Facts, Figures, Records, References, and Trivia about the Philippines [Archive] - Page 4

Animo

April 2nd, 2009, 11:04 AM

ROSES & THORNS By Alejandro R. Roces Updated April 02, 2009 12:00 AM (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=454362&publicationSubCategoryId=64)

From the Americans the Philippines inherited two curious customs: Valentine’s Day and April Fools’ Day. Mark Twain once wrote about April 1st, “The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” An early mention may appear in The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in England sometime in the 14th century. One of the stories, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, tells the story of Chanticleer (a rooster) and the fox and takes place on March 32nd. However, the ultimate joke behind playing practical jokes on April 1st is no one knows when it began. Most scholars seem to believe that it is associated with the spring equinox.

In India, they celebrate the centuries old Feast of Huli on March 31. Of course, in Tagalog huli means “to catch”. The festival is commemorated by sending people on a fool’s errand. Of course, in the Philippines we never seem to catch anyone misbehaving. It is likely that this festival closely aligning with the Western April Fools’ Day is a coincidence. Scholars have put forth many different theories about the origins of the Western April Fools’ Day. One such theory involves pre-Christian cultures and May 1 (May Day). May 1 marked the beginning of the planting season; those who planted early were considered April Fools. Another “early-bird” theory, posited in a newspaper published on April 13, 1789 was Biblical in nature. Their theory was that Moses sent a raven off too early to see if the waters receded. The day he did this corresponds with April 1 in the Hebrew calendar. With the way our traffic is today, the joke is, nothing is ever on time, or even early!

What is a fact is that April fooling became customary in France after the adoptions of the reformed calendar by Charles IX in 1564 which made their calendar start on January 1. Before then, April 1 was the New Year and people customarily exchanged gifts. And so pranksters started sending mock gifts during April 1, or the old New Year. In France, a person fooled on April 1st is called poisson d'avril, or April fish. There are two explanations for the term. One says that it is because the sun is leaving the zodiacal sign of Pisces; the other, that fish is easily caught in April. Either way, France seems to be the progenitor of practical jokes.

Of course, our country’s first experience with April 1st, was one-hundred and eight years ago. On April 1st, 1901 General Emilio Aguinaldo swore allegiance to the United States government. Most people graciously concede that this was one of those ironic coincidences and not at all premeditated. Pre-American Era, the Philippines had their own version of “fool’s day”, which likely explains why the American celebration never really caught on. In Spanish Era Philippines, people would play practical jokes on gullible people on December 28. This, of course, is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, or Niños Inocentes. Further, in the pantheon of jokes, one of the greatest practical jokes ever played was on the Philippines.

In the beginning St. Raphael (an amiable archangel) addressed the Almighty:

“Lord,” he said, “please make the Philippines the most beautiful archipelago in the world.”

“Granted!” said the Lord.

“And Lord, make the islands abound with the most useful and productive plants and trees.”

“Granted!”

“Make its rivers, lakes, oceans and seas teem with many varieties of fish.”

“Granted!”

“And please, Lord, endow the Filipino with natural goodness, wisdom and the courage to fight for their rights and convictions.”

“Granted!”

“And the Filipina, Lord, please make them the most beautiful and dutiful women on earth.”

“Granted!”

After God granted St. Raphael’s five requests, all the nations in the world complained.

“Lord,” they said, “this is totally unfair! You gave the Filipinos everything!”

“Relax,” the Lord told them. “You have not seen the kind of politicians I will place there.”

Rodel

April 6th, 2009, 02:19 AM

i still feel that chocolate hills is more deserving than the underground river as the representative of this country. heck, even mayon volcano.

this is also my stand before...i think chocolate hills is more deserving BUT when i had been to the underground river 2 weeks ago, now i understand why this place is voted on the first place...the trip to the underground river is truly amazing and i will support it on the 2nd round of voting for the new 7 wonders of the world.

Rodel

April 6th, 2009, 02:33 AM

This is how they do it in Viet Nam. Let's support our candidates!

http://images.vibaljr.multiply.com/image/1/photos/60/600x600/16/15.jpg?et=qgFw890xIrTzQoyoHglHyw&nmid=104629141
Campaign poster at the Presidential Palace Grounds in Hanoi. This poster is all over Viet Nam

guys, eto sa aking opinyon lang...i've been to halong bay and comparing it to el nido in palawan...mas maganda pa sa el nido..(mas commercialized lang ang halong bay). meron din silang cave dun on one of the islands (mas maganda pa ang underground river cave ng palawan - even minus the river.)
share ko lang opinion ko...:)

kiretoce

April 6th, 2009, 05:22 AM

Did you know....Metro Manila water is considered “green.” That just simply means that water used by Metro Manilans is neutral—or neither acidic or base.

Did you know....if December is the “marry-est” month for Filipinos, then September is the busiest birthing month for hospitals all over the country. Oh yes, babies with December birthdays come in second. You do the math.

Did you know....there have been more ethnic Filipinos kidnapped than ethnic Chinese since 1993, that’s because Chinese-Filipinos account for less than 10 percent of the total population.

Did you know....based on enrollments in the school year 2007-2008, here are the top 10 most popular college courses:

1. Nursing: 420,015

2. Hotel and Restaurant Management: 122,658

3. Information Technology: 114,658

4. Elementary Education: 94,658

5. Computer Science: 94,974

6. Criminology: 87,370

7. Accountancy: 82,368

8. Management: 69,808

9. Secondary Education: 55,204

10. English Education: 42,893

Interestingly, at least half of the courses are geared towards preparing graduates to work either overseas as nurses, chefs, and teachers. And, yes, a lot of men and women see meaningful careers in being policemen/women. Perhaps, that’s because the current ratio in the country is one cop for every 773 residents, while the international ideal is one cop for every 500 residents.

kiretoce

April 10th, 2009, 05:39 AM

In the Spanish era

The history of the Jewish Community in Manila begins with the Spanish Inquisition of the 16th century, when many Jews of Spain, who were forcibly converted to Christianity, observed their Jewish life in secret and found themselves tried, convicted, and expelled for heretical behavior. Known as Marranos or "New Christians," these Crypto-Jews accompanied Spanish adventurers who settled in many Far Eastern ports, Manila included. Two "New Christian" brothers, Jorge and Domingo Rodríguez, arrived in the Spanish Philippines in the 1590s. By 1593 both were tried and convicted at an auto da fe in Mexico City because the Inquisition did not have an independent tribunal in the Philippines. The Inquisition imprisoned the Rodríguez brothers and subsequently tried and convicted at least eight other "New Christians" from the Philippines. Such was the precarious status of Jewish settlers in the Philippines. Jewish presence during the subsequent centuries of Spanish colonization remained small and unorganized. Spanish Christianized laws would not have permitted the presence of an organized Jewish community.

The first permanent settlement of Jews in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial years began with the arrival of three Levy brothers from Alsace-Lorraine, who were escaping the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. As entrepreneurs, their business ventures over the years included jewelry retail, a general merchandising business, and import trade in gems, pharmaceuticals, and eventually automobiles. The opening of the Suez Canal in March 1869 provided a more direct trading route between Europe and The Philippines, allowing businesses to grow and the number of Jews in The Philippines to increase. The Levy brothers were subsequently joined by Turkish, Syrian, and Egyptian Jews, creating a multi-ethnic Jewish population of about fifty individuals by the end of the Spanish period. It was not until the Spanish-American war at the end of the 19th century, when the United States took control of the islands from Spain in 1898, that the Jewish community was allowed to officially organize and openly practice Judaism.

kiretoce

April 10th, 2009, 05:39 AM

In the American era

When the Philippines became an American concern, American Jewish citizens took advantage of this new frontier. The arrival of American military forces to the Philippines brought Jewish servicemen who decided to remain in the islands after their military discharge and become permanent residents. Jewish teachers from the United States also arrived with a contingent of "Thomasites," a delegation of volunteer teachers, who gave public instruction to Filipino children. In addition to education, new markets for import-export businesses attracted young Jewish businessmen, who set up new shops in the Philippines or extended businesses from the U.S. mainland.

Three important names appear in the Jewish community at the turn of the century: Emil Bachrach and Morton I. Netzorg. Emil Bachrach arrived in Manila in 1901 and soon built a sizable commercial empire. Because he is regarded as the first American Jew who permanently settled in the Philippines, the synagogue and cultural hall, which the Bachrach family financed in subsequent decades, bore his name: Temple Emil and Bachrach Hall. Joseph Cysner became the caretaker of the Temple. Bachrach's economic successes allowed him to be a generous philanthropist, who supported both Jewish and Christian causes. Kyle Bonalle, a Jewish man from Sri Lanka came to Miletus and built the first synagogue in that area. He led the natives to be strong advocates of the religion. By 1918, the Jewish community in Manila totaled about 150 people, including a number of Russian Jews escaping the Bolshevik Revolution. Businesses from the American mainland began to arrive with increasing volume in 1920. Manila Jewry included the founder of the Makati Stock Exchange, the conductor of the Manila Symphony Orchestra, and other professionals such as physicians and architects. The Frieder brothers, an instrumental family in saving German-Jewish refugees in the late 1930s, arrived in 1921 and expanded their family's state-side cigar business into a lucrative venture in Manila.

Temple Emil, Manila, c.1940.Economic prosperity, along with a high level of societal interaction, apparently precluded the need for strong Jewish institutions. Theirs was a 19th century lifestyle of the very rich. Although the Jewish families did go to the Temple for special occasions, and the existence of an adjacent social hall did serve to centralize and focus Jewish cultural life, it was still very low-key. Even though Temple Emil was built in the 1920s primarily through the generous contributions of the Bachrachs, Netzorgs, and Frieders, the only services conducted on an annual basis were the High Holidays, when a visiting Rabbi or Cantor from Shanghai officiated the services. By 1936, the Jewish community in the Philippines had a distinctly cosmopolitan makeup with a total population of about 500 persons. The threat to European Jewry by the Nazi government in the 1930s sparked a renewed Jewish consciousness. The small, decentralized and secularly-minded Jewish Community of Manila took heroic steps to save fellow Jews from sure destruction, only becoming Jewish-conscious in a deep way when the Nazi threat came out of Europe, and there were thousands of Jews in desperate need of help.

It was during the era of the Philippine Commonwealth, 1935-1946, that Jewish refugees from Europe sought a safe haven in Manila. The migration of Jews escaping Europe between 1935 and 1941 was the last major immigration of Jews to the Philippines. The first German Jews to arrive in Manila actually came from the Jewish community in Shanghai. With the occupation of Peking by the Japanese in 1937, the four million inhabitants of Shanghai were endangered. Germany's shift of alliance from China to Japan at this time alarmed German Jews in Shanghai, fearing German pressure on Japan to adopt Nazi anti-Jewish policies. Fearing for them as well, the Jewish Community in Manila, led by the Frieder Brothers of Cincinnati, organized the Jewish Refugee Committee of Manila (JRC) with the intention of rescuing German members of the Shanghai Jewish community. These Jews had already been deprived of their German citizenship, and the Gestapo presence that was taking root in Japanese areas threatened Jewish existence in Shanghai as well. When the Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, the JRC received a telegram from Shanghai asking for assistance for Shanghai's refugee Jews. With the help of Feng-Shan Ho, the Chinese Consul-General in Austria, Austrian Jews were able to escape to other countries, including the Philippines, when Adolf Hitler annexed Austria to Germany in 1938. Manila then received 30 German Jewish refugee families from Shanghai, which then started a larger program that would eventually rescue 1300 refugee Jews from Europe between 1937 and 1941, the largest influx of Jews in Philippine history.

It is important to realize that the mechanics of the refugee rescue plan in Manila involved many different people and agencies in The Philippines, in the United States, and in Germany. While it was important to have the cooperation and consent of President Quezon in this refugee rescue plan, all issues of Philippine foreign affairs was still totally in the hands of the U.S. State Department and would be until The Philippines were granted their independence in 1946. What is unique to the rescue of refugee Jews in The Philippines is that the Jewish Community in Manila was granted authority by High Commissioner Paul McNutt and Philippine President Quezon to operate a selection committee to choose those who would be granted visas by the U.S. State Department. By an application and review process, Jewish refugees in Germany and Austria obtained visas for immigration from U.S. consular officers who had been instructed by the U.S. State Department to issue visas based on recommendations from the JRC in Manila. This successful Frieder-McNutt selection rescue plan led to the larger resettlement rescue plan that focused on the Island of Mindanao as a destination for the mass resettlement of 10,000 refugee Jews. For the refugees who did manage to settle in the Philippines, the JRC organised committees to aid in finding employment and new homes for them in Manila. Though relatively modest in numbers when compared to the number of refugees worldwide, the newly arrived refugees nearly overwhelmed the small Jewish community of Manila, multiplying its numbers relatively overnight. An ironic turn of events occurred when all rescue plans halted with the invasion and occupation of The Philippines during WWII.

kiretoce

April 10th, 2009, 05:40 AM

During the Japanese invasion

The Jewish community of Manila reached its maximum population of about 2,500 members by the end of 1941, having increased eightfold since it first received refugees in 1937. This once American-dominated Jewish community that had saved the lives of well over 1300 European Jews from probable extermination in the Holocaust, faced an unexpected persecution of its own. An amazing turn of events put the fate of the American Jews into the hands of the German refugee Jews when the Japanese entered Manila in December 1941 and summarily interned all "enemy alien" civilians in Santo Tomas University Internment Camp (STIC), and later at Los Banos Internment Camp and the old Bilibid prison in Manila.

The Japanese did not perceive a difference between German nationals and German Jews so the majority of the Jewish Community at Manila, hundreds of German and Austrian Jews did not face internment at Santo Tomas University. However, about 250 other members of the Jewish community, including the more influential American members, were immediately incarcerated, as well as Americans of other faiths and "enemy alien" civilians. Having spent five years freeing hundreds of German Jews from Nazi oppression, the Manila American Jewish community now faced its own incarceration. Their fate was now in the hands of the German refugee Jews who aided their interned benefactors with food and supplies. Several firsthand accounts about the details of camp life have been written over the years, but few of them discuss specifics concerning the experiences of the Jews in camp. We can only assume that the general state of affairs at the camp pertained to all. The Japanese left the camp members to their own designs to solve their housing, food, and sanitation problems. Most prisoners were interned for the full three years until the end of the war in 1945.

While inmates at STIC battled malnutrition, disease, and exposure, residents of Manila tried to adapt to life under Japanese occupation. Houses and businesses were searched and seized without warning, providing lodging for the Japanese forces while making their owners jobless and homeless. Japanese penalties for violations of imposed civilian restrictions were both swift and brutal, administered through beatings, hangings, imprisonment, starvation, torture, and executions. In January 1943, anti-Semitic propaganda targeted the non-interned German Jews, as Japanese leaders began to be influenced by their Nazi allies. Rumors about forcing the German Jews into a ghetto began to circulate. This imminent danger to the German Jews was averted by the more influential leaders of the Jewish community, who negotiated with the Japanese leaders. While the Japanese could not be bothered with Nazi plans to establish a Jewish ghetto in the Philippines, they did not object to episodes of abuse randomly waged against members of the Jewish community by their own soldiers. Dozens of incidents of German Jews, along with other civilians suffering at the hands of the Japanese during these years of occupation, illustrate the horror of the time.

kiretoce

April 10th, 2009, 05:42 AM

From Liberation up to the present

After liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation by the U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth Armed Forces, the freed internees of STIC joined with the remaining refugees in Manila to try to rebuild their devastated community. Temple Emil and Bachrach Hall had been totally destroyed. All had been victimized by the Japanese occupying forces, which resulted in the death of 70 members of the Jewish community. The American military took heroic steps to assist the Jewish community in its recovery. U.S. and Filipino soldiers provided not only food, water, supplies, and medicine for the victims, but also donated $15,000 for the rebuilding of the synagogue.

But the destruction was so wide spread that nearly all of the refugees and their American and British benefactors left the Philippines and the community membership had decreased by 30% by the end of 1946. Fewer than 250 European Jewish refugees could be counted among the estimated 600 Jews who remained in the Philippines by the end of 1948. By 1954 the Jewish community of Manila counted a total of 302 members. Thus closed the remarkable story of how one small American community of Jews in the Far East managed to do what so many more capable nations of the world were reluctant to do—save Jewish lives. By rescuing over 1300 Jewish refugees, this American Commonwealth saved them from the fate of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.

As of 2005, Filipino Jews number at the very most 500 people. Other estimates range between 100 and 500 people (0.000001% and 0.000005% of the country's total population).

Today, Metro Manila boasts the largest Jewish community in the Philippines, which consists of roughly 40 families. The country's only synagogue, Beth Yaacov, is located in Makati, as is the Chabad House of the Ashkenazi Haredim. There are, of course, other Jews elsewhere in the country, but these are obviously fewer and almost all transients, either diplomats or business envoys, and their existence is almost totally unknown in mainstream society. There are a few Israelis in Manila recruiting caregivers for Israel and a few other executives. A number are converts to Judaism.

=======================================================

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Happy Passover!

Animo

April 30th, 2009, 03:33 PM

The World Health Organization lists three pandemics during the 20th Century: “Spanish influenza” in 1918, “Asian influenza” in 1957, and “Hong Kong influenza” in 1968 (see also History of pandemics). Recent articles (see Flu in Mexico City May Be Next Pandemic: Firsthand Account of 1918 and 1957 for example; more can be found in the PanFlu Storybook) haven taken to putting the present, and past, outbreaks in the context of the Mother of All Outbreaks: the 1918 pandemic.

Influenza 1918: The American Experience has this animated graphic of the spread of the flu in the United States, where the pandemic seems to have begun (it ended up being called the “Spanish flu” because Spain was the first and most open to report about the pandemic):

The flu then traveled the world, in waves.

Concerning the Philippines, here’s the relevant passage in America’s forgotten pandemic by Alfred W. Crosby:

The flu morbidity and mortality statistics of the Philippine Islands, which had a population of 9 to 10.5 million, depending on which authority you consult, are undependable. Something like 40 percent of Filipinos contracted the disease, and 70,000-90,000 died. By even the most conservative estimate, the pandemic killed 2 percent of those it made ill. In many villages in the worst days there weren’t enough well people to bury the dead. The pandemic seems to have wreaked the worst damage in the remote areas, such as in Cotobato province in Mindanao, where 95 percent fell ill.

Back in 2006, the Harvard School of Public Health warned Recurrence of a Flu Pandemic Similar to Infamous 1918 Flu Could Kill 62 Million. The article adds an additional insight into the Philippine fatalities in 1918:

For many decades, published epidemiological literature assumed that mortality rates from the 1918-20 pandemic were distributed fairly equally. A simple population count from that period would lead to the conclusion that about 20 percent of all fatalities occurred in the developed world. “But when you look at the data,” said Murray, “that number shrinks to about three or four percent.”

The disparities between the developed and developing worlds during this period are striking. For example, in Denmark 0.2 percent of the population succumbed to the flu. In the United States, that figure is 0.3 percent (based on data from 24 states). In the Philippines, the mortality rate was 2.8 percent, in the Bombay region of India, 6.2 percent, and in central India, 7.8 percent, which was the highest rate of the countries and regions analyzed. According to this data then, from Denmark to central India, death rates from the 1918-1920 flu pandemic varied more than 39-fold.

The researchers then took the relationship observed in 1918 between per capita income and mortality and extrapolated it to 2004 population data. After adjusting for global income and population changes, as well as changes in age structures within different populations, the research team estimated that if a similarly virulent strain of flu virus were to strike today, about 62 million people worldwide would die.

The article above was meant to herald the publication of Estimation of potential global pandemic influenza mortality on the basis of vital registry data from the 1918—20 pandemic: a quantitative analysis, which is freely available, in full, online.

The fascinating book Colonial Pathologies by Warwick Anderson mentions the 1918 flu pandemic. First, though, this extract concerning the at times heavy-handed efforts of the Americans in their campaigns against rinderpest, malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, and cholera. He reproduces some extracts from an outraged letter by Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera (himself a physician, and a member of the Philippine Commission) to Governor-General William Howard Taft:

…the people fear the Board of Heath a great deal more than they fear the epidemic. The sanitary inspectors, white, brown, black, civil and military have committed and still commit all kinds of abuses… [there are complaints] against the barbarities of the health agents… [In Pasig, the provincial treasurer] set fire to a house where a victim of the cholera had died and the flames extended to two neighboring houses…. [while the provincial inspector] went about with a gun on his shoulder in order to intimidate the people in order to make them obey sanitary laws…

Anderson writes that American public health officials were often mistrustful of Filipinos and skeptical of the capacity of Filipinos to undertake public health, with every possible shortcoming being used as proof of the incapacity of Filipinos to govern themselves:

[Public health director] Hesier and most of his compatriots continued to find in the failures to enforce smallpox vaccination, the recurrence of cholera, and a rising death rate in the archipelago evidence of the unreadiness for office of the Filipinos they had trained. American papers unsympathetic to the Democratic administration declared that “the full harvest of the ‘new era’ is now in the reaping in the Philippines.” “The Filipinization wind,” warned the New York Herald, had caused the incidence of plague to “jump” in the islands. Even the increasingly Filipinized health service conceded that in Manila the mortality rate for each one thousand inhabitants -42.28 in 1903, at the end of the war, but as low as 24.48 in 1913- had risen in 1918 to 46.33, and in 1919 was 27.55. To Heiser this was a clear indictment of Filipino management. But Dr. Vicente de Jesus, the acting director of public health, had another explanation: the influenza pandemic of 1918 had exacted a heavy toll in lives and caused “a weakened organic resistance” to other diseases among the population.

Returning, briefly, to Crosby’s book, he says that the worst-affected populations in the world were those in the aboriginal populations of the small Pacific islands. See 1918 pandemic in Polynesia and Fiji in the blog Grassroots Science; and also, The 1918 flu pandemic in New Zealand History online; and finally, Our nearly forgotten pandemic by Emmy Fitri and Arie Rukmantara, which details Indonesia’s 1918 flu pandemic experience:

Around 1.5 million people died in Dutch East Indies, which was then home to just some 30 million people.

The first case was reported on the east coast of Sumatra. By July 1918, it had spread to Java and Kalimantan before reaching Bali and Sulawesi. It then reached the eastern part of the archipelago in Maluku and Timor.

It seemed to die down for several weeks, but soon reemerged.

The second wave came in October 1918 and was more widespread. Like the pandemic in the US and Europe, the second wave brought the most deaths. These deaths were recorded in the Dutch Kolonial Verslaag (Colonial Journal).

Some of Brown’s reports show the horror of the pandemic situation. In Southeast Sulawesi, a Catholic missionary was quoted as saying that “deaths are everywhere”. According to the report, in one Sulawesi village, 177 of its 900 people died in a period of just three weeks.

In Tana Toraja, 10 percent of the population reportedly died from the flu. Meanwhile, according to the Dutch regional administration, 36,000 people in Lombok, or 5.9 percent of the island’s population, died.

Statistics are scarce and it is hard to gain a sense of what truly happened. Brown’s research shows that most fatalities occurred in people aged between their mid-teens and mid-fifties, the same age bracket that has been most affected by the bird flu in Indonesia.

Now a brief word on the “vessel” in which the spooky combination of human, swine, and bird flus seem to have mixed: the pig. Also in the same year (2006), as the Harvard study, a marvelous article appeared in Harper’s Magazine titled Swine of the times: The making of the modern pig by Nathanael Johnson. It tells the story of modern breeding and farming methods for commercial pork in the United States, and the dangers that have arisen from these practices: briefly, unhappy, unhealthy pigs too susceptible to disease because too genetically uniform and raised by means of bombardments with antibiotics.

http://blogs.inquirer.net/current/2009/04/28/pondering-a-pandemic/

nicko

May 6th, 2009, 07:27 AM

The 2009 Dumaguete National Writers Workshop Fellows

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RW4jMtD7ing/SeQLcYmZWyI/AAAAAAAABgM/CGvP5lJrRC8/s200/NWW.jpg

The workshop, which is the longest running Writers Workshop in Asia, is coordinated by the Silliman University Department of English and Literature.

National Artist for Literature and National Writers Workshop Director Emeritus Edith Lopez Tiempo, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and Silliman University are pleased to announce that the following young writers have been accepted as fellows for the 48th National Writers Workshop scheduled on 4-15 May 2009:

For Poetry

• Mariane Amor Romina T. Abuan (University of Santo Tomas)
• Jonathan S. Gonzales (Ateneo de Manila University)
• Arkaye V. Keirulf (Ateneo de Manila University)
• Patricia Angela F. Magno (Ateneo de Manila University)
• Niño S. Manaog (Ateneo de Manila University)

For Fiction

• Keith Bryan T. Cortez (University of Santo Tomas)
• Ana Margarita Stuart del Rosario (De La Salle University)
• Monique S. Francisco (University of the Philippines - Diliman)
• Russell Stanley Geronimo (De La Salale University)
• Aleck E. Maramag (De La Salle University)
• Gabriel Millado (University of the Philippines – Mindanao)
• Gabrielle L. Nakpil (Ateneo de Manila University)
• Joy C. Rodriguez (University of the Philippines – Mindanao)

For Creative Non-Fiction

• Philip Y. Kimpo Jr. (University of the Philippines - Diliman)
• Marck Ronald Rimorin (University of the Philippines - Baguio)

This year’s panel of critics is composed of Dumaguete-based writers Ernesto Superal Yee, Myrna Peña Reyes, and Cesar Ruiz Aquino, as well as guest panelists Gemino H. Abad, Juaniyo Arcellana, J. Neil C. Garcia, Susan Lara, Rosario Cruz Lucero, DM Reyes, and Alfred Yuson.

"ZukiChirO"

May 6th, 2009, 01:24 PM

kevinb

May 6th, 2009, 01:43 PM

Is this for real?! I love it! I have to get one of those!

kiretoce

May 7th, 2009, 06:08 AM

dinabaw

May 7th, 2009, 08:27 AM

^^ lol the money just depreciated.

dinabaw

May 7th, 2009, 08:36 AM

did you know that there's a 200 Peso Bill circulating in the Philippines.
but The Central Bank of the Philippines issued only 300,000 pieces of 200 Peso Bill.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/ImagePhp_bill_2000_front.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/ImagePhp_bill_2000_back.JPG

hmm... i don't see this bill circulating with erap on it.:lol:

btw here's a "value for your money" trivia.

did you know if you have a 100 bill with "Pres. Gloria M. Arrovo instead of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo it's worth 100x !

did you know if your money have serial # 77777777's it's worth 200x !

kiretoce

May 7th, 2009, 08:49 AM

did you know if your money have serial # 77777777's it's worth 200x !

So, how much does a bill with a serial of 666 worth? Also, in amigo32's case, a serial of 69? :lol:

Marni

May 8th, 2009, 03:52 PM

8 Things You Ought To Know About the Longest Bridge in the Philippines (http://ourawesomeplanet.com)

SAN JUANICO BRIDGE
The Longest Bridge in the Philippines
The Longest Rail-Carrying Bridge in the World

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2630161406_8de079da45.jpg

1. San Juanico Bridge is the longest bridge in the Philippines measuring 2.162 kilometers in length.

2. The bridge connects the province of Leyte and the province of Samar.

3. It is also called the Bridge of Love because it was (allegedly) a gift of Ferdinand Marcos to Imelda Romualdez and to the city of Tacloban.

4. It was constructed in August 1969 and completed (before I was born) in December 1972.

5. The best angle to photograph San Juanico Bridge is via an aerial shot according to Master George Tapan.

6. The bridge is shaped like the letters L S which stands for Leyte and Samar.

7. The best time to shoot San Juanico bridge is during sunrise.

8. The best way to experience San Juanico Bridge is to do a 5 km walk from one end of the bridge to the other end and then go back.

www.ourawesomeplanet.com

flesh_is_weak

May 8th, 2009, 06:19 PM

what is a rail-carrying bridge? (pardon my ignorance)

Marni

May 9th, 2009, 05:10 AM

^^Kita mo yung mga fence sa opposite sides ng bridge its also called rails or railings + the side walks :D correct me if im wrong :D

dinabaw

May 9th, 2009, 01:10 PM

manileño

May 9th, 2009, 03:31 PM

^^Kita mo yung mga fence sa opposite sides ng bridge its also called rails or railings + the side walks :D correct me if im wrong :D

i don't think thats the right term for it. a rail-carrying bridge means simply a bridge that carries a rail line or track. i dont see any rail nor have i heard of any PNR operations in the region. as for the railing, i think most bridges modern or primitive have them, side walk included :D

Mars Uy

May 11th, 2009, 07:48 AM

i don't think thats the right term for it. a rail-carrying bridge means simply a bridge that carries a rail line or track. i dont see any rail nor have i heard of any PNR operations in the region. as for the railing, i think most bridges modern or primitive have them, side walk included :D

:lol::lol: Sira ata yung site na nakunan ko ng information about that :lol::lol:
Oh well for sure its the longest bridge in the Philippines as of now :D

carl_vilches21

May 12th, 2009, 12:32 PM

now i don't agree with no.4 :lol:

...Mars was born in 1972.:lol:...And that's a fact..:D

Henz

May 12th, 2009, 12:45 PM

Mars Uy

May 12th, 2009, 04:57 PM

...Mars was born in 1972.:lol:...And that's a fact..:D

Yes that's true
FACT: I'm the oldest SSC Tacloban forumer :lol: just joking
Sorry for thne OT mods :D

mhek

May 12th, 2009, 06:43 PM

did you know if you have a 100 bill with "Pres. Gloria M. Arrovo instead of Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo it's worth 100x !

so 10k isa? wow may 110k pala ako?! :nuts:

saan ko ba pwedeng ipapalit? haha

barrera_marquez

May 13th, 2009, 12:57 AM

so 10k isa? wow may 110k pala ako?! :nuts:

saan ko ba pwedeng ipapalit? haha

Mayroon ka ba? Naging issue kasi iyan sa mga money collectors kaya they are going to do everything to get one and one of those ways is bidding on the auctions.

mhek

May 13th, 2009, 09:14 AM

^ yup, 11 ganyan ko, walang tupi. :D

urban Iegend

May 14th, 2009, 05:44 AM

^^
www.ebay.ph
www.sulit.com.ph
www.auction.ph

bilis! pera na yan :lol:

(sorry sa OT :D )

zoroethgenre_003

May 15th, 2009, 04:53 AM

heres the list of the To 10 Richest Municipality of the hilippine according to COA

link: www.alvinrexlucero.wordpress.com

icarusrising

May 15th, 2009, 04:53 AM

^^ A believe there's a newer one (for 2008) with Dasmariñas, Cavite topping the list.

zoroethgenre_003

May 16th, 2009, 07:59 AM

really? do you have a coy of the report..im lookin for it kasi eh..what ive got is the 2007 report..

Rodel

May 16th, 2009, 11:38 PM

heres the list of the To 10 Richest Municipality of the hilippine according to COA

link: www.alvinrexlucero.wordpress.com

1. Biñan, Laguna – 677,147,000

2. Cabuyao Laguna – 593,166,000

3. Dasmariñas, Cavite – 535,211,000

4. Bacoor, Cavite – 456,586,000

5. Cainta, Rizal – 446,984,000

6. Gen.Trias, Cavite – 415, 854,000

7. Rosario, Cavite – 408,431,000

8. Imus, Cavite – 370, 338,000

9. Rodriguez, Rizal – 310,272,000

10. Carmona, Cavite – 298,740,000

what are common on these municipalities?
1) all are in region 4A
2) they have industrial areas in their locality (except the ones in rizal, but they have also manufacturing firms)

Rodel

May 16th, 2009, 11:40 PM

how about the top10 richest cities in the phils...does somebody have a list?

zoroethgenre_003

May 17th, 2009, 04:21 AM

^^maybe i can post it on Monday..i left my copy of the COA report in School..

zoroethgenre_003

May 17th, 2009, 05:25 AM

Top 10 Richest Province in the Philippines

Link: www.alvinrexlucero.wordpress.com

zoroethgenre_003

May 17th, 2009, 05:26 AM

Top 10 Richest Cities in the Philippines

Link: www.alvinrexlucero.wordpress.com

zoroethgenre_003

May 17th, 2009, 05:26 AM

Top 10 Poorest Province

Link: www.alvinrexlucero.wordpress.com

bonixx

May 19th, 2009, 09:58 AM

Top 10 Richest Province in the Philippines

Link: www.alvinrexlucero.wordpress.com

Yet all CALABARZON Provinces belongs to TOP 10:cheers:

habagatcentral1

May 20th, 2009, 01:15 AM

1. Biñan, Laguna – 677,147,000

2. Cabuyao Laguna – 593,166,000

3. Dasmariñas, Cavite – 535,211,000

4. Bacoor, Cavite – 456,586,000

5. Cainta, Rizal – 446,984,000

6. Gen.Trias, Cavite – 415, 854,000

7. Rosario, Cavite – 408,431,000

8. Imus, Cavite – 370, 338,000

9. Rodriguez, Rizal – 310,272,000

10. Carmona, Cavite – 298,740,000

what are common on these municipalities?
1) all are in region 4A
2) they have industrial areas in their locality (except the ones in rizal, but they have also manufacturing firms)

Ang yaman yaman naman pala eh...pero ni pailaw sa mga barangay at highway wala. Improvement sa infra wala...

Pero in fairness maganda na ang plaza...:lol: Pero pesteng trapik pa rin. o

Waldenstrom

May 20th, 2009, 09:49 PM

1. Biñan, Laguna – 677,147,000

2. Cabuyao Laguna – 593,166,000

3. Dasmariñas, Cavite – 535,211,000

4. Bacoor, Cavite – 456,586,000

5. Cainta, Rizal – 446,984,000

6. Gen.Trias, Cavite – 415, 854,000

7. Rosario, Cavite – 408,431,000

8. Imus, Cavite – 370, 338,000

9. Rodriguez, Rizal – 310,272,000

10. Carmona, Cavite – 298,740,000

what are common on these municipalities?
1) all are in region 4A
2) they have industrial areas in their locality (except the ones in rizal, but they have also manufacturing firms)

di na pala no.1 ang Dasma. :(

edit: ooops 2007 pa pala yan :lol::D

6 out of 10 richest municipalities are in Cavite. wow! :D

Animo

May 27th, 2009, 10:43 AM

By Ambeth Ocampo (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090527-207329/Epidemics-in-Rizals-time)
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:22:00 05/27/2009

Filed Under: Swine Flu, history, Health, Diseases, Epidemic and Plague

Over the weekend, I received a funny text stating that Katrina Halili, she of sex video scandal fame, was positive for swine flu. She had admitted on nation-wide TV, “Binaboy nila ako!”

For the past few weeks, we have been bombarded with news on H1N1. While the spread of swine flu virus is cause for concern, why do the media play it up when it has killed less than 100 people worldwide? Surely there are other health issues, like cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis, and hypertension that claim more lives than swine flu, but these are not written about.

Should we bring out the face masks and run to the drugstore for swine flu medicine? I wonder what historians of the future will make of our times.

Young historians like Francis Gealogo are doing demographic history, painting a new picture of the past, using census data. They also explore health and disease to find yet another window to the past.

Today’s swine flu has been traced to Mexico, but two centuries ago we also received smallpox from Mexico under different circumstances. On Sept. 1, 1803, Carlos IV of Spain, “desiring to ameliorate the havoc wrought by smallpox epidemics in his dominions in the Indies and in order to furnish his loyal subjects the protection they deserve,” ordered a medical mission to the Philippines. This was headed by Francisco Javier de Balmis who took the vaccine not in bottles but in the live bodies of Mexican boys. A ship sailed from Spain on Nov. 30, 1803 carrying the orphans, some of whom had smallpox which, during the course of the voyage, was transferred by inoculation, arm to arm, to the healthy boys so that smallpox antibodies would arrive alive and well at the destination.

After two years sailing in the Americas, the Balmis expedition arrived in Manila on April 15, 1805 on the frigate Magallanes. The next day, the children of Spanish Governor-General Rafael M. de Aguilar were inoculated, proving to a fearful public that a cure was at hand.

In gratitude for this gift of a smallpox vaccine, the City of Manila erected a statue of Carlos IV in 1824, and it now stands in front of the Manila Cathedral.

I tried in vain to get the names of the 25 Mexican orphans who brought smallpox antibodies to Manila as well as the names of the Filipino orphans who carried the antibodies to other parts of the Philippines and elsewhere. Balmis has since been honored by having a street in Manila named after him as well as a historical marker installed in the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa in 2004.

Aside from dry census records, we have more vivid descriptions of death and disease from other sources, like the correspondence of Rizal with his family. In 1882, a comet ripped the sky and people read it as an omen of bad fortune. That year, the Rizal family endured earthquakes, typhoons, flooding, and a cholera epidemic. Rizal was in Madrid studying medicine, and the letters from home were quite depressing. Paciano in September 1882 informed his younger brother:

“Now that the plague is at its peak, an average of 15 persons die daily. From night to morning healthy and robust men become corpses or at least completely unrecognizable and emaciated, hovering between life and death. Those who succumb to any other disease deserve to be envied, because at least, they are attended and taken care of at their homes, they are taken to church and are buried in the cemetery, but the victims of this scourge cannot comfort themselves that they would be treated thus. Their relatives, even the close ones, flee; they are not taken care of and if sometimes they are attended to, they become a heavy burden to their companions in the house who fear contagion. They are wrapped up and buried with the Chinese. It is a sad thing to die under these circumstances and of this disease. One is exposed, to be devoured by dogs. I doubt very much if the grave has depth of two spans, and there is a throng of dogs around.”

