Independence Day in the Philippines

Why did Spain colonize the Philippines?

Spanish people were seeking lands rich in spices and wanted to spread Christianity. As they wanted to widen the Spanish territories, they began to travel the world, and it happened that Philippines have these spices. On 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer discovered that Philippines is rich in gold, land, and spices. On March 16, 1521, Magellan and his men arrived in one of the islands located in Leyte, Philippines. Out of the five ships they brought, only two ships landed at noon and made it to the Limasawa island. After making it to the Limasawa island, they landed in Cebu City where Ferdinand Magellan and his men met Rajah Humabon, the Rajah of the city at that time. Later on, they agreed on baptizing the Cebuanos and get converted to Christianity. The Spaniards have succeeded in converting most of the Filipinos to Christianity. As soon as it happened, they built a Christian church.

The Independence of the Philippines

During the mid-16th century, Philippines was under the Spanish Empire. The country was colonized for 333 years from the period of 1565 until 1898. A Filipino revolutionary group called “Katipunan”, mainly led by Andres Bonifacio, was then secretly made. Its members are men who seek for complete freedom which includes Emilio Jacinto, Restituto Javier, and a few more Katipuneros. It was in 1896 when Filipinos seek independence from the Spanish colonizers, and soon, a revolution broke out. An agreement was then signed on December 14, 1897 between the Spanish government and Filipino Revolutionaries to end the Philippine Revolution.

However, on May 1, 1898, the United States Armed Forces, headed by George Dewey, defeated the Spanish colonial government in the Battle of Manila Bay. Emilio Aguinaldo, the president of the country during the Spanish-American War, cooperated with the Americans and proclaimed June 12, 1898 as the Independence Day at the Aguinaldo House. The Philippine flag was raised for the first time by Emilio Aguinaldo. On August 4, 1964, Former President Diosdado Macapagal signed a bill declaring June 12, 1898 as the Independence Day of the Philippines under the Republic Act no. 4166.