Declaration of

Philippine
Independence of
1898
Carlos, Yevgeny Anna Marie
Tumarin, Isnaidah
Valenzuela, Kristine
Vasquez, Chister James
Villan, Alleanna

BSBA FM 1-4
 The Philippine Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on 12 June 1898 in

Cavite II el Viejo and in the present-day, it is well-known as Kawit Cavite, Philippines.

With the public reading of the Act of the Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino

People, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the

sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain.

The declaration, however, was not recognized by the United States or Spain, as

the Spanish government ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of

Paris signed on 10 December 1898 in consideration for an indemnity for Spanish

expenses and assets lost.

The Act of the Declaration of Independence was prepared and written by Ambrosio

Rianzares Bautista in Spanish, who also read the said declaration. A passage in the

Declaration reminds one of another passage in the American Declaration of

Independence. The Philippine Declaration was signed by ninety-eight persons, among

them an American army officer who witnessed the proclamation. The Act declared that

the Filipinos “are and have the right to be free and independent,” and that the nation from

”this day commences to have a life of its own, with every political tie between Filipinas

and Spain severed and annulled”.

The event saw the National Flag of the Philippines, designed by General Aguinaldo

and made in Hongkong by Mrs. Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina

Herboza unfurled for the first time. This was followed by the performance of the “Marcha

Filipina Magdalo” now known as “Lupang Hinirang”, the National Anthem. The composer,

Julian Felipe. was a music teacher from Cavite. The lyrics to the anthem were sourced a

year after from the poem of Jose Palma entitled “Filipinas”.

General Aguinaldo explained the symbolism of the Filipino flag. Each of the three

colors has an appropriate meaning:

A. the lower red stripe represents patriotism and valor

B. the upper blue stripe signifies peace, truth and justice

C. the white triangle stands for equality

The three stars indicate the three geographical areas of Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao.

The eight rays of the sun refer to first eight provinces of Manila, Bulacan,

Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite which took up arms

against Spain and were placed under martial law by the Spaniards at the start of the

Philippine Revolution in 1896.

With a government in operation, Aguinaldo thought that it was necessary to declare

the independence of the Philippines. He believed that such a move would inspire the

people to fight more eagerly against the Spaniards and at the same time, lead the foreign

countries to recognize the independence of the country.