as Governor-General of the Philippines. Claveria, hailing from Gerona with Biscayan roots, assumed office on July 16, 1844.
His impactful term saw a series of reforms and noteworthy achievements:
In 1844, he rectified the Philippine calendar.
On February 15, 1846, he established a military library.
The Philippines welcomed its first steam war vessels from London in 1848.
Under his leadership, the influential Manila papers, La Esperanza (December 1, 1846), and Diario de Manila (1848), were printed.
Claveria also founded the Sociedad de Recreo casino on October 31, 1844.
On November 11, 1849, regular clergy were prohibited from alienating property.
Perhaps most significantly, on November 21, 1849 (some accounts state November 11, 1849), surnames were officially assigned to native Filipinos during his term.
Following his retirement, Claveria returned to Spain, and the temporary successor to the Governor-General position was Antonio Maria Blanco.
Source: The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume 1, number 17, Blair, Emma Helen, ed. d.1911.
(Jr Amigo/IA/MNM)
MANILA — Today, December 25, 1898, General Marcus P. Miller embarked on a pivotal journey from Manila to Iloilo, following orders to secure the city for the United States.
His mission took an unexpected turn when, upon arriving on December 29, he faced resistance from the native government that had peacefully succeeded Spanish rule.
Despite five days of deliberation, the Filipino government refused to surrender the city without a fight. General Miller, initially instructed to await orders if a peaceful occupation proved impossible, received a directive from General Otis on January 3, 1899, to forcefully seize the city if necessary. This order came just as he received a plea from foreign residents, advocating for restraint and highlighting the stability under the Filipino government.
Earlier on December 23, 1898, Spanish Governor-General Diego de los Rios formally surrendered the city to Filipino authorities. De los Rios, along with his staff and naval commanders, evacuated Panay Island for Zamboanga the following day.
However, two days after General Miller received the forceful seizure order, General Otis, having heard from Washington, advised against the attack. This turn of events added a layer of complexity to the unfolding historical narrative.
References: The anti-imperialist, Volume 1, Number 1 and 2″ by Edward Atkinson, May 1899, from the accounts of General Miller; The Philippines” by John Foreman, Filipiniana Book Guild, Manila, 1980.
(JR AMIGO/AI/MNM
MANILA — On December 17, 1978, a significant chapter in Filipino history unfolded as Pinoy boxing great Manny Pacquiao was born in Kibawe, Bukidnon, marking a day that would later be celebrated as a milestone in sports.
Manny Pacquiao, renowned as “Pacman,” “the Destroyer,” and “Pambansang Kamao,” made boxing history by becoming the first athlete ever to secure 10 world titles across eight distinct weight divisions. Despite hailing from a humble background, Pacquiao embarked on his professional boxing journey at the age of 16, weighing just 106 pounds in the light-flyweight category. His inaugural victory against Edmund Enting Ignacio set the stage for an extraordinary career.
Motivated by the loss of his close friend Mark Penaflorida in 1994, Pacquiao’s determination led him to Manila, where, under the management of Polding Correa and business manager Rod Nazario, he climbed the ranks of the boxing world. His breakthrough came in 2001 when he defeated Lehlohonolo Ledwaba to claim the IBF World Super bantamweight title.
Pacquiao’s journey continued with triumphs and setbacks, from winning titles in various weight classes to facing defeats against opponents like Erik Morales. His resilience and unwavering focus propelled him to venture to the United States in 2001, seeking greater opportunities in the boxing arena.
Throughout his illustrious career, Pacquiao’s accomplishments include victories over Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto. His historic win against Antonio Margarito in 2010 allowed him to secure a world title in his eighth weight class.
Beyond the boxing ring, Pacquiao diversified his pursuits, engaging in acting, music recording, and politics. In May 2010, he was elected to the House of Representatives, representing the province of Sarangani, making him the only active boxer to become a congressman in the Philippines. Additionally, he served as a senator from June 30, 2016, to June 30, 2022, and holds the rank of Sergeant Major as a military reservist in the Philippine Army’s 15th Ready Reserve Division.
Pacquiao’s legacy extends beyond sports, leaving an indelible mark on Filipino history and inspiring generations with his remarkable achievements both inside and outside the ring. Source: Philippine News Agency archives
(JR AMIGO/AI/MNM)
On December 3, 1574, Limahong and his bandits departed from Manila to Pangasinan, where they founded a kingdom near the mouth of the Agno River.
Limahong, a notorious Chinese pirate and warlord, invaded the northern Philippine Islands in 1574. He declared to the people that he had conquered the Spaniards and intended to rule over them as their king.
Approximately four miles from the sea, near the mouth of the Agno River, Limahong constructed a fort with an outer palisade of palm logs and an inner enclosure of palm planks, housing his palace. He also erected pagodas and dwelling places in preparation for a permanent settlement.
