THE great grandson of Emilio Aguinaldo, the Philippine republic’s first president, said many young Filipinos do not give the flag the respect it deserves as a symbol of nationalism and patriotism.
“What they do not know is that they are disrespecting not only the flag but the symbolism that it represents,” Emilio Aguinaldo Suntay III said.
Suntay, who is a board member of the General Emilio Foundation, said that not singing the anthem properly is another a sign of disrespect to the flag.
He said there are people “who do not even bother to stand during the singing of the national anthem in movie houses and this is not just disrespect but also a mockery to the symbolism of the Philippine flag.”
Suntay encouraged the public to study the history of the Philippine flag to help them learn and understand the value of the respect given to it.
National Flag Day, celebrated every May 28, commemorates the first major victory of the Filipino revolutionary forces against Spain in 1898. Redjie Melvic Cawis