Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines

Key definitions and coverage scope

“Military” means all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the Bureau of Fire Protection (Section 3).
“Festoon” means to hang in a curved shape between two points as a decoration (Section 3).
“Flag” means the Philippine National Flag, unless stated otherwise (Section 3).
“Fly” means the part of the flag outside the hoist or length (Section 3).
“Half-Mast” means lowering the flag to one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff (Section 3).
“Hoist” means the part of the flag nearest the staff or the canvass to which the halyard is attached (Section 3).
“Inclement Weather” means that a typhoon signal is raised in the locality (Section 3).
“Official Residences” means Malacañang, other government-owned structures where the President resides, and other structures occupied by the Philippine Consulate or Embassies abroad (Section 3).
“Places of Frivolity” means places of hilarity marked by or providing boisterous merriment or recreation (Section 3).
“Institute” means the National Historical Institute (Section 3).

National flag: design and display

The national flag shall have the colors blue, white and red with an eight-rayed golden-yellow sun and three (3) five-pointed stars (Section 4).
The flag must be displayed in all public buildings, official residences, public plazas, and institutions of learning every day throughout the year (Section 5).
The flag must be permanently hoisted, day and night throughout the year in front of enumerated national places and institutions, including Malacañang Palace, Congress, the Supreme Court building, Rizal Monument in Luneta, Aguinaldo Shrine, Barasoain Shrine, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Museo de los Veteranos de la Revolucion, all International Ports of Entry, and such other places as may be designated by the Institute (Section 6).
The flag must be properly illuminated at night (Section 6).

National flag: dates, flag day, and who must display

The flag must also be displayed in private buildings and residences or raised in the open on flag-staffs on specific dates: April 9 (Araw ng Kagitingan); May 1 (Labor Day); May 28 (National Flag Day) to June 12 (Independence Day); last Sunday of August (National Heroes Day); November 30 (Bonifacio Day); and December 30 (Rizal Day) (Section 7).
The flag must also be displayed on such other days as may be declared by the President and/or local chief executives (Section 7).
The flag may be displayed throughout the year in private buildings or offices or raised in the open on flag-staffs in front of private buildings if flag-raising ceremonies are observed in accordance with rules issued by the Office of the President (Section 7).
Government agencies and instrumentalities, local government offices, government-owned corporations, and local government units must observe Flag Day with appropriate ceremonies, while socio-civic groups, non-government organizations, and the private sector are exhorted to cooperate (Section 8).
May 28 to June 12 of each year are declared Flag Days, during which all offices, agencies and instrumentalities of government, business establishments, institutions of learning and private homes must display the flag (Section 26).

National flag: merchant ships, hoisting orientation, and placement

The flag must be flown on merchant ships of Philippine registry of more than one thousand (1,000) gross tons and on all naval vessels (Section 9).
On naval vessels at anchor, the flag must be displayed on the flagstaff at the stern; when at sea, it must be hoisted to the gaff at the aftermast (Section 9).
When flown from a flagpole, the blue field must be on top in time of peace and red field on top in time of war; when hung, the blue field must be to the right (left of the observer) in time of peace and red field to the right (left of the observer) in time of war (Section 10).
The flagpole staff must be straight and slightly tapering at the top (Section 10).
If planted on the ground, the flagpole must be at a prominent place with height giving the flag a commanding position relative to nearby buildings (Section 11).
If attached to a building, the flagpole must be on top of the roof or anchored on a sill projecting at an angle upward (Section 11).
For a stage or platform or government office, the flag must be at the left (facing the stage) or left of the office upon entering (Section 11).

National flag: when paired with other flags

When the Philippine flag is flown with another flag and both are national flags, both must be on separate staffs of the same height and equal size, with the Philippine flag hoisted first and lowered last (Section 12).
If the other flag is not a national flag, it may be flown in the same line yard but below the Philippine flag and must not be greater in size than the Philippine flag (Section 12).
With other flags, the Philippine flag must be on the right of the other flag; in a line, it must be in the middle (Section 13).
In a parade with flags that are not national flags, the Philippine flag must be in front of the center of the line (Section 13).

National flag: folding, timing, inclement weather, and ceremonies

A worn flag must not be thrown away; it must be solemnly burned to avoid misuse or desecration and replaced immediately when it begins to show signs of wear and tear (Section 14).
The flag must be raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset, and must be on the mast at the start of official office hours, remaining flying throughout the day (Section 15).
The flag may be displayed in multiple prescribed forms, including on stationary flagpoles and inside buildings; if displayed indoors on a flagpole, it must be placed at the left of the observer as one enters the room (Section 16).
The flag must not be raised when the weather is inclement; if already raised, it must not be lowered (Section 16).
The flag must be hoisted to the top briskly and lowered ceremoniously (Section 17).
The flag must never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, flood, water, or other objects; after being lowered, it must be handled and folded solemnly as part of the ceremony (Section 17).

Flag raising: schedule and required conduct

Government offices and educational institutions must observe a flag-raising ceremony every Monday morning and a flag lowering ceremony every Friday afternoon; the ceremonies must be simple and dignified and include playing or singing the Philippine National Anthem (Section 18).
The Office of the President, upon recommendation of the Institute, must issue rules and regulations for the proper conduct of the flag ceremony (Section 19).
In official or civic gatherings, the flag ceremony must be simple and dignified and include playing or singing the anthem in its original Filipino lyrics and march tempo (Section 20).
During flag raising, the assembly must stand facing the flag; at the first note of the anthem, everyone must come to attention and moving vehicles must stop; all persons must place the right palm over the chest, uncover hats, and military/scouting/security guard/C.M.T.S. uniforms must give the salute prescribed by their regulations, completed upon the last note (Section 21).
During flag raising, the assembly must sing the national anthem, accompanied by a band if available, and at the first note the flag must be raised briskly (Section 21).
The same procedure applies when the flag is passing in review or in parade (Section 21).
During flag lowering, the flag must be lowered solemnly and slowly so it is down the mast at the sound of the last note of the anthem, with the assembly observing the same deportment as for flag raising (Section 22).

Half-mast, caskets, and pledge

The flag must be flown at half-mast on the day of official announcement of the death of the President or a former President for ten (10) days; the Vice President, the Chief Justice, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for seven (7) days; and other persons determined by the Institute for any period less than seven (7) days (Section 23).
The flag must be flown at half-mast on all buildings and places where the decedent held office on the day of death until the day of interment of an incumbent member of the Supreme Court, Cabinet, Senate, House of Representatives, and other persons determined by the Institute (Section 23).
The half-mast procedure requires first hoisting to the peak for a moment then lowering to half-mast, and again raising to the peak before lowering for the day (Section 23).
The flag may be used to cover caskets of the honored dead of the military, veterans of previous wars, national artists, and civilians who rendered distinguished service to the nation, as determined by the local government unit concerned (Section 24).
When used for caskets, the flag must be placed with the white triangle at the head and the blue portion covering the right side of the caskets, must not be lowered to the grave or allowed to touch the ground, and must be folded solemnly and handed to the heirs (Section 24).
The law establishes the Pledge of Allegiance in Filipino text beginning “Ako ay Pilipino…” and ending “Makakalikasan at Makabansa.” (Section 25).
The pledge must be recited while standing with the right hand, palm open, raised at shoulder high; persons whose faith or religious beliefs prohibit making the pledge must still show full respect by standing at attention when the pledge is rendered (Section 25).

National flag: specifications and procurement standards

The flag proportions must be: width 1, length 2, and sides of the white triangle 1 (Section 27).
The technical color specifications must use the following cable numbers: blue—Cable No. 80173, white—Cable No. 80001, red—Cable No. 80108, and golden yellow—Cable No. 80068 (Section 28).
Government flag purchase requisitions must follow strict compliance with design, color, craftsmanship, and material requirements of the Government (Section 29).
Samples of flags submitted by accredited suppliers for government purchase must be evaluated by the Institute through its Heraldry and Display Section based on design, color, and craftsmanship; the Institute must stamp approval or disapproval on the canvass reinforcement, and the samples must be sent to the Institute by the requisitioning office, not by the supplier (Section 29).
The Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) or the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) must evaluate the quality of materials of all flag samples and certify conformity of the fabric and canvas to government quality requirements (Section 29).
All flag samples must be sent annually to ITDI/PTRI by the manufacturer, and the laboratory test results must be submitted by that office to the Institute (Section 29).
All deliveries of government-requisitioned flags must be inspected by the requisitioning agency’s internal inspector and by the Commission on Audit (COA) using the flag stamped approved by the Institute as reference (Section 30).
The Institute, COA, and ITDI/PTRI must prepare guidelines for implementation of the Institute’s responsibilities under Section 4, and these guidelines must be approved by the Office of the President (Section 31).
All government agencies and instrumentalities must strictly comply with the Act’s requirements on standards, requisitions, and delivery of the national flag (Section 32).
All departments, agencies, offices, and instrumentalities of the government, government-owned or controlled corporations, local government units (including barangays) must include in their annual budgets the necessary outlay for purchase of the national flag (Section 33).

Prohibited acts regarding the national flag

The law prohibits mutilating, defacing, defiling, tramping on, or casting contempt or dishonor/ridicule upon the flag or over its surface (Section 34).
The law prohibits dipping the flag to any person or object by way of compliment or salute (Section 34).
The law prohibits using the flag as: a drapery, festoon, tablecloth; covering for ceilings, walls, statues or other objects; a pennant on motor vehicles; a staff or whip; for unveiling monuments or statues; or as trademarks or for industrial/commercial/agricultural labels or designs (Section 34).
The law prohibits displaying the flag: under any painting or picture; horizontally face-up (it must always be hoisted aloft and be allowed to fall freely); below any platform; or in discotheques, cockpits, night and day clubs, casinos, gambling joints and places of vice or where frivolity prevails (Section 34).
The law prohibits wearing the flag in whole or in part as a costume or uniform (Section 34).
The law prohibits adding any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawings, advertisement, or imprint of any nature on the flag (Section 34).
The law prohibits printing, painting, or attaching representation of the flag on handkerchiefs, napkins, cushions, and other merchandise articles (Section 34).
The law prohibits displaying in public any foreign flag except in embassies and other diplomatic establishments and in offices of international organizations (Section 34).
The law prohibits using, displaying, or being part of any advertisement or infomercial (Section 34).
The law prohibits displaying the flag in front of buildings or offices occupied by aliens (Section 34).

