The Significance of July 4: A Shared Legacy Between the Philippines and the United States

By:

While July 4 marks American independence, it’s also the date the Philippines gained its own sovereignty in 1946.

🇺🇸🇵🇭 For Filipino-Americans, this day carries a powerful dual meaning: freedom and friendship across the Pacific.

While July 4 is widely known as Independence Day in the United States, it also holds profound meaning for Filipinos—especially those of us living in America.

On July 4, 1946, the United States officially recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines—marking the end of nearly 50 years of American colonial rule. For decades, this date was observed in the Philippines as Independence Day, and later as Philippine-American Friendship Day.

Today, while Filipinos commemorate our June 12 independence from Spain, July 4 remains significant—especially among Filipino-Americans. It symbolizes a shared legacy of freedom, resilience, and transpacific ties. It’s a day that reminds us how far we've come—and how far we can go together.

Whether you’re celebrating in California, Chicago, Hawaii, or Washington D.C., take a moment to reflect on the courage of those who fought for independence in both nations. Let’s honor our shared history by shaping a future that continues to celebrate both liberty and identity.

“A nation that forgets its past is a nation with no future.”
— Jose Rizal

📣 Calling All Filipino-Americans 🇵🇭

Whether you're a first-generation immigrant who journeyed here from the Philippines, a second-generation Filipino-American born and raised in the U.S., or like me—a 1.5‑generation Filipino—you belong here. PinoyBuilt is a space for all of us to celebrate our roots, share our stories, and build community.

🌟 Words That Inspire

“I’m Olivia Rodrigo. I’m a Filipina, I’m a lumpia fan, I’m a daughter, a granddaughter and a great‑granddaughter.”
— Olivia Rodrigo

“I wanna say proud Pinoy ako, my Tagalog isn't so good, but I'm working on it.”
— Olivia Rodrigo

🤝 Join the Conversation 🇵🇭🇺🇸

Here at PinoyBuilt, we draw strength from our shared heritage—no matter which “generation” we are. Share your traditions, recipes, language-learning journey, or just your day-to-day experiences. Let’s uplift each other and keep our Filipino spirit thriving across generations.

Sharing is easy:
✉️ Email your story and/or photo to info@pinoybuilt.com
📱 Write from your phone or desktop
🤖 Use tools like ChatGPT to help shape your story!
🌐 Or submit at pinoybuilt.com/p/share-your-story.html

📤 Share Your Story

📲 Follow & Tag Us:

💬 Instagram: @PinoyBuilt
🧵 Threads: @PinoyBuilt
👍 Facebook: @PinoyBuilt
🐦 Twitter/X: @PinoyBuilt
▶️ YouTube: @PinoyBuilt
🌐 Website: PinoyBuilt.com

#FilAm #FourthOfJuly #PhilippineIndependence #PinoyPride #FilipinoAmericanHistory #PinoyBuilt #SharedLegacy 🇺🇸🇵🇭