QuestionsQuestions (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 457)
It is issued by the President pursuant to the powers vested in him by law, amending Executive Order No. 38 (Jan. 7, 1947) regarding the design provisions for the coat of arms, seal, and flag of the President and Vice President of the Philippines.
Sections 1 and 4 are amended.
It provides the detailed heraldic design of the Coat of Arms of the President of the Philippines, including shield elements, colors, symbols, and the number of stars based on the provinces as of July 4, 1951.
The shield has the eight-rayed Philippine sun in or (golden yellow); on the center an equilateral triangle in gule (red); over-all the traditional sea lion of the City of Manila Coat of Arms in or (golden yellow), with sword and at hilt, and one mullet (golden yellow) in each corner of the triangle; and an annulet of stars in or (golden yellow).
They represent the three main island groups: one mullet for Luzon, one for Visayas, and one for Mindanao.
The stars are surrounded in the form of an annulet with one point of each star outward on the imaginary radiating center lines; the number of stars conforms to the number of provinces of the Republic as of July 4, 1951.
It must be the same as that of the President except the entire design is placed on a white rectangular background and without the stars.
No. Section 4 explicitly states the Vice President’s flag is without the stars, even though it retains the same design and colors otherwise.
EO 457 amends EO 38 by changing the wording and provisions in Sections 1 and 4, thus updating the heraldic descriptions for the President’s coat of arms and the Vice President’s flag.
They are heraldic color terms: “or” means golden yellow and “gule” means red, specifying the colors for the sun and triangle (and other elements) in the shield.
The number conforms to the number of provinces of the Republic as of July 4, 1951.
Because the President’s and Vice President’s official insignia and flags are prescribed by executive issuances; amendments ensure official symbols reflect the correct legal design specifications (including colors, placement of elements, and star count).
It was signed by Elpidio Quirino, President of the Philippines, and attested by Marciano Roque, Acting Assistant Executive Secretary.
The star count is pegged to the number of provinces as of July 4, 1951; absent another amendment, the legal description points to that specific date’s provincial count.