Symbols

of the
Philippines

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 National Flag

The Philippines national flag, as defined by the

National Historical Commission of the Philippines, is
made of silk, had a white equilateral 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 blue and a lower stripe of red. The sun
stands for liberty; the sunburst of eight rays for the
first eight provinces to take up arms against Spain;
and the three stars for the three island groups of the
Philippines – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The white
triangle signifies Filipino hope for equality; the upper
blue stripe stands for peace, truth and justice; while
the lower red stripe stands for patriotism and valor.
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National Anthem
"Lupang Hinirang"

Bayang magiliw
Perlas ng silanganan
Alab ng puso
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay

Lupang Hinirang
Duyan ka nang magiting
Sa manlulupig
Di ka pasisiil

Sa Dagat at bundok sa simoy

At sa langit mo'y bughaw
May dilag ang tula
At awit sa paglayang minamahal
Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y tagumpay na nagniningning
Ang bituin at araw niya'y kailanpama'y di magdidilim

Lupa ng araw ng luwalhati't pagsinta

Buhay ay langit sa piling mo
Aming ligaya nang pag
May mang-aapi

Ang mamatay nang dahil sa'yo

The Philippine national anthem is entitled “Lupang Hinirang” and

composed by Julian Felipe. “Lupang Hinirang” was first played publicly
on June 12, 1898 during the proclamation of Philippine
Independence. Its lyrics were adopted from the Spanish poem,
Filipinas, which was written by José Palma.
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 National Flower

The Philippine national flower is called

“sampaguita” which is generally known
as the Arabian Jasmine. Its white color
symbolizes purity, simplicity, humility
and strength.

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 National Tree

The Philippine national tree is called “narra”

generally known as rosewood. It was made
official by Gov. Gen. Frank Murphy through
Proclamation No. 652 s. 1934. In fact, under
the DENR Memorandum Order dated
February 5, 2013, cutting of Narra needs to be
approved by the DENR Central Office,
particularly by the Office of the
Undersecretary for field Operations.
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 National Bird

The Philippine national bird is called

“Philippine eagle” scientifically known
as Pithecophaga jefferyi. It was made
official in 1978 by former President
Ferdinand Marcos through
Proclamation No. 1732.

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 National Gem

The Philippine national gem is called

“Philippine Pearl” as declared by Former
President Fidel V. Ramos through
Proclamation No. 905 s. 1996. It is
scientifically known as Pinctada Maxima.
In fact, world’s largest pearl was
discovered by a Filipino diver in a giant
Tridacna (mollusk) under the Palawan Sea
in 1934.
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National Sports

Arnis is to the Philippines like Japan’s Karate and

Korea’s Taekwondo. It’s both a martial art and a
sport whose origins are still largely unconfirmed
because of lack of documentation. It’s known by
two other names: Kali and Eskrima, and makes
use of both bladed weapons, batons/sticks, and
bare hands. It became a national symbol in 2009
when then-Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed
Republic Act 9850 into law.

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 Education PH

Now, you may be wondering: where

(or when) in this list will the name
Dr. Jose Rizal appear? What about
things like anahaw and mangoes?
Sadly, these cannot be included in
the list above as they are listed by
the NCCA as national symbols
because there is no law that has
been signed declaring them as
such.

What follows here is the list of our

country’s unofficial national
symbols:

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 National Hero

Long recognized in the country’s history books as our National

Hero, Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda’s status
as our national hero has not been the subject of debate for the
common Juan. Scholars, however, still argue about who should be
given the title: Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo,
Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat,
Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino, and Gabriela Silang were listed
down by former President Fidel V. Ramos as those worthy of
being given the title of National Hero. This list has not been acted
on since being submitted by the National Heroes Committee on
November 22, 1995.

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 National Leaf

Often referred to as the National Leaf,

the anahaw or round-leaf fountain palm
is not part of the country’s national
symbols. Normally seen in the
countryside as a roofing material,
anahaw leaves are seen as decorative
pieces/plants in the metro.
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 National Fruit

A common sight in Philippine wet

and dry markets, the mango has
long been seen as the National
fruit. As popular as it is for making
desserts, there is no law that
proclaims it as a national symbol.

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 National Animal

If common men have dogs as their best

friend, then the carabao or Philippine water
buffalo is the Filipino farmer’s best friend.
They’re beasts of burden, able to do almost
everything that needs to be done on the rice
fields, including carry the farmer and his
goods. But, without any laws to recognized
them, they’ll remain an unofficial symbol of
the country.
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 National House

The humble bahay kubo or nipa hut

is still seen in some parts of the
country, particularly in the provinces.
While it has long been a symbol of
Filipino homes, it has not been
recognized as a national symbol.

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 National Fish

Bony, yet prized for its belly fat,

which almost everyone fights for on
the dinner table. The bangus or
milkfish has long been seen as the
country’s national fish, yet without a
law, it’s status will never be official.
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