1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2023 General Appropriations Act, intends to apply the sum of Eight Million, Five Hundred Eighty-Six Thousand, One Hundred Eighty-Four Pesos and 22/100 (₱8,586,184.22) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Restoration of Molo (Convent) in San Pedro St., Molo, Iloilo City. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines now invites bids for the above Procurement Project. Completion of the Works is required two hundred forty (240) calendar days.  Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II (Instructions to Bidders).

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM or via bac@nhcp.gov.ph..

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidders on 12 May 2023 from given address and website/s below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Ten Thousand Pesos (₱10,000.00). The Procuring Entity shall allow the bidder to present its proof of payment for the fees via a photocopy of the receipt included in the submitted bid or via e-mail (bac@nhcp.gov.ph).

6. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines will hold a Pre-Bid Conference^[1] on 24 May 2023 (Wednesday), 1:30 PM at Board Room, Multipurpose Hall, 4/F, NHCP Building, T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila, and/or through videoconferencing/webcasting via Microsoft Teams App, which shall be open to prospective bidders. To access the Pre-Bid Conference, click this MS Teams Link: https://bit.ly/44PtC8U.

7. Bids must be duly received by the Records Section or any representative BAC Secretariat through (i) manual submission at the office address as indicated below, (ii) online or electronic submission as indicated below, on or before 5 June 2023 (Monday), 9:30 AM. One (1) original and three (3) additional copies of the technical and financial proposals must be provided. Late bids shall not be accepted. Please see the diagram below for your guidance.

8. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 16.

9. Bid opening for the technical and financial proposals shall be on 24 May 2023 (Wednesday) at 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM, respectively at the given address below and/or through Microsoft Teams App. A bid is considered received if a stamp by the Records Section has been affixed onto the envelope with the date and time when it was received. To access the opening of the technical and financial bid proposals, click this MS Teams link: https://bit.ly/3BfY7av.

10. All bidders are reminded that each page of the Bidding Documents submitted should be duly signed by the bidder’s authorized representative/s pursuant to Section 25.8 of the 2016 revised IRR of R.A. No. 9184. Moreover, all legally executable documents (e.g., Omnibus Sworn Statement) must be duly notarized. Submitted bids which have unsigned pages and/or unnotarized legal documents shall be considered non-responsive.

11. All bidders are advised to adopt the new, revised format of the Omnibus Sworn Statement issued pursuant to GPPB Circular No 4-2020 as adopted by GPPB Resolution No. 16-2020. The revised format of the OSS consists of 10 articles/paragraphs (with two new additional provisions since the previous 2016 edition), a template of which may be downloaded from the GPPB website thru this link https://www.gppb.gov.ph/downloadables.php.

12. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Sections 35.6 and 41 of the 2016 revised IRR of RA No. 9184, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

13. For further information, please refer to:
    Engr. Benjamin T. Paulin II
    BAC Secretariat Head
    National Historical Commission of the Philippines
    T.M. Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila 1000
    E-mail Address: bac@nhcp.gov.ph
    Cellphone No.: 09664700559
    Facsimile No.: (02) 8536-3181
    Website: http://www.nhcp.gov.ph 

14. You may visit the following websites: 

For downloading of Bidding Documents:
http://nhcp.gov.ph/category/nhcp/procurement/bid-opportunities/ 

For online bid submission Click Here

 12 May 2023

  ALVIN R. ALCID
  BAC Chairperson

^[1] May be deleted in case the ABC is less than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000) where the Procuring Entity may not hold a pre-bid conference.

Download bidding documents here.

1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2023 General Appropriates Act intends to apply the sum of Three Million, Nine Hundred Ninety-Three Thousand, Five Hundred Pesos only (₱3,993,500.00) being the ABC to payments under the contract for Procurement of Philippine Flags and Other Related Supplies. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines now invites bids for the above
Procurement Project. Delivery of the Goods is required by within two hundred (200) calendar days. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II (Instructions to Bidders).

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 revised Implementing Rules
and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184.

a. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA No. 5183.

4. Prospective Bidders may obtain further information from National Historical Commission of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 8 May 2023 from the given address and website(s) below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (₱5,000.00). The Procuring Entity shall allow the bidder to present its proof of payment for the fees via a photocopy of the receipt included in the submitted bid or via e-mail (bac@nhcp.gov.ph).

6. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 16 May 2023, Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. through video conferencing or webcasting via Microsoft Teams, which shall be open to prospective bidders. To access the Pre-Bid Conference, click this MS Teams Link: https://bit.ly/3LClmQH

7. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat through (i) manual submission at the office address indicated below, (ii) online or electronic submission as indicated below, on or before 29 May 2023 (Monday), 1:30 p.m. One (1) original and three (3) additional copies of the technical and financial proposals must be provided. Late bids shall not be accepted. Please see the diagram below for your guidance.

8. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in
the amount stated in ITB Clause 14.

9. Bid opening for the technical and financial proposals shall be on 29 May 2023 (Monday), at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively at the given address below and/or through Microsoft Teams App. A bid is considered received if a stamp by the Records Section has been affixed onto the envelope with the date and time when it was received. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the activity. To access the opening of the technical and financial bid proposals, click this MS Teams Link: https://bit.ly/44qrfJH

10. All bidders are reminded that each and every page of the Bidding Documents submitted must be duly signed by the bidder’s authorized representative/s pursuant to Section 25.8 of the 2016 Revised IRR of RA No. 9184. Moreover, all legally executable documents (e.g. Omnibus Sworn Statement) must be duly notarized. Submitted bids which have unsigned pages and/or unnotarized legal documents shall be considered non-responsive.

11. All bidders are advised to adopt the new, revised format of the Omnibus Sworn Statement issued pursuant to GPPB Circular No 4-2020 as adopted by GPPB Resolution No. 16-2020. The revised format of the OSS consists of 10 articles/paragraphs (with two new additional provisions since the previous 2016 edition), a template of which may be downloaded from the GPPB website thru this link https://www.gppb.gov.ph/downloadables.php.

12. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Sections 35.6 and 41 of the 2016 revised IRR of RA No. 9184, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

13. For further information, please refer to:
Engr. Benjamin T. Paulin II
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
T.M. Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila 1000
E-mail Address: bac@nhcp.gov.ph
Cellphone No.: 09664700559
Facsimile No.: (02) 8536-3181
Website: http://www.nhcp.gov.ph

14. You may visit the following websites:
For downloading of Bidding Documents:
http://nhcp.gov.ph/category/nhcp/procurement/bid-opportunities/
For online bid submission:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3KboP7KFWN4OnmvK25MDcRk9Bkr
YnoDww5g9HLyMOEw8G5w/viewform

8 May 2023

ALVIN R. ALCID
BAC Chairperson

Download bidding documents here.

1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2023 General Appropriations Act, intends to apply the sum of One Million, Nine Hundred Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred Twenty-Five Pesos and 95/100 (₱1,909,825.95) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Milestone Commemoration of the 125^th Anniversary of the Philippine Independence (Landas ng Pagkabansa: Marking of the 125^th Anniversary of the Philippine Independence). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines now invites bids for the above Procurement Project. Completion of the Works is required one hundred fifty (150) calendar days.  Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II (Instructions to Bidders).

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM or via bac@nhcp.gov.ph..

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidders on 4 May 2023 from given address and website/s below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (₱ 5,000.00). The Procuring Entity shall allow the bidder to present its proof of payment for the fees via a photocopy of the receipt included in the submitted bid or via e-mail (bac@nhcp.gov.ph).

6. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines will hold a Pre-Bid Conference^[1] on 17 May 2023 (Wednesday), 9:30 AM at Board Room, Multipurpose Hall, 4/F, NHCP Building, T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila, and/or through videoconferencing/webcasting via Microsoft Teams App, which shall be open to prospective bidders. To access the Pre-Bid Conference, click this MS Teams Link: https://bit.ly/3nwFZWu.

7. Bids must be duly received by the Records Section or any representative of the BAC Secretariat through (i) manual submission at the office address as indicated below, (ii) online or electronic submission as indicated below, on or before 29 May 2023 (Monday), 9:30 AM. One (1) original and three (3) additional copies of the technical and financial proposals must be provided. Late bids shall not be accepted. Please see the diagram below for your guidance.

8. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 16.