Choosing to establish himself there, Limahong aimed to become the master of the region, amassing wealth and remaining beyond the reach of both the Spaniards and the Chinese emperor. The neighboring villages were filled with terror as they all, without exception, acknowledged Limahong as their king, obeying him and paying him tributes.
In response to Limahong’s presence, the Spanish colonizers couldn’t tolerate it. On March 23, 1575, they dispatched an expedition to Lingayen, driving out the bandit who escaped into the China Sea towards his former lair.
Reference: Philippine News Agency archives
(JR AMIGO/AI/MNM)
On this day in Filipino history, November 26, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo made a significant decree that gave the revolutionary government the authority to secure a loan amounting to 20 million pesos.
Acting on behalf of the national treasury, this proclamation outlined the loan terms, stipulating a repayment period of up to 40 years from the date of issuance.
Notably, the decree extended its scope to the circulation of paper money, amounting to three (3) million pesos. These notes were deemed redeemable within a three-year timeframe.
(Reference: “The laws of the first Philippine Republic (the laws of Malolos) 1898-1899. Compiled & edited by Sulpicio Guevara, 1972.”)
(JR AMIGO/AI/MNM)
On November 12, 1899, a pivotal moment in Filipino history unfolded as military leaders convened at Bayambang, Pangasinan. Present at this war council were General Emilio Aguinaldo and numerous Filipino military figures who collectively concluded that the army had reached a point of incapacity for sustained resistance in the field.
The resolution adopted during this assembly dictated the disbandment of the army, with the generals and their troops dispersing to their respective provinces. The overarching objective was to mobilize the populace for widespread resistance through guerrilla warfare.
Consequently, the uniformed battalions and regiments fragmented into small groups, engaging in persistent guerrilla activities for years to come. During this period, Filipino soldiers often forwent uniforms, blending into the non-combatant peasant population while vehemently asserting their amicable intentions.
As a result, these dispersed fighters became known as “amigos,” a term that evolved into a byword signifying an American soldier—an enemy deceitfully claiming friendship.
The subsequent day, November 13, 1899, marked the commencement of Emilio Aguinaldo’s retreat to Northern Luzon. He left Bayambang accompanied by his staff and a contingent led by General Gregorio del Pilar.
Source: US War Department Report, 1900, Volume I, p. 59, via The American Occupation of the Philippines, James Blunt, 1913; Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan
(Filed by JR AMIGO/AI/MNM)
On November 5, 1881, George Malcolm, an American justice and Philippine law expert founded the University of the Philippines (U.P.) College of Law in 1911, was born in Concord, Michigan, USA.
As a lawyer in his early 30s, Malcolm was assigned to the Philippines, which was then a colony of the United States, and rose quickly in rank from several minor positions starting from clerk in the Bureau of Health and subsequently in the Bureau of Justice to acting attorney-general for the Philippines.
He pushed for the establishment of a college of law in U.P. but his proposal was initially turned down by the Board of Regents, prompting him to arrange for the Manila Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) to offer law courses, which commenced in 1910.
Within a year, the Board of Regents reconsidered his appeal and authorized the establishment of the College of Law on January 12, 1911.
Malcolm served for six years after being appointed permanently to the dean’s post of the College of Law on October 11, 1911. He also taught courses in constitutional law and legal ethics.
Three students who graduated during his deanship eventually became president of the Philippines – Jose P. Laurel, Manuel Roxas, and Elpidio Quirino – while several of his other students later served in the Supreme Court, including Laurel himself.
Later on, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson appointed Malcolm to sit as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines at age 35, serving for 19 years.
He served in the Court until 1936 when he was forced to retire upon the promulgation of the 1935 Constitution, which limited Supreme Court membership to Filipinos.
Notably, Malcolm had written 3,340 opinions for the Court, some of which remain influential to date.
He later settled back in the United States and accepted other key positions, though he would make occasional visits to the Philippines and to the law school housed in the building named “Malcolm Hall” in his honor.
He died at age 79 in Los Angeles on May 16, 1961.
Source: Philippine News Agency archives
Photo: Wikipedia
(JR AMIGO/ai/mnm)
On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur as the head of the largest US fleet of transport and warships, accompanied by Commonwealth President Sergio Osmeña and Gen. Carlos P. Romulo, landed on Palo, Leyte to reclaim the Philippines from the Japanese invaders.
Gen. MacArthur made true his famous vow “I shall return” promise following his escape from Corregidor on March 11, 1942, to Australia together with his wife and four-year-old son, and others on orders of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to avoid being overrun by Japanese Forces.
“I shall return” is the last phrase of his statement before reporters:
“The President of the United States ordered me to break through the Japanese lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia for the purpose, as I understand it, of organizing the American offensive against Japan, a primary objective of which is the relief of the Philippines. I came through and I shall return.”
With his feet finally back on Philippine soil, and his pledge at last being fulfilled, MacArthur spoke with great emotion just moments after he waded ashore:
“I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil — soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come, dedicated and committed, to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring, upon a foundation of indestructible, strength, the liberties of your people.”
“At my side is your President, Sergio Osmeña, worthy successor of that great patriot, Manuel Quezon, with members of his cabinet. The seat of your government is now therefore firmly re-established on Philippine soil.”
“The hour of your redemption is here. Your patriots have demonstrated an unswerving and resolute devotion to the principles of freedom that challenge the best that is written on the pages of human history. I now call upon your supreme effort that the enemy may know from the temper of an aroused and outraged people within that he has a force there to contend with no less violent than is the force committed from without.”
“Rally to me. Let the indomitable spirit of Bataan and Corregidor lead on. As the lines of battle roll forward to bring you within the zone of operations, rise and strike. Strike at every favorable opportunity. For your homes and hearths, strike! For future generations of your sons and daughters, strike! In the name of your sacred dead, strike! Let no heart be faint. Let every arm be steeled. The guidance of divine God points the way. Follow in His Name to the Holy Grail of righteous victory!”
Other landings were made in Mindoro, Batangas, and Lingayen in subsequent months.
On February 3, 1945, the bloody Battle of Manila began.
Before this battle, Manila was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Overlooking a tranquil bay, the so-called “Pearl of the Orient” was home to a unique culture drawn from four continents. No stranger to conflict, the city had been seized by the Spanish in the 16th century, attacked by the Chinese in the 17th, occupied by the British in the 18th, and taken by the Americans at the end of the 19th. But even this tumultuous history could not have prepared the Filipinos for what happened in February to early March of 1945 when Manila was utterly destroyed.
Amphibious landings and air attacks were made in various parts of the Philippines that were still in Japanese hands. MacArthur, who had taken over the government as Military Administrator, turned over the reins of the civil government to President Sergio Osmeña.
On July 4, 1945, he proclaimed the liberation of the entire Philippines from Japanese invasion.
Accordingly, MacArthur proposed that war be brought right at Japan’s door — bombing occurred day and night in mainland Japan, important Japanese ports and cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kure as well as the deadly atomic bomb unleashed in Hiroshima, killing thousands of inhabitants.
On September 2, 1945, Japan unconditionally signed the terms of surrender on board the battleship Missouri at Tokyo Bay. Hence, MacArthur, one of the best-known American military leaders of World War II led occupation forces in the reconstruction of Japan.
Sources:
MacArthur’s Speeches, People and Events, American Experience, pbs.org
Philippine News Agency archives
(Filed by JR AMIGO/ai/mnm)
On October 19, 1886, Jorge Bocobo, who translated Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo into English, was born in Gerona, Tarlac.
Bocobo, who got an almost perfect score in the Civil Law examination in the country, also translated the Code of Kalantiaw, Lupang Hinirang, and Andres Bonifacio’s Decalogue.
He was one of the 100 Filipino students, the so-called “pensionados,” who were sent to the United States to study for four years in American School on October 10, 1903.
He helped President Manuel L. Quezon in drafting speeches and statements in connection with the campaign for Philippine independence as a member of four independence commissions to the United States in 1919, 1922, 1923, and 1924.
Bocobo also translated into English Rizal’s preface to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt’s book, Filipinas. His legal publications included outlines of the laws on property, obligations, and court decisions from 1924 to 1944.
Notably, Bocobo, who became the fifth president of the University of the Philippines from 1934 to 1939, was influential in the development of education in the Philippines.
In his years of teaching and as acting dean of the U.P. College of Law from 1914 to 1917, he greatly contributed to making U.P. the most outstanding law school in the country and one with the best legal library.
He held several other positions, including justice of the Supreme Court from 1942 to 1944 and chairman of the Code Commission.
He was the principal author of the Civil Code of the Philippines, for which he was given a Presidential Award of Merit by President Elpidio Quirino in 1949.
Bocobo was imprisoned but later cleared of the charges of treason by the Americans on May 17, 1954, because he held office with the government installed by the Japanese during their occupation of the country.
He died on July 23, 1965.
Source: Philippine News Agency archives
Photo credit: WikiPilipinas (Filed by JR AMIGO/ai/mnm)
On October 8, 1897, Emilio Jacinto, dubbed in Philippine history as the Brains of the Katipunan, wrote “A La Patria” (To The Fatherland), a patriotic piece inspired by “Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last Farewell) written by Dr. Jose Rizal before his execution at the Bagumbayan field (known today as the Rizal or Luneta Park). Jacinto wrote the poem under the coconut palms of Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
Jacinto, who carried the nom de plume “Dimas Ilaw”, was an equally cerebral and influential writer whose pieces essentially exhorted the Filipino masses to join the revolution against Spain and that every Filipino aspiring for freedom should be ready to make sacrifices for the country.
Born on December 15, 1875, in Trozo, Manila, Jacinto, at the age of 18, gave up his academic pursuits to join the Katipunan founded by the Great Plebeian Andres Bonifacio on July 7, 1892 in Tondo. Jacinto was the youngest member of the Katipunan in his time.
A foremost revolutionary of the Katipunan, Jacinto wrote the “Kartilla”, the primer of the Katipunan on how Katipuneros should conduct themselves in the fight for freedom against the Spanish colonizers.
He likewise edited the newspaper “Kalayaan” (Freedom), the secret society’s organ which tremendously boosted the membership of the Katipunan from 300 to 30,000 just before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution in August 1896.
The simplicity and ease of comprehension of his writing style to the masses evoked power and admiration among all his readers.
His other writings include: “Liwanag at Dilim” (Light and Darkness), “Pahayag” (Manifesto), “Sa Mga Kababayan Ko” (To My Countrymen) all contain his socio-political ideas using Dr. Jose Rizal and Marcelo H. del Pilar as his role models.
Jacinto held various sensitive positions in the organization as secretary, fiscal, editor, and later as general of the revolutionary forces in Laguna province.
After Bonifacio’s death, Jacinto continued his fight against the Spanish colonizers but nevertheless declined to join the forces of General Emilio Aguinaldo.
He contracted malaria and died on April 16, 1899, in Majayjay, Laguna, at the age of 23. His remains were later transferred to the Manila North Cemetery.
To the Fatherland (A la Patria)
Hail! Oh, my native country! more than aught I adore thee,
Whom with so many treasures lavish Nature has blessed;
Eden where flowers more fragrant bloom than in other gardens,
Where with more beautiful colors, rising, the dawn paints the heavens,
And where the poet, enraptured, sees what he elsewhere but dreamt.
Hail! Oh, thou queen enchanting! Filipinas beloved,
Venus beauty-enshrouded, peerless, beloved land!
Region of light and color, poetry, fragrance, and gaiety,
Regions of fruits delicious and of sweet harmonies, gently
Lulled to sleep by the breezes and the surf of the sea.
Pearl the most precious and dazzling of our Eastern Ocean,
Paradise gilt by the splendors of our brilliant sun:
Eagerly do I greet thee, and adoration ardent
Offers my soul with the burning, fervent desire to see thee
Free from thy bitter sorrow, free from the Spaniard’s yoke!
Ah, in the midst of thy splendors, sadly in chains dost thou languish,
That which to thee is most precious-Freedom, thou hast it not!
Ah, to relieve thee, my country, in thy distress, in thy suffering,
Fain would I give my lifeblood, gushing forth from my bosom
To the last drop and oblivion find, and eternal rest.
What should be thine by justice, rights unalienable
Are naught but words vain and hollow, cruel mockery to thee;
Justice is but a deception in thy sad situation,
Bondmaid art thou, though worthy of a queen’s purple instead,
Joy givest thou to thy tyrant, who gives thee gall in return.
What does it help thee, my country, sad, bowed by dire misfortune,
That thou hast skies like the turquoise, clear and diaphanous,
That of thy moon the silvery beams are of matchless beauty:
What does it help thee, who, weeping, sighing in bitter bondage,
Hast for four centuries been suffering-what is the good to thee?
Aid what avail thee the flowers covering thy smiling meadows,
What do the birds’ carols that sweetly in your forests resound?
Ah, the same breeze that their fragrance bears and their songs harmonious,
Bears on its wings cry and sob, weeping and bitter complaints,
That fills the soul with anguish and the mind with sad thoughts.
What is the good of thy splendor, pearl of virginal beauty,
What of the wealth oriental of thy alluring charms,
If all thy grace and beauty tyrants have cruelly blighted,
Bound with mortiferous irons, fetters of hardness unequaled,
Drawing enjoyment and pleasure from thy anguish and woe?
What is the good of thy fertile soil and its matchless exuberance,
That it brings forth fruit delicious, manifold, bountiful?
If all thy generous heavens smile down upon and shelter
Is claimed as his by the Spaniard, who stepping boldly forward,
Insolent in his vileness, loudly proclaims his right?
But to an end comes all silence, end must all servile patience,
Now, that the tocsin resounding calls us to fight for thee,
And without fear, without mercy, openly, crush the vile serpent
That with its venom has poisoned thy embittered existence:
Fatherland, here we are, ready, anxious, to die for thee!
All, the idolized mother, and the wife whom we worship,
Even the babe whom his father loves like a piece of his soul,
In the defence of thy cause, we abandon them, leaving behind us
Happiness, love, and hope: all we hold dear we give up,
All our fondest dreams, our illusions all.
And lo! throughout the country heroes spring up by enchantment,
Burning with love of their country, radiant with virtue’s light,
Fighting with ardor that only death will defeat and vanquish,
And even dying they will utter thy sacred name,
Fatherland, wishing thee happiness, still with their dying breath.
Numerous like stars in the heavens, thousands of noble heroes
Lay on thy sacred altars willingly down their lives,
And when ye hear of the combats and of the desperate charges,
Fervent prayers to heaven send up, ye children, ye aged,
And ye women, that victory may be with our hosts!
Midst the cruelty of the most horrible tortures can be imagined,
Only because they have loved thee and desired thy good,
Countless martyrs have suffered, yet in the midst of their torments
Blessings for thee have risen from their pure souls, and even
Those who were slain met death with a last wish for thee.
What does it matter that hundreds, thousands of sons of thine perish,
In the unequal struggle, in the tremendous strife,
And that their precious life-blood flows till it seems like an ocean?
Is it not spilt in defending thee and thy sacred homes?
Little it matters if fighting bravely, they die in thy cause!
Little it matters if exile is our fate and the prison,
Or even torture, with savage fury inflicted on us,
For at the sacred altar that in his heart each patriot
To thee has raised, have we all, one and all have we sworn
Fealty to our cause and our honor pledged.
And if we forth from the fight come with the laurels of glory,
And our self-sacrificing labor is crowned with success,
Future ages will honor heap upon honor and crown thee
Queen of the realm of the free, pure, and unblemished queen,
And all the peoples on earth mute and admiring will stand.
On the horizon slowly rises the dawn, most brilliant,
Of a new day of freedom, love, and prosperity,
And of those who have fallen in the dark night of the struggle
Never let perish the memory, and in their graves, cold and humble,
Happy their slumber will be, happiness being thine.
But if the crown of the victor should be the spoil of the Spaniard,
And if the fickle fortune should turn its back on thee,
Yet we shall always be brethren-be what it may the outcome,
Liberty will always have champions while there are tyrants alive.
And our faith will not perish-while there is life, there is hope!
Silent forces are working while a false calm is reigning,
Calm that precedes the storm-soon will the hurricane rage,
And with more firmness, more prudence will our work we continue
And start the struggle again but with more ardor and strength,
Till in the end, we shall triumph, till dried your tears shall be.
Fatherland, idolized, precious, as your sorrows are growing
So our love grows amain, our affection for thee,
Do not lose hope or courage, for from the wound, the gaping,
Always the blood will flow, while there is life in us,
And we shall never forget thee in eternity’s space!
DIMAS-ILAW. Sta. Cruz, Laguna, October 8, 1897
(Translated from Spanish by Epifanio delos Santos)
Source: Philippine News Agency archives
Emilio Jacinto by Epifanio delos Santos, The Philippine Review, June 1918, Volume 3, Number 6
(Filed by Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
Opening of the Malolos Congress on September 15, 1898, Image Courtesy of Kahimyang.com
On September 29, 1898, the Malolos Congress ratified the June 12, 1898 Act of the Declaration of Independence proclaimed in Kawit, Cavite.
The Declaration of Independence of the Philippines was attended by only one foreigner, an American colonel of artillery, Mr. L. M. Johnson. The Philippine independence was not recognized by any other country.
It all began on September 15, 1898, when the revolutionary congress convened in Barasoain Church in Malolos which also decided to draft a constitution. This constitution would become the Malolos Constitution of 1899.
The new constitution was approved by the Revolutionary Congress on January 20, 1899, and sanctioned by President Emilio Aguinaldo on January 21, 1899.
Source: Philippines News Agency, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan
(Filed by Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
The Macapagals
(Left to right, Young Gloria Macapagal, President Macapagal, EVa Macapagal)
On September 28, 1910, Diosdado Pangan Macapagal, 9th President of the Philippines serving from 1961 to 1965, was born in Lubao, Pampanga.
Known as the “Poor Boy from Lubao”, Macapagal, who finished law at the University of Santo Tomas through assistance from a friend, topped the 1936 Bar examinations with a score of 89.95 percent.
He was the father of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the 14th President of the Philippines.
President Macapagal earned his Master of Laws degree in 1941, a Doctor of Civil Law degree in 1947, and a Ph.D. in Economics in 1957.
Among his most significant career achievements was the abolition of tenancy accompanying the land reform program in the Agricultural Land Reform Code of 1963 which underscored his endeavor to fight mass poverty.
Macapagal changed the Philippine Independence Day from July 4 to June 12 which symbolized his policy of promoting and achieving true independence from foreign domination. He placed the peso on the free currency exchange market, and liberalized foreign exchange and import controls.
Macapagal also served as vice president in 1957 in the administration of President Carlos P. Garcia. He defeated Garcia in his reelection bid in the 1961 elections.
He also became representative of the first district of Pampanga in 1949 and was consistently selected by the Congressional Press Club as one of the Ten Outstanding Congressmen during his tenure. He was selected as “the Best Lawmaker” in his second term in Congress.
In 1965, Macapagal lost his reelection bid to President Ferdinand Marcos.
Macapagal was elected president of the Constitutional Convention which would later draft what became the 1973 Constitution.
