There is no legal basis in conducting Flag Raising Ceremony everyday

There is no legal basis in conducting Flag Raising Ceremony everyday

How many times do you conduct Flag Raising Ceremony in your school? If your school is one of the many schools that are still conducting the Flag Raising Ceremony everyday then you are one of the schools practicing the traditional flag raising ceremonies.

Why traditional? We considered traditional, because you are practicing what is handed down from age to age or adhering to past practices or established conventions, one that has been used for a long time, having the flag raising ceremony every morning and lowering the flag every afternoon, ready again for the flag raising ceremony in the following day. This is absolutely wrong and no existing basis for this practice.

The issue of conducting the flag raising ceremony everyday is one of the trending discussions in one of the  Official Facebook Groups created by the Department of Education (DepEd).

One of the admins of the said FB group started a thread for discussion. 

He posted:

"Tuwing Kailan lang ba dapat ang Flag Raising Ceremony? 

Ano ang legal basis ng everyday Flag Raising Ceremony sa School?"

He also attached legal bases issued by Civil Service Commission and Department of Education (DepEd) pertaining to the Observance/Conduct of Flag Raising and Lowering Ceremonies and Proper Sequence in Official DepEd Programs Involving the Singing of the Philippine National Anthem. 

Here are the Legal Bases in the Conduct of Flag Raising and Lowering Ceremonies (every Monday)

1. Republic Act No. 8491, Sec. 23. All government offices, including national or local government units and institutions, shall henceforth observe the flag raising ceremony every Monday morning and the flag lowering ceremony every Friday afternoon. READ LEGAL BASIS

2. DO 50, s. 2015 - Pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act (RA) No. 8491, otherwise known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, all government offices and educational institutions are required to participate in the Observance/Conduct of Flag Raising Ceremonies every Monday morning and Flag Lowering Ceremonies every Friday afternoon. READ DEPED ORDER

3. CSC MC 19, S. 2012: OBSERVANCE OF FLAG CEREMONIES: WHEREFORE, the Commission RESOLVES to enjoin all heads of government agencies to schedule a flag raising ceremony every Monday, or the next working day if Monday is declared a holiday, and a flag-lowering ceremony ever Friday or on the last working day of each week.

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Here are some of the comments from other teachers regarding this issue?

Every Monday lang talaga. Wlang bases ang everyday.

According to the Deped memo. Hindi po everyday. Paanu po un everyday may flag ceremony? (Magbasa ng memo.)

Anu naman masama kung mag flag ceremony araw araw..eh noon ba nag flag ceremony tayo araw araw eh pati flag retreat.Wala naman masama siguro na mag flag ceremony araw araw no? (Legal basis?)

Paano kung si SH ang may pakana ng araw-araw flag ceremony, may kaso ba dun sir he he

Pag nalaman ng teachers at learners na ayon sa batas..every Monday lang ng FC..then the school is not following the crystal clear policy..so ano tingin nila sa School Authority na hindi sumusunod sa head ng agency..which is the Secretary and the Civil Service law?

Principal Empowerment? Ano pa ang silbi ng Deped Secreatry kung lahat na lang Principal Empowerment? Asking lang po....kasi baka next tie sa Principal na lang kami magpapamirma ng Deped Order...


Kaya ang daming naliligaw kasi hindi nagbabasa o sumusunod sa D.O/Memo gaya nalang sa mga SF Forms at sa LIS.

Kami po lagi ding my flag ceremony every day kasi lahat ng announcement namin laging my paalala cleanliness, basura at lahat ng gustong sabihin pwro ang flag retreat every friday pm
(What is the legal basis)

Mas intact ang mga bata pag everyday nag flag ceremony. Tas napapractice dn nila ang tamang lyrics ng Pambansang Awit. (What is the legal basis, meron po ba?)

Flag raising has become our practice in schools. Since no one says it is wrong, everything thinks it is the right thing to do. However, it appears that the practice is baseless.
(i am still looking for the legal basis..please help)

Republic Act 8491 only provides Monday flag raising and Friday flag lowering. I also observe that colleges and universities do not require their students to attend flag ceremonies. Only employees attend. In that case, why do we require elementary and secondary learners to attend daily flag ceremonies.
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