Three Stars and a Sun

The Three Stars and a Sun (Tagalog:Tatlong Bituin at isang Araw; Spanish:Tres estrellas y un sol) are popular patriotic symbols of the Philippines since the 1896 Philippine Revolution. Created by the Magdalo Faction of the Katipunan, it was designed by Emilio Aguinaldo.
History
Since its introduction, some of the basic meaning of the symbols have remained the same. The three stars represent the three major island groups of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Aguinaldo's sun was originally a mythological sun with many rays, later adaptions of the sun were changed to a simpler sun with eight rays representing the eight provinces placed under martial law by Governor General Ramón Blanco during the Philippine revolution. The sun is derived from the Katipunan flag of the Tagalog Republic. Aguinaldo's version is considered an inspiration from Argentina's Sun of May.
As Symbols in the National Flag
The Philippine national flag has a rectangular design that consists of a white equilateral triangle, symbolizing liberty, equality and fraternity; a horizontal blue stripe for peace, truth, and justice; and a horizontal red stripe for patriotism and valor. In the center of the white triangle is an eight-rayed golden sun symbolizing unity, freedom, people's democracy, and sovereignty. Each ray represents one of the first eight provinces that started the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, who wrote the Philippine Declaration of Independence and who read it on the occasion of its proclamation on June 12, 1898, listed the eight provinces as Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, and Batangas. Three five-pointed stars, one for each of the triangle's points, stand for the three major geographical island groups that comprise the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas (at that time, Panay) and Mindanao.
The symbolism given in the 1898 Proclamation of Philippine Independence differs from the current official explanation. According to the document the white triangle signifies the emblem of the Katipunan, the secret society that opposed Spanish rule. It says the flag's colors commemorate the flag of the United States as a manifestation of gratitude for American protection against the Spanish during the Philippine Revolution. It also says that one of the three stars represents the island of Panay, rather than the entire Visayan islands. The proclamation also declares that the sun represents the gigantic steps made by the sons of the country along the path of Progress and Civilization, and lists Bataan instead of Tarlac among the eight provinces symbolized by the sun's rays.
Significance
It also become popularized by Francis Magalona in his nationalistic raps and has become his trademark (by means of his tattoo.) Now this symbol has become popular and widely used as artistic symbols in the pop culture of the Philippines. It is also seen in apparels, and other clothing designs in various artistic forms.
Examples

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See Also

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