Significant Events in December in Filipino History

On December 20, 1907, Decoroso Rosales who was one of Samar's post-war political elites was born in Calbago, Calbayog, Samar. He was the son of Basilio Rosales and Aqueda Ras.

(MV Doña Paz at Tacloban City in 1984)

On December 20, 1987, the MV Doña Paz sank after colliding with oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait, between the islands of Mindoro and Marinduque, killing more than 4,300 people. A total of 26 passengers and crew survived. It was traveling from Tacloban City in Leyte island to Manila.

On December 21, 1888, Tomas Bautista Mapua, a Filipino architect, educator and businessman, founder and first president of the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), was born in Binondo, Manila to Juan Mapua and Justina Bautista.

(Major Ferdinand Edralin Marcos at war’s end in 1946, wearing three medals awarded by the United States. These medals are the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and Purple Heart.)

On December 21, 1963, Senator Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, at the celebration of the Armed Forces Day in Camp Murphy (present day Camp Aguinaldo), received 10 medals for his bravery, distinguished conduct, wounds, etc., awarded him in the past years but never formally presented.

On December 21, 1581, the Manila Cathedral - formally known as the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception - was officially established, marking a pivotal moment in the Philippines' religious and colonial history. This foundational event, authorized by a papal bull from Pope Gregory XIII, elevated Manila from a modest settlement to a key spiritual center under Spanish rule. More than just a church, it symbolized the intertwining of faith and governance in the newly colonized archipelago, setting the stage for centuries of Catholic influence.

José de la Cruz, better known as "Huseng Sisiw", was a prominent Tagalog poet and dramatist who later mentored Francisco Balagtas. Revered in his era as the Hari ng mga Makata (King of the Poets), he played a pivotal role in shaping early Tagalog literature under Spanish colonial rule.

On December 22, 1874, Flaviano Yengko, one of the unsung heroes and one of the youngest generals of the Philippine Revolution, hero of he Battle of Salitran (also known as Battle of Pasong Santol), was born in Tondo, Manila.

On December 22, 1856, Fr. Jose Algue, meteorologist, inventor, internationally renowned scientist, and a member of the Jesuit mission to the Philippines, was born in Manresa, Spain

On December 22, 1896, Dr. Francisco Fronda, the so-called "Father of Poultry Science in the Philippines" for his contributions in the improvement of methods of production of local poultry and livestock, was born in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija.

On December 23, 1895, Victorio Edades dubbed as the "Father of Modern Art in the Philippines" and named National Artist in 1976, was born in Dagupan, Pangasinan.