PHILIPPINE
flagPHILIPPINE
flag
While in
forced exile abroad, one of the first tasks of the founding
fathers of the aspiring new nation was the preparation of the
symbols of state - a new flag and a new Philippine National anthem. They decided to
have a new common flag to use in another attempt at
independence. This new flag would not have the stigma of
disunity of the previous war standards, and it would
symbolize the common aspirations for
freedom.
The design of the new flag was decided by General Emilio Aguinaldo and the other leaders after a great deal of discussion and study. The sketch was submitted to Mrs. Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo, who was living with her husband Don Felipe Agoncillo at No. 535 Morrison Hill Road, Hong Kong, where the other exiles lived. This patriotic woman was requested by General Aguinaldo to make the flag because of her skill in sewing, which she acquired from her hometown of Lipa, Batangas and her student days at the Colegio de Santa Catalina, Manila.
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star.
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EVOLUTION OF THE PHILIPPINE
FLAG
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The Katipunan (1892 - 1897)
 Katipunan Flag |
The First KKK (Kataastaasan at
Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng
Bayan--The Highest and Most Honorable Society
of the Sons of the Nation) Flag (1892) With the
establishment of the Katipunan, Andres
Bonifacio requested his wife, Gregoria de
Jesus, and with the help of Benita Rodriguez to
create a flag for the society. De Jesus created
a simple red flag bearing the society's
acronym, KKK, in white and arranged
horizontally at the center of a rectangular
piece of red cloth (locally called "kundiman").
The color red represents the blood and courage
of the Katipuneros who stood ready to fight for
freedom and shed their blood if need be. This
was the flag which was developed during the
"First Cry of Nationhood" at the district of
North Manila in August 1896. This was the first
official flag of the society.
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 Katipunan Flag |
Early Katipunan One-K Flag. In some areas, only one while letter K was positioned on a rectangular piece of red cloth. |
 Katipunan Flag |
The Second Katipunan
Flag (1892). Some members of the
Katipunan used other variations. A red flag
with the three white letter Ks arranged in an
equilateral triangle, a shape prominent in
Philippine revolutionary imagery, at the center
of the rectangular field.
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 Personal Flag |
Andres Bonifacio's Flag
(1892). Andres Bonifacio “the
father of katipunan”, had a personal flag
which represents a white sun with an indefinite
number of rays on a field of red. Below the sun
are three white Ks arranged horizontally. This
flag was first shown on August 23, 1896 during
the Cry of Pugadlawin where the Katipuneros
gather tore their cedulas (poll tax
certificates) in rebelliousness of Spanish
authority. The flag was used later during the
Battle of San Juan del Monte on August 30,
1896, the first major battle of the Philippine
Revolution. This was also used by the war camp
of Bonifacio, the "Great Plebeian" ("Dakilang
Anak Pawis").
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Katipunan 1st Degree Flag (1892). A red flag with one white letter K at the center of the field, crossed by a native sword ("tabak") pointing downwards and a small skull above the letter K. This was accepted to rally the Katipuneros belonging to the lowest rank or grade.
Katipunan 2nd Degree Flag(1892). A red flag similar to the 1st degree design, but with two K's and no skull symbol. This was supposed to rally the middle ranks of the Katipuneros.
Katipunan 3rd Degree Flag(1892). A red flag, again, with three K's and sword sign, for the highest ranks of the society.
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The Revolutionary Government (1897 - 1899)
 Personal Flag or Batallion Flag |
Pio del Pilar's Rising
Sun Flag(1896). A red flag with a
white triangle on the left side, became famous
through General Pio del Pilar of San Pedro de
Makati (the hero of Makati and one of the most
trusted generals of Emilio Aguinaldo), who used
it up to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. The
triangular strip at the left side led the
national flag design. At each of the angles of
the triangle was a letter K. The rising sun in
the middle had eight rays representing the
first eight united provinces that were placed
under martial law by the Spanish colonial
government for rising up in rebellion namely,
Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Manila,
Cavite, Laguna and Batangas. The flag was
called Bandila ng Matagumpay (The Flag of the
Victorious) and was first used on July 11,
1895. The flag was also one of the first to
illustrate an eight-rayed sun.
