Philippine Declaration of Independence

On June 12, 1898, the Philippine Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Cavite II el Viejo, Philippines. This seminal event marked the end of Spanish colonial rule and heralded the birth of Filipino sovereignty. The declaration was publicly read by the Filipino revolutionary forces led by General Emilio Aguinaldo.

The struggle for independence began with the Philippine Revolution in 1896. During the Spanish-American War in April 1898, the United States defeated the Spanish fleet in the Battle of Manila Bay. Emilio Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines to support the American forces, and on June 12, 1898, independence was declared at Aguinaldo's ancestral home. The declaration was signed by 98 individuals, including a United States Army officer who witnessed the event.

On August 1, 1898, the proclamation was ratified by municipal presidents from various provinces, although subsequent amendments were made at the Malolos Congress. Despite this, neither the United States nor Spain recognized the declaration. In the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States, leading to the Philippine-American War and eventually bringing the Philippines under U.S. sovereignty.

It wasn't until July 4, 1946, that the United States granted independence to the Philippines. However, in 1964, Republic Act No. 4166 officially changed the country's Independence Day to June 12. Today, the original Declaration of Independence is preserved in the National Library of the Philippines.

The Act of the Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino People outlines grievances against Spanish rule and grants Emilio Aguinaldo governmental powers. It is considered part of a global tradition of declarations of independence, akin to the United States Declaration of Independence.