05 May 2014 - The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong SAR, led by Deputy Consul General and Acting Head of Consular Post Rosanna Villamor Voogel, and the Filipino community in Hong Kong celebrated National Flag Day on May 4, with a wreath-laying ceremony at Morrison Hill Playground – the  site where the first Philippine national flag was sewn in May 1898 by Marcela Agoncillo, her daughter, Lorenza, and Delfina Herbosa Natividad, niece of Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. 

The wreath-laying ceremony was followed by a short program at the Consulate’s Sentro Rizal which was attended by the Filipino community and media partners. 

As noted by Acting Head of Consular Post Villamor Voogel during her opening remarks at Sentro Rizal, the Philippine national flag’s three stars do not only signify the three major islands of the country namely, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, but they also refer to peace, bravery and most importantly, unity, which the Filipino community in Hong Kong should exemplify.

The Visayas-Mindanao Music and Dance Ensemble led the singing of the Philippine national anthem.  The highlight of the program was a musical presentation by members of Lakbay Dangal re-enacting the sewing of the first national flag in May 1898 with the attendees singing the Philippine patriotic song, Bayan Ko (My Country).

On March 6, 1965, Presidential Proclamation No. 374 was issued declaring May 28 of each year as National Flag Day to commemorate the date when the national flag was first unfurled in Imus, Cavite in 1898.  The National Flag Day was extended from May 28 to June 12 with the issuance of Executive Order No. 179 on May 23, 1994. END