'Filipino-American Friendship Day',
July 4, is a day in the
Philippines designated by
President Diosdado Macapagal to commemorate the liberation of the country by joint Filipino and
American forces from the
Japanese occupation at the end of
World War II.
The Philippines was a U.S. territory from
1898 to
1942, when it was occupied by Japanese forces, and again for a brief period after the war. The country gained complete independence on July 4,
1946.
Initially, the nation's
Independence Day holiday (
Araw ng Kalayaan) was held on July 4, former President Diosdado Macapagal moved it to
June 12, the date on which the Philippines declared
independence from Spain in 1898. Filipino-American Friendship Day was created in its place, and coincides with the United States' July 4
Independence Day.
See also
★
Araw ng Kalayaan (Philippine Independence Day)
★
Public holidays in the Philippines
External link
★
The Independence Day That Wasn't