The
National Flag of the Philippines (Pambansang Watawat ng Pilipinas) is a
horizontal flag bicolor with equal bands of royal blue and scarlet red, and
with a white equilateral triangle at the hoist; in the center of the triangle
is a golden yellow sun with eight primary rays, which represent the country's
first group of provinces that started the 1896 Philippine Revolution against
Spain; and at each vertex of the triangle is a five-pointed golden yellow star,
each of which represent the country's 3 main regions.
The 8 rays of the sun in the
Philippine flag:
1. Bulacan
2. Batangas
3. Nueva Ecija
4. Manila
5. Cavite
6. Laguna
7. Pampanga
8. Tarlac
The 3 Stars in
the Philippine Flag:
1.
Luzon
2.
Visayas
3.
Mindanao
National Flag Day
The
National Flag Day in the Philippines is celebrated every 28th of May. The
National Flag week starts from May 28 and ends on June 12 every year.
Construction
The
flag's length is twice its width, which translates into an aspect ratio of 1:2.
The length of all the sides of the white triangle is equal to the width of the
flag. Each star is oriented in such manner that one of its tips points towards
the vertex at which it is located. Moreover the gap-angle between two
neighbours of the 8 ray-bundles is as large as the angle of one ray-bundle (so
22.5°), and its major ray is twice as "thick" as its two minor rays.
The golden sun is not exactly in the center of the triangle but shifted
slightly to the right
Color
The
shade of blue used in the flag has varied over time, beginning with the
original color azul oscuro. The exact nature of this shade is uncertain, but a
likely candidate is the blue of the Cuban flag, which a theory says influenced
the flag's design. Specifications for the flag's colors with shades matching
those used in the American flag were adopted by the National Historical
Institute in 1955. President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the colors restored to
the original light blue and red of the Cuban flag in 1985, but this was
immediately rescinded after the 1986 People Power Revolution that removed him
from power. For the 1998 independence centennial celebrations, the Flag and
Heraldic Code of the Philippines (RA 8491) was passed, designating royal blue
as the official variant.
Usage as war ensign
The
Philippines does not utilise a separate war flag; instead, the national flag
itself is used for this purpose.[2] To indicate a state of war, the red stripe
is flown upwards. In times of peace, however, the blue area is the superior
field (as in the preceding illustrations). Historical examples of this wartime
reversal in orientation are during the Revolution of 1896, World War II, and
some flags carried by protesters who stormed Malacañang Palace during the 1986
People Power Revolution.
Current flag
The
earlier design of the current Philippine flag was conceptualized by President
Emilio Aguinaldo during his exile in Hong Kong in 1897. The first flag was sewn
by Marcela Marino de Agoncillo with the help of her daughter Lorenza and
Delfina Herbosa de Natividad (a niece of Propagandista José Rizal). It was
displayed in battle on May 28, 1898.
The
flag was formally unfurled during the proclamation of independence on June 12,
1898 in Kawit, Cavite.[10] However, a Manila Times article by Augusto de Viana,
Chief History Researcher, National Historical Institute, mentions assertions in
history textbooks and commemorative rites that the flag was first raised in
Alapan, Imus, Cavite, on May 28, 1898, citing Presidential Proclamation No. 374,
issued by then-President Diosdado Macapagal on March 6, 1965.[11] The article
goes on to claim that historical records indicate that the first display of the
Philippine flag took place in Cavite City, when General Aguinaldo displayed it
during the first fight of the Philippine Revolution.
The
flag's original symbolism was enumerated in the text of the independence
proclamation, which makes reference to an attached drawing, though no record of
the drawing has surfaced. The original design of the flag adopted a mythical
sun with a face, a symbol common to several former Spanish colonies. The
particular shade of blue of the original flag has been a source of controversy.
Based on anecdotal evidence and the few surviving flags from the era,
historians argue that the colors of the original flag were the same blue and
red as found on the flag of Cuba.
The
flag of Cuba influenced the design of the flag of the Philippines as Cuba's
revolution against Spain inspired, to some degree, the Philippine Revolution.
Hostilities
broke out between the Philippines and the United States in 1899. The flag was
first flown with the red field up on February 4, 1899 to show that a state of
war existed. Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans two years later, and swore
allegiance to the United States.
With
the defeat of the Philippine Republic, the Philippines was placed under American
colonial rule and the display of the Philippine flag was declared illegal by
the Sedition Act of 1907. This law was repealed on October 24, 1919. With the
legalization of display of the Philippine flag, the cloth available in most
stores was the red and blue of the flag of the United States, so the flag from
1919 onwards adopted the "National Flag blue" color. On March 26,
1920, the Philippine Legislature passed Act. No 2928 on March 26, 1920, which
legally adopted the Philippine flag as the official flag of the Philippine
Islands. Up until the eve of World War II, Flag Day was celebrated on annually
on October 30, commemorating the date the ban on the flag was lifted.
The
Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated in 1935. On March 25, 1936,
President Manuel L. Quezon issued Executive Order No. 23 which provided for the
technical description and specifications of the flag. Among the provisions of
the order was the definition of the triangle at the hoist as an equilateral
triangle, the definition of the aspect ratio at 1:2, the precise angles of the
stars, the geometric and aesthetic design of the sun, and the formal
elimination of the mythical face on the sun. The exact shades of colors,
however, were not precisely defined. These specifications have remained
unchanged and in effect to the present. In 1941, Flag Day was officially moved
to June 12, commemorating the date that Philippine independence was proclaimed
in 1898.
The
flag was once again banned with the Japanese invasion and occupation of the
Philippines beginning December 1941, to be hoisted again with the establishment
of the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic of the Philippines. In ceremonies
held in October 1943, Emilio Aguinaldo hoisted the flag with the original Cuban
blue and red colors restored. The flag was initially flown with the blue stripe
up, until President Jose P. Laurel proclaimed the existence of a state of war
with the Allied Powers in 1944. The Commonwealth government-in-exile in
Washington, D.C. continued to use the flag with the American colors, and had
flown it with the red stripe up since the initial invasion of the Japanese.
With the combined forces of the Filipino & American soldiers and the
liberation of the Philippines in 1944 to 1945, the flag with the American
colors was restored, and it was this flag that was hoisted upon the granting of
Philippine independence from the United States on July 4, 1946.
Flag protocol
The
flag should be displayed in all government buildings, official residences,
public plazas, and schools every day throughout the year. The days of the 28th
of May (National Flag Day) and the 12th of June (Independence Day) are
designated as flag days, during which all offices, agencies and
instrumentalities of government, business establishments, and institutions of
learning and private homes are enjoined to display the flag. But in recent
years, the flag days are now from May 28 to June 30 yearly to promote
patriotism and to celebrate the nation's independence.
By
law, the Philippine flag must be permanently hoisted and illuminated at night
at the following locations:
·
Malacañan Palace, the official residence of the President of the
Philippines
·
Congress of the Philippines buildings
·
Senate of the Philippines building
·
House of Representatives of the Philippines building (Batasang Pambansa
Complex)
·
Supreme Court of the Philippines building
·
Rizal Monument in Luneta, Manila
·
Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite
·
Barasoain Shrine in Malolos, Bulacan
·
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
·
Libingan ng mga Bayani
·
Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución
·
All international ports of entry
·
All other places as may be designated by the National Historical
Institute as such.
Prohibited acts
According
to Republic Act 8491 itself, it shall be prohibited:
a) To mutilate, deface, defile, trample on
or cast contempt or commit any act or omission casting dishonor or ridicule
upon the flag or over its surface;
b) To dip the flag to any person or object
by way of compliment or salute;
c) To use the flag:
1) As a drapery, festoon, tablecloth;
2) As covering for ceilings, walls,
statues or other objects;
3) As a pennant in the hood, side, back
and top of motor vehicles;
4) As a staff or whip;
5) For unveiling monuments or statues;
and
6) As trademarks, or for industrial,
commercial or agricultural labels or designs.
d) To display the flag:
1) Under any painting or picture;
2) Horizontally face-up. It shall
always be hoisted aloft and be allowed to fall freely;
3) Below any platform; or
4) In discotheques, cockpits, night and
day clubs, casinos, gambling joints and places of vice or where frivolity
prevails.
e) To wear the flag in whole or in part as
a costume or uniform;
f) To add any word, figure, mark, picture,
design, drawings, advertisement, or imprint of any nature on the flag;
g) To print, paint or attach representation
of the flag on handkerchiefs, napkins, cushions, and other articles of
merchandise;
h) To display in public any foreign flag,
except in embassies and other diplomatic establishments, and in offices of
international organizations;
i) To use, display or be part of any
advertisement or infomercial; and
j) To display the flag in front of
buildings or offices occupied by aliens.
