Philippine Independence Day marks the anniversary of the nation's independence from Spanish rule on June 12 1898. Changed from being on the 4th of July (independence was officially granted to the Philippines by the US on this date in 1946, plus the date was thought to fit in neatly with the States own independence day), this year marks the 54th anniversary of the Philippines '12th of June' independence day, and the 120th anniversary of its independence day generally. While we don't have an option in NZ to mark this as a public holiday, or to have a parade as impressive as the one that will take place in Manila, there are still some things you can do to commemorate this day. Here are our top five options:
Talk in Tagalog: If you can manage this you will be doing a lot better than me (even though I am half Filipino the only Tagalog words I'm familiar with are those associated with food, a sad indictment on my life incidentally). Happily the library has plenty of resources to help you manage this, including Mango languages, a fantastic language learning website (and app) available 24/7 on our website. Mango offers a course on Tagalog (as well as 60 other languages), and as Tagalog's standardized form is one of the two official languages of the Philippines (the other is English) Mango could be a great starting point.
There are also some great books available in our libraries to help you learn some Filipino, for both youth and adult learners.
Read all about it: The Philippines has an extraordinary history spanning from pre 15th century barangays (settlements), to three hundred years as a Spanish colony, through American occupation, to its status as a Republic. It has a rich culture that is influenced by both East and West, its Spanish influence clearly evident in the archipelago's sumptuous feasts, parades, and prevalent Catholicism, and its Chinese influence clearly seen in some of the counties favorite dishes (think rice cakes and noodles), and the supreme importance of family. Our libraries have some fantastic books available to help you learn more about the Philippines fascinating history and culture.
Cook Philippine style: A mere mention of pork adobe will make most Filipino weak at the knees (I would be one of the unashamed statistic aforementioned). Why not try your hand at one of the Philippines' truly delicious dishes? The library has some cookbooks at hand to help you - some in Tagalog and some in English.
Karaoke: Karaoke has become one of those integral parts of Philippine culture, but if you're not feeling up for singing there are plenty of pros around to listen to. Our libraries have some great Filipino CDs you can borrow which could inspire you to great karaoke success (or excuse you from performing, which in my case would be the same thing).
Borrow a Tagalog book: Did you know that we now have a Tagalog collection at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre? And Central Library Peterborough is also hosting some books from the collection (photo above) this month to celebrate Philippine independence day. If neither of these libraries are close to you, never fear, there are Tagalog eBooks you can borrow from home through one of the libraries ebook platforms, Overdrive.
If you're not feeling like a book today, there is also a great selection of Tagalog eMagazines and newspapers available through PressReader, one of Christchurch City Libraries' eMagazine and newspaper platforms.
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