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 Personal Flag or Batallion Flag |
General Mariano Llanera's battle Skull Flag(1896). General Mariano Llanera who fought in the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija used a dull-looking black flag, with the single white letter K and the skull and crossbones symbol. The black color of the flag was inspired by the hood worn during the secret initiation rites of the first degree Katipuneros. The flag was for the camp of General Mariano Llanera of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, who earned for himself a reputation as a brave and reckless fighter. "Let us fight to the finish," was one of his favorite remarks. Owing more to Freemasonry than to traditional Katipunero imagery. This flag looked like the pirates' banner in the Caribbean. It is said that Andres Bonifacio made fun of this flag, calling it Bungo ni Llanera or Llanera's skull. |
 Katipunan Flag |
The Aguinaldo-Magdalo Flag (August 30, 1896). When the revolution heated up, the Magdiwang group of the Katipunan, which operated in Cavite under Gen. Santiago Alvarez, adopted a flag consisting of a red flag with the character at the centre of the flag is a K in an ancient Filipino alphabet or alibata script in white placed at the center of a sun with eight pointed rays, again representing the Katipunan and the eight revolutionary provinces in Luzon that pledged its support to fight under Aguinaldo’s banner and to start the Philippine revolution. This was the flag adopted by General Emilio Aguinaldo for his Magdalo group at Kawit, Cavite on August 30, 1896. General Aguinaldo referred to this flag in his proclamation of October 31, 1896: "Filipino people!! The hour has arrived to shed blood for the conquest of our liberty. Assemble and follow the flag of the Revolution - it stands for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity." Due to the popularity of General Aguinaldo, it was used by the revolutionary forces until December 30, 1897 when it was hauled down from the flagstaff at Biak-na-Bato, signifying the end of warfare with Spain after the peace agreement. This flag became the first official banner of the revolutionary forces and was blessed in a crowd celebrated at Imus. |
 Katipunan Flag |
The Magdalo faction of the
Katipunan, which also operated in Cavite under
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, used a flag alike to the
Magdiwang faction's. It features a white sun
with a red baybayin letter ka.
This symbol has recently been revived by a breakaway group of army officers calling themselves the Magdalo Group. These officers rebelled against the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the command of Senator Gregorio Honasan. |
The First Republic (1899 - 1901)
 Personal Flag or Batallion Flag |
Gregorio del Pilar's
Tricolor Flag(1897). The first
Filipino tricolor. A flag almost alike to the
present National Flag was used by General
Gregorio del Pilar, "boy hero of the Battle of
Tirad Pass” and “The Young General
of the Katipunan.” The upper red stripe
stood for the Katipunan color; the lover black
was motivated by General Llanera's flag; and
the blue triangle at the left indicates
comradeship with the revolutionary flag of
Cuba, another colony of Spain which was also in
revolt and like the Philippines, it was in a
state of revolution for independence from
Spain. The flag took its last stand against the
Americans in Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur, defending
the retreating armies of Aguinaldo.
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 First Official Flag |
"Sun of
Liberty Flag" (March 17, 1897). The first
official flag of the revolutionary government of
General Emilio Aguinaldo. The first Filipino
national flag. A red flag with a white sun of eight
rays, symbolizing the search for liberty. This was
adopted by the revolutionary leaders at their
assembly in Naic, Cavite on March 17, 1897. It was
a transformed version of the Aguinaldo-Magdalo
flag, with a mythological sun at the center. |
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"The Sun
and the Stars." The second phase of the
Philippine revolution (1898-1902) began the hopes
for creating the first Philippine republic. And one
of the first tasks of the founders who were exiled
abroad is to produce the flag and a new anthem, the
symbols of a state. For the period of the US military government in the Philippines, there was an unwritten ban on the Philippine flag and use of the national colors. Once a civil government was recognized, the unwritten ban was relaxed. However, due to the patriotic nature of Filipinos and their use and display of their flag and the national colors, and several incidents related to their patriotism, the Flag Law was passed. The Flag Law or Act No.1696 (An act to prohibit the display of flags, banners, emblems, or devices used in the Philippine islands for the purpose of rebellion or insurrection against the authorities of the United States and the display of Katipunan flags, banners, emblems, or devices and for other purposes) was passed on September 6, 1907. The US flag was used as the official flag of the Philippines 1898-1946. There were numerous attempts to abolish the Flag Law and finally on October 22, 1919, Act No. 2871 was passed abolishing the Flag Law. On October 24, 1919 Proclamation No. 19 was issued establishing October 30, 1919, as a public holiday to be known as Flag Day. However, the Philippine flag now had the American red and blue, rather than the Cuban red and blue. This flag was adopted as the official flag of the Philippines on March 26, 1920, by Act No. 2928. |
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On March 25, 1936, President Manuel Quezon issued Executive Order No. 23 which restricted the official description and specifications of the Philippine flag. This flag was used when the Philippines was granted independence in 1946 and until 1981 and then again in 1986 until 1998. The Philippine flag was banned again in 1942 when the Japanese attacked in World War II. The Japanese flag was used until the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic of the Philippines was established in 1943. The flag ban was lifted and the Philippine flag from the 1936 specifications became official once again. The flag was flown in its wartime state by the Commonwealth de jure government 1941-1945 and by the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic de facto government 1944-1945. The Commonwealth was at war against the axis forces while the Second Republic was at war against the associated forces. |
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In 1981, President Ferdinand
Marcos ordered the colors of the Philippine
flag be changed back to the original Cuban
colors. Allegedly, the flag factories did not
have a Cuban blue so a sky blue was used
instead. This color design was abolished and
the previous colors from 1936 were restored in
1986, after President Marcos fled to
Hawaii.
