^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Mindanao (Philippines)

Separatist and independentist movements

Moro National Liberation Front
Mindanao Independence Movement
Moro Islamic Liberation Front

Moro National Liberation Front

by Jaume Ollé, 16 April 2012

Version seen in Cotabato.
Jaume Ollé, 16 April 2012

The flag of the Moro (Moor) National Liberation Front (MNLF) or of one of their factions, that was seen in a conference room during discussions between the Philippine government and the Mindanao musulman people.
Jaume Ollé, 4 September 1996

The flag of Moro National Liberation Front was shown on Associated Press news, but with an inscription on the yellow crescent. The AP description noted "A government soldier inspects some of the confiscated arms and personal belongings of Muslim rebels Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2001 in Pasonanca district in Zamboanga city in southern Philippines. The rebels which were loyal to renegade Muslim region Gov. Nur Misuari released 89 hostages in exchange to a safe passage thru military forces that have besiege them for more than 24 hours. (AP Photo/Pat Roque) 28 November, 2001"
Ivan Sarajcic, 5 December 2001

Images of this flag can be found at:
http://rustychain.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/moro-islamic-liberation-front-camp.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/01fedRk9XP5Gx/160x180.jpg?center=0.5 (source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Moro-Islamic-Liberation-Front)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Pi_milf.gif (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pi_milf.gif)
Esteban Rivera, 26 September 2010

by Jaume Ollé, 16 April 2012

Version seen at the Tripoli agreement.
Jaume Ollé, 16 April 2012

Bangsamoro Republik
Today the ARMM's self-rule provisions still haven't been fully implemented, and with the Philippine government in the process of arranging a separate peace agreement with the MILF, some MNLF members have become disillusioned with their own deal. Last month, a faction of the MNLF joined the organization's original founder, Nur Misuari, in declaring an independent country called the Bangsamoro Republik.

"Bangsamoro" is a traditional name for the homeland of the Moro people, and the declaration of independence claimed the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan regions of the Philippines for the new country. Though the founders of the republic are Muslims, they're not Islamists: the MNLF says Bangsamoro will be inclusive of all ethnic groups and religions in the region. But for all its talk of independence in August, the Bangsamoro Republik didn't actually control any territory at all - until this week.
Cai Zhenyuan, 17 January 2014

Mindanao Independence Movement

by Jaume Ollé, 4 September 1996

The provisional flag of the Federal Republic of Mindanao, outlined in The Flag Bulletin. The republic was proclaimed on April 1986 by the Mindanao Independence Movement.

by Ivan Sache, 16 September 1999

Flag of the Mindanao Independence Movement: vertically divided red-white-yellow, with thin red and yellow stripes. In the center, yellow star and crescent flanked by Arabic (?) script. Source: Flags of Aspirant Peoples.
Ivan Sache, 16 September 1999

The inscription appears to be wrong. It says: Allah (no shadda ?) AKAbar insted of AKbar (= the greatest). The right accent above the left word should be above the first letter and not above the second. I guess the the last letter is longer downwards to make it look like a "Ra" and not "Dal".
Dov Gutterman, 21 September, 1999

At least, it is written wrong on the chart!. The accent is definitively above the second letter.
Ivan Sache, 1 October 1999

submitted by Ben Cahoon, 19 March 2025

This flag was used in the rebellion of the Colonel Alexander Noble on 4 October 1990, who proclaimed the Federal Republic of Mindanao, in alliance with the Mindanao Independence Movement, and flying a new flag. The republic was suppressed after two days, by the loyal forces.
Jaume Ollé, 4 September 1996

The linked article notes the flags colors were red/ blue/ green and not red/blue/ darker blue. I'd imagine that at a distance and in some photos or an faded versions the shade of green might have looked like dark blue. "Leaflets distributed by the rebels, who displayed the red, blue and green flag of an independent Mindanao, said: 'This is an announcement that the war for the liberation of Mindanao has started."
Ben Cahoon, 19 March 2025

Moro Islamic Liberation Front

located by Dirk Schonberger, 22 September 2013
Image modified from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MILFflag.jpg

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front a Muslim separatist rebel group located in Southern Philippines. The area where the group is active is called Bangsamoro by the MILF and it covers the southern portion of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago, Palawan, Basilan and the neighbouring islands. There are approximately 4.5 million Muslims in the Philippines and the majority live within this area.
Source: Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moro_Islamic_Liberation_Front )
Other important related source with valuable information: TKB ( http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=3631 )

Logo: http://www.tkb.org/documents/Groups/GR3631_milf3.GIF (on TKB website)

Flag (partial image): http://img.timeinc.net/Asiaweek/magazine/2000/0331/nat.interview.jpg (on Asiaweek.com website)

The official website of the MILF is: http://www.luwaran.com/

Esteban Rivera,1 May 2007

The Bangsamoro Republic looks like the result of a peace deal between the Philippine government and the Moro rebels (Moro National Liberation Front). In exchange for peace there is planned to construct some kind of autonomous region or province: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_process_with_the_Bangsamoro_in_the_Philippines. The flag of the Bangsamoro Republic may or may be not the flag of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Dirk Schonberger, 22 September 2013