Philippines Independence Day

Philippine Flags. Ken Wilson Lee / flickr / 2008 / CC BY 2.0

The 12th of June is Philippines Independence Day.

In the Philippines, it is known as “Araw ng Kalayaan“, or “Day of Freedom”.

The day celebrates their independence from both Spanish and American occupiers.

In Manila, there is a big military parade, with a speech by the president, and a 21-gun salute, and throughout the country, there is street dancing in traditional costumes and street food everywhere.

All government offices and many businesses are closed.

Traditional foods popular today include adobo, beef tapa, caldereta, kare-kare, leche flan, lechon, and sisig.

About 10% of the Philippine population lives abroad, and so consequently on this day celebrations are also held in many large centres in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., etc. ^[1]”The government estimates the number of overseas Filipino workers at 12 million, accounting for one-tenth of the country’s population.” Remittances from Filipinos abroad reach 2.9 bln USD in August 2019 – Xinhua | English.news.cn. www.xinhuanet.com. Accessed August 2021 at http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/15/c_138473763.htm

#PhilippineIndependenceDay

See also: Adobado, Adobo Sauce, Arengga Vinegar, À la Tagale, Flan, Lumpia, Morcon, Palm Vinegar, Suman, Tuba

Recipes: Filipino Spaghetti (CBC)

History

The day marks the day in 1898 that the Philippines declared independence from Spain.

The Philippines was a Spanish colony for more than 300 years. In fact, it was even named after a Spanish king, King Philip II of Spain.

On this day for the first time the Philippine flag was raised and the national anthem was played.

Sadly, American forces then moved in and occupied the country until on the 4th of July 1946 the country was freed through the Treaty of Manila by the United States, gaining independence a second time. But it is the first occasion that is officially commemorated.

Sources

Capozzola, Christopher. July Fourth is Independence Day for two countries. But for one it is hollow. Washington, DC: The Washington Post. 4 July 2021. Accessed August 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/07/04/july-fourth-is-independence-day-two-countries-one-it-is-hollow/

De la Rosa, Cyrene. 5 Iconic Filipino Dishes To Celebrate Independence Day—And Where To Enjoy Them. Quezon City, Philippines: Metro Style. 12 June 2019. Accessed July 2021 at https://metro.style/food/restaurants/5-iconic-filipino-dishes/13023

Gapultos, Marvin. Dishes For Independence Day. Burlingame, CA: Positively Filipino. 12 June 2013. Accessed July 2021 at http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/6/dishes-for-independence-day

Holdsworth, Madeline. Traditional Filipino dance to celebrate Philippines Independence Day. San Antonio, Texas: KSAT-TV. 13 June 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.ksat.com/sa-live/2021/06/13/traditional-filipino-dance-to-celebrate-philippines-independence-day/

Kemp, Chelsea. Celebrating Philippines Independence Day in Cochrane. Cochrane, Ontario: Cochrane Today. 18 June 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.cochranetoday.ca/local-news/celebrating-philippines-independence-day-in-cochrane-3874901

Malindog-Uy, Anna. Philippines: Independence Day Amid The Pandemic. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asean Post. 13 June 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://theaseanpost.com/article/philippines-independence-day-amid-pandemic

Sandhu, Mintu. Celebrating Philippines Independence Day, Filipino Heritage Month. Winnipeg, Manitoba: The Winnipeg Free Press. 4 June 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/forum/Happy-Philippines-Independence-Day-574565381.html

University of California Food Services. Philippines Independence Day menu. June 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://nutrition.ucsf.edu/fresh/philippines-independence-day-2021