Students' Awareness of Heraldic Code in Selected Private and Public Schools: A Comparative Study

This study assessed and compared junior high school students’ awareness of the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 8491) in selected public and private schools in the City Schools Division of Tayabas City. A quantitative descriptive-survey and descriptive-comparative design involved 566 Grades 7–10 students, including 362 public-school and 204 private-school respondents selected through stratified random sampling. A researcher-developed, expert-validated and pilot-tested questionnaire measured awareness of national-flag protocols, the national anthem and the national motto. Frequency, percentage and weighted arithmetic mean summarized responses; Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests examined group differences at the .05 level. The results indicated very high reported awareness of the flag-raising ceremony (3.78), national anthem (3.69) and national motto (3.68), but comparatively lower awareness of flag design (3.20) and specifications (3.23). Significant differences emerged in selected indicators by age, sex and school type, although these differences were not uniform across all domains. The findings informed the proposed Tayabense Youth Patriots Program, emphasizing technical understanding of flag regulations, reflective civic learning and meaningful observance of national symbols. The study concludes that strong ceremonial and values-related awareness coexist with specific gaps in knowledge of the Heraldic Code, suggesting a need for targeted school-based reinforcement.