National anthem, motto, and coat-of-arms

The national anthem is “Lupang Hinirang.” (Section 35).
The national anthem must always be sung in the national language within or without the country, and its lyrics are fixed by the law (Section 36).
The rendition of the anthem, whether played or sung, must follow the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe (Section 37).
When played at a public gathering, whether by band or by singing or both, or reproduced by any means, the attending public must sing the anthem with fervor (Section 38).
Persons must stand at attention and face the Philippine flag if one is displayed; if none is displayed, persons must face the band or conductor; at the first note, persons must execute a salute by placing the right palms over the left chests, and military/scouting/C.M.T.S/security guard uniformed persons must give the salute prescribed by their regulations, completed upon the last note (Section 38).
The anthem must not be played and sung for mere recreation, amusement, or entertainment except on the following occasions: (a) international competitions where the Philippines are the host or have a representative; (b) local competitions; (c) signing off and signing on of radio broadcasting and television stations; (d) before the initial and last screening of films and before opening of theater performances; and (e) other occasions allowed by the Institute (Section 38).
Officials and employees of the national and local government, including government-owned or controlled corporations, privately-owned entities or offices displaying the national flag, and government institutions of learning must comply strictly with anthem rendition rules; failure to observe the rules is a ground for administrative discipline (Section 39).
The national motto is “MAKA-DIYOS, MAKA-TAO, MAKAKALIKASAN AT MAKABANSA.” (Section 40).
The national coat-of-arms is described with its fixed heraldic elements and the scroll bearing “REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS” (Section 41).

Great Seal and official heraldic items

The great seal is circular with the arms described in the coat-of-arms section but without the scroll and inscription, with a surrounding double marginal circle bearing “Republika ng Pilipinas”, and it must bear the national motto (Section 42).
For placing the great seal, color of the arms need not be essential but tincture representation must be used (Section 42).
The President must have custody of the great seal (Section 43).
The great seal must be affixed to or placed upon all commissions signed by the President and upon other official documents and papers of the Republic as provided by law or by custom and usage (Section 43).
Government entities, including the military, may adopt coat-of-arms, administrative seals, logos, insignia, badges, patches, and banners, and may initiate awards, citations, orders, or decorations only as authorized by Congress or the Office of the President (Section 44).
Heraldic devices and items must be filed with the Institute for recording and evaluation as to precedence, design, customs, and traditions; the Institute must promulgate rules and regulations to be submitted for approval to the Office of the President or Congress (Section 45).
Government offices including the military must purchase all heraldic items and devices from manufacturers accredited and authorized by the Institute, and these items and devices must be subject to inspection by the purchasing agency’s internal inspector and the COA representative using the design and specifications approved by the Office of the President or by Congress through the Institute (Section 46).
No government official or employee may accept any order or decoration from any foreign government without consent of Congress and without prior evaluation and documentation by the Institute (Section 47).

Penalties and administrative consequences

Failure or refusal to observe the Act’s provisions and violation of corresponding Office of the President rules and regulations are punishable, after proper notice and hearing, by public censure published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation (Section 48).
The Department of Education, Culture and Sports and the Commission on Higher Education must cancel the recognition or permit of a private educational institution that fails or refuses to observe the Act for the second time, upon the recommendation of the Institute and after proper notice and hearing (Section 48).
The Department of Education, Culture and Sports and the Commission on Higher Education must ensure that the national anthem is committed to memory by all students of public and private educational institutions and performed during flag ceremonies under Office of the President rules; they must also make available vocal, piano, or band scores adapted by law to all private and public schools and the general public (Section 49).
Any person or juridical entity that violates any provision of the Act, upon conviction, must be punished by a fine of not less than PHP 5,000 nor more than PHP 20,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both, at the discretion of the court (Section 50).
For any second and additional offenses, both fine and imprisonment must be imposed (Section 50).
If the violation is committed by a juridical person, its President or Chief Executive Officer must be liable (Section 50).

Implementation rules and final clauses

The Institute must issue necessary rules and regulations to implement the Act within ninety (90) days after effectivity, and must submit these rules to the Office of the President and Congress (Section 51).
The Institute must be responsible for strict enforcement and may call upon any government department, agency, office, government instrumentality including government corporations, and local government units for assistance necessary for effective discharge of its functions (Section 52).
The Act contains a separability clause: if any provision or part is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder remains valid and subsisting (Section 53).
The Act provides a repealing/modifying clause: any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the Act is repealed, modified, or amended accordingly (Section 54).