"With liberty and justice for ALL..."

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Places I'd Love to Visit

Corregidor

Batanes

Colosseum

Forbidden City

Great Wall

Angkor Wat

Brandenburg Gate

Merlion Park

Petronas Towers

Vigan

Philippine Flag

 During a press conference after this month's US-ASEAN summit, the United States committed a mistake in displaying the Philippine flag. Unique among flags, the flag as the ability to declare whether the Philippines is at peace or in a state of war. Blue field on top for peace, red field at war. Quite a blunder to commit by a country with such an intimate, if checkered relationship, with the island nation. It is uncertain whether AB-Noy (short for: Aquino, Benigno - "Noy") did not notice the error(quite unlikely given his proximity to the flag) or he was plain ignorant of the intricacies of the trappings of Philippine heraldry. Given the fact that we cannot ascertain whether the top leader of the country is knowledgeable with the nuances of the flag, let us take a closer look at the Philippine flag.

 

 The original flag was designed and sewn by revolutionaries while in exile in Hong Kong and unfurled on June 12, 1898 to signify the country's independence from Spain. 

Monument to ladies who sew the flag

Declaration of Independence from Spain

Current Flag (circa 1998)

Each part of the Philippine flag has a specific meaning. The Blue, White and Red fields stand for common unity and  noble desires, purity, and eagerness of the Filipino to shed blood for their country. The white triangle is symbolic of equality among men; the shape and symbolism forming part of the ethos of the Katipunan - the secret society responsible for fomenting revolution against Spain. The eight rays of the sun in the triangle represent the first eight united provinces that revolted for

Flag conveying state of war

independence. The three stars in the triangle stand for the three major geographical divisions of the country which are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Another feature unique to the Philippine flag is its ability to convey the status of the country. Peace is signified by a flag with the blue field on top, wartime with the red.

The current flag is the fourth manifestation of the original Philippine flag designed by the leaders of the Philippine revolution. Variations on the details of the flag, notably the presence of the mythical sun and the hues of the colors reflect the changing times in the country.

Philippine Flags(left to right) 1898 Revolution flag with the mythical sun; 1919 to 1981 American occupation flag with the American navy blue and red; 1981 to 1986; Reintroduction of the original colors (though only a paler blue was available); 1998 Centennial flag with the royal blue as compromise between light and dark.

Bayan Ko

      

My Country

My country, the Philippines,
Land of gold and flowers
With love in her palms
She offered beauty and splendour.
And for her refinement and beauty,
Foreigners were enticed.
My Country, you were enslaved
Mired in suffering.

 
Even birds that are free to fly
Cage them and they shall cry,
How much more for country so beautiful
Would She not yearn to be free?
My Philippines that I treasure,
Cradle of tears and poverty,
My aspiration is,
To see you truly free!

 Shown above is a song written by 

The Barong - Icon of Grace and pride

Magsaysay

Official Costume

Contemporaries: Aguinaldo and Alfonso XIII

The barong is the customary garb of Philippine presidents in attending formal official and formal functions. Largely popularized by Ramon Magsaysay, the barong showcases the Filipino's brilliance and grace - turning the lowly peasant's shirt into the icon of the Philippine presidency. The Marcos regime saw the official declaration of the Barong as the national attire of Filipino men.

Head of State

Being the head of a revolutionary government, Emilio Aguinaldo is accordingly garbed in military regalia, as was also customary for heads of state at the time.  

 

American hegemony in the Philippines saw the emergence of a culture and government patterned after the United States. Presidents during this period wore the suit in their official functions.

Presidents in their "Americana" best

The ascension of Magsaysay saw the emergence of the Barong as a formal attire, being worn by the president on formal occasions and official functions. Except for Garcia, all succeeding presidents would wear the Barong; with Marcos formally declaring the garment as the national attire.

End of an Icon

The recent labor problems within Philippine Airlines highlights the innate

Bonifacio Shame

Insult To Injury

 "A-tapang A-Tao Hindi A-Takbo

A-Putol A-Saliri Hindi A-Takbo"

Ask any person on the street for a famous line from Andres Bonifacio and  chances are that these lines would come on top of their mind.

In spite of having started the Revolution, Bonifacio, the Katipunan's Supremo is remembered not for his patriotism but for his lack of formal education - and with it a perceived lack of intelligence.

Bonifacio Trial

Supremo

 

While routinely translated as "independence," the meaning of kalayaan runs deeper: it stems from the word layaw, meaning childhood bliss, bodily pleasure, and the satisfaction of necessities. The revolutionists coined the term kalayaan to define independence not just in terms of political autonomy from Spain but also as a general condition of well-being, abundance, and happiness -- a return of the golden age. 

Obesity in the Midst of Poverty

McObese and Malnourished

In the US, all value-added food products are  labeled with their nutritional contents. Burgers, for example,  are labeled accordingly with the amount of fat, protein, carbohydrates contained per serving - providing American consumers with data to allow "informed" decisions when purchasing food items.

There are even websites that consumers can visit wherein products are categorized according to their type (fruits, vegetables..etc) and according to source (Krispy Kreme donuts, Burger King Whopper..etc), allowing for ease of use and convenience for the public.

Unfortunately, the foregoing is a far cry from the situation in the Philippines. Ironically, in spite of the prevalent practice among Filipinos of copying all things American, we have yet to come up with a formalized system of establishing the nutritional content of food items we purchase here.

Sure, packaged consumer goods manufactured my MNC's have nutritional facts on their labels, but this is in keeping with SOP's set forth by their mother company abroad. Local manufacturers need not bother in researching on the nutritional content of their product as there is no government directive for them to do so.

Among food-retail chains,

Mudbricks: Inexpensive building material for the informal settlers

Informal Settlements

 

Defining the landscape in a lot of areas in the Philippines are the unsightly features of the flimsy homes of the Informal Settlers. This type of building is the typical shelter of a great portion of our people.

Informal settlements are a common feature of the Philippine landscape. Dotting the archipelago are houses made of scrounged materials, these settlements are a constant source of headache for nearby residents and establishments, but also an eyesore and source of embarassment for the government. 

Apart from the aesthetic problems associated with this form of housing, informal settlements are typically made from flimsy, haphazard materials which the settler managed to gather from the nearby environs.