#OnThisDay: Selected Historical Events in the month of November
November
In November 1603, a blood compact (sanduguan) between Maguindanao ruler Kapitan Laut Buisan and the Christianized datus of Leyte was conducted in Dulag, one of the first Spanish mission areas in the island. A week earlier, Buisan's fleet of more than 50 ships attacked Leyte, taking some 800 captives who included the Spanish friar Melchor Hurtado. Before leaving to raid other areas such as Palo to the north, Buisan gave a pledge that he would discuss with the datus upon his return and would give them an opportunity to ransom the captives. True enough, the famed admiral kept his word and addressed the datus to enter an alliance with Maguindanao.
Proud of his military achievements, which included successful attacks against Panay, Negros, Cebu, Mindoro, Batangas, and Calamian (now part of Palawan), he persuaded the Leyte datus of his capacity to defend them and break Spanish power. Notably, the Muslim Buisan had no mention of religion as a justification for his war against Spain. Moreover, the act of sanduguan seemed to be an appeal to their pre-Christian and pre-Islamic heritage, considering how drinking blood is prohibited in Islam, while it remains a subject of debate among Christian denominations. What was established would be a united front against the Spaniards, taking advantage not only of the Dutch threat, but also the issue with Sangleys (Chinese) in the Manila area.
1st November
On November 1, 1897, the Republic of Biak-na-Bato was established in Bulacan with Emilio Aguinaldo as president and Mariano Trias as vice president. A provisional constitution, inspired by the 1895 Cuban Constitution adopted at Jimaguayu, was created with an effectivity duration of two years, or until the Philippine Revolution had been terminated. Among the charter's unique provisions was the adoption of Tagalog as the national language, arguably one of the first formal attempts by Filipinos to settle for a lingua franca.
By this time, Filipino revolutionaries under Aguinaldo's command have entered into negotiations with the Spanish colonial government through the mediation of Pedro Paterno, the creation of the republic being an attempt to position the Philippines as of equal standing to Spain diplomatically speaking. From the start of the talks, Aguinaldo was firm on the implementation of reforms in exchange for peace such as the distribution of friar lands, the expansion of rights and freedoms, Filipino representation in the Spanish Cortes, equality between Filipinos and Spanish, and amnesty for all revolutionaries, even those who were not under the direct command of Aguinaldo, but the Spanish government under Governor General Fernando Primo de Rivera was hesitant to grant the revolutionary leaders' demands. Still, de Rivera was convinced that he would be unable to force a military solution at the time, considering the Spaniards' limited capacity.
The peace process would eventually result to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which provided for cessation of hostilities in exchange for indemnity from the Spanish amounting to 1.7 million Mexican dollars (pesos), 800,000 of which would go to the revolutionaries while the rest intended for non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the fighting. This was, however, lower than the initial demand of 3 million which Aguinaldo laid as fair compensation.
Meanwhile, not all agreed to the peace process. Paciano Rizal and Miguel Malvar, among the generals who Aguinaldo met by December 1897 to finalize their collective decision, stood for continuing the Revolution. It was nonetheless agreed upon by the majority in the republican government to accept the terms, with the pact signed on December 14.
1st November
In the Philippines, November 1 is called Undas, but the rest of the world knew it as Dia de Todos Los Santos or All Saints' Day. And so, how did it come to be known as "undas" in the first place? One possible origin was the Spanish "honras" or "honors" in English. That is, giving honor to those who have passed on. In pronouncing honras in Spanish, the "h" is usually dropped, and the "d" sound is added, the resulting sound being "ondras" or "undras." Parts of Southern Luzon and Visayas still refer to "undras" instead of "undas," while parts of Northern Luzon would remember it as "umras."
The commemoration of All Saints' Day on the 1st of November would likely be traced to Pope Gregory III's dedication of an oratory at the Old St. Peter's Basilica for the "holy apostles and all saints, martyrs, and confessors" in 731/732. Then again, there remains a debate on when the Pope actually made his dedication, with some sources claiming that it was a synod against iconoclasm (destruction of images) that occurred on November 1, and the dedication being done at Palm Sunday instead. The institutionalization of the date as All Saints' Day would come a century later, when Carolingian Emperor Louis the Pious (or Louis the Fair) decreed the celebration in 835 "at the instance of Pope Gregory IV.
3rd November
On November 3, 1762, Juan de la Cruz Palaris, a member of the Binalatongan (San Carlos) principalia, led a revolt among the people of Pangasinan. Besides the return of Spanish-imposed tributes to the people, they also called to declare all public offices vacant to allow Filipinos to assume these positions, and to remove the friars from their churches.
Palaris, a coachman serving Spanish Auditor Francisco Enrique de Villacorta, was believed to have taken advantage of the British occupation of Manila with his rebellion. The name "Palaris" itself was supposedly an addition to represent a sort of title, with some sources referring to him as "Palaripar."
Juan Antonio Panelo, first to be charged to clear the province of Palaris's movement, was unable to carry out his charge as the Spanish fled out of fear of the rebel strength. Another contingent, this time led by Fernando Arayat, proved to be more courageous and demanded Palaris to accept peace. Refusing this, Palaris and his troops even boasted that they have muskets and cannons to match with the Spanish. The 1763 battle resulted to a Spanish defeat, with the saving grace being a banner of Palaris obtained for presentation to Simon de Anda, interim Governor General who was then leading the Spanish government in Pampanga.
Measuring two varas or 66 inches long, Palaris's flag featured a two-headed eagle.
Meanwhile, Palaris's rebellion spread across the towns of Pangasinan. Diego Silang, who began his revolt in Ilocos a month after Palaris, sought British assistance. Negotiating the inclusion of Ilocos, Pangasinan, and Cagayan in the coverage of British recognition, Silang made it appear that much of Northern Luzon would be ready to accept British recognition.
When the British withdrew as the Seven Years' War was concluded, and the nearby rebellion of Silang ended, the Spanish were freed to deal with the issue of Pangasinan, made capable to recruit more local soldiers for the purpose. After a string of losses, Palaris himself would be captured on January 16, 1765, and executed on February 26 of the same year.
3rd November
On November 3, 1961, independent presidential candidate Rogelio "Roger" de la Rosa announced his withdrawal to endorse Vice President Diosdado Macapagal, his childhood friend and Liberal Party standard bearer, on national television with ten days left before Election Day. The first Filipino actor to be elected senator, de la Rosa campaigned as part of the Liberal slate in 1957, the only one of two Liberals elected to the Senate that year.
His "bakya at salakot" campaign attracted huge audiences, reminiscent of the pro-masses campaign of Ramon Magsaysay in 1953, but it was apparent de la Rosa himself doubted how the crowds would be translated into victory in a democratic system such as that of the Philippines. As he put it, "Believe me, my friends, my decision was not easy to reach. It means a great personal sacrifice for me and my wife, and for thousands of our friends, sympathizers and supporters who have fought for what we believed to be a just and rightful cause: the cause of the common tao. But even the noblest idealism must give way to the unbreakable wall of realism. Divided, the opposition will fall; united, it will triumph."
As an independent, de la Rosa was suspected by both the Nacionalista and the Liberal parties. On the side of the Nacionalistas, who chose the incumbent President Carlos P. Garcia to pursue a second term, there was belief that he was paid by the Liberals to withdraw, the exchange allegedly being 500,000 pesos and the opportunity to fill in three Cabinet positions. Adjusted to inflation, the offered money might be equivalent to over 100 million pesos today. Garcia, it was said, rejected any ideas of granting such favors to the de la Rosa campaign in order to keep the highest post in the land. Meanwhile, the Liberals thought, at least until the senator's withdrawal, that the Nacionalistas financed de la Rosa to divide the opposition vote, especially those from Luzon.
As de la Rosa hoped, Macapagal won the election, with almost every province in Luzon supporting the "Poor Boy from Lubao."
Hardline supporters of de la Rosa, however, stood by the decision to still vote for their chosen candidate even if their ballots would be considered null and void. Notably, with around 4 percent of votes for the 1961 presidential election regarded as invalid, it would be the highest share of null votes between 1946 and 1981. De la Rosa would attempt to return to the Senate in 1963, only to rank 15th overall. He would eventually serve in foreign relations for 18 years, from 1965 in Cambodia to 1983 in Sri Lanka. He failed in his final reentry to elected office, losing in his bid for a seat in the 1984 Batasang Pambansa. The first Filipino actor to be elected in a national post would die in 1986.
3rd November
On November 3, 1985, President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. announced on American television (broadcasted also in the Philippines through state television) holding presidential elections on January 17, 1986, a full year before the constitutionally mandated date, and the anniversary of the lifting of Martial Law. The opposition, led by the coalition called United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), may have been taken by surprise as much as the nation was at the time, since they have yet to decide on a unified candidate for president, and would therefore have to fast track their preparations for the election. Election Day would eventually be held on February 7, 1986.
In an earlier survey done by the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development (BBC) in June-July 1985, Marcos's lead over the prospective opposition candidates was commanding, with 52 percent believing that he would be reelected. While Salvador "Doy" Laurel and Jovito "Jovy" Salonga were in double digits, UNIDO's future standard bearer Corazon "Cory" Aquino was only at 8 percent. The Marcos administration may have also taken the prevailing numbers into account, which showed the president having a moderately high net satisfaction of +19. In context, this was higher than Cory Aquino's +10 during her last year of office (1991), Joseph Ejercito Estrada's +13 (2000), and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's -31 (2009).
4th November
On November 4, 1921, Japanese Prime Minister Hara Takashi (原敬) was assassinated at Tokyo Station by 18-year-old railway switchman Nakaoka Konichi. Upon his capture, the Tochigi-born Nakaoka was suspected to be a Korean and was initially sentenced to death, only for his case to be reconsidered. After serving 13 years in prison, the freed assassin migrated to Manchukuo (滿洲國).
Hara, the first Christian and the first commoner to become prime minister of Japan, was also arguably the first "true party leader" to assume the position. His political party, the Rikken Seiyūkai, was founded in 1900 and achieved the majority in the House of Representatives (lower house of the Diet) during his term. Hara's administration, however, faced various prevailing issues such as granting universal suffrage, the independence movement in Korea, the Japanese intervention in Russia, and the Washington Naval Conference.
His modest lifestyle and his moderate policies alienated both liberals and conservatives. Nonetheless, Hara was also one of the proponents of Japan adopting colonialism lessons from other world powers such as France (in Algeria) and America (in the Philippines) which moved beyond political assimilation, while immersed in imparting economic and cultural influences as well. This he articulated early in his foreign service career, particularly when Japan acquired Taiwan after its victory in the First Sino-Japanese War.
Hara's assassination, meanwhile, brought repercussions in the Washington Naval Conference or the Five-Power Treaty, the first effective arms limitation treaty in the world. The prime minister, like his representative to the conference Admiral Katō Tomosaburō (加藤友三郎) and those in the so-called "treaty faction", believed that arms limitation would be beneficial for Japan's long-term growth in national strength, especially since it could not hope to outpace the more economically developed nations in military production.
5th November
On November 5, 1898, Negros revolutionaries armed with "bamboo cannons" and "wooden rifles" attacked the Spanish in Silay and eventually in Bacolod. Convinced of the Filipinos' "high powered arms", the Spanish surrender was received the following day without much fighting, although the Spanish leaders appealed to make it look like they gave a form of resistance to preserve their honor. This victory had become known as Al Cinco de Noviembre, marking the province's liberation.
Led by Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta, the success of the Negros Revolution preempted the naval expedition sent by President Emilio Aguinaldo to the Visayas under "General of the Seas" Ananias Diokno. By the time Diokno's force arrived, they would only have the opportunity to witness the formation of the Negros Republic with Lacson as president. It would take time, however, to complete the liberation for the rest of Negros, with Dumaguete occupied by November 24.
While recognizing the First Philippine Republic under Aguinaldo's leadership, the Negros government did not seem to appreciate the presence of the so-called "Tagalog irregulars." Notably, all Negros representatives in the Malolos Congress were appointed, even though the Negrenses already elected their own deputies on November 27, 1898.
When the Americans arrived in February 1899, the Negros government received them quite well, requesting for recognition and protection from the United States, while effectively severing ties with the Aguinaldo-led government. Later on, the Bacolod Convention submitted to US President William McKinley the "Negros Constitution" by July 1899. This charter was utilized by the Americans to organize the civil administration in Negros, and by November 5, 1899, elected Filipino officials under the American government were inaugurated. Melecio Severino of Silay, a veteran of the Negros Revolution, was elected as the province's first civil governor under American rule, serving in the post until 1901.
6th November
On November 6, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), causing more than 6,000 deaths to become one of the deadliest recorded typhoons in Filipino history. It was also one of the strongest recorded typhoons to ever make a landfall, with sustained winds peaking at 230 kilometers per hour (kph). Nearly 100 billion pesos in damages were accounted for in the wake of Haiyan's havoc.
Haiyan had been one of the brutal reminders for the Philippines in pursuing the "zero casualty program" with its disaster risk reduction management. A similarly powerful typhoon, Goni (local name Rolly), dissipated on this day in 2020, but when it struck the Philippines on October 31, it had sustained winds peaking at 220 kilometers per hour (kph). At least 25 deaths and 20 billion pesos in damages were reported in Goni's aftermath.
6th November
On November 6, 1899, a 2,500-strong American expedition under General Loyd Wheaton embarked for San Fabian, Pangasinan in a concerted effort to trap Filipino President Emilio Aguinaldo, who was then holding office at Bayambang, also in Pangasinan. The plan was for Wheaton to converge with General Arthur MacArthur's force, which was then advancing from Tarlac, and with General Henry Ware Lawton's force, which was coming from Nueva Ecija. After the naval bombardment of San Fabian, Wheaton landed troops on November 7. Initially, Aguinaldo was intending to retreat through Tayug, but when Lawton's troops managed to occupy the town, they gained intelligence of this through captured papers and decided to push on. Upon capturing San Nicolas further north, Lawton managed to obtain some 75,000 Mexican dollars (pesos) from the Filipino government which were supposedly hidden inside a cannon.
Meanwhile, Wheaton was soon engaged by General Manuel Tinio at the Battle of San Jacinto on November 11, 1899. Regarded as one of the fiercest battles of the Filipino-American War, Tinio's 1,200-strong force entrenched themselves to block Wheaton's advance, while Filipino sharpshooters were well concealed among the trees. This forced the Americans to fight on muddy fields, marching in skirmish lines.
In the aftermath, the Americans reported around 80 dead among the Filipinos while having only 8 of their own, the American death toll including Major John Alexander Logan, a veteran of the Spanish-American War in Cuba. Logan posthumously received the Medal of Honor for fighting at the Battle of San Jacinto. Other estimates of Filipino casualties ranged from 100 to 300. Tinio's forces regrouped in nearby Pozorrubio, where Aguinaldo and his troops also proceeded by November 14.
Aguinaldo's rear guard, however, clashed with American troops on the same day, convincing the president to continue his retreat to Alava (now Sison), and eventually to Rosario in La Union, despite the rainy weather. Wheaton's force would not link up with MacArthur and Lawton until November 20 in Dagupan, by which time Aguinaldo had already reached Naguilian, some 50 kilometers north of San Fabian, and missing the opportunity to corner the Filipino president. Noticing how the local population aided Aguinaldo's retreat, General MacArthur would declare to the media: "After having occupied several towns and cities in succession, and having been brought much into contact with both insurrectos and amigos, I have been reluctantly compelled to believe that the Filipino masses are loyal to Aguinaldo and the government which he heads."
7th November
On November 7, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino formed the first Marine unit of the Philippine Navy known as "A" Company. Placed under the command of Lieutenant Senior Grade (LTSG) Manuel Gomez, their first major operation was conducted in 1951 at Umiray in General Nakar, Quezon. The United States Marine Corps, meanwhile, helped train the Filipino marines.
