Today in Philippine History: Battle of San Fernando

JUNE 16, 1899

Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo gathered his army of around 4,000 with the purpose of retaking the town of San Fernando in Pampanga. The Battle for San Fernando began when Aguinaldo’s revolutionary army attacked U.S. positions in the strategic town and used several pieces of artillery. The American troops under Gen. Arthur MacArthur repulsed the Filipinos who retreated. Earlier on May 5, 1899, the Americans captured San Fernando with the defeated Filipino troops  of Gen. Antonio Luna burning the church, several buildings and railway station before they left.

Photo credit:http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/

Today in Philippine History: Sabino Padilla

JUNE 15, 1986

Sabino Padilla (August 21, 1894 - June 15, 1986), a native of San Miguel, Manila and one of the pillars of the Supreme Court of the Philippines passed away on this day. He was a legal luminary and staunch defender of justice. He started his career as a special attorney of the Bureau of Justice in 1919 then judge of the Court of First Instance and appellate judge of the Court of Appeals, On June 25, 1946, Pres. Manuel Roxas made him Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and later became the Secretary of Justice. He was the brother of Sen. Ambrosio Padilla. 

Photo credit: http://www.doj.gov.ph/

Today in Philippine History: Battle of Bessang Pass

JUNE 14, 1945

Bessang Pass in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, the last stronghold of the Japanese forces under Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita fell after 20,000 Filipino guerrilla fighters of the United States Army Forces in the Philippines (USAFIP-NL) under the command of Col. Russell Volckmann showed extra-ordinary valor. The Battle of Bessang Pass was a victory for the 121st, 15th, 66th and the Provisional Infantry Regiments of the USAFIP-NIL. The battle took four months and ended on June 14 with the successful planting of a symbolic flag made of a dirty green face towel by the 121st.

Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Today in Philippine History: Battle of Zapote Bridge

JUNE 13, 1899

The Battle of Zapote Bridge was the second largest battle in the Philippine-American War next to the February 4, 1899 Battle of Manila. Gen. Henry Ware Lawton assisted by Generals Loyd Wheaton and Samuel Ovenshine led 3,000 troops to crush the Philippine Revolutionary Army in Cavite. They were repulsed several times by the 5,000-strong infantry force of Gen. Artemio  Ricarte and Gen. Mariano Noriel. Admiral George Dewey unleashed a hundred sailors armed with machineguns that forced the Filipinos to retreat after many in their ranks lay dead. 

Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/ 

Today in Philippine History: Casimiro del Rosario

JUNE 13, 1896

Casimiro del Rosario (June 13, 1896 - September 15, 1982), the National Scientist for Physics, Astronomy and Meteorology was born in Bantayan, Cebu. He co-founded the Bartol Research Foundation in Philadelphia that pioneered researches in Physic and was the director of the Philippine Weather Bureau (now the PAGASA) for 11 years. Dr. del Rosario was known for his researches on ultraviolet light of different wavelengths, high voltage electrical discharges in a vacuum and a lot more that were published in prestigious international journals. 

Today in Philippine History: Independence Day 1898 (Part 4)

JUNE 12, 1898

Julian Felipe’s masterpiece, the Marcha Nacional Magdalo which Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo changed to Marcha Nacional Filipina was played by the marching band of San Francisco de Malabon whose members heard and practiced it a day before the proclamation of Philippine  Independence. The Marcha Nacional Filipina had melodic similarities with the Spanish National Anthem and Felipe admitted that he purposely did it “to preserve the memory of Spain.” On September 3, 1899, Jose Palma’s poem Filipinas became the lyrics of the national anthem.

Photo credit: http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/

Today in Philippine History: Independence Day 1898 (Part 3)

JUNE 12, 1898

The sun and stars flag now known as the Philippine National Flag was unfurled before the jubilant crowd. It was designed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and sewn in Hong Kong by Marcela Marino Agoncillo with the assistance of her 7-year old daughter Lorenza and Jose Rizal’s niece Delfina Rizal Herboza de Natividad. Contrary to what everyone thought, Aguinaldo just unfurled the flag but did not wave it. It was Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Aguinaldo’s War Counselor who waved it in the central window and not in the balcony which did not exist during that time.

Photo credit: http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/