Macapagal, who devoted much of his time to reading and writing books in his retirement, died of heart failure, pneumonia, and renal complications on April 21, 1997. He was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Source: Philippine News Agency archives
(By Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
On September 27, 1865, General Miguel Malvar, a revolutionary general, was born in Santo Tomas (now a city), Batangas to Maximo Malvar locally known as Capitan Imoy and Tiburcia Carpio.
Malvar, a former gobernadorcillo of his hometown, played an instrumental role during the Philippine revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War.
Malvar joined the Katipunan before the Philippine Revolution of 1896. When the revolution broke out, he emerged from a leader of a small army to being the military commander of Batangas. He coordinated offensives with General Emilio Aguinaldo of the Cavite revolutionaries and with General Paciano Rizal, leader of the revolutionaries in Laguna.
On February 1899, when the hostilities between Americans and Filipinos began, Malvar was appointed second-in-command to General Mariano Trias, who was the overall commander of the Filipino forces in Southern Luzon.
With General Emilio Aguinaldo’s capture by the Americans in 1901, and the earlier surrender of his (Aguinaldo’s) successor, General Mariano Trias, Malvar took the task of running the resistance movement against the Americans.
In early 1902, the American campaign inflected heavy casualty on both guerrilla fighters and civilians. As early as August of 1901, the Americans released exact description of Malvar’s physical features aimed at capturing the General. Malvar would escape American patrols by putting on disguise.
General Malvar surrendered to American General J Franklin Bell in April 1902 followed by his troops, ending the battle in Batangas.
In 1891, Malvar married Paula Maloles, daughter of Don Ambrocio Maloles. Don Ambrocio was his successor as gobernadorcillo of Santo Tomas. Ulay, as she was known locally, bore Malvar’s thirteen children, only eleven of them would survive.
Malvar retired to a quiet farming life and passed away on October 13, 1911 at the age of 46 due to liver failure.
Source:
Pambansang Komisyon Pangkasaysayan
(Filed by Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
Image Courtesy of philippinesgraphic.com.ph
Today in Filipino history, September 25, 1879, Lope K. Santos was born in Pasig to Ladislao Santos, a native of Pasig and Victorina Canseco, a native of San Mateo (Rizal).
Santos was a Tagalog language writer and former senator of the Philippines. He is best known for his 1906 socialist novel, Banaag at Sikat and his contributions for the development of Filipino grammar and Tagalog orthography
Banaag at Sikat is considered as the first socialist-oriented book in the Philippines which expounded principles of socialism and seek labor reforms from the government.
The book was later made an inspiration for the assembly of the 1932 Socialist Party of the Philippines and then the 1946 group Hukbalahap.
In early 1910s, he started his campaign on promoting a “national language for the Philippines” through organized lectures, cultural societies which he founded all over the country, and headed the department of national language in various leading universities.
Mang Openg, as he was fondly called by his friends, was elected governor of Rizal province in 1910, served until 1913. In 1918, he was appointed as the first Filipino governor of the newly-resurveyed Nueva Vizcaya until 1920.
Consequently, he was elected to the 5th Philippine Legislature as senator of the twelfth senatorial district representing provinces having a majority of non-Christian population.
He was the primary author of Philippine Legislature Act No. 2946 which enacted November 30 of every year as Bonifacio Day, honoring Andres Bonifacio. He championed the cause of labor with his introduction of several measures designed to better the workers’ working conditions.
In 1940, Santos published the first grammar book of the Filipino language, Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa (Grammar of the National Language) which was commissioned by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa.
The next year, he was appointed by President Manuel L. Quezon as director of Surian until 1946. When the Philippines became a member of the United Nations he was selected to translate the 1935 Constitution for UNESCO. He was also appointed to assist for the translation of inaugural addresses of presidents Jose P. Laurel and Manuel A. Roxas.
He was married to Simeona Salazar on February 10, 1900. They were blessed with five children.
He died on May 1, 1963 at the age of 86.
References: Philippines News Agency archives
Wikipedia
(Filed by Jr Amigo/AI/MNM)
Image Courtesy of The Kahimyang Project
Today in Filipino history, on September 24, 1669, Manuel de Leon took possession of the Philippines as the new governor-general. He was appointed by royal provision on June 24, 1668, and arrived in Manila on September 24, 1669.
During his time the seeds of cacao were brought to the Philippines and planted first in Carigara, Leyte. De Leon extended the commerce of the islands to China, India, and Java, and thus enabled the citizens of Manila to attain unusual wealth and prosperity.
On April 11, 1677 (according to Concepcion’s account from his Hist. de Philipinas, vii, pp. 258, 259), Governor Manuel de Leon died due to excessive obesity. De Leon left all his property for charitable purposes.
Casimiro Diaz from his Conquistas said that Governor General Manuel de Leon died on the night of April 8, 1676.
On account of his death, the senior auditor, Don Francisco de Coloma, took charge of the government, in company with auditors Don Francisco de Mansilla and Don Diego Calderón y Serrano for civil affairs.