Nearly 71 years later, in November 2021, the Marines broke ground for its future headquarters in Bataan Technology Park, scheduled to be completed by 2024.
BRP Manuel Gomez, a coastal patrol vessel, was commissioned in 1996. It was named in honor of the first Marines commandant.
7th November
On November 7, 1914, Colonel Jesus Villamor was born in Abra. Regarded as an ace pilot, he finished advanced flight training in the United States, where he flew with the US Air Force Strategic Bombardment Squadron. Among his notable students was future US President Dwight Eisenhower, who Villamor said was a "poor pilot", even though at the time (1939) Eisenhower was higher ranked than Villamor.
In hindsight, Villamor would later acknowledge that it was then windy, and flying with the Boeing Stearman (a trainer biplane) would have indeed been a challenge. Nonetheless, it was said Eisenhower made no excuses that day.
As the Second World War began in the Philippines, Villamor's 6th Pursuit Squadron composed of Boeing P-26 Peashooters were among the remaining operational units after the Japanese established air superiority in the first hours of conflict on December 8, 1941. Despite flying planes having half the speed and a fourth of the range of the Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah, the Japanese recon fighter, Villamor and his squadron was able to shoot down at least two of them. The valiant action of Villamor in aerial combat earned him the Distinguished Service Cross twice, the second highest military decoration of the United States.
Eventually, Villamor's squadron would cease to exist after being ordered to destroy their own planes, but he would continue as an intelligence officer with the intent to coordinate independently operating guerrilla groups.
During the First Indochina War, Villamor served in the Military Assistance Advisory Group to Vietnam. He died on October 28, 1971. Nichols Field would be renamed Villamor Air Base in his honor.
7th November
Every November 7 is designated as remembrance day for the first mosque to be built in the Philippines. Now called Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque, it was believed to have been constructed in 1380 by its namesake, Karim ul Makhdum or Tuan Sharif Aulia, in Simunul, Tawi-Tawi. Makhdum, however, was supposedly preceded in propagating the Islamic religion by a certain Tuan Mashaika, who married into the Sulu royal family. Then again, Mashaika's arrival date remains a subject to debate, as estimates ranged from 1280 to 1340.
8th November
On November 8, 1614, Osaka-born Christian daimyo Takayama Hikogorō, later known as Dom Justo Takayama Ukon, left Fukuda with some 300 Japanese believers after the Tokugawa shogunate officially prohibited Christianity. They would eventually settle in the Philippines, where they arrived in December, but would decline the Spanish colonial government's offer of being subsidized. When a proposal to return to Japan was made, Takayama turned it down. He died in 1615.
Baptized on June 1, 1563, Takayama was a veteran of many battles with the forces of Oda Nobunaga, who was instrumental to Takayama's rise to the position of daimyo. Oda, the first of Japan's unifiers during the Sengoku period, tolerated Christianity and opened Japan to foreign missionaries. He hoped that Christians could help counter the influence of Buddhism, which warrior monks opposed the ascendancy of samurai leaders. His successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, tried to inherit Oda's tolerance, but would eventually ban missionaries and religious propagation by daimyos with his Bateren-tsuiho-rei in 1587. Japanese, however, were allowed to practice their beliefs in private. Part of Toyotomi's rationale included the potential of foreign secular rulers using the cause of their missionaries to have political gains in Japan.
Takayama, who openly defied Toyotomi's edict, would eventually find himself exiled from his own domain. He would find refuge in the domain of a fellow Christian daimyo, Konishi Yukinaga, leader of Toyotomi's military campaigns in Kyushu and Korea. Five years later, in 1592, Toyotomi would summon Takayama to reaffirm his friendship, but not to return his position of daimyo. At least until Toyotomi's death in 1598, Takayama was allowed to continue his religious activities in the domain of his friend, Maeda Toshinaga. Maeda did what he could to protect Takayama, to the point of preventing his friend from being martyred during the persecution of Christians.
By 1614, Maeda was dead and Takayama had to make his decision in response to the Tokugawa ban on Christianity. The new daimyo believed Takayama would take up arms, but Takayama dispelled this notion: "I do not strive for my salvation with weapons but with patience and humility, in accordance with the doctrine of Jesus Christ which I profess."
Takayama's faith has been honored in the Philippines and even beyond. In 2017, he was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church with his feast day set on February 3. His statue overlooking Plaza Dilao, on the other hand, apparently had to give way to modernization as the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 was constructed around the area where it stood.
9th November
On November 9, 1896, the Battle of Binakayan and Dalahican commenced after early skirmishes and Spanish artillery bombardment. With Filipino revolutionaries under the command of Emilio Aguinaldo and Santiago Alvarez utilizing trench warfare, the 20,000-strong Spanish force under Governor General Ramon Blanco himself was unable to make a significant breakthrough. In the aftermath on November 11, the Filipino victory was evident despite the limitations of the revolutionaries. The Spanish governor of the province, General Diego de los Rios, thus remarked that Cavite had been transformed into the "center of the Revolution" and would be nearly impossible to retake. Meanwhile, the triumph in Binakayan had also been placed in contrast with the reported loss in battle of Filipino revolutionaries at the San Mateo-Montalban area a few days prior despite facing a relatively smaller force, convincing the Spanish public that the greater threat may have been indeed in Cavite, and Blanco seemed incapable to meet their expectations.
The development of trench systems in Cavite was attributed to General Edilberto Evangelista, a civil engineer by profession who studied in Belgium and a friend of Jose Rizal. He joined the Revolution in October 1896 after escaping from prison, and would continue fighting until his death in battle on February 17, 1897.
Blanco's second in command, General Bernardo Echaluce, described Blanco's strategy as an attempt to lure the revolutionaries to Cavite for a decisive battle. Echaluce was among the first to see action in the Philippine Revolution, known for his role in thwarting Andres Bonifacio's assault against San Juan del Monte in August 1896. The failure of the Spanish government to win in Cavite likely doomed Blanco's hopes, damaging his reputation in Spain itself. His designated successor, General Camilo de Polavieja, arrived in Manila less than a month later, and by December 13, Blanco had left the Philippines.
9th November
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was destroyed (Mauerfall), paving the way for the eventual reunification of East and West Germany despite prevailing international opposition, and stressing the crack on the so-called Iron Curtain that divided Europe during most of the Cold War. Constructed and maintained from 1961, the wall served more than a physical control on migration. Both sides saw it as symbolic of the struggle between ideologies and geopolitical powers.
A segment of the Berlin Wall called Mauerteil was sent to the Philippines, with Former German President Christian Wilhelm Wulff citing that the EDSA People Power Revolution in the Philippines served as an inspiration for the fall of the wall, emphasizing that the "people’s desire for freedom is universal."
10th November
On November 10, 1293, Raden Wijaya assumed the throne of the Majapahit as Kertarajasa Jayawardhana after thwarting the Mongol invasion of Java earlier in the year. The son-in-law of the previous Singhasari king, Maharajadiraja Kertanegara, he was sent to quell a rebellion by Jayakatwang in Gelang-Gelang (now Kediri) in 1292. As he failed to end the rebellion, Kertanegara was slain, while Wijaya brokered a deal with Jayakatwang to preserve his life. This proved to be a perilous decision for the Kediri ruler's government. When the Mongol invasion force arrived later in the year as a response to Kertanegara's treatment to their envoy, Wijaya took the initiative to negotiate with them.
Informing the Mongols of the previous king's demise and Jayakatwang's new leadership, Wijaya proposed an alliance to overthrow the Kediri ruler. The Mongols agreed on the condition that Wijaya submitted to Kublai Khan (Shizu Emperor of the Yuan), which he did. After Jayakatwang's defeat, Wijaya was allowed to return to the kingdom despite the opposition of some Mongol commanders. As soon as Wijaya successfully returned, he ambushed his Mongol escorts and turned against his former allies. Notable in their battles were the use of cannons by both sides.
Oral tradition has it that Raden Wijaya took a "lady of Namayan" by the name of Sasaban as his wife. Namayan was believed to be centered in what is the Pasig River area today. The union, meanwhile, supposedly produced Prince Balagtas (or Bagtas), whose details of return to his mother's realm around the year 1300 were rife with confusion. In one tradition, he married into the Pasig nobility to maintain Sasaban's line in Namayan. In another account, he ruled over Balayan and Taal in Batangas. In yet another tradition, he married instead into the Kapampangan nobility. To this day, perhaps as a nod to this story, one could find a street named after "Empress Sasaban" in Pampanga.
The Nagarakretagama, a historical poem written by Prapanca around 1365, had no mention of Sasaban or any connection to the Philippine nobility. Nonetheless, it did cite "Saludung" among other territories which were "unseparated", although some interpretations argue these might be listing of claims rather than actual control over said areas. Saludung, usually related to the Bruneian Silsila's "Selurong", was believed to either be the entire island of Luzon, or more specifically Manila itself. Still, Selurong or Saludung did not seem to appear in any other documentary evidence of the time as pertaining to Luzon or Manila. In fact, there was an area of a similar name in Kalimantan (Indonesian portion of Borneo). This would be the modern-day Selerong.
10th November
On November 10, 1871, General Juan Cailles was born in Batangas of a French father and a British Indian mother. A teacher by profession, he was a veteran of many battles during the Philippine Revolution, including the Battle of Binakayan and Dalahican which resulted to a Filipino victory against some 20,000 Spanish troops commanded by the Governor General Ramon Blanco himself. Cailles, however, would turn against the Filipino revolutionaries in the lead-up to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato by 1897.
When the Revolution resumed with Emilio Aguinaldo's return to the Philippines, Cailles would return to the Filipino side despite his contempt of the Americans, who at the time were supposedly aiding the Revolution's cause. Cailles, promoted to the rank of colonel, was assigned as acting commander in the First Zone surrounding Manila when the Filipino-American War erupted in February 1899. His senior, General Mariano Noriel, was reportedly not in the field at the time, and so did most of the ranking officers such as General Artemio Ricarte, raising suspicions that it was the Americans who struck first.
In his testimony on Aguinaldo's investigation of the war's outbreak, Cailles pointed out that he was ordered not to engage the Americans, but they had to defend if attacked, which they did. Cailles would only retreat after being bombarded by gunboats along Manila Bay.
In 1900, Cailles assumed military command of Laguna after the capture of General Paciano Rizal, his subsequent senior officer. On September 17 of the same year, the Battle of Mabitac in Laguna was won by Filipino troops, another rare victory for the Philippines in the Filipino-American War coming off the heels of the Battle of Pulang Lupa four days earlier. With around 300 Filipinos under his command, Cailles had his soldiers firmly entrenched to face the enemy.
In November 1603, a blood compact (sanduguan) between Maguindanao ruler Kapitan Laut Buisan and the Christianized datus of Leyte was conducted in Dulag, one of the first Spanish mission areas in the island. A week earlier, Buisan's fleet of more than 50 ships attacked Leyte, taking some 800 captives who included the Spanish friar Melchor Hurtado. Before leaving to raid other areas such as Palo to the north, Buisan gave a pledge that he would discuss with the datus upon his return and would give them an opportunity to ransom the captives. True enough, the famed admiral kept his word and addressed the datus to enter an alliance with Maguindanao.
Proud of his military achievements, which included successful attacks against Panay, Negros, Cebu, Mindoro, Batangas, and Calamian (now part of Palawan), he persuaded the Leyte datus of his capacity to defend them and break Spanish power. Notably, the Muslim Buisan had no mention of religion as a justification for his war against Spain. Moreover, the act of sanduguan seemed to be an appeal to their pre-Christian and pre-Islamic heritage, considering how drinking blood is prohibited in Islam, while it remains a subject of debate among Christian denominations. What was established would be a united front against the Spaniards, taking advantage not only of the Dutch threat, but also the issue with Sangleys (Chinese) in the Manila area.
1st November
On November 1, 1897, the Republic of Biak-na-Bato was established in Bulacan with Emilio Aguinaldo as president and Mariano Trias as vice president. A provisional constitution, inspired by the 1895 Cuban Constitution adopted at Jimaguayu, was created with an effectivity duration of two years, or until the Philippine Revolution had been terminated. Among the charter's unique provisions was the adoption of Tagalog as the national language, arguably one of the first formal attempts by Filipinos to settle for a lingua franca.
By this time, Filipino revolutionaries under Aguinaldo's command have entered into negotiations with the Spanish colonial government through the mediation of Pedro Paterno, the creation of the republic being an attempt to position the Philippines as of equal standing to Spain diplomatically speaking. From the start of the talks, Aguinaldo was firm on the implementation of reforms in exchange for peace such as the distribution of friar lands, the expansion of rights and freedoms, Filipino representation in the Spanish Cortes, equality between Filipinos and Spanish, and amnesty for all revolutionaries, even those who were not under the direct command of Aguinaldo, but the Spanish government under Governor General Fernando Primo de Rivera was hesitant to grant the revolutionary leaders' demands. Still, de Rivera was convinced that he would be unable to force a military solution at the time, considering the Spaniards' limited capacity.
The peace process would eventually result to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which provided for cessation of hostilities in exchange for indemnity from the Spanish amounting to 1.7 million Mexican dollars (pesos), 800,000 of which would go to the revolutionaries while the rest intended for non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the fighting. This was, however, lower than the initial demand of 3 million which Aguinaldo laid as fair compensation.
Meanwhile, not all agreed to the peace process. Paciano Rizal and Miguel Malvar, among the generals who Aguinaldo met by December 1897 to finalize their collective decision, stood for continuing the Revolution. It was nonetheless agreed upon by the majority in the republican government to accept the terms, with the pact signed on December 14.
1st November
In the Philippines, November 1 is called Undas, but the rest of the world knew it as Dia de Todos Los Santos or All Saints' Day. And so, how did it come to be known as "undas" in the first place? One possible origin was the Spanish "honras" or "honors" in English. That is, giving honor to those who have passed on. In pronouncing honras in Spanish, the "h" is usually dropped, and the "d" sound is added, the resulting sound being "ondras" or "undras." Parts of Southern Luzon and Visayas still refer to "undras" instead of "undas," while parts of Northern Luzon would remember it as "umras."
The commemoration of All Saints' Day on the 1st of November would likely be traced to Pope Gregory III's dedication of an oratory at the Old St. Peter's Basilica for the "holy apostles and all saints, martyrs, and confessors" in 731/732. Then again, there remains a debate on when the Pope actually made his dedication, with some sources claiming that it was a synod against iconoclasm (destruction of images) that occurred on November 1, and the dedication being done at Palm Sunday instead. The institutionalization of the date as All Saints' Day would come a century later, when Carolingian Emperor Louis the Pious (or Louis the Fair) decreed the celebration in 835 "at the instance of Pope Gregory IV.
3rd November
On November 3, 1762, Juan de la Cruz Palaris, a member of the Binalatongan (San Carlos) principalia, led a revolt among the people of Pangasinan. Besides the return of Spanish-imposed tributes to the people, they also called to declare all public offices vacant to allow Filipinos to assume these positions, and to remove the friars from their churches.
Palaris, a coachman serving Spanish Auditor Francisco Enrique de Villacorta, was believed to have taken advantage of the British occupation of Manila with his rebellion. The name "Palaris" itself was supposedly an addition to represent a sort of title, with some sources referring to him as "Palaripar."
Juan Antonio Panelo, first to be charged to clear the province of Palaris's movement, was unable to carry out his charge as the Spanish fled out of fear of the rebel strength. Another contingent, this time led by Fernando Arayat, proved to be more courageous and demanded Palaris to accept peace. Refusing this, Palaris and his troops even boasted that they have muskets and cannons to match with the Spanish. The 1763 battle resulted to a Spanish defeat, with the saving grace being a banner of Palaris obtained for presentation to Simon de Anda, interim Governor General who was then leading the Spanish government in Pampanga.
