As the country commemorates the 127th anniversary of its independence, the Philippine flag flies high once more as a silent witness to the blood, resolve, and unity of a people who dared to fight for their destiny.

In every stripe, star, and sunburst, the flag tells the story of the unrelenting Filipino spirit, a spirit born not in privilege and peace, but in revolution and struggle.

A revolution

The Philippine flag was first unfurled on 12 June 1898, in Kawit, Cavite, during the historic proclamation of independence led by General Emilio Aguinaldo. But its origins trace back to exile, in a modest apartment on Morrison Hill in Hong Kong, where revolutionaries plotted a nation’s rebirth.

There, Marcela Mariño Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza, and Delfina Herbosa Natividad, niece of Dr. Jose Rizal, hand-sewed the banner that would become the nation’s most enduring emblem.

The flag they created bore deeply intentional symbols. The white equilateral triangle represented the Katipunan’s spirit of equality; the red stripe, the courage of those who took up arms; and the blue stripe, the vision for peace and justice. Inside the triangle shone a golden sun with eight rays — each standing for the first provinces to rise against Spanish rule: Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, and Laguna.

The three stars signified Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, although some historical footnotes, such as in the NHCP’s “Our Flag” pamphlet, indicate that earlier drafts referenced Panay in particular.

Intentional

The flag’s meaning was formally outlined in the Acta de la Proclamación de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino, read aloud by war counselor Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista on that June day in 1898. The act described the triangle as the Katipunan’s emblem, the sun as the radiant hope for progress, and the colors red, white, and blue as an homage to the United States — a nod that would later sour into resistance during the Philippine-American War.

Today, these symbols remain protected by Republic Act No. 8491, also known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines. Section 4 of the law prescribes the exact design, colors, and reverence owed to the flag, which it calls “consecrated and honored by the people.”

Before 1896, no national symbol united Filipinos. Under Spanish rule, revolutionary groups used varying emblems. The Katipunan, founded by Andres Bonifacio, initially waved a blood-red flag emblazoned with “KKK.” Other versions emerged — including General Mariano Llanera’s skull-and-crossbones flag in Nueva Ecija.

Eventually, Aguinaldo sought a symbol that would bind the movement into a single republic. It was a flag designed not only for the battlefield, but for statehood.

Unwavering

The flag has since bore witness to every upheaval in our history.

It was first raised in victory in Alapan, Cavite, days before the formal proclamation. It hung in the halls of the Malolos Congress. Then came its banning during American and Japanese occupations. It fluttered during the People Power Revolution, stood during the return of democracy, and now flies across the archipelago — always present, never passive.

The NHCP, the government’s foremost authority on historical symbols, calls the flag “the nation’s emblem for freedom… a symbol of patriotism, unity, and unyielding resolve.”

Every year, from 28 May (National Flag Day) to 12 June, the country is encouraged to display the flag in homes, offices, and public spaces as tribute to all who laid down their lives for liberty.

In a time of change, tension, and challenge, the Philippine flag remains more than a piece of fabric. It is memory sewn into silk. It is the color of sacrifice and the shape of hope. It is the unfinished revolution — carried forward in every act of justice, every movement for equality, every voice that calls for truth.

On this 127th Independence Day, let us raise the flag in renewed commitment to the freedom it stands for.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.

Sources:

• National Historical Commission of the Philippines (www.nhcp.gov.ph)

• National Library of the Philippines Archives

• Acta de la Proclamación de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino, 1898

• Republic Act No. 8491 (Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines)

• NHCP “Our Flag” Information Brochure