THIS WEEK’S MILESTONES: May 26 to June 1

May 28, 1898

Filipino revolutionary forces led by Emilio Aguinaldo won their first victory in the renewed fight against Spain known as the Battle of Alapan.

Held in the small barrio of Alapan at Imus City in Cavite province, the battle was the continuation of the hostilities against Spain in 1896 to 1897 and the start of the revolution in Cavite.

The Philippine flag, supposedly designed by Aguinaldo while in exile in Hong Kong, was first seen and waved to celebrate the historic win.

The triumph in Alapan was followed by victories in Kawit town and Bacoor City in Cavite.

May 28, 2009

Local chief executives of one city and 68 municipalities in 17 provinces signed a memorandum of agreement for the inclusion in the expansion areas of the government’s conditional cash transfer program called the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Among the provinces included in the expansion areas are Sorsogon, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Palawan, Masbate, Aklan, Samar, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Sulu.

Beneficiaries from these areas started getting their grants in June 2009. The 4Ps program was started in 2007 as a pilot project covering seven provinces and two cities in Metro Manila, Pasay and Caloocan.

It is aimed at encouraging very poor families to keep their children in school and take them to health centers regularly in exchange for a monthly cash allowance.

Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research