The PHILIPPINE FLAG

For my INDEPENDENCE DAY blogpost and incidentally It's also MY 200th BLOGPOST , I would like to pay tribute to the PHILIPPINE FLAG. HAPPY PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY KABAYANS!! When I started blogging wayback AUGUST 2007, I already placed the PHILIPPINE FLAG at the upper right side of this little blog of mine "The Doctor Is In". Well, just a symbol that I'm PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO. Of course, this would also inform my blog readers that this blog is TRULY PINOY and MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES. Last year 2008, I also made a SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE DAY blogpost by featuring an OUT OF PRINT Philippine Cassette Tape compilation entitled "PHILIPPINES SONGS FOR FREEDOM" since It was the 110th Aniversary of Philippine Independence. So for now, let's just review a little bit about our FLAG. Today marks the 111th Anniversary of Philippine Independence so I decided to feature my flag and every PINOY's FLAG.

What you see right now is today's PHILIPPINE FLAG which undergone a lot of changes after more than a 100years of existence. WATAWAT is the TAGALOG of FLAG. Each part of the Philippine flag has a specific meaning and here it goes:

BLUE FIELD
-stands for common unity and the noble desires of the Filipino people.

WHITE TRIANGLE
-with equal sides of the flag is symbolic of equality among men.

WHITE FIELD
- stands for purity.

SUN
-stands for the gigantic strides that have been made by the Sons of the land on the road to progress and civilization.

The 8 RAYS ON THE SUN in the triangle
-represent the first eight united provinces that revolted for independence namely:
Batangas
Bulacan
Cavite
Laguna
Manila
Nueva Ecija
Pampanga
Tarlac

The 3 STARS in the triangle
-stands for the three major geographical divisions of the country namely:
Luzon
Visayas
Mindanao

RED FIELD
-symbolizes the eagerness of the Filipino people to shed blood in defense for their country.




Here's our
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ANTHEM
"Lupang Hinirang"
Composed by Julian Felipe
June 12, 1898


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 may di magdidilim.

Lupa ng araw, ng lualhati't pagsinta,
buhay ay langit sa piling mo.
Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi,
ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.


There was also an ENGLISH and SPANISH VERSION of the Philippine National Anthem. Btw, KABAYANS the title of our National Anthem is "LUPANG HINIRANG" and not "Bayang Magiliw" because some of my KABAYANS are still mistaken with these two.

The EVOLUTION of THE PHILIPPINE FLAG will be traced back to the revolution in 1892 and these KKK Flags were considered as the origin of our flag.


KKK stands for Kataastaasan at Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan. In ENGLISH Translation: The Highest and Most Honorable Society of the Sons of the Nation. Well, for PINOY NEW WAVERS we could sing the classic RAMONES song "The KKK took my baby away". Right guys? He He He!!


ANDRES BONIFACIO who is “The Father of Katipunan”, had a personal flag too during those times.

The Philippine National Flag made its first public appearance when then General Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine Independence from Spain. Like what I've indicated, there were several Katipunan flags and war banners and some of the revolutionary generals had their own flags during those times and some of them looks similar to our present national flag. I didn't anymore included the other flags here in my blogpost since there are lots of them. There were also times when The Philippine flag was banned and this was during the US and Japanese occupation. There were even debates regarding the colors of our flag especially the BLUE one wherein it was really confusing because it became Cuban Blue,then Sky Blue, then now It's Royal Blue. So how Blue would you get KABAYANS? BLUER THAN BLUE? He He He!!



There are guidelines on how to properly display our PHILIPPINE FLAG and so KABAYANS I hope you'll be familiar with them. If you're around the METROPOLIS today you would see our PHILIPPINE FLAG all over. YUP!! From SHOPPING MALLS, BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS, PARKS, OFFICES, SCHOOLS and a lot of places and even VEHICLES which I'm glad to see since this is a sign that we FILIPINOS still value our FLAG amidst the Political Disarray that everyone here in my country are feeling right now. Your's truly, Dr. Stirring Rhod, is also an advocate of PROUD TO BE PINOY thing as you'll see in my blog. The late PINOY MASTER RAPPER FRANCIS MAGALONA was also an advocate of this and of course he loves the PHILIPPINE FLAG too like I do. FRANCIS M. even composed a song entitled "THREE STARS AND A SUN". I hope you guys liked this humble blogpost tribute of mine about the PHILIPPINE NATIONAL FLAG. MARAMING SALAMAT PO!! THANKS for dropping by again!!

So my message to my KABAYANS:
KABAYANS, TAYO'Y MGA PINOY!! IPAGMALAKI SA BUONG MUNDO!! TAYO'Y MAGTULUNGAN AT HUWAG MAGSIRAAN. IISA ANG ATING DUGO AT IISA ANG ATING LAHI!! UGAT NATIN AY IISA!! MABUHAY ANG PINOY!!

HAPPY
111th INDEPENDENCE DAY
KABAYANS!!

MALIGAYANG
ARAW NG KALAYAAN KABAYAN!!
MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD-