Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region I
Office of the Curriculum and Learning Management Division

SYMBOLS/EMBLEMS, SECRETARIAT AND

CONVERGENCE
CONTENT / KEY CONCEPTS AND MESSAGES:
ASEAN Symbols/Emblems, Secretariat and Convergence

TOPIC:
Mainland Countries of ASEAN; Cambodia and Laos
Summary
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese
Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of
the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian
Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. It includes the countries
of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and Vietnam.
1. Cambodia is the last country to join the ASEAN. True or False?

2. What is the structure located at the center of the national flag of

Cambodia?

3. What is the national anthem of Cambodia?

4. The only landlocked member-state of ASEAN.

5. The national symbol of Laos. The compound of the stupa with its two
remaining temples of Wat That Luang Nuea and Wat That Luang Tai is located
about 5 km northeast of central Vientiane.

Page 1 of 10
 CAMBODIA
Cambodia, country on the Indochinese mainland of Southeast Asia. Cambodia
is largely a land of plains and great rivers and lies amid important overland and river
trade routes linking China to India and Southeast Asia. The influences of many
Asian cultures, alongside those of France and the United States, can be seen in the
capital, Phnom Penh, one of a handful of urban centers in the largely rural country.
Cambodia is the last Country to join the ASEAN on April 30, 1999.

● Type of Government: Constitutional Monarch

● Head of State : His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni
● Head of Government : Prime Minister Hun Sen
● National Anthem: Nokor Reach (Royal Kingdom)
● Capital : Phnom Penh
● Language(s) : Khmer
● Currency : Riel
● National Animal: Malayan Tiger
● National Flower: Rumdul (Mitrella Mesnyi)
● Popular Delicacy: Amok

Since around 1850, the Cambodian flag has featured a depiction of Angkor
Wat in the center. The current flag, with a blue bounce in 1948. It was used until 9

Page 2 of 10
October 1970, when a new flag was introduced for Lon Nol's Khmer Republic that
lasted until the takeover of the Khmer Rouge in 1975. The subsequent state
of Democratic Kampuchea, which existed from 1975 to 1979, used a red flag with a
three-towered Angkor Wat design retained in yellow beginning in 1976. The People's
Republic of Kampuchea was established in 1979, after the Vietnamese invasion of
Cambodia.

The emblem/coat of arms of Cambodia is identical to the Royal arms and was
adopted in 2002. It has existed in slightly different versions since the 19th century.
But for a long time it was not the State Symbol, but only that of the reigning
Monarch.

Depicted on the coat of arms are two animals which are a gajasinghe (a lion
with an elephant trunk) on the left, and a rajasinghe (a royal lion), on the right.
Supported by the animals are two royal five-tiered umbrellas. In between is a royal
crown with a shining diamond at its top. On a light blue field beneath the Crown is
an Unalome sign atop a sacred sword, which rests on two stacked phan (pedestalled
platters).

Page 3 of 10
 The Khmer language phrase on the banner beneath the royal arms translates
to: Preah Chao (royal or auspicious ruler) - Krung (area, or in this case, kingdom) -
Kampuchea (Cambodia): "King of the Kingdom of Cambodia".

ANGKOR WAT

Angkor Wat is an enormous Buddhist temple complex located in northern

Cambodia. It was originally built in the first half of the 12th century as a Hindu
temple. Spread across more than 400 acres, Angkor Wat is said to be the largest
religious monument in the world. Its name, which translates to “temple city” in the
Khmer language of the region, references the fact it was built by Emperor
Suryavarman II, who ruled the region from 1113 to 1150, as the state temple and
political center of his empire.

Originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, Angkor Wat became

a Buddhist temple by the end of the 12th century.

Although it is no longer an active temple, it serves as an important tourist

attraction in Cambodia, despite the fact it sustained significant damage during the
autocratic rule of the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s and in earlier regional
conflicts.

Page 4 of 10
 LAOS
LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is a socialist state and the

only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. At the heart of the Indochinese
Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to
the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest.
Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.

● Type of Government: Democratic Republic

● Head of State : President Bounnhang Vorachith
● Head of Government : Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith
● National Anthem: Pheng Xat Lao (National Anthem of Laos)
● Capital : Vientiane
● National Language(s) : Lao
● Currency : Kip
● National Animal: Indian Elephant
● National Flower: Dok Champa (Plumeria)

The Laos flag consists of three horizontal stripes that alternate between red
and dark blue. A white circle is in the center of the blue stripe. The flag was inspired
by the flag of Thailand, which shares the flag's color scheme. The colors were also
chosen for their symbolic value. The blue stripe represents the Mekong River as well
as the nation's wealth, while the red stripes represent the blood that the nation shed

Page 5 of 10
during its struggle for independence and the period of colonial rule. The white circle
is a symbol of both national unity and the full moon. 

National Emblem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic

The National Emblem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic shows the

national shrine Pha That Luang. A dam is pictured which as a symbol of power
generation at the reservoir Nam Ngum. An asphalt street is also pictured, as well as
a stylized watered field.

In the lower part is a section of a gear wheel. The inscription on the left
reads "Peace, Independence, Democracy" (Lao script: ສັນຕິພາບ ເອກະລາດ
ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ) and on the right, "Unity and Prosperity" (Lao script: ເອກະພາບ
ວັດຖະນາຖາວອນ.)

Page 6 of 10
 PHA THAT LUANG

Pha That Luang is the national symbol of Laos. The compound of the stupa
with its two remaining temples of Wat That Luang Nuea and Wat That Luang Tai is
located about 5 km northeast of central Vientiane at the end of Pha That Luang
Road.

According to legend, when King Setthathirath (Xaysettha) moved the Laotian

capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, he ordered the construction of a stupa on
the site of the ruins of a 13th century Mon-Khmer temple.

The gold-covered 45 m tall Buddhist monument was built in the

16th-century.

The failed Lao rebellion of 1826 in an attempt to end the suzerainty of Siam,
triggered retaliation by Siam (Thailand) and led to the destruction of the city of
Vientiane and the damage of Pha That Luang.

Page 7 of 10
Answer Key

Page 8 of 10
REFERENCES:
https://asean.org/about-asean/member-states/cambodia/
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cambodia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Cambodia
https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/wiki/National_Emblem_of_Cambodia
https://symbolhunt.com/cambodia/national-mausoleum/
https://www.history.com/topics/landmarks/angkor-wat
https://asean.org/about-asean/member-states/lao-pdr/
https://www.gettysburgflag.com/flags-banners/laos-flags
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/Pha_That_Luang.htm

PREPARED BY:
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE- San Fernando City (LU) TEAM

BERNARDO T. ROMBAWA
EPS- Araling Panlipunan
LANNY D. MANGAGGUEY
Teacher, La Union National High School
RAFFY G. MACALINO
Teacher, San Fernando South Central Integrated School

Page 9 of 10
VALIDATION:
Validator: MARIA GRACE A. VIDAL
Position: TEACHER III
School: Sual Central

1. Clarity and Directions of Items.

- The vocabulary level, language, structure and conceptual
level of participants is presented though test directions should
provide for easy understanding.

2. Presentation and Organization of Items.

-The items presented are not organized in a logical manner.

3. Suitability of Items.
-The questions are designed to determine the skills that are
supposed to be measured.

4. Adequateness of the Content.

-The number of questions is not enough.The pictures did not jive
on the word description presented.

5. Objective.
-Each item question requires only one specific answer and no
aspect of the questionnaires suggested.

Page 10 of 10