Measuring two varas or 66 inches long, Palaris's flag featured a two-headed eagle.
Meanwhile, Palaris's rebellion spread across the towns of Pangasinan. Diego Silang, who began his revolt in Ilocos a month after Palaris, sought British assistance. Negotiating the inclusion of Ilocos, Pangasinan, and Cagayan in the coverage of British recognition, Silang made it appear that much of Northern Luzon would be ready to accept British recognition.
When the British withdrew as the Seven Years' War was concluded, and the nearby rebellion of Silang ended, the Spanish were freed to deal with the issue of Pangasinan, made capable to recruit more local soldiers for the purpose. After a string of losses, Palaris himself would be captured on January 16, 1765, and executed on February 26 of the same year.
3rd November
On November 3, 1961, independent presidential candidate Rogelio "Roger" de la Rosa announced his withdrawal to endorse Vice President Diosdado Macapagal, his childhood friend and Liberal Party standard bearer, on national television with ten days left before Election Day. The first Filipino actor to be elected senator, de la Rosa campaigned as part of the Liberal slate in 1957, the only one of two Liberals elected to the Senate that year.
His "bakya at salakot" campaign attracted huge audiences, reminiscent of the pro-masses campaign of Ramon Magsaysay in 1953, but it was apparent de la Rosa himself doubted how the crowds would be translated into victory in a democratic system such as that of the Philippines. As he put it, "Believe me, my friends, my decision was not easy to reach. It means a great personal sacrifice for me and my wife, and for thousands of our friends, sympathizers and supporters who have fought for what we believed to be a just and rightful cause: the cause of the common tao. But even the noblest idealism must give way to the unbreakable wall of realism. Divided, the opposition will fall; united, it will triumph."
As an independent, de la Rosa was suspected by both the Nacionalista and the Liberal parties. On the side of the Nacionalistas, who chose the incumbent President Carlos P. Garcia to pursue a second term, there was belief that he was paid by the Liberals to withdraw, the exchange allegedly being 500,000 pesos and the opportunity to fill in three Cabinet positions. Adjusted to inflation, the offered money might be equivalent to over 100 million pesos today. Garcia, it was said, rejected any ideas of granting such favors to the de la Rosa campaign in order to keep the highest post in the land. Meanwhile, the Liberals thought, at least until the senator's withdrawal, that the Nacionalistas financed de la Rosa to divide the opposition vote, especially those from Luzon.
As de la Rosa hoped, Macapagal won the election, with almost every province in Luzon supporting the "Poor Boy from Lubao."
Hardline supporters of de la Rosa, however, stood by the decision to still vote for their chosen candidate even if their ballots would be considered null and void. Notably, with around 4 percent of votes for the 1961 presidential election regarded as invalid, it would be the highest share of null votes between 1946 and 1981. De la Rosa would attempt to return to the Senate in 1963, only to rank 15th overall. He would eventually serve in foreign relations for 18 years, from 1965 in Cambodia to 1983 in Sri Lanka. He failed in his final reentry to elected office, losing in his bid for a seat in the 1984 Batasang Pambansa. The first Filipino actor to be elected in a national post would die in 1986.
3rd November
On November 3, 1985, President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. announced on American television (broadcasted also in the Philippines through state television) holding presidential elections on January 17, 1986, a full year before the constitutionally mandated date, and the anniversary of the lifting of Martial Law. The opposition, led by the coalition called United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), may have been taken by surprise as much as the nation was at the time, since they have yet to decide on a unified candidate for president, and would therefore have to fast track their preparations for the election. Election Day would eventually be held on February 7, 1986.
In an earlier survey done by the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development (BBC) in June-July 1985, Marcos's lead over the prospective opposition candidates was commanding, with 52 percent believing that he would be reelected. While Salvador "Doy" Laurel and Jovito "Jovy" Salonga were in double digits, UNIDO's future standard bearer Corazon "Cory" Aquino was only at 8 percent. The Marcos administration may have also taken the prevailing numbers into account, which showed the president having a moderately high net satisfaction of +19. In context, this was higher than Cory Aquino's +10 during her last year of office (1991), Joseph Ejercito Estrada's +13 (2000), and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's -31 (2009).
4th November
On November 4, 1921, Japanese Prime Minister Hara Takashi (原敬) was assassinated at Tokyo Station by 18-year-old railway switchman Nakaoka Konichi. Upon his capture, the Tochigi-born Nakaoka was suspected to be a Korean and was initially sentenced to death, only for his case to be reconsidered. After serving 13 years in prison, the freed assassin migrated to Manchukuo (滿洲國).
Hara, the first Christian and the first commoner to become prime minister of Japan, was also arguably the first "true party leader" to assume the position. His political party, the Rikken Seiyūkai, was founded in 1900 and achieved the majority in the House of Representatives (lower house of the Diet) during his term. Hara's administration, however, faced various prevailing issues such as granting universal suffrage, the independence movement in Korea, the Japanese intervention in Russia, and the Washington Naval Conference.
His modest lifestyle and his moderate policies alienated both liberals and conservatives. Nonetheless, Hara was also one of the proponents of Japan adopting colonialism lessons from other world powers such as France (in Algeria) and America (in the Philippines) which moved beyond political assimilation, while immersed in imparting economic and cultural influences as well. This he articulated early in his foreign service career, particularly when Japan acquired Taiwan after its victory in the First Sino-Japanese War.
Hara's assassination, meanwhile, brought repercussions in the Washington Naval Conference or the Five-Power Treaty, the first effective arms limitation treaty in the world. The prime minister, like his representative to the conference Admiral Katō Tomosaburō (加藤友三郎) and those in the so-called "treaty faction", believed that arms limitation would be beneficial for Japan's long-term growth in national strength, especially since it could not hope to outpace the more economically developed nations in military production.
5th November
On November 5, 1898, Negros revolutionaries armed with "bamboo cannons" and "wooden rifles" attacked the Spanish in Silay and eventually in Bacolod. Convinced of the Filipinos' "high powered arms", the Spanish surrender was received the following day without much fighting, although the Spanish leaders appealed to make it look like they gave a form of resistance to preserve their honor. This victory had become known as Al Cinco de Noviembre, marking the province's liberation.
Led by Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta, the success of the Negros Revolution preempted the naval expedition sent by President Emilio Aguinaldo to the Visayas under "General of the Seas" Ananias Diokno. By the time Diokno's force arrived, they would only have the opportunity to witness the formation of the Negros Republic with Lacson as president. It would take time, however, to complete the liberation for the rest of Negros, with Dumaguete occupied by November 24.
While recognizing the First Philippine Republic under Aguinaldo's leadership, the Negros government did not seem to appreciate the presence of the so-called "Tagalog irregulars." Notably, all Negros representatives in the Malolos Congress were appointed, even though the Negrenses already elected their own deputies on November 27, 1898.
When the Americans arrived in February 1899, the Negros government received them quite well, requesting for recognition and protection from the United States, while effectively severing ties with the Aguinaldo-led government. Later on, the Bacolod Convention submitted to US President William McKinley the "Negros Constitution" by July 1899. This charter was utilized by the Americans to organize the civil administration in Negros, and by November 5, 1899, elected Filipino officials under the American government were inaugurated. Melecio Severino of Silay, a veteran of the Negros Revolution, was elected as the province's first civil governor under American rule, serving in the post until 1901.
6th November
On November 6, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), causing more than 6,000 deaths to become one of the deadliest recorded typhoons in Filipino history. It was also one of the strongest recorded typhoons to ever make a landfall, with sustained winds peaking at 230 kilometers per hour (kph). Nearly 100 billion pesos in damages were accounted for in the wake of Haiyan's havoc.
Haiyan had been one of the brutal reminders for the Philippines in pursuing the "zero casualty program" with its disaster risk reduction management. A similarly powerful typhoon, Goni (local name Rolly), dissipated on this day in 2020, but when it struck the Philippines on October 31, it had sustained winds peaking at 220 kilometers per hour (kph). At least 25 deaths and 20 billion pesos in damages were reported in Goni's aftermath.
6th November
On November 6, 1899, a 2,500-strong American expedition under General Loyd Wheaton embarked for San Fabian, Pangasinan in a concerted effort to trap Filipino President Emilio Aguinaldo, who was then holding office at Bayambang, also in Pangasinan. The plan was for Wheaton to converge with General Arthur MacArthur's force, which was then advancing from Tarlac, and with General Henry Ware Lawton's force, which was coming from Nueva Ecija. After the naval bombardment of San Fabian, Wheaton landed troops on November 7. Initially, Aguinaldo was intending to retreat through Tayug, but when Lawton's troops managed to occupy the town, they gained intelligence of this through captured papers and decided to push on. Upon capturing San Nicolas further north, Lawton managed to obtain some 75,000 Mexican dollars (pesos) from the Filipino government which were supposedly hidden inside a cannon.
Meanwhile, Wheaton was soon engaged by General Manuel Tinio at the Battle of San Jacinto on November 11, 1899. Regarded as one of the fiercest battles of the Filipino-American War, Tinio's 1,200-strong force entrenched themselves to block Wheaton's advance, while Filipino sharpshooters were well concealed among the trees. This forced the Americans to fight on muddy fields, marching in skirmish lines.
In the aftermath, the Americans reported around 80 dead among the Filipinos while having only 8 of their own, the American death toll including Major John Alexander Logan, a veteran of the Spanish-American War in Cuba. Logan posthumously received the Medal of Honor for fighting at the Battle of San Jacinto. Other estimates of Filipino casualties ranged from 100 to 300. Tinio's forces regrouped in nearby Pozorrubio, where Aguinaldo and his troops also proceeded by November 14.
Aguinaldo's rear guard, however, clashed with American troops on the same day, convincing the president to continue his retreat to Alava (now Sison), and eventually to Rosario in La Union, despite the rainy weather. Wheaton's force would not link up with MacArthur and Lawton until November 20 in Dagupan, by which time Aguinaldo had already reached Naguilian, some 50 kilometers north of San Fabian, and missing the opportunity to corner the Filipino president. Noticing how the local population aided Aguinaldo's retreat, General MacArthur would declare to the media: "After having occupied several towns and cities in succession, and having been brought much into contact with both insurrectos and amigos, I have been reluctantly compelled to believe that the Filipino masses are loyal to Aguinaldo and the government which he heads."
7th November
On November 7, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino formed the first Marine unit of the Philippine Navy known as "A" Company. Placed under the command of Lieutenant Senior Grade (LTSG) Manuel Gomez, their first major operation was conducted in 1951 at Umiray in General Nakar, Quezon. The United States Marine Corps, meanwhile, helped train the Filipino marines.
Nearly 71 years later, in November 2021, the Marines broke ground for its future headquarters in Bataan Technology Park, scheduled to be completed by 2024.
BRP Manuel Gomez, a coastal patrol vessel, was commissioned in 1996. It was named in honor of the first Marines commandant.
7th November
On November 7, 1914, Colonel Jesus Villamor was born in Abra. Regarded as an ace pilot, he finished advanced flight training in the United States, where he flew with the US Air Force Strategic Bombardment Squadron. Among his notable students was future US President Dwight Eisenhower, who Villamor said was a "poor pilot", even though at the time (1939) Eisenhower was higher ranked than Villamor.
In hindsight, Villamor would later acknowledge that it was then windy, and flying with the Boeing Stearman (a trainer biplane) would have indeed been a challenge. Nonetheless, it was said Eisenhower made no excuses that day.
As the Second World War began in the Philippines, Villamor's 6th Pursuit Squadron composed of Boeing P-26 Peashooters were among the remaining operational units after the Japanese established air superiority in the first hours of conflict on December 8, 1941. Despite flying planes having half the speed and a fourth of the range of the Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah, the Japanese recon fighter, Villamor and his squadron was able to shoot down at least two of them. The valiant action of Villamor in aerial combat earned him the Distinguished Service Cross twice, the second highest military decoration of the United States.
Eventually, Villamor's squadron would cease to exist after being ordered to destroy their own planes, but he would continue as an intelligence officer with the intent to coordinate independently operating guerrilla groups.
During the First Indochina War, Villamor served in the Military Assistance Advisory Group to Vietnam. He died on October 28, 1971. Nichols Field would be renamed Villamor Air Base in his honor.
7th November
Every November 7 is designated as remembrance day for the first mosque to be built in the Philippines. Now called Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque, it was believed to have been constructed in 1380 by its namesake, Karim ul Makhdum or Tuan Sharif Aulia, in Simunul, Tawi-Tawi. Makhdum, however, was supposedly preceded in propagating the Islamic religion by a certain Tuan Mashaika, who married into the Sulu royal family. Then again, Mashaika's arrival date remains a subject to debate, as estimates ranged from 1280 to 1340.
8th November
On November 8, 1614, Osaka-born Christian daimyo Takayama Hikogorō, later known as Dom Justo Takayama Ukon, left Fukuda with some 300 Japanese believers after the Tokugawa shogunate officially prohibited Christianity. They would eventually settle in the Philippines, where they arrived in December, but would decline the Spanish colonial government's offer of being subsidized. When a proposal to return to Japan was made, Takayama turned it down. He died in 1615.
Baptized on June 1, 1563, Takayama was a veteran of many battles with the forces of Oda Nobunaga, who was instrumental to Takayama's rise to the position of daimyo. Oda, the first of Japan's unifiers during the Sengoku period, tolerated Christianity and opened Japan to foreign missionaries. He hoped that Christians could help counter the influence of Buddhism, which warrior monks opposed the ascendancy of samurai leaders. His successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, tried to inherit Oda's tolerance, but would eventually ban missionaries and religious propagation by daimyos with his Bateren-tsuiho-rei in 1587. Japanese, however, were allowed to practice their beliefs in private. Part of Toyotomi's rationale included the potential of foreign secular rulers using the cause of their missionaries to have political gains in Japan.
Takayama, who openly defied Toyotomi's edict, would eventually find himself exiled from his own domain. He would find refuge in the domain of a fellow Christian daimyo, Konishi Yukinaga, leader of Toyotomi's military campaigns in Kyushu and Korea. Five years later, in 1592, Toyotomi would summon Takayama to reaffirm his friendship, but not to return his position of daimyo. At least until Toyotomi's death in 1598, Takayama was allowed to continue his religious activities in the domain of his friend, Maeda Toshinaga. Maeda did what he could to protect Takayama, to the point of preventing his friend from being martyred during the persecution of Christians.
By 1614, Maeda was dead and Takayama had to make his decision in response to the Tokugawa ban on Christianity. The new daimyo believed Takayama would take up arms, but Takayama dispelled this notion: "I do not strive for my salvation with weapons but with patience and humility, in accordance with the doctrine of Jesus Christ which I profess."
Takayama's faith has been honored in the Philippines and even beyond. In 2017, he was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church with his feast day set on February 3. His statue overlooking Plaza Dilao, on the other hand, apparently had to give way to modernization as the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 was constructed around the area where it stood.
9th November
On November 9, 1896, the Battle of Binakayan and Dalahican commenced after early skirmishes and Spanish artillery bombardment. With Filipino revolutionaries under the command of Emilio Aguinaldo and Santiago Alvarez utilizing trench warfare, the 20,000-strong Spanish force under Governor General Ramon Blanco himself was unable to make a significant breakthrough. In the aftermath on November 11, the Filipino victory was evident despite the limitations of the revolutionaries. The Spanish governor of the province, General Diego de los Rios, thus remarked that Cavite had been transformed into the "center of the Revolution" and would be nearly impossible to retake. Meanwhile, the triumph in Binakayan had also been placed in contrast with the reported loss in battle of Filipino revolutionaries at the San Mateo-Montalban area a few days prior despite facing a relatively smaller force, convincing the Spanish public that the greater threat may have been indeed in Cavite, and Blanco seemed incapable to meet their expectations.
The development of trench systems in Cavite was attributed to General Edilberto Evangelista, a civil engineer by profession who studied in Belgium and a friend of Jose Rizal. He joined the Revolution in October 1896 after escaping from prison, and would continue fighting until his death in battle on February 17, 1897.
Blanco's second in command, General Bernardo Echaluce, described Blanco's strategy as an attempt to lure the revolutionaries to Cavite for a decisive battle. Echaluce was among the first to see action in the Philippine Revolution, known for his role in thwarting Andres Bonifacio's assault against San Juan del Monte in August 1896. The failure of the Spanish government to win in Cavite likely doomed Blanco's hopes, damaging his reputation in Spain itself. His designated successor, General Camilo de Polavieja, arrived in Manila less than a month later, and by December 13, Blanco had left the Philippines.
9th November
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was destroyed (Mauerfall), paving the way for the eventual reunification of East and West Germany despite prevailing international opposition, and stressing the crack on the so-called Iron Curtain that divided Europe during most of the Cold War. Constructed and maintained from 1961, the wall served more than a physical control on migration. Both sides saw it as symbolic of the struggle between ideologies and geopolitical powers.
A segment of the Berlin Wall called Mauerteil was sent to the Philippines, with Former German President Christian Wilhelm Wulff citing that the EDSA People Power Revolution in the Philippines served as an inspiration for the fall of the wall, emphasizing that the "people’s desire for freedom is universal."
10th November
On November 10, 1293, Raden Wijaya assumed the throne of the Majapahit as Kertarajasa Jayawardhana after thwarting the Mongol invasion of Java earlier in the year. The son-in-law of the previous Singhasari king, Maharajadiraja Kertanegara, he was sent to quell a rebellion by Jayakatwang in Gelang-Gelang (now Kediri) in 1292. As he failed to end the rebellion, Kertanegara was slain, while Wijaya brokered a deal with Jayakatwang to preserve his life. This proved to be a perilous decision for the Kediri ruler's government. When the Mongol invasion force arrived later in the year as a response to Kertanegara's treatment to their envoy, Wijaya took the initiative to negotiate with them.
Informing the Mongols of the previous king's demise and Jayakatwang's new leadership, Wijaya proposed an alliance to overthrow the Kediri ruler. The Mongols agreed on the condition that Wijaya submitted to Kublai Khan (Shizu Emperor of the Yuan), which he did. After Jayakatwang's defeat, Wijaya was allowed to return to the kingdom despite the opposition of some Mongol commanders. As soon as Wijaya successfully returned, he ambushed his Mongol escorts and turned against his former allies. Notable in their battles were the use of cannons by both sides.
Oral tradition has it that Raden Wijaya took a "lady of Namayan" by the name of Sasaban as his wife. Namayan was believed to be centered in what is the Pasig River area today. The union, meanwhile, supposedly produced Prince Balagtas (or Bagtas), whose details of return to his mother's realm around the year 1300 were rife with confusion. In one tradition, he married into the Pasig nobility to maintain Sasaban's line in Namayan. In another account, he ruled over Balayan and Taal in Batangas. In yet another tradition, he married instead into the Kapampangan nobility. To this day, perhaps as a nod to this story, one could find a street named after "Empress Sasaban" in Pampanga.
The Nagarakretagama, a historical poem written by Prapanca around 1365, had no mention of Sasaban or any connection to the Philippine nobility. Nonetheless, it did cite "Saludung" among other territories which were "unseparated", although some interpretations argue these might be listing of claims rather than actual control over said areas. Saludung, usually related to the Bruneian Silsila's "Selurong", was believed to either be the entire island of Luzon, or more specifically Manila itself. Still, Selurong or Saludung did not seem to appear in any other documentary evidence of the time as pertaining to Luzon or Manila. In fact, there was an area of a similar name in Kalimantan (Indonesian portion of Borneo). This would be the modern-day Selerong.
10th November
On November 10, 1871, General Juan Cailles was born in Batangas of a French father and a British Indian mother. A teacher by profession, he was a veteran of many battles during the Philippine Revolution, including the Battle of Binakayan and Dalahican which resulted to a Filipino victory against some 20,000 Spanish troops commanded by the Governor General Ramon Blanco himself. Cailles, however, would turn against the Filipino revolutionaries in the lead-up to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato by 1897.
When the Revolution resumed with Emilio Aguinaldo's return to the Philippines, Cailles would return to the Filipino side despite his contempt of the Americans, who at the time were supposedly aiding the Revolution's cause. Cailles, promoted to the rank of colonel, was assigned as acting commander in the First Zone surrounding Manila when the Filipino-American War erupted in February 1899. His senior, General Mariano Noriel, was reportedly not in the field at the time, and so did most of the ranking officers such as General Artemio Ricarte, raising suspicions that it was the Americans who struck first.
In his testimony on Aguinaldo's investigation of the war's outbreak, Cailles pointed out that he was ordered not to engage the Americans, but they had to defend if attacked, which they did. Cailles would only retreat after being bombarded by gunboats along Manila Bay.
In 1900, Cailles assumed military command of Laguna after the capture of General Paciano Rizal, his subsequent senior officer. On September 17 of the same year, the Battle of Mabitac in Laguna was won by Filipino troops, another rare victory for the Philippines in the Filipino-American War coming off the heels of the Battle of Pulang Lupa four days earlier. With around 300 Filipinos under his command, Cailles had his soldiers firmly entrenched to face the enemy.
A similarly sized American force led by Colonel (later General) Benjamin Franklin Cheatham, failing a flanking maneuver to push the Filipinos out, was forced to retreat despite having the advantage of gunboat support fire. The official American report placed the toll at 21 deaths and 23 wounded, but the Filipino count claimed up to 180 American casualties. In his magnanimity, Cailles allowed Cheatham to recover the slain bodies of the American soldiers. Anticipating another offensive from the Americans in response to the outcome at Mabitac, Cailles eventually withdrew to avoid a potential rout of his forces. Nine months after Mabitac, he and some 600 soldiers would surrender in Santa Cruz on June 24, 1901.
The American government would eventually appoint Cailles as the governor of Laguna, the first Filipino to assume the position under American rule. During his governorship, he successfully quelled the Sakdal Uprising at Cabuyao in May 1935. While Cailles meant to negotiate first, it was allegedly a misfired rifle (perceived as a provocation) which began the bloody conflict between the government forces and the Sakdalistas. Cailles died in 1951, and was buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
11th November
On November 11, 1858, General Martin Delgado was born in Iloilo. He became capitan municipal of his hometown Santa Barbara after serving as a teacher. Delgado, however, was not active during the first phase of the Philippine Revolution. He was even made commander of the local volunteer militia in Iloilo formed by the Spanish colonial government in May 1898 in anticipation of war with the United States. It did not take long, however, before the Filipino contingent in Iloilo turned against Spain. In August of the same year, the Central Revolutionary Committee of Iloilo requested aid from the Filipino government led by President Emilio Aguinaldo.
In response, an expedition under the "General of the Seas" Ananias Diokno was sent. This proved too late when the revolutionaries in Panay succeeded by November 17, 1898, arguably the first raising of the Filipino flag outside Luzon, and merely three weeks after Delgado began his campaign in Santa Barbara.
With the capital set in Santa Barbara, the Provisional Revolutionary Government was formed with Roque Lopez elected as President, and Delgado as Commanding General. While recognizing the authority of the Aguinaldo-led government, Iloilo and other provinces in the Visayas such as Negros, Cebu, and Bohol expressed their favor for a federal form of government, leading to the creation of the Federal State of Visayas in December 1898. Notably, all Iloilo representatives in the Malolos Congress were appointed, despite having elected their own deputies at the time.
By Christmas Eve of 1898, two weeks after the Treaty of Paris was signed between Spain and the United States, Filipino forces under Delgado received in Iloilo City the surrender of Spanish Governor General Diego de los Rios, who would evacuate with his troops.
Shortly after, on December 28, the Americans under General Marcus Miller arrived in Iloilo with the intent to "take possession" of the province. When Filipino officials refused to make a decision without consulting Aguinaldo, Miller gave an ultimatum of until December 31 to vacate Iloilo City or the Filipinos had to face their armed intervention. The Filipino resistance, led by Delgado and other leaders such as "Henerala" Teresa Magbanua, crumbled in the initial shock of the American offensive two months later as Iloilo City and Santa Barbara fell in a matter of days.
Fighting, however, would continue longer than the Americans may have hoped. Delgado himself would only surrender on February 2, 1901 in Jaro, nearly two years after the Filipino-American War began in the Visayas. By April 1901, Delgado was appointed Iloilo governor, the first Filipino to assume the position in the province under American rule. He died on November 12, 1918.
11th November
On November 11, 1918, the armistice with Germany was signed at Compiegne in France, formally ceasing hostilities with the Allies and marking the end of the First World War, although peace would not be settled until the Treaty of Versailles seven months later. It also invalidated earlier German gains, including the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 which effectively ceded the western territories of the Russian Empire and allowed Germany to focus on the Western Front in the following months.
In the United States, Armistice Day had eventually transformed into Veterans Day, extending the commemoration to all military veterans, not just those of World War I.
The Philippines, while at the time a colony of the United States, proved eager to participate in the war. In the archipelago itself, the 25,000-strong Philippine National Guard (PNG) was organized, but it would be Filipinos overseas who would actually see action in the field. Among them would be Private Tomas Mateo Claudio, who was rejected in the draft twice before being admitted to the US infantry. Killed in battle at Chateau-Thierry, France on June 29, 1918, Claudio became recognized as the first Filipino casualty of the war.
12th November
On November 12, 1952, Tausug freedom fighter Datu Hadji Kamlon surrendered to the Philippine government through Justice Secretary Oscar Castelo, who formally received it the following day. Also known as Maas Kamlon, he was believed to have been a farmer before the Second World War. When Japan invaded Sulu by Christmas of 1941, Kamlon took up arms and built a reputation as a fearsome warrior who killed many Japanese.
After the war, he refused to surrender his arms and launched his own rebellion by 1948. Despite the government's attempts to label Kamlon names such as "bandit" and "criminal", his following continually grew. His local image became that of a folk hero who championed the cause of the common people. Kamlon's threat increased so much, it needed as many as 5,000 troops by 1952 to deal with his uprising. It allegedly took a "secret meeting" with Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay to convince Kamlon to surrender on July 31 of the same year. However, he was a week later seen fighting Filipino soldiers once more, successfully attacking Jolo in August 1952.
In his subsequent surrender by November, President Elpidio Quirino promised to give Kamlon a fair trial. While convicted with 23 of his men of life imprisonment, Quirino would grant them executive clemency and provided them 5,000 hectares of land in Tawi-Tawi. Instead of taking the government grant, Kamlon would continue fighting until his final surrender on September 24, 1955.
He was once more given a life sentence, but this time Kamlon argued that he was promised a parole. His earlier violation of presidential pardon, however, was cited by the government as reason for his disqualification from parole. Still, President Ferdinand Marcos would grant Kamlon conditional pardon on September 10, 1968, along with 160 prisoners which included former Hukbalahap leader Luis Taruc.
14th November
On November 14, 1875, General Gregorio del Pilar was born in Bulacan. The Philippine Revolution cut short his plans for further studies. Taking the codename "Agila", he joined the unit of General Anacleto Enriquez, his friend and arguably one of the youngest generals of the Revolution (born in 1876, Enriquez was younger than del Pilar), before fighting later on with General Eusebio Roque, who commanded the forces in Kakarong de Sili. With both of his former superiors dead by February 1897, del Pilar would march with his remaining forces from Bulacan to Montalban (now Rodriguez) with the intent to go to Cavite. Instead of forging on, del Pilar returned to Bulacan, probably influenced by the developments in the province, including Spanish Governor General Camilo de Polavieja's renewed offensives.
His raid of Paombong with ten men supposedly earned del Pilar an audience with Emilio Aguinaldo, who by the latter half of 1897 had established camp in Biak-na-Bato, also in Bulacan. Promoted as lieutenant colonel, he soon became a member of Aguinaldo's inner circle. It was also by this time when del Pilar raised his personal tricolor flag with a blue triangle, as well as red and black stripes. Del Pilar would be with Aguinaldo in the exile resulting from the Pact of Biak-na-Bato in December. It was in Hong Kong where he supposedly acquired a gold tooth.
A year later, del Pilar would be promoted as general, with his unit assigned as part of the Presidential Guard. This position gave him both prestige and problems. One instance would be his insistence to lead the parade for the Republic instead of General Isidoro Torres, who had been a general since 1896 and was ten years his senior age-wise. He also earned criticism from the circles of General Antonio Luna, noting that del Pilar only followed orders from Aguinaldo and neglected to present himself to Luna as a matter of courtesy.
Despite these, del Pilar was regarded as a rising military figure fitting of his codename. His defense of Quingua (now Plaridel) and Calumpit in the absence of Luna (who at the time was trying to "discipline" General Tomas Mascardo in Pampanga) despite the odds likely increased not only Aguinaldo's confidence in him, but also the confidence of a significant portion of Filipino officials. In May 1899, del Pilar (as pictured here) was sent as part of the peace delegation to negotiate with the Schurman Commission a cessation of hostilities while making consultations regarding the "Hay proposal" of autonomy.
Del Pilar's last stand in Tirad Pass on December 2, 1899, meanwhile, might well solidify his reputation to the populace. Facing 300 American troops with 60 of his own, he intended a delaying action that would allow Aguinaldo to gain significant distance from the enemy. He believed control of the high ground and the superiority of the Mauser rifle, among others, would provide the Filipinos a fighting chance. At the end of the battle, del Pilar was dead with most of his men, while the Americans reported only 11 casualties. In remembering del Pilar, Aguinaldo remarked that he could "trust him with anything."
15th November
On November 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated with Manuel L. Quezon as president and Sergio Osmeña as vice president. Regarded as a unique path towards decolonization at the time, the term "Commonwealth" has been adopted earlier by the United Kingdom through the 1931 Statute of Westminster to refer to the "free association" of nations which pledge their allegiance to the British Crown. A major difference with the American model, however, would arguably be the promise of independence. While the British law gave no mention of independence to their dominions, the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act provided a transition period of 10 years before the Commonwealth of the Philippines would peaceably transform into an independent state.
This unprecedented development also caught the attention of similarly colonized nations in Asia, such as Indonesia where Quezon's name had become synonymous to the independence movement, with the Philippines being seen as a pioneer for freedom among the Asians.
15th November
Reverend Kim Hwal-young has joined the Creator on November 15, 2020. Regarded as the first Korean missionary to the Philippines, Kim attended Chongshin University (Chongshin Theological Seminary) before being sent by the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) to the country in March 1977. When he saw how few missionaries were in the Philippines at the time (there were 23 in the period 1977-1983), he reportedly prayed for God to allow a hundred missionaries to evangelize in the archipelago. Since then, the next two decades saw great increase in missions from South Korea as thousands took the call of sharing God's Word. Korean Research Institute for Missions noted the Philippines had received the most number of Korean missionaries during this period.
As for Kim's mission, four local congregations and the Presbyterian Theological Seminary (PTS) was established in 1983. Kim was the first president of PTS. This has become the foundation of what is now the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church of the Philippines (GAPCP), officially formed in 1987. To date, the church has around 250 congregations (as listed in its website). GAPCP is part of the World Reformed Fellowship and the PCEC (Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches).
16th November
On November 16, 1890, President Elpidio Quirino was born in Ilocos Sur. The first Filipino president from the Ilocos region, he assumed the position after the untimely death of Manuel Roxas in April 1948. A lawyer by profession, Quirino's foray to politics would be with his election as Ilocos Sur representative in 1919. He would eventually be elected senator.
During the Second World War, Quirino lost his wife Alicia and their three children from Japanese fire at the Battle of Manila.
Meanwhile, as Cabinet member, he would serve as Interior Secretary, Finance Secretary, and Foreign Affairs Secretary prior to being elected as Vice President after the war, in 1946. He was then the running mate of Manuel Roxas, becoming the first standard bearers of the Liberal Party in national elections.
As President, one of Quirino's landmark acts was to grant executive clemency for 105 Japanese prisoners of war despite the anti-Japanese sentiment in the Philippines at the time, as well as his personal misgivings about Japan. He cited this as a move to forgive and end the cycle of hatred. The Japanese also regarded well the president's magnanimity. Memorials for Quirino were established at Hibiya Park in Tokyo and Kano Museum of Art in Yasugi. This became a factor in the restoration of formal relations with Japan.
In the midst of the battle against corruption, which the Quirino administration sought to fight against vigorously, as well as internal conflict mainly with the 12,000-strong Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (HMB, or Huk) and the challenge of Datu Hadji Kamlon, Quirino managed the fastest growing economy yet for postwar Philippines. Growth averaged 9.3 percent annually in his five years as president, next only to Japan which posted an average of around 10 percent growth in the 1950s. His economic policies earned him the moniker "Father of Philippine Industrialization." It was also during Quirino's administration when a social security study commission was created, which output led to the Social Security Act of 1954, better known as the SSS Law. Another notable creation during this time was the Central Bank, now the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Planned as early as 1933, the bank was finally inaugurated in January 1949.
Resettlement during the Quirino administration, done through the Land Settlement and Development Corporation (LASEDECO), met limited success. While people moved to areas such as Palawan and Mindanao, the entity itself was riddled with issues and financial problems that the subsequent Magsaysay administration abolished LASEDECO by 1954.
In foreign policy, among the highlights of his career was when Quirino allowed Filipino participation in the Korean War (on the side of the South), and while Secretary of Foreign Affairs, voted for the creation of the State of Israel. Both nations still look back to the pivotal role Philippines played during that time.
Quirino's concept of a "Pacific Union", a proposal partly attributed as well to China's Chiang Kai-shek and Korea's Syngman Rhee, was at the time envisioned to be a political, economic, and cultural association composed of noncommunist nations in the region. When it seemed there was hesitancy with the United States, considering how Chiang probably sought the union to be a military pact similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Quirino declared that American participation would not be a prerequisite to begin the union. A military pact among Asian nations, however, would not see its establishment until after Quirino's tenure with the creation in 1954 of the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO).
Failing his reelection bid in 1953 against the popular Ramon Magsaysay, his erstwhile Defense Secretary, Quirino died three years later, in 1956. His remains would eventually be transferred to the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
17th November
November 17, 1405 is one of the accepted dates when the Sultanate of Sulu was established by its first sultan, Abu Bakr (Sayyid Abubakar Abirin), who assumed the title Paduka Mahasari Maulana al Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim. Scholars such as Najeeb Saleeby and Cesar Adib Majul, however, placed doubts on this date forwarded in some sources. Saleeby, for instance, believed it was any time between 1407 and 1436, but not as early as 1405. Meanwhile, Majul would place the sultan's ascension to the throne around 1450.
Among the factors to be considered would be the rule of Rajah Baguinda (Baginda), who was not granted the title of sultan by the Sulu datus despite being a Muslim. Arriving some time between 1390 and 1410, Baguinda was said to have encountered Sulu as still mostly non-Muslim, an observation Sharif ul-Hashim would also have coming after Baguinda. Tradition also has it that Sharif ul-Hashim married into Baguinda's family.
Another would be the Chinese record of three Sulu kings, namely Paduka Batara (the eastern king), Maharajah Komalating (the western king), and Paduka Prabhu (the "cave" king), arriving with their retinue in Ming China in 1417. If Paduka Batara nor any of these Sulu kings did not identify with Sharif ul-Hashim, even as their royal titles were more Indianized than Islamic, would it have been possible that the sultanate was established at a later time?
17th November
On November 17, 1917, Dr. Dioscoro Umali was born in Laguna. Graduating with an agriculture degree from the University of the Philippines in 1939, he would serve as a chemistry instructor until the outbreak of Second World War. He would eventually be sent to Cornell University in the United States for graduate and postgraduate studies, obtaining a doctorate in genetics and plant breeding by 1949.
Upon returning to the university, Umali founded the university’s Division of Plant Breeding with himself as its first head. They conducted research in forestry, environmental sustainability, and the development of new breeds of rice, corn, fruits, abaca, and the flowering plant Mussaenda philippica (kahoy dalaga/buyon). This led to the propagation of 14 new rice varieties, five corn hybrids, a rambutan variety, the macapuno coconut, and several varieties of Mussaenda philippica. His work earned him the Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Rice and Corn Research.
By 1959, he became the second postwar dean of UP College of Agriculture, serving for the next decade. Under his Five-Year Development Plan, UPCA saw the construction of new buildings and facilities. New research institutes were created such as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Dairy Training and Research Institute, Agrarian Reform Institute, and the Department of Food Science and Technology, among others.
He would also serve as Undersecretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources from 1966 to 1969, contributing to the Marcos administration's push towards rice self-sufficiency, among its agricultural goals. His expertise also led to his selection as Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Far East of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1971. He retired in 1982.
For his contributions in promoting plant breeding and advancing the field of agricultural research in the country, Umali became regarded as the “Father of Philippine Plant Breeding” and has received multiple awards. This included the National Scientist Award which he received with Julian Banzon in 1986. Umali died on July 1, 1992.
18th November
On November 18, 1848, Trinidad Tecson was born in Bulacan. Known for her humanitarian work during the Philippine Revolution, she was dubbed as the "Mother of the Philippine Red Cross." Before joining the Katipunan, she was a member of the Masonic Logia de Adopcion.
She served in many battles under various Filipino generals, including Francisco Makabulos, Mariano Llanera, Isidoro Torres, and Gregorio del Pilar, where at one time she allegedly survived because she pretended to be dead. Similar to Teresa Magbanua, she was supposedly called "Henerala" by her followers despite having been accorded no official rank in the armed forces.
Tecson died on January 28, 1928.
19th November
On November 19, 1850, renowned sculptor Isabelo Tampinco was born in Manila. Known for his works on churches such as the Manila Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Church, and the San Ignacio Church, Tampinco also made sculptures based on various materials wherein he incorporated certain Filipino elements. He eventually received multiple awards, including medals from the Tercentenary Celebrations of Saint Theresa of Avila (1882), the Philippine Exposition in Madrid (1887), the Barcelona Universal Exposition (1888), and the Philippine Regional Exposition in Manila (1895), among others. He died on January 30, 1933.
20th November
On November 20, 1915, Chief Justice Felix Makasiar was born in Negros Oriental. With 115 days as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1985, his tenure was one of the shortest in Filipino history. Nonetheless, Makasiar had continuously been in government service since entering the Department of Justice in 1939, where he became Secretary in 1970. He would eventually be appointed as an Associate Justice during the same year.
One of the key decisions done when he headed the Supreme Court was the exclusion of the testimonies made by soldiers implicated in the assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. before the Agrava Commission a year earlier. The ruling on Galman v. Pamaran, et al. (1985) argued that such evidence would cross against their privilege against self-incrimination.
Makasiar died on February 19, 1992.
20th November
On November 20, 1917, some 400 tanks were deployed by the British to attack German lines, commencing the Battle of Cambrai. While it was not the first time tanks were used during the First World War, Cambrai was nonetheless regarded as a pioneer act demonstrating combined arms doctrine which featured tanks, aircraft, and infantry. In addition, compared to the earlier Battle of the Somme which saw 49 tanks (only a fraction of which actually fought), Cambrai was the first time a massive tank operation was witnessed in modern warfare.
The Germans, gaining some intelligence about British intentions to use their tanks, attempted to mitigate the offensive with smoke and artillery fire. It did not prove sufficient to halt the British, who advanced 8 kilometers. Then again, not only was a considerable number of tanks put out of action, infantry forces failed to capitalize on the gains. This saw German troops taking the initiative of a counterattack.
With an operational range of less than 40 kilometers, the Mark series which the British used could reach a maximum speed of 6 kilometers per hour. While slightly faster than walking, the "disappointing" performance of early tank warfare disenchanted the Allies. The doctrine observed in Cambrai, however, was not missed by German planners after the war. This became a cornerstone of the so-called "blitzkrieg" or lightning war, which saw tanks assume a leading role in military operations.
Tanks in the Philippines, meanwhile, would see action in the Second World War. Among the tanks operated in the country was the M3 Stuart, a model which was first deployed in combat at the North African theater. The Korean War also saw tanks, mainly the M4 Sherman, used by Filipinos in battle. In recent years, the Philippine sought to increase its inventory of tanks with Israel-based Elbit Systems slated to provide the Sabrah variant.
21st November
From November 21 to 27 in 1912, a typhoon struck the Philippines with casualties estimated to have reached 15,000. Meanwhile, the New York Times, among other outlets, placed the death toll estimate at 300. Peak wind strength was placed at 169 kilometers per hour (105 mph) and rainfall totaled up to 170 millimeters, greater than the average monthly rainfall totals for the month of November. The storm's center traversed the Visayas region. It further weakened after leaving the Philippines.
Although news reports at the time indicate that no official figures were given by the American colonial government, likely owed to affected communications lines, relief operations poured nonetheless, including that of the Red Cross. Just a month prior, the Visayas also endured a storm, but of weaker wind intensity (80 kph).
Mindanao was also ravaged by a subsequent typhoon which spanned from November 24 to December 2, 1912. There were two (2) reported deaths, but there seemed no official figures on the damages as well. The peak wind strength of this storm reached 137 kph (85 mph).
22nd November
On November 22, 1935, the first commercial Transpacific airmail service was inaugurated in Alameda, California. It served the United States, China, and the Philippines using Martin M-130 flying boats, namely the China Clipper, the Philippine Clipper, and the Hawaii Clipper. Later on, the faster and larger Boeing 314 was used in the service, starting in 1939.
The inaugural plane flew for nearly 60 hours before reaching Manila. Such was the popularity of the service that a film of the same name (China Clipper) was released in 1936 by First National Pictures and Warner Brothers.
The service ended in 1945 after the China Clipper crashed at Trinidad and Tobago.
22nd November
Francisca Susano, recognized by the National Commission of Senior Citizens as the "oldest Filipino" as of this year, died on November 22, 2021 at the age of 124. Born September 11, 1897, she has a pending claim with the Guinness World Records as the oldest living person in the world. At the moment, Tanaka Kane (田中カ子) of Japan was verified to be the oldest living person on the planet. She was born on January 2, 1903.
No Filipino has yet been verified to be among the oldest in the world to ever have been amply documented, with France's Jeanne Louise Calment holding that record. When she died on August 4, 1997, she was 122 years old.
22nd November
On November 22, 1963, US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. In response, the Philippines declared a national mourning period from November 23 until Kennedy's burial on the 25th. Filipino President Diosdado Macapagal called him "a martyr to the cause of human liberty and equality", while Kennedy himself praised the "unwavering devotion" of Filipinos to freedom and justice.
24th November
On November 24, 1892, the 195-kilometer Manila-Dagupan Railway was inaugurated, one year after the rail segment going to Bagbag was opened. Constructed pursuant to a decree by King Alfonso XII in 1875, the concession would not be granted until 1887, when the cornerstone was laid at the Tutuban Station.
During the American period, the railway service was extended further north to San Fernando, La Union, further south to Legazpi, Albay, and further east to Montalban and Antipolo in Rizal. Railway systems were also constructed in the Visayas, including Panay, Negros, and Cebu.
The postwar Filipino republic would make strides in expanding rail services, like opening the Bacnotan Station (also in La Union) by 1955. The fleet of trains also introduced air-conditioning and shifted from steam to diesel engines as part of its modernization.
By virtue of Republic Act No. 4156, signed by President Diosdado Macapagal in 1964, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) was created to manage the nationwide railroad system. Priority, however, shifted to road-based systems such as the Pan-Philippine Highway (Asian Highway 26) in the subsequent administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. This contributed to the decline of railways, with the northern segment limited to Tarlac as of 1984. Four years later, under the administration of Corazon Aquino, the North Line retreated all the way to Caloocan, leaving the South Line as the surviving intercity segment of the PNR.
Meanwhile, transit systems began to emerge by this time. For instance, the Baclaran-United Nations segment of LRT-1 opened in 1984. This was regarded as the first rapid transit system in Southeast Asia.
25th November
Regarded as the first Filipino sailor to receive the Medal of Honor, and the only sailor of Asian descent to receive it during peacetime, Trinidad was born in Aklan on November 25, 1890. He enlisted in the US Navy as part of the Insular Force in the Philippines in 1910 and served during two world wars until his retirement.
The May 1915 (Vol. IX) issue of “Our Navy,” the Standard Magazine of the United States Navy, described his heroic action at the USS San Diego on January 21, 1915 as follows: “At the time of the explosion, Trinidad was driven out of Fireroom No. 2 by the force of the blast, but at once returned and picked up R.E. Daly, Fireman Second Class, whom he saw to be injured and proceeded to bring him out. While passing into Fireroom No. 4, Trinidad was just in time to catch the explosion in No. 3 Fireroom but without consideration for his own safety, although badly burned about the face, he passed Daly on and then assisted in rescuing another injured man from No. 3 Fireroom."
This earned him the Medal of Honor, which citation goes: "For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession at the time of the boiler explosion on board the U.S.S. San Diego, 21 January 1915. Trinidad was driven out of fireroom No. 2 by the explosion, but at once returned and picked up R.E. Daly, fireman, second class, whom he saw to be injured, and proceeded to bring him out. While coming into No. 4 fireroom, Trinidad was just in time to catch the explosion in No. 3 fireroom, but without consideration for his own safety, passed Daly on and then assisted in rescuing another injured man from No. 3 fireroom. Trinidad was himself burned about the face by the blast from the explosion in No. 3 fireroom."
Trinidad died in Cavite on May 8, 1968. The contract to build the future USS Telesforo Trinidad was awarded in 2018.
25th November
On November 25, 1835, Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland. Starting work at the age of 12 as a bobbin boy, Carnegie would later find his fortune in iron and steel. His company, US Steel, would become the first billion-dollar corporation in the world. It still remains to be one of the largest steel companies globally.
Besides his economic activities, Carnegie was also active in the political scene. A known anti-imperialist, he opposed the annexation of the Philippines, to the point of supposedly offering 20 million US dollars of his own wealth to compensate for what his country paid by virtue of the 1898 Treaty of Paris. Filipino independence, however, had not been realized through this scheme of Carnegie's.
26th November
On November 26, 1762, the British met with Sulu Sultan Azim ud-Din I (Fernando de Alimuddin), who was then staying in Pasig while en route to Pampanga, where the interim Spanish colonial government was centered. When the British invaded Manila a month earlier, the sultan offered his assistance to the Spanish, but was not allowed by then Governor General Simon de Anda to return to Sulu.
As Azim ud-Din managed to contact the British, he offered them friendship in exchange for their protection. The British eventually escorted the captive sultan back to Sulu, the first time he was back home in 16 years. On June 8, 1764, Azim ud-Din was restored to his throne.
Meanwhile, the British through hydrographer and provisional deputy governor Alexander Darlymple attempted to nullify the concessions which Azim ud-Din made to the Spanish during his captivity in Luzon. The Ruma Bichara did so, and this provided the foundation for the restored sultan to reaffirm the treaties which Britain earlier gained, including the "sale" of the sultan's territories in Palawan and North Borneo. A few months later, in September 1764, the British left 400 Indian soldiers, likely to keep their pledge of protection for the sultanate. They would be recalled a year later.
Besides the Spanish, the Dutch were also dismayed by the sultan's decision. The Spanish demanded that the sultan be returned to Manila because he was their "vassal," and moved towards challenging the legality of the treaties entered upon, while the Dutch tried to make their own offers for the concessions which the sultan provided for the British.
