National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairperson Rene Escalante leads the offering of flowers at the statue of Datu Lapu-Lapu at the Mactan Liberty Shrine in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City in this April 27, 2020 file photo.
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines – The Liberty Shrine at Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City will now be a site of the permanent display of the Philippine flag effective January 17, 2021.
This is by virtue of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) board resolution no. 10 which was signed on December 16, 2020.
Under the Republic Act (R.A.) no. 8491 or otherwise known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines in 1998, the NHCP is mandated to identify sites in the country to be given such status.
This means that the national flag shall be at the mast 24/7 and properly illuminated at night.
The recognition was given for the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan on April 27, 2021.
The date January 17, likewise, marks the 100-day countdown to the said anniversary, which is designated by the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) as the day of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemoration in the Philippines.
The NHCP and NQC also emphasized and acknowledged the victory of our ancestors in the Battle of Mactan as a common heritage and pride of the Filipino people.
Among the places in the country enjoying the 24/7 status are the Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite; Rizal National Monument in Manila; Bonifacio National Monument in Caloocan City; Sta. Barbara Public Plaza in Iloilo; and the Barasoain Church in Malolos Bulacan.
The National flag at the Malacañang Palace, Supreme Court, House of Representatives, Senate of the Philippines, and seaports and airports has also the same status.
All other institutions and sites in the country shall observe the display of the national flag every sunrise and lowering it every sunset throughout the year, except during inclement weather. /rcg