The Coat of Arms of the Philippines features the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the first eight provinces (Manila, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Cavite) which rebelled against Spanish rule, and the three five-pointed stars representing the three primary geographic regions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. In the blue field on the left side is the Eagle of the United States, and in the red field on the right is the Lion-Rampant of Spain, both representing colonial history. The design is very similar to the design briefly adopted by the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1940. Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Philippines. ... The City of Manila (Filipino: Lungsod ng Maynila), or simply Manila, is the capital of the Philippines. ... Laguna may refer to more than one article: Laguna, a Philipine province; Laguna, Santa Catarina, a city located in southern Brazil; Laguna de Cameros, a municipality in La Rioja, Spain San Cristóbal de La Laguna (also La Laguna), a municipality in the island of Tenerife, province of Santa Cruz... Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ... CAVITE is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. ... Map of the Philippines showing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Visayas is one of the three island groupings in the Philippines along with Luzon and Mindanao. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country, with Luzon and Visayas being the other two. ... The Commonwealth of the Philippines was the political designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

The heraldric description from Republic Act No. 8491 of 1998 is as follows: Paleways of two (2) pieces, azure and gules; a chief argent studded with three (3) mullets equidistant from each other; and, in point of honor, ovoid argent over all the sun rayonnant with eight minor and lesser rays. Beneath shall be the scroll with the words "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS," inscribed thereon. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

The words on the scroll have undergone many changes since Philippine independence. From independence in 1946 until 1972, when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, the scroll contained the words "REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES." From 1979 until the overthrow of Marcos in 1986, the scroll had the words "ISANG BANSA ISANG DIWA" ("One Nation, One Spirit") inscribed. After the overthrow of Marcos, the scroll changed to the current "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS". In 1998, with the approval of Republic Act No. 8491, the eagle and lion on the lower half of the shield have been removed. However, the modified arms are not in wide use, pending the ratification of the law by a national referendum called for that purpose, as mandated by the Philippine Constitution. 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralín Marcos (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was the tenth president of the Philippines, serving from 1965 to 1986. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...