9. Bid opening for the technical and financial proposals shall be on 29 May 2023 (Monday) at 9:30 AM and 1020 M, respectively at the given address below and/or through Microsoft Teams App. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the activity. To access the opening of the technical and financial bid proposals, click this MS Teams link: https://bit.ly/3AQ8DVE.

10. All bidders are reminded that each and every page of the Bidding Documents submitted should be duly signed by the bidder’s authorized representative/s pursuant to Section 25.8 of the 2016 revised IRR of R.A. No. 9184. Moreover, all legally executable documents (e.g., Omnibus Sworn Statement) must be duly notarized. Submitted bids which have unsigned pages and/or unnotarized legal documents shall be considered non-responsive.

11. All bidders are advised to adopt the new, revised format of the Omnibus Sworn Statement issued pursuant to GPPB Circular No 4-2020 as adopted by GPPB Resolution No. 16-2020. The revised format of the OSS consists of 10 articles/paragraphs (with two new additional provisions since the previous 2016 edition), a template of which may be downloaded from the GPPB website thru this link https://www.gppb.gov.ph/downloadables.php.

12. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Sections 35.6 and 41 of the 2016 revised IRR of RA No. 9184, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

13. For further information, please refer to:
    Engr. Benjamin T. Paulin II
    BAC Secretariat Head
    National Historical Commission of the Philippines
    T.M. Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila 1000
    E-mail Address: bac@nhcp.gov.ph
    Cellphone No.: 09664700559
    Facsimile No.: (02) 8536-3181
    Website: http://www.nhcp.gov.ph 

14. You may visit the following websites:
    For downloading of Bidding Documents:
     http://nhcp.gov.ph/category/nhcp/procurement/bid-opportunities/
    For online bid submission:
    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3KboP7KFWN4OnmvK25MDcRk9BkrYnoDww5g9HLyMOEw8G5w/viewform

 5 May 2023

  ALVIN R. ALCID
  BAC Chairperson

^[1] May be deleted in case the ABC is less than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000) where the Procuring Entity may not hold a pre-bid conference.

Download bidding documents here.

By Eufemio O. Agbayani III
Historic Sites Development Officer II

Just three days before Independence Day, we remember Feliciano Jocson on his birth anniversary. A licensed pharmacist, his short life was enmeshed in the internal politics of the Revolution, having to lay his life down in unpleasant circumstances.

Photograph of Feliciano Jocson
Published in El Renacimiento, 3 May 1907.
EAST VIEW INFORMATION SERVICES

Pharmacist Turned Patriot

Born on 9 June 1868 in Quiapo, Manila, Jocson studied pharmacy at the University of Santo Tomas and received his licentiate in 1893. In that year, he joined Masonry. After working in a pharmacy in Nueva Ecija, he established his own in Santa Cruz, Manila in 1895. By then, he was already a member of the Katipunan which was planning to overthrow Spanish rule through an armed revolution.

When the revolution erupted in August 1896, he operated in the provinces of Pangasinan, Zambales, Cavite, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Manila. He even planned to rescue Rizal from execution but was prevented by an injury after falling from his horse in Cavite. By January 1897, he and Jose Alejandrino were selected to purchase arms in Hongkong.

Unfortunately, he failed to bring home firearms twice. The first time in February 1897, he was able to load weapons onto a steam launch which encountered a storm. This forced him and his associates to throw the cargo overboard. He made another attempt but was sabotaged by his English pilot.

Jocson returned to Manila in May 1897 when he learned of Andres Bonifacio’s death in Maragondon, Cavite. According to Artemio Ricarte, Jocson went there and gave an extemporaneous speech to announce that additional weapons were coming from Hong Kong. It was also around this time, according again to Ricarte, that Jocson showed him a drawing for the National Flag that we have today.

Jocson was given the task of establishing a short-lived departmental government in Central Luzon in which he served as Minister of War. As the Spaniards were retaking Cavite, he then went to Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan. He bitterly opposed the truce that was being negotiated with the Spaniards even after it was signed in December 1897. Instead of joining Aguinaldo in Hong Kong or keeping quiet, he began organizing his own army to plan the resumption of the Revolution.

