23 SIGNIFICANT NOVEMBER EVENTS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

 

Researched and Compiled by Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired
Toronto-Canada
January 3, 2021
 


NOVEMBER 1, 1542: Explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos commenced his expedition reached Mindanao on February 2, 1543, the first Spaniard to make explorations in that Island who bestowed upon these islands the name "Felipinas" in honor of the Crown-prince, Don Felipe of Spain, who later became King Felipe I. Dr. Jose Rizal in his annotation to Morga's 1609 "Philippine History", said that Villalobos initially gave the name "Felipinas" to one of the southern islands, Tandaya( now perhaps Leyte) and this name later was extended to the entire archipelago.to the Philippines from Barra de Navidad, New Spain or Nueva España (now Mexico).November 2, 1960: Julio Nakpil, a Filipino composer who also fought during the Philippine revolution died at the age of 93. Nakpil made compositions that were inspired directly by the Revolution. "Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan” was a candidate for the Philippine national anthem but eventually went to Julian Felipe’s “Lupang Hinirang” composition. After the revolution, he was married to Andres Bonifacio’s widow, Gregoria de Jesus with whom they have eight children but two died in infancy. 

November 4,1896: Carlos P. Garcia, eighth President of the Philippines, was born in Talibon, Bohol. Studied at the Philippine Law School, earned his law degree in 1923, and was a bar topnotcher. Nicknamed "Prince of Visayan Poets"; elected twice as Congressman, and served as Governor of Bohol; was elected Vice- President in 1953. Known as the "Father of First Filipino Policy", revived Filipino Cultural Arts, and shortened the lease of U.S. Bases from 99 years to 25. In 1953, assumed the Presidency when President Ramon Magsaysay died on March 17, 1957; was elected 8th President in November 1961 and Delegate and President of the 1971 Constitutional Convention. He died on June 14, 1971.    

November 7, 1914: Colonel Jesus Antonio Villamor, a Filipino ace pilot who fought the Japanese invaders during World War II, was born in Abra. Villamor, who joined the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) Flying School in his early 20s, sent to the United States for advanced flight training. Upon his return, he was assigned to lead the 6th Pursuit Squadron. Against Japanese Zeros, his squadron of P-26 Fighters battled the enemy in dogfights and "etched their courage and skills in the skies above Zablan and Batangas Fields." Villamor continued as an intelligence officer. For his bravery as a pilot and ingenuity as an intelligence officer, President Ramon Magsaysay awarded Villamor the "Medal of Valor", the highest Philippine military decoration on Jan. 21, 1954. He also received the "Distinguished Flying Cross" and the "Legion of Merit". The Philippine Air Force's base in Manila has been named Col.Jesus Villamor Air Base. He died at the age of 56 on Oct. 28, 1971. 

November 8, 1949:   Elpidio Quirino, was elected formally as the 6th president of the Philippines for a four-year term, after assuming the Presidency on April 17, 1948, following the death of 5th President Manuel Acuna Roxas on April 15, 1948.

Quirino’s six-year presidency was marked by notable post-war reconstruction, general economic gains, and increased economic aid from the United States . It was during the Quirino administration when the country's Central Bank was established. Quirino, who also became congressman and senator prior to his presidency, was also a known member of the Philippine independence Commission sent to Washington, D.C., which secured the passage of the Tydings-McDuffie Act by the American Congress. He was also a member of the Convention that wrote the draft of the 1935 Constitution. He was defeated by President Ramon Magsaysay in the November 1953 elections. He died of a heart attack on February 29, 1956, at the age of 65.

November 8, 1986: President Corazon Aquino signed Executive Order No. 59, repealing four presidential decrees issued by former President Ferdinand Marcos in connection with the martial law proclamation of September 21, 1972. These Presidential Decrees were: 1) Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1404, empowered the Marcos Administration to authorize longer periods for the delivery of persons arrested for the crimes or offenses enumerated in the said decree 2) PD No. 1836, empowered the former President to issue arrest or commitment orders during a state of martial law or when the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus was suspended against persons whose arrest or detention was, in his judgment, required by public safety and as a means to quell invasion, insurrection or rebellion or imminent danger thereof. 3) PD No. 1877, authorized the authorities to issue preventive detention actions against persons ascertained to be participants in the commission of the crimes enumerated therein.4) PD No. 1877-A, signed on July 23, 1983, is an amendment to PD No. 1877.

