Rediscovered Antique Flag May Redefine Revolution Timeline

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By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A recently rediscovered flag, allegedly raised during the Philippine Revolution against Spain in Antique province, may challenge long-held historical accounts—potentially positioning Libertad as the site of the first flag-raising outside Luzon.

Antiqueño historian and professor Edbert Cabrillos told Daily Guardian that Norma Furio Abellon, granddaughter of Col. Ruperto Gorero Abellon, claimed she had preserved the flag raised by General Leandro Fullon on September 21, 1898, upon his arrival in Inyawan (now Libertad), Antique.

Fullon was then leading an expeditionary force sent by General Emilio Aguinaldo to liberate Panay Island.

The claim could shift historical focus away from Iloilo, as the Antique flag-raising predates the recognized November 17, 1898, ceremony in Santa Barbara, Iloilo—traditionally viewed as the first revolutionary flag-raising in the Visayas, during the inauguration of the Revolutionary Government of the Visayas under General Martin Delgado.

Cabrillos said the flag was handed down by Norma’s father, Juan Abellon, with instructions to preserve it.

It had been stored in the family’s ancestral house in San Jose de Buenavista.

The artifact measures 53 inches wide and 93 inches long and remains about 80% intact, though fragile and partially deteriorated, Cabrillos noted.

“This cultural material—the flag—is a bit rotted. It’s defective, but still 80% intact,” he said in a phone interview on June 24.

“Maganda pa ‘yung flag, and it’s very emotional. We, too, are emotional—especially Norma,” he added.

Supporting the claim is a 5-by-7-inch photo of Juan Abellon, a former mayor of Patnongon, holding the flag during the June 12, 1967, Independence Day celebration in San Jose de Buenavista.

The photo, developed by the family of Antique Provincial Board Member Errol Santillan, has circulated for years on the Nostalgic Hantique Facebook page but only recently gained scholarly attention.

Santillan, whose father took the photograph, confirmed its authenticity and recalled seeing it as a child.

“I firmly believed that I had already seen this picture years back—at home. It was developed and printed at Santillan’s studio. In June 1967, I was already 9 years old,” he wrote on Facebook.

On the back of the photo is a handwritten note—believed to be by Santillan’s father—detailing the flag’s origin.

“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 reads.

“This was preserved by Col. Ruperto G. Abellon, second-in-command to his second cousin Gen. Fullon, and handed down to his son, Juan Abellon.”

“Juan is here shown exhibiting and explaining the history during his speech in the plaza of San Jose on June 12, 1967, Independence Day Anniversary,” it concluded.

If verified, Cabrillos said the discovery would affirm Antique’s role in the national liberation movement and instill pride in the people of Libertad.

“This could result in a renewed sense of pride and identity among Antiqueños, especially in Libertad and in heritage conservation,” he said.

However, he clarified that the find does not aim to diminish the importance of Santa Barbara’s role.

“It rather enriches our understanding of the broader revolutionary movement across the islands,” Cabrillos added.

Ilonggo historian Jose Nereo Lujan urged caution, noting that more evidence is needed to validate the historical claim.

“To challenge the narrative requires more than oral history and watermarked photographs,” he said.

“It demands documentation—dispatches, revolutionary records, military orders, and contemporary newspapers. As stirring as the Santillan photograph is, it cannot stand alone as conclusive evidence—not yet.”

Lujan added that if the Libertad claim is confirmed, it would not replace Santa Barbara’s role but enhance the region’s revolutionary history.

“It reminds us that the fight for independence surged not from one center, but from many shores,” he said.

Cabrillos said a formal historical verification process is underway, involving both local and national cultural agencies to preserve and authenticate the artifact.