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Now, my contribution to our history class...

Flag of the Philippines

The national flag of the Philippines is a horizontal bicolor with equal bands of blue and red, and with a white equilateral triangle based at the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a golden yellow sun with eight primary rays, each containing three individual rays; and at each corner of the triangle is a five-pointed golden yellow star. The flag is displayed with the blue field on top in times of peace, and with the red field on top in times of war.

Symbolism

According to official sources, the white triangle stands for equality and fraternity; the blue field for peace, truth and justice; and the red field for patriotism and valor.[5] The eight primary rays of the sun represent the first eight provinces (Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac) that sought independence from Spain and were placed under martial law by the Spaniards at the start of the Philippine Revolution in 1896.[6] The three stars represent the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.[6]

However, the symbolism given in the 1898 Proclamation of Philippine Independence differs from the current official explanation. It says that the white triangle signifies the emblem of the Katipunan, the secret society that opposed Spanish rule. It says the flag's colors commemorate the flag of the United States as a manifestation of gratitude for American protection against the Spanish during the Philippine Revolution. It also says that one of the three stars represents the island of Panay, rather than the entire Visayas.[7]

The modern design of the Philippine flag was conceptualized by Emilio Aguinaldo during his exile in Hong Kong in 1897. The first flag was sewn by Doña Marcela Marino de Agoncillo with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Doña Delfina Herbosa de Natividad (a niece of reformist leader José Rizal). It was displayed in battle on May 28, 1898.

The flag was formally unfurled during the proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite.[5] However, a Manila Times article by Augusto de Viana, Chief History Researcher, National Historical Institute, mentions assertions in history textbooks and commemorative rites that the flag was first raised in Alapan, Imus, Cavite, on May 28, 1898, citing Presidential Proclamation No. 374, issued by then-President Diosdado Macapagal on March 6, 1965.[9] The article goes on to claim that historical records indicate that the first display of the Philippine flag took place in Cavite City, when General Aguinaldo displayed it during the first fight of the Philippine Revolution.[9]

The flag's original symbolism was enumerated in the text of the independence proclamation, which makes reference to an attached drawing, though no record of the drawing has surfaced.[8] The original design of the flag adopted a mythical sun with a face, a symbol common to several former Spanish colonies. The particular shade of blue of the original flag has been a source of controversy. Based on anecdotal evidence and the few surviving flags from the era, historians argue that the colors of the original flag were the same blue and red as found on the flag of Cuba.[8]

The flag of Cuba influenced the design of the flag of the Philippines as Cuba's revolution against Spain inspired, to some degree, the Philippine Revolution.

Hostilities broke out between the Philippines and the United States in 1899. The flag was first flown with the red field up on February 4, 1899 to show that a state of war existed. Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans two years later, and swore allegiance to the United States.

With the defeat of the Philippine Republic, the Philippines was placed under American colonial rule and the display of the Philippine flag was declared illegal by the Sedition Act of 1907. This law was repealed on October 30, 1919.[8] With the legalization of the Philippine flag, the cloth available in most stores was the red and blue of the flag of the United States, so the flag from 1919 onwards adopted the navy blue color. The Philippine Legislature passed Act. No 2928 on March 26, 1920, which legally adopted the Philippine flag as the official flag of the Philippine Islands. Up until the eve of World War II, Flag Day was celebrated on annually on October 30, commemorating the date the ban on the flag was lifted.

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was inaugurated in 1935. On March 25, 1936, President Manuel L. Quezon issued Executive Order No. 23 which provided for the technical description and specifications of the flag.[8] Among the provisions of the order was the definition of the triangle at the hoist as an equilateral triangle, the definition of the aspect ratio at 1:2, the precise angles of the stars, the geometric and aesthetic design of the sun, and the formal elimination of the mythical face on the sun. These specifications have remained unchanged and in effect to the present.

The exact shades of colors, however, were not precisely defined. In 1941, Flag Day was officially moved to June 12, commemorating the date that Philippine independence was proclaimed in 1898.

The flag was once again banned with the invasion and occupation of the Philippines beginning December 1941, to be hoisted again with the establishment of the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic of the Philippines. In ceremonies held in October 1943, Emilio Aguinaldo hoisted the flag with the original Cuban blue and red colors restored. The flag was initially flown with the blue stripe up, until President Jose P. Laurel proclaimed the existence of a state of war with the Allied Powers in 1944. The Commonwealth government-in-exile in Washington DC continued to use the flag with the American colors, and had flown it with the red stripe up since the initial invasion of the Japanese. With the return of the Filipino & American forces and the liberation of the Philippines in 1944, the flag with the American colors was restored, and it was this flag that was hoisted upon the granting of Philippine independence from the United States on July 4, 1946.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Philippines

Buto't Balat - a restaurant in my city

Tulo Laway - a stall selling roasted chicken in Manila

Hey you, guys! Did you call the embassy already to schedule the interview appointment?

My fiancé just received the notice from the NVC yesterday. Do I have to wait for a letter from the USEm before we can make a call to set an appointment? Any info would be much appreciated. Thank you and may God continue to shower us His blessings in our journey!

Hi there...

My fiance called the embassy 2x already but they still haven't received our physical file, though our e-file is already in their system. He will call again this Th/Fri.

No need for you to wait for the USEM letter, once you get your MNL # then you can start calling the embassy.

Goodluck..Keep us updated once you get your appointment.

~Baby

as a woman i find this quite offensive....

Since we knew the meaning of it, it's really an offensive one...I hope the OP knows what it means coz I'm very sure that he has a female wife.

I am sure he knew the meaning. He just doesnt have any respect for women in general.

