KAWIT, Cavite — The Philippines marked the 128th anniversary of its independence with ceremonies at the Aguinaldo Shrine here on Friday, led by Cavite Gov. Francisco Gabriel “Abeng” Remulla.
The shrine, also known as the Aguinaldo Mansion, was the ancestral home of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the country’s first president and a key figure in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule.
Historical accounts say it was at this house, in what was then called Cavite el Viejo, that Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on June 12, 1898.
The declaration came after Spain’s defeat in the Battle of Manila Bay weeks earlier and amid the broader context of the Spanish-American War.
During the proclamation, the Philippine flag — sewn in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza, and Delfina Herboza — was raised in public for the first time.
A band also performed the Marcha Nacional Filipina, composed by Julian Felipe, which would later become the country’s national anthem, the Lupang Hinirang.
Cavite el Viejo was later renamed Kawit in honor of Aguinaldo, who became the first president of the short-lived First Philippine Republic.
The Aguinaldo Shrine, where he lived until his death in 1964, has since been preserved as a national shrine and museum showcasing artifacts from the revolution and the early republic.
Friday’s commemoration forms part of nationwide Independence Day rites observed across the country.
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