Significant Events in January in Filipino History

On January 7, 1901, Major General Arthur MacArthur Jr. ordered the deportation to the island of Guam a number of politicians and leaders of the Revolution led by Filipino hero Apolinario Mabini.

The history of the Philippine Revolution is often told through the exploits of generals and the oratory of propagandists, yet the structural integrity of the first democratic experiment in Asia rested upon the shoulders of legal scholars and administrative organizers. Severino de las Alas stands as a central figure in this transition from revolutionary fervor to institutional governance. Born on January 8, 1851, in the town of Indang, Cavite, de las Alas was a man whose life mirrored the complexities of a nation seeking its identity amid the collapse of a colonial empire and the rise of a new global power. His journey from a prominent lawyer in the colonial courts to a revolutionary leader known as "Di Kilala" (Unknown) illustrates the profound shifts in the Filipino consciousness during the late 19th century.

Jaime del Carmen Laya, affectionately known as Jimmy Laya, is a distinguished Filipino whose multifaceted career spans finance, education, government service, and cultural preservation. Born on January 8, 1939, in Manila, Philippines, Laya's life is a testament to intellectual rigor, public service, and a deep commitment to Philippine arts and culture.

On January 9, 1973, a barter trade zone was established in Mindanao by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 93. Under the decree, the government allowed businessmen from the Sulu Archipelago, Balabac Islands, and Zamboanga del Sur to trade with neighboring islands and sell imported items within the region without tariff duties.

On January 9, 1945, the United States Army under General Douglas MacArthur landed at Bonuan (Blue Beach) in Lingayen, Pangasinan near Dagupan, which liberation forces fanned out without resistance to Central Luzon.

On January 10, 1903, the Board of Dental Examiners was reorganized through Public Act No. 593 entitled, “The Act of Regulating the Practice of Dentistry in the Philippine Islands.”

On January 10, 1983, President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed into law, in Malacanang, the country's first comprehensive Local Government Code (Batas Pambansa Bilang 337).

On January 11, 1940, Quirino Lizardo and his nephew Ferdinand Marcos, who won the highest honors in the 1939 bar examinations, and son of former Assemblyman Mariano Marcos, were convicted of murder of Julio Nalundasan, Assemblyman-elect in 1935. Mariano and his brother Pio were acquitted.

On January 11, 1902, Honorata "Atang" de la Rama, National Artist for theater and music, was born in Pandacan, Manila.

On January 11, 1897, the so-called "Thirteen Martyrs of Bagumbayan" were executed following their arrests after the Cry of Pugadlawin on charges of treason and sedition.