[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 82 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1218-E1219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          101ST ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 10, 1999

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, June 12, 1999, the 
Republic of the Philippines and Filipinos all over the world will 
commemorate the 101st anniversary of the proclamation of their 
independence from Spain.
  Outside the group of ecstatic, enlightened and freedom-loving 
patriots from within the archipelago's more than 7,000 islands, very 
few people were even remotely aware of the implications of the summer 
day's events of June 12, 1898. A century later, we have come to 
recognize the significance of the proclamation read from a balcony in 
Kawit, Cavite, 101 years ago.
  This manifesto, closely resembling the document our forefathers 
signed in 1776, has come to symbolize a people's aspiration, desire and 
capacity to stand their ground, take control and chart their own 
destiny. On June 12, 1898, the Filipino people boldly declared that the 
desire to be a free republic is not a uniquely Western concept. The day 
General Emilio Aguinaldo first unfurled the Filipino flag amidst the 
inspiring strains of the Philippine National Anthem signalled the birth 
of the first republic in Asia, an event witnessed by jubilant Filipinos 
and curious foreign observers alike. For the first time, a political 
system dedicated to the ideals of democracy and popular

[[Page E1219]]

representative government was instituted in a part of the world that, 
until that day, had automatically been associated with tyranny and 
despotism.
  Although short-lived, this declaration is testament to a freedom-
loving nation's devotion to the ideals of liberty and democracy. The 
events of June 12, 1898, rejected oppression and foreign domination. It 
has served as an inspiration to other peoples suffering from 
colonialism.
  The people of Guam share deep cultural and historical ties with the 
Philippines. The island's population includes a large number of 
Filipino immigrants. Over the years, as in numerous other locales, they 
have integrated themselves with the island community and made 
themselves a vital force in the development and growth of Guam.
  I am honored to join the Filipino people in the commemoration and 
celebration of their history. I extend my congratulations to them on 
the 101st anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence.

                          ____________________