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Due to much debate amongst
historians at to which type of blue was
correct, the blue was changed to royal blue as
a agreement by Republic Act No. 8491 which was
passed on February 12, 1998. This is the
current version of the Philippine National
Flag.
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Explanation of the
Flag
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Each part of the Philippine flag has a specific meaning as follows:
The blue field stands for common unity and
the noble desires of the Filipino people.
The white triangle with equal sides of the flag is symbolic of
equality among men.
The white field stands for purity.
The sun stands for the gigantic strides that have been made by
the Sons of the land on the road to progress and
civilization.
The eight rays of the sun in the triangle represent the first
eight united provinces that revolted for independence -
Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga and Tarlac.
The three stars in the triangle stand for the three major
geographical divisions of the country which are Luzon, Visayas
and Mindanao.
The red field symbolizes the eagerness of the Filipino people
to shed blood in defense for their country.
Colors of The Modern Flag
| Color | Blue | White | Red | Golden Yellow |
| Cable No. | 80173 | 80001 | 80108 | 80068 |
| Pantone equivalent | 286c | n.a. | 193c | 122c |
| CMYK values | C100-M60-Y0-K5 |
n.a. | C0-M90-Y65-K10 | C0-M18-Y85-K0 |
| RGB values | 4-28-67 | 255-255-255 | 222-22-43 | 255-48-40 |
The cable number corresponds to the definitive color defined
in America, 10th edition, Color Association of the US. These are the current,
1998 specifications mandated by law.
Manuel L. Quezon III, 20 April 2002
HOW TO
DISPLAY THE FLAG
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• For household and
office display, the flag must be displayed vertically, with
the triangle on top. The blue field should be to the right
(left of observer) and the red field to the left (right of
the observer).
• The flag should never be displayed horizontally
except in flagpoles or hung fastened by its fly. The fly
portion should always be free to move.
• When flown from a flagpole, the flag should have
its blue stripe on top in times of peace, and the red on
top in times of war.
• When displayed in the middle of the street, as
between buildings or posts, the flag should be balanced
vertically with the blue stripe pointing to north or
east.
• When a number of flags are grouped and displayed
from stationary staffs, the Philippine flag should be in
the center at the highest point, or at the right of the
other flags. Also, it must always be in the peak, and not
smaller than the other flags of pennants or
organizations.
• When displayed with another flag from crossed
staffs, the Philippine flag should be on its right side,
the left side of the observer. Its staff should be over the
staff of the other flag. Two Philippine flags should never
be displayed crossed staff.
• When used on a speaker's platform without the
staff, it should hang vertically and placed above and
behind the speaker. It should never be used to cover the
speaker's desk, or be draped over the front of the
platform.
• When mounted on a platform, the flag should be
placed on the presiding officers' right and a bit in front,
as they face the congregation. Other flags should be on
their left. However, when it is displayed on a level with
the congregation, the flag is placed on the right of the
congregation.
• Torn, faded of worn-out flags should be replaced
immediately. They should be disposed off or destroyed
privately, if possible by burning.
• There are exclusion on the use of the flag. The
flag should not be used as part of, or as an entire
costume. It should not be displayed in cockpits, dance
halls, and centers of vice. It should not be used as
presentation material in unveiling ceremonies.
• Also, the flag should not be used as a curtain or a
cover, although decorations of blue, white and red can be
used. The blue color in the bunting should be at the top,
or at the point of honor, and must be equal in width to the
other colors.
• The manufacture, sale, and purchase of all flags
for government use and public displayed are regulated by
Presidential directives. These processes require the
earlier approval of the NHI.
• The flag must be protected with careful
consideration of its technical design, color, materials,
and craftsmanship. Flag suppliers are obliged to register
annually at the NHI, and are required to furnish the
laboratory test results for every color of textile
materials to be used in the flag's
manufacture.
