More articles about: history

It was February 1947 when Remedios “Kumander Liwayway” Gomez was captured as a result of Operation Arayat, a major military drive aimed at suppressing what is now known as the Huk Rebellion, the open unrest of peasant farmers and former guerilla veterans.Liwayway ...

Life has a predisposition towards irony and perhaps one of the biggest ironies in Philippine history is the Ozone Disco tragedy.March, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 115-A signed in 1986, is known to Filipinos as the fire prevention month. The number ...

While most museums help us understand history through important artifacts behind glass cases or rope barriers, or walls upon walls that display art, Museo El Deposito in San Juan City stands on the actual site of an old underground water reservoir, which makes its location interesting in itself. ...

For Filipinos born in the ‘70s through the ‘90s, slippers or tsinelas represent more than just a type of footwear: they are both a tool for corporal punishment, and an implement for playing tumbang preso.  The pre-colonial Filipinos were predominantly barefoot. In the ...

On September 15, 1935, President Manuel L. Quezon finally signed into law the legislation granting Filipino women the right to vote. Eighteen years earlier in 1919, a 24-year-old woman argued in an article for the Philippine Review that if women are to ...

An unfortunate combination of bad luck and bad governance has led to the destruction of many heritage structures in the Philippines. The National Commission for Culture and Arts is compiling a list of the oldest buildings and structures found in the country, ...

The past few months have been momentous for the historical memorabilia auction scene, as important documents from pivotal scenes in Philippine history were put under the hammer, including documents penned by Bonifacio himself, Aguinaldo’s first-hand account of the Bonifacio execution, and the ...

Florentino Das was to the seas and waters born. The Filipino Sinbad, who would gain worldwide attention in 1955 for his solo voyage across the Pacific in a wooden boat, first saw the light of day on April 19, 1918 in the ...

An old railway station stands silent, as if frozen in time, in the heart of Paco, where passers-by can only wonder at the intricately carved eagles perched atop its columns.Located in front of Plaza Dilao, the station is in a state of ...

From 2000 to 2007, there were over 40 major bombings against civilians and public property in the Philippines. From these tragic terrorist attacks, over 1,700 casualties were recorded. Aside from the infamous Valentine's Day bombings, another attack that gained international media attention ...

There is a long list of people who have made great sacrifices for our country and sometimes we tend to think of them as simply larger than life. It’s important to remember though that these heroes were people, too, with hopes, dreams, ...

A day in March marks an important milestone for Philippine motoring because it was on March 10, 1945, that President Sergio Osmeña signed Executive Order No. 34, which directed Filipino motorists to drive on the right side of the road. Until that time, Philippine vehicles ...

For over 80 years now, Mabini Street, the two-kilometer street located in once-genteel Ermita has been the nexus of touristy and artistic activities. In its heyday, it teemed with art galleries and shops, making it Manila’s most colorful alley.Mabini was known in ...

In his book, Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila, James M. Scott sheds light on General Douglas MacArthur’s ineptitudes in the liberation of Manila and the overwhelming atrocities committed by the Japanese during the Battle of Manila based on chilling first-hand accounts of ...

Many Filipinos look up to national hero Jose Rizal for his admirable traits: courage, wit, intelligence, and patriotism. However, if there is one thing he repeatedly failed at, it was his quest for romance.Rizal was linked to numerous women in his day, but the ...

A historical marker is a plaque given by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, acknowledging the significance of a place in the country’s history. So it’s not unusual to see these markers on the entrances of heritage houses and establishments or ...

Beyond the ravages of World War II that left 80 percent of Manila in shambles in 1945 (it was the second most devastated city in the world after Warsaw), the Ayala family saw a vision of opulence and economic prosperity. At the heart ...

The story of the Filipino people is essentially a story of war. Looking back on 300 years of Spanish rule, followed by American colonialism and Japanese invasion, our nation had a plethora of patriots and heroes.The thing about patriotism is that it's ...

Today, Binondo is famous as the world’s oldest Chinatown: a slice of China outside the mainland. The Binondo area, from the streets of Escolta and Divisoria to the bustle of Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz all the way to Ongpin—and the many who ...

The Mendiola Massacre that took place during Corazon Aquino’s presidency was a stark contrast to the peaceful revolution that put her in power. That dark, bloody day cast a shadow over her family’s political legacy, but it was not enough to prevent her ...