DID YOU KNOW: Manila gets 1st coat of arms in 1956

The first coat of arms of the Philippines was that of the City of Manila granted by King Philip II of Spain on March 20, 1596.

The special coat of arms was shaped like a shield topped with a crown.

On the upper half of the shield was a golden castle against a red background.

On the lower half was an “ultramar” or a half-lion, half-dolphin holding a sword with a blue background.

The ultramar can still be seen in the present-day coat of arms of the City of Manila. —Marielle Medina