Pacete: Our flag: Sacred relic of the revolution

Pacete: Our flag: Sacred relic of the revolution

The story of our flag is identical to the story of our independence. When I was still a kid, I enjoyed listening to the tell-tale or “historia de los borrachos” (stories of the drunkards) about our flag during their “tuba” session under the coconut palms.

For Filipinos, our flag is a sacred relic... just like how Catholics value the cross where Christ died. If someone would make fun of the cross, many would consider it a sacrilege. The same thing happened when concert star Madonna made the Philippine flag as her wrap-around during her show at Mall of Asia arena on February 2016. Filipinos strongly protested her erotic and dangerous act using our flag as hand prop.

My high school teacher explained the evolution of the Filipino flag. I cordially refused to accept his statement based on what I know about the meaning of the word “evolution”. He scolded me for pretending that I am better than him.

I sacrificed my department. I told him that how can there be an evolution of Philippine flag when varied flags used during the various stages of Philippine revolution did not have a linear connection to each other.

One flag used by General Mariano Llanera of Nueva Ecija reminded us of the movie “The Pirates of the Caribbean” wherein Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) used the skull flag in his ship.

The making of the flag during the Philippine Revolution was to each his own. Famous for their flag designs are the following leaders of revolution: Gregorio del Pilar, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo.

Even Antonio Trillanes during his Oakwood Mutiny used the Magdalo flag of Aguinaldo. The media men covering the event saw the Magdalo arm band so they started calling the soldier followers of Trillanes as Magdalo Group.

In “documento historico”, we found out that the Philippine flag used by Emilio Aguinaldo was made in Hongkong... so, it is imported. That was part of what was agreed at Biak na Bato that Emil and his boys would be exiled in Hongkong, the “Hongkong Junta”.

The flag was sewed in Hongkong by the family of diplomat Felipe Agoncillo, Marcela Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenzana, and Delfina Herbosa Natividad, niece of Dr. Jose Rizal.

The colors in our flag; red, white and blue could be a copycat from the flag of the United States of America. Based on the proclamation written by Ambrosio Rianzares, this could be a sign of “utang na loob” because it was perceived at that time that America helped us in our fight for independence against Spain.

That same high school teacher of mine said that the eight rays of the sun symbolized the first eight provinces that revolted against Spain. I courteously contradicted my teacher, “How come the Muslims were not mentioned there? They fought the Spaniards ahead of Bonifacio and Aguinaldo.”

When I did my research in college later, I found out that the eight rays of the sun referred to the eight provinces that were placed under Martial Law on August 30, 1896 by General Ramon Blanco. They were Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batangas.

The flag of our republic was first used in the encounter at Alapan, Cavite on May 28, 1898 and that could be the reason why we have National Flag Day every May 28. On June 12, that same flag found its rightful place in the window of Aguinaldo’s house in Kawit. It swayed with “Marcha Nacional Filipina”, the basis of our anthem, during the declaration of independence.

One time, I was riding with a foreign journalist visiting our island. He was amused to point out to me our flag flying on top of the lamp posts below the lamps. “Mr. Ver, do you give higher priority to your lamps over your flag?” I gave him my answer based on what I know on flag protocol but I cannot answer on behalf of those who displayed the flags below the lamps. They should review RA 8491 of 1998.

Our flag is a sacred relic and a symbol that reminds us of the sacrifices of our ancestors for 300 years under the Spaniards, 40 years under the Americans, and 4 years under the Japanese. Let us render a “makabayan” salute to our flag.*

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