Today in History : January 21st

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1893: Fernando Mamuri Maramág was born in Ilagan, Isabela. He was educated in the Philippine Normal School, and then transferred to the University of the Philippines. He worked as teacher at the Instituto de Manila, which later became the University of Manila. He was also writer and editor at several magazines, including Rising Philippines, Citizen, Philippine National Weekly, Philippines Herald, and The Tribune. He also served in the Publication Division of the Department of Justice, and then transferred to the office of the President of the Senate under Manuel L. Quezon. Si Fernando Maramag ay isa sa mga pinakamagagaling na manunulat na Pilipino. Nakilala siya sa larangan ng panulaan at pamamahayag. Naging editor siya ng The Manila Tribune.

1898: The Malolos Constitution was promulgated. Two days later, the Philippine republic was inaugurated with Emilio Aguinaldo as president.

1899: The Malolos Constitution is declared in effect by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the fledgling Philippine Republic; in less than a month, the Philippine-American War will be started by the US forces.

1987: Jay-R Siaboc (Eduardo Siaboc Jr. in real life) was born, he is a Filipino singer actor who hailed from Toledo City, Cebu. He was first recognized as runner-up to grand star dreamer Yeng Constantino in the very first season of ABS-CBN’s Philippine version of Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA).

Today in History : January 20th

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1942: During World War II, Japan's Congress grants the Philippines the "honor of independence" on the condition that the Filipinos collaborate in the promotion of the Co-Prosperity Sphere.

1947: Erbito Salavaria was a retired Filipino professional boxer who was born in Sta. Cruz, Manila, Philippines. He was known as the one of Asia’s best during the 70’s in the flyweight division.

1984: Toni Gonzaga was born in Taytay, Province of Rizal, Philippines. She is a Filipina commercial model, singer and an actress. She had been participating in various singing competitions since she was seven and finally entered the showbusiness at the age of thirteen when she became a contestant in a singing competition.

2001: the Supreme Court declared the presidency vacant. Arroyo was sworn in on the same day as the 14th president of the Philippines by Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. In her speech before the people at EDSA, Arroyo reiterated the following principles that her administration will pursue: being bold in national ambition to win the fight against poverty; improve the moral standards of government and society to provide a strong foundation for good governance; change the politics of personality and patronage to a politics of to a new politics of party programs and process of dialogue with the people; promote leadership by example and solid traits such as work ethic and a dignified lifestyle, matching action to rhetoric, and performing rather than grandstanding; pursue an economic philosophy of transparency and private enterprise and extend the opportunities to the rural countryside.

Today in History : January 19th

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1886: Voluntary migration of natives to the Philippine island of Palawan is encouraged by a royal decree issued by the Spanish colonial king; incentives include exemptions from payments of tax and dues to public treasury, free passage, land gratis (three hectares), etc.

1982: UnionBank was formed as a government-owned commercial bank, the result of a merger between Union Savings and Mortgage Bank and Bancom Development Corporation, one of the leading development banks in the Philippines at the time and the parent of Union Savings and Mortgage.

2001: the Armed Forces of the Philippines, seeing the political upheaval throughout the country, decided to withdraw its support from the president(Joseph Estrada) and transfer its allegiance to the vice president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Today in History : January 18th

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1899: The first issue of the Philippine revolutionary newspaper "Kalayaan" (Freedom) issue comes out; authored by Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio & Emilio Jacinto, et al., the second issue will never reach circulation because the printing press will be discovered by the Spanish colonial authorities.

1995: Pope John Paul II offered mass to an estimated 4 to 5 million people at Luneta Park, Manila, Philippines, making it to the Guiness Book of World Records for the Biggest Papal Crowd.

Today in History : January 17th

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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

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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.

Today in History : January 15th

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1913: The Department of Instruction authorized the reopening of the Primary Course after the Philippine Revolution ended Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines suspending the authorization to operate the Normal School. This was a trying time for the College. The intermediate and college levels soon followed. With the new organization enrollment grew and better times came.

1995: A suicide bomber would dress up as a priest while John Paul II was in his motorcade on his way to visiting the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference at the San Carlos Seminary, which is located along Edsa, Guadalupe, Makati City. The assassin would stick a bomb inside one of his sleeves of the robe. He would then use the disguise to get closer to the Pope, and detonate the bomb when Pope John Paul II would approach to kiss him. The planned assassination of the Pope was intended to divert attention from the next part of the phase. About 20 men had been trained by Yousef to carry out this act prior to January 1995.

2006: At least 16 people, most of them children, drowned when a packed wooden motorboat capsized during a religious parade on the central Philippine island of Leyte yesterday, a senior coast guard official said. Several people are missing and about 30 were rushed to hospitals in San Ricardo town after the accident during the Feast of Saint Nino, one of the most revered religious festivals in the mainly Roman Catholic country. “We’ve dispatched more search-and-rescue ships to the area,” coastguard commander Arthur Gosingan said. “We’re getting very sketchy reports. We have no idea how many people were on the boat when it capsized and sank near the wharf this morning.” He said officials feared the number of dead could rise. The Feast of Saint Nino, usually celebrated on the third Sunday of January, is one of the most colourful religious festivals in a country where Roman Catholicism blends with pre-colonial pagan ceremonies.