National Flag Day (Philippines)

 

National Flag Day (Philippines) is celebrated every year on May 28. It is observed as a national holiday in the Philippines in celebration of their independence from the Spanish. It was on this day in 1898, that the flag was hoisted for the first time and the nation came together to form the country’s first republic. The flag remains a symbol of patriotism and nationalism, and in the Philippines, it was a beacon of hope during the tyrannous times of the colonial era.

On this day in 1898, the nation’s flag was first unfurled on Philippine soil, an inspiring moment that followed after the triumph of the Philippine Revolutionary Army against the Spanish forces in the Battle of Alapan, in Imus, Cavite. This event planted the first seeds in the nation’s journey toward independence.

Recognizing this pivotal event in their history, President Diosdado Macapagal signed Presidential Proclamation No. 374 on March 6, 1965. This declared the “28th day of May each year as Flag Day and (enjoining) all government officials and employees as well as private citizens of the Philippines to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies.”

Building upon this foundation, President Fidel V. Ramos further “enhanced” the one-day event and issued Executive Order No. 179, signed on May 24, 1994. This EO extended the period of celebrating National Flag Day from May 28 to June 12. It mandated the “prominent display of the National Flag in all buildings, establishments, institutions of learning, and homes” and “all government departments, agencies, offices, government owned and controlled corporations, instrumentalities, and local government units.”

“The National Flag, which symbolizes patriotism, love of country, and sense of nationhood, and embodies the aspirations and sentiments of the Filipino people in their unceasing quest for freedom and independence, can be instrumental in raising the level of socio-civic consciousness of the Filipinos, especially among the youth,” the EO said.