130. Philippine Coat-of-Arms during the American Colonial Period

Philippine Islands and Commonwealth of the Philippines insignias, medals, clips, fobs, and badge collection.

Coat of arms of the Philippine Islands designed by Gaillard Hunt. 

Used by the Insular Government, which reported to the U.S. Bureau 

of Insular Affairs. The banderole bore the words "Philippine Islands".

During the American Occupation, a law was enacted prescribing a new coat of arms for the islands. The Spanish-era arms of the City of Manila were used until 1905 when the Philippine Commission adopted the "new arms and great seal of the Philippine Islands" designed by Gaillard Hunt of the US State Department. It consisted of thirteen alternating red-and-white stripes representing the Thirteen Colonies; a chief blue above, the honor color, and over them in an oval the arms of Manila with the castle of Spain and the sea lion prominently displayed. It also bore as its crest an American eagle, the symbol of the United States. Beneath the shield was the scroll with the words Philippine Islands. It remained unaltered until the inauguration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935.

Commonwealth Era

First version of the Commonwealth arms, used by the 

Commonwealth of the Philippines. First used under 

President Manuel L. Quezon, it was also used by the 

Philippine government-in-exile when the country was 

occupied by Japan during the Second World War. 

This version had the sea-lion change tincture from 

Argent to Or, while the banderole was revised to 

read "Commonwealth of the Philippines".

During the Commonwealth, extensive reform was made to the government in preparation for Philippine independence. One of the major changes was changing the symbol for Filipinos. "The Arms and Great Seal of the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines" were approved in 1935, the number of stripes reduced from thirteen to two, and three five-pointed stars were added. The sea lion was made of gold instead of silver and the eagle was slightly enlarged and placed closer to the arm. The word Commonwealth of the Philippines replaced Philippine Islands in the scroll below; it also incorporated the modified coat of arms of the City of Manila.

On 15 December 1938, President Manuel L. Quezon created the Special Committee of Arms of the Philippines. After almost two years of study, the committee recommended certain modifications to the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. They recommended that the eight-ray Philippine sun must be the point of honor. It was revised in 1940. It featured two stripes, blue on the sinister (right) side and red on the dexter (left) side of the shield; a white field above, studded with three five-pointed stars equidistant from each other; over them, the eight-rayed sun with each ray flanked on both sides by minor rays inside an oval. On the crest is the American eagle, its talon grasping an olive branch with eight leaves and eight fruits, and the left talon grasping three spears. Beneath the shield was the scroll with the inscription Philippines.

After providing the various branches of the government with their own symbols, President Quezon created the Philippine Heraldic Committee in 1940. The committee was assigned the studying and recommend the designs and symbolism for official seals of the Philippines' political subdivision, cities, and government institutions.

The 1941 coat of arms was shortlived and the 1938 iteration of the symbol was restored. Both symbols were also used as a presidential symbols through executive orders.  The heraldic work of the committee was suspended during the Pacific War.

Source: Wikipedia