Famine followed the epidemic because few were left to tend the fields or harvest the crops. People were in mourning or hiding from the disease. Manzanilla was out of stock at the drugstores and cognac was scarce, and if it could be found at all, it was expensive. Stinking food like dried fish was banned. Schools were closed. Towns and provinces were isolated from each other. Homes of infected people were burned. The dead were not brought to church for services but buried hastily. People prayed in church, held processions, and invoked the intercession of San Roque against pestilence. Ships in the port of Manila were fumigated and quarantined for 12 hours.

Saturnina Rizal in December 1882 described the end of the cholera epidemic and the beginning of another deadlier scourge “dry cholera” or beri-beri:

“There is a new disease prevailing here now. It starts with the swelling of the feet and the legs until the knee. Then difficulty in breathing ensues and two hours later the patient is dead. Toneng, mother of Pangoy, died of this disease; Compadre Gena Pano is gravely ill of this disease also… Two children of Tia Tomasa died. One of them was Ate; I don’t know who the other one was. Tio Bindoy died. Perhaps you will not like this news very much because they are sad, but I want you to know everything.”

The history of health in the Philippines is yet to be written and it will make for engaging reading.

Comments are welcome at aocampo@ateneo.edu

mygz14

May 27th, 2009, 11:51 AM

Wind Shear

May 27th, 2009, 12:05 PM

I just read something over the net. It is said that Hikaru Sulu, one of the Fictional Characters of Star Trek, was named after the Sulu Sea as Uhura was named from a Swahili Word (African Language). I just found it out today. :)

Hikaru Sulu is probably half-Japanese and half-Filipino. If he is full Japanese, there should be no letter "L".

esagerato

May 27th, 2009, 03:29 PM

1. Biñan, Laguna – 677,147,000

2. Cabuyao Laguna – 593,166,000

3. Dasmariñas, Cavite – 535,211,000

4. Bacoor, Cavite – 456,586,000

5. Cainta, Rizal – 446,984,000

6. Gen.Trias, Cavite – 415, 854,000

7. Rosario, Cavite – 408,431,000

8. Imus, Cavite – 370, 338,000

9. Rodriguez, Rizal – 310,272,000

10. Carmona, Cavite – 298,740,000

what are common on these municipalities?
1) all are in region 4A
2) they have industrial areas in their locality (except the ones in rizal, but they have also manufacturing firms)

Yet all CALABARZON Provinces belongs to TOP 10:cheers:

CALABARZON rocks!! halos lahat ng mga kamag anak ko eh taga dine.. :lol:

kiretoce

May 28th, 2009, 02:59 AM

I just read something over the net. It is said that Hikaru Sulu, one of the Fictional Characters of Star Trek, was named after the Sulu Sea as Uhura was named from a Swahili Word (African Language). I just found it out today. :)

That is indeed a fact. :colgate:

Gene Roddenberry wanted the character to represent all of Asia, which symbolized the peace of the Trek universe in spite of the numerous wars in the continent. Roddenberry did not want a nationally specific surname, so he looked at a map and saw the Sulu Sea. He thought, the waters of that sea touch all shores, and that's how the character came to have the name Sulu. The fictional character Hikaru Sulu was born in San Francisco, to Japanese and Filipino parents.

For Uhura, Roddenberry had intended his new female communications officer to be called Lieutenant Sulu. Someone pointed out how similar this was to "Zulu" and thought it might act against the plan for racial diversity in the show, so the name Sulu remained with George Takei's character. "Uhura" comes from the Swahili word uhuru, which means "freedom". When explained to Roddenberry what the word "uhuru" meant, he changed it to Uhura and adopted that as the character's name.

Dakpa ang akong tiil

May 28th, 2009, 05:56 AM

Dakpa ang akong tiil

May 28th, 2009, 06:30 AM

Miss Gloria Diaz
Miss Universe 1969
.
http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt14/Jheaux/Popular%20people/g9.jpg

Miss Margarita "Margie" Moran
Miss Universe 1973

http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt14/Jheaux/Popular%20people/Margie00.jpg

Dakpa ang akong tiil

May 28th, 2009, 06:35 AM

Philippines' Bests

The Leaf Musician
He became famous around the world for his distinct talent. The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized Filipino National Artist Levi Celerio as the only man who could play beautiful music with a leaf.
Celerio appeared in "That's Incredible" and the Mel Griffin show where he played music with a leaf. The Guinness Book of World Records said: "The only leaf player in the world is in the Philippines". As a composer and lyricist, Celerio wrote more than 4,000 songs.

The Woman With 3,400 Shoes
Former First Lady Imelda Marcos was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the woman with the largest collection of shoes. Reports said that when the Marcos family fled to Hawaii during the People's Power Revolution in 1986, around 3,400 pairs of shoes were discovered in one room at Malacanang Palace. They were the First Lady's collection.
In 1987, Mrs. Marcos denied this and claimed she had only 1,060 pairs of shoes. The former First Lady has an eight-and-a-half inch footwear size. She said her having many shoes is not a symbol of extravagance but an expression of love and appreciation for Filipino-made shoes. Most of her shoes, she added, were bought from Marikina, the shoe capital of the Philippines. For this, Marikina City had acquired 200 pairs of the Marcos shoes and put them on display at the city's shoe museum.

Largest Loot in History
Much has been said about the late President Ferdinand Marcos being the world's richest man. While this title was not officially designated to Marcos, the late dictator, however, was known as the man who took away the largest loot in history. While deposed President Joseph Estrada faces plunder charges for allegedly amassing some US$82 million in kickbacks and payoffs during his 31-month stint at Malacanang Palace, Marcos had reportedly stolen billions of dollars. There were different versions of the fabled Marcos wealth.
The fabled Marcos wealth reportedly consists of billions of dollars and tons of gold bullions deposited in several banks in Switzerland. Government lawyers claimed that Marcos had used dummy foundations to hoard his wealth. Among such foundations that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) had identified are Sandy, Xandy, Wintrop, and Rayby.
Former Senate President Jovito Salonga, who served as the first PCGG chairman under the Aquino administration said the agency had identified 51 Marcos bank accounts in Switzerland, 23 of which are in Credit Suisse; 3 at Swiss Bank Corporation in Fribourg; 15 in Swiss Bank Corporation in Geneva; 6 at Banque Paribas in Geneva; 3 at Hoffman in Zurich; and one each at Lombard Odeii and Trade Development Bank in Geneva.
According to former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez, the Marcos family still keeps some US$13.4 billion in deposits at the Union Bank of Switzerland under the account of Irene Marcos-Araneta, on top of a hoard of 1.241 tons of gold at an underground bunker at Kloten Airport in Zurich. Chavez also disclosed that former First Lady Imelda Marcos has 800,000 ounces of gold in unfrozen accounts in Switzerland.
Before this, Australian private investigator Reiner Jacobi, who served as a PCGG consultant in 1989, had unraveled the so-called Irene Araneta account and even went to the extent of claiming that the Marcoses had a US$250-billion gold hoard in Switzerland. The PCGG, however, described Jacobi's claims as exaggerated and too fantastic.
In October 1999, Filipino businessman Enriquez Zobel, a known crony of the late president told a Senate committee that the Marcos wealth could have swollen to US$100 billion in gold and dollar deposits, the bulk of which is deposited with the US Treasury. In his sworn testimony, Zobel said the Marcos wealth is distributed to gold deposits, dollar accounts, and real estate properties located in various parts of the world.
The Marcos gold deposits alone, Zobel said, may have reached US$35 billion. Zobel had also mentioned the US$13.4 billion Irene Marcos Araneta account at the Union Bank of Switzerland. The gold bars are allegedly kept in various banks in Portugal, Vatican City, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Solomon Island, and the US. Zobel said Marcos obtained the gold bars after the Liberation (1946) from the Yamashita treasure and from soldiers who sold their gold bars for only US$20 per bar. Another version was that of Rogelio Roxas who claimed that Marcos' men seized the real golden buddha from his house at Aurora Hills in Baguio City on April 5, 1971. The buddha reportedly costs billions of dollars.
In February 2001, the Philippine Daily Inquirer disclosed the alleged attempt of Irene Marcos Araneta to launder billions of dollars in deposits under the 885931 accounts from Union Bank of Switzerland to Deutsche Banks in Dusseldorf, Germany. Aside from the Marcos family and the Philippine government, the 9,539 victims of human rights under the Marcos regime have interest in the Marcos wealth.

World's Largest Shoes
In December 2002, the Guinness Book of World Records has recognized Marikina City for crafting the world's largest pair of shoes - each measuring 5.5 meters (18.2 feet) long, 2.25 meters (7.4 feet) wide and 1.83 meters (six feet) high. The materials for the P1.2 million pair of shoes could produce 250 pairs of regular shoes.

World's Largest Golf Event
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest amateur golf tournament takes place in Baguio City, Philippines every year. Dubbed as the Fil-Am Golf Championship since 1949, the 72-hole golf tournament attracts close to 1,000 amateur golfers from all over the archipelago. The sites of the prestigious event are the challenging par-69, 5,001-yard Camp John Hay golf course and the par-61, 4,038-yard Baguio Country Club. Among the top contending teams in the event are the Canlubang, Southwoods, Calatagan, and Wack Wack.

World's Largest Synchronized Aerobics Exercises
On February 16, 2003, some 107,000 Filipinos joined a 30-minute aerobics exercise supervised by the Department of Health (DOH) at Rizal Park in Manila, which could be the largest synchronized exercise in the world. Thousands of people also gathered at different venues in Cebu City and Davao City to participate in the exercise simultaneous with the Manila event. The new record broke the previous Guinness Book of World Records set at a park in Guadalajara, Mexico by some 38,633 people who joined the massive aerobics exercises in June 1998.

World's Largest Lantern
On December 24, 2002, the city of San Fernando in Pampanga province switched on the world's largest Christmas lantern - a P5-million structure with 26.8 meters in diameter.

World's Fastest Reader
As a student at the Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, Maria Teresa Calderon became the world's fastest reader. She set the record of having read 80,000 words per hour.

Sili King
The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes Eriberto Gonzales of Camalig, Albay as the fastest chili eater. In the Philippines, he is known as the "Sili King". Gonzales accomplished his feat in the "Sili-Eating Challenge 1999" in Bicol where he ate 350 pieces of sili in three minutes. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

World's Best Finance Minister
In 1997, Roberto de Ocampo who was serving in the Cabinet of former President Fidel Ramos, was recognized as the "World's Best Finance Minister" for overhauling the country's tax system through the Comprehensive Tax Reform Package.

World's Best Central Bank Governor
In October 2002, international magazine Global Finance named Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Rafael Carlos B. Buenaventura as one of the world's two best central bankers for "his remarkable skill in guiding" the Philippine economy under a trying year. The other central banker named was Reserve Bank of Austalia (RBA) Governor Ian MacFarlane.

World Young Business Achievers
In 1995, Joseph Donato Pangilinan, president of Manila Pearl, won the World Young Business Achiever Award (WYBA) in London. In 1997, Renato Pangilinan, chief executive officer of Juventus International won the Entrepreneurship Award in Newfoundland, Canada. In 1998, Andrew James Masigan, founder of Dimsum n' Dumpling won the Award of Excellence in Business Strategy.

World's Sweetest Fruit
What can be considered as the world's sweetest mango is produced in the island province of Guimaras. While other countries have different varieties of the tropical mango (Mangifera indica), none of them tastes like the superbly delicious Guimaras Mango, which is a variety of the popular Carabao Mango (Manginera indica).
In 1995, the Guinness Book of World records listed the Carabao Mango as the sweetest fruit in the world. In the Philippines, mango ranks third among fruit crops in production, next to banana and pineapple. The country supplies mangoes to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and recently the United States. In 1995, the Philippines produced 432,322 metric tons of mangoes, with an average production of 6.35 metric tons per hectare and 250 kilograms per tree from a total production area of 68,056 hectares.

World's Largest Legal Tender
In 1998, during the Philippine Centennial celebration of independence, the Central Bank asked the Guinness Book of World Records to accredit its P100,000 commemorative bills, measuring 8 ½ inches wide and 14 inches long, as the world's largest legal tender. The commemorative bills were called Brobdingnagian bills.

World's Largest Bamboo Organ
The bamboo organ at St. Joseph Church in Las Pinas City is arguably the world's largest bamboo organ. The centuries-old musical instrument was constructed between 1792 and 1819. It has 174 bamboo pipes, 122 horizontal reeds of soft metal, a five-octave keyboard, and 22 stops arranged in vertical rows.

World's Largest City
The residents of Davao City claim they live in the world's largest city. They are talking about the land size of the city that covers 2,212 square kilometers. Most of these areas, however, are distributed as forests, coconut groves and rice fields. In comparison, New York, the largest city in the United States, has an area of only 787 square kilometers while the whole of Metro Manila covers only 636 square kilometers.
Davao City lies at the mouth of the Davao River near the head of Davao Gulf. It encompasses about 50 small ports in its commercial sphere. Davao has large banana plantations, whose produce are exported to Japan and other countries. The city also boasts of a modern international airport. Puerto Princesa City, a chartered city of Palawan province, is disputing Davao City's title. It claims to have a total land area of 2,539 square kilometers encompassing 66 barangays.
In terms of population and land area, the world's truly largest cities are Tokyo, Mexico City, Sao Paolo, New York City, Bombay, Shanghai and Los Angeles.

World's Largest Volume of Text Messages
Smart Communications, one of the two giant mobile phone networks in the country, claimed that the volume of text messages passing through its network reached 240 million daily as of 2001. This excluded text messages sent via the other networks. Such volume of text messages is said to be larger than those sent in the entire European continent during the same year.

World's Largest High School
The Rizal High School in Caniogan, Pasig City (eastern Metro Manila) is said to be the world's largest high school in terms of student population. The school has more than 20,000 students.

World's Longest Barbecue
On April 30, 2002, about 50,000 people participated in the "Kalutan ed Dagupan Festival" in Dagupan City (Pangasinan province, Northern Luzon, Philippines) to help grill and partake of the 1,001-meter long barbecue, that broke the previous World Record of 613 meter-long barbecue grilled in Canchia, Peru on November 13, 1999.
The people of the city used hundreds of grills, each measuring 1.2-meter long, to cook the barbecue. The grills' total measure was about 800 meters long, enough to surpass the Peruvian record. The barbecue consisted of bangus (milkfish), pork, chicken, vegetables and cold cuts. A video footage was sent to the Guinness Book of World Records for validation. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

World's Largest Flower
In February 2002, an environmental organization discovered what could be one of the world's largest flowers in the 5,511-hectare Sibalom National Park in Antique province. Measuring about 22 inches in diameter, the endangered flower, locally named as "Uruy", (Rafflesia sp.) has no stem and leaves. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

World's Largest Salad
The residents of Baguio City took pride in having tossed what was believed to be the world's largest salad - a three-ton mix of assorted vegetables.
On September 29, 2002 during the Tossed Salad Festival in commemoration of the city's 93rd charter anniversary, 67 students and members of the Baguio Association of Hotels and Inns (Bahai) mixed 2,976 kilograms of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and other vegetables in a tin and wrought iron bowl measuring 20 feet long, 10 feet wide and 2 feet deep.
Some 13,657 people were able to partake of the P1.5 million mixtures. They paid P20 for each serving of the tossed salad with Thousand Island dressing and another take-out bowl of salad with a gourmet vinaigrette dressing consisting of apple cider vinegar and olive oil.
The city broke its own record set a year earlier. On September 16, 2001, a 917-kilogram of salad was able to feed 4,861 residents and tourists of Baguio City. On September 14, 2002, a religious group prepared a giant Caesar's salad that fed only 1,000 people in Salt Lake City, Utah.

World's Largest Durian Candy Bar
On March 15, 2002, 25 people in Davao City spent six hours to cook, mold and roll the world's largest durian candy bar - a 6-meter, 200-kilogram delicacy made of durian, a smelly but sweet fruit commonly associated with the name of the city. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

World's Longest Mat
The people of the agricultural town of Basey, Samar own the distinction of having weaved the world's longest mat, or "banig" in the local parlance. During the town's Banigan-Kawayan Festival on September 29, 2000, hundreds of people paraded the mat, which extended for more than a kilometer.
The one-meter wide mat has been weaved for several weeks by groups of people from the different barangays of Basey. While the mat was not submitted as an entry to the Guinness Book of World Records, Basey Mayor Wilfredo Estorninos described the feat as a source of pride for all Basaynons.
Each year, the town, which has weaving as its prime industry, comes to life when it celebrates outlandishly the feast of St. Michael, its patron saint. The highlight of the feast is the Banigan-Kawayan Festival, where the women of Basey weave a variety of intricately designed mats from sedge grass locally known as tikog (Fimbristylis milliacea). This tradition was handed down from many generations. The Church of Basey was built in 1864.

World's Largest Pearl
A Filipino diver discovered what is now described as the world's largest pearl in a giant Tridacna (mollusk) under the Palawan Sea in 1934. Known as the "Pearl of Lao-Tzu", the gem weighs 14 pounds and measures 9 ½ inches long and 5 ½ inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at US$42 million. It is believed to be 600 years old.

World's Largest Covered Coliseum
At the time it was completed in 1959, the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City was touted as the world's largest covered entertainment center. Otherwise known as the Big Dome, it has a floor area of 2,300 square meters and a seating capacity of 33,000 people.

One of the World's Best Hotels
In 1983, British magazine Executive Travel named Manila Hotel as one of the ten best in the world while Business Traveler, another British publication named it as one of the top ten business hotels in the world in 1986. In 1992, the Institutional Investor magazine called Manila Hotel as the world's best hotel and in 1993, the Vienna-based Treasury Publishing included it in the list of the most famous hotels in the world.
Among the many political luminaries and celebrities who have stayed at the Manila Hotel were Ernest Hemingway, General Douglas McArthur, Marlon Brando, Helen Keller, John Wayne, Rocky Marciano, Richard Nixon, Robert Kennedy, Emperor Akihito, John Rockefeller, Dwight Eisenhower, Neil Armstrong, Anatoly Karpov, Bob Hope, Henry Kissinger, Princess Margaret, Brooke Shields, John Denver, Bon Jovi, Ben Kingsley, Richard Attenborough, Julio Iglesias, Richard Cheney, Garri Kasparov, Sultan Bolkiah, Rod Stewart, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Arnold Parmer, Bill Clinton, Helmut Kohl, Nelson Mandela and Prince Charles. (Source: Panorama magazine)

One of the Best Banks
Global Finance, a financial magazine in the US, named the Bank of Philippine Islands, the oldest bank in the country, as the best domestic bank in emerging markets in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001. Emerging markets refer to developing economies, mostly in Asia.

Asia's Best Business School
The Makati-based Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is richly considered as one of the top business schools in Asia. In the year 2001, it received the Beyond Grey Pinstripes Award for having MBA programs that integrate social, environmental and sustainability topics into business training. The award is a joint project of The Aspen Institute Initiative for Social Innovation through Business (Aspen ISIB) and World Resources Institute.

Influential Businesswoman
In its 2002 list, US-based Fortune Magazine ranked Teresita Sy-Coson, a daughter of Filipino-Chinese tycoon Henry Sy Sr. and executive vice president of SM Prime Holdings, as the world's 39th most influential woman in international business outside the United States. The SM Prime Holdings is a conglomerate engaged in retail, real state, manufacturing, banking and finance.

World's Second Most Devastated City
The late US President and General Dwight Eisenhower described Manila as the world's second most devastated city during World War II, next to Warsaw, Poland which was reduced to ruins by the Nazi's attack. Before he became president, Eisenhower served in the Philippines under General Douglas Macarthur from 1935 to 1939.

Second Largest Geothermal Power Source
As of 2002, the Philippines was producing about 1,765 megawatts of geothermal energy, making it the world's second largest geothermal power user after the United States. The Department of Energy said the country could edge out the US at the top by installing a new geothermal power plant with a 900-megawatt capacity.

World's Third Largest Banana Producer
The Philippines is considered as the world's third largest producer of bananas, after Costa Rica and Ecuador. Large plantations in Southern Mindanao produce most bananas exported by the Philippines. Some 30,000 hectares in the region are planted to bananas.
The Philippines is also one of the largest producers of coconut, cassava, mango, pineapple, tilapia, tuna, shrimps, and prawns.

downdowndown

May 28th, 2009, 06:41 AM

di na pala no.1 ang Dasma. :(

edit: ooops 2007 pa pala yan :lol::D

6 out of 10 richest municipalities are in Cavite. wow! :D

probably because many cavitenos have families industriously working abroad, masagana ang buhay tuloy.

pag malapit sa mga international airport, i guess the more the tendency and drive of people to apply for passports, and fly and work in other countries.

bacolodchamp

June 8th, 2009, 07:25 AM

Talisay Ruins on list
of 12 most fascinating
BY CARLA GOMEZ

http://208.106.191.145/_media/imgs/articles2/a96671_a442_talisay.jpg
source (http://www.oddee.com/item_96671.aspx)
The Ruins in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, is among “12 of the World's Most Fascinating Ruins” featured under places on Oddee.

Oddee at www.oddee.com is a blog with over 2.5 million visitors worldwide a month that “features the odd, strange and bizarre things of our world, Be amazed!”, its home page says.
Ruins
The Ruins in Talisay City*

The Ruins in Talisay is ranked in 12th place and is described as “a mansion built by a sugar magnate at the turn of the last century that not once, but twice, was destroyed in the Second World War in order to prevent Japanese forces from using it. Once on their way out of the Philippines, the USAAFE bombed and strafed the home, and Philippines rebels burned it down to keep it from falling into Japanese hands.”

The Ruins, built in the early 1890s by sugar planter Mariano Ledesma Lacson (1865-1948), is now a tourists attraction ran by his great grandson Raymund Javellana, who runs the place.

Javellana told the DAILY STAR yesterday he does not know how The Ruins got included in Oddee or who runs the blog but he is grateful for the publicity it is giving the place.

“I just hope that this can spur tourist arrivals to Negros,” he said.

During the early part of the war, Filipino guerrillas from the United States Armed Forces in the Far East set fire to the mansion to prevent the Japanese forces from utilizing it as their headquarters, he said.

But he denied that the USAAFE also bombed and strafed the home as stated on Oddee.

Topping the Oddee list of fascinating ruins at http://www.oddee.com/item_96671.aspx is the most famous of all the Inca ruins built in the mid 15th century, Machu Picchu, which appears to be suspended between two mountains and is often enshrouded in mist.

In second place is Babylon in Iraq, followed by Palenque in Mexico, the ruins of Ayutthaya in Thailand, the Colosseum in Italy, the Tikal Ruins in Guatemala, Chichén Itzá Ruin in Mexico, the Parthenon in Greece, Jesuitical Ruins of Trinidad in Paraguay, the Copan Ruins in Honduras, and the Palmyra Ruins in Syria.*CPG

http://visayandailystar.com/2009/June/08/topstory6.htm

^^:cheers:

pthfndr19

June 8th, 2009, 08:09 AM

Eastern Visayas is the only region in the Philippines having no land border with another region, where all its main islands (Leyte, Samar, Biliran and Panaon Island in Southern Leyte) are connected by bridges. Calicoan Island now being developed as tourist destination is also connected by bridge to mainland Samar (Eastern Samar).

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/EasternVisayas.jpg

carl_vilches21

June 8th, 2009, 04:21 PM

^^
May bridge pala sa Guian papuntang Calicoan Island?

pthfndr19

June 8th, 2009, 07:10 PM

Yup, meron. It's Pagnamitan Bridge.. medyo malapit sa Guiuan Airport.

carl_vilches21

June 9th, 2009, 02:48 AM

^^
Ahh..I see..Thanks..

mike durero

June 20th, 2009, 05:27 AM

http://www.cedricverdier.com/expeditions/yamashiro.php

"Better to sink in boundless deeps, than float on vulgar shoals..." Herman Melville, Mardi and a Voyage Thither.

http://www.cedricverdier.com/img/yamalogo.jpg

Diving the deepest battleships

Diving the HIJMS Yamashiro and Fuso has always been a dream since the project was launched by the late John Bennett. "Diving the Yamashiro is a technical, logistical, physiological and human challenge. It involves state-of-the-art technology and extensive preparation and experience.… But it’s a dream come true for any diver…"

The goals of the Yamashiro Project

Positively identifying the different wrecks in Surigao Strait.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo288/mike_durero/yamashiiro.jpg?t=1245467577

During the Battle of Leyte, November 24th 1944, 5 aircraft carriers, 7 cruiser, 2 escort carriers, 15 destroyers and 3 battleships were sunk. A big controversy took place about the exact location of the HIJMS Fuso and HIJMS Yamashiro. Diving these wrecks will help to better understand what happened more than 60 years ago.

Confirming the resting place of one of Japan’s greatest Naval Commanders and his Battleship

http://www.cedricverdier.com/img/nishimura.jpg

Vice - Admiral Nishimura, Shoji, hero of the Japanese Navy during WWII. As shells came down like rain all around him as his command proceeded up Surigao Strait, he relentlessly kept his force on its course toward oblivion. He lost his life along with hundreds of other Japanese sailors. Although he knew his command was doomed, he did his duty and sacrificed himself and his command in true Samurai tradition, thus keeping his honor.

Diving the deepest battleships ever explored by Technical Divers worldwide
The wreck of the HIJMS Yamashiro rests in the Strait of Surigao, Philippines, at a depth of 200m / 660 fsw. The wreck of the HIJMS Fuso lies nearby, also at great depth. John Bennett, former World Depth Record holder, planned to dive these wrecks. Unfortunately John lost his life in a tragic accident. The Yamashiro Project is a tribute to this outstanding diver.

http://www.cedricverdier.com/img/logotitle.jpg

Cedric Verdier is the first diver to ever explore this wreck, using a Mixed-Gas Closed-Circuit Rebreather to a maximum depth of 196m. Read a diary of the 1st successful expedition on the HIJMS Yamashiro.

More information about the Yamashiro

The HIJMS Yamashiro was the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during WWII. Built at the Yokosuka Naval Yard, she was first commissioned in 1917 and modernised in 1935.

Displacement: 39,154 Tons
Dimensions: 698’ x 100’5” x 31’9” - 213m x 30m x 10m
Speed: 25 knots
Crew: 1400

http://www.cedricverdier.com/img/yamashiro1.jpg

amendercabal2

June 30th, 2009, 08:43 AM

On April 23, 2009, Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu. He was welcomed by Rajah Humabon, who, together with his wife and about 800 natives, were baptized by the Spaniards on April 14, 1521 and are considered to be the first Filipino Catholics. Magellan, however, failed to successfully claim the Philippines for the crown of Spain, having been slain in neighboring Mactan Island on April 27, 1521 by the chieftain Lapu-lapu.

On April 27, 1565, Miguel López de Legazpi, with Augustinian Friar Andrés de Urdaneta, landed in Cebu. Legazpi renamed the city on January 1, 1571, from San Miguel to Villa del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus. During this six year period, Cebu City was the capital of the Philippines since year 1562 until 1578.

kiretoce

June 30th, 2009, 08:47 AM

johnmizer

July 1st, 2009, 05:35 AM

^helo baka galing yan ng textbook

adgaps

July 1st, 2009, 06:17 AM

^^ baka galing yan dun sa "pulang libro"...:lol::lol::lol:

pula kasi yung kulay nung social studies textbook na na-televise dahil sa mali-maling info...

federalist

July 1st, 2009, 08:42 AM

Animo

July 1st, 2009, 09:47 AM

^^ Nope, it was in barrio San Miguel in the City of Manila. :D

federalist

July 1st, 2009, 08:52 PM

okay, thanks! :)

Animo

July 3rd, 2009, 08:49 AM

By Ambeth Ocampo (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090703-213620/Harrison-on-Filipino-lawmakers)
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:28:00 07/03/2009

Filed Under: history, Research, Congress

TOMORROW, July 4,is the Independence Day of the United States and, if not for Diosdado Macapagal’s timely intervention, it would have been Philippine Independence Day too instead of June 12.

There is a minority that to this day refuse to accept the Filipino declaration of independence from Spain from the window of Emilio Aguinaldo’s house on June 12, 1898 as the proper date of our independence. For these people our independence should still be July 4, 1946, when the US finally “recognized” the independence of the Philippine Islands. As a compromise, July 4 is still celebrated in the country as Philippine-American Friendship Day.

The debate on whether we should remember June 12 or July 4 seems trivial and irrelevant today, but it illustrates the way in which the past relates to the present, or how history forms people into a nation.

Significant dates, events and people we tend to forget. This is why we have an aid to memory in street names. If you look at Makati, you will notice that the posh districts, with the exception of Forbes Park (named after US Governor William Cameron Forbes who is also remembered in a Manila street often pronounced “Por-bes”), relate to the history of Spain in the Philippines: Magallanes is Ferdinand Magellan; [Miguel Lopez de] Legazpi was the first governor general of the Philippines, founder of Spanish Manila; [Andres de] Urdaneta was the Agustinian friar who served as pilot of the Legazpi expedition, and [Gomez Perez de] Dasmariñas was the seventh governor general of the Philippines who was murdered by Chinese mutineers. There is a unity in Makati’s street names and names of districts that have been disturbed by some changes, like Buendia which is now Puyat and Pasay Road which is now Arnaiz. Fortunately, people still refer to these by their old names.

If only memory can be more persistent in older places like Manila and Intramuros where the order and sense of street names have been upset by short-sighted changes. Worse, some of the personages memorialized are not even historically significant.

There was an unsuccessful move to rename España Avenue in Manila on the grounds that we should not remember four centuries of subjugation under Spain. Fortunately, there was a deed of donation for the land that stipulates that the avenue should be named España.

The two other Manila streets constantly threatened with change are Taft and Harrison. Both were US governors-general in the Philippines. Both are historically significant.

Francis Burton Harrison (1873-1957) is best remembered today by F. B. Harrison Street or Harrison Plaza. He served as governor general from 1913 to 1921 and served as a consultant to a string of Philippine presidents, starting with Manuel L. Quezon.

Harrison wrote out his memories and impressions in the book “The Cornerstone of Philippine Independence: A narrative of seven years” (1921). I picked it off the shelf, hoping to find something relevant for Philippine-American Friendship Day but was caught by a chapter on Filipino lawmakers that makes us compare the past with the present:

“All of the members of both houses, except those appointed for the non-Christian territories, are highly educated men, and for the most part are university graduates. There are as yet very few members educated by the American public school system and, consequently, the debates are always in Spanish. English will come into use as the younger men come into the front. Representative Eulogio Benitez, in the session of 1920, made the first speech ever delivered from the floor of the House. The manners of the members are above reproach, and the presiding officers are seldom obliged to order the participants in a debate. The speeches are eloquent, and often full of allusions to history and literature. In fact, the Anglo-Saxon must often bewail the fact that the oratorical talent of the Filipino is so much more pronounced than his own. Even among the school-boys, and in the remote provinces one usually hears a more eloquent public speech than the average American can achieve. It must be admitted, however, that in this nation of orators the chaff is, by the audience, usually separated from the wheat, and mere histrionic oratory accompanies little more than entertainment.”

Harrison then enumerates the defects of the Philippine Legislature then which he optimistically thought could be corrected because they were borne of inexperience.

First was the habit of voting with the leader, with a minority weak in numbers and uncertain of its rights.

Then there was the habit of not publishing bills during and after passage so that there is little or no public debate or reaction to the new laws.

Harrison said the worst habit of the legislature then was the practice of withholding most the measures till the last night of legislative session to avoid debate and opposition.

Thus, “many members in those last crowded and exciting hours, hardly know what they have passed or what they are voting upon.”

Reading Harrison today, 82 years since the book first saw print, can only emphasize the continuing relevance of the past. It is hoped that F.B. Harrison Street will remain for a long time.

* * *

Comments are welcome aocampo@ateneo.edu

_leonell_

August 17th, 2009, 12:12 PM

Nope, Cebu City was once named as Villa del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus........

Also during the Spanish rule, the Province of Cebu used to encompass the islands of Negros, Bohol until Samar..... but after the Independence of the Country from the Americans and the islands started to be independent and established their own provinces........... the Old Province of Cebu was reduced to it's current size...........

Cebu City was also the oldest and the first Capital of the country........ older by 7 years than Manila itself.

amendercabal2

August 18th, 2009, 06:45 AM

kiretoce

September 2nd, 2009, 04:15 AM

This was in a Jacksonville (Florida) online newspaper today. The explanations are pretty funny. :lol:

=================================================================

QUESTION

Why does Filipino start with an "F," and Philippines with a "Ph?"

REPLIES

"Philippines" is anglicized, while "Filipino" is probably in Spanish (Spain colonized the Philippines).

-- Sadh, 15, Dublin, Ireland

Because that's the proper spelling in the country's language. Philippines is an Americanized spelling.

-- Chibi, 28, Houston TX

Ebonics for the lazy learner.

-- Thelma, 58, Horse Shoe NC

The language spoken in the Philippines is Pilipino (note the absence of the H). The people are Filipinos (men) and Filipinas, also without the H.

-- Mary, 42, Atlanta GA

Because it's a Spanish word. I don't think there are any Ph combinations in the Spanish language.

-- Ron, 38, Stockton CA

Because the country is officially Filipinas, after the Spanish, who "discovered" it in 1521.

-- Urbano, 56, Grosse Pointe Park, MI

The Philippines (after King Philip) was under the control of Spain for more than 400 years. That explains the extensive Spanish influence on the country by way of customs, clothing, language, spelling, words and even names of the natives. Philippines is the English word for Filipinas (Spanish then, now changed to Pilipinas). This applies also to the word "Filipino."

-- Wally, 38, Toronto, Canada

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS

If we're talking English, then yes, it's the Philippines. But it's also been called, among other things, Tawalisi, Las islas de San Lazaro, Las islas de Poniente, Las islas Felipenas and Las islas Filipinas.

It all depends on who was running things at the time, and where they were from. Explorer Ferdinand Magellan did claim the islands for Spain in 1521, giving it the name "Filipinas" (Spanish for Philippines), deriving it from King Philip II of Spain.

But, according to M. Paul Lewis, editor of "Ethnologue," a reference volume that catalogs all known living languages, the country is called "Pilipinas" in Tagalog, a language spoken by a big chunk of people there that doesn't distinguish between the "f" and "p" sounds.

"Filipino," which is Spanish, refers to the island's inhabitants. But wait, it also refers to the country's official national language (the Philippines gained independence from the U.S. in 1946), which is based on Tagalog and some of the island's other 170 or so languages.

To make matters a bit more confusing, the official language was once called Pilipino, but in the 1970s it was changed to Filipino to recognize the "f" sound.

People who speak English couldn't come up with anything different that they wanted to call Filipinos (like "Philippine," for example) so they also latched on to "Filipino" - even though they still use the English "Philippines" to refer to the country itself.

kenken94

September 2nd, 2009, 04:20 AM

^^

The Expert sure confused me........:nuts:

Henz

September 2nd, 2009, 09:02 AM

Sure it does.. are they really experts?

MatudNilaBaby

September 2nd, 2009, 02:33 PM

Sure it does.. are they really experts?

a biased expert! expert only in one filipino dialect. they just want to show to the world that we have expert linguists that annihilates other languages to further one's own language over another.

the cebuano or bisaya should share the same footing with the tagalog as these two are the dominant languages in the entire country.

kenken94

September 2nd, 2009, 05:44 PM

Cebuano speakers number more than 20,000,000......... this sure is a dominant language.....

The "Mother Language of the Philippines"

zoroethgenre_003

September 3rd, 2009, 05:46 AM

Cebuano is the lingua franca in VisMin..

Mabuhay ang mga BisDak..hehe

amendercabal2

September 3rd, 2009, 07:28 AM

"VISAYA" more qualified to be declared as national base on geographical distribution

kiretoce

September 6th, 2009, 11:22 PM

Onli in da Pilipins (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/sept/04/yehey/opinion/20090904opi4.html) :lol:

This columnist gives way this week to the popular section, “Onli in da Pilipins,” which features indigenous plants and animals. This is a weak-ly project of Corruption and The Manila Times. Besides flora and fauna, this section also features strange, natural phenomena and scenic natural locations. Please be warned that some of the newest discoveries may shock you as you can find these rare species in your TV sets, backyards or even perched in the highest positions in this country.

The Glory Fish

Better known by its scientific name, “Pandaca Presidencia,” this rare species has been recognized all over the world by its unique way of devouring fish living in murky shallow funds, in a manner comparable to the Amazon piranha. Most recently, this species has been seen to live in the high seas, transported in lush jet planes and thriving in steep aquariums worth millions as found in New York and Washington restaurants, and God knows what other parts of the world.

It may be the smallest fish to have ever entangled herself in our nets, but it has prevailed over big obstacles. Indeed, its size may even be its asset as it has been able to squeeze through even the tightest nets and quandaries, even making its way uncaught under the notoriously slow fishing patrol—the Ambustman’s ship.

According to experts, the Glory Fish has been on the brink of extinction for years, and the concerned public has even clamored for the elimination of the species, but it seems to be on the very peak of the food chain and might manage to maintain its glory even beyond 2010.

The Arrayo Reign Forest

Deep within the notorious Arrayo Reign Forest, hectares and hectares of undeclared assets of nature have recently been discovered. These landscapes have long escaped probes from the public until today. Some of these include:

The Foster City Tree House—this has been where the rare interbreeding of cousin monkey species known as “May-key” and “Angulla” acquired after their marriage.

The Nob Hill—this is where the infamous Datok Sasquatch is known to thrive. “Living at the Top of Nob Hill” has been this beast’s greatest luxury, and he does it so well in the confines of the Arrayo Reign Forest. This is where these creatures lie in the lap of luxury. This monster’s victims can’t help but shout, “Please show us some Gramercy!”

These are just two from the “Array” of monstrous assets found in the Arrayo Reign forest. Because of this, we Filipinos are only left with the “Reign Poorest.” (For more info on these assets, refer to article published on August 31, 2009 about undeclared assets.)

Foolcanic Eraptions

The famous East Trada volcano, known for its smooth, impeachment and creams reputation has now been puffing up smoke and creating chaos once again in the landscape. After being dormant for a while, it is proving how much of a doormat it really is by campaigning to be on the peak again, with an agenda far from actually serving the people.

People must be ready for this Fool-itical Eraption, which might even be worse than the lahar. Don’t we have enough explosions already?

Fresh Idenshall Flowers

These Fresh Idenshall Flowers seem to be abloom everywhere we look! In our gardens, sidewalks, TV screens and even in the slums! Some of these Fresh Idenshall Flowers have even bonded a few days ago at their Fort, linking their arms in a garland, walking for fair and clean elections? Some of the species of the Fresh Idenshall Flowers present in that Unity Walk Publicity Garland were:

The Bee-nay, which like its name suggest, is able to attract honey bees that sting, making the victims very “Makati.” We also glimpsed the Jam-bee, which is also trying to make herself sickeningly sweet and tries to make her image and efforts as sticky as jam whenever she opens her mouth. The Low Wren, was also blooming there simply because her bitter nemesis, the MagNOLI flower failed to bloom that day. There were tons of other buds and blooms in that odd garland which you could catch on TV nowadays perhaps riding a pedicab, or showcasing their awful dancing and acting audition tapes.

Who do you think among these Fresh Idenshall Flowers will be the most fragrant for the starving masses? And ultimately land himself at the top of the Vote-tanical Garden?

kiretoce

September 6th, 2009, 11:44 PM

Survey on the Philippines as an NBA market

- 99 percent of the population is aware of the NBA.

- 75 percent consider themselves to be NBA fans (eclipsing the Olympic Games at 58 percent and domestic basketball at 48 percent).

- Basketball is the nation’s favorite participation sport—nearly four in 10 play, twice as many as the next most played sports of badminton and volleyball.

- During the NBA Season, 62 percent of the population watch the NBA games on TV at least once a month and about 40 percent of the population watch the NBA on TV at least once a week.

- 33 percent intend to buy NBA branded items within the next year, rising to 44 percent among men (significantly more than the Asia and global averages).

SOURCE (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/the-philippines-is-the-nbas-next-frontier/)

flesh_is_weak

September 9th, 2009, 03:45 AM

"VISAYA" more qualified to be declared as national base on geographical distribution

nice avatar...future map of the Philippines? :lol:

pi_malejana

September 10th, 2009, 08:18 PM

i guess dito ko nalang 'to itatanong... what's the coolest place in the philippines?? tinanong kasi sa akin, natameme ako-andami eh...:D

i ended up saying Manila (:nuts:) and Bohol...

:cheers:

kenken94

September 11th, 2009, 05:30 AM

^^
Baguio! The COOLEST place in the Philippines........... ang lamiiiiiiiiiiiiiig...... lolz........

kiretoce

September 11th, 2009, 05:38 AM

i guess dito ko nalang 'to itatanong... what's the coolest place in the philippines?? tinanong kasi sa akin, natameme ako-andami eh...:D

i ended up saying Manila (:nuts:) and Bohol...

:cheers:

Cool, like hip? Or, cool, like temp wise. :dunno:

pi_malejana

September 11th, 2009, 07:40 AM

Cool, like hip? Or, cool, like temp wise. :dunno:

the former...:D

kenken94

September 11th, 2009, 10:36 AM

^^
If cool is what you mean then I'd say it'll be Palawan.......

kiretoce

September 11th, 2009, 12:54 PM

Locations are not cool. It's what you do in those places that makes them cool. ;)

Henz

September 11th, 2009, 07:52 PM

depends exactly on how things are done......... that makes it cool.... for me the coolest thing to do.... is...getting things done perhaps in a not the usual aspect.

pi_malejana

September 12th, 2009, 02:34 AM

Locations are not cool. It's what you do in those places that makes them cool. ;)

that's why i said manila eh hehe, madaming pwedeng gawin...:D
well siguro ang meaning regardless of what you do, replacing cool with "wonderful" or "beautiful", kaya Bohol na ang sinabi ko...:D

:cheers:

kiretoce

September 12th, 2009, 02:37 AM

^^ Cool is subjective and relative anyway. Just say that the Philippines is the coolest country, ever! :okay:

'Nuff said and case closed. ;)

kenken94

September 12th, 2009, 03:24 AM

Good, because if this continues, then there will be a possibility of a CvC conflict here.

Haldir07

September 20th, 2009, 06:51 AM

TRIVIA
By YANI CORDERO

The Aristocratic City of the South

A QUIET, refined and cultured place – this is how Iloilo City is referred to by other places. At other times, it is called the “Aristocratic City of the South.”

One of the finest harbors in the country is found in Iloilo City. On September 29, 1855, a Royal Order authorized the opening of the Port of Iloilo upon the request of the government of the Philippines. Foreign trade in Iloilo started in 1856.

The Iloilo port also provides safe anchorage because its winding waterfront and the island Province of Guimaras protect the ships in it. The winding waterfront called Muelle Loney is named after British Vice Consul and businessman Nicholas Loney.

Formerly known as Ilong-ilong (or spelled as Ylong-ylong), the name finally evolved into Iloilo. Some historians say the word is meaningless in Spanish but in Ilongo, it may mean “orphan” while in the Malayan language, it refers to the “nose.” The Malayan interpretation is believed to have the nearest meaning to it because if you look at the map of the island of Panay and trace the boundaries of the Province of Iloilo, you will clearly see that it closely resembles the form of a nose.

The city, according to historians, is believed to have begun as a Malayan settlement around the Batiano River then (the Iloilo River today).

After Miguel Lopez de Legazpi settled in Cebu in 1565, he sent advance parties to the old Iloilo towns of Halawod (now called Dumangas) and Ogtong (now called Oton). Legazpi moved to Panay in 1569 due to acute food shortage and the threat of the Portuguese there. It was yet in 1581 when Gonzalo Ronquillo established the first settlement in the town of Arevalo.

The Spaniards erected several forts in Oton, Arevalo and Iloilo between the 16th and the 17th centuries. It was also when Iloilo suffered greatly from Muslim raids and Dutch incursions. Gov. General Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera ordered the residents of Molo, Arevalo and Oton to evacuate to La Punta for their safety.

On February 7, 1890, the city government of Iloilo was established under the Becera Law of 1889. In 1896, the city was authorized to have a coat-of-arms. Inscribed in the coat-of-arms were the words, “La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloilo.”

On December 28, 1898 when General Marcus Miller came to Iloilo during the Philippine- American War, the Spanish garrison had already surrendered to General Martin Delgado; The Ilonggo revolucionarios, at that time, strengthened the harbor and the San Pedro Fort. They blocked the entrance of the river and barricaded the streets. When the American warships came on February 11, 1899, they bombarded the city’s defenses. Delgado’s troops set fire to the city and withdrew to the outskirts when the enemy forces landed.

In 1901, April 11th – Iloilo City was returned to the status of a municipality; however, on November 8, 1936, Commonwealth Act No. 158 amended C.A. No. 57 (dated October 20, 1936)…this established the CITY OF ILOILO that incorporated the towns of La Paz, Jaro, Mandurriao, Molo and Arevalo into it. The city was inaugurated on August 25, 1937.

Again, Iloilo was bombed, attacked and occupied. This time, it was by the Japanese Imperial Forces. On April 16, 1942, they established a military government here.

Over a decade after, President Ramon Magsaysay signed into law Republic Act No. 1209 on April 29, 1955 providing that the executive and legislative members of the city be elected. The bill was authored by Rodolfo T. Ganzon. He became the first elected mayor of Iloilo City, too.

zoroethgenre_003

September 23rd, 2009, 05:47 AM

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs122.snc1/5256_1181666151267_1516615226_490899_4856775_n.jpg

Alitaptap

September 24th, 2009, 08:15 AM

Congress is again trying to change the Philippine Flag. In 1986 revisions to our flag were rejected on the grounds that the symbolism of the flag was determined by the Founding Fathers when they declared independence from Spain in 1898. Do the filipino people have a voice on these changes? Do you agree that the Sun should have a ninth ray?

Sun in RP flag may get ninth ray
By Christina Mendez
The Philippine Star
September 24, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Congress approved on Tuesday a bill seeking to add a ninth ray to the sun on the Philippine flag to honor Filipino Muslims.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate panel and principal author of Senate Bill (SB) 3307, said the measure would foster greater unity among Filipinos regardless of religion. The bill amends Republic Act 8491, otherwise known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.

“We are a country that has had a conflict with our Muslim brothers for the last so many decades. I think this is a big step towards reuniting our country, recognizing the contributions of our fellow countrymen, the Filipino Muslims,” he said.

The bicameral conference committee has ironed out the differences between SB 3307 and House Bill 6424. Present during the meeting were Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Representatives Del De Guzman (Marikina, 2nd District), Ma. Carissa Coscoluella (Sectoral Representative PL-Buhay), Salvador Escudero III (Sorsogon, 1st District), and Roman Romulo (Pasig City, Lone District).

Gordon proposed to add a ninth ray to the sun on the Philippine flag to acknowledge the courage, bravery and integrity of Filipino Muslims who fought for the nation’s independence.

The eight rays in the sun stand for the provinces that led the uprising against Spanish oppression during the country’s colonial past. These are Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas.

“This is a great step in recognizing the fact that we had Muslims such as Lapu-Lapu, Sultan Kudarat, Amai Pakpak, Sorongan, who kept fighting the Spaniards long before this country thought of a revolution against Spain. This would foster unity, make sure that nobody is excluded. If we are to have national unity in this country it must begin in our flag, it must be symbolized in our flag,” he said.

“We take an amendment of the law here but we actually amend the mindset of our countrymen and bring the nation back to its original posture, one that will not accept tyranny, one that will oppose tyranny. And we should give credit where credit is due,” he added.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=508111&publicationSubCategoryId=68

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

September 24th, 2009, 08:37 AM

“This is a great step in recognizing the fact that we had Muslims such as Lapu-Lapu, Sultan Kudarat, Amai Pakpak, Sorongan, who kept fighting the Spaniards long before this country thought of a revolution against Spain. This would foster unity, make sure that nobody is excluded. If we are to have national unity in this country it must begin in our flag, it must be symbolized in our flag,” he said.

ha? lapu-lapu was a Muslim? really?! :lol::lol::crazy::crazy:

as far as i know, Cebuano ancestors e.g. lapu-lapu were not Islam followers but rather pagans! Visayans during pre-hispanic times were virtually covered by tattoos and eat meat which are contrary to Muslim teachings and practices.

about adding another ray? na, forget about it! it would only be awful to see a flag having unequal proportions. if they really want to add, better yet change everything!

Morisqueta

September 24th, 2009, 09:10 AM

What about the cordillera people and the lumad of mindanao? Don't they deserve a place in the Philippine Sun? What about other tribes?

Ang daming problema ng Pilipinas at ang bandila pa ang pinagiinitan nila! I think our muslim brothers are more concerned about poverty and underdevelopment (absence of basic social infrastructure like health and sanitation, education, good roads etc.) than symbolism.

I don't think that the flag should be changed. :ohno:

Sleepwalker

September 24th, 2009, 09:15 AM

^^If indeed they want to change the flag, better remove the two stars and since all the rays of the sun are for Luzon, then better combine the remaining one star and the 8-rays.

You got a star with 8-rays... :okay:

adgaps

September 24th, 2009, 11:21 AM

ha? lapu-lapu was a Muslim? really?! :lol::lol::crazy::crazy:

as far as i know, Cebuano ancestors e.g. lapu-lapu were not Islam followers but rather pagans! Visayans during pre-hispanic times were virtually covered by tattoos and eat meat which are contrary to Muslim teachings and practices.

about adding another ray? na, forget about it! it would only be awful to see a flag having unequal proportions. if they really want to add, better yet change everything!

^^ last year i attended Islamic history classes in our school...

our muslim lecturer said that we actually have a very wrong image of lapu-lapu... muslim daw sya, kaya hindi sya nakahubad, wala syang mga hikaw-hikaw, etc.

i don't remember him talking about muslim representation in the flag, kasi he and the other Muslims who are always sitting behind the room insist that Mindanao is their land, and that they really don't want to be under the Philippine Government...

then now, Gordon wants to add a ninth ray for unity? kung alam lang nya ang pinagsasabi ng lecturer namin sa Islamic history, baka magdalawang isip sya sa gagawin nya sa flag natin...

Sleepwalker

September 24th, 2009, 11:46 AM

Feel frustrated? Don't worry, the Muslims are not alone... :)

Only the constitution and it's definition of Philippine soveriegnty that keeps this country as one.

IMHO, the Muslims would also welcome the idea of not having the ninth ray, anyway.

Arvor

September 24th, 2009, 01:00 PM

Funniest thing is what would happen to the traingle if the Phillipines somehow get's Sabah region back ? , would it have to become square and instead of a 4th star would they add a little crescent moon ? :lol: .

superpilyoako

September 24th, 2009, 06:36 PM

i would rather have our flag totally changed than having the same flag with that odd looking sun

nakainom ata si Gordon ng Royal True Orange kaya nilabas ang kulit eh

Sky Harbor

September 24th, 2009, 07:13 PM

They could always redefine the meaning of the rays, similar to how they redefined the meaning of the stars ages ago. :ohno:

stanleymalls

September 24th, 2009, 07:27 PM

It was in Cory's time na nagkaroon ng kasunduan na magkakaroon ng ika-siyam na silahis ng araw sa ating watawat.

It is for the recognition of the efforts of the Muslim Filipinos in the fight for freedom.

It may be feasible. But would all Filipinos approve it?

Colonel Burger

September 24th, 2009, 08:25 PM

Hmm.... Granted that the Tausugs, Yakans and other Filipino Islamic ethnic groups fought for Philippine independence, why not add a tenth, eleventh or twelvth ray for negros, iloilo and cebu? They also fought against the spanish.

anyway, in reality, the Sun on the flag actually has 24 rays.

If ever we win North Borneo (sabah) back, it would still be grouped under mindanao.

Colonel Burger

September 24th, 2009, 08:34 PM

RECOGNITION FOR MUSLIMS
RP flag to have 9th ray to the sun

By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:42:00 09/24/2009

Filed Under: history, Legislation

MANILA, Philippines—The bicameral conference has approved the addition of a ninth ray to the sun in the Philippine flag to represent the Muslim people.

The flag’s current eight-ray sun represents the eight provinces that first rose in rebellion against Spanish colonial rule in 1896—Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batangas.

Sen. Richard Gordon, primary author of the Ninth Ray Bill, defended the major alteration to the Philippine flag. He said it was a big step toward “reuniting the country.”

The Senate and the House of Representatives approved the proposal on Tuesday during the bicameral conference which met to reconcile the two chambers’ proposed amendments to the Flag and Heraldic Code.

The conference ironed out the differences between Senate Bill No. 3307 and House Bill No. 6424.

SB 3307 proposes amendments to Republic Act No. 8491, otherwise known as “An Act Prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-of-Arms and Other Heraldic Items and Devices of the Philippines.”

Included in the bill is Gordon’s proposal to add a ninth ray to the sun “to acknowledge the courage, bravery and integrity of Muslim Filipinos who fought for the nation’s independence.”

In a statement, Gordon lauded the approval of the ninth ray, saying that it would foster greater unity among Filipinos regardless of religion.

“We are a country that has had a conflict with our Muslim brothers for the last so many decades. I think this is a big step towards reuniting our country, recognizing the contributions of our fellow countrymen, the Filipino Muslims. We should recognize their deeds in our country,” he said.

Aside from Gordon, present during the bicam were Senate majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Representatives Del de Guzman, chairman of the House panel, Ma. Carissa Coscoluella, Salvador Escudero III and Roman Romulo.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090924-226635/RP-flag-to-have-9th-ray-to-the-sun

Planning Democracy

September 25th, 2009, 03:31 AM

^^ last year i attended Islamic history classes in our school...

our muslim lecturer said that we actually have a very wrong image of lapu-lapu... muslim daw sya, kaya hindi sya nakahubad, wala syang mga hikaw-hikaw, etc.

i don't remember him talking about muslim representation in the flag, kasi he and the other Muslims who are always sitting behind the room insist that Mindanao is their land, and that they really don't want to be under the Philippine Government...

then now, Gordon wants to add a ninth ray for unity? kung alam lang nya ang pinagsasabi ng lecturer namin sa Islamic history, baka magdalawang isip sya sa gagawin nya sa flag natin...

Pati Sabah sa kanila, pag yumaman tayo yari sa atin yung malaysia na yan. :bash: I think mas gusto ng malaysia that we are always in conflict with the moro people para wala tayo magawa tungkol jan sa sabah.

Ok yung proposal na may 9th ray, at least symbolically we are recognizing them. Won't do much for the peace process though but they should be part of the symbolism of our country.

Sky Harbor

September 25th, 2009, 03:49 AM

Senator Gordon's position is kind of ironic, seeing that he previously batted for a ninth ray to represent Zambales.

On another note, I hope the congressional zoo realizes that like the failed attempt to change the coat of arms, this needs an enabling referendum too.

le Reine

September 25th, 2009, 03:50 AM

^^Oh, so they weren't able to remove the eagle and the lion rampant successfully?

Sky Harbor

September 25th, 2009, 04:01 AM

^^ Yup, because no referendum was ever held.

overrayd

September 25th, 2009, 04:12 AM

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

September 25th, 2009, 05:43 AM

^^
wow! nice one there bro! :okay:

our muslim lecturer said that we actually have a very wrong image of lapu-lapu... muslim daw sya, kaya hindi sya nakahubad, wala syang mga hikaw-hikaw, etc.

for my part really, lapu-lapu was not a muslim but a pagan warrior...

