Writing Prompt #6

Joshua Carino

UWRT 1104

March 13, 2017

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The entirety of my family originates from the incredible island nation of the Philippines.

The country has an incredibly vibrant and jovial culture at its heart; and, as such is reflected in

the optimistic attitudes of its people, as well as the radiant flag my people proudly wave. The flag

was adopted on June 12, 1898 and was designed by Emilio Aguinaldo. The flag itself consists of

four colors: yellow, red, white, and blue. It is organized with the blue and red on top of each

other, with the white on the left. The white is adorned with three yellow stars and a sun, which

gave it the nickname Tatlon Bituin at Isang Araw, which translates to Three Stars and a Sun

(Philippines Flag, n.d.). Each color and ornament on the flag represents values and events within

the countrys history. The blue represents freedom, and the cost one is willing to take to achieve

such. The red symbolizes courage and patriotism; while the white triangle represents liberty and

community. The sun and its eight rays have a very significant meaning, as it represents the

government and the eight provinces that revolted against Spain. The three stars represent the

islands where the revolution took place. An ironic factoid about the flag is that it was sewn in

Hong Kong, rather than in the Philippines. Another interesting fact is that during war time, the

flag is inverted, with the red on top (Philippines Flag, n.d.).

The national anthem of the Philippines is entitled Lupang Hinirang. The anthem has a

tumultuous history, as it went through many incarnations before the official version was

indoctrinated in 1956. It originated as a piece by Julian Felipe to be played during the

Independence Day celebrations, which were to take place on June 12. In this incarnation, it was

given the name Marcha Nacional Filipina. It must be noted that the anthem was wordless, and

was solely instrumental (Philippine History, n.d.). Therefore, a poet named Jose Palma wrote a

poem in Spanish called Filipinas, which ironically became the lyrics to the song. It wasnt until

1956 that it was translated into Filipino. The citizenship procedures of the Philippines are
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somewhat similar to that of the United States. They also have the policy of naturalization at birth,

in which a child born to on Filipino soil is a citizen. They also operate on the principle that a

child inherits the citizenship of their naturalized parents. They also have normal naturalization, in

which one would have to relinquish their previous citizenship in exchange for a Filipino one. It is

through this method that I could become a citizen, as neither of my parents were citizens at the

time of my birth (GOVPH, n.d.).

All in all, the Philippines is rich in history and culture; both of which permeate

throughout all of the aforementioned facets of the country.

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References

Philippines Flag - colors meaning of Philippines Flag. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from

http://philippinesflag.facts.co/philippinesflagof/philippinesflag.php

Philippine History -- The Philippine National Anthem. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from

http://filipino.biz.ph/history/anthem.html

GOVPH. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from http://www.immigration.gov.ph/faqs/citizenship