Mysteries Behind The Philippine Flag

"Hinanakit sa Pagbalik"

Bakit, Pilipino, puso mo'y malaki
tila basang papel, kaytagal magsindi,
ngunit pag nag-alab ay kugon sa liksi
kung matupok yaong poot mong matindi?

Kapag may nanguna sa paghihimagsik,
ikaw ay uupo muna't magmamasid,
kung sino'ng manalo, doon ka sisiksik
at magmamalaking ikaw ay tumindig.

Pagkat ang ibig mo'y ikaw ang mamuno,
yaong nangunguna'y pilit igugupo,
agad hihiwalay kapag nasiphayo - -
bakit mithing laya'y 'di maisapuso?

Kasaysayan natin ay paulit-ulit:
kung may Lapulapu'y may Zulang pumanig
sa dayong Kastila; kay Sulaymang tagis
ay may Lakandulang kalis ng pagtalik.

Kahinaan natin ang magwatak-watak:
kilusan ng masang Tundo ang naglunsad
windang sa Cavite at nagpangkat-pangkat - -
halos amba pa lang, himagsika'y wasak!

Bakit tayu-tayo itong naglalaban,
bakit 'di maglaho iyong kasibaan,
bakit 'di mawala ang pag-uulutan,
ang onor ng iba bakit inaagaw?

- - mula sa isang chapter sa tulang epiko ni Tony Donato - "VIVORA"

From our school's history text books to the history books of today, which our "Big brother America" wrote for us, said that the "Philippine flag was skillfully sewed by wife of the first Filipino diplomat Felipe Agoncillo - Marcela Marino de Agoncillo, with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad, niece of Jose P. Rizal, at 535 Morrison Hill, Hong Kong. What was later to be known as "The Sun and the Stars" and was completed within five days and handed over to Emilio Aguinaldo before he returned to the Philippines. The flag was unfurled for the first time on the window of Emilio Aguinaldo's home in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898 in proclamation of independence from Spain. The flag was based on the design of Emilio Aquinaldo during his exile in Hong Kong in 1897, though to some it was Feliciano Jocson a treasurer of the Katipunan under Andres Bonifacio, was the real designer of our present flag. Jocson who also fought in the revolutionary war of 1896 and after the murder of the Supremo Andres Bonifacio, together with Emilio Jacinto revived the Katipunan on February 8, 1898. According to Gen. Artemio "Vivora" Ricarte, Jocson saw a Cuban flag while reading a newspaper and with this he designed a flag which became the basis for the flag we are using today. Ricarte added that Aquinaldo can not claim in designing the flag, because even before he returned to the Philippines from his self exile in 1898, it was already being used by Gregorio del Pilar's men, "Tropa ng Pasong Balite" who were left behind by Gen. del Pilar and was with Aquinaldo in Hong Kong. The same flag was displayed in Battle of Alapan, in Imus Cavite, on May 28, 1898 -- known today as the Philippine Flag Day.

The original design of the flag adopted a mythical sun with a face, a symbol common to several former Spanish colonies like Cuba & Puerto Rico. The similarity of the Philippine flag with these two countries' flag were obviously seen at the Treaty of Paris of 1898, where Spanish commissioners argued that Manila (Intramuros), the only remaining city which Filipino revolutionaries have not yet claimed because of the requested of their American ally, Spanish-Manila not had surrendered after the ceasefire and that the Philippines could not be demanded as a war conquest, but they eventually yielded. The treaty specified that Spain would cede her remaining island colonies; Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines with Guam to the United States for 20 million dollars. Based on anecdotal evidence and the few surviving flags from the era, historians argue that the colors of the original Philippine flag were the same blue and red as found on the flag of Cuban and Puerto Rico. From one of the founders of "La Solidaridad" Mariano Ponce, remembered about the original "colors" that the blue is "azul oscuro (dark blue)" between "azul marino (navy blue)" and "azul cielo (sky blue)."

The three stars on the Philippine flag symbolize Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The 8 rays represent the 8 provinces that took part in the revolution against Spain; Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Laguna and Batangas. But the symbolism given by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista who wrote the Philippine Declaration of Independence on June 12, 1898 Proclamation of Philippine Independence, differs from the current official explanation. Bautista explained and read on the occasion of its proclamation on June 12, 1898, has listed the eight provinces as Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna and Batangas. The proclamation also declares that the sun represents the gigantic steps made by the sons of the country along the path of Progress and Civilization and lists "Bataan" instead of Tarlac among the eight provinces were declared in a state of war almost from the start of the revolution, symbolized by the sun's rays. It was also mentioned that one of the three, five-pointed stars, represents the island of Panay, rather than the entire Visayan islands, which now stand for the three major geographical island groups that comprise the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. He continued, that the white triangle of Masonry signifies the emblem of the Katipunan, the secret society that opposed Spanish rule and the flag's colors commemorate the flag of the United States as a manifestation of gratitude for American protection against the Spanish during the Philippine Revolution.

So where is the sun's ray for the Visayans who also raised their arms against Spain? The Visayans like; the Magbanuas, Papa Faustino, The Pulajanes, Dagohoy, Papa Rios, were they forgotten by Aquinaldo? Mindanao was also excluded, is it because the Spaniards only went as far as Zamboanga and had a tough time fighting our Muslim brothers? They have to built Port de Pilar to protect themselves from the fierce Muslims who refused their presences. The Spaniards failed in Mindanao, so as the Americans and the Japanese armed forces during WW II. Gen. Arthur MacArthur's caliber 38 can't stop the "invisible Moros" already been hit by the bullet, still can attack, slash, kill them with their bolos. Gen. MacArthur have to request US armory to design and produced a more powerful caliber 45, was called "kalibreng pang Moro." So if Mindanao was not colonized by any imperialist country, why was Mindanao part of the whole purchase of $20 million at the Treaty of Paris? The Americans knew it, decided to keep quiet and acted like it was part of the purchase. Because of the Philippine was bought at the Treaty of Paris by America, our fight for freedom & resistance against their colonization was branded as an "insurrection" and not a revolution.

The NHC scratched "Bataan" out of the original eight provinces that took part in the initial revolution against the Spain and replaced by "Tarlac." Pampanga borders Tarlac and its confusing how Aquinaldo or Jocson who claimed they designed the flag missed this problem. How can they forget the honest and gallant Gen. Francisco Makabulos and Gen. Servillano Aquino the grand father of Ninoy Aquino who are both from Tarlac? Aguinaldo made his last stand in Tarlac before he fled to the mountainous North where he was eventually captured by the Americans. It was in Tarlac where the Republic fell as the Philippine-American War deteriorated into scattered guerrilla operations. These are not the only questions that needs explanation but also, why did Aquinaldo replaced Bonifacio's Katipunan flag? Is it to establish the new Ilustrado revolutionary government to replace the Katipunan revolutionary government of the masses at the controversial Tejeros convention? Why did Aquinaldo needed an election, change of government and a new flag, when the revolution is still going on and independence is not yet achieve? It is the same problem which the Philippines is going through from Aquinaldo's mafia like government to the present! We lost a lot of good Filipinos who could have made our country great again, as great as when the Philippines was one of the centers of trade during the great maritime empire of SRI VIJAYA before that lamed navigator Magellan claimed he "discovered" the Philippines.

ka tony
the 28th of May, 2011 (revised 28 of May, 2012)