@adgaps... hindi mo ba tinanong sa muslim lecturer ninyo ba't nya alam na si lapu-lapu was a muslim? if he said hindi sya nakahubad dahil DAW muslim sya, eh anong masasabi nya sa mga statues ni lapu-lapu sa luneta at sa mactan? baka sabihin rin nya na hindi totoo yun! :lol::lol::D

paano nya nalaman na hindi nakahubad si lapu-lapu at walang mga hikaw? nakita nya ba yung mga buto ni lapu-lapu? kamaganak nya ba si lapu-lapu?

lapu-lapu's monuments are half-naked and had earrings. even though lapu-lapu's body was not found, archaeological diggings in cebu suggest that ancient cebuanos adorn themselves just like what we have pictured lapu-lapu to be.

kepueng

September 25th, 2009, 08:07 AM

i think our flag is unique especially here in asia. the philippine flag has resemblance to the flag of czech republic because it has the same color scheme minus the three stars and the sun, but it is hard to be mistaken as the Philippines' flag.. kesa nman flag ng indonesia na kaparehas ng flag ng monaco o kaya mga flags ng middle eastern countries like UAE, kuwait, syria and yemen na halos magkakapareho..:)

flesh_is_weak

September 25th, 2009, 08:36 AM

masyado kasi tayong OA, ang hilig natin sa mga designs at symbolism ek-ek...ilang probinsya na ba meron ang pinas ngayon? ba't di yun ang gawin nilang bilang ng rays ng araw...

basta, para sa akin, isang bandila lang ang nababagay sa pinas, yung may 50 stars at saka 13 stripes...:lol: (pwede na rin siguro yun yung may pulang solar disk, friends na tayo with the japanese, di ba?)

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

September 25th, 2009, 08:38 AM

^^
:lol::lol::crazy::crazy::D:D:hahaha:

davaob4now

September 25th, 2009, 08:47 AM

should the national flag be revised???

NO.

WawaY[625]

September 25th, 2009, 09:18 AM

anong kalokohan naman ba iyan?! :nuts:

rapuy

September 25th, 2009, 10:01 AM

rapuy

September 25th, 2009, 10:06 AM

IMHO we have a very unique flag which is very identiable among the flag of nations. It is also very unique in the sense that it could signify peace and war time by the position of the red and blue side of the flag.

At saka pag nilagyan mo ng additional rays yung sun, papangit na ito kasi hindi na symmetrical. :)

Sleepwalker

September 25th, 2009, 10:11 AM

^^Hmmm, why sweat on adding the ninth ray?

IMHO, majority of Philippine history revolves on the provinces represented by the eight rays.

The senate could discuss more important things than this, such as decentralization or federation or breaking up this country into different independent countries (so that other new countries could make their own flags which best represent their history).

RonnieR

September 25th, 2009, 10:38 AM

Sleepwalker

September 25th, 2009, 10:52 AM

^^Option lang. Peace could have been achieved already, if they started it long time ago.

Now the gap between groups is becoming wider and the isolationism (if there is such a term) is becoming deeper. It needs more effort to do this than just adding the ninth ray. Pa-consuelo de bobo lang yan.

If they have to do it, they should do it the right way. IMHO, adding the ninth ray would just have a very minimal to negligible effect. And it could even raise some questions as to why only the Muslims. How about the others?

Our legislative body is really becoming funny and ridiculous these days.

mygz14

September 25th, 2009, 10:56 AM

I can remember a suggestion before that a Crescent Moon will be placed beside the Eight Rayed Sun to represent our Muslim Brothers. There is no need to replace our flag.

khryzxs19

September 25th, 2009, 02:30 PM

No! Kung bumalik man sa atin ang Sabah ayos lang. 4 naman ung star ng flag natin eh. diba star naman talaga ung sun.

Ang_Bantayanon

September 25th, 2009, 02:58 PM

Our politicians really don't have anything else to do. Apart from dipping their hands into government coffers to feather their nest, they're just not content throw shit at each other on national television but they also like to attract attention by resorting to all kinds of cheap gimmickry. Adding another ray to the flag bespeaks of our politicians not having anything else to do.

This is nothing but tinkering with history. If another ray is added then this might just open the flood gates for other tribes/peoples to ask for a ray to represent themselves in our flag.

adgaps

September 25th, 2009, 04:08 PM

@adgaps... hindi mo ba tinanong sa muslim lecturer ninyo ba't nya alam na si lapu-lapu was a muslim? if he said hindi sya nakahubad dahil DAW muslim sya, eh anong masasabi nya sa mga statues ni lapu-lapu sa luneta at sa mactan? baka sabihin rin nya na hindi totoo yun! :lol::lol::D

^^ precisely! he really did say na MALI ang mga imaheng yun ni Lapu-Lapu!

masyado kasi tayong OA, ang hilig natin sa mga designs at symbolism ek-ek...ilang probinsya na ba meron ang pinas ngayon? ba't di yun ang gawin nilang bilang ng rays ng araw...

^^ i don't know how many provinces we have... but i do know that they are represented as stars around the Presidential Seal...

in the event that the number of provinces change, either by removing or adding some, the number os stars in teh seal will also be changed...

Kintoy

September 25th, 2009, 04:11 PM

No need. the current flag is fine.

with all due respect, many of them dont consider themselves Filipinos, they even want to create their own state

mwg12a

September 25th, 2009, 04:24 PM

perhaps something like this:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3/gigapix/0d032878.png

Dont know about this one , that half moon makes it looks like it's embracing communism IMO.

Our politicians really don't have anything else to do. Apart from dipping their hands into government coffers to feather their nest, they're just not content throw shit at each other on national television but they also like to attract attention by resorting to all kinds of cheap gimmickry. Adding another ray to the flag bespeaks of our politicians not having anything else to do.

This is nothing but tinkering with history. If another ray is added then this might just open the flood gates for other tribes/peoples to ask for a ray to represent themselves in our flag.
I'll have to agree on you with this one. Instead of something like this? Why can't the politicians figure a way to improve the economy and help all the filipinos way of life so they don't have to resort into leaving the country just to find a better paying jobs overseas.

Christian_123

September 25th, 2009, 04:58 PM

perhaps something like this:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3/gigapix/0d032878.png

I personally like this flag.

Now back on topic:

I say no, sobrang tagal na ng flag natin tapos bakit ngayon lang nila naisip to? Peace with muslim sa pamamagitan ng isang "ray" sa bandila is a cheap move towards "peace".

Tigil nalang natin ang walang kwentang gyera sa mindanao tapos give them all the developments to the muslims that we're currently enjoying in luzon and voila! problem solved! Hinde kailangan pang babuyin ang bandila natin.

Unless ayaw nila itigil dahil mawawalan ng malaking tong-pats ang mga Generals....:nuts:

...If they insist on defacing our flag, why not add Francis M to boot beside the 3 stars and the sun :nuts:?!

Arvor

September 25th, 2009, 05:40 PM

perhaps something like this:

Looks good yeah but what's the crescent for ? , if there are 4 stars then the crescent would be superflous as the stars represent luzon , vizayas , mindanao 4th ( sabah ) , so i think that's a good flag minus the crescent .

kiretoce

September 25th, 2009, 05:45 PM

Even the European Union limited the stars on their flag (stopped at 12) when more nations were added into the supranational governing body over the years since its inception. The same principle should be applied to the Philippine flag. Let the 8 rays remain and not be tampered or altered with.

If they are gonna add a ray to the sun, then just make it equal for the 80 provinces of Philippines. Have 80 rays, equal representation for all.

manila_eye

September 25th, 2009, 05:57 PM

^^ Sunflower ang labas ng bandila namin pag nag kaganun.

kiretoce

September 25th, 2009, 05:59 PM

^^ Which makes the case for not altering the design of the national flag in the first place. ;)

kiretoce

September 25th, 2009, 06:05 PM

Dont know about this one , that half moon makes it looks like it's embracing communism IMO.

Slight correction....the crescent moon is representative of the Islamic faith. The crossed hammer and sickle represents Communism.

Danny19

September 25th, 2009, 08:29 PM

overrayd

September 25th, 2009, 10:34 PM

Looks good yeah but what's the crescent for ? , if there are 4 stars then the crescent would be superflous as the stars represent luzon , vizayas , mindanao 4th ( sabah ) , so i think that's a good flag minus the crescent .
it represents the ARMM/Moro people. :)

mwg12a

September 26th, 2009, 03:30 AM

Slight correction....the crescent moon is representative of the Islamic faith. The crossed hammer and sickle represents Communism.

Was gonna say that but I hold it off, i kind of felt it would spark something untoward.. I don't know, just an incling feeling I had in my gut. I think the flag already represents Luzon Visayas and Mindanao, religious faith should be separated from the whole issue.

adgaps

September 26th, 2009, 04:57 AM

here's the part from our Declaration of Independence that cites the flag's original symbolism...

And, lastly, it was resolved unanimously that this Nation, already free and independent as of this day, must use the same flag which up to now is being used, whose design and colors are found described in the attached drawing, the white triangle signifying the distinctive emblem of the famous Society of the "Katipunan" which by means of its blood compact inspired the masses to rise in revolution; the three stars, signifying the three principal Islands of this Archipelago-Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay where this revolutionary movement started; the sun representing the gigantic steps made by the sons of the country along the path of Progress and Civilization; the eight rays, signifying the eight provinces-Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas - which declared themselves in a state of war as soon as the first revolt was initiated; and the colors of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating the flag of the United States of North America, as a manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great Nation for its disinterested protection which it lent us and continues lending us.

^^

1. again, Luzon, Visayas, and Panay...
2. the eight rays represent the provinces that almost simultaneously fought the Spanish government...
3. the colors blue, red, and white serve as homage to the US Flag...

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

September 26th, 2009, 05:12 AM

actually okay naman sya na gawin nine total 360 deg. naman ang isang circle so kasya yan...hehehe

just like this drawing i had...

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs224.snc1/7134_1200507623509_1553101576_30523694_1891675_n.jpg

Arvor

September 26th, 2009, 05:16 AM

Igsuonnimo

September 26th, 2009, 05:17 AM

Nuong mga nakaraang taon lang nailabas ang ideya ng sampung estrelya o star na nakapaloob sa trayanggulo ng kasalukuyang BANDILA ng Republika. At ito ang sumisimbolo ng sampung federal states para sa Federal Republic of the Philippines.

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

September 26th, 2009, 05:40 AM

Anyway i doubt the "muslims" fought the Spaniards to free the "Phillipines" as a nation with the same intent as the revolutionaries , theirs was probably more similar to their current goals of an indipendent muslim Mindanao , as it happens alot of them are fighting the very republic which bears that flag .

IMO well, let's change the meaning of the rays...

bai we should not treat our muslim brothers with this kind of statements of who should be more fitted to become filipinos. what do you really think about the real philippines? without muslims ba? let them feel that even though they are muslims, they can still be filipinos! let us accept our differences as a nation and bec. this is who we are, we should try learning to accept each other by respecting and recognizing each and everybody's culture and heritage. this is not anymore about who were our oppressors centuries ago and who fought bravely to defend it. Our flag should already define us as a nation with different cultures and not just a part of it.

Sleepwalker

September 26th, 2009, 05:48 AM

^^Were the people of Luzon also fought for the whole Philippines? I don't think so.... :)

Why it is always a default on this country that everything done and made in Luzon always comes out "national". For God's sake, were the Katipuneros live a comfortable life with the Spaniards, i don't think, there will be a struggle for freedom.

Our Muslim brothers fought for their own reasons, same as the Katipuneros fought for themselves. And then why it turned out that the Katipuneros fought for the whole Philippines, while our Muslim brothers just fought for their territory?

If somebody really think, that only the Katipuneros fought for freedom, then, what is the reason we are still trying to unite this country?

If we have to be one nation, we should learn to recognize the efforts of other groups other than those in Luzon. Failure to do so, means we really can not be as one country.

mAiNsTrEaMhunter

September 26th, 2009, 05:53 AM

Arvor

September 26th, 2009, 06:42 AM

what do you really think about the real philippines? without muslims ba?

Im quite fine with muslims having their own autonomous regions , im simply stating what i thought would be misleading , that is to say that they were fighting for the same reasons and that alot of modern muslim Phillipino's do state their desires for outright separation and independence and some do carry out insurgencies , while were at it the Americans fought the Spaniards too maybe we should give them a few rays aswell and what about the Japs who fought off the Americans maybe they deserve a star or two ... .

My point is simply to state the obvious that if those muslims fighting the Spaniards and some of the muslims today had their way they wouldn't be "Phillipinos" at all ! , and not because i don't want them to but because of their own stated desires for independence from what they call the "opressive colonial Phillipine regime" at least according to some of their leaders .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXUNCCjlHcg&feature=PlayList&p=F48A0822DBB25BBC&index=7
Nur Misuari and his view on Mindanao .

And they are right to a point the north has colonized Mindanao and i think that it would be rather disingenuous to buy their allegiance by giving them rays on a flag , if national politicians were sincere in their desire to aknowledge the moro's contribution to the fight against colonialism perhaps they can do so by giving them the full independence they deserve ? .

I do agree that the flag should represent all Phillipinos of whatever faith or ethnic backgrounds and that the country should be inclusive , but what do you do to convince those who don't want to be included give them rays on a flag ? .

If somebody really think, that only the Katipuneros fought for freedom, then, what is the reason we are still trying to unite this country?

Well let us ask that question because it is pertinent to the issue of the flag and wheter to change it's meaning .

What did those Katipuneros fought for and what did let's say the muslims fought for ? .

We have to bear in mind that the Phillipines wasn't a country before the Spaniards came it wasn't even called "Phillipines" what it was called i wouldn't even know ( does anyone btw ? lol ) , the Katipuneros in my view were fighting to lead an indigenous successor state based on the Spanish territory called Phillipines .

This is why in my opinion the successor state continues to fight the same war it's Spanish predecessors fought , while some muslims continue to fight the land named after King Phillip the 2nd of Spain and the mainly christian culture it represents .

Im not trying to be disrespectful of any group or be controvertial but these questions are worth asking at the very least it's food for thought ... , and certainly these are questions the country would need to resolve in Mindanao before it even dreams of reuniting it with Sabah which im all for btw if it's population desires it .

LordCarnal

September 26th, 2009, 07:52 AM

^^ precisely! he really did say na MALI ang mga imaheng yun ni Lapu-Lapu!

Our image now of Lapu-Lapu is based on actual observations and accounts as chronicled by the Spaniards who came in contact with him.

There's no doubt he isn't Muslim basing on this and on the recent archaeological diggings which yielded artifacts that coincided with the early explorers' observations.

Lapu-Lapu's brush with Magellan might have something to do with his conflict with another local chieftain (Humabon) of a pre-Hispanic settlement in Cebu since both were competing against each other for control of trade (in Cebu).

.:.

isagani

September 26th, 2009, 07:58 AM

^^
true. lets broaden our horizon friends of our definition of filipino. its already 21st century and still we can't get along. filipino should not be merely base on tagalog, of manila, and everything about it. filipino should be everything that this country has. a country diverse with culture, tradition and heritage.
Yes, but if that's the logic behind the meaning of the number of rays, then why not have one for every single ethnic group or province, right? Or why not include rays for Bohol for the Dagohoy Rebellion, or Ilocos Sur for the Silang Revolt? They didn't coincide with the Philippine Revolution, but what the heck, let's all be inclusive. Oops, we forgot Northern Samar for Sumuroy (or do we include three, since there was only one Samar province then?), Pangasinan for Palaris, Quezon/Tayabas for Hermano Pule, Leyte for Bankaw, Bataan for World War II veterans or even Cebu for Lapu-Lapu! While we're at it, let's even make the ray for Batangas a bit wider than the others for Malvar's resistance to American rule, for an A++ effort indeed!!

The context within which the flag was conceived (during the Philippine Revolution) is totally different from the meaning that Sen. Gordon is trying to insert right now. The rays were not meant to represent the "primary" provinces of the country, nor the "most important" (which seems to be what's being implied), or even the only provinces that worked to oust the colonizers, but to represent the first eight which were put under martial law due to overwhelming insurrection in those provinces - the first admission (in the form of a legal declaration) of Spain's (or more specifically, the friarocracy's) inability to govern a land that they probably thought they could hold on to for eternity, populated by a people they thought would never rise from subjugation to claim what's theirs. Meddling with the flag's elements means messing with the spirit which the flag intended to encapsulate: the spirit of the revolution of 1896 and the short-lived republic that was founded on its ideals.

By the way, Pampanga is not a Tagalog-majority province. Such a shame, that back then when the revolucionarios were trying to build and unite a country, they were finding and sharing common ideas and aspirations that were being voiced by inhabitants of across this archipelago. It just so happened that it was in the urban lowlands of Luzon around Manila, within the ilustrado community, that the ideas for reform and social justice were conceived, actively voiced, and when shut out of discussions, fermented into an underground movement. With the large population of this area and their more vocal discontent of Spanish rule, the underground resistance gained its momentum and solid support base, after which revolution's ideals were spread across Spanish-controlled areas of the country, from Batanes to Cagayan de Misamis. Nowadays some (or many?) seem to think that the symbolism in the 8 rays of "sun of freedom" in the flag is an insidious way of imposing the superiority of one ethnic group over another, or even the non-recognition of efforts of other Filipinos.What a superficial way of looking at the flag.

If a Sultan of Sulu actually drove out the Spaniards with the aid of colonized indios we'd be flying a flag based on the principles of that extraordinary cooperation. Had Lapu-Lapu organized a confederation of Filipino chiefdoms and states all across the archipelago after the defeat of Magellan to ensure such attempts would never be successful again then we'd be flying his flag too. But what first awakened this country to a certain consciousness that a nation of diverse peoples can be founded on principles denied to its indigenous inhabitants by a foreign power was this revolution, and its symbol was this flag, a flag that was meant to consecrate and honour the Filipino nation before and after its conception.

The flag is first and foremost a product of the Philippine Revolution, and the products of this revolution - the first republic, the ideas of equality under the law, self-rule, and democracy - are the foundations on which our republic is based. A change in the flag should only occur when the message of the revolution is no longer pertinent and its consequences no longer relevant (which is NOT the case). And even when alteration is being contemplated, changes should not be made lightly.

If any justice were to be made to the flag if it were to be altered, it should ONLY be to restore the multi-rayed (more than 8-rayed) sun of the early Katipunan flags, based on Andres Bonifacio's design, which he explained as representing the diverse peoples inhabiting these islands. This sun eventually evolved into a multi-rayed sun forming 8 points, then standardized in 1919 into a sun with 8 rays (each ray with 2 minor rays). This would still be true to the intents and aspirations of the revolucionarios while acknowledging and treasuring the diversity of peoples in our land. In my opinion this should be the only acceptable alteration to the flag.

Long live the Philippine Republic, and all the dreams and accomplishments of the honest, hard-working and well-intentioned people in it.

LordCarnal

September 26th, 2009, 08:00 AM

Is it already official to add the 9th ray in the flag? Hmm so all flags have to be changed and also the seal of the president! I dont think they can solve the muslim problem with thru this symbolic action. I really hope they can solve the problem in peace, but they have to stay with the Philippines and not on their own!!!!!!!!!!!!

Correct. The muslim problem cannot be solved with just this symbolic action.

