Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Moves The Philippine Independence Celebration

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

MAY 12, 1962

Pres. Diosdado Macapagal moved the celebration of Philippine Independence Day from July 4 to June 12 through Republic Act 4166. 

Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo first declared Philippine Independence from Spanish rule on June 12, 1898 but America and Spain did not recognize the proclamation. 

Spain soon ceded the islands to the United States through the Treaty of Paris in 1898 which ended the Spanish-American War. 

On July 4, 1946, America granted the country her freedom. Filipinos then started celebrating Philippine Independence Day every 4th of July.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: tumblr.malacanang.gov.ph

The 1998 Presidential Elections

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 2):

MAY 11, 1998

Filipino voters went to polling places to cast their votes for a new president, vice president, members of the senate and house of representatives and local candidates. 

Movie actor Joseph Ejercito Estrada won a landslide victory as the 13th President of the Republic of the Philippines. 

He ran against Jose de Venecia, Raul Roco, Emilio Osmeña, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Alfredo Lim, Renato de Villa, Juan Ponce Enrile, Santiago Dumlao and Manuel Morato. 

The Catholic Church and business groups opposed him. 

It was also a landslide victory for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who ran against Edgardo Angara, Oscar Orbos, Sergio Osmeña III, Francisco Tatad and some other candidates.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

Francisco Mercado

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

MAY 11, 1818

Francisco Mercado (May 11, 1818 - January 5, 1898), the father of our national hero Jose Rizal,  was born in Biñan, Laguna. 

A prosperous farmer, he married Teodora Alonzo on June 28, 1848 and they had eleven children - Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Jose, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. 

In 1849, Gov. Gen. Narciso Claveria decreed natives should have a distinct family name, and unsatisfied with his, he adopted “Rizal”, from the Spanish Ricial which means green field for pasture and so he became Francisco Rizal Mercado.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

The 2004 Presidential Election

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 2):

MAY 10, 2004

Filipinos voted for their leaders in the 2004 General Elections. 

Incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo won a six-year term against Panfilo Lacson, Raul Roco, Eduardo Villanueva, and popular movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., a close friend of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. 

Voters also voted for the vice president, senators (half of the 24 seats), congressmen, governors, vice governors, provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors. 

The 2004 election saw the implementation of the Oversees Absentee Voting Act of 2003 which enabled Filipinos in 70 countries to vote.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia org

Filipino Troops Bring Andres Bonifacio To Mt. Buntis

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

MAY 10, 1897

Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were taken to Mt. Buntis by Maj. Lazaro Makapagal and four other soldiers. 

A sealed order from Gen. Mariano Noriel was opened and read in front of them before they were shot (some accounts revealed they were hacked and bayoneted). 

The two were buried in a shallow grave marked by some leaves and twigs. 

Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo wrote in his memoirs that he ordered the execution after being convinced by Generals Pio del Pilar and Mariano Noriel to pursue the decision of the military court for a death sentence.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: forthephilippines.blogspot.com

The 2016 Presidential Elections

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 2):

MAY 9, 2016

The 2016 General Elections was held all over the Philippines for the executive and legislative branches for all levels of government (national, provincial, and local). 

People voted for their president, vice president, 12 senators, congressmen, governors, vice governors, provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors. 

Rodrigo Duterte won the presidential race and became the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines. 

His opponents were Jejomar Binay, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Grace Poe and Mar Roxas. Maria Leonor Robredo won over Alan Peter Cayetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Gregorio Honasan, Antonio Trillanes IV and Francis Escudero. 

She was declared as the new vice president. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) handles all the elections in the Philippines.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

Gregoria de Jesus

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

MAY 9, 1875

Gregoria “Oriang” de Jesus  (May 9, 1875 – March 15, 1943) was born in Caloocan. 

At 18, she married the Katipunan Supremo Andres Bonifacio at the Binondo Church in 1893. 

A week later, they were married again in a Katipunan ceremony and that same night, the Women’s Chapter of the Katipunan was created with her as vice president and custodian of all Katipunan documents. 

She used the Katipunan name “Lakambini” and together with Benita Javier sawed the red Katipunan flag. 

After the death of Bonifacio in 1897, Oriang married Julio Nakpil.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org