The coat of arms of the Philippines was finally adopted and approved in 1940. It has many unique historical symbols.
Brief description of the coat of arms
The coat of arms of the Philippines is a shield with the image of the sun inside. Eight rays emanate from the sun, a sign that the Philippines has eight historical and administrative regions. In the upper white part of the coat of arms there are three stars (five-pointed). They represent the three largest island groups in the Philippine archipelago.
The bald eagle is a kind of reminder of the country's colonial past. In the blue part of the coat of arms there is another image - a rising lion. This is a sign of the former domination of Spain over this country.
Historical stages of the development of the Philippine coat of arms
- Colonial sign of Manila.
- Coat of arms of the Spanish East India Company.
- Coat of arms of the Philippines in the form of a red triangle.
- Coat of arms that existed during 1900-1935
- Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935-1942
- Coat of arms of the Republic of the Philippines (until 1945).
- Modern coat of arms.
Of this variety, the coat of arms of the East India Spanish Company is noteworthy. The Philippines was once part of the possessions of the East Indies, and was ruled directly from Madrid.
The very first coat of arms
The very first Philippine coat of arms was approved by the Spanish king Philip II in 1596. It depicted a castle on a red background, in the lower field there was a dolphin and a lion holding a weapon in its paws. Above the shield had a crown. The original version of this coat of arms was approved by a special royal decree, but for a long time the images of the coat of arms were constantly changing.
Further development of the coat of arms
Since the end of the 19th century, as a result of political instability in the country, the images of the coat of arms have been constantly changing. All of them were not heraldic centenarians. This is due to the fact that many Filipino leaders were not unanimous about what the country's coat of arms should be.
During the American occupation, the coat of arms of the Philippines had many elements of American heraldry. This is where the eagle appeared - the American symbol. The presence of the American symbol was unchanged until 1935. During the Second Republic, the appearance of the coat of arms was again revised, finally approved only in 1940 and enshrined in the corresponding law.
