Flag of Philippines
Three Stars and a Sun
The Philippine flag has a blue stripe over a red stripe, with a white triangle at the pole holding a golden sun with eight rays and three golden stars.
At a glance
- Adopted
- 1998first flown in 1898; specifications set in 1936; the current version and colours were confirmed by Republic Act No. 8491 in 1998
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Manila
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- royal blue
- crimson red
- white
- gold
What it means
- Sun: a new era of freedom; its eight rays stand for the first eight provinces that rose up against Spain
- Three stars: the three main island groups: Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao
- White triangle: liberty, equality and fraternity
- Blue and red: officially peace, truth and justice, and patriotism and valour; another common explanation is red for courage and blue for unity
Where it came from
The flag was designed by Emilio Aguinaldo, leader of the revolution against Spain, while he was in exile in Hong Kong; one book names Feliciano Jocson instead. It was sewn in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza and Delfina Herbosa Natividad.
History
The flag first flew in battle in May 1898 and was unfurled when independence was proclaimed on 12 June 1898. Under American rule it was banned for a while, and the ban was lifted in 1919.
President Manuel Quezon set exact rules for its design in 1936. The shade of blue has changed several times. A 1998 law, Republic Act No. 8491, confirmed today's colours.
Fun facts
- In time of war, the Philippines flies its flag upside down, with red on top.
- The flag was sewn in just a few days in Hong Kong.
- People have suggested adding a ninth sun ray or a fourth star, but these ideas were never adopted.
- The original 1898 explanation of the symbols is different from today's official one.
Easy to mix up with
Cuba
CzechiaQuestions
What does the flag of Philippines look like?
The Philippine flag has a blue stripe over a red stripe, with a white triangle at the pole holding a golden sun with eight rays and three golden stars.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Philippines mean?
Sun: a new era of freedom; its eight rays stand for the first eight provinces that rose up against Spain; Three stars: the three main island groups: Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao; White triangle: liberty, equality and fraternity; Blue and red: officially peace, truth and justice, and patriotism and valour; another common explanation is red for courage and blue for unity.
When was the flag of Philippines adopted?
The current flag of Philippines was adopted on 1998. (first flown in 1898; specifications set in 1936; the current version and colours were confirmed by Republic Act No. 8491 in 1998)
What colours are on the flag of Philippines?
The flag of Philippines uses royal blue, crimson red, white and gold.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Philippines?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Cuba. Cuba also has a triangle at the hoist, but it is red with one white star, and the flag has blue and white stripes
Famous landmarks in Philippines
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)