The Philippine Flag: Symbol of our Sovereignty and Solidarity
The flag is the country’s most cherished symbol. It is the nation’s emblem of freedom. It
symbolizes patriotism, love of country, and a sense of nationhood and embodies the
aspirations and sentiments of the Filipino people in their unceasing quest for
independence. It stands as an instrument of unity that binds the Filipino people.
Before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the Filipinos had no national
flag of their own. The only known flag to them was the Spanish flag. But when the
Filipinos rose in revolt against Spain, each revolutionary group had its banner. General
Mariano Llanera’s troop, for instance, used the “skull flag” in Nueva Ecija. Bonifacio
himself had a personal standard.
Our early flags were those of the Katipunan. The first was made of a red piece of
cloth with the letters “K.K.K.” arranged in a row in the center of the rectangular field. This
flag was unfurled during the “First Cry of the Revolution” in August 1896. An early version
of the Katipunan flag had three K’s arranged in an equilateral triangle. A flag with only
one “K” later replaced this. The letter “K” was later changed to an ancient Tagalog “K”
within the figure of the sun with eight rays.
During the Naic Assembly on March 17, 1897, another change was made to the
flag. The ancient Tagalog “K” was replaced by a mythical sun, which remained in use
until the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 10, 1897. All these flags had
a red background to signify the revolutionary character of the Katipunan.
It was during the preparation of the second phase of the Philippine Revolution (1898-
1902) that the idea of coming up with a new flag was conceived by General Emilio
Aguinaldo, President of the Revolutionary Government. Aguinaldo and other
revolutionary leaders, then exiled in Hong Kong, painstakingly designed the flag. It was
handsewn by Marcela Mariño Agoncillo wife of Don Felipe Agoncillo at 535 Morrison Hill
Road 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; 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. He unfurled it in public for the first time to celebrate
the victory of the Filipino forces against the Spaniards during the Battle of Alapan on May
28, 1898.
It was, however, in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898, that the official hoisting of the
flag took place during the proclamation of Philippine Independence by General
Aguinaldo. During the unfurling, the music band of the 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 a 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.
The Philippine flag stood as a witness to the glorious events of our history. It
encountered the most significant events in the Filipinos’ struggle for freedom. And since
it symbolizes our ideals and sentiments as a nation, it deserves to be treated with
solemnity and dignity.
The display of the Philippine Flag from May 28 to June 12 of each year honors the
sacrifices of our heroes for our hard-earned freedom. This is also fitting respect and
affection for our national flag – the symbol of our sovereignty and solidarity.
