HAPPY PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP DAY! HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

The 4^th of July is such a day of great significance in history for the two long time friends, the Philippines and the United States of America.  Concomitantly on this day, the Philippines will celebrate the Philippine-American Friendship Day, while the United States of America will celebrate its Independence Day from England.  To my mind—just thinking aloud, with all due respect to other people who may hold a contradictory opinion—the United States Independence Day that gave birth to the Union of States of America is something that all the Filipinos should be thankful about giving due credence to a substantial amount of blood the Americans poured in—in part—to redeem the Philippine Independence from the Spanish and Japanese’ imperialisms.  This remark, of course, is not intended to ignore to no degree that the Americans had also, at one time, colonized the Philippines.  I’m just still being a Filipino by nature and nurture, I guess, who values the sense of debt of gratitude.  For this reason, it is just befitting for all the Filipinos to affectionately join the Americans in their celebration of Independence Day—not merely out of courtesy as a good friend, but rather as if it is our own Independence Day it being the father of the Philippine Independence Day by historical facts.              

In the Philippines, the 4^th of July was originally observed as the Philippine Independence Day from 1946—1962 marking its  Independence Day from the United States that was proclaimed on July 4, 1946.  Also, during which proclamation, President Manuel A. Roxas was inaugurated as the first President of the Third Republic of the Philippines. “The Philippines was a U.S. territory from 1998 to 1946.”  Between 1941 and 1946, during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the latter remained a territory of the U.S. with the Philippine government in exile under the leadership of President Manuel L. Quezon. 

                                               Gen. Douglas MacArthur wades ashore, along with                                                                                                                                President Sergio Osmena, at Leyte, Philippines,                           

on October 20, 1944, when he returns 

On May 12, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal, through Presidential Proclamation No. 28, moved the Philippine Independence Day from the 4^th of July to the 12^th of June  (based on the declaration of the Philippine Independence from the Spain made by General Emilio Aguinaldo, at Kawit, Cavite, Philippines, on June 12, 1889).  On August 4, 1964, President Diosdado Macapagal signed into law the Republic Act No. 4166 proclaiming the 12^th day of June as the Philippine Independence Day and designating the 4^th day of July as the Philippine Republic Day.  

Proclamation of  the Philippine Independence from the United States of America in 1946 (Source:WIKIPEDIA) 

Since said change, the 4^th of July was frequently informally referred to as the Filipino-American Friendship Day.  On July 10, 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos, by virtue of Administrative Order No. 204, ordered the creation of the National Executive Committee for the commemoration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Philippine-American Friendship Day on July 4, 1996.  Under said order, he officially stated that “this is a milestone in the Philippine history [that] must be appropriately observed… an occasion to rekindle the Philippine-American friendship and chart a new course of relationship with the United States.”   “In celebration of [the] Philippine-American Friendship Day [this year], the Philippine government, led by President Benigno S. [actually C.] Aquino III, is offering a firm handshake to its partners in progress and development, led in the Philippines by United States Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr.”   

Meanwhile, Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr., in his remarks during the celebration of the U.S. Independence Day by the American Embassy in the Philippines on July 1, 2011, reiterated the reaffirmation of the “deep bonds” between the Philippines and the United States and the “commitment to honoring the mutual obligations” of the two nations.  He explained that the said occasion was not only a celebration of the U.S. Independence Day, “but also of the Philippine-American Friendship [Day].”  He pointed out, among others, the significance of relationships and “friendship with great nations like the Philippines,” with which the United States “share[s] historical ties and strong bonds of friendship and family,” for the Americans.  He also reaffirmed the United States’ “pledge to be an ally of the Filipino people long into the future.”     

To all the Filipinos throughout the world, happy Philippine-American Friendship Day! 

To all the Americans around the world—much more for all our American troops—happy 4^th of July!  We love you all! 

References:

1.  Wikipedia

2.  Chan Robles, Virtual Law Library

3.  Embassy of the United States

     Manila, Philippines

     News & Events

4.  Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation