IT WAS on June 12, 1898 when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo raised the Philippine flag for the first time at the balcony of his house in Kawit, Cavite while the Philippine National Anthem was playing for the first time. The event was the declaration of Philippine Independence from Spain after 333 long years of Spanish colonization.
The Independence Day is one of the few holidays commemorated by all local government units with program and flag-raising activities.
Independence Day in the Philippines used to be celebrated every July 4. The switch to June 12 first took effect in the year 1962 after then President Diosdado Macapagal signed into law on May 17 of that year Republic Act 4166.
Until then, we had been observing July 4 as Independence Day in memory of July 4, 1946 – the date when the United States of America officially ended 48 years of American occupation.
It also marked the ascendancy of Manuel Roxas as first President of the Republic of the Philippines.
July 4 has since then become known as Philippine-American Friendship Day, albeit a non-holiday.
So, is the Philippines truly independent? Some say the definition must be broader now – not only freedom from invaders but also freedom from hunger, poverty, sickness, corruption, even freedom from fake news and disinformation.
In fact, today we are marking another anniversary of our independence as a nation amid heightening Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea and the United States’ tactic to increase military presence in the country.
What is happening in the disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea is a real-life dance of dragons – a show of force between the emerging red dragon that is China and the old stars-and-stripes dragon of the West, the United States. Filipinos should not just stand and bear witness to this escalating crisis. Amid the clash, we should stand our ground as a nation, and assert our sovereignty from both of these dragons who are itching to claw upon our sovereignty.
Our nation is largely seen as a minor player in the territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea, yet our galvanized and defiant stand as a people will be our strongest line of defense. Unity equals independence.
