National symbols of the Philippines

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The national symbols of the Philippines consist of symbols that represent Philippine traditions and ideals and convey the principles of sovereignty and national solidarity of the Filipino people.^[1] Some of these symbols are stated in the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which is also known as Republic Act 8491.^[1] The national language of the Philippines is Filipino as stated in the Constitution of the Philippines.^[2] Aside from those stated symbols in the Constitution and in Republic Act 8491, there are only five official national symbols of the Philippines enacted through law, namely sampaguita as national flower, narra as national tree, the Philippine eagle as national bird, Philippine pearl as national gem and arnis as national martial art and sport.

There are symbols such as the carabao (national animal), mango (national fruit) and anahaw (national leaf) that are widely known as national symbols but have no laws recognizing them as official national symbols.^[3] Even Jose Rizal, who is widely considered as a national hero, has not been declared officially as a national hero in any existing Philippine law according to historical experts.^[3][4] Although in 2003, Benigno Aquino, Jr. was officially declared by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a national hero by an executive order.^[5] A National Artist of the Philippines is a rank or a title given to a Filipino citizen in recognition to the recipient's contributions to Philippine arts and letters and they are not considered as a national symbol that represents traditions and ideals.^[6]

On 17 February 2014, Bohol First District Representative Rene Relampagos filed a bill at the Philippine House of Representatives that sought to declare or re-declare and to recognize a number of national symbols.^[7] The proposed bill, House Bill 3926 or the "Philippine National Symbols Act of 2014", aims also to encourage nationalism and unity; to guarantee respect, preservation and promotion of national symbols; and to correct the "unofficial" status of the symbols.^[7] Among the proposed national symbols listed in the measure are Jose Rizal as the only historical Filipino to be recognized as national hero, adobo as national food and jeepney as national vehicle.^[8] It also includes the previous ten official national symbols.^[8] The bill is still pending to become a law and once the bill turned into law, all the symbols stated in the bill would be official national symbols of the Philippines.

Development of the symbols

Governor-General Frank Murphy declared sampaguita and narra as national symbols during the Commonwealth era.

Republic Act 8491, known also as Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, stipulates the code for national flag, anthem, motto, coat-of-arms and other heraldic items and devices of the Philippines.^[1] According to Article XIV Section 6 of the Constitution of the Philippines, the national language of the Philippines is Filipino.^[2] Apart from RA 8491 and the Constitution, the Philippines has only five official national symbols enacted either through a proclamation by the executive department or through a Republic Act by the legislative department, namely sampaguita, narra, the Philippine eagle, the Philippine pearl and arnis. In 1934, during the Commonwealth era, Governor-General Frank Murphy declared sampaguita^[9] and narra^[10] as national flower and national tree, respectively, through Proclamation No. 652. Philippine President Fidel Ramos proclaimed the Philippine eagle as the national bird in 1995 through Proclamation No. 615.^[11] Ramos also declared the South Sea Pearl or Philippine Pearl as the national gem in 1996 through Proclamation No. 905.^[12] In 2009, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared arnis as the national sport and martial art through Republic Act 9850.^[13]

In February 2013, the Philippine Senate passed a bill declaring waling-waling (Vanda sanderiana) as the national flower alongside Sampaguita.^[14] A similar bill in the House of Representatives^[15] had already been passed in 2012.^[16] Normally, the bill would become law after being signed by the President.^[17] However, it was vetoed by President Benigno Aquino III.^[18] The veto did not grant the waling-waling as the second national flower due to the confusion that it would create.^[19]

A year later, on 17 February 2014, Representative Rene Relampagos, a congressman from the First District of Bohol, proposed a measure at the Philippine House of Representatives that sought to declare or re-declare and to recognize a number of national symbols.^[7] The bill dubbed as House Bill 3926 or the "Philippine National Symbols Act of 2014", aims also to encourage nationalism and unity; to guarantee respect, preservation and promotion of national symbols; and to correct the "unofficial" status of the symbols.^[7] It lists 26 symbols including the previous ten official national symbols.^[7][8]

In February 2016, the House of Representatives approved on final reading the House Bill 6366, which declares the ancient boat balangay at the national boat of the Philippines.^[20][21] The bill is not yet a law, therefore, the symbol is not yet official. For the balangay to become a national boat, there should be a senate concurrence and the President of the Philippines must sign the bill.^[17]

