About this Holiday
Ninoy Aquino Day commemorates the assassination of Senator Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. on August 21, 1983, shot at Manila International Airport upon his return from exile in the United States. His death became a powerful catalyst for a broad coalition against the Marcos dictatorship, ultimately leading to the peaceful People Power Revolution in February 1986. Ninoy Aquino is revered as a national hero, and his enduring words — 'The Filipino is worth dying for' — became a rallying cry for democracy and freedom in the Philippines.