26th November
On November 26, 1288, Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇) was born in Heian-kyo (now Kyoto). Known for his initiative to lead the Kenmu Restoration, which overthrew the Kamakura shogun in 1333, he assumed the imperial throne in March 1318. The emperor's policies, however, did not seem to adequately satisfy his retainers. The preferential treatment that restored his family's estates and his search of favor with the Buddhist monks earned Go-Daigo the ire of the samurai who supported his struggle with the Kamakura. In particular, Kamakura defector Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏) believed in the capacity of the samurai to rule Japan, compelling him to turn against his emperor and consolidate the dissatisfied forces around the country.
In 1338, a few years after his capture of Kyoto, the Ashikaga shogunate was founded with Takauji as shogun. Go-Daigo, meanwhile, died a year later (1339). He was buried in Nara, the Japanese capital before Kyoto.
26th November
On November 26, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo approved a national loan of 20 million pesos, amortized for 40 years, and the issuance of paper money worth 3 million pesos, amortized for 3 years. To redeem the bonds which Congress has proposed, state property was pledged as security. The annual interest rate was pegged at 6 percent.
Adjusted to inflation, the loan alone would amount to around 17 billion pesos in 2021.
To recall, revenues generated from May to September 1898 amounted to 2.5 million pesos. However, projected 1899 expenditures reached 6.3 million pesos. In this context, the loan would have augmented the national budget. In a subsequent decree on November 30, Aguinaldo created a board composed of 24 members to manage the loan, each of whom had shares. This setup, however, earned criticism from the ranks of Apolinario Mabini, who by this time was Aguinaldo's adviser.
Mabini warned that the wealthy Filipinos who composed the board and came up with the loan itself would leave the government in the red since it was given control of the tax regime. In the eventuality that the state would have insufficient finances, he feared that Aguinaldo would shoulder all the blame at the expense of the affluent. As an alternative, Mabini proposed that Manila be prioritized to be taken first before any bank would be established. This way, he theorized that the government could assert its authority over financial management.
A central bank in the Philippines, however, would not trace its origins from the revolutionary era but to the American period, when in 1933 proposals to create a central bank were deliberated along with the eventual independence of the Philippines. Elpidio Quirino, who was then Secretary of Finance, would later as president sign the law creating a central bank on June 15, 1948. This was Republic Act No. 265.
27th November
On November 27, 1911, Dr. Fe Primitiva del Mundo was born in Manila. While regarded as the first Filipina and the first woman to be admitted to Harvard Medical School, this claim had a more complex story than met the eye.
In 1928, she enrolled in the University of the Philippines to study medicine after completing her Associate in Arts from the same university. She graduated as class valedictorian in 1933.
Del Mundo found passion in practicing her medical skills in Marinduque, the home province of her father Bernardo, where she served after graduation. In her own words, she saw that "there was no doctor for children." This compelled her to focus on pediatrics.
Catching the attention of President Manuel Quezon, she was given a grant to study in the United States by 1936. This would be where the Harvard connection lies. While nearly a century earlier, Harriot Kezia Hunt of Boston tried to apply for Harvard Medical School (she was denied twice), the institution itself would not admit undergraduate female students until 1945. Still, women could be admitted for graduate courses in Harvard. In addition, what del Mundo herself did say about the matter was as follows: "I spent three years of my postgraduate studies at the Children’s Hospital in Boston and at Harvard Medical School, one year at the University of Chicago, six months at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and short terms in various pediatric institutions, all to round out my training." At Boston in 1940, she obtained her master's degree in bacteriology. But in Harvard, she was listed as a research fellow.
The American government would eventually appoint Cailles as the governor of Laguna, the first Filipino to assume the position under American rule. During his governorship, he successfully quelled the Sakdal Uprising at Cabuyao in May 1935. While Cailles meant to negotiate first, it was allegedly a misfired rifle (perceived as a provocation) which began the bloody conflict between the government forces and the Sakdalistas. Cailles died in 1951, and was buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
11th November
On November 11, 1858, General Martin Delgado was born in Iloilo. He became capitan municipal of his hometown Santa Barbara after serving as a teacher. Delgado, however, was not active during the first phase of the Philippine Revolution. He was even made commander of the local volunteer militia in Iloilo formed by the Spanish colonial government in May 1898 in anticipation of war with the United States. It did not take long, however, before the Filipino contingent in Iloilo turned against Spain. In August of the same year, the Central Revolutionary Committee of Iloilo requested aid from the Filipino government led by President Emilio Aguinaldo.
In response, an expedition under the "General of the Seas" Ananias Diokno was sent. This proved too late when the revolutionaries in Panay succeeded by November 17, 1898, arguably the first raising of the Filipino flag outside Luzon, and merely three weeks after Delgado began his campaign in Santa Barbara.
With the capital set in Santa Barbara, the Provisional Revolutionary Government was formed with Roque Lopez elected as President, and Delgado as Commanding General. While recognizing the authority of the Aguinaldo-led government, Iloilo and other provinces in the Visayas such as Negros, Cebu, and Bohol expressed their favor for a federal form of government, leading to the creation of the Federal State of Visayas in December 1898. Notably, all Iloilo representatives in the Malolos Congress were appointed, despite having elected their own deputies at the time.
By Christmas Eve of 1898, two weeks after the Treaty of Paris was signed between Spain and the United States, Filipino forces under Delgado received in Iloilo City the surrender of Spanish Governor General Diego de los Rios, who would evacuate with his troops.
Shortly after, on December 28, the Americans under General Marcus Miller arrived in Iloilo with the intent to "take possession" of the province. When Filipino officials refused to make a decision without consulting Aguinaldo, Miller gave an ultimatum of until December 31 to vacate Iloilo City or the Filipinos had to face their armed intervention. The Filipino resistance, led by Delgado and other leaders such as "Henerala" Teresa Magbanua, crumbled in the initial shock of the American offensive two months later as Iloilo City and Santa Barbara fell in a matter of days.
Fighting, however, would continue longer than the Americans may have hoped. Delgado himself would only surrender on February 2, 1901 in Jaro, nearly two years after the Filipino-American War began in the Visayas. By April 1901, Delgado was appointed Iloilo governor, the first Filipino to assume the position in the province under American rule. He died on November 12, 1918.
11th November
On November 11, 1918, the armistice with Germany was signed at Compiegne in France, formally ceasing hostilities with the Allies and marking the end of the First World War, although peace would not be settled until the Treaty of Versailles seven months later. It also invalidated earlier German gains, including the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 which effectively ceded the western territories of the Russian Empire and allowed Germany to focus on the Western Front in the following months.
In the United States, Armistice Day had eventually transformed into Veterans Day, extending the commemoration to all military veterans, not just those of World War I.
The Philippines, while at the time a colony of the United States, proved eager to participate in the war. In the archipelago itself, the 25,000-strong Philippine National Guard (PNG) was organized, but it would be Filipinos overseas who would actually see action in the field. Among them would be Private Tomas Mateo Claudio, who was rejected in the draft twice before being admitted to the US infantry. Killed in battle at Chateau-Thierry, France on June 29, 1918, Claudio became recognized as the first Filipino casualty of the war.
12th November
On November 12, 1952, Tausug freedom fighter Datu Hadji Kamlon surrendered to the Philippine government through Justice Secretary Oscar Castelo, who formally received it the following day. Also known as Maas Kamlon, he was believed to have been a farmer before the Second World War. When Japan invaded Sulu by Christmas of 1941, Kamlon took up arms and built a reputation as a fearsome warrior who killed many Japanese.
After the war, he refused to surrender his arms and launched his own rebellion by 1948. Despite the government's attempts to label Kamlon names such as "bandit" and "criminal", his following continually grew. His local image became that of a folk hero who championed the cause of the common people. Kamlon's threat increased so much, it needed as many as 5,000 troops by 1952 to deal with his uprising. It allegedly took a "secret meeting" with Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay to convince Kamlon to surrender on July 31 of the same year. However, he was a week later seen fighting Filipino soldiers once more, successfully attacking Jolo in August 1952.
In his subsequent surrender by November, President Elpidio Quirino promised to give Kamlon a fair trial. While convicted with 23 of his men of life imprisonment, Quirino would grant them executive clemency and provided them 5,000 hectares of land in Tawi-Tawi. Instead of taking the government grant, Kamlon would continue fighting until his final surrender on September 24, 1955.
He was once more given a life sentence, but this time Kamlon argued that he was promised a parole. His earlier violation of presidential pardon, however, was cited by the government as reason for his disqualification from parole. Still, President Ferdinand Marcos would grant Kamlon conditional pardon on September 10, 1968, along with 160 prisoners which included former Hukbalahap leader Luis Taruc.
14th November
On November 14, 1875, General Gregorio del Pilar was born in Bulacan. The Philippine Revolution cut short his plans for further studies. Taking the codename "Agila", he joined the unit of General Anacleto Enriquez, his friend and arguably one of the youngest generals of the Revolution (born in 1876, Enriquez was younger than del Pilar), before fighting later on with General Eusebio Roque, who commanded the forces in Kakarong de Sili. With both of his former superiors dead by February 1897, del Pilar would march with his remaining forces from Bulacan to Montalban (now Rodriguez) with the intent to go to Cavite. Instead of forging on, del Pilar returned to Bulacan, probably influenced by the developments in the province, including Spanish Governor General Camilo de Polavieja's renewed offensives.
His raid of Paombong with ten men supposedly earned del Pilar an audience with Emilio Aguinaldo, who by the latter half of 1897 had established camp in Biak-na-Bato, also in Bulacan. Promoted as lieutenant colonel, he soon became a member of Aguinaldo's inner circle. It was also by this time when del Pilar raised his personal tricolor flag with a blue triangle, as well as red and black stripes. Del Pilar would be with Aguinaldo in the exile resulting from the Pact of Biak-na-Bato in December. It was in Hong Kong where he supposedly acquired a gold tooth.
A year later, del Pilar would be promoted as general, with his unit assigned as part of the Presidential Guard. This position gave him both prestige and problems. One instance would be his insistence to lead the parade for the Republic instead of General Isidoro Torres, who had been a general since 1896 and was ten years his senior age-wise. He also earned criticism from the circles of General Antonio Luna, noting that del Pilar only followed orders from Aguinaldo and neglected to present himself to Luna as a matter of courtesy.
Despite these, del Pilar was regarded as a rising military figure fitting of his codename. His defense of Quingua (now Plaridel) and Calumpit in the absence of Luna (who at the time was trying to "discipline" General Tomas Mascardo in Pampanga) despite the odds likely increased not only Aguinaldo's confidence in him, but also the confidence of a significant portion of Filipino officials. In May 1899, del Pilar (as pictured here) was sent as part of the peace delegation to negotiate with the Schurman Commission a cessation of hostilities while making consultations regarding the "Hay proposal" of autonomy.
Del Pilar's last stand in Tirad Pass on December 2, 1899, meanwhile, might well solidify his reputation to the populace. Facing 300 American troops with 60 of his own, he intended a delaying action that would allow Aguinaldo to gain significant distance from the enemy. He believed control of the high ground and the superiority of the Mauser rifle, among others, would provide the Filipinos a fighting chance. At the end of the battle, del Pilar was dead with most of his men, while the Americans reported only 11 casualties. In remembering del Pilar, Aguinaldo remarked that he could "trust him with anything."
15th November
On November 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated with Manuel L. Quezon as president and Sergio Osmeña as vice president. Regarded as a unique path towards decolonization at the time, the term "Commonwealth" has been adopted earlier by the United Kingdom through the 1931 Statute of Westminster to refer to the "free association" of nations which pledge their allegiance to the British Crown. A major difference with the American model, however, would arguably be the promise of independence. While the British law gave no mention of independence to their dominions, the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act provided a transition period of 10 years before the Commonwealth of the Philippines would peaceably transform into an independent state.
This unprecedented development also caught the attention of similarly colonized nations in Asia, such as Indonesia where Quezon's name had become synonymous to the independence movement, with the Philippines being seen as a pioneer for freedom among the Asians.
15th November
Reverend Kim Hwal-young has joined the Creator on November 15, 2020. Regarded as the first Korean missionary to the Philippines, Kim attended Chongshin University (Chongshin Theological Seminary) before being sent by the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) to the country in March 1977. When he saw how few missionaries were in the Philippines at the time (there were 23 in the period 1977-1983), he reportedly prayed for God to allow a hundred missionaries to evangelize in the archipelago. Since then, the next two decades saw great increase in missions from South Korea as thousands took the call of sharing God's Word. Korean Research Institute for Missions noted the Philippines had received the most number of Korean missionaries during this period.
As for Kim's mission, four local congregations and the Presbyterian Theological Seminary (PTS) was established in 1983. Kim was the first president of PTS. This has become the foundation of what is now the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church of the Philippines (GAPCP), officially formed in 1987. To date, the church has around 250 congregations (as listed in its website). GAPCP is part of the World Reformed Fellowship and the PCEC (Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches).
16th November
On November 16, 1890, President Elpidio Quirino was born in Ilocos Sur. The first Filipino president from the Ilocos region, he assumed the position after the untimely death of Manuel Roxas in April 1948. A lawyer by profession, Quirino's foray to politics would be with his election as Ilocos Sur representative in 1919. He would eventually be elected senator.
During the Second World War, Quirino lost his wife Alicia and their three children from Japanese fire at the Battle of Manila.
Meanwhile, as Cabinet member, he would serve as Interior Secretary, Finance Secretary, and Foreign Affairs Secretary prior to being elected as Vice President after the war, in 1946. He was then the running mate of Manuel Roxas, becoming the first standard bearers of the Liberal Party in national elections.
As President, one of Quirino's landmark acts was to grant executive clemency for 105 Japanese prisoners of war despite the anti-Japanese sentiment in the Philippines at the time, as well as his personal misgivings about Japan. He cited this as a move to forgive and end the cycle of hatred. The Japanese also regarded well the president's magnanimity. Memorials for Quirino were established at Hibiya Park in Tokyo and Kano Museum of Art in Yasugi. This became a factor in the restoration of formal relations with Japan.
In the midst of the battle against corruption, which the Quirino administration sought to fight against vigorously, as well as internal conflict mainly with the 12,000-strong Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (HMB, or Huk) and the challenge of Datu Hadji Kamlon, Quirino managed the fastest growing economy yet for postwar Philippines. Growth averaged 9.3 percent annually in his five years as president, next only to Japan which posted an average of around 10 percent growth in the 1950s. His economic policies earned him the moniker "Father of Philippine Industrialization." It was also during Quirino's administration when a social security study commission was created, which output led to the Social Security Act of 1954, better known as the SSS Law. Another notable creation during this time was the Central Bank, now the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Planned as early as 1933, the bank was finally inaugurated in January 1949.
Resettlement during the Quirino administration, done through the Land Settlement and Development Corporation (LASEDECO), met limited success. While people moved to areas such as Palawan and Mindanao, the entity itself was riddled with issues and financial problems that the subsequent Magsaysay administration abolished LASEDECO by 1954.
In foreign policy, among the highlights of his career was when Quirino allowed Filipino participation in the Korean War (on the side of the South), and while Secretary of Foreign Affairs, voted for the creation of the State of Israel. Both nations still look back to the pivotal role Philippines played during that time.
Quirino's concept of a "Pacific Union", a proposal partly attributed as well to China's Chiang Kai-shek and Korea's Syngman Rhee, was at the time envisioned to be a political, economic, and cultural association composed of noncommunist nations in the region. When it seemed there was hesitancy with the United States, considering how Chiang probably sought the union to be a military pact similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Quirino declared that American participation would not be a prerequisite to begin the union. A military pact among Asian nations, however, would not see its establishment until after Quirino's tenure with the creation in 1954 of the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO).
