Today in History : March 4th

On this date in...

1663: Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, founder of the first Filipino congregation, Beaterio de la Compañia de Jesus, now known as the Religious of the Virgin Mary, is baptized at the “Iglesia de los Santos Reyes del Parian,” in Binondo, Manila.

1890: The original San Miguel Brewery was founded in Manila. Later renamed as San Miguel Corporation (SMC) in 1963, it has grown into one of the Philippines' largest business conglomerates with interests in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, food, packaging, power, oil and telecommunications. San Miguel Brewery was spun off from SMC on October 1, 2007 and was subsequently listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange on May 12, 2008. In 2009, Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd. of Japan bought 48.3% of the company from SMC for PHP 8.841 per share.

1897: Birth of Rosa Sevilla de Alvero, journalist, suffraguette and founder and first President of the Instituto de Mujeres, in Tondo, Manila. Rosa Sevilla Alvero is an educator, journalist, and social worker who is one of the notable Filipina suffragists in Asia as she fought for women's right to vote. She also became the first Dean of Women at the University of Santo Tomas. Died on May 11, 1954.

1899: The gunboat Bennington, replying to a challenge of the shore battery at Malabon, silences the enemy’s guns and sets a part of the town on fire. --The cruiser Baltimore arrives at Manila from Hongkong bringing two members of the United States Philippine Commission, Dr. Jacob Gould Schurman, President of Cornell University, and Professor Dean C. Worcester, of the University of Michigan. --General James F. Smith, at the head of an American expedition, occupies Bacolod, Negros Occidental.

1977: President Marcos issues a decree creating the autonomous Bangsa Moro Islamic Government which gives autonomy to the 13 provinces and calls for the withdrawal of all armed forces of the government. Regions 9 and 12 become autonomous but remain separated from each other.

1990: During heavy fighting between government troops and armed men loyal to Cagayan Governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo, Brig. Gen. Oscar Florendo is fatally shot. Florendo was a member of a government party which went to the capital of Cagayan province, Tuguegarao, to arrest Aguinaldo. Like Enrile, Aguinaldo was accused of having aided the rebels in the failed December coup.

Today in History : February 2nd

On this date in...

1921: Mindoro was founded by a group of Spanish mission. During the early years, the Spanish administer Mindoro as a part of Batangas that was then called Bonbon. It was only in the 17th century that Mindoro was separated from Batangas with Puerto Galera as its capital. Mindoro is considered to be the 7th largest island of the Philippines.

1987: Philippine voters went to the polls in a nationwide plebiscite to approve or reject a proposed new constitution that was supported by Pres. Corazon Aquino and opposed by the far right and the radical left. With early returns indicating overwhelming approval of the charter, Aquino?s government was assured of a momentous victory in most regions of the country. The new constitution replaced the 1973 constitution, which Aquino had abolished after defeating Pres. Ferdinand Marcos in the February 1986 election.

Today in History : January 29th

On this date in...

1899: Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo promulgates the country's first constitution, referred to as the Malolos Constitution; it is Asia's very first democratic constitution but which, sadly, will soon be overrun by American colonization of the archipelago.

1987: Philippine military commanders headed off an attempt by troops still loyal to former President Ferdinand E. Marcos to take over two key Manila military bases, killing one rebel soldier and wounding 16 others during the attempted coup, the military chief of staff, Gen. Fidel V. Ramos. More than 200 heavily armed rebel troops were still in control of Channel 7, Manila's largest television station, and radio station DZBB well into this afternoon, but the military said the stations' power had been cut off.

1991: The Philippine National Police, which was a result of a merger of the Philippine Constabulary and the Integrated National Police, was activated. Its national headquarters are based at Camp Crame, Quezon City, in the National Capital Region.

Today in History : January 26th

On this date in...

1821: The first of the royal decrees allowing Filipino deputies to be elected to the Spanish Cortes are made; this was later stopped in 1837 when the Cortes held a secret session ending representation by deputies from the Philippine colony.

1880: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was born. He is an American general, United Nations general, and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and later played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II.

1930: Philippine National Artist Napoleon Abueva was born in Bohol more popularly known as Napoleón Abueva. He is a sculptor given the distinction as the Philippines' National Artist for Sculpture. He is also entitled as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture". He is the only Boholano given the distinction as National Artist of the Philippines in the field of Visual Arts.

1970: Pres. Ferdinand Marcos gave his State of the Nation Address in Philippine Congress. After his speech, he was about to board a helicopter with his wife Imelda Marcos when a group of students started throwing things at the President. Then a cardboard coffin and placards were dumped on him.

1994: Ms. Apostol, the INQUIRER founding chair, retired and Ms. Marixi R. Prieto took over her post. A group led by Eduardo Espiritu, former PNB president bought Ms. Apostol's shares in the company. Previously, a group headed by Ms. Prieto had bought into the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc.

2005: Judge Rogelio Pizarro of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 222 issued a writ of preliminary mandatory injunction "commanding and directing" the PBA to allow Taulava "to play in the current All Filipino Conference and succeeding Conferences of the PBA" during the term of his contract.[1] This was after Taulava passed citizenship papers that should've allowed him to play in the league

Today in History : January 17th

On this date in...

1901: Philippine President on-the-guerrilla-run Emilio Aguinaldo issues a manifesto condemning the atrocities of imperialist Americans during the Philippine-American War.

1981: Marcos officially lifted martial law. However, he retained much of the government's power for arrest and detention. Corruption and nepotism as well as civil unrest contributed to a serious decline in economic growth and development under Marcos, whose health declined due to lupus.

Today in History : January 16th

On this date in...

1967: The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC)was established. SEAFDEC is currently made up of 11 Member Countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam; and has the Council of Directors, composed of nominees from Member Countries, as policy-making body to provide directives and guidance on activities of the Center.

1981: The Lung Center of the Philippines which provides health care specifically on lung and pulmonary diseases, was established in Quezon City by President Ferdinand E. Marcos under Presidential Decree No. 1823.

1899: The members of the first Philippine Commission were appointed by President William McKinley. Also known as the Schurman Commission, it was composed of Jacob Schurman as chairman and George Dewey, Elwell Otis, Dean Worcester, and Charles Denby as members.

2007: Jainal Antel Sali, Jr., leader of Abu Sayyaf A.K.A. Abu Solaiman, Abu Solajman, Abu Sulaiman, Abu Sulayman, and Jainal Antal Sali, Jr., was killed during a gunfight with Armed Forces of the Philippines Airborne Special Forces soldiers in a village about 590 miles south of Manila. Local villagers and Sali's wife identified his body.