a GIANT mistake

On September 23, 2008 the Giants held its 2nd Filipino Heritage Night of the season. Because of the success of the first Filipino Heritage Night, the SF Giants made moves to plan another night in honor of the large Filipino population in the Bay Area. While many fans loved the commemorative T-shirt given away with tickets purchased for the 1st event, many might not have been so happy with the commemorative hat given away on the 2nd Filipino Heritage Night. Take a look at the image below and figure out what's wrong with the item (no, the answer isn't "tam4svp," haha i found this on eBay)...

Now for those of you who were able to spot the flaw in this item, much props to you. I wouldn't really expect many people to figure it out, considering our generation of Filipinos isn't as knowledgeable about our culture as our elders. What's even more sad about the mistake on this hat is the fact that it was screened and approved by a Filipino person. So, the SF Giants aren't at complete fault for this mishap. We could only really blame ourselves and our generation's lack of cultural awareness.

Before you start to get a headache trying to figure out what's wrong with this hat, i'll give a few hints....

1. it isn't the # of sunrays

2. it isn't the amount or positioning of the stars

3. it isn't the colors of the flag

So, what the hell is wrong with it?

Don't get me wrong, the colors of the flag are correct. They rightfully used white, yellow, blue and red. HOWEVER, the red field and the blue field are in the INCORRECT positions. Some might think it isn't a big issue, but if you knew a little about the history of the flag, you would know it is an issue.

Did you know?...

The flag is displayed with the blue field on top in time of peace and the red field on top in time of war. Now if we were a bit more culturally aware, such a mistake wouldn't have been designed and hundreds of people wouldn't ignorantly wear it at an event honoring Filipinos. I encourage you guys to learn a little about your culture, even if its just the basics like your national flag. When speaking to elders, sometimes we wonder "what the hell are you talking about? why do you think like that? why do you act like that? we're in America, get over it"... i challenge you to think in another light and know your roots... then maybe you'll have a better understanding about yourself, your family, and society in general.

Some basics about the Philippine Flag

1. The 8 primary rays of the sun represent the first 8 provinces (Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac) that sought indepence from Spain at the start of the Philippine Revolution.

2. The 3 stars represent the major islands of the Philippines (Luzon, Mindanao, Visayas)

3. The white triangle stands for equality and fraternity. Blue stands for peace, truth, and justice. Red stands for patriotism and valor.