Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: philippines | katipunan | kkk |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 September 1996
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 September 1996
image by Thomas Koh, 14 October 1997
The first flag was that of movement Katipunan, created by Benita Rodriguez with the aid of the wife of Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. The flag was a red rectangle red with three "K" white in a horizontal alignment. Some members of the movement used a variant of the flag in which one of the three "K"s was put above the other two forming a triangle. A third variant had a single K on it. (These flags could be construed as being related to the Klu Klux Klan, but they have nothing to do with it).
Jaume Ollé 7 September 1996
What is the significance of the K's?
You will recall that the Spanish colonised the Philippines for well over 400 years. Towards the close of the XIX century, nationalist groups were being formed to drive out the Spaniards. Andres Bonifacio (1863 - 1896) popularly regarded as the Father of the Philippine Revolution founded the Katipunan which was the main nationalist group which fought against the Spanish in the quest for independence. That is what the K stands for.
Tom Koh, 15 October 1997
The Katipunan, which literally translates to Society or Association, began on July 7, 1892. Jaume shows their war standard as the red flag with three white K's in a horizontal alignment. The K's stood for
"Kataastaasan Kagalanggalangan Na Katipunan ng Mga Anak Ng Bayan". Loosely translated to mean the "Highest and Most Respectable Society of the Sons of the People."
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 11 March 1998
image by Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997
Black flag with one white K and the skull and crossbones (in white) side by side. Flag used by General Llanera & his troops who fought in the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, & Nueva Ecija. The flag was known as "Bungo ni Llanera," or "Llanera's Skull."
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999
image by Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997
Red flag with a white triangle on the hoist with K K K in three corners and a sun behind an outline hill.
Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997
An 1895 version attributed to General Pio Del Pilar has a slight resemblance to the present flag. Rather than a red and blue stripe the field except for the triangle of white is red. The gold stars and sun being replaced by the red K's and a red sun rising behind a mountain. The sun has 8 rays. Coincidence or a misdated reference?
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 11 March 1998
image by Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997
Red flag with a white sun (much like the Vergina Sun of Macedonia!) and KKK in white underneath.
Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997
An 1894 Katipunan flag has the three K's but also a sun with 16 rays. I cannot find any information as to why 16 rays were used.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 11 March 1998
Flag belonging to Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Katipunan. The Katipunan was
discovered by the Spanish on August 19, 1896. On 23 August 1896, Bonifacio's banner was unfurled
during the Cry of Pugadlawin in Kalookan where Filipinos tore up their cedulas (residence cards) defying
Spanish authority. The flag was blooded a week later, 30 August 1896, during the Battle of San Juan
del Monte, the first major battle of the Philippine Revolution.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999
image by Mark Sensen, 15 October 1997
Flag adopted by the Magdalo faction in Cavite in 1896.
General Aguinaldo's flag bearing the letter "K" from the pre-Hispanic Philippine alphabet. The eight
rays represent the first 8 provinces that rose up in revolt against Spain: Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga,
Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Batangas, & Cavite.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999
The letter is a "ᜃ", the Tagalog script letter ka.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 28 December 2005
image by Jaume Ollé, 7 September 1996
Modification (shortly after) of the flag of the Magdalo faction.
image by Mark Sensen, 15 October 1997
New flag adopted by the Katipunan on 17 March 1897.
image by Sergio Camero, 19 April 2002
The flag of the association "Katipunan"
(Sovereign and Venerable Association of the Children
of People).
This group was founded in Manila (July 7 1892) and it
fought against the Spanish troops for independence
of the Philippines.
According to information from Luis Sorando the letter
located in the center is a Gothic "A", of unknown significance. He also clarified that the original
is
conserved as a trophy in the museum of the Army, and the
white color has changed to a yellow due to the dirt.
Information: Spanish magazine of Defense and Luis
Sorando Muzás.