The
Act mandates that violators shall, upon conviction, be punished by fine or
imprisonment.
Section
10 of RA 8491 - states that when the flag is displayed on a wall during
peacetime, the blue field is to the observers' left. See below:
Half-mast
The
flag may be flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning.[2] Upon the official
announcement of the death of the President or a former President, the flag
should be flown at half-mast for ten days. The flag should be flown at
half-mast for seven days following the death of the Vice President, the Chief
Justice, and the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
The
flag may also be required to fly at half-mast upon the death of other persons
to be determined by the National Historical Institute, for a period less than
seven days. The flag shall be flown at half-mast on all the buildings and
places where the decedent was holding office, on the day of death until the day
of interment of an incumbent member of the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, the
Senate or the House of Representatives, and such other persons as may be
determined by the National Historical Institute.
When
flown at half-mast, the flag should be first hoisted to the peak for a moment
then lowered to the half-mast position. It should be raised to the peak again
before it is lowered for the day.
The
flag may also be used to cover the caskets of the dead of the military,
veterans of previous wars, national artists, and outstanding civilians as
determined by the local government. In such cases, the flag must be placed such
that the white triangle is at the head and the blue portion covers the right
side of the casket. The flag should not be lowered to the grave or allowed to
touch the ground, but should be solemnly folded and handed to the heirs of the
deceased.
Pledge
Photo Credit: Here
The
Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine flag (distinct from the Patriotic Oath
of Allegiance) should be recited while standing with the right hand with palm
open raised shoulder high. Individuals whose faith or religious beliefs
prohibit them from making such pledge are permitted to excuse themselves, but
are required by law to show full respect when the pledge is being rendered by
standing at attention.
The
Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag (Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat
ng Pilipinas) is the pledge to the flag of the Philippines. It is one of two
national pledges, the other being the Patriotic Oath, which is the Philippine
national pledge.
The
Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag is recited at flag ceremonies
immediately after the Patriotic Oath or, if the Patriotic Oath is not recited,
after the national anthem.
The
pledge was legalized under Executive Order No. 343, approved by then-President
Fidel V. Ramos on Independence Day (June 12), 1996, and subsequently by the
Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, or Republic Act No. 8491. The law
makes no statement of what language the pledge must be recited in, but the
pledge is written (and therefore recited) in Filipino.
Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa
Watawat
(Patriotic
Oath of Allegiance)
Filipino
language version (Official Version)
Ako
ay Pilipino
Buong
katapatang nanunumpa
Sa
watawat ng Pilipinas
At
sa bansang kanyang sinasagisag
Na
may dangal, katarungan at kalayaan
Na
pinakikilos ng sambayanang
Maka-Diyos
Makakalikasan
Maka-tao,
at
Makabansa
Official English language
translation
I
am a Filipino
I
pledge my allegiance
To
the flag of the Philippines
And
to the country it represents
With
honor, justice and freedom
Put
in motion by one Nation
For
God
For
the People,
For
Nature and
For
the Country
Panatang Makabayan
(Patriotic
Oath)
The
Patriotic Oath (Panatang Makabayan) is one of two national pledges of the
Philippines, the other being the Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag (
Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat). It is commonly recited at school flag
ceremonies, after the singing of the national anthem (Lupang Hinirang), but
before the Pledge of Allegiance.
Recitation
of the pledge is required by law at all public schools and at private schools
that are meant for or of which the majority of students are Filipinos. This
guideline was set in Republic Act No. 1265, one of many national symbols laws,
which was approved on July 11, 1955.[1] The act was implemented in schools
through an order of what is now the Department of Education, known as
Department Order No. 8, which was approved on July 21, 1955. The pledge was
revised in November 2001 by former Department of Education secretary Raul Roco,
using shorter lines with more conversational Tagalog.
Although
Department Order No. 8 states that the Panatang Makabayan may be recited in
English or any Philippine vernacular language, the pledge is usually recited
today in Filipino. However, there are two versions of the Panatang Makabayan in
Filipino: the current version being a shorter, poetic translation and the
former version being a direct translation of the English original.
Filipino
DepEd
Order 54-2001 version
Panatang Makabayan
Iniibig
ko ang Pilipinas,
aking
lupang sinilangan,
tahanan
ng aking lahi;
kinukupkop
ako at tinutulungang
maging
malakas, masipag at marangal.
