MANILA, Philippines — Google celebrated the Philippines’ 123rd Independence Day with a doodle of the country’s flag on its front page.
“On this day in 1898, a public reading of the Philippine Declaration of Independence in Cavite el Viejo (modern-day Kawit) proclaimed the archipelago a sovereign nation,” Google said in a statement on Saturday.
Google also explained the symbolic meanings behind the Philippine flag’s colors, stars, and the eight rays of the sun.
“Filled with symbolic meaning, all of the flag’s colors stand for a unique element of Philippine pride. Blue represents the peace and justice earned from Philippine leaders’ heroic sacrifice, red signifies their courage and bravery, and the white triangle symbolizes unity and equality,” Google said.
“Each ray symbolizes the first eight Philippine provinces to seek independence: Nueva Ecija, Manila, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Bataan. In the corners of the flag’s white triangles are three stars that represent Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the three main regions of the Philippines,” it added.
It was on June 12, 1898 when the Philippines declared its independence from Spanish colonial rule.