Movement Katipunan flags

by Jaume Ollé, 7 September 1996

by Jaume Ollé, 7 September 1996

by Thomas Koh, 14 October 1997

The first flag was that of movement Katipunan, created by Benita Rodriguez with the aid of the wife of Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. The flag was a red rectangle red with three "K" white in a horizontal alignment. Some members of the movement used a variant of the flag in which one of the three "K"s was put above the other two forming a triangle. A third variant had a single K on it. (These flags could be construed as being related to the Klu Klux Klan, but they have nothing to do with it).
Jaume Ollé 7 September 1996

What is the significance of the K's?

You will recall that the Spanish colonised the Philippines for well over 400 years. Towards the close of the XIX century, nationalist groups were being formed to drive out the Spaniards. Andres Bonifacio (1863 - 1896) popularly regarded as the Father of the Philippine Revolution founded the Katipunan which was the main nationalist group which fought against the Spanish in the quest for independence. That is what the K stands for.
Tom Koh, 15 October 1997

The Katipunan, which literally translates to Society or Association, began on July 7, 1892. Jaume shows their war standard as the red flag with three white K's in a horizontal alignment. The K's stood for "Kataastaasan Kagalanggalangan Na Katipunan ng Mga Anak Ng Bayan". Loosely translated to mean the "Highest and Most Respectable Society of the Sons of the People."
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 11 March 1998

Llanera's Skull flag

by Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997 Black flag with one white K and the skull and crossbones (in white) side by side. Flag used by General Llanera & his troops who fought in the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, & Nueva Ecija. The flag was known as "Bungo ni Llanera," or "Llanera's Skull."

Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999

1895 flag with white triangle

by Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997 Red flag with a white triangle on the hoist with K K K in three corners and a sun behind an outline hill.
Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997

An 1895 version attributed to General Pio Del Pilar has a slight resemblance to the present flag. Rather than a red and blue stripe the field except for the triangle of white is red. The gold stars and sun being replaced by the red K's and a red sun rising behind a mountain. The sun has 8 rays. Coincidence or a misdated reference?
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 11 March 1998

Bonifacio's banner

by Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997 Red flag with a white sun (much like the Vergina Sun of Macedonia!) and KKK in white underneath.
Mark Sensen, 14 October 1997

An 1894 Katipunan flag has the three K's but also a sun with 16 rays. I cannot find any information as to why 16 rays were used.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 11 March 1998

Flag belonging to Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Katipunan. The Katipunan was discovered by the Spanish on August 19, 1896. On 23 August 1896, Bonifacio's banner was unfurled during the Cry of Pugadlawin in Kalookan where Filipinos tore up their cedulas (residence cards) defying Spanish authority. The flag was blooded a week later, 30 August 1896, during the Battle of San Juan del Monte, the first major battle of the Philippine Revolution.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999

Magdalo faction (1896)

by Mark Sensen, 15 October 1997 Flag adopted by the Magdalo faction in Cavite in 1896.

General Aguinaldo's flag bearing the letter "K" from the pre-Hispanic Philippine alphabet. The eight rays represent the first 8 provinces that rose up in revolt against Spain: Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Batangas, & Cavite.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999

The letter is a "ᜃ", the Tagalog script letter ka.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 28 December 2005

by Jaume Ollé, 7 September 1996 Modification (shortly after) of the flag of the Magdalo faction.

Katipunan flag of 1897

by Mark Sensen, 15 October 1997 New flag adopted by the Katipunan on 17 March 1897.

by Sergio Camero, 19 April 2002

The flag of the association "Katipunan" (Sovereign and Venerable Association of the Children of People). This group was founded in Manila (July 7 1892) and it fought against the Spanish troops for independence of the Philippines. According to information from Luis Sorando the letter located in the center is a Gothic "A", of unknown significance. He also clarified that the original is conserved as a trophy in the museum of the Army, and the white color has changed to a yellow due to the dirt.
Information: Spanish magazine of Defense and Luis Sorando Muzás.
Sergio Camero, 19 April 2002

I will consult some experts about the meaning of the "A". First impressions however, about your image are:

1. It was a banner probably used in a Katipunan Lodge or Cell (the Katipunan was patterned after Spanish Masonry in its rituals and practices).
2. Thus, it was used in secret on the wall, probably during initiations, but not in the field (in the same museum is a Katipunan war flag captured by the Marques de Melin, according to information sent me by Don Santiago).
3. This is a very exciting discovery. There are no Katipunan flags in the Philippines, all the books depend on reconstructions from the memories of veterans. The more images we have from those who have seen captured flags in the possession of Spain, the more exact information will become.\

