It was on April 10, 1898 in the mountains of Tabla, Sudlon, Cebu City, when Cebuano patriots held the first Philippine flag raising, even months ahead of Aguinaldo’s Declaration of Independence in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898.
Luis Flores, the president of the KKK of Cebu, led the flag raising as he established the “Ayuntamiento” or what was to be called the seat of the revolutionary government of Cebu. It was Don Anatalio Tabar, the zone chief who was tasked to call on all Cebuano patriots to march to the mountains to attend the flag raising and take their oath of allegiance to the new nation called the Philippines.
The Cebuano patriots referred tp the event as the “Jura dela Bandera” and these were the words of Luis Flores (it was in Cebuano, this is CEBUpedia adaptation): “The first thing that a nation to be independent must do. The flag is the mantle of our nation, it has to be taken cared, to be loved, it needs to be felt equal to that of parents, equal to one’s belief, equal to one’s body and soul. That is why now let us show our feelings to our nation through our own flag.”
It was Don Alejo Miñoza who raised the flag. It was the wife of Don Luis Flores who sewed the flag (the book of Dionisio Sy, however, says three women sewed the flag) on Holy Tuesday, April 5, 1898 according to the design received by the KKK of Cebu on March 17, 1898 through a letter carried by Anastacio Oclarino. The flag was supposed to be raised at Fort San Pedro if the Katipuneros had been successful in their attack on the fort on April 3, 1898.
Luis Flores recited the Pledge of Allegiance as those who attended were commanded to repeat what was to be said (CEBUpedia decided to write the oath in its original form, as what was written in the book “Ang Kagubot sa Sugbo 1898” on the entry written by Elpidio Rama and Isidoro N. Enriquez:
“Ako nga tumitindog niining yuta nga Pilipinhon, pinaagi niining bandera nga ilhanan sa atong nasud, manumpa sa paglaban sa bisan unsang matang, sa bisan unsang paagi, bisan malisud, bisan makamatay, moamping sa pagbarog ug makigbisog sa pagpabarog niining hinigugma kong nasud nga Pilipinhon diin ako natawo ug anhi ako moalagad, anhi ako magpakamatay.”
After reciting the oath, the Cebuano patriots each kissed the flag unfurled at the window of the “Ayuntamiento” of the KKK of Cebu.