The Philippines flag has horizontal blue and red bands with a white triangle at the hoist containing a golden sun and three golden stars. It has the unusual feature of being displayed differently during wartime.

What does the Philippine flag look like?

In peacetime, blue is above red. The white triangle contains one star at each corner and a central sun with eight primary rays.

What do the stars and sun mean?

The three stars represent the country’s three main island groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The eight rays of the sun represent the first eight provinces placed under martial law by Spain during the 1896 revolution.

Why does the flag reverse in wartime?

When the Philippines is officially at war, the red band is displayed above the blue. This practice makes the flag unique among current national flags.

Philippines flag facts

• First official use: 1898
• Stars: three
• Sun rays: eight primary rays
• Wartime display: red above blue