A little history of the Philippine flag
The Philippine flag has a rich history, intertwined with the quest for independence of the heroes that have given their lives for the ideal of a free nation. This symbol of freedom has seen its way in history with various colors and symbols.
From the white text imposed over a red-colored background, to the present colors of red, blue and yellow, the evolution of the Philippine flag shows the quest of the Filipino spirit to fight for ideals even at the cost of life.
One book that talks about the Philippine flag is Jesusa Garcia's "Ang Bandilang Pilipino" (The Philippine Flag), published by S.G.E. Publishing Incorporated.
Though Garcia's book still contains the usual textbook material about history, it goes a step further than the regular school textbook by including brief-quoted sentences put into the lips of Philippine historical figures.
The book starts with a brief exposition on the evolution of the Philippine flag.
The history of the Philippine Flag started with the KKK, which is an abbreviation of the:
Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Highest, Most Respectable Organization of the Sons of the Nation)
The KKK, also referred to as the Katipunan, was founded by Andres Bonifacio and was an organization that was opposed to Spanish rule in the Philippine.
The first three flags of the Katipunan were different from each other but they were all red-colored flags and had three K's, signifying the name of the organization.
After the three flags of the Katipunan, Mariano Llanera, a general in the Katipunan, changed the flag color and put a new emblem on the flag. The emblem signigied the huge losses the Katipunan suffered at the hands of the Spaniards.
The so called 1893 Mariano Llanera flag was a black flag having a K on the left, and a skull atop crossbones on the right.
The flag underwent some changes after the Llanera version. The Katipunan had internal rifts among the officers.
In 1896, the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan in Cavite, headed by General Emilio Aguinaldo, had a red flag with a sun and at the center. Inside the sun is the letter K written in the ancient Filipino alphabet.
Garcia says that the K's replacement for an I was intended to fool the Spanish in thinking that this was not the Katipunan emblem.
The 1896 flag with the "I" in the center of an eight-rayed sun became the first official Philippine flag.
It is interesting to note that before the current Philippine flag, another flag resembling the current one was used by General del Pilar. The flag had the triangle at the right, much like the current Philippine flag, but instead of the three stars it had three Ks. Also, instead of an eight-rayed sun it had an eight-rayed sun partially hidden by a mountain, and the rest was all red, no blue yet.
Later on, the Philippine flag developed the three-part scheme. The triangle was now blue, and what is blue and red in today's flag was black and red, respectively.
What is striking here is that the flag was supposed to be patterned after the Cuban flag, which was also rebelling against the European colonial power at that time.
A prominent and contemporary Filipino historian, Dr. Dr. Sonia M. Zaide, in her book "The Philippines: A Unique Nation", presents a summary of the actual making and sewing of the first Philippine flag:
During his exile in Hongkong, General Aguinaldo designed the flag as it looks today. Mrs. Marcela de Agoncillo sewed it with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Mrs. Josefina Herbosa de Natividad (niece of Dr. Jose Rizal, Philippine National Hero).
It was made of silk with a white triangle at the left containing a sunburst of eight rays at the center, a five pointed star at each angle of the triangle, an upper stripe of dark blue, and a lower stripe of red.
The white triangle stands for equality; the upper blue stripe for peace, truth and justice; and the lower red stripe for patriotism and valor.
The sunburst of eight rays inside the triangle represented the first eight provinces that took up arms against Spain.
The three stars symbolized Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
General Emilio Aguinaldo, who became the first president of the Philippine Republic, transported the flag that was sewn by Marcela de Agoncillo in Hongkong to the Philippine.
That flag was raised at Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, coinciding with the proclamation of Philippine independence.
From then on up to the present day , the flag made by Agoncillo has stood as the Philippine National flag.
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