MANILA – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will commemorate the 41st Death Anniversary of Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. on 21 August 2024 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, Pasay City. The Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC), the Spirit of EDSA Foundation, the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, Inc., the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, Project Gunita, and the August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) will join NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose, Jr. in offering flowers at the monument of Senator Aquino at the NAIA Terminal 1 Departure Area.
Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. (1932-1983) was a prominent senator and political figure who served in various capacities in government from the 1950s to the 1970s. As one of the leading figures in the opposition, he was arrested shortly after the imposition of Martial Law in 1972 and spent seven years incarcerated from 1972 to 1980. He was released due to ill health and moved to the United States in 1980 to seek medical treatment. On 21 August 1983, he came home to the Philippines and was assassinated shortly after landing at the then-Manila International Airport.
His death is recognized as a watershed moment in the story of Martial Law and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines. His spouse, Corazon C. Aquino, served as the 11th President of the Philippines (1986-1992) following the peaceful 1986 People Power Revolution while his son, Benigno S. Aquino III, served as the 15th President of the Philippines (2010-2016). Republic Act No. 9256 declared 21 August of every year as Ninoy Aquino Day, a Special Non-Working Holiday, in remembrance of his heroism.
The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research, and publications, and to preserve historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures.
