KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato Province (PIA) – The city government of Kidapawan has built a columbarium exclusively for use as the final resting place of Philippine flags disposed of as prescribed in Republic Act No. 8491, otherwise known as the “Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.”
Kidapawan Mayor Jose Paolo Evangelista said the columbarium, officially named “Himlayan ng mga Watawat ng Pilipinas,” is first in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region.
The columbarium is located near the Dr. Jose Rizal monument inside the Kidapawan City Plaza. First interred in it were the ashes of the 31 Philippine flags burned in a solemn ceremony during Bonifacio Day on November 30, 2024.
Section 14 of RA 8491 states, “A flag worn out through wear and tear shall not be thrown away. We must solemnly burn it to prevent misuse or desecration.
Evangelista explained that the tomb bestows ultimate respect and reverence to the flags after they have served their purpose.
“If we just bury it [the Philippine flag] on the ground, and there is no marker, it will lose significance. So, we want to have a symbol where people can also visit. Kung may marker ‘yong namatay na mga tao, with more reasons siguro ‘yong mga flags na nasunog at natapon (If there are markers for the people who died, perhaps there are more reasons for the flags that were burned and thrown away). We have to give them a proper tribute and a proper marker,” Evangelista said.
The city government’s initiative to promote beekeeping as an industry inspired the design of the columbarium. Reports state that bricks made from recovered waste materials form the tomb’s flooring.
Asked if the columbarium will be developed as a tourist destination, the mayor said the city government would prefer it to be promoted as a heritage site.
“More than a tourism site, we want to convert this into a heritage site—a cultural heritage site, moving forward. We would like to register this with the NCCA,” he said.
The Kidapawan City Columbarium has seven vaults that can accommodate the ashes of Philippine flags burned in annual ceremonies pursuant to RA 8491 until 2030.
According to the official, local governments in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region have the option to deposit flag ashes at Kidapawan City’s flag tomb, but Evangelista prefers them to also construct similar facilities.
“This is not limited only to the flags of Kidapawan City, but we also encourage the other provinces to create something like this. We’re the first to create this but this does not mean na ito lang po ang available. We hope that the other provinces and other cities and municipalities will be able to do something like this also,” he explained.
On November 30, the Regional Development Council (RDC) 12, in partnership with the city government of Kidapawan, burned 31 old, torn, and worn-out Philippine flags as a final tribute to the national symbol.
The event in Kidapawan was the third flag disposal ceremony held in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region since 2023. (DED – PIA Region 12)
