Philippine Flag: History and Symbols

This island country is located in the southeastern part of Asia. The Republic of the Philippines is popular among tourists due to its beaches and attractions. It does not matter whether you are going to visit this country in the near future - we will tell you interesting facts about its flag, which would be useful to know.

What does it look like?

The Philippine flag consists of blue, red and white. Its aspect ratio is 1: 2, the flag is divided into two horizontal stripes, a blue triangle is placed at the flagpole. A golden sun was placed in the figure, which has 8 rays, meaning 8 tribes - they were the first to enter the fight against the colonizers. At the top are three gold stars, symbolizing the three island groups that make up the state.

The colours of the Philippine flag:

• The red color demonstrates the courage of the nation.
• Blue colors indicate peace and truth.
• White is a symbol of purity.
• The sun is a symbol of freedom, independence.

In times of peace, the upper part is decorated with a ribbon of blue color, and in times of war the flag is turned over, and the blue ribbon is thus replaced by red.

Historical facts

1. In 1521, Spain, as a colonizer, claimed its rights to the islands, later named after Philip II, the Spanish ruler. Then the flag of the islands was the flag of the colonies of Spain - the Burgundian Red Cross.
2. In the 1760s, the Philippines was captured by Great Britain, when the flag was replaced by the British one. But a year later, Spain regained the Philippines, returning the former flag.
3. At the end of the XIX century, the national liberation movement launched a campaign, the purpose of which was liberation from the Spaniards. This marked the beginning of the Philippine Revolution. The current flag is based on the flags of that movement.
4. In 1897, the first national flag with a white sun on a red canvas appeared. It was approved and accepted by Katipunan, the same revolutionary movement.
5. The modern Philippine flag was designed by the first president of the state , Emilio Aguinaldo. It was first used in 1989.
6. At the beginning of the XX century, the US government had a significant impact on the Filipinos, so then the Philippines existed under the striped American flag. But in 1919, the version created by Emilio Aguinald was officially recognized as the flag of the Philippines.
7. When World War II was going on, Japan occupied the islands, which is why the symbols of the country changed again.
8. In October 1943, the symbol returned to its former appearance, although its appearance caused a lot of controversy, so in 1998 blue was preferred, and since then it has not changed much.