List of flags of the Philippines

This is the list of all the flags used and being used in the Philippines.

National flag
FlagDateUseDescription
1898–presentNational flag of the PhilippinesA horizontal bicolor of equal bands of blue and red, with a white equilateral chevron spanning the width of the hoist. Within the chevron are three five-pointed stars (fixed on each of the vertices), and a sun with eight major rays (set in the center), all in dilaw(yellow).

Governmental flags
FlagDateUseDescription
Executive Branch
2004–presentFlag of the President of the PhilippinesThe Seal of the President of the Philippines against a blue field. The number of stars correspond to the number of provinces.
1946–1948Flag of the President of the PhilippinesThe coat of arms of the Philippines against a blue field with four golden stars on each corner.
1948–1951Flag of the President of the PhilippinesThe Presidential Arms (minus the circle of stars) against a blue field with four golden stars on each corner.
1951–1965Flag of the President of the PhilippinesThe 1948 design, with the four golden stars replaced by a ring of golden stars. The number of stars theoretically changed as the number of provinces changed.[1]
1981–1986Flag of the President of the PhilippinesThe flag's shade became a lighter blue, and the red triangle was inverted. The sea-lion was replaced by a golden eagle, bearing three branches and arrows, and the ring of stars were changed to white.
1986–2004Flag of the President of the PhilippinesThe coat of arms of the President of the Philippines with white as the color of the stars against a light blue field.
1986–2004Flag of the Vice President of the PhilippinesThe former Vice Presidential seal against a white field.
2004Flag of the Vice President of the PhilippinesThe Presidential Arms against a white field.
Legislative Branch
1987Flag of the Senate PresidentThe Seal of the Senate against a red field.
1987Flag of the Speaker of the HouseThe Seal of the House of Representatives against a yellow field.
Judicial Branch
1946Flag of the Supreme Court
1978Flag of the Sandiganbayan
1946Flag of the Court of Appeals
Flag of the Court of Tax Appeals
Other government offices
Customs EnsignNavy blue and white vertical bands with a white canton bearing a gold sea-lion bearing a sword.
Flag of the Metropolitan Manila Development AuthoritySeal of the MMDA on a white field.
Flag of the DPWH-ARMM / Ministry of Public Works of BangsamoroSeal of the regional office/ministry on a sky blue field.

Military flags
FlagDateUseDescription

(1936–1998)

(1998–present)		Only during a state of warState and War flagThe national flag, hoisted with red and blue fields inverted, unique among the national flags.
Naval Jack of the PhilippinesThe "Three Stars and a Sun" against a royal blue field. It is flown on the jackstaff of commissioned warships of the Philippine Navy as a naval jack.
2005–presentFlag of the Philippine Armed Forces
2002–presentFlag of the Philippine NavySeal of the Philippine Navy on a dark blue field.
2004–presentFlag of the Philippine Marine CorpsCoat of arms of the Philippine Marine Corps on a blue field, flanked by ribbons bearing the organization's name in English and motto in Tagalog.
2005–presentFlag of the Philippine ArmySeal of the Philippine Army on a dark green field.
2005–presentFlag of the Philippine Air ForceSeal of the Philippine Air Force on a blue field.

Civil flags
FlagDateUseDescription
1903–presentCoastwise Emblem of the PhilippinesWhite flag with a blue and red star on the horizontal median line.
Jack of the PhilippinesThe "Three Stars and a Sun" against a royal blue field. The jack of the Philippines is a maritime flag representing Philippine nationality flown on the jackstaff in the bow of its vessels.

Historical national flags
FlagDateUseDescription
The Spanish East Indies (1565–1898)
1565–1762, 1764–1821Flag used when the Philippine Islands were a part of New Spain.The Cross of Burgundy: a red saltire resembling two crossed, roughly-pruned branches, on a white field.
1762–1764Flag during the British occupation of the Philippines, as used in occupied Manila and Cavite.The flag of the British East India Company before 1810: A flag with red and white stripes with the Kingdom of Great Britain's Union Flag as a canton. The Union flag bears red cross on a white field, commonly called St George's Cross, superimposed on a white saltire on a blue field, known as St Andrew's Cross. Also known as the "King's Colours".
1821–1873Used during Spanish East Indies period.Three horizontal stripes of red, weld-yellow and red, the centre stripe being twice as wide as each red stripe with arms in the first third of the weld-yellow stripe. The arms are crowned and vertically divided, the left red field with a tower representing Castille, the right white field with a lion representing León.
1873–1874Used by the Spanish East Indies under the First Spanish Republic.Three horizontal stripes: red, weld-yellow and red, the yellow strip being twice as wide as each red stripe with arms in the first third of the yellow stripe. Royal crown removed from arms.
1874–1898Used during Spanish East Indies after the restoration of the Spanish monarchy.The flag of the Kingdom of Spain used prior to the First Spanish Republic was reinstated.
Philippine Revolution – First Philippine Republic
1897–1898First official flag of the Philippine republic and used during the Philippine Revolution.The flag was created in Naic, Cavite and first displayed in 1897. It features an eight-rayed white sun with a mythical face on a field of red.


