June 2009
June 12, 1898 marked the proclamation of the First Republic of the Philippines under the leadership of General Emilio Aguinaldo in the town of Kawit, the province of Cavite. It was a triumphant celebration after the revolutionary forces under his command successfully defeated the Spanish forces in many areas in the Philippines. For the first time, the Philippine national flag was raised, accompanied by the musical composition by Julian Felipe now known as the Philippine National Anthem or the Bayan Magiliw. We can take pride in the fact that we were the first among southeast Asian countries to achieve independence.
While the military continued to pursue more dominance of the whole country, the government of General Aguinaldo initiated the establishment of civil bureaucracy.
The life of the first Republic was, however, short-lived as American forces under Commodore Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet in the battle of Manila Bay and intruded upon the domain of the First Republic with a proffered intention of aiding the Filipinos gain full control of the country. Initial contact with the American forces was cordial, but hostilities broke loose when a Filipino soldier was shot by an American sentry in the vicinity of Manila.
Adding to this incident was the prohibition by the American authority for Filipino soldiers to enter Manila. In no time battles were fought, and due to superior arms, the American forces succeeded in controlling much of the islands. Here we can see how hard it was for the nation to win and lose freedom. Many more trials would be endured by the nation in the future.
When the Second World War broke out on December 8, 1941, the Filipino-American forces were roundly defeated by the Japanese forces. As a propaganda ploy, the Japanese authority promised independence for the Filipinos. On September 25, 1943 the National Assembly elected Jose P. Laurel as President of the Republic (the Second Republic), and on October 14 of the same year, declared the Japanese-sponsored Republic. Again this Second Republic was also short-lived, as the war ended on September 2, 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allies.
The Third Republic was inaugurated on July 4, 1946 under the auspices of the Americans. The independence proclamation was announced to the whole world by U.S. President Harry S. Truman. Manuel A. Roxas was inaugurated the First President of the Third Republic. During the tenure of office of the late President Diosdado Macapagal, he issued a proclamation changing the date of the Independence Day celebration to the original date of June 12th.
References:
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People. Eighth Edition, Garotech Publishing, 1990.
Zulueta, Francisco M. and Nebres, Abriel M. Phlippine History and Government Through the Years. National Book Store, 2003.