~Baby

We got APPROVED today!!!

Congratulations!

Thanks. Hope you get your approval soon too.

Wow...I can feel the excitement already.

We are still waiting for our physical file to arrive at the embassy.Hopefully, we can get an appointment this week...but my new suitcase is half-full already.

My pangga wants me to bring everything I may need..haha. We'll just have to pay the excess baggage. He is also excited about us doing our shopping together once I arrive there.

As the days go by...I am having mixed emotions. Anxious to get over the process...Thankful that everything is happening smoothly and Excited to be with him again.

For the ones who will be travelling soon - Enjoy packing and Happy Trip !!!

Make a list of what you should bring so you will not forget anything.

~Baby

Hi Guys!

I am trying to track our case in DHL, but I couldn't. I just wanted to know if our case is already here in Manila. Any help? Thanks!

When you track cases on DHL, it will only show the different recepient countries. They shipped some files last 1/23 to PH but we never know if our case is one of them. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

My fiance was told by the embassy today that they already have our electronic file on their system but no physical file yet so we still couldnt schedule for interview. Hopefully, they will get it this week.

Let me know if your file is in the embassy already. We have the same approval date so I am assuming that our case will progress at the same time.

Not to worry...they're simply faking it with those rich guys...

Indeed, Boracay is way too overpriced.

Currently, I believe there is only one Resort which is open for reservation that is the Gota Beach which is under supervision of the Government of Camarines Sur. You may want to check the link I posted for the rates of the hotel and other useful links.

This place is very promising so I think it is under massive development.

Boracay is overpriced? We stayed there in December which is suppose to be high season and got a room for 1000php per night.

wow thats cheap! how much is the total cost to go to BORA? did u stayed at Station 3? i heard its the most cheapest station than Station 1

We visited Boracay for 12 days during August and had a great time. Boracay offers something for everyone's budget. You can even find some spartan places to stay for less than 1000 PhP per night. You will find delicious food on the island too...both Filipino and international. Check out the Boracay forum on tripadvisor.com

~ pangga

I saw them at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington in 1998. It was a great show in an amazing venue. Those guys are talented and creative musicians who know how to turn jelly into jam.

I'm troubled by the appointment of Ken Salazar as Secretary of the Interior. He's not exactly "Mr. Sustainability". He could not even support a simple raising of CAFE standards. However, it remains to be seen whether or not he will follow the President's green(er) energy and environmental policies.

As for off-shore drilling; didn't Congress last year agree to open areas for exploration and drilling which are more than 50 miles offshore (or, was it over 100 miles offshore)? Are these the same areas that we are talking about now? I believe that the areas closer to shore are still off limits to drilling. The original posting and the links did not seem to distinguish between the two areas. Anyone?

I will translate this to my fiance later...

Does St. Lukes accept Scanned copy of NOA2 and NVC letter? or original is required?

Hi RIDION,

Thanks again for the link. When are you taking the exam?

Goodluck..

Goodluck on your interview..

Hey its good to know that I'm not the only one here taking this blast3d exam . I am doing self-review & uses Saunder's 4th edition + CD. Here are some tips.

1) Send your NCLEX application ONLY if you're 100% sure that you are ready to take it. Postponement/cancellation fee is expensive & it's best if you pass it in the first try.

2) It is better to stick with 1 book or study option because it gets confusing.

These links help me, too:

http://allnurses.com/nclex-discussion-forum/ BTW, I'm into Suzanne's plan.

http://198.146.4.5/nclexrn3500/mainM...DF53FB7A7980D2

God bless & good luck everyone!

Hi RIDION,

Can you send the complete link to NCLEX 3500 again?

Thanks in advance.

hi fellow vj's!!! i don't know about cenomar.i just notice that everybody was talking about it...really help this forum...i'm just waiting for my packet 3....i asked somebody and they said it will take for 1 month to get a cenomar...is it true?i'm really worried now because any moment now i'll recieve my packet 3...pls any ideas??????????

Only 8-10 working days if you apply on their website. I just got mine today.

through website?how's that?how did you do it?can you tell me the website...pls....

https://www.ecensus.com.ph/

calling all filipina nurses taking the nclex soon...let's help each other...give tips on how to pass the nclex! GO RN PINOY

I am using Saunders 4th ed. and Smith's practice CD. Smith's is much challenging compared to Saunders. I try to answer 75-150 questions per day. Makes the waiting bearable.

I already have the approval to take the exam, am planning to take it by April/May.

Goodluck to us.

Congrats Peewee. Thanks for the encouragement.

hi fellow vj's!!! i don't know about cenomar.i just notice that everybody was talking about it...really help this forum...i'm just waiting for my packet 3....i asked somebody and they said it will take for 1 month to get a cenomar...is it true?i'm really worried now because any moment now i'll recieve my packet 3...pls any ideas??????????

Only 8-10 working days if you apply on their website. I just got mine today.

Congratulations Ynatots.

Happy trip...

These are very informative pieces about Philippine history. Thank you very much for the posts.

Very interesting and informative.

Keep up the good work...

i'm getting very depressed and bored of being alone , we didn,t get separated for more than 2 months every time now , we are going to be away or almost 3 months ,10 days,6 hours and few minutes. i hate this our I130 WAS RECIEVED NOV.13TH I129F on Nov25TH ,

when can they be approved ? they are in California center

Hang in there Masry. Hope you get your approval soon.

This waiting game is really the most stressful part.

-Baby

Congratulations and God bless...

This thread just needs to die...

I agree. The OP is begging for attention that's why he started this thread.

I actually pity his wife-to-be...

Mission accomplished.