level. As English- and American-influenced pop culture increased, the use of Spanish in all aspects gradually declined. In 1962, Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal decreed that the Philippines would mark independence day on June 12, instead of July 4, when the country gained complete independence from the United States. This reflected a tendency to paint Spain as the villain and the United States as a more benevolent colonial power. Spanish language and culture were demonized again. In 1973, Spanish briefly lost its status as an official language of the Philippines, was quickly redesignated as an official language, and finally lost its official status by the ratification of a subsequent constitution in 1987. 21st-century developments The 21st century has seen a small revival of interest in the language among select circles, with the numbers of those studying it formally at college or taking private courses rising markedly in recent years. A great portion of Spanish learners in the Philippines are in the social sciences, as until recently, many land titles, contracts, newspapers, and literature were still written in Spanish. Some Hispanista groups have even proposed making Spanish a compulsory subject again in school or having it used in administration, although the idea is highly unpopular among the general public. Under the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, relations between Spain and the Philippines strengthened. Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day was established to commemorate the cultural and historical ties, friendship, and co-operation between the Philippines and Spain. Additionally, the Department of Education reintroduced Spanish as an elective course in secondary schools in 2008. During her visit to the Philippines in July 2012, Queen Sofía of Spain expressed her support for the Spanish language to be revived in Philippine schools, with 24 high school across the country offering the language as a subject. In September 2012, an agreement was made between the Philippine and Chilean governments to train Filipino schoolteachers in Spanish while in exchange, the Philippines would help train Chilean schoolteachers in English. Current status Since the independence of the Philippines from Spain in 1898, the local variety of Spanish has lost most of its speakers, and it might be now close to disappearing. Since a December 2007 directive signed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Spain for the teaching and learning of the Spanish language in the Philippine school system starting in 2008, the number of high schools offering Spanish as an elective course