Portrait of Feliciano Jocson
From the cover of Renacimiento Filipino, 7 August 1912
FILIPINAS HERITAGE LIBRARY

The House Arrest

On 25 March 1898[1], Jocson attempted to restart the Revolution from a house in Camba Street in Binondo. Unfortunately, according to Santiago Alvarez, copies of the announcement for this resumption reached both the allies of Aguinaldo and the Spaniards. The latter fired on to the gathered men and shot them. Unfortunately, non-combatants in the vicinity were also hurt, stabbed, or shot.

Jocson retreated to Laguna to recoup his forces. When he arrived in Santa Cruz, he was arrested by forces under Venancio Cueto who held him and a companion under house arrest. Cueto had been acting under orders from Pio del Pilar who was designated by a group of relapsed revolutionary leaders during a meeting in the house of Pedro Paterno. The group accused Jocson of being an agent of the friars to cause commotion, giving the colonial government the impression that the Filipinos had violated their commitment during the Pact of Biak-na-Bato.

This was most ironic. In January that year, Jocson reacted violently when a friar delivered his homily during the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo. The friar was insulting Masons and revolutionaries. Incensed, Jocson ran towards the friar, shouted at him, and even pointed his revolver at him. He was ejected by the guardia civil but was not arrested.

While not knowing what to do with Jocson, Cueto eventually allowed him freedom of movement within his house. At that time, Apolinario Mabini was also staying with him. Later, del Pilar went to Cueto’s house, and he was welcomed not just by Cueto, but also Jocson, Mabini, and Paciano Rizal.

Mabini and Rizal did not want to release Jocson to del Pilar, arguing that he could not have been an agent of the friars. Del Pilar gave an impression that he was convinced, yet still wanted to take Jocson. After del Pilar gave assurances that Jocson would be safe, the latter voluntarily joined.

The Tragic Death

If we are to read the memoirs of Ricarte and Alvarez, it would seem that they were unaware about what happened afterwards. However, a biography published in Renacimiento Filipino on 7 August 1912 could fill the gap.

Written in both Spanish and Tagalog, this biography does not mention the house arrest and the conversation between del Pilar, Mabini, and Rizal. Rather, it mentions that Jocson was arrested by the Spaniards in April 1898 and was brought to Mandaluyong. His wife Severina Arcangel was extorted by the guards. Even if she had become destitute because the Spaniards confiscated Jocson’s pharmacy and their savings had been spent on his revolutionary activities, she was determined to see her husband alive. She sold her few remaining jewels and asked for alms to gather the amount of a thousand pesos to have him released.

Instead of releasing Jocson, he was shot by the guardia civil at around 2:00 AM in a far corner of the Mandaluyong Cemetery. The parish priest refused to have him buried inside the cemetery, so he was interred just outside.

Arcangel, too, was arrested and jailed in the Old Bilibid prison for more than twenty days. It was only after two years when she was able to have him exhumed and reburied in the Quiapo Church–the same church where he attempted to avenge the honor of his fellow revolutionaries.

However, he was not completely forgotten. In July 1898, a troop bearing his name participated in the capture of Dagupan by Filipino forces. In 1907, his death anniversary was marked by breaking the ground for a monument in his honor featuring a bronze bust by Isabelo Tampingco. Unfortunately, this was apparently not completed. Roads were named after him in Sampaloc, Manila and in Mandaluyong but the latter has since been renamed A.T. Reyes.

Bust of Feliciano Jocson by Isabelo Tampingco
From the cover of Renacimiento Filipino, 7 August 1912
FILIPINAS HERITAGE LIBRARY

A Controversial Legacy

Could del Pilar have turned Jocson in? Or perhaps another fellow Filipino? We cannot say for sure. However, Arcangel alleges in her letter to Hilaria del Rosario, wife of Aguinaldo, on 4 August 1898 that whoever gave Jocson to the Spaniards received a reward from them, an amount the Renacimiento Filipino biography pegged at five thousand pesos.

Jose Alejandrino, another revolutionary, confirms the existence of this allegation, saying further that it was by people “who had an interest in complying with the agreement with the Spanish Government to hand over all the weapons in our possession.”

If Jocson had indeed been betrayed, it would be a tremendous tragedy. He was executed three days after the Spanish defeat in Manila Bay and just fifteen days before Aguinaldo returned from Hong Kong to resume the revolution. The men who just weeks before denounced him volunteered themselves to Aguinaldo and occupied prominent positions in his revolutionary government and the Republic inaugurated the following January. We can only imagine how much passion and energy Jocson could have contributed to the revived revolution had he remained alive.

Perhaps partly due to feeling guilt over what had happened, Ricarte vehemently insisted that Jocson had designed the National Flag. Julio Nakpil joined him in this with fiery words: “Feliciano Jocson is the author of the design of the Philippine flag and those who say the contrary are liars and usurpers.”

Those who believe Ricarte and Nakpil are encouraged by Aguinaldo’s seeming unwillingness to categorically attribute the design of the flag to himself. When asked by Emmanuel A. Baja, he replied: “Many of the older generations have attributed to me that authorship of the design and symbolism of the country’s emblem because I ordered the making of the first National Flag at Hongkong and brought it myself with me on my return to Cavite. I do not consider, however, that for these reasons my authorship could be called exclusive or original; for I am well satisfied that the design I ordered was made according to what already existed in the public mind…” What we are sure of is that it was Aguinaldo who personally transmitted the design to Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo and it was he who brought the flag made by her, her daughter Lorenza, and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad.

Yet whether Ricarte and Nakpil’s claim is proven or not, we can still thank Jocson and countless other revolutionaries who fought to allow a flag they never saw to fly over the country they so loved. We are reminded of Jose Rizal’s words through the character Elias in Noli Me Tangere: “I shall die without seeing the dawn break upon my homeland. You, who shall see it, salute it! Do not forget those who have fallen during the night.”

References:
Aguinaldo, Emilio. Memoirs of the Revolution. Manila: Cristina Aguinaldo-Suntay, 1967.

Alejandrino, Jose. La Senda del Sacrificio. Manila: self-published, 1933.

Alzona, Encarnacion, ed. Julio Nákpil and the Philippine Revolution. Manila: Heirs of Julio Nakpil, 1964.

Baja, Emmanuel. Our Country’s Flag and Anthem. Manila: Juan Fajardo Press, 1928.

Bowe, John. With the 13^th Minnesota in the Philippines. Minneapolis: A.B. Farnham Printing & Stationery Company, 1905.

Dery, Luis Camara. Bantayog ni Inang Bayan: Panibagong Sulyap sa mga Bayan ng 1896 Himagsikan. Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 2012.

El Renacimiento, 3 May 1907. Digital copy accessed through the East View Information Services.

El Renacimiento, 6 May 1907. Digital copy accessed through the East View Information Services.

LeRoy, James Alfred. The Americans in the Philippines: A History of the Conquest and First Years of Occupation, with an Introductory Account of the Spanish Rule, vol. 1. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1914.

Malay, Paula Carolina S., trans. Alvarez, Santiago. Katipunan and the Revolution: Memoirs of a General. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1992.

Medina, Isagani R., ed. Ronquillo, Carlos. Ilang Talata tungkol sa Paghihimagsik (Revolucion) nang 1896-1897. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1996.

Ochosa, Orlino A. Pio del Pilar & Other Heroes. Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1997.

Orpilla, Melchor, trans. Quintos, Felipe. Tala ng Kasaysayan ng Pag-aalsa sa Pilipinas: Revolucion Filipina. Manila: National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 2020.

Renacimiento Filipino, 7 August 1912. Digital copy accessed through the Filipinas Heritage Library.

Ricarte, Artemio. Himagsikan Nang Manga Pilipino Laban sa Kastila. Yokohama: self-published, 1927. Digital copy accessed through the Digital Collections of the University of Michigan.

Sawyer, Frederic H. The Inhabitants of the Philippines. London: Sampson Low, Marston and Company, 1900.

[1] Alvarez mistakenly dated this to 20 November 1897. This event was dubbed the Massacre of Calle de Camba and it was believed that the arrest and execution of Visayan sailors who had gathered in a house on that street served as the catalyst for the revolt of the Cebuanos against Spanish rule the following month.

125th Anniversary of Emilio Aguinaldo’s Return from Exile
19 May
Cavite City

By: Gil Angelo B. Manalili

“Personal experiences had made me aware that without the opportunities for employment that a booming economy can provide to those who are willing to work, it is an ordeal to obtain even a miserable job in our underdeveloped economy.”

