THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

45

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

requesting the return of the original filipino "stars and sun" flag to the philippines.

 

WHEREAS, Emilio Aguinaldo, a leader of the Philippine insurgency against Spanish colonialism in the late 1890's, first conceived the original "Stars and Sun" flag during his exile by Spain to Hong Kong and incorporated into the flag aspects of other Filipino flags flown during the insurgency; and

WHEREAS, Aguinaldo endowed the "Stars and Sun" flag with great symbolism - the sun representing the dawn of Filipino independence after three hundred years of Spanish rule; its eight rays representing the eight Philippine provinces; and the three stars representing the three Philippine regions of Luzon, Visaya, and Mindanao; and

WHEREAS, Aguinaldo commissioned Marcella Agoncillo, who hand-painted the sun and stars herself and, together with her daughter, sewed the flag; and

WHEREAS, the current flag of the Republic of the Philippines uses the same design; and

WHEREAS, in August 2004, American Legion War Memorial Commissioner Rudy Asercion discovered in San Francisco's War Memorial building a satin flag with hand-painted yellow sun surrounded by three stars that appears to be the Philippines' original "Stars and Sun" flag designed by Emilio Aguinaldo; and

WHEREAS, this artifact is of historic importance to the Philippines; and

WHEREAS, this flag is believed to be the Aguinaldo flag that was captured by United States General Frederick Funston during the Philippine American war and transported by him from the Philippines to San Francisco as war memorabilia when he was assigned to the Presidio in 1902; and

WHEREAS, this piece of history has remained forgotten in the War Memorial building until its recent discovery by Rudy Asercion; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of the Philippines has asked the American Legion for the return of this flag as it symbolizes the essence of Filipino nationalism; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that if it is determined that the flag described in this Resolution is in fact the original flag of the Republic of the Philippines, the State of Hawaii respectfully requests that the American Legion War Memorial Commission, War Memorial Board of Trustees, and Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco promptly return the flag to the government of the Republic of the Philippines with all due care and haste; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Republic of the Philippines; the Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco; the President of the War Memorial Board of Trustees in San Francisco; the American Legion War Memorial Commission; and the National Commander of the American Legion.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Return of Original Filipino Flag to Philippines