👫👭September's fun topic 👭👫

HiHi @PrettyBubbles

In the islands of the Philippines, the Panagbenga Festival is a month-long annual flower occasion in Baguio, Philippines and it's held on February 1. The term is of Kankanaey origin, meaning "season of blooming". The festival, held in February, was created as a tribute to the city's flowers and as a way to rise from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. The festival includes floats that are covered mostly with flowers, not unlike those used in Pasadena's Rose Parade. The festival also includes street dancing, presented by dancers clad in flower-inspired costumes, that is inspired by the Bendian, an Ibaloi dance of celebration that came from the Cordilleras.

The month-long festival starts at the first day of February, with opening activities organized by the city government and the private sector. Activities celebrated throughout the month include a landscape competition and cultural shows; street dancing and float parades during the last week of the festival draw huge crowds. After the parade, Session Road is closed for a week for the Session Road in Bloom activity which hosts a variety of stalls showcasing products locally and from other provinces.

We celebrate also the "National Heroes' Day" last month in the Philippines and it's held on August 28, 2023 (which means the last Monday of August). This national holiday honors the Filipino heroes and their contribution to the struggle for freedom. This day also commemorates the Cry of Pugad Lawin, the start of the Philippine revolution against the Spanish Empire in August 1896.

From 1896, an anti-colonial organization called the Katipunan, led by Andres Bonifacio. Bonifacio is considered the “Father of the Philippine Revolution.” During the 1890s, contemporary Jose Rizal was a writer that contributed to the rise in Filipino nationalism. His works greatly influenced Andres Bonifacio. Both men are key revolutionary figures and remembered for their contributions and sacrifices each year on National Heroes’ Day.

The journey toward Philippine independence continued, and it wasn’t until after World War II that the Philippines achieved true sovereignty. On July 4, 1946, the United States granted independence and recognized the Republic of the Philippines.