Every year on May 28, the Philippines begins observing National Flag Days. It is not a random date. It marks the victory at the Battle of Alapan in 1898, where the Philippine flag was first raised after a Filipino triumph.
From that day until June 12, Independence Day, Filipinos are encouraged to display the Philippine flag. During these days, it appears across government buildings, schools, businesses, and homes throughout the country.
Many people think of June 12 as the main celebration, and it is. But the story starts earlier. Before independence was proclaimed in Kawit, Cavite, there was already a flag flying after a victory. The journey toward freedom had already begun to show itself.
There is something musical about these days. A song does not begin with its final note. It starts with the first chord, the first beat, the first moment when silence gives way to sound. In the same way, June 12 was not the first note of the story. May 28 was part of the opening melody.
When the flag is displayed during these days, it is more than decoration. It is a reminder of people who believed that the Philippines could stand on its own. Their generation carried the tune. The next generations inherited the song and continue to carry it forward.
So if you see the Philippine flag flying between May 28 and June 12, remember that it marks a journey. A victory. An independence. And a story still being sung by every Filipino today.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