This Week’s Milestones: April 25 to May 1, 2021

Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Bauang La Union facebook page

April 25, 1587

The Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church in Bauang town in La Union province was established by the Augustinian missionaries. One of its focal points is the San Pedro Bell, which was originally installed in the belfry in 1883 and was taken to the United States by American troops in 1901. It had been kept at the Most Holy Trinity chapel United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York, for years. In May 2016, the 378-kilogram bell was shipped back to the Philippines and was finally brought back to the church in Bauang with the help of an American war veteran.

April 26, 1945

The city of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental province was liberated from the Japanese Imperial Army. American forces successfully landed in Dumaguete and Filipino guerrillas held back the Japanese, who were heavily concentrated in the Southern part of Negros. This forced the Japanese troops to retreat to remote areas before they were finally captured by the Americans.

April 26, 2011

The creation of a 4-hectare agro-industrial economic zone in Negros Oriental was approved by former President Benigno Aquino III through Proclamation No. 156. Known as the Valencia Special Economic Zone, it is located in Barangay Palinpinon in Valencia town. It is the first agro-industrial economic zone in the province and is run by the local government. The Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies Inc. was its first locator approved by the Philippine Economic Zone.

April 30, 1995

The 800-hectare Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) was inaugurated by then President Fidel Ramos. Located within the Subic Bay Freeport, the airport was described then as the country’s most modern because of its state-of-the-art navigational equipment. It was seen to transform Subic into an international trade center, following the closure of American bases in 1992. But it has yet to become a major aviation hub, after the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority initiated a modernization plan in 2019. SBIA hosts flying schools, firms involved in aircraft maintenance and repair, as well as visiting armed forces.

Canceled events

Due to the national public health emergency in relation to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Liliw Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival in Liliw, Laguna; the Katubhan Festival in Medellin, Cebu; and the Hinugyaw sa Hinigaran in Negros Occidental province, scheduled between April 25 and May 1, have been canceled by the local governments concerned. Meanwhile, most of the activities for the Bangus Festival in Dagupan City, Pangasinan province, will be held online.

Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research

Sources: Inquirer Archives, officialgazette.gov.ph, pvao.gov.ph, bauangtgis.gov.ph, dumaguetecity.gov.ph