ANTIQUE, Philippines — A family in Antique has revealed a 127-year-old Philippine flag believed to have been raised during the 1898 Revolution by a general under Emilio Aguinaldo, reigniting historical discussions and calls to have the artifact declared a national cultural treasure.
A long-forgotten flag believed to have been raised during the Philippine Revolution in the town of Libertad, Antique, has resurfaced, prompting historians to reassess the timeline of revolutionary events in the Visayas and potentially redefine which province first hoisted the revolutionary colors outside Luzon.
The flag, reportedly raised by General Leandro Fullon on September 21, 1898, upon his arrival in what was then Inyawan (now Libertad), may predate the well-documented flag-raising in Santa Barbara, Iloilo on November 17, 1898—long considered the first official flag hoisting in the region during the establishment of the Revolutionary Government under General Martin Delgado.
Antique historian Professor Edbert Cabrillos revealed that the flag was preserved by Norma Furio Abellon, granddaughter of Colonel Ruperto Gorero Abellon, Fullon’s second-in-command.
The artifact was passed down by her father, Juan Abellon, and kept in their ancestral home in San Jose de Buenavista.
“This cultural material—the flag—is partially deteriorated but about 80% intact,” Cabrillos said in a phone interview on June 24. “It’s very emotional, especially for Norma. It has remained stored and largely forgotten until now.”
Measuring 53 inches by 93 inches, the fragile flag is now undergoing a verification process with both local and national cultural agencies, Cabrillos added.
Supporting the claim is a 5×7-inch photograph of Juan Abellon holding the flag during the June 12, 1967, Independence Day celebration in San Jose. The photo, long circulated online through the “Nostalgic Hantique” Facebook page, only recently caught the attention of scholars.
Antique Board Member Errol Santillan, whose father took the photograph, confirmed its authenticity. He recalled seeing the image as a child and pointed to a handwritten note at the back of the photo, which described the flag’s origins.
“This flag is the very original one planted by Gen. Fullon in his 1st expeditionary forces on the shore of Libertad (then Angyawan), Antique, on September 21, 1898,” the note states. It also credits Col. Ruperto Abellon for preserving the artifact before passing it down to his son, Juan.
Cabrillos emphasized that while the find could elevate Libertad’s status in the revolutionary narrative, it does not aim to diminish the role of Santa Barbara.
“This enriches our understanding of the broader revolutionary movement,” he said. “It fosters pride and historical consciousness, particularly in communities that have long felt peripheral in the national story.”
However, Ilonggo historian Jose Nereo Lujan cautioned that more substantial evidence is needed.
“To challenge the narrative requires more than oral history and watermarked photographs,” he said. “We need revolutionary dispatches, records, military orders—something verifiable. The Santillan photo is compelling, but not yet definitive.”
Lujan added that if verified, Libertad’s claim would complement—not replace—the existing historical record.
“It reminds us that the struggle for independence was not centralized but echoed from many shores,” he said.
Cabrillos said a formal historical verification process is now underway, with hopes that the flag can be authenticated and preserved as a national cultural treasure.
“This may be more than a provincial relic,” he said. “It could be a missing piece of the nation’s revolutionary story.”