NHCP corrects Juan Luna's birthdate to October 25, 1857

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on Monday said it has rectified the birthdate of painter Juan Luna to October 25, 1857.

In a statement, the NHCP said Luna's baptismal record in Badoc Church states that Luna was three days old when he was baptized on October 27, 1857.

""During the conventions of the era, the day of birth was already regarded as the first day of birth of an individual. Based on the findings of the NHCP, Luna was born on 25 October 1857, as opposed to 23 or 24 October 1857," the NHCP said.

In its Resolution No. 18, the NHCP said Luna had declared in his marriage certificate found in Deed No. 342 of the 1806 Manage Register in Les Archives de Paris that he was born on October 24, 1857.

The NHCP cited "fallibility of memory" in correcting Luna's birthday.

"As a matter of historical methodology, the NHCP acknowledges the baptismal record as a tool for ascertaining one's date of birth before the introduction of the birth certificate in the 20th century, along with the nuance of reading it," the resolution read.

"Thus, hereby acknowledges the date 25 October 1857 as the date of birth of Luna, rather than the hero's claim about his date of birth in his marriage certificate on 7 December 1886, considering the fallibility of memory," it added.

Due to this, the historical markers, commemoration, publication, galleries, and other publicly issued items by the NHCP will be changed with Luna's corrected birth date. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News