1898–1901The Three Stars and a Sun design was conceived by President Emilio Aguinaldo. The exact shade of blue is debated; three variants were used by subsequent governments.Sewn by Doña Marcela Marino de Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad in Hong Kong and first flown in battle on May 28, 1898. It was formally unfurled during the Proclamation of Philippine Independence and the flag of the First Philippine Republic, on June 12, 1898 by President Aguinaldo. It contains a mythical sun (with a face) similar to the Sun of May in other former Spanish colonies; the triangle of Freemasonry; the eight rays representing eight rebellious provinces of the Philippines first placed under martial law by the Governor-General.[lower-alpha 1] The flag was initially unfurled with the blue stripe above, but was flown with the red stripe above at the outbreak of the Philippine–American War in 1899. The flag has the words Fuerzas Expeditionarias del Norte de Luzon on its obverse and Libertad Justicia e Ygualdad on its reverse.
American and Commonwealth Period (1898–1946)
1898–1908Used while under direct administration from the United States of America.The Philippine Commission, passed Act No. 1697 or the Flag Law of 1907, which outlawed the display of the Philippine flag and replaced the country's flag to the stars and stripes of the United States of America. The same law prohibited the playing of the national anthem. Thirteen horizontal stripes of alternating red and white representing the original Thirteen Colonies; in the canton, white stars on a blue field, the number of stars increased as the United States expanded its territory.
1908–1912Variant after Oklahoma became a state
1912–1919Variant after Arizona and New Mexico achieved statehood


1919–1936From October 30, 1919,[2] two flags were flown in the Philippines, the American flag and the flag conceived by Emilio Aguinaldo which was made the national flag of the Philippines with the repealing of Act No. 1697.[3]The American flag remained unchanged since 1919. For the Philippine flag, the design conceived by Emilio Aguinaldo remained but the shades of blue and red were adopted from the American flag. The sun's face was removed, but its stylised rays were retained. There existed many versions of the flag as no official design had been codified.


1936–1946Specifications codified; Defined under Executive Order No. 23, s. 1936. The shade of blue used was navy blue, following suit from the American Flag. The triangle was made equilateral and the sun's rays were also further simplified, achieving its present form. Also used by the Commonwealth government-in-exile from 1942–1945.
Japanese Period (1942–1945)
1942–1943Used during the Japanese Occupation.The Japanese flag as it appeared until 1999: a red sun-disc, shifted 1% left of centre, on a white field.
October 14, 1943Used during the inauguration of the Second Republic.Emilio Aguinaldo's flag was hoisted upon proclamation of the Second Republic. However, the design as used by the Commonwealth remained.
Sovereignty (1946–present)
1946–1985Following independence, the 1936 design specifications codified by Manuel Quezon remains but the shades of blue and red varied through the years. In 1998, the flag gained its present definitive shades.Defined under Executive Order No. 23, s. 1936 dated March 25, 1936. The shade of blue used here is Navy Blue, following suit from the American Flag.
1985–1986Altered by Executive Order No. 1010, s. 1985 signed on February 25, 1985. The shade of blue was changed from Navy Blue to Light Blue, amidst debate on the shade used in the original flag. A pale Sky Blue was the actual colour used since it was more available at that time and not due to any specific historical precedent.
1986–19981936 version of the flag restored after the 1986 People Power Revolution. President Corazon C. Aquino restored the pre-martial law specifications of the National flag through Executive Order No. 292, s. 1987 which was signed on July 25, 1986.
1998–presentThe Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines specifies the colours for the blue field Cable No. 80173; the white field, Cable No. 80001; the red field, Cable No. 80108; and the golden-yellow Stars and Sun, Cable No. 80068.[4][5] Colours introduced for the Centennial celebrations.

Regional flags

Among the country's 17 regions, only the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has its own officially legislated regional flag. The purported flag of the Cordillera Administrative Region — which has no elected regional government that could legally specify the details of the reported emblem — has not been attested.[6]

FlagDateUseDescription
1992–2019Regional flag of the Autonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoA horizontal tricolor of equal blue (top), white (middle) and red (bottom) stripes. Top stripe bears one yellow five-pointed star; the middle stripe, a green circle filled with yellow elements — a tilted crescent moon nearly enclosing four smaller five-pointed stars; the bottom stripe, a silver kris.[7] The number of smaller stars, meant to represent the number of the region's constituent provinces, has de facto varied from four (1992–2001), to five (2001–2006), to six (2006–2008) to five again (2006–2019), but because the flag specifications contained within the 1992 law (Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 12) were not amended the original flag remained the only de jure official design.[8]
2019–PresentRegional flag of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoA horizontal tricolor of equal green (top), white (middle) and red (bottom) stripes. Charge in the center of the middle stripe is a yellow crescent moon enclosing a seven-pointed star.[9]
1988–1995[6]Purported[6] flag of the Cordillera Administrative RegionA horizontal bicolor of green (top) and yellow (bottom), centered upon which is a charge consisting of a Cordillera warrior shield bearing the CAR Regional Development Council (RDC) logo adopted in 1988, when Kalinga–Apayao was still a single province.[6]

Provincial flags

Municipal and city flags

Like the flags of most Philippine provinces, flags of cities and municipalities usually just bear the seal of the municipality on a single color field but there are some municipality flags that differs from the standard

FlagDateUseDescription
Municipal flag of Balilihan, Bohol
Municipal flag of Garcia Hernandez, Bohol
2003–presentMunicipal flag of Kalilangan, BukidnonBlue and green horizontal stripes with a white canton bearing a sun surrounded by 14 stars. Adopted on June 9, 2003 through Municipal Council Resolution No. 2003-315.[10]
Municipal flag of Maribojoc, BoholStripe of green, white, and blue with a sun in the middle bearing the silhouette of a church
Municipal flag of San Mateo, RizalLight sky blue field with a white stripe on the center bearing an eight-pointed sun and a palm frond
Municipal Flag of Bustos, Bulacan
1995–present Flag of Cavite City
Flag of Mandaluyong


Other historical flags
FlagDateUseDescription
1571–1575A red pennant used by the Kingdom of Tondo especially during the reign of Lakandula.A plain crimson red triangular flag.
c.1515–1888Flag of the Sultanate of MaguindanaoA plain yellow flag.
1762–1763Flag of the Palaris Revolt"...It was two "varas" long and a trifle more narrow; at each corner it had a two -headed eagle, and in the center an escutcheon with its border, and within it the Arms of the Dominican Order ..."[11]
18th CenturyFlag of the Sulu SultanateFlag of Sulu Sultanate according to Pierre Sonnerat.


1807Flag of the Basi Revolt
1845–1898Provincial Ensign of the Manila
1886–1898Provincial Ensign of Ilo-Ilo
1872Flag of the Cavite Mutiny
Late 19th CenturyFlag of the Sulu Sultanate
1898Flag of the Negros RevolutionBanner used by Negrense revolutionaries during their revolution.
1898–1901Flag of the Republic of Negros
1902–1906Flag of the Tagalog Republic
1936–1945Flag of the Philippine FalangeFalange flag used in the Philippines
1956–1974Flag of the Free Territory of FreedomlandThe flag of Freedomland, a micronation founded by Tomas Cloma in the Spratly islands (in modern-day Municipality of Kalayaan, Pag-asa Island, Province of Palawan, Philippines).

Flag proposals
FlagDate proposedUseDescription

1995National FlagFlag proposals made on June 12, 1995 by former President Fidel V. Ramos. Proposal to add a crescent moon to represent the Muslim community.
1998, 2008National FlagNinth ray for the flag's sun
2014National FlagEmmanuel L. Osorio's proposal. Addition of a ninth ray to represent the Muslim and indigenous people and a fourth star for Sabah.

See also

Notes

References
  1. "Philippines: President and Vice President". www.crwflags.com.
  2. "Today in History". Presidential Museum and Library. October 30, 2013. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  3. "Act No. 1696, s. 1907". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Supreme Court Library. August 23, 1907. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  4. "Republic Act No. 8491". Government of the Philippines. February 12, 1998. (archived from the original Archived December 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine on December 5, 2007).
  5. "The Philippine National Flag" (PDF). Monuments and Heraldry division, National Historical institute. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2012.
  6. "CAR flag discussion". Philippine Vexillological Association. June 10, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  7. "Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 12 – An Act adopting an official regional emblem for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and appropriating funds thereof" (PDF). ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly. July 16, 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 8, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  8. Villapando, J.A. (November 15, 2017). "Flag of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao". Philippine Vexillological Association. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  9. Kar, Nilay (August 24, 2019). "Philippines: Official flag of Bangsamoro adopted". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  10. "Municipality of Kalilangan Socie-Economic Profile 2010". Municipality of Kalilangan, Bukidnon. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  11. "Watawat: Flags and Seals of the Pearl of the Orient seas". Pablo Paddeu. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
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