ANTIQUE – A 127-year-old Philippine flag believed to have been hoisted during the Philippine Revolution is being pushed for declaration as a national treasure by a local historian in Antique in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
Former Antique Provincial Board member and historian Errol Santillan is working closely with the NHCP to secure official recognition for the historic flag currently in the possession of the family of 2nd Lt. Ruperto Abellon, a revolutionary officer who served as second-in-command in the Visayas under General Leandro Fullon.
“We also intend to seek a resolution from the Antique Provincial Board for it to be declared an important historical and cultural heritage item so it can be preserved accordingly,” Santillan said in an interview on June 24.
According to Santillan, the flag was part of the armed expedition led by Fullon — dispatched by General Emilio Aguinaldo from Luzon to liberate Antique from Spanish rule. The revolutionary force, composed of 140 officers and 340 men, landed in Pandan, Antique on September 21, 1898.
“The flag was brought and hoisted in Libertad, Antique during the 1898 expedition,” he noted.
The Abellon family has kept the flag for more than a century. Based on the recollections of Abellon’s 79-year-old granddaughter, it is believed to have come from Hong Kong and was brought back by Aguinaldo when he returned to the Philippines on May 19, 1898.
Measuring 53 inches in width and 93 inches in length, the flag bears the same colors and design as the modern Philippine flag — red, blue, and white, along with three stars representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It is made of a special fabric, according to Santillan, and has been preserved in private by the family.
Santillan has formally sought the family’s permission to publicly disclose the existence of the flag and emphasized its significance in Philippine revolutionary history.
If recognized by the NHCP and supported by a provincial board resolution, the flag could be officially declared a national cultural treasure, ensuring its conservation for future generations./PN