Independence Day (Philippines)

Independence Day Araw ng Kalayaan
Aguinaldo Shrine where Emilio Aguinaldo declared the country's independence from Spain
Official name	Araw ng Kasarinlan
Also called	Araw ng Kalayaan Twelfth of June
Observed by	Philippines
Type	National
Significance	Declaring Philippine independence from Spain
Date	June 12
Next time	12 June 2017 (2017-06-12)
Frequency	annual
Related to	Republic Day

Independence Day (Filipino: Araw ng Kasarinlan; also known as Araw ng Kalayaan, (or "Day of Freedom") is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed on June 12, commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. Since 1962, it has been the country's National Day.

The day of celebration of independence varied throughout the nation's history. The earliest recorded was on April 12, 1895, when Andres Bonifacio, along with Emilio Jacinto, Restituto Javier, Guillermo Masangkay, Aurelio Tolentino, Faustino Manalak, Pedro Zabala and few other katipuneros went to Pamitinan Cave in Montalban, Rizal to initiate new members of the Katipunan. Bonifacio wrote Viva la independencia Filipina! or Long Live Philippine independence on walls of the cave to express the goal of their secret society. Bonifacio also led the Cry of Pugad Lawin, which signals the beginning of Philippine Revolution. Members of the Katipunan, led by Andres Bonifacio, tore their community tax certificates (cedulas personales) in protest of Spanish conquest.

In 1896 the Philippine Revolution began and in December 1897 the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, an agreement between the Spanish colonial government and the revolutionaries, established a truce. Under its terms, Emilio Aguinaldo and other revolutionary leaders went into exile in Hong Kong.