Happy Independence Day to all Filipinos!

This occasion is known locally as Araw ng Kalayaan, which, of course, translates into “Day of Freedom/Independence”.

Today has been declared as a national non-working holiday in the Philippines, with various events taking place throughout the country and even abroad to honor the occasion.

Some of the Independence Day activities are parades, flag-raising ceremonies, and, in select historical sites, dramatization or re-enactment of significant moments in history that marked the first Philippine Independence Day.

June 12th was chosen as the date because it was on that same day way back in 1898 when the Philippine Declaration of Independence took place. This is the historical event in which the official Philippine flag was first unfurled and the Philippine national anthem (formerly called Marcha Filipina Magdalo but now known as Lupang Hinirang) was first played.

Below is a depiction of the first Philippine flag:

Even if it has undergone minor alterations, the Philippine flag continues to serve a fairly straightforward symbolic purpose in modern times.

Red stands for war while blue symbolizes peace. The flag is normally raised in such a way that the blue strip is above the red. Only when war is declared that this positioning is reversed. When a national figure joins the Creator, the flag is only raised halfway (or half-mast).

The three stars are the main island groups: Luzon, Visayas (where I am from) and Mindanao. The eight rays of the sun are the first eight provinces to revolt against Spanish rule.