Hello everyone!
Yesterday, June 12, was a national holiday back in the Philippines called Independence Day. And that’s what I’m going to talk about in this blog entry.
History
“Independence” means freedom. On this day, we are celebrating our freedom from Spain, who took our country as captive for more than 300 years.
Our country’s history is very interesting. It was actually my favorite subject in school.
Many things happened in the past that led us to what and who we are as a country today. Many people sacrificed their lives for our country’s freedom, that’s why Independence Day is a special day for us. So what do we do in this holiday?
Customs and Traditions
Flag Day
On May 28, two weeks before Independence Day, we celebrate Flag Day. And this celebration goes on until June 12. During these days, government offices, and even some private establishments are ordered to proudly display the Philippine flag.
No Class
Since it’s a holiday, there are no classes in school and work in government offices so people are able to go out on a trip or maybe just rest at home to spend time with their families.
Ceremonies and Parades
On this day, government agencies all over the country start the celebration by raising the National flag simultaneously at 7 in the morning.
Also, Filipinos love parades! In the capital city, Manila, a ceremony led by the President or the Vice-President is held while in many parts of the Philippines, there are parades and other festivities.
Freedom
Freedom for us Filipinos is a gift because we didn’t have it in our country for more than 300 years.
But nowadays, we tend to take for granted and even abuse our freedom. Like how we abuse our freedom of speech to give our opinions that will attack or hurt others.
It’s important that people still remember the true meaning of days like this and remember people who sacrificed for our freedom and I’m very happy to share this with you all.
That’s all for today, thank you for reading!
-Jake
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