Gabriel Fabrero Fabella (March 18, 1898 – January 29, 1982) was a prominent Filipino historian during the 20th century. He is primarily known as the historian behind Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal's decision to issue Proclamation No. 28 on May 12, 1962, which changed the date of Philippine independence from July 4, 1946, to June 12, 1898 – the date when Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the country's independence from Spain in Kawit, Cavite. For this achievement, Fabella became known as the "Father of June 12 Independence Day." Fabella was also the founder and first president of the Philippine Historical Association, the pioneer professional association of historians in the Philippines. Early life and education Fabella was born in the island municipality of Banton, Romblon on March 18, 1898, to Maximo Fabella, a coconut and tobacco merchant, and Rafaela Fabrero, a housewife. He is 10th among the couple's 13 children. At the time, Banton was an isolated municipality halfway between Marinduque and the main island of Romblon. As such, he and his family grew up in abject poverty. He received elementary education at Banton Primary School and Romblon Intermediate School. To augment his monthly stipend of ₱3 to ₱4 from Banton, Fabella worked as a store helper for a local Filipino-Chinese merchant. For his secondary education, Fabella studied at Manila High School in Intramuros, Manila with the support of his brothers Apolonio and Jorge who already lived there and are working as calesa drivers. To help his brothers in sending him to school, he sold newspapers every Friday and Saturday and polished shoes at Puerta del Parian. He also helped his sister-in-law in selling food to calesa drivers in the Port Area. He finished high school in 1916. Among his high school batchmates include Julio Nalundasan and Carlos P. Romulo. Poverty forced Fabella to postpone his plan to pursue his college studies. Instead, he worked as an elementary school teacher at Capiz Intermediate School from June 1916 to March 1917. After saving enough money from his salary, he went back to Manila and enrolled at the University of the Philippines Manila. From 1917 to 1920, he completed three courses in the university: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) and High School Teachers' Certificate (HSTC). He was the first person from Banton to finish both high school and college and the first to have a triple degree. In 1931,