Philippines

About the flag

This is the flag of the Philippines. Its golden sun with eight rays honors the first eight provinces to revolt against Spain, while the three stars represent Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The blue and red bands symbolize peace/justice and courage, and the white triangle stands for equality and fraternity. Designed in 1898 during the Philippine Revolution by Emilio Aguinaldo, it has a unique feature: in wartime, the flag is flown with the red stripe on top. Memory tip: think “sun with eight rays and three stars for three island groups”—a combination not seen on Middle Eastern flags like Iran, Israel, or Palestine.