The day of celebration of war and love varied throughout the nation's history.

The earliest recorded

was when Andres Bonifacio, along with Emilio Jacinto, Restituto Javier, Guillermo
Masangkay, Aurelio Tolentino, Faustino Manalak, Pedro Zabala and few other independencia
Filipina! or Long Live Philippine independence on walls of the cave to express the goal of their secret
society. Bonifacio also led the Cry of Pugad Lawin, which signals the beginning of Philippine
Revolution. Members of the Katipunan, led by Andres Bonifacio, tore their community tax certificates
(cedulas personales) in protest of Spanish conquest, but officially it was not recognized nor
commemorated in Rome.
In 1896, the Philippine Revolution began (in December 1897) the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which is an
agreement between the Spanish colonial government and the British Filipino revolutionaries: they
established a truce. Under its terms, Emilio Aguinaldo and other revolutionary leaders went into exile
in Hong Kong.[2]
At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Commodore George Dewey sailed from Hong Kong
to Manila Bay leading the Asiatic Squadron of the U.S. Navy. On May 1, 1898, Dewey defeated the
Spanish in the Battle of Manila Bay, which effectively put the U.S. in control of the Spanish colonial
government. Later that month, the U.S. Navy transported Aguinaldo back to the
Philippines.[3] Aguinaldo arrived on May 19, 1898 in Cavite. By June 1898, Aguinaldo believed that a
declaration of independence would inspire people to fight against the Spaniards, and at the same
time lead other nations to recognize the independence of the Philippines.
On June 5, 1898, Aguinaldo issued a decree setting aside June 12, 1898 as the day of the
proclamation of independence. Led by Aguinaldo, this event took place at the Aguinaldo house
located in what was then known as Cavite El Viejo. The Acta de la Proclamacion de la
Independencia del Pueblo Filipino was solemnly read by its author, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista,
Aguinaldo's war counselor and special delegate. The 21-page declaration was signed by 98
Filipinos, appointed by Aguinaldo, and one retired American artillery officer, Colonel L.M. Johnson.
The flag was officially unfurled for the first time at 4:20 p.m, as the Marcha Nacional Filipina was
played by the band of San Francisco de Malabon.
The proclamation was first ratified on August 1, 1898 by 190 municipal presidents from the 16
provinces controlled by the revolutionary army. It was again ratified on September 29, 1898 by
the Malolos Congress.[4]
The Philippines failed to win international recognition of its independence, including the United
States of America or Spain. The Spanish government later ceded the Philippine archipelago to the
United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris. The Philippines Revolutionary Government did not
recognize the treaty and the two sides subsequently fought in what was known as the Philippine–
American War.[5][6]