November 9, 1827: Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda de Rizal y Quintos, the mother of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, was born in Meisik, Tondo, Manila. She was known for being a disciplinarian as well as a dedicated, and hard-working mother. As the young Rizal's first teacher, she had a profound influence on his development and was his inspiration in taking up medicine. In accordance with the Governor-General Narciso Claveria Decree in 1849, their family adopted the surname "Realonda de Rizal". Teodora had her formal education at the Colegio de Santa Rosa in Manila. She married Francisco Mercado of Biñan, Laguna in 1848. They settled in Calamba, Laguna, and to them were born eleven children including Paciano, Jose,  November 9, 1912: Teodoro A. Agoncillo, a renowned Filipino historian and national scientist was born in Lemery, Batangas. Agoncillo obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1934 and a master's degree in the arts in1935 from the University of the Philippines (U.P.).He started writing history from the so-called Filipino point of view. Agoncillo's "History of the Filipino People" was first published in 1960. Some of his other well-known works include Revolt of the Masses (1956), Malolos: Crisis of the Republic (1960), Fateful Years (1965), and History of the Filipino People (1960). For this outstanding works as a historian, he was conferred as a National Scientist in 1985.  He died on January 14, 1985. 

November 10, 1896: Candido Tria Tirona, the revolutionary general and secretary of war in the Magdalo revolutionary council, died in action during the Battle of Binakayan, at Cavite el Viejo (present-day Kawit), Cavite. The Battle of Binakayan was fought from November 9 to 11, 1896, where the forces of Governor-General Ramon Blanco were decisively defeated and was the first major victory of the Emilio Aguinaldo-led Filipino revolutionaries in Cavite. Born on August 29, 1863, General Tirona was the son of wealthy parents.



November 10, 1953: Ramon Magsaysay was elected President by the largest majority in the history of the country, 2,912,992 votes as against a vote of 1,313,991 for the incumbent, President Elpidio Quirino. Magsaysay, whose campaign slogan was "Magsaysay is My Guy", was described as "young, vigorous, active, blunt, honest, a man of the people, and commanded a soul-stirring following among the masses and among the more enlightened classes as well."

November 12,1979: Mimilanie “Melanie” Laurel Marquez won the Miss International beauty pageant held in Tokyo, Japan.Born on July 16, 1964, Marquez won the prestigious beauty contest at the age of 15. She is one of four Filipino women who have so far held the Miss International crown since the beauty contest began in 1960. The other three are, Gemma Guerrero Cruz Araneta, in 1964; Aurora McKenny Pijuan in 1970; and Precious Lara Quigaman, in 2005. She pursued a career in fashion print, ramp modeling, and acting.  November 13, 1936: The Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (Institute of National Language) was established and mandated to choose which native Philippine language would be used as the basis for the national language. In 1937, the Surian recommended that Tagalog be adopted as the national language. Thus, in 1940, the Institute published an official grammar and dictionary, the Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa (Grammar of the National Language written by Lope K. Santos, and the Tagalog-English Vocabulary. In 1987, the Surian became the Linangan ng mga Wika sa Pilipinas (Institute of Philippine Languages) and again transformed into the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Filipino Language) in August 1991, which is tasked to undertake and promote researches for the development, propagation, and preservation of Filipino and other native Philippine languages. 

November 13,2000: The House of Representatives voted to impeach 13th President Joseph Estrada on "charges of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution for allegedly accepting bribe money from operators of illegal gambling"(jueteng payola). Speaker Manuel Villar read his referral of the Articles of Impeachment, paving the way for the formal trial of the President by the Senate, where the senators sat as jurors and Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as presiding officer. President Estrada resigned on January 20, 2001.

November 14, 1875: Gregorio Del Pilar, one of the youngest generals during the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain, was born in Bulacan, Bulacan. Popularly known as the “Boy General,” he became General Emilio Aguinaldo’s confidante and right-hand man. Known as "Goyo," he came from a poor family and finished his Bachelor’s degree at the Ateneo de Manila University at age 20. At age 21, Goyo joined the Philippine Revolutionary Forces in August 1896 under the leadership of Andres Bonifacio, as a field commander fighting Spanish garrisons in Bulacan. A sharpshooter and a fearless soldier, he was made full general at the age of 23, one of the 3 young revolutionary generals. Sent together with 60 soldiers to secure the narrow and perilous passageway of Tirad Pass so that Aguinaldo and his men could retreat safely to the north, General Del Pilar died fighting against the pursuing American soldiers on December 2, 1899. November 15, 1935: The Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated with Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmena Sr. as 3rd president and vice president, respectively. Quezon won over General Emilio Aguinaldo and Bishop Gregorio Aglipay. The Commonwealth was envisioned under the Philippine Independence Act, known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act, as a 10-year transitional government in preparation for full Philippine independence. The Commonwealth Government was a realization of the Filipinos' efforts to govern themselves and chart their own destiny as a people. It had its own Constitution, with executive, a unicameral National Assembly, and a Supreme Court branches, composed entirely of Filipinos for the first time since 1901, although foreign policy and military affairs would be under the responsibility of the United States, and certain legislation required the approval of the American president.

