LONG BEFORE other nations in Asia and Africa became republics, we first became the Republic of the Philippines on Jan. 23, 1899. It follows suit that we enjoyed our bill of rights long before our neighbors had their own. But then again, it’s not a question of who did what first, but which nation remembers their history. In this case, the Philippines, according to a local official, has apparently forgotten its important milestones.


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“Mabuti pa ang Chinese New Year, holiday. I have nothing against it, but, gaano ba kahalaga ang Chinese New Year na kailangan nating huminto? (But how important is Chinese New Year that we have to stop everything),” said Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad in a press conference on Jan. 23, the day that Malolos was celebrating its annual fiesta.

Malolos, Bulacan celebrates its festival with concerts and parades, but on a national scale, the date (or the week) is often eclipsed by the celebration of Chinese New Year, hence, it is not given its rightful attention. But why is Malolos important? Malolos, specifically the Barasoain Church, holds an important role in our history: it is where the First Philippine Congress was convened, where the Malolos Constitution was drafted, and where the First Philippine Republic was inaugurated.

Mr. Natividad said that Malolos City should not be alone in celebrating the founding of the first republic — the whole nation should celebrate along with it.

“We were the first one to establish a constitution in Asia, the Malolos Convention,” he pointed out. “It was where all the other fundamental rights and privileges that we enjoy today emanated. Why are we not giving this date the same reverence that we’re giving to June 12, Araw ng Kalayaan (Independence Day)?”

The Malolos local government has petitioned for a declaration of a national holiday to mark the occasion — the Araw ng Republic ng Malolos. Currently, through Proclamation No. 129, it is a non-working holiday for the province of Bulacan only.

Mr. Natividad said one of the stumbling blocks was “regionalism.” He said, “The first time it was filed was because of regionalism daw. Paano naman daw si Lapu Lapu, bakit hindi holiday? (What about Lapu Lapu, why does he not get a holiday?),” referring to the Visayan hero who slew Magellan.

The bill for a national holiday has been filed in Congress, but it still needs the approval of the Senate and the President. Mr. Natividad said he’s hoping the Duterte administration will approve it. “We have festivals for nearly every religious and cultural significance, but why aren’t we celebrating the very first Philippine Republic?” he said.

In 2010, Malolos first introduced its Fiesta Republica to highlight the significance of becoming a Republic on Jan. 23. The fiesta highlights the rich history and culture of Malolos via cultural and sports events, with the goal of reaching out the youth. Some of the events are: Kalutong Malolos, a culinary contest; Hataw sa Sining, a dance and music competition; Pasiklaban ng Banda, and Dulansangan, a street dance with drama promoting the city’s history.

If the bill pushes through, Malolos City “wishes to see the National Government officials participating in the festival, hindi lang ang (not just the) Mayor or Governor.” It also wants to work with the Department of Tourism and National Commission for Culture and the Arts to promote the importance of the historical day. — Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

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