This week’s milestones: Dec. 15 to Dec. 21

Dec. 15, 1920

By virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 2934, Masbate was established as an independent province, officially separating from Sorsogon, where it used to be a subprovince. Masbate, one of the oldest settlements in the Philippines, is part of the Bicol region and made up of three major islands—Masbate, Ticao and Burias. The City of Masbate, the provincial capital, serves as the main commercial center and the chief seaport.

Dec. 17, 1941

Under the leadership of Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, the Citizen’s Army and the Vinzons Guerrilla—the first organized guerrilla units in the Bicol region—fought against the Japanese forces in Basud, Camarines Norte. In January 1942, his troops also fought Japanese soldiers in the municipality of Labo. On July 8, 1942, Wenceslao and his father, Gabriel Vinzons, were captured by the Japanese. A week later, on July 15, Maj. Tsuneoka Noburo, the garrison commander, tried to persuade him to support Japan’s prosperity sphere. Wenceslao refused, and, according to biographies compiled by the National Historical Institute in 1990, he said before his execution, “Nothing can make me happier than to die for my country, Major. You will die, too.” A former governor of Camarines Norte and the youngest delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention, Wenceslao’s hometown, Indan, was renamed Vinzons in his honor.

THIS WEEK’S FESTIVALS: Dec. 15 to Dec. 21

Meguyaya Festival (Dec. 15 to Dec. 22)

Meguyaya Festival is a weeklong celebration of unity and cultural diversity in the Municipality of Upi in Maguindanao del Norte. The festival, whose name means “thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest,” honors the town’s rich heritage and the harmonious coexistence of its people—the tripeople communities of the Teduray, Moro and settlers—fostering pride and a shared sense of identity. Held annually on Dec. 22, Meguyaya is a vibrant celebration that offers a diverse array of activities, blending cultural traditions with lively entertainment.

Kasag Festival (Dec. 1 to Dec. 23)

Kasag Festival celebrates the bounty of the sea as well as the rich cultural heritage of the municipality of Banate in Iloilo. With the crab as a central symbol of this wealth and cultural pride, this festival emphasizes both celebration and the shared prosperity brought by the town’s fishing industry. Beyond entertainment, the festival incorporates meaningful initiatives like a civil service registration, coastal cleanup drive and mangrove planting.

Compiled by: Nathalie Grace Adalid, and Inquirer Research. Sources: Inquirer Archives, LGU-Upi Tourism Facebook page, Municipality of Banate Culture Arts History and Tourism Office Facebook page, masbate.gov.ph, mirror.pia.gov.ph, pna.gov.ph, lguvinzons.com, dfa.gov.ph, elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph, parliament.bangsamoro.gov.ph