National Historical Commission of the Philippines

The Philippine Flag: Emblem of our Nation

The Philippine Flag: Emblem of our NationMona Lisa H. QuizonHistory Researcher II The flag symbolizes freedom and
patriotism, and nothing comes close in evoking nationalistic sentiments than seeing our flag flying high together with flags
of other nations in international gatherings, during the fights of boxer Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas, beauty pageants
and other international events. Prior to the second phase of the Philippine revolution, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo went to
Hong Kong to seek the help of Marcela Agoncillo in making the Philippine flag. Gen. Aguinaldo wanted to have our own
national flag and national anthem; he believed that these two elements would inspire our men to fight against the
colonizers, leading to the attainment of our freedom. Together with Lorenza, daughter of Marcela and Delfina Herbosa
Natividad, niece of Jose Rizal, Marcela made the flag of the Philippines following the design of Gen. Aguinaldo. After five
days, they handed over the flag to Gen. Aguinaldo before he boarded the McCulloch on May 17, 1898 on his way to the
Philippines. Before the declaration of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite, the Philippine flag had
already been waved in other parts of the country. On May 28, 1898 Gen. Aguinaldo waved the Philippine flag in Cavite
City in connection with the victory of the Filipinos in the Battle of Alapan in Imus, Cavite on the same day. This became
the historical basis for declaring May 28 as National Flag Day. After the ratification of our independence in 1899, Gen.
Aguinaldo in his speech in Malolos, Bulacan explained the meaning and symbolism of our national flag. According to him
the flag “it has three colors, three stars and a sun, the meaning of which are as follows: the red color is symbolic of
Filipino courage; the blue carries an allegorical meaning that all the Filipinos will prefer to die before submitting
themselves to the invader; the three five pointed stars indicate the solidarity of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and allude
to the islets and rocks falling under their jurisdiction; and lastly, the eight beams of the sun stand for the eight provinces
of Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite”1. Filipinos proudly waved our flag
symbolizing our freedom from three hundred years of oppression by the Spaniards. Hostilities broke out between the
Philippines and the United States in 1899. Gen. Aguinaldo together with other revolutionaries fought against the new
colonizer. Unfortunately, Gen. Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans two years later, and swore allegiance to the
United States. With the defeat of the Filipinos, the country was placed under American colonial rule. Americans stressed
that they came here to help the Philippines and be friends with Filipinos. But the words of the Americans belied their
actions. They created laws that strongly asserted the supremacy of the United States over the Philippines. The Philippine
Commission enacted Act No. 1696 better known as the Flag Law of 1907, forbidding the Filipinos to use or display the
Philippine national flag, the Katipunan flag and other revolutionary flags anywhere, even inside their homes. It was
brought about by the victory party parade of the Nacionalista party, during which the Katipunan flag was more
prominently displayed than the United States’ flag2, making it appear small compared to Katipunan flag. The Americans
feared public display of Philippine flags would provoke more uprisings against them. Anger stirred in the hearts of
Filipinos, many of them objecting bitterly against the Flag Law. According to them, the Flag Law violated the fundamental
principle of freedom of expression. For many years, Filipino lawmakers attempted in various ways to repeal the law but
they failed, the change came only when Gov. Gen. Francis Burton Harrison recommended that the Flag Law be
repealed, the distrust between the Americans and Filipinos no longer existed. This prompted Senator Rafael Palma to
sponsor Senate Bill No. 1, repealing the Flag Law of 1907. On 24 October 1919 the bill was passed as Act No. 2871 and
signed by Gen. Harrison, thus lifting the ban on the Philippine flag. Since then, various laws had been made and passed
to venerate our national flag, culminating with the Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines
mandating the proper use of our national flag. The Philippine flag is more than a piece of cloth. It is part of our legacy
from our forefathers who shed blood and life to attain our independence. The Philippine flag is made up many bitter
memories of Filipinos under the colonization – memories of abuse, oppression, and discrimination that eventually paved
way to the formation of our nation. The Philippine flag reminds us to strive to be true Filipino living in democratic and
sovereign country. ------------------------------------------------------------1 Zaide, Documentary Sources Vol. IX, 1990.
2 Gagelonia, Filipino Nation History and Government

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