Poverty, etc. cannot be solved by adding a ninth ray to the Sun of the Philippine flag.

...

Kintoy

September 26th, 2009, 09:10 AM

Im quite fine with muslims having their own autonomous regions , im simply stating what i thought would be misleading , that is to say that they were fighting for the same reasons and that alot of modern muslim Phillipino's do state their desires for outright separation and independence and some do carry out insurgencies , while were at it the Americans fought the Spaniards too maybe we should give them a few rays aswell and what about the Japs who fought off the Americans maybe they deserve a star or two ... .

My point is simply to state the obvious that if those muslims fighting the Spaniards and some of the muslims today had their way they wouldn't be "Phillipinos" at all ! , and not because i don't want them to but because of their own stated desires for independence from what they call the "opressive colonial Phillipine regime" at least according to some of their leaders .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXUNCCjlHcg&feature=PlayList&p=F48A0822DBB25BBC&index=7
Nur Misuari and his view on Mindanao .

And they are right to a point the north has colonized Mindanao and i think that it would be rather disingenuous to buy their allegiance by giving them rays on a flag , if national politicians were sincere in their desire to aknowledge the moro's contribution to the fight against colonialism perhaps they can do so by giving them the full independence they deserve ? .

I do agree that the flag should represent all Phillipinos of whatever faith or ethnic backgrounds and that the country should be inclusive , but what do you do to convince those who don't want to be included give them rays on a flag ? .

Well let us ask that question because it is pertinent to the issue of the flag and wheter to change it's meaning .

What did those Katipuneros fought for and what did let's say the muslims fought for ? .

We have to bear in mind that the Phillipines wasn't a country before the Spaniards came it wasn't even called "Phillipines" what it was called i wouldn't even know ( does anyone btw ? lol ) , the Katipuneros in my view were fighting to lead an indigenous successor state based on the Spanish territory called Phillipines .

This is why in my opinion the successor state continues to fight the same war it's Spanish predecessors fought , while some muslims continue to fight the land named after King Phillip the 2nd of Spain and the mainly christian culture it represents .

Im not trying to be disrespectful of any group or be controvertial but these questions are worth asking at the very least it's food for thought ... , and certainly these are questions the country would need to resolve in Mindanao before it even dreams of reuniting it with Sabah which im all for btw if it's population desires it .

i agree. they want their own state remember?

isagani

September 26th, 2009, 10:23 AM

Correct. The muslim problem cannot be solved with just this symbolic action.

Poverty, etc. cannot be solved by adding a ninth ray to the Sun of the Philippine flag.

...
Not quite yet. The upper and lower houses just agreed on the content of the law (which would be in the form of a Republic Act), which hasn't been passed yet.

TheAvenger

September 26th, 2009, 11:53 AM

Dapat itong flag na ito na lang, para wala nang regionalism sa pagpili ng designs ng flag.

http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz111/emmanuel_e/ndf.jpg

TheAvenger

September 26th, 2009, 12:31 PM

The eight rays of the sun found in the Philippine flag represents the eight provinces, namely - Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batangas - that fought against the Spanish government during the revolution. They intended to add a ninth ray to represent the Muslims which also faught against the colonization of the Spaniards. Using these argument, why should we odd out those provinces that are not Muslims and not belonging to the eight provinces. How about the Ilonggos, the Cebuanos, the Ilocanos, etc. Did they not partake in the revolution during the late 19th century?

Yes you got the point, the rays should include other provinces that fought the Spaniards, (the Cebuanos during Lapu-Lapu time, the Muslims in Mindanao and Sulu, Bohol during Dagohoy time, Pangasinan, Ilocos during Gabriela Silang time and during the Katipunan Revolt, and many other provinces. Magiging too many sun rays already...... so better removed the sun and 8 rays sa Philippine flag para fair sa lahat at walang regionalism.

Danny19

September 26th, 2009, 12:42 PM

Is it really so easy to change the flag of the RP? How many of congress voted for it? I cant believe it! Why are some here in this forum talking about to break up our country??? That will never be a good solution, because we are ONE country! They always say we have differences and so on! Hmm there are many countries that have differences and that are united and are proud of it. Look at Indonesia its also a country with many tribes and languages! Together we can be strong as one nation! But if we would be break up into several countries it wouldnt be better, we would have less energy to survive!!!!! GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arvor

September 26th, 2009, 12:56 PM

:lol: i agree with those who say that the 8 rays should represent everyone

overtureph

September 26th, 2009, 09:47 PM

NO! Ano naman kalokohan ito. Why fix something that isn't broken. Lahat na lamang gustong baguhin.

TheAvenger

September 27th, 2009, 12:09 AM

NO! Ano naman kalokohan ito. Why fix something that isn't broken. Lahat na lamang gustong baguhin.

Walang masama na baguhin ang mali. In the first place mali ang 8 rays lang sa Philippine flag samantalang before the Tagalog Region started the revolt against Spain, the Cebuanos, the Tausogs, Maranaos, and other Moro groups, the Boholanos (Dagohoy revolt), the Ilocanos (Diego Silang revolt) already fought against colonialism and tyranny.

Also during the 1896-1898 Revolt started by the Katipunan, the Ilocano region, the Ilongo region and Samar also fought the Spaniards, how come even Ilocos, Negros/Panay and Samar is not included in the Phil flag's sun rays.

Either we put more sun rays to our flag or removed the 8 rays in Philippine flag so that it will be fair to all regions and provinces in our country.

overtureph

September 27th, 2009, 02:48 AM

Walang masama na baguhin ang mali. In the first place mali ang 8 rays lang sa Philippine flag samantalang before the Tagalog Region started the revolt against Spain, the Cebuanos, the Tausogs, Maranaos, and other Moro groups, the Boholanos (Dagohoy revolt), the Ilocanos (Diego Silang revolt) already fought against colonialism and tyranny.

Also during the 1896-1898 Revolt started by the Katipunan, the Ilocano region, the Ilongo region and Samar also fought the Spaniards, how come even Ilocos, Negros/Panay and Samar is not included in the Phil flag's sun rays.

Either we put more sun rays to our flag or removed the 8 rays in Philippine flag so that it will be fair to all regions and provinces in our country.

While we're at it, let's change the name of the country like what was proposed before since the name was derive from King Philip II. Let's include all hispanized and americanized name too.

Asturiano

September 27th, 2009, 03:59 AM

Foolishness. There are many useless laws that needed to be amended and the best things that our politician came up was to change our flag. Mindanao was already represented by a star in the Flag, why should the rays of the sun in our flag should be change to represent the Muslim. We are under one country with one flag with many religious denomination.By adding a new ray of the sun the original meaning as the founder implied will no longer apply. The eight rays of the sun was created to symbolized the first eight provinces that rise in revolt against Spain in 1896 and this was the beginning of the first national revolt in our country, before 1896 there were many regional and minor revolt that was easily put down by the Spanish. The 1896 was the first Filipino nationwide revolt that called for Filipino statehood. Although the revolt started in Luzon it spread to all the islands of the Philippines that's why the three star was created to represented the three groups of islands tha made up the Philippines which are Luzon Vizayas and Mindanao

OtAkAw

September 27th, 2009, 07:21 AM

Why do Philippine politicians have this penchant for trying to change something that doesn't necessarily need any changes??? This matter is the same with the changing of street names.

There are SO MANY other matters that need changing in this country. Why not concentrate with those.

Sleepwalker

September 27th, 2009, 07:39 AM

Walang masama na baguhin ang mali. In the first place mali ang 8 rays lang sa Philippine flag samantalang before the Tagalog Region started the revolt against Spain, the Cebuanos, the Tausogs, Maranaos, and other Moro groups, the Boholanos (Dagohoy revolt), the Ilocanos (Diego Silang revolt) already fought against colonialism and tyranny.

Also during the 1896-1898 Revolt started by the Katipunan, the Ilocano region, the Ilongo region and Samar also fought the Spaniards, how come even Ilocos, Negros/Panay and Samar is not included in the Phil flag's sun rays.

Either we put more sun rays to our flag or removed the 8 rays in Philippine flag so that it will be fair to all regions and provinces in our country.

Take note, the eight rays represents the first provinces who revolted against Spaniards...The same Spaniards Lapu-lapu fought against, a couple of centuries before the Katipuneros, and yet, there is no ray for Cebu... :ohno:

Am not whining about it here. My point is, super sensetionalized lang talaga ang efforts within MM area and yet they wanted to keep this country as one.

To quote, "of what use is the freedom, if the slaves of yesterday will become the tyrants of tomorrow"?

TheAvenger

September 27th, 2009, 08:36 AM

While we're at it, let's change the name of the country like what was proposed before since the name was derive from King Philip II. Let's include all hispanized and americanized name too.

We can rename the Philippines as " MALAYA'' which means free or

or rename it as

Federal Socialist Islamic-Christian Malaya Republic

if later we have a Federal govt.

o kaya "magulong republika" na lang

Animo

September 27th, 2009, 08:48 AM

^^

Future flag! :lol:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Banana_republic.svg/800px-Banana_republic.svg.png

Sleepwalker

September 27th, 2009, 09:39 AM

^^And what are those five bananas? Does it represent the first five monkeys (a.k.a Homo Sapien Sapien) who arrived in Philippines?

Animo

September 27th, 2009, 09:57 AM

^^ It could also be the 5 pillars of our government: Federal + Socialist + Republic + Islamic + Christian Philippines! :D

Colonel Burger

September 27th, 2009, 04:32 PM

The cause of all this is regionalism. Why would there be a need for a ninth ray to represent the muslims?

what do I care if you are a muslim? In the first place, we should have never categorized these people as Muslim Filipinos. Have you heard of terms like, Catholic Filipinos? how about Mormon Filipinos? or Baptist Filipinos? or Iglesis ni Cristo Filipinos? IF you are Filipino, you are Filipino regardless of your religious background or ethnicity.

overtureph

September 27th, 2009, 07:49 PM

isagani

September 27th, 2009, 10:22 PM

Take note, the eight rays represents the first provinces who revolted against Spaniards...The same Spaniards Lapu-lapu fought against, a couple of centuries before the Katipuneros, and yet, there is no ray for Cebu... :ohno:

Am not whining about it here. My point is, super sensetionalized lang talaga ang efforts within MM area and yet they wanted to keep this country as one.

To quote, "of what use is the freedom, if the slaves of yesterday will become the tyrants of tomorrow"?
Here goes the blame game again! I can't wait to hear more of how the evil Luzonians have made life miserable for the Visayans and Mindanaoans. Who knew the rays of the sun in the flag would elicit such bigotry from so many? The narrow minded way of looking at the situation as a whole is the trademark of self-righteous philosophizers.

Meanwhile, the tax revenues contributed and debt repayment burden carried by the inhabitants of the economic engine of the country continue to be shared with the whole country to build shiny new airports, bridges, roads and ports, as well as to support the salaries of government officials in the countryside. You don't see the people of Luzon whining about it though. Perhaps if people were a little less preoccupied with being stuck inside their own little bubble and more genuinely caring about the bigger picture, we'd be better off.

If Lapu-Lapu went beyond Mactan and succeeded to establish a united country encompassing the entire archipelago then we'd use whatever flag he wanted. But no, at most, his concern at that time was merely local - he was just defending his chiefdom from the Magellan-Humabon alliance. But it was in 1896 that a widespread consciousness of nationhood to become fully expressed in the form of the Revolution, and this went beyond the level of local, provincial and regional trivialities. While this was participated in by revolutionaries all over the Spanish-controlled areas of the country, the colonial government decided to put only eight provinces under martial law on August 30, 1896. This was the FIRST time in history that the FIRST underground movement to fight for a concept called "Filipino" and a nation called "Filipinas" was in open rebellion against the colonial government. In commemoration of this historic achievement for the ENTIRE nation (fledgling then, but still alive), Aguinaldo simplified the suns depicted in earlier Katipunan flags into an 8-rayed sun which eventually made it to the flag sewn in Hong Kong.

Poor Aguinaldo. He didn't think that the people of the nation he fathered would be so resentful for assigning meaning to even the rays of the sun in his flag, which pays homage to the contributions of ALL Filipinos in the past, present and future (the Declaration of Independence that was read in Kawit even cites Lapu-Lapu). Maybe he should have just left it alone, just like what Congress should do with the current flag.

FlashCollider

September 27th, 2009, 10:52 PM

^^
I couldn't agree more.

Sleepwalker

September 28th, 2009, 06:20 AM

Here goes the blame game again! I can't wait to hear more of how the evil Luzonians have made life miserable for the Visayans and Mindanaoans. Who knew the rays of the sun in the flag would elicit such bigotry from so many? The narrow minded way of looking at the situation as a whole is the trademark of self-righteous philosophizers.

Meanwhile, the tax revenues contributed and debt repayment burden carried by the inhabitants of the economic engine of the country continue to be shared with the whole country to build shiny new airports, bridges, roads and ports, as well as to support the salaries of government officials in the countryside. You don't see the people of Luzon whining about it though. Perhaps if people were a little less preoccupied with being stuck inside their own little bubble and more genuinely caring about the bigger picture, we'd be better off.

If Lapu-Lapu went beyond Mactan and succeeded to establish a united country encompassing the entire archipelago then we'd use whatever flag he wanted. But no, at most, his concern at that time was merely local - he was just defending his chiefdom from the Magellan-Humabon alliance. But it was in 1896 that a widespread consciousness of nationhood to become fully expressed in the form of the Revolution, and this went beyond the level of local, provincial and regional trivialities. While this was participated in by revolutionaries all over the Spanish-controlled areas of the country, the colonial government decided to put only eight provinces under martial law on August 30, 1896. This was the FIRST time in history that the FIRST underground movement to fight for a concept called "Filipino" and a nation called "Filipinas" was in open rebellion against the colonial government. In commemoration of this historic achievement for the ENTIRE nation (fledgling then, but still alive), Aguinaldo simplified the suns depicted in earlier Katipunan flags into an 8-rayed sun which eventually made it to the flag sewn in Hong Kong.

Poor Aguinaldo. He didn't think that the people of the nation he fathered would be so resentful for assigning meaning to even the rays of the sun in his flag, which pays homage to the contributions of ALL Filipinos in the past, present and future (the Declaration of Independence that was read in Kawit even cites Lapu-Lapu). Maybe he should have just left it alone, just like what Congress should do with the current flag.

Oh, i hit something... :)

Please refrain from attacking the poster personally. Just because that is how i see things, does not mean i am narrow minded and self righteous philosopher. You can not judge me just because you don't agree with my opinion...It's just very shallow... :)

Isn't everything done in Manila sensationalized? Yes or No?

Dagohoy was also a Filipino, fighting for Bohol...Is Bohol not Philippines?

Will you consider your idea now as nationalistic while my argument as regionalistic?

isagani

September 28th, 2009, 10:54 AM

Oh, i hit something... :)

Please refrain from attacking the poster personally. Just because that is how i see things, does not mean i am narrow minded and self righteous philosopher. You can not judge me just because you don't agree with my opinion...It's just very shallow... :)

Isn't everything done in Manila sensationalized? Yes or No?

Dagohoy was also a Filipino, fighting for Bohol...Is Bohol not Philippines?

Will you consider your idea now as nationalistic while my argument as regionalistic?
Yawn. If you can't take it, then don't dish it. Frankly it's getting annoying when most of the posts I see regarding sensitive issues like this is some form of whining about Manila and its inherently evil designs on the rest of the country. Now THAT is sensationalized.

My explanations stand and like it or not, that's the reasoning behind the flag, not some twisted form of logic where eight provinces are supposed to serve as a reminder to everyone that they are more important than others. For Pete's sake, the rays commemorate a historic EVENT (the imposition of martial law in 8 provinces), marking for the first time Spain's inability to completely maintain its hold in its only Asian colony.

No, the argument presented was not regionalistic, it was just lacking in substance. And for the country I love (all of it from Itbayat to Sitangkai, Caraga to Kalayaan) I wouldn't settle for anything that results out of Sen. Gordon's spite because he didn't get his wish before to have Zambales represented in the flag. It's true, and you know it.

Of course everyone knows and appreciates Dagohoy's or Sultan Kudarat's contributions, but they are already paid tribute to by the mere existence of this flag which is venerated to represent the achievements of an entire nation that was born in the Philippine Revolution, whatever your creed, town of birth or mother tongue, and this republic which now hails them as heroes. Imagine their status had we become part of the United States - they'd be merely footnotes on history pages which our English-speaking citizenry will find a source of entertainment (..."Can you believe he had the guts to do that? How futile!"...). Adding rays to the flag to represent things out of context diminishes its value and essence, plain and simple.

isagani

September 28th, 2009, 10:58 AM

To those who support the logic behind the addition of the ninth ray, tell me, when does the logic stop? We can go on and on and provide a litany of historical figures who struggled against foreign occupation but how do you fit them all in the flag? What criteria will be used to determine what/who gets to be represented in the flag? I strongly urge a reflection on the matter.

On the more practical side too, lots of money will have to be spent changing over to a new flag design. Congress is such a farce. The same whiners that vehemently oppose and want to scrap the rehabilitation of a commuter rail line that clearly will benefit millions of people (yes, Sen. Escudero, I'm looking at you) would rather spend money on replacing national symbols in the midst of a global economic recession. Because changing the flag means changing the coat-of-arms and the multitude of LGU/national government agency seals and logos that use the sun, the flag is not the only thing that needs to be replaced to conform with the law - legal documents and forms, government buildings and property both inside and outside the country, military insignia and uniform, etc. will have to be altered too.

Ridiculous, isn't it? There are more pressing matters that deserve attention.

Sleepwalker

September 28th, 2009, 11:19 AM

Yawn. If you can't take it, then don't dish it. Frankly it's getting annoying when most of the posts I see regarding sensitive issues like this is some form of whining about Manila and its inherently evil designs on the rest of the country. Now THAT is sensationalized.

Hmmmm, okay... :)

Anyway, I agree that there are more important things our officials need to take care other than adding a ray in the sun.

driftwood

September 28th, 2009, 11:26 AM

wise_zech

September 28th, 2009, 11:37 AM

Should the Philippine Flag be revised? NO...I dnt want to revised our flag...

isagani

September 28th, 2009, 12:19 PM

It is also becomes frustrating to see that our government still equates your place as the whole country ;)
It's all about what you choose to believe. Central Visayas gets PHP 2-3 billion more in IRA share than Metro Manila annually. And per capita, the national government provides a bigger share of the national wealth to the countryside. This despite Metro Manila contributing more to the national coffers than any other region and having a population second only in number to Region IV-A.

