This flag was first unfurled and raised on May 28, 1898 in the Teatro Caviteño in celebration of the first victory of the revolutionary army against Spain in the battle in Alapan, Imus, Cavite after the return of Aguinaldo from Hongkong. It was raised during the proclamation of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898. Its last public display was made during the death of President Aguinaldo in 1964.


The banner was sewn with the triangle of the Masonry; three stars representing the main island groups of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao; and the mythical sun with a face and eight rays representing the first eight provinces that revolted against the Spanish rule. These provinces were Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac.


The present flag has adopted the features of all the previous Katipunan flags. Likewise, the banner is almost unchanged with President Quezon's specifications of the national flag, with a few exceptions, the most notable of which is the use of a plain sun without the face.


Retained are the white triangle, the sun and the stars and the blue and red stripes. The triangle stands for equality and its white color for purity. The blue stripe stands for peace and the red for courage.


The flag is unique in that it can indicate a state of war depending on the manner in which it is displayed -- in times of peace, the blue stripe is flown on top, but in times of war, the banner is inverted with the red strip on the top.


During the 1998 Centennial of the proclamation of Philippine Independence, the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, <a href="http://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno8491.htm" target="_blank" class="news_link" title="RA 8491">Republic Act No. 8491</a>, was passed, changing the shade of blue to royal blue.



<div class="book-extract-ear">

MALACAÑAN PALACE 
MANILA 
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES 
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 23 


DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFICATIONS OF THE FILIPINO FLAG


Whereas, section one, Article XIII of the Constitution prescribes what the Philippine National Flag should be without giving descriptions and specifications;


Whereas, Act Numbered Two thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight describes the construction of the Filipino Flag without the necessary specifications of the elements of the flag;


Whereas, compliance with this Act has not been uniformly carried out and has caused the making of Filipino flags in disproportionate sizes with incorrect proportions of the different allegorical symbols of the flag; and


Whereas, to avoid irregularities and discrepancies, it is necessary to follow the Constitutional provisions and Act Numbered Two thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight with uniformity;


Now, therefore, I, Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philippines, do hereby promulgate and order that the following specifications for the Philippine National Flag be strictly observed by all civil and military branches of the Government:


<ol>
<li>
The maximum length of the flag is twice its width; the minimum length is twice the altitude of the equilateral triangle,
</li>
<li>
Any side of the equilateral triangle is as long as the width of the flag.
</li>
<li>
(See Accompanying Illustration) Solid golden sunburst without any markings – Sun with eight rays, equally spaced; Arc x with Sun ray = Free arc y; two opposite rays in horizontal axis and two in vertical axis; sun’s diameter D = W/5; each ray has one major beam, twice as broad as the minor beam on either side; length of major beam R = 5/9D; length of minor beam r = 4/5R.
</li>
<li>
Three five-pointed golden stars of equal size, each star with one point directed to the vertex of the angle enclosing it; diameter of circumscribed circle of each str = 5/9D, diameter of inscribed circle of each star = 2/9D; distance from each corner = D/2.
</li>
<li>
Canvas-trimmed edge to the left of the triangle is approximately D/5 wide = not counted in measuring length of flag.
</li>
<li>
Flags made of silk will be trimmed on three edges with a knotted fringe of yellow silk D/5 wide.
</li>
</ol>

Done at the City of Manila, this twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and thirty-six, and of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the first.



MANUEL L. QUEZON 
President of the Philippines


By the President: 
ELPIDIO QUIRINO 
Secretary of the Interior





<a href="http://www.gov.ph/1936/03/25/executive-order-no-23/" target="_blank" title="Source" class="news_link">
Official Gazzete, Office of the President
</a>


</div>






Reference: Philippine News Agency 
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

March 25, 1936: President Quezon issued EO No. 23 which prescribed the specifications of the national flag