Manuel L. Quezon III, 20 April 2002

In the Philippines there are some KKK (Katipunan) flags: The Andres Bonifacio's flag, at present in the "Museo ng Katipunan", Barangay Bulaklakan, Lipa City, Batangas Province and the General Mariano Llanera's flag, at present property of the heirs. The Bonifacio's banner or better the Bonifacio's flag had 12 rays, not 16 or more, the rays were more short than in all the images we have (like the rays of the Taiwanese flag ). That flag is in the Museo ng Katipunan, Barangay Bulaklakan, Lipa City, Batangas Province, we don't have pictures of it because is forbidden to take a picture.
Paolo Paddeu, 3 March 2008

Tagalog flag at the Noveleta bridge

by Santiago Dotor, 20 April 2002

This reconstruction is based on a photo in a magazine (unspecified source). The central Tagal letter is the K. Red seems to be the background colour. There are several red flags but not single blue flags. The sun can be white or yellow; the most frequent is white, but in preserved flags, the white parts are now yellow (due to time). My educated guess is that it is white but Manuel Quezon can give us more light.
Jaume Ollé, 20 April 2002

From the photograph I would think this is the reverse of the flag. There appear to be some devices on the right of the cloth, as if it were to be attached to the mast on that side.
Santiago Dotor, 22 April 2002

Your deduction seems correct, except the styled "K" that looks like an "I" would more or less look the same from either side; what it proves though is that it is a flag and not a banner like what is used in the Catholic Church. I only wonder if yellow is correct. The livery traditions of the Katipunan were white and red, I think the logical assumption is a white sun on a red field. This does, however, add further proof to the early origins of the sun-symbol.

The sun of course is prevalent in Philippine symbolism and mythology, but can also be traced to the many coins from former Spanish colonies that were in wide circulation in the Philippines prior to the Philippine revolution: the Spanish government had to have the coins stamped to deface the revolutionary symbols, including many mythical suns, Phrygian caps, etc. We never had the tradition of using the liberty pole or the Phrygian cap but it seems that revolutionaries in the Philippines liked the mythical sun.
Manuel L. Quezon III, 22 April 2004

This flag was also used by the mutineers in July 2003. It represents the use of some very significant symbols in Philippines national iconography. The sun harks back to the mythical sun used in the flags of the Katipunan (the secret organization that began the Philippine revolution in Spain in 1986). The letter "I" in the middle is in "alibata" or ancient Tagalog script, and represents the letter "K," symbolizing "Kalayaan" or "freedom." The sun and letter K are all over the flags of the Katipunan and its various leaders and provincial cells.

The sun used in the mutineers' flag, though, had more than the usual 8 rays which is standard in our national iconography, representing the 8 provinces placed under Martial Law by the Spanish government when the revolution began. Why there are more rays has not been explained, there were 70 mutineer officers but there aren't that many rays; it could stand for the 13-15 regions of the Philippines at present. The choice of name of "magdalo" has also sparked some curiosity. The province of Cavite had two factions of the Katipunan in 1897, the Magdiwang, which retained allegiance to Andres Bonifacio, head or Supremo of the Katipunan, who came from Manila, and the Magdalo, named after Mary Magdalene, patroness of Kawit, Cavite, from which came its leader, Emilio Aguinaldo. When an election was held to transform the secret revolutionary movement to a formal government, Aguinaldo won over Bonifacio in the voting. The result was a division which led to Bonifacio's arrest and execution. The symbolism of "magdalo" then lies precisely in a coup.
Manuel Quezon III, 28 July 2003

General Gregorio del Pilar's flag

by Mark Sensen, 15 October 1997 Blue triangle in hoist, red horizontal upper and black below

The flag of General Gregorio del Pilar, the "Boy General." Flown during the Battle of Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur. General del Pilar's forces allowed General Aguinaldo's retreating army to escape. The "Boy General" died at age 24 defending the pass on 2 December 1899.
Gene 'Duke' Duque, 25 September 1999

January Philippine Fiesta

• Feast of the Black Nazarene - held every 9th of January in Quiapo, Manila. Devotees of that number in the thousands flock around the life-size statue of the Black Nazarene (Jesus Christ) as it inches across the streets packed with devotees around Quiapo church. Devotees attribute many miracles to this 400 year old image which was brought to the the Philippines from Mexico in the 7th century.