Dahil
mahal ko ang Pilipinas,
diringgin
ko ang payo
ng
aking magulang;
susundin
ko ang tuntunin ng paaralan,
tutuparin
ko ang tungkulin
ng
isang mamamayang makabayan;
naglilingkod,
nag-aaral at nagdarasal
nang
buong katapatan.
laalay
ko ang aking buhay,
pangarap,
pagsisikap
sa
bansang Pilipinas.
Original version
Iniibig
ko ang Pilipinas
Ito
ang aking lupang sinilangan
Ito
ang tahanan ng aking lahi
Ako'y
kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan
Upang
maging malakas, maligaya at kapakipakinabang
Bilang
ganti, diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang
Susundin
ko ang mga tuntunin ng aking paaralan
Tutuparin
ko ang mga tungkulin ng isang mamamayang makabayan at masunurin sa batas
Paglilingkuran
ko ang aking bayan nang walang pag-iimbot at ng buong katapatan
Sisikapin
kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa.
English
Translation of current
Filipino version
I
love the Philippines,
The
land of my birth,
The
home of my people,
It
protects me and helps me
To
become strong, hardworking and honorable.
Because
I love the Philippines,
I
will heed the counsel of my parents,
I
will obey the rules of my school,
I
will perform the duties of a patriotic citizen,
Serving,
studying, and praying faithfully.
I
will offer my life, dreams, successes
To
the Philippine nation.
Original version
I
love the Philippines.
It
is the land of my birth;
It
is the home of my people.
It
protects me and helps me to be strong, happy and useful.
In
return, I will heed the counsel of my parents;
I
will obey the rules of my school;
I
will perform the duties of a patriotic, law-abiding citizen;
I
will serve my country unselfishly and faithfully
I
will be a true Filipino in thought, in word, and in deed.
The National Anthem
Photo Credit: Here
Lupang
Hinirang (“Chosen Land”) is the national anthem of The Philippines. Its music
was composed in 1898 by Julián Felipe, and the lyrics were adapted from the
Spanish poem Filipinas, written by José Palma in 1899. Originally written as
incidental music, it did not have lyrics when it was adopted as the anthem of
the revolutionary First Philippine Republic and subsequently played during the
proclamation of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898.
During
the American Colonial Period, the Flag Law of 1907 prohibited public display
flags, banners, emblems, or devices used by revolutionaries in the
Philippine-American War. Under color of this law, the colonial government
banned the song from being played. The Flag Law was repealed in 1919. During
the Commonwealth era, Commonwealth Act No. 382, approved on September 5, 1938,
officially adopted the musical arrangement and composition by Julian Felipe as
the Philippine National Anthem.
The
Spanish lyrics were translated into Tagalog beginning in the 1940s, and a
final, Pilipino version from 1956 was revised in the 1960s to the present
lyrics. Over the years, several English versions came into use. On February 12,
1998, Republic Act No. 8491, officially set out Tagalog lyrics as the National
Anthem, abandoning use of the Spanish and English versions.
Some
English language sources erroneously translate Lupang Hinirang as "Beloved
Land" or "Beloved Country" the first term is actually a
translation of the incipit of the original poem Filipinas (Tiérra adorada),
while "Beloved Country" is a translation of Bayang Magiliw, the
current version's incipit and colloquial name. Some sources assert that an
English version of anthem lyrics titled "Philippine Hymn" was
legalized by Commonwealth Act No. 382. That Act, however, only concerns itself
with the instrumental composition by Julian Felipe.
The
history of the Lupang Hinirang can be summarized thus:
·
1898 - "Marcha Filipino Magdalo" - Tune composed by Julian
Felipé, renamed Marcha Nacional Filipina (Philippine National March) [7]
·
1899 - "Filipinas" (Original Spanish version) - Lyrics by
Jose Palma
·
1919 - Land of the morning (English version) - Lyrics by Paz Marquez
Benitez
·
1940 - Various translations in Tagalog
·
1948 - "Diwa ng Bayan" (Tagalog)
·
1956 - Current Filipino version "Lupang Hinirang" - Lyrics by
Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (Institute of National Language)
Lyrics
Lupang
Hinirang
(1958, rev. 1960s)
Bayang magiliw,
Perlas ng Silanganan
Alab ng puso,
Sa Dibdib mo'y buhay.
Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.
Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula,
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.
Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya,
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim,
Lupa ng araw ng luwalhati't pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo,
Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi,
Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.
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