Happy Independence Day to the Philippines! Saturday, June 12, 2021, is Philippines Independence Day, or as locals call it, “Araw ng Kasarinlan” (“Day of Freedom”). This annual national holiday honors Philippine independence from Spain in 1898. On June 12, 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo raised the Philippines flag for the first time and declared this date as Philippines Independence Day. Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, and Delfina Herbosa designed the flag of the Philippines, which is famous for its golden sun with eight rays. The rays symbolize the first eight Philippine provinces that fought against Spanish colonial rule. After General Aguinaldo raised the flag, the San Francisco de Malabon marching band played the Philippines national anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” for the first time. Spain, which had ruled the Philippines since 1565, didn’t recognize General Aguinaldo’s declaration of independence. But at the end of the Spanish-American War in May 1898, Spain surrendered and gave the U.S. control of the Philippines. In 1946, the American government wanted the Philippines to become a U.S. state like Hawaii, but the Philippines became an independent country. The U.S. granted sovereignty to the Philippines on July 4, 1968, through the Treaty of Manila. Filipinos originally celebrated Independence Day on July 4, the same date as Independence Day in the U.S. In 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal changed the date to June 12 to commemorate the end of Spanish rule in the country. This year marks 123 years of the Philippines’ independence from Spanish rule. In 2020, many Filipinos celebrated Independence Day online because of social distancing restrictions. This year, more people will enjoy Pinoy dishes with family and friends or attend a festival or parade. Others will don vibrant Filipino costumes, entertain one another with a folk dance, sing a rendition of the Philippine National anthem, and enjoy an afternoon tea of popular Filipino delicacies like pansit (noodles with vegetables), puto (steamed rice cake) and maja blanca (coconut pudding). A few Influential Filipino & Filipina People: Cristeta Comerford - First Asian American (Filipina) and first female White House Executive Chef. First lady Laura Bush appointed Comerford in 2005 as the White House executive chef. Rhoel Dinglasan, PhD, MPH, MPhil - Dr. Dinglasan received his PhD from the University of MD, School of Medicine in Microbiology & Immunology and was a professor at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in MD. Dr. Dinglasan currently is a full Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida (UF). Dr. Dinglasan’s primary area of expertise is the development of a vaccine for malaria. In this work, he created a saliva test that shows if a person has malaria before the manifestation of symptoms. In addition, Dr. Dinglasan’s lab developed the COVID test, CLIP-CAM, that attaches to a phone and tests the person for symptoms of COVID-19 as well as anemia, and malaria. Pedro Flores – Filipino businessman responsible for popularizing yo-yos in the United States. The badalore is a children’s toy that had been played with for hundreds of years in the Philippines. Flores brought this toy to the United States in 1929, opening the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California. Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino popularly known as Cory Aquino, was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th President of the Philippines, the first woman to hold that office. Corazon Aquino was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People Power Revolution, which ended the 20-year rule of President Ferdinand Marcos and led to the establishment of the current democratic Fifth Philippine Republic. Pedro Flores – Filipino businessman responsible for popularizing yo-yos in the United States. The badalore is a children’s toy that had been played with for hundreds of years in the Philippines. Flores brought this toy to the United States in 1929, opening the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California. How to Make a Yo-Yo Using Bottle Caps 1. 2 Plastic Caps 2. Small Screw 3. Hot Glue 4. Strong String https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkvUo9Q4CeU Directions: Make holes in the centers of 2 larger same sized bottle caps. Place a thick, folded towel or a piece of scrap wood on a tabletop. Set a bottle cap flat-side-down on the towel or wood, then place a 1 1⁄2 in (3.8 cm) #4 (3 mm) pointed screw in the center of the cap. Hold the cap tightly, and turn the screw clockwise with a screwdriver to drill it through the plastic. · After drilling the hole, turn the screw counterclockwise to remove it from the first bottle cap. Then repeat the steps on the second cap. · The towel or wood will keep the screw from scratching your tabletop. Drive the screw through one of the bottle caps. After drilling the holes, insert the screw into the hollow end of the cap that twists onto a bottle. Turn the screw clockwise to drive it through the hole in the bottle cap. · The screw’s point should be coming out of the flat top of the bottle cap. Slide a 1⁄4 in (0.64 cm) #4 nylon spacer over the screw to make a bearing. Place an unthreaded spacer onto the pointy end of the screw on the flat side of the bottle cap. You can find nylon spacers at hardware or home improvement stores. Go with a #4 spacer to fit your screw's gauge. · Note that your screw needs to be long enough to hold the spacer with at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of length leftover to secure the bottle caps. A 1 1⁄2 in (3.8 cm) screw should do the trick. · A bearing makes it easier for the yo-yo to spin, but you can skip this step if you don’t have a spacer that fits your screw. Tie cotton yarn or a store-bought yo-yo string to the bearing. If you go with a store-bought yo-yo string, simply slide its looped end onto the spacer. Alternatively, loosely tie an end of a cotton string to the spacer. Make a slip knot on the other end of the string to fit around your finger. · If you’re making your own string, cut it so it’s about the length between your belly button and the floor. · Tie the string right onto the screw if you’re not using a spacer. Connect the bottle caps so their tops face each other. Line up the pointy end of the screw with the hole in the center of the second bottle cap. Position the cap so its flat side faces the screw. Then turn the screw clockwise to drive it into the bottle cap.[6] · Drive the screw through the caps tightly enough to hold them in place, but make sure the spacer can still rotate. · Once you’ve finished making the yo-yo’s main structure, it’s time to personalize it with unique decorations. Decorating your yo-yo. Fill in the bottle caps with hot glue. Add glue to the empty end of one bottle cap, let it cool for 2 or 3 minutes, then fill in the other side. Do your best to keep the glue level with the rims of the bottle caps. To keep the weight even, try to squeeze equal amounts of glue into each bottle cap. · Running a metal putty knife over the surface can help you level the glue with the caps' rims. To remove glue from the knife, allow it dry completely, peel it off, then wipe away residue with rubbing alcohol. · The extra weight of the glue will help the yo-yo work better. Trace the side of the yo-yo onto colorful paper to make cutouts. After letting the glue cool for a few minutes, place the yo-yo on its side over a piece of paper with a cool design. You could use construction paper, a magazine, a drawing, or an image printed off of the internet. Trace the side of the yo-yo (the bottle caps’ circumference) onto the paper, then cut out the circle you’ve traced. · Repeat the steps to trace and cut out another circle. You’ll use the 2 circles to decorate the sides of the yo-yo. Stick the cutouts to clear plastic with double-sided tape. Place the cutouts design-side-down on strips of transparent tape. Then cut around the circles to get rid of excess tape. Peel off the tape’s backing to expose the sticky surface, then place the cutouts on pieces of sturdy clear plastic. · You could use clear plastic lids or thick plastic freezer bags. Trim excess plastic after you’ve stuck the circles to the pieces. The plastic backings will help protect the cutouts from wear and tear. Attach the circles to the sides of the yo-yo. Stick the circles design-side-up to strips of double-sided tape, then trim off excess. Finally, peel off the tape’s backing, and stick a circle on each side of the yo-yo to add flair. · That’s all there is to it! Enjoy your new yo-yo! .