• Sinulog Festival - celebrated every 3rd week of January in Cebu City. This Philippine fiesta in Visayas region celebrates Cebu's patron saint, the Santo Niño (Child Christ). This week long event is marked by processions, street dancing and parades. This fiesta is a local version of the Mardi gras.

• Ati-Atihan Festival - fiesta starts from the16th to the 22nd of January in Kalibo, Aklan. Revelers masquerading as Negritos in colorful costumes, dance to the beat of drums while chanting "Hala Bira!" in preparation to the Sunday procession in honor of the Santo Niño.

February Philippine Fiesta

• Feast of Our Lady Of Candles - every 2nd of February in Jaro, Iloilo City. This is the biggest and most opulent religious fiesta in the Western Visayas region. The blessing of the candles and the yearly procession of the patroness, the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria is followed by the fiesta's queen and her court which highlights the fiesta at the town plaza.

• Babaylan Festival - held every 19th of February in Bago City, Negros Occidental. The public gets a rare view into the simulated rituals of mystics, ancient healers and priests in various ceremonies such as marriage, healing and harvest.

March Philippine Fiesta

• Eid El Fitir - commemorated every 9th of March in Region XII in Mindanao. Muslim Filipinos mark the end of their 30-day fasting as the crescent moon emerges after the Holy Month of Ramadan.

• Moriones Festival - reenacted during the Holy Week in Boac, Marinduque. This Philippine fiesta is based on a play about the story of Longinus, the centurion whose blind eye is cured by a drop of Jesus Christ's blood. Actors wear colorful wooden mask and dressed as Roman soldiers.

April Philippine Fiesta

• Manaoag Pilgrimage - held every 2nd week of April in Manaoag, Pangasinan. Devotees and pilgrims flock to the shrine of Nuestra Señora de Manaoag for the feast of the patroness of the sick, the needy and the helpless. Her image is believed to be miraculous.

May Philippine Fiesta

• Flores de Mayo - held nationwide during the month of May. Literally meaning the "flowers of May", this fiesta commemorates the search for the Holy Cross by Reyna Elena and her son, the emperor Constantine. This Philippine wide fiesta is marked by a parade of maidens escorted by young men under floral arches. The main participant represents Reyna Elena and the emperor.

• Pulilan Carabao Festival - held every 14th of May in Pulilan, Bulacan. Hundreds of festively adorned carabaos are paraded by the farmers on the street leading to the church. There they are made to kneel down to pay homage to San Isidro de Labrador, the patron saint of farmers.

• Pahiyas - every 15th of May, farm families give thanks to San Isidro Labrador for a good harvest by decorating their houses with brightly colored rice wafers called kiping.

• Obando Fertility Rites - held from May 17 to 19 in Obando, Bulacan. Massive numbers of men and women dance towards the town church praying for a wife, husband or a child. The pilgrims dance to San Pascual Baylon, Santa Clara de Assisi or the Virgen de Salambao for their wishes.

June Philippine Fiesta

• Parada ng Lechon - on the 24th of June in Balayan, Batangas, this festival literally translated as the "parade of roasted pigs". This fiesta is a celebration of the feast of St. John the Baptist. Roasted pigs are dressed up and paraded around town before being eaten.

• Pintados Festival - every 29th of June in Tacloban, Leyte, town folks parade through town with colorful body paint to recall their ancient warrior tradition where tattoos represented bravery and prestige.

July Philippine Fiesta

• Bocaue River Festival - held every 1st Sunday of July in Bucaue, Bulacan. The highlight of this Philippine fiesta is the fluvial procession in honor of the miraculous Krus ng Wawa or Cross of Bocaue. Devotees douse each other with water as they scramble to ride the pagoda boat.

• Raja Baguinda Festival - the 3 day festivities start on the 2nd week of August in Jolo, Sulu. The festivities commemorate the arrival of Raja Baguinda who is credited of spreading the Islam faith to the Sultanate of Sulu.

• Sandugo Festival - which literally means "one blood", celebrates the blood compact between local chieftain Datu Sikatuna and Captain General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The festival is celebrated with street dancing, shows, trade fairs, beauty contest and other activities. Sandugo Festival is a month long celebration culminating at Tagbilaran City, Bohol on the 3rd week of July.