– Diosdado Macapagal (A stone for the edifice: Memoirs of a President, 1968)

One way to earn money for daily needs since Spanish colonization until presently, is being employed by a company or organization. Working hours and wages may vary with the job position and sometimes, payment is even by commission. But for most, the minimum wage is a big help for individuals and their families to survive daily grind.

During the Spanish period, the practice of polo y servicio (forced labor) was employed with Filipino males from ages 16-60 and was in effect for over 250 years. Some reports note that there are also Chinese mestizos that were part of the polistas (laborers).[1] The polistas were responsible in constructing galleons, church repairs, roads and bridges for the benefit of the whole community.  This practice sorely affected the agricultural sector because the lack of male farmers and crop growers in the work force cultivating farmlands resulted in low harvests and in turn, caused hunger and even death. Numerous rebellions were caused by this cruel practice but were put down by the strong military and firepower of the Spaniards.

With the Philippines under the new American colonizers, President Quezon aided laborers through the Commonwealth Act no. 103, which was passed in 1935. It empowered the Court of Industrial Relations “to investigate, upon the direction of the President of the Philippines, the condition of the workers in a given industry or locality, and to establish a minimum wage for such industry or locality to be effective upon the approval of the President”.[2] After a year,  Commonwealth Act no. 211 was passed on 21 November 1936 and stated that a minimum daily wage of one peso (Php1) will be received by all laborers employed by corporations. Also included in the law were public workers in provinces and municipalities, but  they may be paid lower wages depending on their financial conditions.[3] However, the Court of Industrial Relations was disallowed  to establish a minimum wage for the sugar, cigar and cigarette industry, and other private industrial and commercial enterprises in Manila.

Diosdado Macapagal’s personal experiences as a worker and his awareness of the hardships of farmers and poorest paid workers in his hometown, prompted him to author the Minimum Wage Law when he was the Congressman of the 1^st District of Pampanga from 1949-1957. During the 1950’s, many house bills and senate bills had been proposed to regulate the minimum wage in the country. These bills have different wage rates ranging from two pesos (Php2) to six pesos (Php6).  These differences led to the creation of a Special Committee on Labor to study and define the right amount for the minimum wage.[4]

The US Department of Labor enumerated some factors on how to determine the Minimum Wage Law. The wage should satisfy the following requirements: sufficient nourishing food for the health of the family, especially the children; shelter, rent and regular household equipment; clothing; and a surplus over the above expenditures for transportation fares, insurances and healthcare, contributions to beneficial organizations and principal amusements.[5]

After a series of meetings and consultations, the Committee agreed on a proposed wage of three pesos (Php3) for agricultural workers and five pesos (Php5) for industrial workers. Still, many thought that the figure for agriculture was too high, and with the lack of available statistics, the committee unanimously decreased the minimum wage.[6]

Republic Act no. 602 or the Minimum Wage Law was passed in 1951; its enactment was closely related to the postwar economic development of the Philippines. It largely resulted from  the American economic survey known as the Bell Mission. The Bell Mission report reads in part: “Both industry and agriculture have been very prosperous in the Philippines since the end of the war, but little of this prosperity has seeped through the working force”. Therefore, it went to recommend: “The first step in ameliorating the economic conditions of workers is the prompt enactment of the minimum wage legislation. The minimum wage in agriculture should be at least two (Php2) pesos a day, and probably two pesos and fifty cents (Php2.50) could be justified under the present economic conditions. As the purpose of the minimum wage law is to improve the living conditions of low-paid workers, this legislation should not become the occasion for reducing the supplements to income which agricultural workers now have. In non-agricultural employment, the minimum wage should be far higher than in agriculture because of the different conditions under which workers must live; and for this reason, it should be within the economic capacity of employers as indicated by the wage rates now paid by efficient employers.”[7]

The law adopted the proposed rates of the Bell Mission: setting the minimum wage of agriculture workers  at two pesos and fifty centavos (Php2.50) rate per day of work, and in non-agriculture employment, four (Php4) pesos per day.[8]  Republic Act no. 602 not only provided for higher statutory rate, but it also had a more extensive coverage. It covered not only agricultural and non-agricultural enterprises but also private firms and government. The law, however, applied to employees in the government service beginning on 1 July 1952.

