PHILIPPINE FLAG PICTURES

EVOLUTION of the FILIPINO FLAG

The first Filipino flag can be traced from the time of the Andres Bonifacio's
secret society named: Kataastaasang Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga
Anak ng Bayan (Highest and Most Honorable Society of the Sons of the
Nation) or the Katipunan or KKK for short. Benita Rodriquez and
Bonifacio's wife, Gregoria de Jesus, made the first Filipino flag.

The first Philippine flags was made of red cloth with white KKK initials sewn
in white. The red color symbolized the blood of the members of the
Katipunan in which inductee to the society signed in their names with their
own blood.

The Filipino flag had variations (from 1892 to 1896). Some members
arranged the KKK in a triangle while some generals of the revolution
designed their own flags.

Of note is the black banner of General Mariano Llanera in Nueva Ecija with
a letter K and a skull with two cross bones underneath.

Another variation of the Filipino flag was that of General Pio del Pilar. It
had an equilateral triangle with a K at each angle with a rising sun behind
a mountain.

In this Philippine flag picture, the Sun with the KKK underneath was also a
derivative of previous Filipino flags.

In 1896, the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan in Cavite headed by General

Emilio Aguinaldo had a red ensign with a sun and at the center of the sun
is the letter K written in the ancient Filipino alphabet.

Another variation is the Sun of Liberty of the Naic Assembly in 1897 and
the flag used by the Republic of Biak-na Bato.

General Gregorio del Pilar also used another flag during the Battle of
Pasong Balite and at the Battle of Tirad Pass. This Filipino flag is similar to
the flag of Cuba, according to del Pilar.

In 1898 Emilio Aguinaldo while in exile in Hong Kong had a banner

sewn with the triangle of the Masonry with the mythical sun and
face with 8 rays representing the 8 provinces that revolted against
the Spanish rule (Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga,
Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas) and 3 stars representing the main
island groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

In 1936, Manuel L. Quezon as president of the commonwealth,

issued Executive Order 23 which contained the specifications of the
national flag. The banner is almost unchanged with a few
exceptions, the most notable is the use of a plain sun without the
face.

Retained were the while triangle, the sun and the stars and the
blue and red stripes. The triangle stood for equality and it's white
color stood for purity. The blue stripe stood for peace and the red
for courage.

In times of peace, the blue stripe is flown on top but in times of war, the banner is inverted with
the red strip on the top. The Philippine flag is the only flag to have this official dual display.

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Last modified: 12-Jan-2019