Its music was composed in 1898 by Julián Felipe, and the lyrics were adopted from the Spanish poem "Filipinas", written by José Palma in 1899.

[2] The composition known as "Lupang Hinirang" was commissioned on June 5, 1898, by Emilio Aguinaldo, head of the Dictatorial Government of the Philippines,[2] as a ceremonial and instrumental national march without lyrics, similar to the status of the "Marcha Real" in Spain.

[4] In the years after the revolution, the poem "Filipinas", written in 1899 by nationalist José Palma, gained widespread popularity as unofficial Spanish lyrics of the anthem.

[1] "Lupang Hinirang" began as incidental music which President Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned for use in the proclamation of Philippine independence from Spain.

The poem was published for the first time for the first anniversary of the newspaper La Independencia on September 3, 1899, and was subsequently set to the tune of the "Marcha Nacional Filipina".

Tagalog translations began appearing in the 1940s, with the first known one titled "Diwa ng Bayan" (Spirit of the Country), which was sung during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

The second most popular one was "O Sintang Lupa" (O Beloved Land) by Julián Cruz Balmaceda, Ildefonso Santos, and Francisco Caballo; this was adopted as the official version in 1948.

[11] During the term of President Ramon Magsaysay, Education Secretary Gregorio Hernández formed a commission to revise the lyrics.

[citation needed] The Martial Law years from 1972 to 1981 during the second term of Ferdinand Marcos up to the 1986 EDSA Revolution saw the use of the National Anthem as the opening protest song of some political parties, activist organizations, and union groups, accompanied by the use of the "raised clenched fist" salute instead of the traditional hand-to-heart salute.

[1][13] In 2011, Senator Bong Revilla introduced a bill which, among other things, would have removed the requirement that the anthem be sung "in its original Filipino lyrics and march tempo", but this was not promulgated into law.

[15][16] But after Bonifacio's Katipunan and Republika ng Katagalugan were superseded by a succession of various governments led by Aguinaldo starting in 1897, Nakpil's anthem was never officially adopted by them.

[20] During World War II, Felipe Padilla de León composed "Awit sa Paglikha ng Bagong Pilipinas", commissioned as a replacement anthem by the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic.

However, only the current Filipino version is officially recognized by the Flag and Heraldic Code, approved on February 12, 1998, which specifies, "The National Anthem shall always be sung in the 'national language' within or outside the country; violation of the law is punishable by a fine and imprisonment.

Tu pabellón, que en las lides, La victoria iluminó, No verá nunca apagados Sus estrellas y su sol.

Caring bunduc mu at caqueuan Batis, ulu't pulung cacal Bitasang macalimbagan Ing quecang catimauan.

Qng bandila mung maningning A tecutan da ring tacsil Capilan man e culimlim Ing aldo na at batuin.

Labuad ning aldo, sinta't tepangan Mayumung diling queque ca mie Iyang ligaiang quequeng paniangian Ing queca que ngan paimate.

On the blue seas and verdant hills And in the winds and azure skies, Thy immortal voice of Liberty We hear in ringing song arise.

Sagisag ng watawat mong mahal Ningning at tagumpay; Araw't bituin niyang maalab Ang s'yang lagi naming tanglaw.

"), in reference to Horace's Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori as "defeatist",[35] but a proposed recvision with a message of commitment to defending the country's independence drew popular backlash.

[36] In 2013, musician Joey Ayala, tampered with the national anthem in a forum by changing the last line to "ang magmahal nang dahil sa 'yo" ("to love for the country") and arranged the time signature from 4/4 to 6/8,[37] drawing mixed reactions from the public.

[13][39] During televised boxing matches featuring Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, singers have been both praised and criticized by the National Historical Institute (NHI) for singing too slow or too fast.

8491 ("The Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines") regulates usage of the National Anthem, and contains the complete lyrics of "Lupang Hinirang".

[1] Enacted in 1998, it requires that the anthem "shall always be sung in the national language" regardless if performed inside or outside the Philippines, and specifies that the singing must be done "with fervor".