Three stars and the sun

Being an avid (OK, you can define 'avid' as a past-friendly adjective) quizzer, I've had a keen interest in the Philippines flag even before I came to Philippines. I mean, go ahead and ask any quizzer, a good reputable one, which country has the distinction of not having a separate wartime flag, but instead just inverts their flag during a period of war? And pat, or maybe plop, would come the answer - the Philippines.

Anyway, I've spent a year here already, so I had to get a memoir of my time here. So, why not make it the three stars and a sun? The logo is enormously popular here. You'll find t-shirts, bikes, cars, jeepneys and even some innovative tattoos with the symbol. That is one thing that differentiates the three stars and the sun, from the Indian Chakra. During my entire growing up in India, never have I seen a t-shirt or a tattoo or a vehicle adorned with the chakra. I am not saying that the Filipinos are more patriotic than the Indians. What I am saying is that the Filipinos tend to relate to a particular segment or component of their flag as if it represented the entire national flag. But Indians like to adopt their flag mostly if it is in its entire form. While one speaks of acceptance and concurrency, the other reflects unity. Maybe it is totally my mistake to even try comparing.

Anyway, the symbolism actually holds good etymology, as wikipedia tells me. Sharing the same verbatim below.

While the eight rays of the sun stand for eight provinces to revolt against the Spanish colonizers. The three stars symbolize Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The 8 rays represent the 8 provinces that took part in the initial revolution against the Spanish. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, who wrote the Philippine Declaration of Independence and who read it on the occasion of its proclamation on June 12, 1898, has listed the eight provinces as Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas, saying that these eight were declared in a state of war almost from the start of the revolution.

The symbolism given in the 1898 Proclamation of Philippine Independence differs from the current official explanation. It says that the white triangle signifies the emblem of the Katipunan, the secret society that opposed Spanish rule. It says the flag's colors commemorate the flag of the United States as a manifestation of gratitude for American protection against the Spanish during the Philippine Revolution.