Relinquished 1897 | Adopted 1896 | |
Lyrics Julio Nakpil, 1896Original Tagalog lyrics | ||
The Marangál na Dalit ng̃ Katagalugan (English title: Noble Hymn of the Tagalog Nation) was the historic national anthem of the Tagalog Republic and is considered the first national anthem of the Philippines. It was later titled Salve Patria ("Hail, Fatherland"). Julio Nakpil composed the anthem in November 1896 during the Philippine Revolution.
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History
The piece was composed by Nakpil upon request of Andres Bonifacio to celebrate the founding of the Katipunan. It first played in the vicinity of Balara in November 1896. While the hymn was originally intended only for the Katipunan, it eventually became the anthem for the Tagalog Republic. in 1903, Nakpil reworked his “Marangal na Dalit” as tribute to Jose Rizal under the title “Salve, Patria,” but the only surviving copies of the original score were destroyed in 1945, during the Battle of Manila (1945). The current version was reconstructed by Nakpil from memory when he was in his eighties.
Abandonment
When General Emilio Aguinaldo assumed control as President in 1897, the anthem was replaced with Lupang Hinirang, which was composed in 1898 by Julián Felipe. It is still the national anthem of the Philippines, and was legally defined as such in 1998.