The Philippines Flips Its Flag Upside Down When War Comes

In the Philippines, the flag flies upside down — red side up — when the country is at war. It did against the USA in 1899 and against Japan from December 1941, and came back blue side up in 1946. Five hundred years of commanders waving their squads forward: c. 900: balangay boats sail these islands, and the Laguna Copperplate, written in Kawi script, records a debt being cleared. 1521: Magellan's expedition reaches the islands. At Mactan the Spanish shot first, through thin wooden shields; the shore answered with spears, stones and mud, and the landing party fled to its boats. 1565: Spain comes back (Legazpi, Cebu), and in 1571 founds Manila — about 333 years of Spanish rule. 1762–1764: Britain takes Manila in the Seven Years' War and leaves when the peace arrives. 1896: the Katipunan rises. 1 May 1898: the US fleet sinks Spain's in Manila Bay. 12 June 1898: independence is proclaimed at Kawit, under the first flag. December 1898: the Treaty of Paris — Spain cedes the islands to the USA, which pays $20,000,000. The Philippine envoy was never admitted to the talks. 4 February 1899: the Philippine–American War begins. By 1902 the USA holds the islands. 1935: the Commonwealth. 8 December 1941: Japan invades. 20 October 1944: US forces land at Leyte ("I have returned"), with Filipino soldiers fighting alongside them. 4 July 1946: independence. No flag is recorded for Mactan or the other peoples who lived here before 1521, so instead of inventing one we drew them as woven rattan sipa balls. The flag shown for Spain in 1521 is the Cross of Burgundy, the usual convention; Magellan's own banner is not recorded. Ships and battles are cartoons. Which country's history should we tell next? 👇 Credits: ships and rocks by Kenney (CC0); palms and ferns from Poly Pizza (CC0); ground textures ambientCG (CC0); historical flags of the Philippines, Spain, Great Britain, the USA and Japan from Wikimedia Commons (public domain).