MANILA—For years now, the Philippine Independence Day celebration has not be complete without #rp612fic entries flooding the Philippine Twitterverse.
The hashtag, which means "Republic of the Philippines June 12 fiction," dates back to 2009 when comics writer and editor Paolo Chikiamco created it as a venue for Filipino writers to share flash fiction tweets featuring alternative histories. A dozen years later, it has become an online tradition every June 12.
A quick search on #rp612fic will lead readers to a collection of photos and videos in which Filipinos share alternative historical narratives marrying the past with the present.
Some entries depict present-day personalities as historical figures, while others offer a historical spin on pop-culture references.
While these do not mirror the hard facts about our history, #rp612fic entries certainly reflect creativity and wit.
Here are some of the best entries for this year's Araw ng Kalayaan -- From a reimagined Battle of Mactan, Catriona Gray as Tandang Sora, to a dance interpretation of the arrival of Christianity in the country.
From the archives: