Philippine Independence Day 2010: June 12 It Shall Be, Not July 4, Not June 14

This Year's upcoming observance of Independence Day is quite unlike what we had the past few years. Yesterday, Senator Benigno Aquino III (known as the only son of the martyr senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. and the first female President of the country Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino) and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay were proclaimed as the new president and vice-president of the Republic. This marks the end of the controversial 9-year tenure of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Yes, at last.

(But not quite, for she won a slot in the congress, which is such a weird thing. A president who ran for a seat in the congress? Only in the Philippines: you can say that again.)

Too bad that the nation has to put up again with another one of these PGMA "oddities". While Philippine Independence day is traditionally celebrated on June 12 of every year, June 14, 2010, a Monday, was declared a national non-working holiday. June 12 falls on a Saturday, and the present government has made it a rule-of-thumb rule of theirs to "move" holidays to the nearest Monday.

“President Arroyo has declared Monday, 14 June, a holiday in celebration of our 112th Philippine Independence Day on Saturday, June 12. PGMA invoked Proclamation 1841 (July, 2009) to implement a law authorizing the moving of holidays to the nearest Monday. Under said law, the President is required to issue a proclamation listing the moved holidays and specific dates declared as non-working days... For this year’s Independence Day celebration, the National Historical Commission lined up activities including a parade highlighting accomplishments of the Arroyo Administration... and providing commuters free rides on MRT and LRT trains... Cultural shows and mini-job fairs will be held at Rizal Park.” (The Philippine Star, May 28)

This annoying penchant of the PGMA government to move holidays to the nearest weekend is part of its "Holiday economics" policy. During her tenure, Arroyo signed Republic Act 9492, “an act rationalizing the celebration of holidays". Except holidays with religious significance, all national holidays that fall on a weekend are moved to the nearest Monday. This law was passed to "maximize" the weekend for government and private employees and was actually geared towards improving local tourism.

Even June 12 was not exempted.

It is ironic that it was during the time of of her father, late President Diosdado Macapagal, that Republic Act No. 4166 was signed. This is the very law that declares June 12 to be the country's Independence Day.

It was on June 12, 1898, that independence from the Spanish rule was proclaimed by Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Republic. It was on this day that the Philippine flag that we know now was unfurled for the first time.

Not on July 4, which is also called the "Filipino-American Friendship Day" which is supposed to be the day that Philippines claimed its independence from the United States of America.

And certainly, not on June 14.

By the end of the month we will be having a new president, and essentially, a new government. (Hopefully, I reiterate.) I am by nature pragmatic regarding matters concerning Philippine politics. However, judging on the huge turnout during last May 2010 elections, the zeal of the people to participate in the democratic process, and the cumulative sense of joy that seemed to have pervaded in the halls of the Batasang Pambansa were the proclamation was held last night, things do look quite bright and hopeful this time.

Hope. It seems to be the national byword in these times, in spite of the daunting task to give the Philippine government and economy a make-over. Hope to put an end to "June 14" Independence Day celebrations, among many many other ills.

Mabuhay ang tunay na Araw ng Kalayaan!

*****Photos of Philippine Independence from this site.