Skip to main content

Iloilo to host Independence Day 2015 rites

Departing from tradition, this year’s 117th Independence Day ceremonies will be held not in Luzon but in Iloilo’s Sta. Barbara town, where the Philippine flag was first raised to inaugurate the provisional revolutionary government of the Visayas in 1898.

The vin d’ honneur (wine of honor) will also be done at the newly restored Iloilo provincial capitol with Senate President Franklin Drilon describing it as a celebration that will “showcase to the nation Iloilo’s remarkable progress and achievements.”
Santa Barbara, Iloilo's Flagpole Park
“Let us make use of that momentous event to show this nation the soaring aspirations of Ilonggos – that with our past, present and near future achievements, we are poised to reclaim Iloilo’s rightful place as Queen City of the South,” Drilon said in a statement.

He added that the event is a “national affirmation and acknowledgement of Iloilo’s rise as a progressive and developing center in the Visayas.”

Philippine flags now line the streets of Santa Barbara where President Aquino is expected to lead the Independence Day flag-raising ceremony at the town plaza on June 12.

Customarily, the flag-raising ceremonies for Independence Day celebrations were done at the Rizal Park in Manila. Last year, it was done in Naga City.
Church and Convent restored by the National Historical Commissione of the Philippines
Santa Barbara was chosen as the site of this year’s celebration because it was where the Philippine flag was first raised outside of Luzon on Nov. 17, 1898.

The President will also inspect the restoration of the Santa Barbara Church and Convent, which served as the general headquarters and military hospital of the Visayan revolutionary forces in the late 1800s. It was on the convent’s balcony where Santa Barbara native General Martin Delgado, first civilian governor of Iloilo province, declared the famous cry of Sta. Barbara (Fuera España, Viva Filipina).

Built in 1845, the church is of Baroque Renaissance architecture with a neoclassic façade. In 2012, the National Historical Commission declared Sta. Barbara as one of the historic sites in Iloilo following its role in the 1898 Philippine Revolution.

Vin d’ honneur

After the flag raising ceremony, the President will motor to Molo church in Iloilo City and onto the restored Iloilo provincial capitol for the traditional vin d’ honneur, the first outside of Malacañang Palace.
Casa Real de Iloilo
Photo credits to Vincent Valencia
A traditional morning reception, vin d’ honneur takes place biannually in Malacañang: first, to mark the New Year, and second, to celebrate the anniversary of Philippine Independence on June 12.

More than 50 ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, Cabinet members and other government officers are expected to attend the rite.

News article reposted from The Philippine Star

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Santa Barbara Centennial Museum

The Santa Barbara Centennial Museum was built in 1998 as part of the Centennial Freedom Trail Site Project of the Philippine Centennial Commission. The museum houses antiques, artifacts and photos that tell the story of Santa Barbara’s historical heritage. The museum has two wings: the left wing is the historical wing while the right wing has been designated as the changing museum. In the historical wing is Gen. Martin Teofilo Delgado’s Exhibit. The items on exhibit here are: Gen. Martin Teofilo Delgado’s Exhibit – the greatest revolutionary hero of the Visayas, and the first Filipino Governor of Iloilo under the American regime. 1. GMTD’s bed 2. GMTD’s backbone – spared by the Delgado clan for display to the museum with document of permission 3. Documents written in Spanish attesting of him as the first Filipino Governor of Iloilo 4. Photos of him with his family 5. Frames explaining the Cry of Santa Barbara and his biography 6. Revolutionary insignia o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Take a HERITAGE WALK down historic Santa Barbara

There is so much for you to discover in Santa Barbara. From its pivotal role in the quest for freedom for the Ilonggos - as retold in history books, to its heritage as manifested in centuries-old structures, surviving customs, traditional ways of life and gastronomy. No other town has contributed this much to the Iloilo’s history, economy and tourism than Santa Barbara. In this regard, the Municipal Tourism Office is spearheading a Heritage Walk/Trail designed for locals and tourist alike to discover, experience and enjoy what the historic town has to offer. Marvel in the beauty of the newly restored CHURCH and CONVENT (A) built in 1849 and declared as a National Historical Landmark and a National Cultural Treasure. Discover the town’s rich culture and historic past at the CENTENNIAL MUSEUM (B) . See one of the biggest Philippine flags atop one of the tallest flagpoles in the country displayed 24/7 at the FLAGPOLE PARK (C) . A monument dedicated to GEN. MARTIN TEOFILO DEL...
1 comment
Read more

Iloilo Golf and Country Club - The oldest golf course in the Philippines

About a hundred years ago, very little was known about the game of golf in this part of the world, in the Philippines in general and in Iloilo in particular. Then a year or so after the turn of the century a group of Englishmen came to the country, employed by the Philippine Railway Co. whose purpose was to build the railway that was to connect the City of Iloilo to what was then the town of Capiz now Roxas City.  Among them were Scotsmen who then and even now are known to be lovers of the game of golf. Venture to say that to satisfy their needs of playing their favorite pastime, they consequently had to build a golf course. They looked for an area suited for their golf course which they found just outside the rural town of Santa Barbara conveniently located near the route of their railroad about 15 kilometers from the City. And they found that site amid the gently rolling hills. Not much was needed to be done to build a golf course in this area save cleaning level s...
6 comments
Read more