Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has officially designated August 1 as 'Araw ng Paglalathala at Pagtatanyag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas' to mark the historical declaration of Philippine Independence during the Bacoor Assembly in 1898. This declaration stems from Republic Act (RA) 12073, which was signed into law by Marcos on November 7. The act establishes a special working holiday every August 1 in recognition of the significant assembly in Bacoor, Cavite, where the Acta de Independencia was signed by then-president Emilio Aguinaldo and 200 municipal leaders, signifying the country's independence from Spanish rule. According to Philippines News Agency, the Acta de Independencia was drafted by Apolinario Mabini. Under RA 12073, cultural agencies, led by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, are tasked with promoting the historical importance of August 1 and the events surrounding the 1898 Bacoor Assembly. Additionally, the Department of Education is charged with developing lesson plans to educate students on the relevance and importance of this date. The law emphasizes the state's commitment to recognizing the crucial role of history in fostering unity, national identity, nationalism, and nation-building. It mandates that historical dates and events be preserved, promoted, popularized, and made accessible to the public as part of the nation's heritage. In related legislation, President Marcos also signed RA 12067, declaring February 24 as 'Araw ng Sibugay,' a special working holiday in Zamboanga Sibugay province to commemorate its foundation day. The Official Gazette's website published copies of RAs 12073 and 12067 on Wednesday. These new laws will take effect 15 days after their publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.