It’s that time of the year again.
Filipinos are once again drawing inspiration from current events and other happenings for their annual “#RP612FIC” entries this 128th Independence Day.
The hashtag is an annual trend that some social media users participate in every Independence Day to celebrate the holiday marking the country’s freedom from colonizers.
The “RP” in the hashtag stands for “Republic of the Philippines,” while “612” refers to June 12, with June being the sixth month of the year. “FIC,” meanwhile, stands for “fiction.”
The trend, which started in 2009, began as an alternative way of telling history by artists and writers who post their pieces on X (formerly Twitter).
It later evolved, with social media users uploading contemporary posts and images with captions referencing fictionalized interpretations and retellings of historical moments, particularly during the Spanish Colonial Era.
This year, several online users drew inspiration from Senate-related as they take part in the annual trend.
“Unseen footage of Padre Damaso sharing his disappointment after getting only the neck part of his beloved chicken tinola circa 1887 #rp612fic #rp612,” a Filipino wrote, referring to a character in Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” novel.
The clip showed Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa appearing at the Senate Plenary Hall after running inside the building when agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) attempted to serve him a warrant issued the International Criminal Court.
Dela Rosa is tagged as a “co-perpetrator” in the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs” campaign, which was spearheaded by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Unseen footage of Padre Damaso sharing his disappointment after getting only the neck part of his beloved chicken tinola circa 1887 #rp612fic #rp612 pic.twitter.com/YNXgYf2v06
— Ching (@Chess_mosa) June 11, 2026
Another X user shared CCTV footage of Dela Rosa running up the fire exit stairs inside the Senate building and wrote: “Fall of Bataan, 1942 #RP612fic.”
At one point, the senator tripped as he ran to evade the NBI agents attempting to serve him the warrant.
The “Fall of Bataan” refers to a moment in history when Filipino and American troops surrendered to the Japanese forces in World War II. The Philippines was among the last counties in Southeast Asia to fall to Japanese occupation.
Fall of Bataan, 1942#RP612fic pic.twitter.com/0n1EQevkTR
— Daryll of Woods Beyond (@_badboysupreme) June 12, 2026
“Follow The Trend Movement” (FTTM), a pop culture-oriented page, also used Senate-related events as entries in the annual tradition.
Another X user used P-pop girl group BINI‘s historic performance at Coachella as an entry.
“The eight provinces banding together to revolt against the Spanish colonizers (colorized, 1896) #rp612fic,” the X user wrote.
Last April, BINI made history as the first Filipino girl group to perform at the Coachella music and arts festival in the United States.
The eight provinces banding together to revolt against the Spanish colonizers (colorized, 1896) #rp612fic pic.twitter.com/KRZK8F2ryI
— Eunice (@ebbandflowph) June 12, 2026
Another X user joked that some famous drinks among Pinoys appear to reflect the country’s “colonial history.”
“Favorite drinks: Americano, Spanish Latte, Iced Matcha,” one user wrote on Threads.
The X user commented: “A summary of the Philippines’ colonial history #rp612fic”
A summary of the Philippines’ colonial history #rp612fic pic.twitter.com/KTB2xwxzB0
— nicholai (@2AMevermore) June 11, 2026
The Philippines was colonized by Spain, the United States and Japan.
Meanwhile, Independence Day commemorates Filipinos’ struggle for freedom from Spanish colonial rule, which lasted for more than three centuries.
Spain began colonizing the Philippines in 1565, when Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in Cebu and established the first permanent Spanish settlement, before later transferring the seat of government to Manila in 1571.