Filipino-American Friendship Day – July 4, 2026

Expected Filipino-American Friendship Day Deals

For Filipino-American Friendship Day, the focus shifts from commercial deals to cultural awareness and community engagement. Organizations like the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) often host educational events and discussions. Businesses with ties to the Filipino community, such as Jollibee and Goldilocks Bakeshop, may offer special promotions or host cultural performances. Remittance services like Western Union often see increased activity as families connect across borders. Look for local Filipino community centers and cultural groups to announce events celebrating the shared heritage and friendship. We will update this page with confirmed live events as July approaches.

History of Filipino-American Friendship Day

The celebration of Filipino-American Friendship Day follows more than 100 years of shared history between the two nations. The beginning of a good relationship between the two countries could be said to have started in 1946 when the Philippines gained their complete independence from the U.S. To show appreciation for the assistance offered to them when Japan attacked, the Philippines’ government designated July 4 as Independence Day. It is also Filipino-American Friendship Day. The country had previously obtained independence from Spain years back.

Subsequently, the Independence Day celebration was moved to July 12 by President Diosdado Macapagal, and Philippines Republic Day was arranged to be the new July 4 holiday. Rightly, Republic Day is another name for Filipino-American Friendship Day. And so, we can say that the celebration of the day unofficially began at that time. With a charge toward solidifying the relationship between Filipinos and Americans, President Ramon Magsaysay issued a proclamation, establishing the celebration of Philippine American Day in 1955. And in 1984, under the rule of President Ferdinand Marcos, July 4 was designated as a non-working holiday to celebrate Filipino-American Friendship Day. For this, we can say that the first official celebration of Filipino-American Friendship Day under the name it is known began in 1984.

The overthrow of President Marcos led to the ascension of the Philippines’ first female president, President Corazón C. Aquino in 1987. The non-working holiday status of the day was abolished. A list of special and regular holidays was released under the Administrative Code of 1987 and did not include July 4. Notwithstanding, the relationship between the Philippines and the U.S. remains good. For example, basketball was introduced into the country during its American occupation and today the country boasts of having Asia’s first basketball league, which is also the second oldest in the world after the American N.B.A.