Making a national symbol official

A Philippine national symbol will be considered official once it is declared through a law or a proclamation. National symbols such as the cariñosa, carabao, bangus (milkfish), and anahaw (footstool palm) that are circulating through various sources have no official status and have not established by law.^[3][4] According to Nestor Castro, a Filipino cultural anthropologist, most of these unofficial symbols were passed on as tradition in schools every start of the school year when students were asked to buy posters containing the supposed national symbols.^[3] While official national symbols are declared through law, Castro and National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Section Chief Teodoro Atienza considered^[3] that the public must be consulted first before declaration of national symbol.^[3]

Filipinos as national symbol

Jose Rizal is considered as one of the national heroes of the Philippines but according to Ambeth Ocampo, no historical Filipino personage has been declared officially as being a National Hero through law.

According to the NHCP Section Chief Teodoro Atienza,^[3] and Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo,^[4] there is no Filipino historical figure officially declared national hero through law or executive order.^[22][23] Although, there were laws and proclamations honoring Filipino heroes. In the Rizal Law principally sponsored by Claro M. Recto and enacted in 1956, Jose Rizal is mentioned as a national hero in the "whereas" clause of the law.^[24] Although, "whereas" clauses function as a preamble or introduction and it is not part of the provisions.^[25] On 15 November 1995, the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee, created through Executive Order No. 5 by former President Fidel Ramos, recommended nine Filipino historical figures to be National Heroes: Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino, and Gabriela Silang.^[23] No action has been taken for these recommended National Heroes^[23] until it was revisited in one of the proceedings of the 14th Congress in 2009.^[26]

On 3 August 2009, shortly after the death of former President Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno Aquino, Jr., legislative measures have been filed calling for her official recognition as a national hero.^[27][28] Congresswoman Liwayway Vinzons-Chato filed a house resolution declaring Corazon Aquino a national hero.^[26] Although, a week after she filed the resolution, she realized that there is no Filipino historical figure declared through law. On 10 August 2009, she cited on her privilege speech in Congress the nine Filipino heroes recommended by National Heroes Committee in 1995. She then urge Congress to sign the resolutions declaring the nine Filipinos recommended by the National Heroes Committee plus Benigno Aquino, Jr. and Corazon Aquino as national heroes.^[29] Congressman Salvador Escudero interpellated Vinzons-Chato's speech and stated that heroes are made in the hearts and minds of people and not through legislation.^[29] After the interpellation, it was moved by House of Representatives to refer the privilege speech of Vinzons-Chato to the Committee of Basic Education and Culture.^[29]

In 2013, Bayan Muna Congressmen Neri Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate filed House Bill 3431 aiming to declare Andres Bonifacio as National Hero due to his actual participation in the Philippine Revolution against Spain.^[30][31] Another measure filed by Congressman Rene Relampagos from Bohol in February 2014 sought to declare Jose Rizal as the sole Filipino national hero. According to the bill, he was a nationalist and well known for his Philippine reforms advocacy during the Spanish colonial era.^[7]

Filipinos awarded with the rank or title National Artist of the Philippines are not considered to be national symbols because the title is given in recognition to the recipient's contributions to Philippine arts and letters and not as a symbol that represents traditions and ideals and convey the principles of sovereignty and national solidarity.^[6]

Despite declaration from historical experts that there is no historical person declared as a national hero, in 2003, an executive order by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo officially declared Beningno Aquino Jr. as one of the national heroes.^[5] Due to laws declaring the heroism of Rizal and Bonifacio, their recognition as National Heroes is considered implied.^[31][32]

List of national symbols

Official

Here are list of national symbols excluding national heroes that were enacted through Philippine law.

