Every Day Is Special: August 31 - National Heroes Day in the Philippines

Posted on August 31, 2020

(Last Monday in August)

In the past, I have written about some of the Philippines' national heroes...

...like José Rizal and Andres Bonifacio...

...but the last Monday in August celebrates those two and many more heroes!

Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat was a Muslim leader of the southern Filipino island of Mindanao. He lived waaaay back in the 1500 and 1600s, and he fought off Spanish invasions and forced conversions to Catholicism.

Marcelo H. del Pilar was a writer and journalist who tried to help the Philippines reform and eventually decided that a revolution and independence was needed. Sadly, he died before that could be achieved.

Gabriela Silang took over the Ilocano rebel movement after her husband was assassinated. She led the movement for independence for four months but was then captured and executed by Spaniard forces.

Melchora Aquino is called the Grand Woman of the Revolution because she operated a store that was a refuge for exhausted freedom fighters and a sort of hospital for wounded revolutionaries. Her home was the place for secret meetings. Aquino provided food, medical care, and advice - and when she was caught by the Spaniards, and interrogated, she never gave away any names or secrets. At that point she was deported and placed under house arrest, but when the Philippines won their independence, she was able to go home again!

Emilio Aguinaldo was the first president of the Philippines - and of any constitutional republic in Asia!

Apolinario Mabini was the first prime minister - and so much more, since he was nicknamed the "brain of the revolution" that resulted in an independent Philippines, and he was a trained lawyer who served as a legal and constitutional consultant to the new government.

Juan Luna was an accomplished artist who worked to make sure that the new Filipino nation was recognized by other countries, including the United States.