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The Philippine Flag is the country’s most cherished symbol. It is the nation’s emblem for freedom. It symbolizes patriotism, love of country and sense of nationhood; it embodies the aspirations and sentiments of the Filipino people.

Prior to the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the Filipinos had no national flag of their own. When the Filipinos rose in revolt against Spain, each revolutionary group had its own banner. General Mariano Llanera’s troops, for instance, used the “skull flag” in Nueva Ecija. Bonifacio, himself, had a personal standard.

It was during the preparation of the second phase of the Philippine Revolution (1898-1902) that the idea of coming up with a Philippine Flag was conceived by General Emilio Aguinaldo and other revolutionary leaders, then exiled in Hong Kong. The flag was handsewn by Marcela Mariño Agoncillo, wife of Don Felipe Agoncillo, with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Delfina Herbosa Natividad, niece of Dr. Jose Rizal and wife of Gen. Salvador Natividad.

Made of silk, the flag had a white equilateral triangle at the left containing a sunburst of eight rays at the center, a five-pointed star at each angle of the triangle, an upper stripe of blue and a lower stripe of red. The sun stands for liberty; the sunburst of eight rays for the first eight provinces to take up arms against Spain (Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Cavite and Batangas); and the three stars for the three island groups of the Philippines -– Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The white triangle signifies Filipino hope for equality; the upper blue stripe stands for peace, truth and justice; while the lower red stripe stands for patriotism and valor.

General Aguinaldo brought the flag with him when he returned to the Philippines from Hong Kong on May 19, 1898. On May 28, 1898, in Barrio Alapan, Imus, Cavite, Filipino revolutionaries, with newly acquired arms brought in by General Aguinaldo, engaged a Spanish infantry in a battle. In this encounter known as the Battle of Alapan, the Spaniards were defeated. This battle which resulted in the triumph of Filipino forces was taken as a glorious occasion for General Emilio Aguinaldo to display the Philippine flag for the first time. The event, which marked the baptism of fire and glory of the Philippine Flag, was the beginning of the successful struggle to overthrow Spanish rule and the establishment of the Philippine Republic.

On June 12, 1898, in Kawit, Cavite the Philippine Flag was officially hoisted during the proclamation of Philippine Independence by General Aguinaldo. During the unfurling, the music band of San Francisco de Malabon played for the first time the Marcha Nacional Filipina, composed by Julian Felipe, a Filipino music teacher and composer from Cavite. Later, the poem “Filipinas” by the young poet soldier Jose Palma became the lyrics of the anthem. The same flag was flown with dignity during the inauguration of the Malolos Congress on September 15, 1898.

At the onset of the American occupation, the display of the Philippine Flag was prohibited. Act No. 1696 of 1907 banned the display of the Philippine flag and other revolutionary flags. The ban was lifted in 1920. However, when the Japanese came in 1942, the use of the Philippine Flag was again forbidden.

On July 4, 1946, at the inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic at the Luneta, an historic drama unfolded before the eyes of about 300,000 people. The American flag was lowered and the Philippine Flag was raised, marking the official decolonization of the Philippines.

The Philippine Flag stood as witness to the glorious events of our history. It encountered the most significant events in the Filipinos’ struggle for freedom. Flying alone in the wind, it brings back the glory of our struggle, not only against invaders, but our quest for a just and free society.

In the earlier 1950’s and 1960’s, former Katipuneros and revolutionaries would march in front of the Luneta grandstand carrying the Philippine flag every Independence Day. During the parade, they marched proudly with tears welling up in their eyes, vowing to fight again if there be a need to protect our country’s freedom. Let us rekindle the same idealism and patriotism. Let us rally to the flag -– the symbol of our continued struggle, of our ideals and sentiments as a nation. Therefore, reverence and respect should at all times be accorded to the flag. It deserves to be treated with solemnity and dignity.

On March 6, 1965, President Diosdado Macapagal issued Proclamation No. 374 “Declaring the Twenty-Eighth Day of May Each Year as Flag Day.” The display of the Philippine Flag from May 28 to June 12 of each year was done by virtue of Executive Order No. 179 signed by President Fidel V. Ramos on May 24, 1994, for Filipinos “to collectively reflect on the significance of the National Flag.

On February 12, 1998, Republic Act 8491, otherwise known as Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, was signed into law.

(Prepared by Carminda R. Arevalo, Supervising History Researcher, National Historical Institute)

 

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