Ninoy Aquino Day – 21. 8.

This Saturday, on August 21st, the Philippines will celebrate the “Ninoy Aquino Day.” It is an annual national holiday commemorating the sad event of Philippine history, the assassination of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. 

Ninoy was a politician, senator and opposition critic of President Marcos, for which he was sent to prison for eight years. Ninoy was the husband of Corazon Aquino, who later became president of the Philippines. His only son was the this year sadly deceased Benigno Aquino III, who was also President of the Philippines. An international airport in the capital of the Philippines, Manila, was named in Ninoy‘s honor. 

The murder of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino on 25th February 1986 led to subsequent revolutionary demonstrations by the Filipino people and thus the collapse of the government of Ferdinand Marcos. 

This holiday is not a typical Philippine national holiday, but is defined as a so-called special non-working holiday.