The following flags were used during from the time the Philippines was a territory of New Spain and later, direct Spanish control. Manila was briefly controlled by the British.
The Spanish East Indies (1563–1898)
Flag
Period
Description
Use
1535–1730
Flag 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.
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."
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.
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.
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.[1]
1898–1901
Design as conceived by PresidentEmilio 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 on June 12, 1898 by President Aguinaldo. It contains a mythical sun (with a face) common to many former Spanish colonies; the triangle of Masonry; the eight rays representing the provinces that first revolted and were placed under Martial Law by the Spanish at the start of the 1896 Revolution. 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.
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.
The shade of blue used here is Navy Blue, following suit from the American Flag.
Design conceived by Emilio Aguinaldo remains 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.
1936–1985
Defined under Executive Order No. 23, s. 1936. The shade of blue used here is Navy Blue, following suit from the American Flag. Also used by the Commonwealth government-in-exile from 1942-1945
Specifications codified; sun further simplified, achieving its present form.
The original design by Aguinaldo remained constant. However, the shades of blue and red varied through the years. In 1998, the flag gained its present definitive shades.
1985–1986
Altered by Executive Order No. 1010, s. 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.
The 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.[2][3] Colours introduced for the Centennial celebrations.[citation needed]