August Philippine Fiesta

• Kadayawan Sa Dabaw - held every 3rd week of August in Davao City.This festival give thanks to to the bounty of fruits and flowerers as the waling-waling orchid blooms. Colorful floats are bedecked with beautiful orchids and other flowers in the grand parade.

September Philippine Fiesta

• Feast of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia - celebrated every 3rd Saturday of September in Naga, Camarines Sur, Bicol Region. Highlight of this fiesta is the grand fluvial parade where the image of the Lady of Peñafrancia is carried through the river aglow with floating candles.

October Philippine Fiesta

• Masskara Festival - held every 3rd week of October in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Mask-making puts a quaint accent on the festivities to mark Bacolod City's charter day. Brass bands, beauty contests and parades are held before the evening's highlight of street dance where folks wear their beautiful masks.

November Philippine Fiesta

• Higantes Festival - from November 22 to 23 in Angono, Rizal, male devotees carry the image of San Clemente in a procession that features pahadores, clad in colorful garb and wooden shoes and carrying boat paddles and higantes (giants) 10 feet tall papier mache puppets.

December Philippine Fiesta

• San Fernando Giant Lantern Festival - celebrated the whole month of December in San Fernando, Pampanga. The festival culminates in a judging contest of the best, biggest and most beautiful Christmas lantern made by the local craftsmen in San Fernando.

• Binirayan Festival - fiesta dates are from the 28th to the 30th of December in San Jose Antique. Ethnic pageantry reaches a new high on the beaches of Maybato in San Jose and Malandong in Hamtik, where the drama of the first Malay settlement at Malandong is played out.

• "Adobo/Inadobo" − cooked in soy sauce, vinegar and garlic. It could also refer to just roasting on a wok, with light oil, garlic and salt, as in adobong mani peanutadobo). The latter is done more for snacks, while the former is more associated with viands.
• "Babad/Binabad/Ibinabad" − to marinate.
• "Banli/Binanlian/Pabanli" − blanched.
• "Bagoong/Binagoongan/ – sa Bagoong" − cooked with fermented fish paste bagoong.
• "Binalot" – literally "wrapped." This generally refers to dishes wrapped in banana leaves or even aluminum foil. The wrapper is generally inedible (in contrast to lumpia — see below).
• "Binuro" − fermented.
• "Busa/Pabusa" – toasted with garlic and a small quantity of cooking oil, as in adobong mani.
• "Daing/Dinaing/Padaing" − marinated with garlic, vinegar, and black peppers. Sometimes dried and usually fried before eating.
• "Guinataan/sa Gata" − cooked with coconut milk.
• "Guisa/Guisado/Ginisa" or "Gisado" − sautéed with garlic, onions and/or tomatoes.
• "Halabos/Hinalabos" – mostly for shellfish. Steamed in their own juices and sometimes carbonated soda.
• "Hilaw/Sariwa" – unripe (for fruits and vegetables), raw (for meats). Also used for uncooked food in general (as in lumpiang sariwa).
• "Hinurno" – baked in an oven or roasted.
• "Ihaw/Inihaw" − grilled over coals.
• "Kinilaw" or "Kilawin" − marinated in vinegar or calamansi juice along with garlic, onions, ginger, tomato, peppers.
• "Laga/Nilaga/Palaga" − boiled, sometimes with onions and black peppercorns.
• "Nilasing" − cooked with an alcoholic beverage.
• "Lechon/Nilechon" − roasted over a spit.
• "Lumpia" – wrapped with an edible wrapper.
• "Minatamis" − cooked with sugar, or with other sweeteners such as panucha (panela).
• "Pinakbet" − to cook with vegetables usually with sitaw (yardlong beans), calabaza, talong (eggplant), and ampalaya (bitter melon) among others and bagoong.
• "Paksiw/Pinaksiw" − cooked in vinegar.
• "Pangat/Pinangat" − boiled in salted water with tomatoes.
• "Palaman/Pinalaman" − "filled" as in siopao, though "palaman" also refers to the filling in a sandwich.
• "Pinakuluan" – boiled.
• "Piniato" – peanut brittle.
• "Prito/Pinirito" − fried or deep fried. From the Spanish frito.
• "Pasingaw" – steamed, usually with a banana leaf.
• "Relleno/Relyeno" – stuffed.
• "Tapa/Tinapa" – dried and smoked. Tapa refers to meat treated in this manner, mostly marinated and then dried and fried afterwards. Tinapa meanwhile is almost exclusively associated with smoked fish.
• "Sarza/Sarciado" – cooked with a thick sauce.
• "Sinangag" – fried rice.
• "Sigang/Sinigang" − boiled, usually with a tamarind base. Variant bases are: guava, raw mangoes, calamansi also known as calamondin, and almost any other sour fruit abundant in the locality.
• "Tosta/Tinosta/Tostado" – toasted, as in polvoron or Mamon Tostado.
• "Torta/Tinorta/Patorta" – to cook with eggs in the manner of an omelette.
• "Totso/Totcho" – cooked with fermented black beans. The name of both a cooking method and dish.

