Aguinaldo

Aguinaldo is a surname of Spanish origin. Its most prominent bearer is Emilio Aguinaldo (1869–1964), a Filipino revolutionary leader who became the first President of the Philippines, serving as head of state of the First Philippine Republic from 1899 to 1901. Aguinaldo played a central role in the Philippine struggle against Spanish colonial rule and in the early years of the country’s republican era.

In the Philippines, aguinaldo also refers to a year-end bonus paid to workers, commonly known as the 13th-month pay. Under Philippine labor law, employees are entitled to a 13th-month pay, a form of aguinaldo that is typically disbursed in December and widely observed nationwide.

The term aguinaldo derives from the Spanish word for a Christmas gift or bonus. In Spanish-speaking cultures, aguinaldo can denote a Christmas gift, a gratuity, or, in some contexts, Christmas carols known as aguinaldos. The usage varies by country, but the core sense involves a customary gesture of giving during the Christmas season.

Overall, Aguinaldo encompasses a surname associated with a key historical figure in the Philippines, as well as a cultural term used to describe year-end gifts or bonuses in several Spanish-speaking and Filipino contexts.