Res. No. 469
Resolution declaring June 12 as Philippine Independence Day in the City of New York
By Council Members Won, Ossé, Ung, Farías, Zhuang, Hanif, Cabán and Louis
Whereas, On June 12, 1898, after the Philippine Revolution, rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence for the Philippines from Spain’s colonial rule of more than 300 years; and
Whereas, Aguinaldo then aligned the new republic with the United States (U.S.), which was engaged at the time with Spain in the Spanish-American War; and
Whereas, After the U.S. defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, U.S. troops occupied Manila until the signing of the Treaty of Paris in December, 1898, in which Spain then ceded the Philippines to the U.S. for $20 million; and
Whereas, Having just been freed from Spanish colonial rule, the Filipino people turned to resisting U.S. colonial rule from the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) up until July 4, 1946, when the U.S. granted independence through President Harry S. Truman’s Proclamation 2695, which recognized the Philippines as an independent nation, and through the Treaty of Manila, which established diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the Philippines; and
Whereas, On May 12, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal issued Presidential Proclamation No. 28, declaring June 12 as a special public holiday in the Philippines; and
Whereas, Finally, on August 4, 1964, Republic Act Number (No.) 4166 renamed the July 4 holiday as Philippine Republic Day and proclaimed June 12 as Philippine Independence Day, noting the significance of the “establishment of the Philippine Republic by the Revolutionary Government under General Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12, 1898, [marking the] people’s declaration and exercise of their right to self-determination, liberty and independence”; and
Whereas, Since that time, Philippine Independence Day has been commemorated in the Filipino diaspora with festivals, parades, and community events celebrating Filipino arts, cuisine, customs, and traditions; and
Whereas, On June 6, 2025, the New York State (NYS) Assembly adopted Resolution No. 692, calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 12, 2025, as Philippine Independence Day in NYS; and
Whereas, Resolution No. 692 calls for promoting the study of Filipino American history and culture, as stated in the mission of the Filipino American National Historical Society; and
Whereas, The Filipino American community is the second largest Asian American group in the U.S., with a population of about 3.9 million; and
Whereas, In 2023, according to the Asian American Federation, there were about 94,000 Filipino New Yorkers in the five boroughs, with just over half living in Queens; and
Whereas, At that time, about 41 percent were born in the U.S. and about 41 percent were naturalized citizens; and
Whereas, About 65 percent of Filipino New Yorkers held a bachelor’s degree or beyond; and
Whereas, Both male and female Filipino New Yorkers were most commonly employed in the health care industry, which employed about one-third of Filipino New Yorkers; and
Whereas, Filipino New Yorkers have been and continue to be well positioned to contribute to NYC’s multicultural communities and to its workforce; and
Whereas, The NYC Philippine Independence Day Parade, which marches down Madison Avenue from 38th Street to 27th Street annually, is the largest parade commemorating this day outside of the Philippines; and
Whereas, NYC’s Philippine Independence Day Parade will be held for the 36th time on Sunday, June 7, 2026, to promote Filipino heritage, culture, and civic participation; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York declares June 12 as Philippine Independence Day in the City of New York.
LS #22046
3/23/2026
RHP