The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is asking for amendments to a measure that may allow the recycling of worn-out Philippine flags, replacing the traditional burning method that emits large amounts of greenhouse gases.
Under the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, a flag that’s worn out through wear and tear have to be “solemnly burned to avoid misuse or desecration,” and its ashes have to be buried.
Nonetheless, this method was found to be harmful to the environment as nylon, a petroleum-based synthetic material from which most current flags are made, releases greenhouse gases akin to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide—an emission nearly 300 times stronger than CO₂—when incinerated, DoST said in an announcement.
A 3×5 nylon flag weighing around 300 grams can release roughly 0.72 kilograms of CO₂ when burned, which is similar to a vehicle traveling roughly 3 to 4 kilometers.
Once buried, synthetic residues degrade into microplastics that may persist within the soil for as much as 30 to 40 years, the agency said.
Although the tactic reflects patriotic reverence, DoST noted that it’s contradictory to the country’s environmental and sustainability laws, akin to the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Management Act.
DoST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said he hopes Republic Act No. 8491 can be amended in order that the textile could be repurposed for other uses, underscoring the country’s push for a circular economy.
“I hope the flag is not going to be put to waste by burning it, as its threads can still be used. We’ve to indicate that this could still be used for other purposes,” Mr. Solidum told reporters during a ceremonial disposal of a worn-out Philippine flag on Tuesday in Filipino.
“That’s what we wish to vary,” he added, referring to the amendment the agency goals to push in the present law.
The DoST-Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) seeks to specifically amend Section 14 of RA 8491 to ascertain a dignified and licensed recycling process to get better textile materials from the flag while still stopping misuse or desecration.
The method can be determined by the institute and verified by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
DoST-PTRI proposes that the recovered yarns may very well be repurposed into medal ribbons, ceremonial lanyards, official government textiles, and potentially newly manufactured flags.
The proposed amendment also calls for modernizing the flag’s official color specifications, which were derived from a 1900s American color system, into internationally recognized color space values which are more compatible with modern and sustainable dyeing technologies.
It also calls for consolidating the authority for flag-quality testing under DoST-PTRI to ascertain a single, auditable certification system for all Philippine flags produced using public funds.
With these proposed amendments, the retirement of the Philippine flag would reflect each an act of reverence and a responsibility to the environment that the nation has sworn to guard, DoST said. — Edg Adrian A. Eva