By Pearl Gumapos
For many years, Filipinos have celebrated Mother’s Day and Father’s Day on their internationally designated dates — the second Sunday of May and the third Sunday of June, respectively.
But they weren’t always celebrated during those dates.
Originally, Filipinos celebrated Mother’s Day on the first Monday of December. In 1921, the Ilocos Norte Federation of Women’s Clubs appealed to American Governor-General Charles Yeater to declare the first Monday of December ‘Mother’s Day’ to honor these fabulous women.
Yeater issued Circular No. 33 which designated the first Monday of every December as Mother’s Day.
On this day, school children would place pink cadena de amor or carnations on their chests, while school children who no longer had mothers placed white cadena de amor on their chests.
Appropriate programs were held all over the country in honor of mothers, and husbands gave gifts to their wives.
When the Philippine Commonwealth Government was established, President Manuel Quezon issued a presidential proclamation perpetuating this practice.
In 1980, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2037, declaring December’s first Sunday as Father’s Day and the first Monday as Mother’s Day.
During President Corazon Aquino’s term, the holiday was moved to the first Monday of May.
Her Proclamation No. 266 declared every second Sunday of May as Araw ng mga Ina or Mother’s Day, and the third Sunday of June as Araw ng mga Ama or Father’s Day in the Philippines. This proclamation superseded that of Marcos.
The change in the dates brought the Philippine celebrations in line with that of the international observances.
According to Aquino’s proclamation, “it is only fitting and proper to dedicate certain days of the year to confer tribute to the important role of the Filipino mothers and fathers in instilling and fostering love, respect, discipline, industry, and enterprise within their home and the community where they belong, and to further manifest the ideals and virtues of good parenthood.”
However, what most Filipinos don’t know is that during President Joseph Estrada’s term, he amended Aquino’s proclamation with Proclamation No. 58 which moved the celebration of Mother’s and Father’s Day back to the first Monday of December.
This proclamation harks back to the tradition set in 1921; however, this was a joint celebration of both fathers and mothers.
But whatever the date, there is always the need to properly celebrate our cherished parents and show them our appreciation for their hard work and care for the family. – jlo