Source:
Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XLII, 1670-1700, page 15, 157-161 E. H. Blair, Gutenberg EBook #34384
(Filed by Jr Amigo/A. Inigo/mnm)
On the evening of September 23, 1762, the British flotilla landed in Manila Bay, which marked the beginning of the British invasion of the Philippines.
Admiral Samuel Cornish led the expedition to capture Manila, which at that time was a Spanish colony. General William Draper, who was in the service of the British East India Company, commanded the troops.
The English fleet entered the Manila Bay in the form of a half circle stretching from Cavite to the middle of the Bay, 13 ships in all. It was a dull misty evening, with a typhoon forming to the southwest. The Manila officials thought them a fleet of trading junks and sent out Captain Fernando Alcala to inquire as to their business. He was detained on board until the next morning, when he accompanied two English officers ashore with a demand for the surrender of the city.
The flustered Archbishop and acting Governor General Manuel Rojo, reported that:
“The city was suffocated with consternation at the approaching conflict”, but with his Council made reply that “he was determined to protect for His Catholic Majesty the City and Islands under his care, and was prepared to sacrifice all in the defense of religion and the honor of the Spanish arms.”
The naval force of the English was composed of the war and troopships Norfolk, Elisabeth, Grafton, Seahorse, Seaforth, Argo, Falmouth, Panther, Lenox and Weymouth, and the storeships Osterly, Stephen and South Sea Castle, with a complement of seamen and marines.
The military arm under General William Draper was the 79th Regiment; a company of Royal artillery with 30 Madras assistants; 600 Indian regulars known as Sepoys; two companies of French deserters, and prisoners numbering 250.
The English operations came as a result of the Seven Years’ War, which starting as a purely European issue, became almost worldwide in its scope. Austria, Russia and France had combined to crush Prussia under Frederick the Great, the stake being Silesia. England, the banker of Frederick, was drawn into the struggle which lasted from 1756 to 1763. Sweden, Saxony, Parma, Naples and Portugal were also drawn into the conflict; and Spain, her reigning house related to Austria, declared war on England.
The following day, September 24, 1762, Draper and Cornish sent an edict to the Filipinos announcing that the Filipinos need have no fear of the British fleet, provided that they do not join the Spaniards or assist them in any way.
They will be received under British protection; their women and children will be free from outrages; full prices will be paid them for food; they will be free to go and come as they please; and freedom of worship will be conserved to them. If they do, on the contrary, aid the Spanish, then they must fear the punishment that will be inflicted.
Don Simon de Anda, a judge in the Audiencia, arrived in the Islands a year before the capture of Manila, escaped to the provinces. He assumed the role of patriot in the eyes of his supine countrymen, but his usurped and self-appointed power only endured because the clergy, especially the Augustinian order, who really dominated the provinces, rallied around and upheld him in his power.
With the Spanish forces and hundreds of volunteers facing defeat against British troops, it was the native population of nearby Pampanga and Bulacan provinces who gave the British forces a lesson or two in guerrilla warfare.
About a thousand Filipino fighters, who was convinced by their Spanish parish priests that the British were invading demons, staged surprise attacks against the invaders, although they were subsequently repelled.
On the other hand, among those siding with the British were Filipino freedom fighters like Diego Silang who led an uprising in the Ilocos against Spanish rule, and Juan de la Cruz Palaris in Pangasinan who had direct or indirect ally in England during and after the war.
Sultan Azim ud Din I (Alimudin) of Sulu and Sabah also entered into a mutual defense pact with the British.
Majority of the Chinese residents in Manila aided the British and formed military units against Spain.
The British occupation of the Philippines was short-lived as the Seven Years’ War ended in Europe on February 10, 1763 with the signing of the peace treaty in Paris (Treaty of 1763).
The Spanish troops re-entered Manila May 31, 1764, possession of the city being taken by Don Simon de Anda, since the new governor ad interim, Francisco de la Torre, was sick. That night a banquet was given to the British commanders. On June 4, 1764, the British tendered a banquet to Anda and other officials on their ships. The British vessels left the bay for India on June 10 and 11, 1764.
Archbishop Manuel Rojo died in captivity on January 1763. The British respected him as a man of his word and gave him an imposing military funeral with all the honors of war.
The British occupation left a distinct features of Indian ancestry, as seen in the towns of Cainta and Taytay in the former Morong (now Rizal) province, as Sepoy members of the British forces chose to remain and married Filipino women. The war also brought about ideological change among Filipinos. Knowing that Spain was not invulnerable at all and its rule in the Philippines would not last forever, it was inevitable that Filipinos themselves would rule.
Sources:
The British Occupation of the Philippines, Percy A. Hill, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Volume 3, Number 5, May 1923
The English Invasion, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume 1, Number. 49, Helen Emma Blair, et al. 1911
Philippine News Agency Archives
(Filed by Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
The Original Flag raised by Emilio Aguinaldo in declaring the independence in 1898
Today in Filipino history September 22, 1943, the Philippine national anthem and the national flag were declared official symbols by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 211.