Staples

As with most Asian countries, the staple food in the Philippines is rice. It is most often steamed and served during meals. Leftover rice is often fried with garlic and onions to make sinangag, which is usually served at breakfast together with a fried egg and cured meat or sausages. Rice is often enjoyed with the sauce or broth from the main dishes. In some regions, rice is mixed with salt, condensed milk, cocoa, or coffee. Rice flour is used in making sweets, cakes and other pastries. Other staples derived from crops include corn and bread.

Fruits are often used in cooking as well. Coconuts, coconut milk, coconut meat, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bananas are usually added to meals. Abundant harvests of root crops occur all year round. Potatoes, carrots, taro (gabi), cassava (kamoteng kahoy), purple yam (ube), and sweet potato (kamote) are examples. Kamote and a certain type of plantain called saba can be chopped, dusted with brown sugar, fried and skewered, yielding kamote-cue and banana-cue which are popular caramelized snacks.

Meat staples include chicken, pork, beef, and fish. Seafood is popular as a result of the bodies of water surrounding the archipelago. Popular catches include tilapia, catfish (hito), milkfish (bangus), grouper (lapu-lapu), shrimp (hipon), prawns (sugpo), mackerel (galunggong), swordfish, oysters (talaba), mussels (tahong), clams (halaan and tulya), large and small crabs (alimango and alimasag respectively), game fish, sablefish, tuna, cod, blue marlin, and squid/cuttlefish (both called pusit). Also popular are seaweeds, abalone, and eel.

The most common way of having fish is to have it salted, pan-fried or deep-fried, and then eaten as a simple meal with rice and vegetables. It may also be cooked in a sour broth of tomatoes or tamarind as in pangat, prepared with vegetables and a souring agent to make sinigang, simmered in vinegar and peppers to make paksiw, or roasted over hot charcoal or wood (inihaw). Other preparations include escabeche (sweet and sour) or relleno (deboned and stuffed). Fish can be preserved by being smoked (tinapa) or sun-dried (tuyo).

Food is often served with various dipping sauces. Fried food is often dipped in vinegar, soy sauce, juice squeezed from kalamansi (Philippine lime or calamondin), or a combination of all. Patis (fish sauce) may be mixed with kalamansi as dipping sauce for most seafood. Fish sauce, fish paste (bagoong), shrimp paste (alamang) and crushed ginger root (luya) are condiments that are often added to dishes during the cooking process or when served.

Philippine cuisine consists of the foods, preparation methods and eating customs found in the Philippines. The style of cooking and the foods associated with it have evolved over several centuries from its Malayo-Polynesian origins to a mixed cuisine with many Hispanic, Chinese, American, and other Asian influences adapted to indigenous ingredients and the local palate.

Filipinos traditionally eat three main meals a day: agahan or almusal (breakfast), tanghalían (lunch), and hapunan (dinner) plus an afternoon snack called meriénda (also called minandál or minindál). Dishes range from the very simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to the elaborate paellas and cocidos created for fiestas.

Popular dishes include lechón (whole roasted pig), longganisa (Philippine sausage), tapa (cured beef), torta (omelette), adobo (chicken and/or pork braised in garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar or cooked until dry), kaldereta (meat in tomato sauce stew), mechado (larded beef in soy and tomato sauce), pochero (beef in bananas and tomato sauce), afritada (chicken or pork simmered in a tomato sauce with vegetables), kare-kare (oxtail and vegetables cooked in peanut sauce), crispy pata (deep-fried pig's leg), hamonado (pork sweetened in pineapple sauce), sinigang (meat or seafood in sour broth), pancit (noodles), and lumpia (fresh or fried spring rolls).