Colors, Stars, and Freedom: The Philippine Flag
National flags do far more than fly in the wind. Every color, stripe, and symbol on a flag is chosen carefully to communicate a nation's history, values, and hopes. The national flag of the Philippines is a powerful example of how design tells a story of courage and independence.
The Philippine flag has two horizontal fields, blue above red, and a white triangle at the hoist. A golden sun with eight rays sits inside the triangle, with one star at each corner. The arrangement makes the flag recognizable even from a distance.
On May 28, 1898, Filipino revolutionary forces fought Spanish forces at Alapan in Cavite. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines says that after the Filipino victory, General Emilio Aguinaldo displayed the Philippine flag there for the first time in Cavite Nuevo. The anniversary is observed as National Flag Day and begins the period of flag displays leading to June 12.
Philippine law assigns meaning to each part of the design. Blue stands for peace, truth, and justice; red for patriotism and valor; and the white triangle for equality and fraternity. The eight sun rays represent the first eight provinces that revolted against Spain, while the three stars stand for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
- hoist:
- The edge of a flag closest to the pole or staff from which it flies.
- revolutionary:
- Involving or supporting a sudden, complete change in government, often by force.
- valor:
- Great courage or bravery, especially when facing danger or battle.
- fraternity:
- A feeling of friendship, brotherhood, and shared support among people.
- proclamation:
- An official public announcement or declaration about an important matter.
- chronology:
- The arrangement of dates or historical events in the order they happened.
More sheets from this passage
Built from the text itself — answer key included where it counts.
fix the sentence
Sentences from the passage with the capitals and punctuation removed — rewrite each one correctly.
vocabulary
Match the passage words to their meanings, then fill the missing words back into real sentences.
writing prompts
Two writing tasks that build on the passage, with plenty of lines to write on.
- All 6 sheets as one workbook
One PDF with a cover, contents page and every answer key at the back.
You Might Also Like
About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Colors, Stars, and Freedom: The Philippine Flag” is a explanatory article reading passage about Philippine Flag History, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (304 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.