THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ANTHEM
(Lupang Hinirang)

A Brief History

The Philippine National Anthem was composed by Julian Felipe as instructed by General Emilio Aguinaldo. It was first played publicly on June 12, 1898 by the town band of San Francisco de Malabon on the occasion of the proclamation of Philippine Independence and the unfurling of the Philippine Flag in Kawit, Cavite.

For more than a year the Philippine National Anthem remained without any lyrics, until Jose Palma wrote the poem Filipinas in Spanish, which became the original words of the anthem.

During the American colonial rule of the Philippines, the Spanish lyrics of the anthem was translated into English titled The Philippine Hymn by a Filipino writer, Camilo Osias, and an American, A.L. Lane.

Finally, during the term of President Ramon Magsaysay, two Filipinos by the name of Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Ildefonso Santos translated the lyrics into Filipino with the title "Lupang Hinirang", which became the official version of the Philippine National Anthem in 1956.

Below is the official Filipino (Tagalog) version of the anthem.

Lupang Hinirang
(The Philippine National Anthem)

Bayang magiliw
Perlas ng Silanganan,
Alab ng puso,
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.

Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.

Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim.

Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati't pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo.
Aming ligaya, na pag may mang-aapi
Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.