EVOLUTION OF THE PHILIPPINE FLAG

UNEDITED SAMPLE FEATURE ARTICLE
By Jezel Christine Nolasco Quevada
IV – Madame Marie Curie


The Philippines had been colonized by different nations. Nations, that often had different agenda’s, fighting over the beautiful island of the Orient Sea, the Philippines. They, separately, had different styles when it comes to colonizing. The Spaniards use their well-known krus at espada. The Americans use their treaties, showing their state of dominion over the Spaniard with regards to wealth. The Japanese use their different techniques in war, such as the kamikaze, to colonize us. Yet they, through the never-ending bloodsheds and courageous attempts of the Filipinos to regain freedom, have never been totally triumphant for we, ourselves, now have freedom. And today, our flag serves as the symbol of our freedom.

Our flag, just like our history, came into different periods or changes. Our official Philippine flag made its first appearance from Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1898. But prior to this, there were several Katipunan flags and war banners, even some of the revolutionary generals had their own flags too, some of which stand some similarity to the present national flag. During the times of the Americans and Japanese, these flags were banned maybe because of the fact that they, the colonizers, want to symbolize their domination against us, Filipinos. In 1936, President Manuel L. Quezon issued the Executive Order 23 stating the official specifications of the Philippine flag.

The First KKK ( Kataastaasan at Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan ) Flag was made in 1892. Andres Bonifacio requested his wife, Gregoria de Jesus 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. 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 first official flag of the society. It was the flag use in the Cry of Pugadlawin.

The flag had been developed through time and was used totally by the whole society. It had been also depicted differently from other areas of the country. One representation is the flag with only one white letter K positioned on a rectangular piece of red cloth. Another is a red flag with the three white letter Ks arranged in an equilateral triangle at the center of the rectangular cloth. Some members of the Katipuneros used other variations different from these commonly know layouts.

As the Revolutions contaminated the whole country, flags continue to develop too. In 1896, Pio del Pilar's Rising Sun Flag, 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. (http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippineflag.html)

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. It is the most different among other flags due to the fact that it is black in color. 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. 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. (http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippineflag.html)

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 a letter K in Alibata at the centre of the flag, 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.

The first Filipino tricolor was not actually the flag raised by Aguinaldo during his declaratyion of independencce. General Gregorio del Pilar – The Young General of the Katipunan, used a flag almost alike to the present National Flag. The upper red stripe stood for the Katipunan color; the lower 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. ( http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippineflag.html )

The first Filipino national flag was a red flag with a white sun of eight rays, symbolizing the search for liberty. It was also the first official flag of the revolutionary government of General Emilio Aguinaldo. 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.

Emilio Aguinaldo designed the second Filipino national flag during his exile in Hong Kong. The flag was sewn at 535 Morrison Hill, Hong Kong by Mrs. Marcela Mariño Agoncillo - wife of the first Filipino diplomat, Felipe Agoncillo, because of her sewing skills with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Mrs. Delfina Herbosa de Natividad, niece of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and wife of General Salvador Natividad, they skillfully sewed what was later to be known as "The Sun and the Stars." The flag was completed within five days and handed over to Emilio Aguinaldo before he returned to the Philippines. The flag was unfurled for the first time on the balcony of Emilio Aguinaldo's home in Cavite on June 12, 1898 in proclamation of independence from Spain. This is almost the same as the flag we us today except from the detailed sun drawn in this older flag.
(http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippineflag.html)

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, when President Marcos changed it back to the original flag made by Aguinaldo, and then again in 1986 until 1998. (http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippineflag.html)

On February 12, 1998 , the flag was officially changed, due to the too much debate amongst historians at to which type of blue was correct. It was supported by the Republic Act No. 8491.

Our Flag symbolizes our freedom and sovereignty. We, as Filipinos, should learn to respect it and love it. Just like our heroes who fought for freedom, our flag served as the foundation of our country towards independence. May we learn to love and give our flag the importance and respect it deserves. Just like what courageous Filipino yelled with their flags, “Mabuhay ang Lahing Filipino! Mabuhay!”