This year: Philippine Independence Day will be celebrated online

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 05:47 am

MANILA – June 12, 2020 will mark the 122nd Anniversary of the Philippine Independence.

Instead of the annual in-person celebration and festivities, “Araw ng Kalayaan” will go virtual and online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizer of the festivals from different part of the world will be hosting different online events throughout the month of June.

This year’s Independence Day theme is titled “Kalayaan 2020: Tungo sa Bansang Malaya, Nagbabayanihan, at Ligtas (Kalayaan 2020: Towards a Free, United, and Safe Nation.) The Independence day celebration will express the gratitude to the people who lead the fight the COVID-19 pandemic — the frontliners.

The government are also encouraging the public to continue raising flags in the homes, offices, schools and other buildings with the hashtag #RaiseOurFlag

Workers who will go on duty will get paid twice their regular daily wages although the Department of Labor (DoLE) said allows some companies to defer the payment of the holiday pay until such time that the national health emergency subsided and business operation has returned to normal. The celebrations is also expected to draw protest as several organizations are calling to junk the Anti-Terror Bill. The controversial law is now up for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature.