The Clearing Point
R. CHAM G. ZUÑIGA VI, Ll.B., MLGM, Ph.D.
It is school opening again, and certainly, students have to line up for the flag raising ceremony in the early hour of the school days.
This writer has serialized the information about the Philippine Flag. May readers find them interesting and educational.
Our law on the Philippine Flag mandates that reverence and respect shall at all times be accorded to our national flag, the anthem, and other national symbols which embody the national ideals and traditions and which express the principles of sovereignty and national solidarity. It also provides that heraldic items and devices shall seek to manifest the national virtues and to inculcate in the minds and hearts of our people a just pride in their native land, fitting respect and affection for the national flag and anthem, and the proper use of the national motto, coat-of-arms and other heraldic items and devices.
But how many of us know our national motto? How about the coat-of-arms? What are this heraldic items and devices mentioned in our Flag and Heraldic Code?
Our Flag and Heraldic Code provides that the National Motto shall be "MAKA-DIYOS, MAKA-TAO, MAKAKALIKASAN AT MAKABANSA." And the National Coat-of-Arms shall have: Paleways of two (2) pieces, azure and gules; a chief argent studded with three (3) mullets equidistant from each other; and, in point of honor, ovoid argent over all the sun rayonnant with eight minor and lesser rays. Beneath shall be the scroll with the words "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS," inscribed thereon.
On the heraldic items and devices, government entity, including the military, are allowed to adopt appropriate coat-of-arms, administrative seals, logo, insignia, badges, patches, and banners; and initiate awards, citations, orders or decorations. This is of course with authority of the Congress or by the Office of the President.
The above-mentioned code provides that the Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine flag shall be the following:
Ako ay Pilipino
Buong katapatang nanunumpa
Sa watawat ng Pilipinas
At sa bansang kanyang sinasagisag
Na may dangal, katarungan at kalayaan
Na pinakikilos ng sambayanang
Maka-Diyos
Maka-tao
Makakalikasan at
Makabansa.
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Such pledge shall be recited while standing with the right hand with palm open raised shoulder high. Individuals whose faith or religious beliefs prohibit them from making such pledge must nonetheless show full respect when the pledge is being rendered by standing at attention.
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Do you know that ……………….
… our national flag is a rectangular with its maximum length twice its width or its minimum length twice the altitude of the equilateral triangle?
… the white field of our national flag is an equilateral triangle, each side of which is equal to the width of the flag?
… the width of the red and blue stripes of our national flag shall each be one-half the width of the flag?
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