Today in History : March 27th

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1945: Cebu City is taken by the American forces. Cebu City is the capital city of Cebu and the second city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest city in the country.

1903: In answer to General Luciano San Miguel’s request for advice, Mabini, newly-returned from exile in Guam, asks him to cease his revolutionary activities in the interest of peace and order.

1900: General Jose Ignacio Paua surrenders to the American Forces. Jose Ignacio Paua was a Chinese ironsmith who was appointed a general by President Emilio Aguinaldo in 1896. He was the only foreigner who signedthe Biak-na-Bato constitution. He was introduced to Emilio Aguinaldo and Artemio Ricarte by his best friend General Pantaleon Garcia.

Today in History : February 18th

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1903: Tiburcio T. Hilario, patriot during the Philippine Revolution and the Filipino-American War, dies from scarlet fever, a rare disease in the Southeast Asian country; elected revolutionary governor of his province and known as the "Brains of the Revolution in Pampanga," Hilario is a cousin of the "Great Propagandist," Marcelo H. del Pilar.

1912: Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra was born on February 18, 1912 in Cebu City, Philippines, the fourth child of Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Filomena Alesna Cuenco. The Cuenco family is a well-known political family in Cebu, Philippines. Since the 1800s, the Cuenco name has been part the colorful history and lore of this island in Southern Philippines. Members of the Cuenco family have been involved in Philippine politics, literature, journalism, as well as the Catholic religion.

1962: Pedro Adigue, Jr became a professional boxer. Adigue was a world champion boxer from the small town of Bontod in Palanas, Masbate, the Philippines. After 14 bouts (11 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws), he fought Carl Peñalosa for the Philippine lightweight title but lost on points.

1981: Pope John Paul II beatified Lorenzo Ruiz on February 18, 1981, in the first beatification to occur outside of the Vatican. Lorenzo Ruiz was canonized on October 18, 1987, and was the first Filipino saint. St. Lorenzo Ruiz was the son of a Chinese father and Filipina mother; both were Catholic.

Today in History : February 12th

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1901: Apolinario Mabini, Gen. Artemio Ricarte and other defiant revolutionary leaders who have been deported from the Philippines begin their exile in Guam; refusing to swear fealty to imperialist America, they form part of the handful of proud survivors of the Philippine Revolution and the Filipino-American War who stand out against the many who have given up the cause of independence for their native country.

1903: José Palma, a poet and soldier, died in Manila. He was born in Tondo, Manila, on June 3, 1876. He was the younger brother of Dr. Rafael Palma. Palma was also a staff member of La Independencia. He wrote Filipinas, a patriotic poem in Spanish, which became the lyrics of the Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem.

1998: With the approval of Republic Act No. 8491, the eagle and lion on the lower half of the shield were not specified, and therefore removed. However, the modified arms are not in wide use, pending the ratification of the law by a national referendum called for that purpose, as mandated by the Philippine Constitution.

2006: Your Song, a weekly musical anthology program of ABS-CBN, began its airing. It is broadcast Sundays afternoon. The plot of each episode is inspired by a hit song performed by a local artist. The song title is used as the episode title, while the song itself is used throughout the episode as background music. A new cast is featured in each episode.

Today in History : January 12th

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1903: Imperialist American Civil Governor William Howard Taft opposes the return of Filipino revolutionary leader-on-exile Apolinario Mabini unless he takes the oath of allegiance to the United States; Mabini swears fealty in order to return to the Philippines some two months before his death.

1911: The Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines formally approved the establishment of the College of Law. The College, however, traces its beginnings to the law courses opened in 1910 by the Educational Department Committee of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), through the efforts of George A. Malcolm who was later to become the first permanent dean of the College.