November 16, 1986: Rogelio De la Rosa, born Regidor de la Rosa, an actor, senator and, diplomat, died of a fatal heart attack at the age of 70. He was born on November 12, 1916, in Lubao, Pampanga; was one of the most popular Filipino matinee idols of the 20th century and the first Filipino film actor who was able to turn his fame into a substantial political career, paving the way for other future Filipino entertainers-turned-politicians. He won the 1956 FAMAS Best Actor award in "Higit Sa Lahat" and was the first Filipino to star in a Hollywood movie, "The Avenger". In 1957 De la Rosa won a seat in the Philippine Senate under the Liberal Party. He ran in1961 for the presidency as an independent candidate against President Carlos P. Garcia and Vice President Macapagal of the Liberal Party, his former brother-in-law. De la Rosa withdrew and Macapagal won the elections. He was defeated for reelection to the Senate in 1963. In 1965, he was appointed and served as Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka. He ran and lost in the 1984 Batasang Pambansa parliamentary elections. He was married twice, to Dolores Bayot of Masbate and to Lota Delgado, an actress.November 20, 1645: The University of Santo Tomas (UST), one of the existing and oldest universities in Asia, was elevated to university status by Pope Innocent X. Originally called "Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario", UST was founded on April 28, 1611, by Msgr. Miguel de Benavides, O.P., together with Frays Domingo de Nieva and Bernardo de Santa Catalina, a Dominican and Third Archbishop of Manila, as a school to prepare young men for the priesthood, but the people’s thirst for education transformed it into a university.  It was renamed "Colegio de Santo Tomas" in memory of the preeminent Dominican theologian St. Thomas Aquinas. In 1785, King Charles III of Spain gave UST the title “Royal,” and on September 17, 1902, Pope Leo XIII in his constitution "Quae Mari Sinico" made UST a “Pontifical University.” In 1947, Pope Pius XI bestowed on UST the title of “The Catholic University of the Philippines.” With its complete name, The Royal Pontifical University of Santo Tomas spent over 300 years of its existence in Intramuros but transferred later to its present 21.5-hectare campus along España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila due to the increasing number of the student population.

November 21, 1849: Governor-General Narciso Claveria issued a decree, the so-called Claveria Decree, to adopt standardized Filipino names and surnames from a list of family names in alphabetical order, which was based on a catalog of Spanish surnames or apellidos. He expanded it by including the names of places, plants, animals, minerals, art products, and character traits, both in the native languages and in Spanish. Claveria distributed the list of family names to the heads of the provinces, then the head of each province sent a portion of the list to each parish priest. Before 1849, Filipinos, in general, lacked individual surnames which distinguished them by families resulting in the existence of thousands of individuals of the same surname and resulted in confusion in the administration of justice, government, finance, and public order. Under the Claveria decree, those who changed or did not use the name recorded in the new register would be imprisoned. Documents that did not carry the registered family name would not be considered valid. Thus, most Filipinos started using new surnames based on the Claveria list in 1850.

   November 22, 1896: Jose Corazon de Jesus, a noted Filipino poet who used Tagalog poetry to express the Filipinos' desire for independence during the American occupation, was born in Sta. Cruz. Manila. During the early years of the American regime, De Jesus worked as a journalist for the revolutionary newspapers Independence, The Brotherhood, The Union, and Renaissance and Democracy. He received his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1920 but did not practice his legal profession. As a columnist for the Tagalog newspaper Taliba, he satirized society under the American colonizers and espoused independence for the Philippines In his column“Buhay Maynila” (Manila Life) under the pseudonym Huseng Batute. He was also known as “King of Balagtasan” as he was the acclaimed winner of the debate in 1925. The Tagalog poem "Bayan Ko" (My Country, 1929), one of his famous works, was used as lyrics for a patriotic song that became popular during the martial law regime of then- President Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s. De Jesus died on May 26, 1932.



November 24, 1892 : The 195-kilometer long railway line from Manila to Dagupan in Pangasinan was inaugurated via reliable and fast, 8 hours at that time, mode of transportation by virtue of a royal decree of King Alfonso XII of Spain on June 25, 1875, that required for the establishment of a railroad line on the island of Luzon.