Type	Symbol	Image	Adopted	Legal basis
National flag	Flag of the Philippines		12 June 1898 (Reaffirmed 12 February 1998)	Proclamation of President Emilio Aguinaldo Reaffirmed by Republic Act No. 8491
Coat of arms	Coat of arms of the Philippines		3 July 1946 (Reaffirmed 12 February 1998)	Commonwealth Act No. 731 Reaffirmed by Republic Act No. 8491[Note 1]
National anthem	Lupang Hinirang	Lupang Hinirang (Chosen Land) Problems playing this file? See media help.	Music : 12 June 1898 Lyrics : 26 May 1958 (Reaffirmed 12 February 1998)	Music : Proclamation of President Emilio Aguinaldo Lyrics : Department of Education Administrative Order Reaffirmed by Republic Act No. 8491
National motto	National motto of the Philippines	"Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan, at Makabansa" ("For God, People, Nature, and Country")	12 February 1998	Republic Act No. 8491, Chapter III, Section 40
National language	Filipino	N/A	11 February 1987	Article XIV, Sec. 6 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
National flower	Sampaguita		1 February 1934[19][33]	Executive Proclamation No. 652, issued by Governor General Frank Murphy
National tree	Narra		1 February 1934[33]	Executive Proclamation No. 652
National bird	Philippine eagle		4 July 1995[34]	Proclamation No. 615
National gem	Philippine pearl		15 October 1996[12]	Proclamation No. 905
National sport and martial art	Arnis (Eskrima/Kali)		11 December 2009[35]	Republic Act No. 9850

Notes

...

1. ¹ The description of the Philippines' coat of arms can be found under section 14 of Executive Order No. 292 (Book I/Chapter 4), which is also known as the Administrative Code of 1987.^[36]

Unofficial

Here are the lists of national symbols that have no official status.

From failed and proposed laws

Rice topped with chicken adobo. Adobo is being considered as the National Dish.

The Philippine jeepney is being considered as the National Vehicle.

• The following individuals were recommended by the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee as national heroes:
  • Emilio Aguinaldo
  • Melchora Aquino
  • Andrés Bonifacio
  • Marcelo H. del Pilar
  • Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat
  • Juan Luna
  • Apolinario Mabini
  • José Rizal
  • Gabriela Silang
  • The review by the Technical Committee of National Heroes was revisited during the 14th Congress at the House of Representatives.^[26] In a resolution, a congresswoman added the following two historical figures to the nine heroes declared by the National Heroes Committee, making the total to eleven national heroes. This was referred to a Congressional Committee and still must be acted upon and passed into law to make it official.
• In August 2009, a bill has been filed calling for Corazon Aquino's official recognition as a national hero.^[27][28] In 2003, Benigno Aquino Jr., was already officially declared as one of the national heroes by then President Gloria Arroyo through an executive order.^[5]
• Waling-waling as national flower; passed by Congress in 2013 but was vetoed by the President Benigno Aquino III.^[15][19]
• The following are the list of proposed national symbols (excluding the 10 official national symbols) as per House Bill 3926 as proposed by Congressman Rene Relampagos.^[7]
  • Adobo as national food
  • Anahaw as national leaf
  • Bakya as national slippers
  • Bangus as national fish
  • Barong and Baro't saya as national costume
  • "Bayan Ko" as national song
  • Carabao as national animal
  • Cariñosa as national dance
  • Jeepney as national vehicle
  • Jose Rizal as national hero
  • Malacañang Palace as national seat of government
  • Mango as national fruit
  • Manila as national capital
  • National Seal (essentially modified version of the coat of arms of the Philippines)
  • Nipa hut (bahay kubo) as national house
  • Philippine peso as national currency
• The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading of House Bill 6366 declaring the Balangay as the national boat.^[20]

From various sources

• Juan de la Cruz - as national personification^[37][38][39] (symbolizing the Filipino people)
• Lechon^[40][41] and sinigang^[42][43] as national food
• Sipa as national sport^[44]
• Tinikling as national dance^[45][46]

References

National symbols of the Philippines
Official	Arnis Coat of arms Filipino language Flag "Lupang Hinirang" "Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa" Narra Philippine eagle Philippine pearl Sampaguita
Unofficial	Adobo Anahaw Bakya Balangay Barong and Baro't saya "Bayan Ko" Carabao Cariñosa Jeepney Juan de la Cruz Lechon Malacañang Palace Mango Manila Milkfish National Seal Nipa hut Tinikling Sinigang Sipa Waling-waling
National heroes	Emilio Aguinaldo Melchora Aquino Andrés Bonifacio Marcelo H. del Pilar Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat Juan Luna Apolinario Mabini José Rizal Gabriela Silang