Failing his reelection bid in 1953 against the popular Ramon Magsaysay, his erstwhile Defense Secretary, Quirino died three years later, in 1956. His remains would eventually be transferred to the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
17th November
November 17, 1405 is one of the accepted dates when the Sultanate of Sulu was established by its first sultan, Abu Bakr (Sayyid Abubakar Abirin), who assumed the title Paduka Mahasari Maulana al Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim. Scholars such as Najeeb Saleeby and Cesar Adib Majul, however, placed doubts on this date forwarded in some sources. Saleeby, for instance, believed it was any time between 1407 and 1436, but not as early as 1405. Meanwhile, Majul would place the sultan's ascension to the throne around 1450.
Among the factors to be considered would be the rule of Rajah Baguinda (Baginda), who was not granted the title of sultan by the Sulu datus despite being a Muslim. Arriving some time between 1390 and 1410, Baguinda was said to have encountered Sulu as still mostly non-Muslim, an observation Sharif ul-Hashim would also have coming after Baguinda. Tradition also has it that Sharif ul-Hashim married into Baguinda's family.
Another would be the Chinese record of three Sulu kings, namely Paduka Batara (the eastern king), Maharajah Komalating (the western king), and Paduka Prabhu (the "cave" king), arriving with their retinue in Ming China in 1417. If Paduka Batara nor any of these Sulu kings did not identify with Sharif ul-Hashim, even as their royal titles were more Indianized than Islamic, would it have been possible that the sultanate was established at a later time?
17th November
On November 17, 1917, Dr. Dioscoro Umali was born in Laguna. Graduating with an agriculture degree from the University of the Philippines in 1939, he would serve as a chemistry instructor until the outbreak of Second World War. He would eventually be sent to Cornell University in the United States for graduate and postgraduate studies, obtaining a doctorate in genetics and plant breeding by 1949.
Upon returning to the university, Umali founded the university’s Division of Plant Breeding with himself as its first head. They conducted research in forestry, environmental sustainability, and the development of new breeds of rice, corn, fruits, abaca, and the flowering plant Mussaenda philippica (kahoy dalaga/buyon). This led to the propagation of 14 new rice varieties, five corn hybrids, a rambutan variety, the macapuno coconut, and several varieties of Mussaenda philippica. His work earned him the Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Rice and Corn Research.
By 1959, he became the second postwar dean of UP College of Agriculture, serving for the next decade. Under his Five-Year Development Plan, UPCA saw the construction of new buildings and facilities. New research institutes were created such as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Dairy Training and Research Institute, Agrarian Reform Institute, and the Department of Food Science and Technology, among others.
He would also serve as Undersecretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources from 1966 to 1969, contributing to the Marcos administration's push towards rice self-sufficiency, among its agricultural goals. His expertise also led to his selection as Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Far East of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1971. He retired in 1982.
For his contributions in promoting plant breeding and advancing the field of agricultural research in the country, Umali became regarded as the “Father of Philippine Plant Breeding” and has received multiple awards. This included the National Scientist Award which he received with Julian Banzon in 1986. Umali died on July 1, 1992.
18th November
On November 18, 1848, Trinidad Tecson was born in Bulacan. Known for her humanitarian work during the Philippine Revolution, she was dubbed as the "Mother of the Philippine Red Cross." Before joining the Katipunan, she was a member of the Masonic Logia de Adopcion.
She served in many battles under various Filipino generals, including Francisco Makabulos, Mariano Llanera, Isidoro Torres, and Gregorio del Pilar, where at one time she allegedly survived because she pretended to be dead. Similar to Teresa Magbanua, she was supposedly called "Henerala" by her followers despite having been accorded no official rank in the armed forces.
Tecson died on January 28, 1928.
19th November
On November 19, 1850, renowned sculptor Isabelo Tampinco was born in Manila. Known for his works on churches such as the Manila Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Church, and the San Ignacio Church, Tampinco also made sculptures based on various materials wherein he incorporated certain Filipino elements. He eventually received multiple awards, including medals from the Tercentenary Celebrations of Saint Theresa of Avila (1882), the Philippine Exposition in Madrid (1887), the Barcelona Universal Exposition (1888), and the Philippine Regional Exposition in Manila (1895), among others. He died on January 30, 1933.
20th November
On November 20, 1915, Chief Justice Felix Makasiar was born in Negros Oriental. With 115 days as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1985, his tenure was one of the shortest in Filipino history. Nonetheless, Makasiar had continuously been in government service since entering the Department of Justice in 1939, where he became Secretary in 1970. He would eventually be appointed as an Associate Justice during the same year.
One of the key decisions done when he headed the Supreme Court was the exclusion of the testimonies made by soldiers implicated in the assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. before the Agrava Commission a year earlier. The ruling on Galman v. Pamaran, et al. (1985) argued that such evidence would cross against their privilege against self-incrimination.
Makasiar died on February 19, 1992.
20th November
On November 20, 1917, some 400 tanks were deployed by the British to attack German lines, commencing the Battle of Cambrai. While it was not the first time tanks were used during the First World War, Cambrai was nonetheless regarded as a pioneer act demonstrating combined arms doctrine which featured tanks, aircraft, and infantry. In addition, compared to the earlier Battle of the Somme which saw 49 tanks (only a fraction of which actually fought), Cambrai was the first time a massive tank operation was witnessed in modern warfare.
The Germans, gaining some intelligence about British intentions to use their tanks, attempted to mitigate the offensive with smoke and artillery fire. It did not prove sufficient to halt the British, who advanced 8 kilometers. Then again, not only was a considerable number of tanks put out of action, infantry forces failed to capitalize on the gains. This saw German troops taking the initiative of a counterattack.
With an operational range of less than 40 kilometers, the Mark series which the British used could reach a maximum speed of 6 kilometers per hour. While slightly faster than walking, the "disappointing" performance of early tank warfare disenchanted the Allies. The doctrine observed in Cambrai, however, was not missed by German planners after the war. This became a cornerstone of the so-called "blitzkrieg" or lightning war, which saw tanks assume a leading role in military operations.
Tanks in the Philippines, meanwhile, would see action in the Second World War. Among the tanks operated in the country was the M3 Stuart, a model which was first deployed in combat at the North African theater. The Korean War also saw tanks, mainly the M4 Sherman, used by Filipinos in battle. In recent years, the Philippine sought to increase its inventory of tanks with Israel-based Elbit Systems slated to provide the Sabrah variant.
21st November
From November 21 to 27 in 1912, a typhoon struck the Philippines with casualties estimated to have reached 15,000. Meanwhile, the New York Times, among other outlets, placed the death toll estimate at 300. Peak wind strength was placed at 169 kilometers per hour (105 mph) and rainfall totaled up to 170 millimeters, greater than the average monthly rainfall totals for the month of November. The storm's center traversed the Visayas region. It further weakened after leaving the Philippines.
Although news reports at the time indicate that no official figures were given by the American colonial government, likely owed to affected communications lines, relief operations poured nonetheless, including that of the Red Cross. Just a month prior, the Visayas also endured a storm, but of weaker wind intensity (80 kph).
Mindanao was also ravaged by a subsequent typhoon which spanned from November 24 to December 2, 1912. There were two (2) reported deaths, but there seemed no official figures on the damages as well. The peak wind strength of this storm reached 137 kph (85 mph).
22nd November
On November 22, 1935, the first commercial Transpacific airmail service was inaugurated in Alameda, California. It served the United States, China, and the Philippines using Martin M-130 flying boats, namely the China Clipper, the Philippine Clipper, and the Hawaii Clipper. Later on, the faster and larger Boeing 314 was used in the service, starting in 1939.
The inaugural plane flew for nearly 60 hours before reaching Manila. Such was the popularity of the service that a film of the same name (China Clipper) was released in 1936 by First National Pictures and Warner Brothers.
The service ended in 1945 after the China Clipper crashed at Trinidad and Tobago.
22nd November
Francisca Susano, recognized by the National Commission of Senior Citizens as the "oldest Filipino" as of this year, died on November 22, 2021 at the age of 124. Born September 11, 1897, she has a pending claim with the Guinness World Records as the oldest living person in the world. At the moment, Tanaka Kane (田中カ子) of Japan was verified to be the oldest living person on the planet. She was born on January 2, 1903.
No Filipino has yet been verified to be among the oldest in the world to ever have been amply documented, with France's Jeanne Louise Calment holding that record. When she died on August 4, 1997, she was 122 years old.
22nd November
On November 22, 1963, US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. In response, the Philippines declared a national mourning period from November 23 until Kennedy's burial on the 25th. Filipino President Diosdado Macapagal called him "a martyr to the cause of human liberty and equality", while Kennedy himself praised the "unwavering devotion" of Filipinos to freedom and justice.
24th November
On November 24, 1892, the 195-kilometer Manila-Dagupan Railway was inaugurated, one year after the rail segment going to Bagbag was opened. Constructed pursuant to a decree by King Alfonso XII in 1875, the concession would not be granted until 1887, when the cornerstone was laid at the Tutuban Station.
During the American period, the railway service was extended further north to San Fernando, La Union, further south to Legazpi, Albay, and further east to Montalban and Antipolo in Rizal. Railway systems were also constructed in the Visayas, including Panay, Negros, and Cebu.
The postwar Filipino republic would make strides in expanding rail services, like opening the Bacnotan Station (also in La Union) by 1955. The fleet of trains also introduced air-conditioning and shifted from steam to diesel engines as part of its modernization.
By virtue of Republic Act No. 4156, signed by President Diosdado Macapagal in 1964, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) was created to manage the nationwide railroad system. Priority, however, shifted to road-based systems such as the Pan-Philippine Highway (Asian Highway 26) in the subsequent administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. This contributed to the decline of railways, with the northern segment limited to Tarlac as of 1984. Four years later, under the administration of Corazon Aquino, the North Line retreated all the way to Caloocan, leaving the South Line as the surviving intercity segment of the PNR.
Meanwhile, transit systems began to emerge by this time. For instance, the Baclaran-United Nations segment of LRT-1 opened in 1984. This was regarded as the first rapid transit system in Southeast Asia.
25th November
An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-139) using the Aegis Combat System is about to be named after Filipino sailor Telesforo Trinidad. But who was he to be honored in this way?
Regarded as the first Filipino sailor to receive the Medal of Honor, and the only sailor of Asian descent to receive it during peacetime, Trinidad was born in Aklan on November 25, 1890. He enlisted in the US Navy as part of the Insular Force in the Philippines in 1910 and served during two world wars until his retirement.
The May 1915 (Vol. IX) issue of “Our Navy,” the Standard Magazine of the United States Navy, described his heroic action at the USS San Diego on January 21, 1915 as follows: “At the time of the explosion, Trinidad was driven out of Fireroom No. 2 by the force of the blast, but at once returned and picked up R.E. Daly, Fireman Second Class, whom he saw to be injured and proceeded to bring him out. While passing into Fireroom No. 4, Trinidad was just in time to catch the explosion in No. 3 Fireroom but without consideration for his own safety, although badly burned about the face, he passed Daly on and then assisted in rescuing another injured man from No. 3 Fireroom."
This earned him the Medal of Honor, which citation goes: "For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession at the time of the boiler explosion on board the U.S.S. San Diego, 21 January 1915. Trinidad was driven out of fireroom No. 2 by the explosion, but at once returned and picked up R.E. Daly, fireman, second class, whom he saw to be injured, and proceeded to bring him out. While coming into No. 4 fireroom, Trinidad was just in time to catch the explosion in No. 3 fireroom, but without consideration for his own safety, passed Daly on and then assisted in rescuing another injured man from No. 3 fireroom. Trinidad was himself burned about the face by the blast from the explosion in No. 3 fireroom."
Trinidad died in Cavite on May 8, 1968. The contract to build the future USS Telesforo Trinidad was awarded in 2018.
25th November
On November 25, 1835, Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland. Starting work at the age of 12 as a bobbin boy, Carnegie would later find his fortune in iron and steel. His company, US Steel, would become the first billion-dollar corporation in the world. It still remains to be one of the largest steel companies globally.
Besides his economic activities, Carnegie was also active in the political scene. A known anti-imperialist, he opposed the annexation of the Philippines, to the point of supposedly offering 20 million US dollars of his own wealth to compensate for what his country paid by virtue of the 1898 Treaty of Paris. Filipino independence, however, had not been realized through this scheme of Carnegie's.
26th November
On November 26, 1762, the British met with Sulu Sultan Azim ud-Din I (Fernando de Alimuddin), who was then staying in Pasig while en route to Pampanga, where the interim Spanish colonial government was centered. When the British invaded Manila a month earlier, the sultan offered his assistance to the Spanish, but was not allowed by then Governor General Simon de Anda to return to Sulu.
As Azim ud-Din managed to contact the British, he offered them friendship in exchange for their protection. The British eventually escorted the captive sultan back to Sulu, the first time he was back home in 16 years. On June 8, 1764, Azim ud-Din was restored to his throne.
Meanwhile, the British through hydrographer and provisional deputy governor Alexander Darlymple attempted to nullify the concessions which Azim ud-Din made to the Spanish during his captivity in Luzon. The Ruma Bichara did so, and this provided the foundation for the restored sultan to reaffirm the treaties which Britain earlier gained, including the "sale" of the sultan's territories in Palawan and North Borneo. A few months later, in September 1764, the British left 400 Indian soldiers, likely to keep their pledge of protection for the sultanate. They would be recalled a year later.
Besides the Spanish, the Dutch were also dismayed by the sultan's decision. The Spanish demanded that the sultan be returned to Manila because he was their "vassal," and moved towards challenging the legality of the treaties entered upon, while the Dutch tried to make their own offers for the concessions which the sultan provided for the British.
26th November
On November 26, 1288, Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇) was born in Heian-kyo (now Kyoto). Known for his initiative to lead the Kenmu Restoration, which overthrew the Kamakura shogun in 1333, he assumed the imperial throne in March 1318. The emperor's policies, however, did not seem to adequately satisfy his retainers. The preferential treatment that restored his family's estates and his search of favor with the Buddhist monks earned Go-Daigo the ire of the samurai who supported his struggle with the Kamakura. In particular, Kamakura defector Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏) believed in the capacity of the samurai to rule Japan, compelling him to turn against his emperor and consolidate the dissatisfied forces around the country.
In 1338, a few years after his capture of Kyoto, the Ashikaga shogunate was founded with Takauji as shogun. Go-Daigo, meanwhile, died a year later (1339). He was buried in Nara, the Japanese capital before Kyoto.
26th November
On November 26, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo approved a national loan of 20 million pesos, amortized for 40 years, and the issuance of paper money worth 3 million pesos, amortized for 3 years. To redeem the bonds which Congress has proposed, state property was pledged as security. The annual interest rate was pegged at 6 percent.
Adjusted to inflation, the loan alone would amount to around 17 billion pesos in 2021.
To recall, revenues generated from May to September 1898 amounted to 2.5 million pesos. However, projected 1899 expenditures reached 6.3 million pesos. In this context, the loan would have augmented the national budget. In a subsequent decree on November 30, Aguinaldo created a board composed of 24 members to manage the loan, each of whom had shares. This setup, however, earned criticism from the ranks of Apolinario Mabini, who by this time was Aguinaldo's adviser.
Mabini warned that the wealthy Filipinos who composed the board and came up with the loan itself would leave the government in the red since it was given control of the tax regime. In the eventuality that the state would have insufficient finances, he feared that Aguinaldo would shoulder all the blame at the expense of the affluent. As an alternative, Mabini proposed that Manila be prioritized to be taken first before any bank would be established. This way, he theorized that the government could assert its authority over financial management.
A central bank in the Philippines, however, would not trace its origins from the revolutionary era but to the American period, when in 1933 proposals to create a central bank were deliberated along with the eventual independence of the Philippines. Elpidio Quirino, who was then Secretary of Finance, would later as president sign the law creating a central bank on June 15, 1948. This was Republic Act No. 265.
27th November
On November 27, 1911, Dr. Fe Primitiva del Mundo was born in Manila. While regarded as the first Filipina and the first woman to be admitted to Harvard Medical School, this claim had a more complex story than met the eye.
In 1928, she enrolled in the University of the Philippines to study medicine after completing her Associate in Arts from the same university. She graduated as class valedictorian in 1933.
Del Mundo found passion in practicing her medical skills in Marinduque, the home province of her father Bernardo, where she served after graduation. In her own words, she saw that "there was no doctor for children." This compelled her to focus on pediatrics.
Catching the attention of President Manuel Quezon, she was given a grant to study in the United States by 1936. This would be where the Harvard connection lies. While nearly a century earlier, Harriot Kezia Hunt of Boston tried to apply for Harvard Medical School (she was denied twice), the institution itself would not admit undergraduate female students until 1945. Still, women could be admitted for graduate courses in Harvard. In addition, what del Mundo herself did say about the matter was as follows: "I spent three years of my postgraduate studies at the Children’s Hospital in Boston and at Harvard Medical School, one year at the University of Chicago, six months at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and short terms in various pediatric institutions, all to round out my training." At Boston in 1940, she obtained her master's degree in bacteriology. But in Harvard, she was listed as a research fellow.
Upon returning to the Philippines, she urged Quezon to create a children's medical center, but the advent of the Second World War in the Philippines interrupted any plans. Working with the Red Cross, she set up her own medical center to accommodate child internees. When the Americans reestablished their presence in Manila, del Mundo was requested to expand her children's hospital into a general hospital. This would later become the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center. After the war, she still pursued her dream of setting up a children's hospital despite lack of government sponsorship for the project, gathering loans, donations, and even her own money to fulfill it.
In 1957, the Children's Medical Center Foundation was inaugurated with a 100-bed capacity. She would later establish the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, considered as the first of its kind in Asia. Her advocacy for immunization and her research work on various diseases such as dengue, polio, and measles earned her further recognition. In 1977, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, and three years after, she became the first female National Scientist of the Philippines.
Del Mundo died on August 6, 2011.
28th November
On November 28, 1891, Associate Justice Gregorio Perfecto was born in Iloilo. Finishing his bachelor's degree at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and his law studies at the University of Santo Tomas, he passed the bar in 1916.
Subsequently, he found a career in journalism, wherein he became the editor of La Nacion. He would be caught in multiple libel cases as his publication dealt with government corruption, among others. In landmark decisions where Perfecto defended himself, he was acquitted in all of them. He argued that truth should be a defense to libel, bucking the legal adage, "The greater the truth, the greater the libel." He also banked on free speech as a fundamental right of any man, regardless of rank or status.
In 1922, he was elected as Manila representative. In the political scene, he was also the Secretary General (and later president) of the Democrata Party, then the major opposition to the dominant Nacionalista Party.
He would suffer from polio by 1931, causing him to be unable to walk. Nonetheless, he would still serve as member of the 1934 Constitutional Convention. He was said to have signed the new constitution with his blood.
In 1945, Perfecto would be appointed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a position he would hold until his death in 1949. Gregorio Perfecto High School, founded at Manila in 1958, was named in his honor.
29th November
On November 21, 1849, Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua issued a decree mandating that all Filipinos to have surnames. This led to the creation of the Catalogo alfabetico de apellidos (Alphabetical catalog of surnames).
29th November
On November 29, 1972, Atari released Pong in North America. A year later, in 1973, it would be released in Japan. A video game designed after table tennis, its popularity would lead Atari to be embroiled in a lawsuit with Magnavox, which developed a similar concept, by 1974. Their Odyssey, however, was not only composed of a table tennis game, but boasted 28 titles like Ski, Hockey, and Football. It was released earlier than Pong, in September 1972, and was believed to have been the inspiration by Atari's designers, even though Atari itself created its own system. Pong, after all, was an arcade game, while Odyssey was meant to be a home console. A home version of Pong would not be released until 1975, three years later. Atari and Magnavox settled out of court.
Despite this legal challenge, both Atari's Pong and Magnavox's Odyssey helped paved the way towards a booming video game industry which continues to enamor children and adults alike.
30th November
On November 30, 1863, Katipunan founding father and president Andres Bonifacio was born in Manila. Losing their parents at a young age, Bonifacio had to work for the betterment of his younger siblings. He was a clerk, then a purchasing manager, for the British company J. M. Fleming and Co. Following this, he was a bodegero (warehouse man), a clerk, and then a sales agent, for the German tile company Fressel and Co. In both foreigner-operated companies, it seemed Bonifacio was promoted, and learned other languages. He also tried to earn more money by making posters for companies and serving as a theater actor.
Whether or not Jose Rizal and Bonifacio did meet, the former evidently had a great impact on the latter. As to where that influence begins or ends, it remains to be seen. When Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892, he quickly organized a civic organization called La Liga Filipina (The Philippine League) in Manila, of which Bonifacio was supposedly a member. However, the Spanish highly suspected Rizal's actions, and on July 6 of the same year, he was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao. The day after, on July 7, Bonifacio, along with Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, Jose Dizon, Valentin Diaz, and Deodato Arellano, founded the Katipunan. Still, Bonifacio himself would only head the secret organization by 1895, three years later. He would lead the Katipunan in launching the Philippine Revolution by August 1896.
Meanwhile, Bonifacio's death in May 1897 remains clouded with mystery, aided unfortunately by inconsistencies from the only eyewitness to have made his account detailing the event, Lazaro Macapagal (Makapagal), as well as secondhand contemporary accounts such as that of Artemio Ricarte and Guillermo Masangkay. Was Bonifacio shot or hacked to death? Did he run for his life or did he even have the physical capacity to walk? In which mountain in Maragondon did the execution take place? The propensity for confusion was compounded by the Spanish offensive against Maragondon taking place on the same day, raising another possibility that Macapagal may have failed in his supposed mission, and his account being an attempted cover-up.
On the other side of the narrative, there was the notion that Bonifacio died earlier than the accepted date. That is, on April 26, days before the reported capture of Bonifacio at Limbon. However, if one was to follow this logic, it might be a wonder why the Aguinaldo government would waste the following two weeks for such a political exercise, in the midst of battling the Spanish even, if the Bonifacio brothers were already gone even before their trial began. The very enigma of the Filipino revolutionary's demise helped the emergence of other stories surrounding Bonifacio's personality.
30th November
On November 30, 1574, a 600-strong force under Chinese pirate "king" Limahong (Lin Feng, 林鳳) attacked Manila. Arriving at the vicinity of Mariveles the day prior, on November 29, it was said Limahong's fleet was detained from landing against the colonial capital on the same day due to a strong gale. It also destroyed some of his ships. Under the command of his lieutenant, a Japanese warrior named Sioco (possibly a version of Shoko), the pirates allegedly killed Martin de Goiti in battle.
To recall, Goiti was Miguel Lopez de Legazpi's master of camp and was known to have defeated Rajah Sulayman in battle years prior.
Despite being outnumbered and caught unprepared with their defenses (the walls of Intramuros were not yet built by this time), the Spanish was said to have won the battle, forcing the Chinese retreat. Limahong lost the element of surprise when Sioco's force drifted to Parañaque instead of Manila, causing the initial pirate force to proceed to Manila on foot.
The skirmish with de Goiti and his forces also alerted Manila's defenders. When Sioco requested for another wave from Limahong's fleet, which attacked with a 1,500-strong force on December 3, the Spanish already received reinforcements from the conquistador Juan de Salcedo, who succeeded Goiti as master of camp. Rushing from Vigan with around 50 arquebusiers and an unidentified number of local recruits, it turned out Salcedo was already experienced in fighting the Chinese pirates.
Earlier, on November 23, Limahong's fleet was already spotted in Sinait (now part of Ilocos Sur). After a skirmish with 20 of the Chinese ships (Limahong was said to have as many as 70 by this time) at Caoayan, Salcedo figured that Ilocos might not be his ultimate target.
After setting Manila on fire through an artillery barrage, Sioco once more attacked the city but was eventually repulsed. In the ensuing second battle, the Japanese lieutenant was killed. This supposedly affected the pirate morale, compelling Limahong to land another 500 of his forces, but it was insufficient to win the day.
The defeat at Manila, however, did not seem to deter Limahong's intentions to establish a base in the Philippines. When he was reported to have sailed to Pangasinan, Salcedo did what he could to engage with Limahong's forces. By March 1575, the Spanish forces finally cornered Limahong, but was unable to deal the final blow on him. After four months of being sieged, the Chinese pirate managed to escape the Spanish encirclement in August 1575.
Despite the Chinese pirate's failure to keep a significant foothold in the archipelago, Limahong's incursion already affected Spanish sovereignty in Manila and Mindoro, among areas which reported troubles at the time.
In 1957, the Children's Medical Center Foundation was inaugurated with a 100-bed capacity. She would later establish the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, considered as the first of its kind in Asia. Her advocacy for immunization and her research work on various diseases such as dengue, polio, and measles earned her further recognition. In 1977, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, and three years after, she became the first female National Scientist of the Philippines.
Del Mundo died on August 6, 2011.
28th November
On November 28, 1891, Associate Justice Gregorio Perfecto was born in Iloilo. Finishing his bachelor's degree at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and his law studies at the University of Santo Tomas, he passed the bar in 1916.
Subsequently, he found a career in journalism, wherein he became the editor of La Nacion. He would be caught in multiple libel cases as his publication dealt with government corruption, among others. In landmark decisions where Perfecto defended himself, he was acquitted in all of them. He argued that truth should be a defense to libel, bucking the legal adage, "The greater the truth, the greater the libel." He also banked on free speech as a fundamental right of any man, regardless of rank or status.
In 1922, he was elected as Manila representative. In the political scene, he was also the Secretary General (and later president) of the Democrata Party, then the major opposition to the dominant Nacionalista Party.
He would suffer from polio by 1931, causing him to be unable to walk. Nonetheless, he would still serve as member of the 1934 Constitutional Convention. He was said to have signed the new constitution with his blood.
In 1945, Perfecto would be appointed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a position he would hold until his death in 1949. Gregorio Perfecto High School, founded at Manila in 1958, was named in his honor.
29th November
On November 21, 1849, Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua issued a decree mandating that all Filipinos to have surnames. This led to the creation of the Catalogo alfabetico de apellidos (Alphabetical catalog of surnames).
29th November
On November 29, 1972, Atari released Pong in North America. A year later, in 1973, it would be released in Japan. A video game designed after table tennis, its popularity would lead Atari to be embroiled in a lawsuit with Magnavox, which developed a similar concept, by 1974. Their Odyssey, however, was not only composed of a table tennis game, but boasted 28 titles like Ski, Hockey, and Football. It was released earlier than Pong, in September 1972, and was believed to have been the inspiration by Atari's designers, even though Atari itself created its own system. Pong, after all, was an arcade game, while Odyssey was meant to be a home console. A home version of Pong would not be released until 1975, three years later. Atari and Magnavox settled out of court.
Despite this legal challenge, both Atari's Pong and Magnavox's Odyssey helped paved the way towards a booming video game industry which continues to enamor children and adults alike.
30th November
On November 30, 1863, Katipunan founding father and president Andres Bonifacio was born in Manila. Losing their parents at a young age, Bonifacio had to work for the betterment of his younger siblings. He was a clerk, then a purchasing manager, for the British company J. M. Fleming and Co. Following this, he was a bodegero (warehouse man), a clerk, and then a sales agent, for the German tile company Fressel and Co. In both foreigner-operated companies, it seemed Bonifacio was promoted, and learned other languages. He also tried to earn more money by making posters for companies and serving as a theater actor.
Whether or not Jose Rizal and Bonifacio did meet, the former evidently had a great impact on the latter. As to where that influence begins or ends, it remains to be seen. When Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892, he quickly organized a civic organization called La Liga Filipina (The Philippine League) in Manila, of which Bonifacio was supposedly a member. However, the Spanish highly suspected Rizal's actions, and on July 6 of the same year, he was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao. The day after, on July 7, Bonifacio, along with Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, Jose Dizon, Valentin Diaz, and Deodato Arellano, founded the Katipunan. Still, Bonifacio himself would only head the secret organization by 1895, three years later. He would lead the Katipunan in launching the Philippine Revolution by August 1896.
Meanwhile, Bonifacio's death in May 1897 remains clouded with mystery, aided unfortunately by inconsistencies from the only eyewitness to have made his account detailing the event, Lazaro Macapagal (Makapagal), as well as secondhand contemporary accounts such as that of Artemio Ricarte and Guillermo Masangkay. Was Bonifacio shot or hacked to death? Did he run for his life or did he even have the physical capacity to walk? In which mountain in Maragondon did the execution take place? The propensity for confusion was compounded by the Spanish offensive against Maragondon taking place on the same day, raising another possibility that Macapagal may have failed in his supposed mission, and his account being an attempted cover-up.
On the other side of the narrative, there was the notion that Bonifacio died earlier than the accepted date. That is, on April 26, days before the reported capture of Bonifacio at Limbon. However, if one was to follow this logic, it might be a wonder why the Aguinaldo government would waste the following two weeks for such a political exercise, in the midst of battling the Spanish even, if the Bonifacio brothers were already gone even before their trial began. The very enigma of the Filipino revolutionary's demise helped the emergence of other stories surrounding Bonifacio's personality.
30th November
On November 30, 1574, a 600-strong force under Chinese pirate "king" Limahong (Lin Feng, 林鳳) attacked Manila. Arriving at the vicinity of Mariveles the day prior, on November 29, it was said Limahong's fleet was detained from landing against the colonial capital on the same day due to a strong gale. It also destroyed some of his ships. Under the command of his lieutenant, a Japanese warrior named Sioco (possibly a version of Shoko), the pirates allegedly killed Martin de Goiti in battle.
To recall, Goiti was Miguel Lopez de Legazpi's master of camp and was known to have defeated Rajah Sulayman in battle years prior.
Despite being outnumbered and caught unprepared with their defenses (the walls of Intramuros were not yet built by this time), the Spanish was said to have won the battle, forcing the Chinese retreat. Limahong lost the element of surprise when Sioco's force drifted to Parañaque instead of Manila, causing the initial pirate force to proceed to Manila on foot.
The skirmish with de Goiti and his forces also alerted Manila's defenders. When Sioco requested for another wave from Limahong's fleet, which attacked with a 1,500-strong force on December 3, the Spanish already received reinforcements from the conquistador Juan de Salcedo, who succeeded Goiti as master of camp. Rushing from Vigan with around 50 arquebusiers and an unidentified number of local recruits, it turned out Salcedo was already experienced in fighting the Chinese pirates.
Earlier, on November 23, Limahong's fleet was already spotted in Sinait (now part of Ilocos Sur). After a skirmish with 20 of the Chinese ships (Limahong was said to have as many as 70 by this time) at Caoayan, Salcedo figured that Ilocos might not be his ultimate target.
After setting Manila on fire through an artillery barrage, Sioco once more attacked the city but was eventually repulsed. In the ensuing second battle, the Japanese lieutenant was killed. This supposedly affected the pirate morale, compelling Limahong to land another 500 of his forces, but it was insufficient to win the day.
The defeat at Manila, however, did not seem to deter Limahong's intentions to establish a base in the Philippines. When he was reported to have sailed to Pangasinan, Salcedo did what he could to engage with Limahong's forces. By March 1575, the Spanish forces finally cornered Limahong, but was unable to deal the final blow on him. After four months of being sieged, the Chinese pirate managed to escape the Spanish encirclement in August 1575.
Despite the Chinese pirate's failure to keep a significant foothold in the archipelago, Limahong's incursion already affected Spanish sovereignty in Manila and Mindoro, among areas which reported troubles at the time.
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