Sergio Camero, 19 April 2002
I will consult some experts about the meaning of the "A". First impressions however, about your image are:
Manuel L. Quezon III, 20 April 2002
In the Philippines there are some KKK (Katipunan) flags: The Andres
Bonifacio's flag, at present in the "Museo ng Katipunan", Barangay Bulaklakan,
Lipa City, Batangas Province and the General Mariano Llanera's flag, at present
property of the heirs. The Bonifacio's banner or better the Bonifacio's flag had
12 rays, not 16 or more, the rays were more short than in all the images we have
(like the rays of the Taiwanese flag ). That flag is in the Museo ng Katipunan,
Barangay Bulaklakan, Lipa City, Batangas Province, we don't have pictures of it
because is forbidden to take a picture.
Paolo Paddeu, 3 March 2008
image by Santiago Dotor, 20 April 2002
This reconstruction is based on a photo
in a magazine (unspecified source). The central Tagal letter is the K. Red seems
to be the background colour. There are several red flags but not single blue
flags. The sun can be white or yellow; the most frequent is white, but in
preserved flags, the white parts are now yellow (due to time). My educated guess
is that it is white but Manuel Quezon can give us more light.
Jaume Ollé, 20 April 2002
From the photograph I would think this is the reverse of the flag. There
appear to be some devices on the right of the cloth, as if it were to be
attached to the mast on that side.
Santiago Dotor, 22 April 2002
Your deduction seems correct, except the styled "K" that looks like an "I"
would more or less look the same from either side; what it proves though is that
it is a flag and not a banner like what is used in the Catholic Church. I only
wonder if yellow is correct. The livery traditions of the Katipunan were white
and red, I think the logical assumption is a white sun on a red field. This
does, however, add further proof to the early origins of the sun-symbol.
The sun of course is prevalent in Philippine symbolism and mythology, but can
also be traced to the many coins from former Spanish colonies that were in wide
circulation in the Philippines prior to the Philippine revolution: the Spanish
government had to have the coins stamped to deface the revolutionary symbols,
including many mythical suns, Phrygian caps, etc. We never had the tradition of
using the liberty pole or the Phrygian cap but it seems that revolutionaries in
the Philippines liked the mythical sun.
Manuel L. Quezon III, 22 April 2004
This flag was also used by the mutineers in July 2003. It represents the use of some very significant symbols in Philippines national iconography. The sun harks back to the mythical sun used in the flags of the Katipunan (the secret organization that began the Philippine revolution in Spain in 1986). The letter "I" in the middle is in "alibata" or ancient Tagalog script, and represents the letter "K," symbolizing "Kalayaan" or "freedom." The sun and letter K are all over the flags of the Katipunan and its various leaders and provincial cells.
The sun used in the mutineers' flag, though, had more than the usual 8 rays
which is standard in our national iconography, representing the 8 provinces
placed under Martial Law by the Spanish government when the revolution began.
Why there are more rays has not been explained, there were 70 mutineer officers
but there aren't that many rays; it could stand for the 13-15 regions of the
Philippines at present. The choice of name of "magdalo" has also sparked some
curiosity. The province of Cavite had two factions of the Katipunan in 1897, the
Magdiwang, which retained allegiance to Andres Bonifacio, head or Supremo of the
Katipunan, who came from Manila, and the Magdalo, named after Mary Magdalene,
patroness of Kawit, Cavite, from which came its leader, Emilio Aguinaldo. When
an election was held to transform the secret revolutionary movement to a formal
government, Aguinaldo won over Bonifacio in the voting. The result was a
division which led to Bonifacio's arrest and execution. The symbolism of "magdalo"
then lies precisely in a coup.
Manuel Quezon III, 28 July 2003
image by Mark Sensen, 15 October 1997
Blue triangle in hoist, red horizontal upper and black below
The flag of General Gregorio del Pilar, the "Boy General." Flown during the Battle of Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur.
General del Pilar's forces allowed General Aguinaldo's retreating army to escape. The "Boy General" died at
age 24 defending the pass on 2 December 1899.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999