Independence Day of The Philippines

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Pambansang Watawat ng Pilipinas

(National Flag of the Philippines)

(National Flag of the Philippines)

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History:

Designed by:
Emilio Aguinaldo - was a revolutionary, politician, and military leader who is officially recognized as the first and the youngest President of The Philippines (1899-1901) and first president of a constitutional republic in Asia.

It is used as a state flag and a war flag; the flag above indicates as a state flag, and if the red is at the top and the blue is at the bottom, it indicates war.

Who made the flag that Emilio Aguinaldo designed?

Doña Marcela Mariño Agoncillo -was renowned in as the principal seamstress of the first and official, gaining her the title of "The Mother of the Philippine Flag." With the help of her eldest daughter, five-year-old Lorenza Mariño Agoncillo, and Mrs. Delfina Hermosa Natividad, Dr. Jose Rizal's niece by his sister Lucia, to help her make the first Philippine flag.

December 14, 1897, General Emilio Aguinaldo visited the Agoncillo residence in Hong Kong after their voluntary exile. After having met them, General Emilio Aguinaldo requested that Doña Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo immediately hand-sew a flag according to his design which would embody the national aspirations of all Filipinos.

It took them five days to complete the flag. When finished, she personally delivered it to Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo before boarding to Hong Kong with his husband. She did not witness the flag being hoisted up in Cavite because she needed to be with her husband at the time.

The flag was first hoisted not on Independence Day on June 12, 1898, in Kawit, Cavite, but weeks before that. On May 28 that year, waved it in Cavite City to signal the victory of Filipino forces in the Battle of Alapan in Imus, a neighboring town of Kawit.

Where is the flag located?

The one that Dona Marcela together with her daughter and Mrs. Natividad had sewn is now displayed in Baguio City.

It is now displayed at the Gen Emilio Aguinaldo Museum with two other historical flags: the Philippine flag of Aguinaldo when he was captured in Palanan, Isabela, and the personal flag of Gen Gregorio del Pilar which he captured from the Spaniards and taken from him when he was killed in Tirad Pass in northern Luzon.

'Preservation, not restoration'

According to the Gen Emilio Aguinaldo Foundation, which is taking care of the flags, preserving the flags would take decades.

"If we don't show it, makakalimutan ng tao (the people will forget about it). We are in a predicament, but we really have to display the flag," said Emilio Aguinaldo Suntay, great-grandson of the first Philippine president.

"And if they will not be properly taken care of, they won't last more than 50 years", said Suntay, who is spokesman of the foundation. "It should not be restoration but preservation."

As part of the preservation, they are banning harsh light and the use of LED on the flag. They also installed a humidifier to lessen moisture inside the museum. They also placed acid-free paper on the back of the flags.

An interactive tour makes the museum visit worthwhile. It has life-size figures of heroes - including Aguinaldo with the flag with Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini - on balconies

"This is a purely symbolic gesture because Rizal was already dead at that time, but the revolution wouldn't have happened without him," Suntay said.

References:
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