Baguio commemorates National Flag Day

June 1, 2019 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY – The city of Baguio piloted the start of the celebration of National Flag Day on Tuesday, May 28 at the Emilio Aguinaldo Museum, commemorating the Philippine Flag by virtue of Republic Act No. 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.
The celebration will end on June 12. Historically, the original Philippine flag that was first hoisted on May 28, 1898 and unfurled on June 12, 1898 during the declaration of Philippine independence is being preserved at the Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo Museum in Baguio City, the venue of the opening celebration of National Flag Day in the city.
The said event officially started with a flag-raising ceremony led by the members of the Philippine National Police and spearheaded by the Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Museum in coordination with the city government.
Emilio Aguinaldo Suntay III, the great grandson of the first Philippine president Emilio Aguinaldo delivered a speech during the event.
He acknowledged the 121st anniversary today of the battle of Alapan where the first flag was flown for victory in Imus, Cavite, each year celebrated as the Philippine National Flag Day.
He also mentioned that the original flag kept in Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Museum has found its home in Baguio City. The flag spent about 90% of its battle life up here in the north from
Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, then it went weeks in Pangasinan, La Union, parts of Cagayan, Ilocandia, Isabela and lastly in the Cordilleran region.
He added that if our flag could speak, it will speak our native tongue.
“This flag reminds us of our glorious struggles against Spain and America. So come to think about it that our very young nation battled two world-powered (countries) that time, both strong and imperialist nations and yet we yield our own,” Suntay said.
Towards the end of his speech, he said that at the end of the day this celebration is a living proof that as a united country, we won the respect of other nations aside from freedom because of the Filipinos’ bravery and sacrifices for the motherland.
The event was attended officers and heads of different offices and some members of the city government of Baguio, including Baguio City Police Office director Allen Rae Co and staff; Baguio Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo; and Councilor Mylene Yaranon.
Barangay officials and residents and the Baguio Veterans Federation also participated in the celebration.

Paul Brian T. Baldoza, UC Intern/ABN