ANTIQUE — A 127-year-old Philippine flag, a rare relic from the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War, is set to be turned over to the Provincial Government of Antique this month by the descendants of its custodian, 2nd Lt. Ruperto Abellon.
Local historian Errol Santillan confirmed that the Abellon family has expressed their intent to formally donate the flag to the province so it may be preserved as a provincial treasure and historical heritage.
“We are now fixing the date for the formal turnover of the flag that will become a provincial treasure of Antique,” Santillan said in an interview on October 10.
Abellon, who served as the second-in-command in the Visayas under Gen. Leandro Fullon, played a vital role in the province’s liberation efforts during the late 1890s. The flag, which measures 53 inches wide and 93 inches long, was first hoisted in Libertad, Antique, on September 21, 1898, as Fullon and his troops from Luzon arrived to reclaim the province from Spanish control.
According to Santillan, Abellon’s great-grandson — currently based in Australia — is now in Antique to coordinate the turnover ceremony. The family, he added, wishes the flag to remain in the province under the care of the local government so that future generations will remember Antique’s contribution to the nation’s fight for independence.
A memorandum of agreement (MOA) is being prepared by the Antique Provincial Legal Office to formalize the donation and ensure the flag’s preservation. Santillan suggested that it be displayed at the old Antique capitol building, where historians, students, and visitors may view it.
Meanwhile, a Provincial Board resolution is being proposed to declare the flag as an important historical and cultural heritage of Antique.
Gen. Fullon, who led the revolutionary expedition under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, landed with 140 officers and 340 men in Pandan, Antique, before proceeding to Libertad, where they raised the flag — a powerful symbol of freedom and unity that endures to this day. (PNA)
