Parading the flag across town

PANAMA. Parades will march through Calle 50 and Via España today Monday and tomorrow Tuesday starting at 8:30 a. m. in commemoration of Panama's 105 years as a republic, celebrated today, and Flag Day, celebrated tomorrow.

The first parade will run across Calle 50 from the Bladex bank to the Columbus University. 29 student bands and majorettes representing their respective schools and four independent bands will participate in this parade.

The second parade runs through Via España, from the former Caja de Ahorros to the Sucasa building. 27 student groups will participate in this one, along with five independent bands. The delegations and bands will alternate days: those performing on Calle 50 on Monday will move to Via España on Tuesday and vice versa.

Local networks will be covering both parades, rain or shine.

Panama's flag was designed by Manuel E. Amador and sewn by Maria Ossa de Amador, son and wife of Manuel Amador Guerrero, Panama's first president.

The first flag had a blue rectangle on the topmost left corner and a red star on a white background on the topmost right corner, as opposed to its current design.

The flag is Panama's first national symbol, created to affirm its separate identity and its sovereignty after its separation from Colombia in 1903. It was inaugurated and sworn in by civil authorities and the military on December 20, 1903. It was blessed by the Reverend Father Fray Bernardino de la Concepcion Garcia.

Panama's current rectangular-shaped flag is divided into four smaller rectangles. Two white rectangles are in contact in one of its angles, and each one holds a five-pointed star. The star on the white rectangle on the topmost left is blue, with a blue rectangle right below it. The topmost right rectangle is red and the rectangle on the right-hand lower corner has a white background with a red star. The blue and red represent the two political parties of Panama's history, the Liberals (red) and the Conservatives (blue), which united in peace (white) on November 3rd as Panama separated from Colombia and became a country of its own.

For the past 9 years, near November 4, the oldest flags of public institutions are burned. This year the event was held on Friday at the Parque Porras, as a traditional preamble to the celebrations to be held this week.

The attorney general Ana Matilde Gomez, other public officials, and honor roll students were present, and scout girls were in charge of burning the flags. The remaining ashes of the 50 burnt flags were later deposited in the earth to pay tribute to the country.