Important historical occurrences in the Philippines in March

March 1, 1888, marks the date when some native Filipinos and mestizos delivered a petition calling for the expulsion of the friars.

A letter of petition calling for the immediate expulsion of the friars of the religious orders and of the Archbishop—whom they deemed unworthy to hold the Primacy of the Islands—was presented to Jose Centeno's official residence on March 1, 1888, by a group of native Filipinos and mestizos.

The protest was claimed to have been inspired by Centeno, an anti-clerical who served as Manila's interim civil governor and is a mining engineer. 

https://www.calubian.com/p/importanthistoricaloccurrencesinthephil.html