[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING THE PHILIPPINES ON ITS 118TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS 
                              INDEPENDENCE

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 7, 2016

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Republic 
of Philippines on the 118th Anniversary of its independence. I also 
join the people of Guam and the Filipino Community of Guam in declaring 
the month of June as Philippine Month in Guam.
  On May 1, 1898, the Battle of Manila Bay signaled the United States' 
entry into the war with Spain that the Philippines had been fighting 
for since 1896. On June 12, 1898 the Filipino revolutionary forces 
under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and 
independence of the Philippine Islands from Spanish colonial rule. 
Filipinos are very proud of these leaders who had the dream of an 
independent and free country. This act of determining their political 
future remains a much celebrated event 118 years later, especially by 
Filipinos who call the United States and Guam home.
  Since earning their independence, the Philippine people have suffered 
through years of dictatorship, martial law, and Japanese occupation. We 
on Guam are particularly sympathetic to this last event, having 
ourselves been taken over by the Japanese.
  Today, the Philippines is an important ally of the United States in 
Southeast Asia. President Aquino has taken positive steps to combat 
terrorism in the Philippines, and his government continues to be 
cooperative with our own efforts in the region. In addition, the 
friendship of the Filipino people has forged a bond between our two 
nations that has grown stronger over time. Filipino-Americans have 
contributed immensely to our nation. In my home district of Guam, 
Filipino-Americans represent over one-third of the general population. 
They play a key role in the economic, social, and political fabric of 
our island and the nation as a whole. Guam and the Philippines share 
linguistic, social, and cultural roots which have made Filipinos on 
Guam able to be active in celebrating their culture in harmony with the 
local community. Many Filipinos and members of the Filipino Community 
of Guam have contributed their time, talents and expertise by serving 
as medical, educational, and government professionals and religious 
leaders, among others, to improve the quality of life on Guam. The 
Filipino Community of Guam has also been passionately dedicated to 
helping those in need by supporting numerous charitable non-profit 
organizations on our island and they have organized fundraising drives 
for disaster victims in the Micronesia region and the Philippines.
  Our two nations and indeed our people are intimately linked to one 
another. On behalf of the people of Guam, I congratulate the 
Philippines and the Filipino Community of Guam on the 118th anniversary 
of independence of the Philippines and look forward to the continued 
service and contributions of the Filipino Community of Guam.

                          ____________________