Philippine flag, 127 years old, found in Antique
HISTORY. A Philippine flag believed to be 127 years old and currently in the possession of a family in Antique province. Local historian Errol Santillan said in an interview on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) that they are coordinating with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to declare the flag a national historical treasure. (Photo courtesy of Errol Santillan))
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – A local historian in Antique is coordinating with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to declare a Philippine flag, estimated to be 127 years old, as a national treasure.
“We also intend to seek a resolution from the Antique provincial board so it can be declared as an important historical and cultural heritage and be preserved,” former Antique board member and historian Errol Santillan said on Tuesday.
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The flag is currently in the possession of the family of 2Lt. Ruperto Abellon, the second-in-command in the Visayas under Gen. Leandro Fullon during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-United States war.
Fullon led the armed expedition dispatched by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo from Luzon to reclaim the island from the Spaniards on Sept. 6, 1898. Historian said the team of 140 officers and 340 men, arrived in Pandan, Antique on Sept. 21, 1898.
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“The flag was brought and hoisted in Libertad, Antique as part of the armed expedition in 1898,” Santillan said in an interview.
Based on the recollection of the 79-year-old granddaughter of Abellon, the flag is believed to have come from Hong Kong and was brought by Aguinaldo when he returned to the Philippines on May 19, 1898.
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Santillan sought permission of the family to disclose the flag in their possession.“The century-old Philippine flag measures 53 inches in width and 93 inches in length,” Santillan said, adding it is made of a special material.
Like the modern-day flag, it has the colors red, blue and white; and the three stars symbolizing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. (PNA)
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