On June 26, 1875, a royal decree was issued by the king of Spain authorizing the preparation of a general plan for a railroad in Luzon. Don Eduardo Lopez Navarro, then head of the Public Works Office of the Philippine Islands, submitted a plan which got royal approval on May 11, 1883. The concession for [...]
The Old Bilibid Prison, the first national penitentiary in the country, was established in Manila on June 25, 1865 under a Spanish royal decree. It was divided into two sections — the “carcel” section housing 600 inmates, and the “presidio” accommodating 527 prisoners. About seven decades later, due to increasing population and crime rate, Commonwealth [...]
Today is the annual celebration of Araw ng Maynila in commemoration of the proclamation on June 24, 1571 of Manila as the capital of the Spanish colonial administration in the Philippines. Earlier, while in Cebu, Spanish colonizer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, having heard of the rich resources of Manila, dispatched two of his lieutenant-commanders, Martín [...]
on June 21, 1569, Spanish navigator Miguel Lopez de Legazpi received an order from King Philip II of Spain appointing him as the first governor-general of the Philippines. In theory, the Filipinos ceased to be free allies and became subjects of Spain. Of the successive expeditions by Spain after Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage in 1521, marking [...]
On June 20, 1686, the King of Spain issued a decree providing that education in the Philippines must be free of charge, that teachers must be selected from the sacristans or assistants of the parish priests, and the teaching of Spanish must be given greater weight. The friars controlled the educational system during the Spanish [...]
On June 19, 1861, Dr. José P. Rizal, the most prominent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era, was born in Calamba, Laguna. He is considered the Philippines’ foremost national hero and the anniversary of his martyrdom on December 30, 1896 is commemorated as a Philippine holiday called Rizal Day. Rizal [...]
On June 18, 1908, the University of the Philippines (U.P.), the country’s premier state university, was created by Act. No. 1870. Starting as a small campus in Manila, the U.P. System takes pride in being a pioneer in higher education through academic excellence, outstanding research, public service, and modernized facilities. Notably, U.P. graduates have become [...]
On June 17, 1863, Rafael del Pan, a lawyer, journalist, politician, and the first Filipino criminologist, was born in Intramuros, Manila. On this same day in 1877, Manuel Tinio, a revolutionary general of the Filipino-American War, was born in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija. He was elected governor of his province in 1907, and appointed Director of [...]
On June 16, 1980, the Philippine Government established the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), an agency tasked to promote and uphold the interests of Filipino emigrants and permanent residents abroad, and preserve and strengthen ties with Filipino communities overseas. Through the enactment of Batas Pambansa (Republic Act) 79, it replaced the Office of Emigrant Affairs [...]
The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), the biggest and longest-running book fair in the Philippines, turns 30 this year. The 30th Manila International Book Fair is set on Sept. 16-20, at the SMX Convention Center, Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. For three decades now, MIBF has united local and foreign publishers, wholesalers, [...]