Diosdado Macapagal continued to support the laborers in the country as he introduced the Five-Year integrated Socio-Economic Program when he became the President of the Philippines in 1961. One of the goals of the program is “to create a condition that will provide more income to our people, income for those who have none and more income for those whose earnings are inadequate for their elemental needs.”[9] President Macapagal also admitted that creating permanent job opportunities will take time because it will largely depend on the progress of the country’s economy.

The Minimum Wage Law continues to be revised to cope with the changes of daily living, the value of the peso, and the economy. At present, the minimum wage in Metro Manila ranges from five hundred (Php500) to five hundred thirty-seven (Php537) pesos per day, and from three hundred seventeen (Php317) to four hundred (Php400) pesos for the provincial rate.[10] The amount now is a far cry from the 1950s but the same travails pursue the common Filipino, though with the minimum wage to think of at the end of the day, his worries are a bit lighter knowing that he can provide, at least, for himself. And we can thank President Macapagal for that.

References

Eggan, Fred. The Philippines and the Bell Report vol. 10 no. 1.
Society for Applied Anthropology, 1951.

Gwekoh, Sol H. The Illustrated Triumph over Poverty. 1965

Macapagal, Diosdado P. A Stone for the Edifice: Memoirs of a President.
Mac Publishing House, Quezon City, 1968.

Macapagal, Diosdado P. Five-Year integrated Socio-Economic Program for the Philippines. 1962

Macapagal, Diosdado P. The Lawyers Journal vol. XVI. 1951

Quitoriano, Aurelio. A Bold Philippine Program: Unemployment – The Problem and Its Solution.
Manila, 1953.

Tallow, Adamin A. The Minimum Wage Law: An Appraisal.
Graduate School of Law, University of Sto. Tomas, 1956

Online references

https://philnews.ph/2020/11/04/what-is-polo-y-servicio-about-the-spanish-term-and-practice/

https://www.chanrobles.com/Commonwealth%20Act%20No.%20103,%20October%2029,%

https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/

https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1951/ra_602_1951.html

[1] https://philnews.ph/2020/11/04/what-is-polo-y-servicio-about-the-spanish-term-and-practice/

[2] https://www.chanrobles.com/Commonwealth%20Act%20No.%20103,%20October%2029,%201936.pdf

[3] The Minimum Wage Law: An Appraisal, Adamin A. Tallow p. 5

[4] Ibid, p. 9

[5] ibid, p. 4

[6] Ibid, p. 11-14

[7] ibid, p. 6

[8] The Illustrated Triumph over Poverty, Sol H. Gwekoh, 1965

[9] Five-Year integrated Socio-Economic Program for the Philippines, Diosdado Macapagal, p. 2

[10] https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/

NOTICE OF RE-SCHEDULING OF PRE-BID CONFERENCE   

Milestone Commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood
(Landas ng Pagkabansa: Marking of the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood)
ITB 2023-INFRA-004
Approved Budget of Contract: ₱1,909,825.95  

Due to Proclamation No. 201, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 14 April 2023, declaring 21 April 2023 as a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr, and to ensure the timeliness of the procurement process for the project stated above, please be informed that the Pre-Bid Conference has been rescheduled from 21 April 2023, Friday, 9:30 a.m., to 20 April 2023, Thursday, 9:30 a.m., via face-to-face and Microsoft Teams. The meeting link may be accessed here: https://bit.ly/PreBidMarkerPedestal.  

For the guidance of all concerned.  

Issued this 19th of April 2023 in Ermita, Manila. 

JIM FRANKLIN O. KALAW
Vice Chair
NHCP Bids and Awards Committee 

Download document here.

LUBAO, PAMPANGA – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the Municipality of Lubao will lead the 26^th death anniversary of Diosdado Macapagal on 21 April 2023, 8:00 a.m., at the Museo at Aklatan ni Diosdado Macapagal, Lubao, Pampanga.

Wreaths will be offered at the Macapagal monument by Lubao Mayor Esmeralda Pineda on behalf of the Municipality of Lubao and OIC Gil Angelo Manalili of the Museo at Aklatan ni Diosdado Macapagal on behalf of the NHCP. A short photo-taking opportunity will take place after the wreath-laying rites.

Diosdado Macapagal was born on 28 September 1910 to parents Urbano Macapagal and Romana Pangan. An excellent student, he finished his law degree in 1936. Macapagal became President of the Republic of the Philippines in 1961 where he dedicated his work to suppressing corruption and stimulating the growth of the economy. He was also known for passing the Agricultural Land Reform Code, the first land reform legislation in the country. He was 86 when he died on 21 April 1997, due to a heart attack.

NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote and preserve Philippine history and heritage through its museums, publications, markings of historic sites and structures and conduct of commemorative programs.

ROXAS, CAPIZ – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) with the Provincial Government of Capiz, and the City Government of Roxas will lead the observance of the 75^th anniversary of Manuel Roxas on 15 April 2023, Saturday, 10:30 a.m. in Roxas, Capiz

Wreath-laying rites will be officiated by the Philippine Army. Capiz 1^st District Representative Emmanuel Billones, Capiz 2^nd District Representative Jane T. Castro, Capiz Governor Fredenil Castro, NHCP Chairman Dr. Emmanuel Franco Calairo, Capiz Vice Governor James Magbanua, Roxas City Mayor Ronnie Dadivas, Capiz City Vice Mayor Teresa Almalbis, Ms. Lina Laigo and Ms. Marites Gonzaga of the President Manuel Roxas Foundation and Gerry Roxas Foundation, and the descendant of Manuel Roxas, Mr. Mar Roxas will all offer flowers.

Manuel Roxas was born on 1 January 1892 in Capiz town (now Roxas City) to parents Gerardo Roxas and Rosario Acuna. He studied law at the University of the Philippines and finished with high honors in 1913, topping the bar examinations in the same year. Roxas entered politics and served the country in various capacities from 1917 up until he became president of the Third Republic of the Philippines on 4 July 1946. During World War II, he became Brigadier-General and saw action in Bataan, Corregidor, and Mindanao. He died on 15 April 1948 of a heart attack in Clark, Pampanga.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research, and publications, and to preserve historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.

This Bid Bulletin is issued to modify, amend or clarify items in the issued Bidding Documents for the project:

1. Printing of 1,000 Copies of Noli Me Tangere (facsimile)

PLEASE BE INFORMED OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AND CLARIFICATIONS:

For the guidance of all concerned.

JIM FRANKLIN O. KALAW
Vice Chair, BAC

Click to download Bid Bulletin No. 01

BATAAN – Valor is often associated with bravery and courage, but people forget that it is never possible without sacrifice. This year, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will commemorate the 81st Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor. With the theme Kagitingan ng mga Beterano, Pundasyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, the ceremony will be held on Monday, 10 April 2023 at Dambana ng Kagitingan, Mt. Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan.

The program will start at 8am with the Armed Forces of the Philippines facilitating the arrival honors for guests and visitors. To honor and remember our fallen heroes, the wreath-laying ceremony will be led by the President of the Philippines, His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., along with His Excellency Koshikawa Kazuhiko of the Embassy of Japan and Charge d’Affaires Ms. Heather Variava of the Embassy of the United States of America.

Bishop of Balanga, Most Rev. Ruperto C. Santos, will deliver the invocation to be followed by the tolling of the bells by Veterans Federation of the Philippines District President Ceasar Aguirre and Maria Sophia Manzano of Jose Payumo Jr. Memorial High School. This tradition, done during the yearly commemoration, is a tribute to the sacrifice willingly offered by defenders of our nation in securing the country’s freedom.

After which, the welcome remarks will be given by Bataan Governor Jose Enrique S. Garcia. An overview will also be imparted by National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chairman Dr. Emmanuel Franco Calairo to be followed by messages from Ambassador Kazuhiko, Ms. Variava and President Marcos Jr., respectively.

The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote and preserve Philippine history and heritage through research and publication, heraldry, conservation, marking of historic sites and structures, administration of national shrines and museums, and conduct of commemorative programs.

For more information, contact the Historic Sites and Education Division at NHCP tel. nos. 5335-1217 loc 126.