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History of the Philippine Flag

The Philippine national flag was designed by Emilio Aguinaldo during his exile in Hong Kong. The flag was sewn at 535 Morrison Hill, Hong Kong by Mrs. Marcela Mariño Agoncillo - wife of the first Filipino diplomat, Felipe Agoncillo, with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Mrs. Delfina Herbosa Natividad, niece of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and wife of General Salvador Natividad. The flag was completed within five days and handed over to Emilio Aguinaldo before he returned to the Philippines. The flag was unfurled for the first time on the balcony of Emilio Aguinaldo's home in Cavite on June 12, 1898 in proclamation of independence from Spain.

During the American regime, the display of the Philippine flag was totally prohibited. There was severe punishment for violators. Despite this, there were still many who displayed the flag and the prohibition was finally lifted (this was also the case during the Japanese occupation). An Executive Order declared October 30, 1919 as Philippine Flag Day. However, the flag had minor discrepancies. On March 25, 1936, President Manuel Quezon issued Executive Order No. 23 prescribing the technical description and specification of the Filipino flag. It was followed by other directives assigning the National Historical Institute as the authority in Philippine Vexillaries and Heraldy.

Symbols of the Philippine Flag

The blue field stands for common unity and the noble aspirations of the Filipino people.

The white triangle with equal sides of the flag is symbolic of equality among men.

The white field stands for purity.

The sun represents the gigantic strides that have been made by the Sons of the land on the road to progress and civilisation.

The eight rays of the sun in the triangle represent the first eight united provinces that revolted for independence - Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac.

The three stars in the triangle stand for the three major geographical divisions of the country - Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The red field symbolises the willingness of the Filipino people to shed blood in defence of their country.

Information taken from http://islandphilippines.com/flag.htm
Evolution, History and Symbols of the Philippine National Flag