07/20/2026
Recent posts on the celebration of 20 de Julio in Infanta brought to mind a piece the late Ambassador Rodolfo A. Arizala wrote about this pivotal date in our town’s history.
With the Philippines 14 hours ahead of Mountain Daylight Time, Infanta has already marked the occasion this year under Mayor L.A. Ruanto. The street that bears the name 20 de Julio remains one of the main thoroughfares in the poblacion—a daily reminder of the milestone it commemorates.
It feels fitting, then, to share Ambassador Arizala’s article today. The late former ambassador to Chile captured both the history and the spirit behind the name:
20 de Julio
By Rudy Arizala
Every Infantahin knows there is a street in Infanta, Quezon called “20 de Julio” — the street where our family home stands. But very few know or remember why it was named “20 de Julio.” It holds deep historical significance for the people of Infanta.
On 20 July 1898, local Katipuneros led by Col. Pablo Astilla liberated the town from Spanish soldiers and authorities. After a days-long siege of the old stone convento, where the Spanish troops had made their last stand, the weary and hungry defenders surrendered to the local Katipuneros on 20 July 1898.
When the early Irish and American Carmelite fathers were building St. Mark Cathedral, they uncovered a coconut shell filled with grains of corn buried in one of the old thick stone walls. What was it doing there? It was likely part of a mason’s meal, inadvertently sealed into the wall as construction progressed.
I recall hearing from one of the veteranos de la Revolucion that our Katipuneros used bundles of bamboo poles, bound with rattan, as mobile trenches. They could advance by rolling the bundles forward, or retreat by rolling them back.
There was a time when Infanta celebrated its town fiesta on 20 July. Later, to foster cooperation between Church and State and to reduce local holidays, municipal officials agreed to move the town fiesta to April 25, the Feast of St. Mark, Infanta’s patron saint.
So while 20 de Julio is no longer our fiesta date, it is still remembered as the day our town was liberated from Spanish rule by local Katipuneros. Its patriotic and historical significance endures.
