For most Filipinos, Aug. 21 is associated with the death of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., whose assassination in 1983 is commemorated every year as Ninoy Aquino Day.

But Aug. 21 also marks another loss, one that happened five years later and left a very different kind of mark on the country.

On Aug. 21, 1988, Teddy Diaz, the founding guitarist of The Dawn, was killed at just 25 years old.

Thirty-eight years later, Diaz deserves to be remembered not only for the tragic circumstances of his death, but for the music he helped create and the place he carved out in the history of Pinoy rock.

Diaz was there when The Dawn was taking shape in the mid-'80s, helping form the band alongside drummer JB Leonor and bassist Clay Luna.

The band's breakthrough came with “Enveloped Ideas,” which helped introduce The Dawn to a wider audience.

Even after his death, his music continued to find its way to listeners.

“Salamat,” released in 1989, became one of The Dawn's enduring songs, with Diaz credited as co-writer.

The Dawn went on without Diaz, as bands do when confronted with the impossible task of continuing after losing one of their own.

But his absence never erased his contribution.

The Dawn recently marked its 40th anniversary, bringing renewed attention to its beginnings and to the people who helped build it.

So while Aug. 21 will always be Ninoy Aquino Day, perhaps there is room on this date to remember another Filipino whose life and work mattered.

Teddy Diaz was only 25.

But in those few years, he helped create music that would outlive him.

Thirty-eight years after his final note, the music remains.