ANGELES CITY- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has urged private and public establishments here to hang the country’s National Flag in their respective premises, not just to observe its commemoration day but to be one with the nation in finding lasting peace.
“May our national emblem symbolize hope for peace especially to our brothers and sisters in Mindanao who are facing security crisis nowadays,” said Mayor Pamintuan who is a member of the government panel for the Peace Process.
“Our flag reminds us of how our forefathers fought for freedom and equality in this land. May we all be reminded that the challenge for us, the new generation, is to safeguard it- that it will not be jeopardized and wasted,” Pamintuan added.
The country’s National Flag was first unfurled on May 28, 1898 after the defeat of the Spanish forces in an encounter with the Philippine Revolutionary Army in Cavite. The flag was formally presented to the people on June 12, 1989.
From 1941 to 1964, the Flag Day was commemorated coinciding the anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence. However, in 1965, President Diosdado Macapagal ordered the move of the commemoration on the date when it was first unfurled, May 28, by the virtue of Proclamation No. 374.
On May 23, President Fidel Ramos issued Executive Order No. 179 extending the period of the National Flag Day from May 28 up to June 12 culminating the Independence Day.
The law mandates all establishments to display the Philippine Flag in all offices, agencies, instruments of government, business establishments, schools, and private homes throughout the said period.
Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines imposes the guidelines on the proper handling and prohibited acts in using the National Flag.
To enforce this, an awareness seminar was held on May 18 by Angeles City Tourism Office (ACTO) in partnership with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
The symposium facilitated by NHCP Senior History Researcher, Teddy Atienza, was attended by government employees, and representatives from business establishments and academe in the city.
Meanwhile, Angeles City is set to join six (6) key cities in the country in celebrating the 119th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12.
With the theme “Kalayaan 2017: Pagbabagong Sama-samang Balikatin”, the city’s observance will be held at the Museum of Philippine Social History (formerly Pamintuan Mansion).
“Our history is traced by a never-ending fight for rights, justice and liberty. May the spirit of bravery, unity, and peace embodied by our National Flag guide our desires for the country,” Pamintuan added.