In the Philippines, there are seals that the government use to authenticate important affairs including hearings, signing of documents, speeches, oath-takings and whatnot. We delve deeper into their meanings below

1. The Great Seal of the Government

Tatler Asia

At a cursory glance, the Great Seal of the Government can be likened to the Philippine flag. It has the eight rays of the sun, the three stars, and the colours blue, white, and red. According to Executive Order no. 8491, which was signed on February 12, 1998, the Great Seal shall be circular in form, with the arms consisting of two azure and gules, and a chief argent with three mullets equidistant from each other.

Surrounding the whole must be a double marginal circle within which shall appear the words 'Republika ng Pilipinas' [Republic of the Philippines]. "For the purpose of placing The Great Seal, the colour of the arms shall not be deemed essential, but tincture representation must be used," it added. 

The Great Seal bears the national motto "Maka diyos, Makatao, Makakalikasan, and Makabansa". 

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The President, who holds custody of the Great Seal, has the duty to affix or place it when signing commissions, official documents, and papers of the Republic of the Philippines.

2. Presidential Seal

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Used to represent the Philippines' rich history and the dignity of its president, the official Presidential Seal of the Philippines is composed of a circular blue shield with an eight-rayed golden-yellow Philippine sun at the centre. Overlapping the Philippine sun is a red equilateral triangle. Inside and at the centre of the equilateral triangle is the traditional golden-yellow sea lion (Ultramar) of the Coat-of-Arms granted to the City of Manila in 1596, on guard with a sword on its right paw at the hilt. The Ultramar erstwhile represented the country as an overseas colony of Spain but now refers to the state power and authority of the Republic of the Philippines.

In 1947, its original form was designed by Captain Galo B. Ocampo, an artist who also served on the Philippine Heraldry Committee. Former President Manuel Roxas first used the original version in the same year.

3. Seal of the Office of the Vice President

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Unlike the official Presidential Seal, the Vice President's official symbol is not filled with heavy shades of azure blue. The Executive Order No. 310, which was signed on April 20, 2004, describes the Vice Presidential seal as:

"Coat-of-Arms of the Vice President of the Philippines, and a blue circle around the Coat-of-Arms. The blue circle shall contain the words "Sagisag ng Pangalawang Pangulo ng Pilipinas" in white letters on the upper arc, while the lower is divided by one five-pointed white star."

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4. Seal of the Senate

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The Senate's seal is also used to authenticate lobbied bills and other official documents. The custody of this symbol belongs to the Office of the Senate and only a few members of the Senate, including the Senate President. 

On the side of the Philippine coat of arms are Sampaguita garlands with buds on each side representing the 12 regions of the country. The Sampaguita flower espouses the Senate's "honour and dignity, characteristics, which likewise epitomise the Senate as an institution." 

Below is an image of a scroll with the Latin inscription "Legis Servitae Pax Fiat," which translates to "Law Serves Peace, Let It Be Done". This Latin maxim embodies the ideals and aspirations of the Senate to pass relevant laws in order to attain peace in the country. The stars arranged in circle surrounding the coat of arms represent the 24 elected Senators of the Senate of the Philippines.

5. Seal of the House of Representatives of the Philippines

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The lower chamber adopted a new seal on September 23, 2015, through its House Resolution no. 233. The seal is described as a circular symbol bearing the Philippine National Coat-of-Arms but without the scroll and the inscription in the centre.

Below is the year "1907", representing when the First Philippine Assembly was inaugurated. Eighty-one small stars surround the seal; these represent the current number of provinces that comprises the country.

Surrounding the whole is a double marginal circle within which the words "House of Representatives" appear in the upper part and "Philippines" in the lower part. These phrases are separated by two small five-pointed stars.

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