Philippines Flag Meaning
A horizontal bicolor of blue over red with a white equilateral triangle at the hoist, containing a golden sun and three golden stars. The Philippine flag is unique in that it is inverted in wartime, with the red field displayed on top.
- Continent
- Asia
- Adopted
- 1898
- Ratio
- 1:2
- Colors
- blue, red, white, yellow
- Designer
- General Emilio Aguinaldo
Symbolism
Blue Stripe: Represents peace, justice, and patriotism.
Red Stripe: Stands for courage, bravery, and the willingness to shed blood for freedom.
White Triangle: Represents equality, liberty, and fraternity, inspired by Masonic symbolism.
Golden Sun: Symbolizes independence and freedom, with eight rays representing the first eight provinces to revolt against Spanish rule.
Three Stars: Represent the three main geographical regions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
History
- 1521–1898: The Philippines was a Spanish colony for over 300 years, with various colonial flags flown.
- 1898: The current flag was first unfurled on June 12 during the declaration of independence from Spain.
- 1899–1902: The Philippine-American War led to U.S. occupation and restrictions on the flag’s display.
- 1946: Full independence was granted by the United States, restoring the flag.
- Present: The flag remains a central national symbol and is unique for being officially inverted in times of war.
Trivia
- The Philippine flag is the only national flag that changes its orientation in wartime, with red on top.
- General Emilio Aguinaldo personally designed the flag while in exile in Hong Kong.
- The flag’s original blue was lighter (Cuban blue), but was changed to navy blue after World War II, and later standardized.
- The eight rays of the sun correspond to provinces that rose against Spain in 1896.
- The flag is so important that desecration or misuse can lead to legal penalties in the Philippines.
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