1944 in the Philippines

• President:
  • Manuel Quezon (Nacionalista Party) (until August 1)
  • Sergio Osmeña (Nacionalista Party) (starting August 1)
• Vice President:
  • Sergio Osmeña (Nacionalista Party) (until August 1)
  • vacant (starting August 1)
• Chief Justice: José Yulo
• Philippine National Assembly: National Assembly (until February 2)

• President: José P. Laurel
• Prime Minister: Jorge B. Vargas
• Vice President: Benigno Aquino, Sr.
• Chief Justice: José Yulo

• January 8 – World War II: Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Commonwealth Army, Philippine Constabulary and the USAFIP-NL units enter the province of Ilocos Sur in northern Luzon and attack Japanese forces.

• August 1 – Sergio Osmena assumes the Office of the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines after the death of Manuel Quezon.

• September 18 – Filipino forces under the 9th Samar Company of the Philippine Constabulary were ambushed at Barrio Cansumangkay in Balangiga, Samar and attack Japanese Imperial forces.
• September 21 – US forces raids Manila.
• September 26 – Tomoyuki Yamashita appointed as Japanese Military Governor (1944–1945).

• October 20:
  • General MacArthur lands in Palo, Leyte, accompanied by President Sergio Osmena and US troops.^[1]
  • American forces land on the beaches in Dulag, Leyte, the Philippines, accompanied by Filipino troops entering the town, and fiercely opposed by the Japanese occupation forces. The combined forces liberate Tacloban.
• October 23 – The Commonwealth government of the Philippines is re-established in Tacloban, Leyte.
• October 25 – The USS Samuel B Roberts ship goes down during a battle off the central island of Samar.^[2]

• December 8 – Pro-Japanese Philippine generals Pio Duran and Benigno Ramos organize the Makapilis.

As per Act No. 2711 section 29,^[3] issued on March 10, 1917, any legal holiday of fixed date falls on Sunday, the next succeeding day shall be observed as legal holiday. Sundays are also considered legal religious holidays. Bonifacio Day was added through Philippine Legislature Act No. 2946. It was signed by then-Governor General Francis Burton Harrison in 1921.^[4] On October 28, 1931, the Act No. 3827 was approved declaring the last Sunday of August as National Heroes Day.^[5]

• January 1 – New Year's Day
• February 22 – Legal Holiday
• April 6 – Maundy Thursday
• April 7 – Good Friday
• May 1 – Labor Day
• July 4 – Philippine Republic Day
• August 13 – Legal Holiday
• August 27 – National Heroes Day
• November 23 – Thanksgiving Day
• November 30 – Bonifacio Day
• December 25 – Christmas Day
• December 30 – Rizal Day