Flag of Philippines

Flag origins

The Philippines has blue and red horizontal bands and a white hoist triangle containing a golden eight-rayed sun and three stars. The rays represent eight areas placed under a state of war during the early revolution. The independence declaration associated the stars with Luzon, Mindanao and Panay; modern explanations often use Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Emilio Aguinaldo conceived the flag, which Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herbosa Natividad sewed in Hong Kong in 1898. It was first displayed after the Alapan victory on 28 May and formally raised at the independence declaration on 12 June.

Flag story

The law requires a different orientation in wartime. In peace, blue is above red; in war, red is above blue. Vertical display also changes the relative positions. The same flag can therefore communicate the country's wartime status without adding a new emblem.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Philippines — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

Report an error