In addition to a national flag, Emilio Aguinaldo also recognised the importance of a national anthem. On June 5, 1898, he commissioned Julian Felipe to compose a march for the revolutionists. On June 11, 1898, Felipe played his music on a piano in the Aguinaldo living room before Aguinaldo and his lieutenants. The music was adopted on the spot except for the name. Felipe had named it Marcha Filipino Magdalo but this was changed to Marcha National Filipina or Philippine National March. At this point in time, the anthem was just a march as there were no words to the music. The national anthem was first played publicly on June 12, 1898, in proclamation of independence from Spain.

The words of the national anthem first appeared in the newspaper La Independencia on September 3, 1899. Jose Palma, a 23-year-old soldier had written a poem entitled Filipinas, Letra Para La Marcha Nacional. The words of Palma's poem and Felipe's music were put together. The national anthem now had Spanish lyrics. During the American regime, the singing of the national anthem was discouraged. After the lifting of the Philippine flag prohibition, the national anthem was translated from Spanish into English by Camilo Osias, a Filipino writer, and A. L. Lane, an American.

The English version was officially adopted by the Commonwealth government in 1934. An entire pre-war generation of Filipinos grew up singing their national anthem in English. The national anthem was finally translated into Tagalog during the term of President Magsaysay by Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Ildefonso Santos. The anthem was finally sung in Tagalog on May 26, 1956. Minor revisions to Lupang Hinirang, the Tagalog version, were made in 1962.

Below is the original Spanish version Filipinas and the English version which was sung during the Commonwealth era. The current Filipino/Tagalog version is given too, but due to its revisions, the original Spanish and English versions are no longer correct. In addition, the National Anthem must always be sung in the national language, rendering Spanish and English versions obsolete.


Tierra adorada
Hija del sol Oriente,
Su fuego ardiente
En ti latiendo esta.

Tierra de amores,
Del heroismo cuna,
Los invasores
No te hollaran jamas.

En tu azul cielo, en tus auras,
En tus montes y en tu mar,
Esplende y late el poema
De tu amada libertad.

Tu pabellion que en las lides
La victoria ilumino,
No veranunc apagados
Sus estrellas y su sol.

Tierra de dichas, de sol y amores,
En tu regazo dulce es vivir,
Es una gloria para tus hijos
Cuando te ofenden, por ti morir.



Land of the morning,
Child of the sun returning,
With fervour burning
Thee do our souls adore.

Land dear and holy,
Cradle of noble heroes
Ne'er shall invaders,
Trample thy scared shore.

Even within the skies
And through thy clouds
And o'er thy hills and sea.
Do we behold the radiance,
Feel the throb of glorious liberty.

Thy banner, dear to all our hearts
Its sun and stars alight,
O never shall its shining field
Be dimmed by tyrant's might!

Beautiful land of love,
O land of light,
In thine embrace 'tis rapture to lie
But it is glory ever,
When thou art wronged,
For us, thy sons, to suffer and die.



Bayang magiliw,
Perlas ng Silangan,
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 may di magdidilim.

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