On June 1, 1887, a concession for the construction of a railway line was awarded to Don Edmundo Sykes of the Ferrocaril de Manila-Dagupan, the corporate name of the Manila Railway Company Ltd. of London. The cornerstone was laid on July 31, 1887, at the present site of the Philippine National Railways' main terminal at Tutuban, Manila. The construction of lines continued that by 1940, the railway had been extended up to Legazpi, Albay in the South, and to San Fernando, La Union in the north. The Manila Railroad became the Philippine National Railways (PNR) on June 20, 1946, via Republic Act No. 4156.

November 27, 1932: Senator Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., a popular newspaperman, politician, and opposition leader was born in Concepcion, Tarlac. Ninoy was assassinated on August 21, 1983, at the Manila International Airport upon returning from exile in the United States. His death triggered the EDSA Revolution, famously known as the "EDSA People Power Revolution" of 1986, and brought his widow, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, to the limelight and subsequently to the presidency.Ninoy came from a political family. He earned the moniker "Wonder Boy" of Philippine politics for his various achievements -- being the youngest mayor of Concepcion, Tarlac, at age 22, youngest vice-governor at age 27, governor of Tarlac at age 29, and made history by becoming the youngest elected senator at age 34.When 10th President Ferdinand E. Marcos  issued Presidential Proclamation 1081(Martial Law)  on September 21, 1972, Ninoy was one of those arrested and imprisoned for alleged subversion. He suffered a heart attack while in prison and was allowed to leave for medical treatment in the U.S.A. In August 1983, Ninoy decided to go back to the Philippines, fully aware of the dangers that awaited him. He died on August 21, 1983, when he was shot in the head upon his arrival at the Manila International Airport. In 2004, the anniversary of his death was proclaimed as a national holiday now known as "Ninoy Aquino Day".

November 29, 1898: General Emilio Aguinaldo's revolutionary government, who had approved the Malolos Constitution, recognized the equality of all forms of worship and proclaimed the separation of Church and State after the Congress won by one vote after the second voting during the heated argument with regards to the provision making Catholicism the religion of the State. The Congress sessions on the subject of whether or not the Church and State should be united showed: First, that "the Filipinos, though up in arms against Catholic Spain, were not anti-Catholic but merely anti-clerical. Second, many of the delegates learned from the bitter lesson of Philippine history in voting against the union of Church and State which, under Spain, was the fundamental basis of the Spanish colonial system." Hence, "the decision became the cornerstone of Philippine democracy as shown not only by the nationalism and democratic orientation of those who voted for the separation of Church and State but also the keen sense of history."

November 30, 1863: Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution and one of the founders of the Katipunan, was born in the present-day Tondo, Manila. Orphaned at the age of 14, being the eldest of six children, he quit schooling to support his family. Without formal schooling, Andres educated himself by reading books. Bonifacio knew that Spain would never grant the reforms demanded by the Filipino reformists, he founded the Katipunan on July 7, 1892, along with Valentin Diaz, Teodoro Plata (Andres’ brother-in-law), Ladislao Diwa, Diodato Arellano (brother-in-law of Marcelo H. Del Pilar) and few others in Tondo, to secure the independence and freedom of the Philippines by force, and they formalized their membership in the organization by signing the Katipunan pact with their own blood. In 1892, he married Gregoria de Jesus. With the discovery of the Katipunan on August 19, 1896, Bonifacio and the other Katipuneros gathered secretly at the farm of Juan A. Ramos, a son of Melchora Aquino, at Pugad Lawin, a part of Balintawak, on August 23, 1896, and agreed to fight and tore their cedulas as a symbolic gesture of their defiance of Spanish rule and the start of Philippine Revolution. Since the time the Katipunan was discovered, they evaded arrest, won uncertain victories,  and incurred severe defeats. This prompted the Magdalo faction to invite Bonifacio to Cavite to settle their differences and remain united.

An assembly was called at Tejeros, Cavite. Bonifacio presided over the conference to establish the Republic of the Philippines. In the election, Emilio Aguinaldo was elected president, Mariano Trias, vice president, and Bonifacio as secretary of the Interior. As a result, he was offended, and evoking his authority as the supreme head of the Katipunan, he declared the proceedings void and started to form his own government and army. Aguinaldo's men arrested Bonifacio and was wounded in the process. He faced a trial for acts inimical to the existence of the new government and was given the death sentence by a military tribunal. Aguinaldo's men executed Bonifacio in the mountains of Maragondon, Cavite on May 10, 1897.

---------------------------------------

Source References: Teodoro A. Agoncillo. History of the Filipino People. 8th edition,1990; Horacio de la  Costa, SJ. Readings In Philippine History , 1992; Sonia M. Zaide. Philippine History and Government. Third edition,1994; Sonia M. Zaide. The Philippines: A Unique Nation. Second edition,1999. Philippines News Agency; Philippine National Historical Society; Wikipedia; Google.