The national anthem was first played officially along with the raising of the national flag on June 12, 1898, when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo formally proclaimed Philippine Independence from Spain at the central second-story window of his house in Kawit, Cavite.
The Philippine national anthem, which embodies the struggles and the glory of the Filipino people in search of freedom from foreign domination, was composed by Julian Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon Band.
The Spanish lyrics were written by Jose Palma a year later.
The Philippine national flag was made in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, assisted by Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herbosa, while General Aguinaldo was in exile in Hong Kong.
It features a blue band on top, a red band below, and a white triangle on the side. The triangle stands for equality and its white color stands for purity. The blue stripe stands for peace and the red for courage.
At the corners of the white triangle were sewn yellow stars symbolizing the three main Philippine island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
At the center of the triangle is a sun with eight rays, representing the first provinces that rose in arms against Spanish rule in the Philippines (Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Laguna, and Batangas).
Reference: Philippines News Agency archives
Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons
(By Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
Photo shows then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. announcing the declaration of Martial Law on September 23, 1972.
On September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law, suspending civil rights and imposing military authority. Congress was also abolished.
September 21 is the official date of the declaration but was formally announced on TV and radio live by Mr. Marcos on September 23.
Marcos who stayed in office for more than 20 years — from 1965 to February 1986 — explained that martial law was intended to suppress civil strife and the threat of communist takeover following the series of bombings in Manila.
During those times, the threat to the country’s security intensified following the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1968.
Supporters of CPP’s military arm, the New People’s Army, also grew in number in Tarlac and other parts of the country.
The attempt on the life of then Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile gave Marcos a window to declare Martial Law (Enrile would later reveal that the assassination attempt on his life was staged).
The President declared the emergency rule the day after the Enrile assassination attempt. Mr. Marcos also declared that the insurgency in the south, caused by the clashes between Muslims and Christians, was a threat to national security.
Initially, the imposition of martial law was supported by the majority of Filipinos. It was viewed as a change that solved the massive corruption in the country.
Gradually, however, martial law became unpopular due to human rights abuses and excesses by the military, not to mention the incarceration of opposition leaders critical of martial law. Journalists, student leaders, and labor activists critical of the Marcos administration were also detained.
Numerous media outfits were either closed down or operated under tight control.
Businesses owned by the oligarchy were confiscated and taken over by Marcos’ family members and close personal friends and were allegedly used as fronts to launder proceeds from institutionalized graft and corruption in the different national governmental agencies.
Martial law was lifted on January 17, 1981, although the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus continued in the autonomous regions of Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao.
Source: Philippine News Agency archives
(Compiled by Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
Image Courtesy of: bayaningfilipino.blogspot.com
On September 20, 1898, Josefa Llanes Escoda, noted civic leader, educator and founder of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), was born in Dingras, Ilocos Norte.
Escoda, who obtained her teaching degree in 1919 at the Philippine Normal School in Manila, was a social worker for the Philippine Chapter of the American Red Cross.
She was sent to undergo training in Girl Scouting in the United States under the sponsorship of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
She also obtained a master’s degree in Social Work in 1925 from Columbia University, through Red Cross Scholarship.
Upon her return to the country, she began training women to become Girl Scout leaders and eventually proceeded to organize the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.
On May 26, 1940, when President Manuel L. Quezon signed the GSP Charter, she became the group’s first National Executive.
She was married to Antonio Escoda, whom she met as a reporter from the Philippine Press Bureau. They had two children.
She was executed on January 6, 1945 at the age of 46 on Japanese suspicion of being a guerrilla sympathizer. Her husband, Colonel Antonio Escoda, was also executed in 1944, along with General Vicente Lim.
A street and a building in Manila have been named after her and a monument has been dedicated to her memory.
Reference: Philippine News Agency
(Filed by Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)
On September 19, 1829, Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, reformist, liberal-minded lawyer and an early supporter of the Filipino cause during the Spanish colonization, was born in San Roque, Cavite to Julian Pardo de Tavera who was originally from Toledo, Spain and Juana Maria Gomez also of Spanish descent.
He attended the College of San Juan de Letran and the University of Santo Tomas where he studied law.
De Tavera, who became a professor of the University of Santo Tomas, organized a group of like-minded intellectuals and students known as Comite de Reformadores who openly advocated reforms in the colonial government.
When the Cavite Mutiny broke out on January 20, 1872, De Tavera and other members of the Comite de Reformadores were implicated in the incident which led to their arrest and exile in the Marianas, and the unjust execution of the three priests – Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora.
De Tavera received a royal pardon after two years, left for Paris, France, accompanied by his wife. In Paris he lived with his nephew Trinidad Pardo De Tavera.
De Tavera never returned to the Philippines.
He died in Paris on March 19, 1884 at the age of 54. He was buried at the Père-Lachaise cemetery
Source:
Philippine News Agency archives
(Filed by Jr Amigo/ai/mnm)