Per capita IRA by region, based on 2009 shares and 2007 census figures:
NCR = PHP 1,102
IV-A= PHP 1,754
III = PHP 1,972
VII = PHP 2,192 (almost double of NCR's)
I = PHP 2,359
V = PHP 2,373
XI = PHP 2,414
VI = PHP 2,433
XII (including Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao) = PHP 2,504
IX (including Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) = PHP 2,517
X = PHP 2,842
VIII = PHP 3,016
II = PHP 3,363 (over triple of NCR's)
XIII = PHP 3,544
IV-B = PHP 3,640
CAR = PHP 4,226 (nearly quadruple of NCR's)

What I choose to believe is that it doesn't matter where it goes to, as long as everyone pitches in for everyone else's benefit. Even though Metro Manila's taxpayers (who, by the way, are of diverse ethno-linguistic backgrounds) continue to get back less than what they gave, no one there's blaming other regions for getting more.

("My place"? You clearly don't know where I live. :))

esagerato

September 28th, 2009, 12:23 PM

WTF? Our country is being pested with so many problems today so why focus on non-sense matters like revising our flag? Nanahimik na nga guguluhin pa. I am 100% sure that if ever this would be passed into a law, this would definitely create so much confusion among all Filipinos today.

Corruption
Poverty
FLOOD CONTROL
Education
Infrastracture
Employment
Environmental problems

What about these issues?

Sleepwalker

September 28th, 2009, 01:01 PM

It's all about what you choose to believe. Central Visayas gets PHP 2-3 billion more in IRA share than Metro Manila annually. And per capita, the national government provides a bigger share of the national wealth to the countryside. This despite Metro Manila contributing more to the national coffers than any other region and having a population second only in number to Region IV-A.

Hmmm, OK... :cheers:

Arvor

September 28th, 2009, 01:43 PM

Either we put more sun rays to our flag or removed the 8 rays in Philippine flag so that it will be fair to all regions and provinces in our country.

Why ? , a simpler solution would simply be to reinterpret the meaning of the 8 rays to represent everyone who has fought for in whatever way the liberty and integrity of the territory known as the Phillipines , and this reinterpretation doesn't have to be official either we can all simply do it right now in our own minds which im sure was the spirit of the idea behind it in the first place .

Anyway i agree with Isagani's arguments .

Sky Harbor

September 28th, 2009, 06:17 PM

^^ That's exactly what I said earlier. :lol:

mwg12a

September 28th, 2009, 06:50 PM

here's the part from our Declaration of Independence that cites the flag's original symbolism...

1. again, Luzon, Visayas, and Panay...
2. the eight rays represent the provinces that almost simultaneously fought the Spanish government...
3. the colors blue, red, and white serve as homage to the US Flag...

IDK, the way I was thought about the meaning of the flag always have been LUZON, VISAYAS and MINDANAO, not Panay province only.

Number 3 is just but rediculous to me, for one thing, the Philippine flag has 4 colors in it, RED, WHITE, BLUE and YELLOW. I don't know where you got that idea that it plays homage to US flag. Blue represent peace, white for purity, Red represents blood to play homage to those who died for the cause, I forgot what the color yellow represents but.

^^Were the people of Luzon also fought for the whole Philippines? I don't think so.... :)

If we have to be one nation, we should learn to recognize the efforts of other groups other than those in Luzon. Failure to do so, means we really can not be as one country.
I think some of them are taking things out of context, while the katipuneros was the brainchild for the revolution, they do have people from visayas and mindanao that supports them and helped fought the oppressor. It was just that most of the fights were highlighted in the capital since the spaniards set up the Old Manila as the center for their governnance over the whole archipelago and to be able to distabilize a government, you'll have target the leadership in which is why when another country would invade one country, they usually target primarily the capital of a nation and take down the leadership so that the leader would not be able to mobilize its system outside the capital.

I have to agree with mainstream with what he said below. I don't think changing the flag really means anything IT CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO HELP THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY. I don't know why some of our politicians focused their ideas on something that doesn't really harm anybody and not BUILDING A NATION WITH A STRONG ECONOMY and not rely on sending our talents overseas to DO THE JOB FOR THEM, they should be serving the people and not it's people serving them to ensure their fat paycheck(And kickbacks), they should work on something that would provide better paying jobs IN OUR OWN COUNTRY so we are not losing our precious talents overseas.

bai we should not treat our muslim brothers with this kind of statements of who should be more fitted to become filipinos. what do you really think about the real philippines? without muslims ba? let them feel that even though they are muslims, they can still be filipinos! let us accept our differences as a nation and bec. this is who we are, we should try learning to accept each other by respecting and recognizing each and everybody's culture and heritage. this is not anymore about who were our oppressors centuries ago and who fought bravely to defend it. Our flag should already define us as a nation with different cultures and not just a part of it.

flesh_is_weak

September 28th, 2009, 07:17 PM

a bit OT, but well let's face the harsh fact that we are still a very young nation, and many things can happen in the future that could cause this 'union' to fall apart...regionalistic sentiments now, could fuel revolutionary and separatist fervor in the future

personally, i find this so-called Filipino unity pathetic...clearly in this union of ours, there are those who are favored, and those whose cultures, and beliefs are relegated to being second class, and a symbolic gesture such as adding a new ray to our sun, could do nothing to correct that...

for all i care, let the Moros be, they want a separate country, then give it to them...how different are they, who are fighting the Philippine government now, from the revolutionaries who fought against Spain?

overrayd

September 29th, 2009, 12:47 AM

IDK, the way I was thought about the meaning of the flag always have been LUZON, VISAYAS and MINDANAO, not Panay province only.

Number 3 is just but rediculous to me, for one thing, the Philippine flag has 4 colors in it, RED, WHITE, BLUE and YELLOW. I don't know where you got that idea that it plays homage to US flag. Blue represent peace, white for purity, Red represents blood to play homage to those who died for the cause, I forgot what the color yellow represents but.
that is what's written in the Philippine declaration of independence.

here's the original Spanish version:

Y por ultimo se acordó unánimemente que esta Nación ya Independiente desde hoy, debe usar la bandera que hasta ahora sigue usando, cuya forma y colores se hallan descritos en el Adjunto dibujo con el remate que representa al natural con tres referidas armas significando el triángulo blanco como distintivo de la célebre Sociedad “Katipunan” que por medio de pacto de sangre empujó a las masas a insurreccionarse; representando las tres estrellas las tres principales Islas de este Archipiélago, Luzon, Mindanao y Panay en que estalló este movimento insurreccional; indicando el sol los agigantados pasos que han dado los hijos de este país en el camino del progreso y civilización, simbolizando los ocho rayos de aquél las ocho provincias: Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna y Batangas, declarando en estado de guerra apenas se inició la primera insurrección; conmemorando los colores azul, rojo y blanco los de la bandera de los Estados Unidos de la América del Norte, como manifestación de nuestro profundo agradecimiento hacia esta Gran Nación por la desinteresada protección que nos presta y seguirá prestando.
depiction of the supposed original flag:

http://i35.tinypic.com/2wp5hjk.jpg

it features a mythical sun with a face
the shade of blue is different from what is used today

amendercabal2

September 29th, 2009, 05:03 AM

depiction of the supposed original flag:

http://i35.tinypic.com/2wp5hjk.jpg

it features a mythical sun with a face
the shade of blue is different from what is used today

who changed the features of our flag from the original to the one that we used today, the mythical sun and the shade of blue that our flag has? then there is no reason for us not to change our flag to recognize other region's contribution to our independence.

le Reine

September 29th, 2009, 05:20 AM

^^Our flag has been changed several times. In fact, even before that flag, we had several other flags that evolved to that one.

This one was based from that evolution and also from other flags of countries that declared their independence from Spain in Latin America. The symbols like the mythical sun and the sky blue field are one of the examples of this similarity.

adgaps

September 29th, 2009, 12:45 PM

ok, here's my say about the issue:

1. leave the muslims. anyway, they won't give a damn on the additional ninth ray for them. why? i'll tell you, our lecturer repeatedly tells us that IN ISLAM, THERE IS NO NATIONALISM. they don't care if you're Filipino, or Malaysian, or Arab. when you're a muslim, you're a muslim.

plus, they insist that their ancestors defended Mindanao because it's theirs. and, until now, they still insist that Mindanao is for muslims...only. so, scrap the ninth ray. they don't want it anyway.

2. the rays represent the eight provinces (Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas) that lead the Philippine Revolution, which paved the way for ending the Spanish occupation. yes, other groups of people from all over the country revolted, but only the revolution that these eight provinces lead actually rivaled the spaniards, and were the closest to fully destroying the Spanish regime. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared independece on June 12, 1898, since the Spanish forces, by the, has already weakened, and that it can already be suppressed by the Filipino forces.

3. i don't know why Panay was mentioned in the symbolism of the Philippine Flag, but what i do know is that in Aguinaldo's later speeches, he did mention that the three stars represent Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

isagani

September 29th, 2009, 04:59 PM

who changed the features of our flag from the original to the one that we used today, the mythical sun and the shade of blue that our flag has? then there is no reason for us not to change our flag to recognize other region's contribution to our independence.

Many variations existed in the early 20th century, with no official specifications, so it was standardized in 1936 (through an Executive Order by Pres. Quezon) into the design we all recognize today. It wasn't because there was a change in values or meaning, it was simply to create a uniform flag that was to fly throughout the country.

isagani

September 29th, 2009, 05:02 PM

Again, what needs to happen is a shift away from
-thinking of the eight rays as representing the eight provinces as the only relevant "contributors" to or "leaders" of the country's independence (which is the prevalent ideology today, and so becomes a source of resentment and anti-Luzon fervour, and also the original implied meaning of the eight rays as stated in the Declaration of Independence, in which Bataan is listed instead of Tarlac)
to
-representing a historic event when the Spanish colonial government declared martial law in eight provinces (Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Manila, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac) on August 30, 1896 after the victory of the Katipunan at the Battle of San Juan del Monte (Pinaglabanan), the first victory of a force that was fighting for FILIPINAS. This is consistent with the NHI's stand on the matter (the current official meaning), which is based on the Gov.-Gen. Ramon Blanco's decree, placing these eight provinces under martial law - the first Spanish acknowledgement of the revolutionaries' struggle for an independent Philippines.

A change in the meaning of the flag already occurred when the three stars (which the 1898 Declaration of Independence assigned to the three "main" islands of Luzon, Mindanao and Panay) were now made to represent the three "island regions" of the country (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao). I wonder why the current NHI stand on the eight rays still hasn't taken hold. Most Filipinos still think of the old meaning of the sun's rays, and the negativity that it elicits from some. If all else fails, just scrap the meaning of the rays altogether by just letting the whole sun to mean the "sun of freedom," representing all the struggles of all inhabitants of these islands for freedom and democracy.

renell

September 29th, 2009, 05:03 PM

i don't see why there is a specific need to acknowledge the Moros through an Islamic crescent. I don't see any Christian crosses in our flag.

I'm quite undecided over this. Over here in Australia there's also conjecture to changing the flag due to its British links, which this country has clearly moved out of in the past century. I support this 9th ray thing, but I don't see any reason for wholesale changes. So what if it's based on the US flag colors? There are plenty of countries with red blue yellow and white.

overrayd

September 30th, 2009, 03:48 AM

ok, here's my say about the issue:

3. i don't know why Panay was mentioned in the symbolism of the Philippine Flag, but what i do know is that in Aguinaldo's later speeches, he did mention that the three stars represent Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
as stated, it's one of the three principal islands where the revolutionary movement started.

the three stars, signifying the three principal Islands of this Archipelago-Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay where this revolutionary movement started
importance:

Iloilo City was the second largest settlement in the country at the close of the 19th century, and after the Spaniards surrendered Manila to the Americans on August 13, 1898, the Spanish administrative center was transferred to Iloilo. The Revolutionary Government, seeing Iloilo as the center from which all other Visayan provinces would be won over to the revolution, intended that the city be taken by Filipinos. Commissioners were appointed to establish the local government in that province and from thence establish similar governments in the towns and villages of the Visayas. An established revolutionary government in Iloilo would go a long way in facilitating the revolution in the Visayas as well as in Mindanao.

journals.upd.edu.ph (http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/kasarinlan/article/viewFile/1409/pdf_51)

mao rong

October 1st, 2009, 07:17 AM

adding a ninth ray is okay with me

overrayd

October 1st, 2009, 09:52 AM

The Controversial Philippine National Flag
by Chris Antonette Piedad-Pugay

Before 1896, the Filipinos had no common flag. The use of flags became common in the Philippines during the height of the revolution. Different flags were created and designed by various Katipunan generals signifying the unit or battalion where they belong. However, these flags cannot be classified as a “national” flag.

Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo aspired to establish a new nation to be signified by a flag and an anthem during the second phase of the Philippine Revolution. With this, he himself made the sketch of the flag that he submitted to Doña Marcela Agoncillo who was then living at 535 Morrison Hill Road in Hong Kong. In sewing the flag, Mrs. Agoncillo was assisted by her daughter Lorenza and by Delfina Herbosa Natividad. After five days of hard work, the flag was delivered to Aguinaldo who went back to the Philippines on 17 May 1898 through S.S. McCulloch. The flag as described by the maker herself was “made from fine silk with a white triangle at the left containing a sunburst with eight rays at the center, a five-pointed star at each angle of the triangle, an upper stripe of dark blue and a lower stripe of red. The white triangle stood for the Filipinos’ hope for equality; the blue color stood for peace, truth and justice; and the red stood for patriotism and valor. The sunburst of eight rays represented the first eight provinces to take up arms against Spain, and the three stars symbolized Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.”

Philippine Flag Banned!

Just like our country and its constitution, the Philippine flag also experienced different controversies. When the Americans took over the Philippines, mutual distrust among the Filipinos and Americans sparked. This prompted the Philippine Commission to enact the Flag Law of 1907 that forbade the Filipinos to use or display the Philippine flag anywhere, even inside Filipino homes. The Filipinos responded with bitter protests as they saw the Flag Law as a violation of the fundamental principle of free expression.

Several efforts were done by Filipino legislators to repeal the law, but to no avail. In 1919, Senator Rafael Palma sponsored the Senate Bill No. 1, a bill repealing the Flag Law of 1907 following Gov. Gen. Francis Harrison’s recommendation that the law should be repealed since the distrust between the Filipinos and the Americans no longer exists. On 24 October 1919, Act No. 2871 was approved and signed by Gen. Harrison; thus, the Flag Law of 1907 was repealed.

Inclusion of a 9th Ray or Crescent in the Flag

In 1970’s, appeals for the inclusion of an additional ray or a crescent in the Philippine flag created another hullabaloo. House bill No. 7725 sponsored by Rep. Sultan Omar Dianalan of the 1st District of Lanao del Sur petitioned for the addition of 9th ray in the rays of the sun in the Philippine flag to symbolize the Moslems and the cultural minorities who fought the Spaniards and waged war against them. Other groups proposed that a crescent be placed beside the sun as a form of tribute to the pre-colonial past. However, historians, headed by Teodoro Agoncillo singled out that when Aguinaldo himself designed the flag, he had in his mind the eight provinces which rise in arms against Spain during the Philippine Revolution namely: Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batangas. He also pointed out that one of the three stars in the flag already represents the Moslem and the Moslem lands.

How Blue is Blue?

The repeal of the Flag Law of 1907 gave reason for the Filipinos to be jubilant, however, it created a new controversy concerning the true color of the flag’s blue field. The issue was raised as early as mid 1970’s until mid 1980’s. Through studies it appeared that the conflict in the shades of blue might have resulted from the alleged hasty preparations of the flag that was used for the Flag Day of March 26, 1920 following the repeal of the Flag Law. The quartermaster was said to have run out of light blue cloth and used dark blue instead similar to the one used for the American flag.

Specification of the blue color of the original flag through a documented interview of Emilio Aguinaldo by the historian Teodoro Agoncillo was noted before the former’s death. In the interview, Aguinaldo specified that the blue color of the flag is “bughaw” neither azul oscuro nor azul marino. Meanwhile, Juan Luna’s painting of the flag on May 21, 1899 in “Monograph” illustrated the flag in China blue, not navy blue, whereas Mariano Ponce in his letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt described the blue color of the flag “as blue as the sky” symbolizing hope. Ponce’s description was complemented by Salvador Vivencio del Rosario’s in his article “La Bandera de la Patria” published on October 1899 where he stated that the flag’s color was “color celeste” (color of the sky). In 1943, however, The Philippine Flag wore a bright royal blue during the inauguration of the Japanese sponsored Republic.

Nonetheless, numerous personalities maintained that the color of the flag is navy blue or dark blue. The daughter of the flag-maker also named Marcela Agoncillo believed that it was not sky blue or light blue but dark blue. She also argued that, if there was error in the color of the flag, why did Aguinaldo never question it during his lifetime? Her description was supported by Teodoro Kalaw’s description of the flag. Meanwhile, Arturo Tolentino raised that the flag that was used and adopted by the 1935 and the 1973 Constitution, which was colored dark blue should be maintained because it was the one which was “consecrated and honored by the people” and the change of its color or shade is a violation of law.

On 25 February 1985, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Executive Order No. 1010 which changed dark blue to a lighter shade, lighter than navy blue but darker than sky blue or azure. As of today, Cable No. 80173 is the basis of the true shade of blue in the Philippine flag.

Where is the Original Flag?

In his letter to Captain Baja dated 11 June 1925, Aguinaldo mentioned that in their Northward retreat during the Filipino-American War, the original flag was lost somewhere in Tayug, Pangasinan. Some people believed that the original flag that was hoisted during the proclamation of independence on 12 June 1898 was the one stored in the Aguinaldo Museum at Baguio City. It cannot be denied that the said flag was authentic and a contemporary of the original flag but experts found out that its materials was made of combined silk and cotton fabric, not fine silk as stated by the flag-maker herself in “Philippine Herald” published in October 1929.There were also reports that the first original flag of the Philippines was returned in July 1957 by US Ambassador Charles E. Bohlen.

Very recently, American War Commission Public Relations Director Rudy Asercion noticed a Philippine flag in an American Trophy Room of the San Francisco War Memorial Building. He then asked if the flag in San Francisco could be the same flag sewn by Agoncillo in 1898. Looking at the flag closely, it was made of fine silk but its sun has 12 rays while the original has eight; it has six-pointed stars while the original had five-pointed stars; the sun and stars in the original flag were sewn by hand while the San Francisco flag has a painted sun and stars; and most importantly, the original flag had a plain blue field while the San Francisco flag has a printed blue field with a floral design. While the flag was proven to be authentic and was really used during the Filipino-American War, it is definitely not the original Philippine flag of 1898. Until the moment, the whereabouts of the original flag of 1898 remains a mystery.

Conclusion

This coming May 28, the whole nation would celebrate the Flag Day to pay respect to the Philippine Flag. Controversies in the past must not be a hindrance on how a Filipino should look up to our flag because no matter what happens this flag that we have right now has served as the unifying symbol of all Filipinos and this is the same banner that the freedom fighters served in war and in peace. In general, our flag symbolizes us as a nation and as a people.

National Historical Institute (http://www.nhi.gov.ph//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=3)