The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), with the support of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), will lead the commemoration of the 42nd Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. on 21 August 2025, 8:00 a.m., at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Parañaque City.
A simple and solemn wreath-laying activity will be facilitated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines with flowers being offered by Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV, NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose, Jr., Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) Chair Atty. Richard Palpal-latoc, MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines, Spirit of EDSA Foundation Commissioner Christopher Carrion, Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, Inc. Executive Director Ma. Cristina V. Rodriguez, Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF) Deputy Executive Director Francis Joseph A. Dee, August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) President Volt Bohol, Project Gunita Co-founder Karl Patrick Suyat, and Mrs. Cecille Guidote-Alvarez of the Chino Roces Foundation, NAMSERV and Earth Saver.
This program is part of a series of activities organized for the commemoration of Ninoy Aquino Day.
Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. was a leading opposition figure during the Martial Law period. After an almost decade-long period of incarceration, he went into exile in the United States to undergo urgent surgery and later rehabilitation. During his exile, he continued to champion for the rescission of Martial Law and the return of democratic rule in his homeland.
On 23 August 1983, he returned from exile and was arrested by state forces upon arrival at the then-Manila International Airport. While he was being moved into custody, he was assassinated at the tarmac of the airport which would later be renamed in his memory. His death is widely recognized as a watershed moment in the history of Martial Law in the Philippines and is often cited as one of the early manifestations of People Power after hundreds of thousands participated in his funeral procession.
In 2004, Republic Act No. 9256 proclaimed 21 August of every year as Ninoy Aquino Day which is a special nationwide non-working holiday.
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.
