Significant Events in September in Filipino History
On September 21, 1945, Ruthlane Uy Asmundson (née Uy), the first female Filipino migrant to be elected into the position of mayor in an American city, was born in Gamu, Isabela, Philippines. Ruthlane served as mayor of the City of Davis, California from 2004 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2010.
On September 21, 1974, President Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 557, declaring Barrios all over the country as Barangays, reviving the name which existed as the basic political unit of our forebears even before the arrival of the Spaniards, until its renaming by the Americans in the 19th century, to the Barrio.
On September 21, 1949, Ambassador Carlos P. Romulo as head of the Philippine delegation to the United Nations (UN) was elected President of fourth General Assembly. Romulo received the votes of the representatives of all 59 nations except those of Russia and its satellite states which give 5 votes to the Czech Foreign Minister and the vote from Yugoslavia being declared invalid.
General Order No. 1, s. 1972 was signed on September 22, 1972, by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. This order was issued in the wake of the declaration of martial law under Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972. It gave himself extraordinary powers to restore stability and suppress subversive activities in response to lawlessness and threats to political stability.
Dr. Juan Sanchez Salcedo Jr. was a Filipino physician, scientist, and public servant whose groundbreaking work in nutrition and public health transformed the lives of countless Filipinos. Recognized as the first National Scientist of the Philippines in 1978, Salcedo's career was marked by his unwavering commitment to addressing the country's health crises through scientific innovation and policy reform. His most notable achievement, the Bataan Rice Enrichment Project, virtually eradicated beriberi in the Philippines, cementing his legacy as a medical statesman and advocate for public welfare.