De Leon, Cyrus Q.

25/09/2021
BSIE 1A Reading in Philippine History

ANG ARAW NG KASARINLAN NG PILIPINAS

What really happened after we got our freedom from the Spaniards? What happened in 1898?
Who led this event? Where did it take place? Those are some of the questions we can answer based on the
video we have watched.

The Philippine flag was first seen in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, when General Emilio
Aguinaldo waved it on the balcony of his house where he declared the Independence of the Philippines.
Little did we know that our flag was sewn by Doña Marcela Marino de Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza
and Mrs. Delfina Herbosa de Natividad, niece of Dr. Jose Rizal. Its design was from General Aguinaldo
who gave it to them in Hong Kong when the Americans dismissed him from the Philippines. Xiao time
mentioned that the white carabao that can be seen on the balcony was only added in the 1920s. He also
said one of the reasons why many attended the program, because seven days after the American and
Spanish war, they immediately invited people from the eight provinces that symbolize the rays of the sun
on the Philippine flag for the proclamation to be made. From there, the joy and delightfulness were seen
on their faces because they officially achieved their Independence from the Spaniards. American
journalist Turmbull White was there and covered. As he witnessed in the streets of Kawit, about five to
six thousand people celebrating, that were decorated with vaults or arches, and about a thousand soldiers
lined up from the Church of Sta, Magdalena on the other side of the road. That is when realized that a lot
of people attended the program held at exactly 5 p.m. And the American who took over the cover,
Turmbull, said, “the presence of these added a touch of military impressiveness to the scene. Where
windows and roofs of houses can be seen, copies of the flag have already been flown. That added to the
beautiful scene with the memory of Independence. On that day, the Banda San Francisco de Malabon
played for the first time in public the Marcha Nacional Filipina or Lupang Hinirang sung by Kabitenyong
Julian Felipe. From the time I wrote this essay, I now know the name of the national anthem of the
Philippines then. The lengthy document of the Acta de la Proclamacion de Indepencia del Pueblo Filipino
was read by author Ambrosio Rianzares-Bautista, and signed by 97 Filipinos and by an alleged American
army officer named Colonel M.L. After this Felipe Buencamino called on the town to defend the flag no
matter what, and Artemio Ricarte explained the meaning of the symbols on the flag. Bautista handed the
flag to Aguinaldo and the 29 -year -old general happily waved it. So, it was Aguinaldo who waved the
flag as often shown in the pictures and others, and not Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, and at 4:02 pm on
June 12, 1898, we proclaimed our independence, and it did not start five in the afternoon. Xiao time was
mentioned in the first minute of the video where it was said that the program started at five o'clock in the
afternoon that is why I think it is contradicting.
De Leon, Cyrus Q. 25/09/2021
BSIE 1A Reading in Philippine History

What I can say is that this event became important to Filipinos, because of the hardships they
suffered in the hands of the Spaniards. However, from my studies and/or understanding about what really
happened after we were liberated from the Spaniards, it was the Americans who took over Filipinos. It is
like we have fallen again into the pit, where in our next studies of the history subject, we will be able to
know what was the real situation of Filipinos during the time of the Americans.