The state symbol of the Republic of the Philippines, its state flag was officially adopted in 1898.
Description and proportions of the flag of the Philippines
The flag of the Philippines is a rectangle that is half the width of its length. The flag is horizontally divided into two parts equal in width. In peacetime, the lower part is bright red, and the upper is made in blue. During the war, the government of the Philippines changes the direction of the flag, and there is a red field on top.
A white isosceles triangle protrudes from the flagpole into the depths of the flag of the Philippines, at the corners of which three golden five-pointed stars are applied. In the center of the triangle, a golden sun is depicted with eight rays spaced at an equal distance from each other.
The sun serves as a symbol of freedom, and its rays are reminiscent of the eight provinces of the Philippines, which were the first to start the liberation war against Spanish colonial rule. The three golden stars are the island archipelagos that are part of the Philippines.
The white color of the triangle on the flag of the Philippines is the purity and peace that the inhabitants of this country strive for with all their sincere thoughts. The blue field of the flag reminds of the true patriotism of the Filipinos, and the red part of it reminds of their inexhaustible courage.
The flag of the Philippine Navy is a blue rectangle with three yellow stars located in the corners closest to the flagpole and in the middle of the free edge. The center of the panel is decorated with a golden sun with eight rays.
History of the flag of the Philippines
Numerous conquerors and colonialists left their mark not only in the economy and culture of the country, but also in its state symbols. The initial domination over these lands was confirmed by Spain, and the oblique Burgundian red cross on a white cloth, raised in its overseas possessions, served as a flag for the Philippines in the 16th - 18th centuries.
Then, in 1762, the country briefly became subject to the British Empire, and Her Majesty's flags were hoisted on the masts of ships and on houses. Then the flags of Spain returned, and only during the national liberation revolution at the end of the 19th century, the secret society Katipunan came up with its symbols. In those years, the flag of the Philippines was a red rectangle with an eight-pointed sun in its very center. The emblem was applied in white.
While in exile, the leader of the secret society, Emilio Aguinaldo, developed the draft flag of the Philippines, which first supported the patriots in the battle on May 28, 1898, and today is the official symbol of the Asian island state.
