{"id":13562,"date":"2014-06-06T12:04:43","date_gmt":"2014-06-06T04:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=13562"},"modified":"2014-06-04T00:05:14","modified_gmt":"2014-06-03T16:05:14","slug":"philippine-national-flag-symbol-of-independence-cloth-of-national-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/06\/06\/philippine-national-flag-symbol-of-independence-cloth-of-national-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"Philippine National Flag: Symbol of Independence, Cloth of National Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Philippine Flag \/ Wikipedia Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA — After a war is won, a country\u2019s sought-after independence is hoisted up with pride by raising a flag which symbolizes a country\u2019s freedom and sovereignty. But such scenario of flag appreciation is dated a long time ago.<\/p>\n

Gone were the days when blood is literally shed for a piece of fabric that heroes\u2014who died decades and even centuries ago\u2014found to be \u201cworth dying for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, we raise the same piece of cloth\u2014first raised by Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite\u2014everyday in school, in public plazas, and during special programs and events.<\/p>\n

When Manny Pacquiao knocks-out another boxer inside the ring, or every time a Filipina\u2019s beauty is recognized by the world on international beauty pageants, a flag is lifted up with pride by Filipino communities all over the world.<\/p>\n

With the spread of the country\u2019s labour force worldwide, is it even possible to name a country that has not a single Filipino resident?<\/p>\n

And where there is a Filipino community, there will always be that piece of cloth that binds them as one, and represent the Philippines\u2019 long and hardy race for independence.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Colouring the flag with historical hues<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some historians would argue that as our very own revolution was influenced to some degree by Cuba, so was the design of our flag. The same line of thinking gave birth to the idea that the original colour of the flag was similar to the shades of red and blue found on the flag of Cuba. This was even supported by the idea that Cuba, and other Spanish colonies adopted a common design of a mythical sun with a face in their flags.<\/p>\n

The colours used in the flag varied over different time frames. Historians suggest that the blue colour of the flag started with what they call Iazuli Rosco<\/em>, a colour which, up until now is a mystery for historians. Though some would argue that it was similar to the blue colour in the Cuban flag, other accounts suggest that the colours used matched those used in the American flag.<\/p>\n

Another historical controversy in the flag\u2019s colours happened when former President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the flag\u2019s colours to be restored to the same light blue and red used in the Cuban flag. But the decision only lasted during his term as another law was passed, after he was removed from power, designating royal blue as the official colour of the flag.<\/p>\n

\"Philippine<\/a>
Philippine Flag’s Original Design \/ Wikipedia Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But the colours were not only meant for adding a shade of merriment to the country\u2019s cloth of identity. The colours and the objects in the flag were meant to contain a valuable meaning, history and symbolism.<\/p>\n

The flag\u2019s colour was by no means accidentally chosen. Under a state of war, the country need not use a separate flag as the national flag is hoisted with the red fields\u2014which symbolize patriotism and valour\u2014flown upward. Meanwhile, the blue area\u2014which represents peace, truth, and justice\u2014is hoisted upward in times of peace.<\/p>\n

Even the flag\u2019s rectangular design with white equilateral triangle stands for something\u2014 equality and fraternity.<\/p>\n

As mentioned during the declaration of independence, an eight-rayed golden sun at the center of the white triangle symbolizes unity, freedom, people’s democracy, and sovereignty; while the rays stand for the first eight provinces\u2014Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna and Batangas\u2014that started the 1896 revolution against Spain. The five-pointed stars placed at the corner of each triangle\u2019s points represent the three major islands\u2014Luzon, Panay Island, Minadanao\u2014where the revolution started.<\/p>\n

\"Current<\/a>
Current Flag Design \/ Wikipedia Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The brains behind the nation\u2019s cloth of pride<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was not only the president of the revolutionary government; he was also the brains behind the flag\u2019s earlier design which was conceptualized during the time when the revolutionary members are preparing for the second wave of the country\u2019s revolution against Spanish colonizers.<\/p>\n

Within five days, the design was sewn in Hongkong, Aguinaldo\u2019s place of exile, by Mrs. Marcela Marino Agoncillo\u2014wife of the first Filipino diplomat Felipe Agoncillo, along with her daughter Lorenza and Mrs. Delfina Herbosa Natividad, niece of Dr. Jose Rizal and wife of Gen. Salvador Natividad.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Philippine Flag sewn in Mexico by by Mrs. Marcela Marino Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza and Mrs. Delfina Herbosa Natividad. \/ Wikipedia Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The flag was first raised\u2014and according to some historians, first\u201cbaptized with fire and blood\u201d\u2014during a bloody encounter between Filipino forces and Spanish marines on May 28, 1898, nine days after Aguinaldo sailed back to the Philippines from Hongkong and two days before the planned hostility against the Spanish forces. That day, the flag was lifted to symbolize the country\u2019s victory over Spain.<\/p>\n

But the flag raising ceremony to symbolize the country\u2019s independence from the Spanish colony only came later on June 12, 1898 at the historic window of the Aguinaldo Mansion in Kawit, Cavite.<\/p>\n

However, what they call \u201creal independence\u201d from the control of other countries became brief for the Filipino people, as the Americans and the Japanese, came to inhabit the land.<\/p>\n

The display of the Philippine flag was prohibited and punished severely during the American regime up until the \u201cPhilippine Flag Day\u201d was set by virtue of an Executive Order.<\/p>\n

The same prohibition was repeated during the Japanese invasion and only when the country was completely liberated of external control, was the flag freely raised and venerated in all occasions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA — After a war is won, a country\u2019s sought-after independence is hoisted up with pride by raising a flag …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":13573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1482],"tags":[4610,4609],"class_list":["post-13562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-art-and-culture","category-breaking","tag-independece","tag-philippine-flag","mauthors-lei-fontamillas","mauthors-philippine-canadian-inquirer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}