A social media post of a government agency referencing the Philippine Centennial symbol earned buzz for addressing “Batang 90s” or those who grew up in the 1990s.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on Friday announced that it would begin its 100-day countdown to Independence Day on June 12.
“Kung naabutan mo ang Centennial Celebration noong 1998, para sa’yo ‘to!” it said on its Facebook and Twitter pages.
The agency also included the hashtags “#PH125” and “#MakeItHistoric” in its post.
It was accompanied by a publication material that featured the iconic Philippine Centennial logo with the slogan “KALAYAAN” and “KAYAMANAN NG BAYAN.”
“Kung naabutan mo ito, pwes, Batang 90s ka! (Mag-asawa ka na.),” NHCP said in its pubmat.
The country celebrated the Independence Day’s 100th anniversary on June 12, 1998 under the Ramos administration.
Those who were born in that year are now 25 years old or will turn 25.
On the other hand, those who are born before that are the millennials, Generation X, and the baby boomers.
It also includes Generation Z individuals born in 1997 or the year before the Philippine Centennial celebration. They are now 26 years old.
Millennials are those in the 27 to 42 years age range, while those under Generation X are 43 to 58 years old.
Baby boomers, on the other hand, are those in the 59 to 68 years age range.
Meanwhile, NHCP’s quip for “batang 90s” to get married expectedly earned reactions from some older Filipinos, including its fellow employee.
The phrase largely pertains to the millennials and Generation Z individuals born in 1997 who have spent their childhood in the 90s era.
“Aray, ah,” Kristoffer Pasion tweeted on Friday with a grinning face emoji. He is a senior history researcher at the agency.
“Anyways, see you in Kawit, Cavite. I got the privilege of moderating the NHCP press conference on this at 4:00 pm tomorrow,” he added, referring to the Independence Day countdown.
Aray ah. 😆 Anyways, see you in Kawit, Cavite. I got the privilege of moderating the NHCP press conference on this at 4:00 pm tomorrow. 🇵🇭 https://t.co/K0jkibIo1q
— Kristoffer Pasion (@indiohistorian) March 3, 2023
Here are the comments of other “batang 90s” on social media:
“May problema ka ba [sa’min], NHCP,” a Facebook user wrote in response to the post with a laughing-with-tears emoji.
“[NHCP], masyado ka mapanakit!” another online user commented with emojis of a grinning-with-sweatdrop face and a sleepy face.
“Paladesisyon ka, NHCP. Sagot mo ba ang reception?” quipped a different Pinoy with a rolling-on-the-floor laughing emoji.
“Yes, I remember that logo of [the] Philippine Centennial 1998. May uniform kami [niyan] noong Grade 6 kami,” wrote another Facebook user.
The Philippine Centennial
The celebration of the Philippine Centennial was a huge event since it commemorated the country’s 100th year of independence from Spain, its first and longest colonizers.
This was celebrated on June 12, 1998, a century since late former president Emilio Aguinaldo declared the country’s independence in Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit, Cavite).
The commemoration in 1998 was also massive since it was part of late former president Fidel Ramos‘ “Philippines 2000” program which envisioned the country as a newly industrialized nation by 2000.
As such, several initiatives were undertaken which included the launching of a logo by Edgardo Santiago, while the slogan was credited to Joachim Medroso.
The logo used colors found in the national flag and featured an image of a rising sun over a twirled red-and-blue striped ribbon forming the number “100.”
Three stars are also situated below the number, which represents the three main islands of the Philippines.
The logo reached an omnipresent status as it was displayed almost everywhere, from newscasts to posters and stickers, among others.
This year, the country will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its Independence Day.
The start of the NHCP’s 100-day countdown until June 12, 2023 is on March 4, Saturday.
