THE turnover ceremony for a flag from the 1898 Philippine revolution in Antique province. (Antique Capitol PIO)
ILOILO CITY – The province of Antique received an 1898 Philippine revolutionary flag during a ceremony in the town of Patnongon on Monday.
The Abellon family turned over the flag believed to be 127-years-old to the provincial government represented by Gov. Paolo S. Javier.
“This flag symbolizes equality, purity, and the Filipino spirit that revolted against Spanish rule,” said Javier.
Provincial Board Member Vincent H. Piccio III said the provincial government allocated P2.7 million to authenticate and document the flag, believed to be from Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
If authenticated, it will mean that the first flag was raised outside of Luzon on Sept. 21, 1898 in Libertad town, northern Antique.
This would change the widely accepted history that it happened in Santa Barbara town, Iloilo province on Nov. 18, 1898.
The flag’s existence was publicly announced last June by Prof. Edbert Masendo Cabrillos of the University of Antique and based on the research of former provincial board member Errol Santillan.
The flag was given to revolutionary Gen. Leandro Fullon who Aguinaldo sent to Antique from Luzon as part of the revolutionary forces.
Fullon would later give the flag to his second cousin Col. Ruperto Abellon Sr. The flag would be passed on to Abellon’s son, former Mayor Juan Abellon of Patnongon.
Since then, it was in the possession of the Abellon family.
Danny Abellon Elizalde, Abellon’s grandson, said the flag belongs to the people of Antique.