The Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2690 or the Bacoor Assembly of 1898 Act.
The bill declared August 1 of every year as a special working holiday to be known as the “Araw ng Paglalathala at Pagtatanyag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas”.
“This is in recognition and commemoration of the promulgation of the declaration of Philippine Independence during the Bacoor Assembly in Bacoor, Cavite on August 1, 1898 which was subsequently ratified by the Malolos Congress as Acta Agosto Uno,” it stated.
“The Bacoor Assembly that transpired on August 1, 1898 was erroneously dubbed by previous historians as the ratification of independence.”
Senator Loren Legarda, sponsor of the bill, said the Bacoor Assembly that transpired on August 1, 1898 “was erroneously dubbed by previous historians as the ratification of independence. But the truth is, the Bacoor Assembly was convened to publish and to let our independence be known to the world”.
Legarda said it was Apolinario Mabini who wrote and prepared the Acta de Independencia, signed by around 200 elected local officials representing 16 provinces.
Then President Emilio Aguinaldo approved the said Act of Independence which was eventually disseminated worldwide. The Malolos Congress ratified such an important document on September 29, 1898.
“With the passage of this bill, we will be able to properly commemorate this significant event in our history as an equally important event during our campaign for independence,” the veteran legislator said.
Senator Bong Revilla, principal author of the bill, thanked Legarda for shepherding the bill.
“Our recognition of the First day of August every year as a special working holiday is a symbol of turning the pages of our rich history.”
“Our recognition of the First day of August every year as a special working holiday is a symbol of turning the pages of our rich history. This is the result of studying and researching our experiences. And our sole purpose is to acknowledge the role played by the Bacoor Assembly of 1898 in liberating the people held captive by foreigners,” Revilla said in Filipino.
Under the approved bill, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts is mandated to promote the historical significance of August 1 and the events surrounding the Bacoor Assembly of 1898.
The Department of Education shall develop and implement lesson plans that highlight the importance of this day, ensuring that students are educated about its relevance and importance.
