Andres Bonifacio (attrib.

)
“Ang dapat mabatid ng mga tagalog”

Source: José P. Santos, Si Andres Bonifacio at ang Himagsikan (Manila: n.pub,

1935), 6–7.

This famous patriotic rallying call was published under the nom de
plume Agapito Bagumbayan. The Tagalogs, it declares, have supported and
sustained “the race of Legazpi” for over 300 years, but have been rewarded
with treachery, “false beliefs” and dishonor. “To eyes long blind,” the light of
reason has now revealed this harsh injustice and shown the separate, self-
reliant road the Tagalogs must take.

The authenticity and authorship of this piece is discussed in detail in

Appendix B.1. There it is concluded beyond reasonable doubt that the Tagalog
text transcribed here is authentic, but some uncertainty is acknowledged as to
whether it was authored by Bonifacio or Jacinto (or both), and whether it is
exactly the same as the version actually published in Kalayaan or a pre-
publication draft.

Tagalog text

ANG DAPAT MABATID NG MGA TAGALOG

Ytong Katagalugan na pinamamahalaan ng unang panahon ng ating

tunay na mga kababayan niyaong hindi pa tumutungtong sa mga lupaing
ito ang mga kastila ay nabubuhay sa lubos na kasaganaan, at
kaguinhawahan. Kasundo niya ang mga kapit bayan at lalung lalo na ang
mga taga Japon sila'y kabilihan at kapalitan ng mga kalakal malabis ang
pag yabong ng lahat ng pinagkakakitaan, kaya't dahil dito'y mayaman
mahal ang kaasalan ng lahat, bata't matanda at sampung mga babae ay
marunong bumasa at sumulat ng talagang pagsulat nating mga tagalog.
Dumating ang mga kastila at dumulog na nakipagkaibigan. Sa mabuti
nilang hikayat na di umano, tayo'y aakain sa lalung kagalingan at lalung
imumulat ang ating kaisipan, ang nasabing nagsisipamahala ay ng yaring
nalamuyot sa tamis ng kanilang dila sa paghibo. Gayon man sila'y
ipinailalim sa talagang kaugalian ng mga tagalog na sinaksihan at
pinapagtibay ang kanilang pinagkayarian sa pamamaguitan ng isang
panunumpa na kumuha ng kaunting dugo sa kanikanilang mga ugat, at
yao'y inihalu't ininom nila kapua tanda ng tunay at lubos na pagtatapat na
di mag tataksil sa pinagkayarian. Ytoy siang tinatawag na "Pacto de
Sangre" ng haring Sikatuna at ni Legaspi na pinaka katawan ng hari sa
España.

Buhat ng ito'y mangyari ay bumibilang na ngayon sa tatlong daang

taon mahiguit na ang lahi ni Legaspi ay ating binubuhay sa lubos na
kasaganaan, ating pinagtatamasa at binubusog, kahit abutin natin ang

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kasalatan at kadayukdukan; iguinugugol natin ang yaman dugo at sampu
ng buhay sa pagtatangol sa kanila; kinakahamok natin sampu ng tunay na
mga kababayan na aayaw pumayag na sa kanilay pasakop, at gayon din
naman nakipagbaka tayo sa mga Ynsik at taga Holanda na nagbalang
umagaw sa kanila nitong Katagalugan.

Ngayon sa lahat ng ito'y ano ang sa mga guinawa nating paggugugol

nakikitang kaguinhawahang ibinigay sa ating Bayan? Ano ang nakikita
nating pagtupad sa kanilang kapangakuan na siang naging dahil ng ating
pag gugugol! Wala kung di pawang kataksilan ang ganti sa ating mga
pagpapala at mga pagtupad sa kanilang ipinangakung tayo'y lalung
guiguisingin sa kagalingan ay bagkus tayong binulag, inihawa tayo sa
kanilang hamak na asal, pinilit na sinira ang mahal at magandang ugali ng
ating Bayan; Yminulat tayo sa isang maling pagsampalataya at isinadlak
sa lubak ng kasamaan ang kapurihan ng ating Bayan; at kung tayo 'y
mangahas humingi ng kahit gabahid na lingap, ang naguiguing kasagutan
ay ang tayo'y itapon at ilayo sa piling ng ating minamahal na anak, asawa
at matandang magulang. Ang bawat isang himutok na pumulas sa ating
dibdib ay itinuturing na isang malaking pagkakasala at karakarakang
nilalapatan ng sa hayop na kabangisan.

Ngayon wala ng maituturing na kapanatagan sa ating pamamayan;

ngayon lagui ng guinagambala ang ating katahimikan ng
umaalingawngaw na daing at pananambitan bunton hininga at hinagpis ng
makapal na ulila, bao't mga magulang ng mga kababayang ipinanganyaya
ng mga manlulupig na kastila; ngayon tayo'y malunod na sa nagbabahang
luha ng Yna na nakitil na buhay ng anak sa pananangis ng sanggol na
pinangulila ng kalupitan na ang bawat patak ay katulad ng isang
kumukulong tinga, na sumasalang sa mahapding sugat ng ating pusong
nagdaramdam; ngayon lalut lalu tayong na bibilibiran ng tanikala ng
pagkaalipin, tanikalang nakalalait sa bawat lalaking may iniingatang
kapurihan. Ano ang nararapat nating gawin? Ang araw ng katuiran na
sumisikat sa Silanganan, ay malinaw na itinuturo sa ating mga matang
malaong nabulagan ang landas na dapat nating tunguhin, ang liwanag
niya'y tanaw sa ating mga mata, ang kukong nag akma ng kamatayang
alay sa ating ng mga ganid na asal. Ytinuturo ng katuiran, na wala tayong
iba pang maaantay kundi lalut lalung kahirapan, lalut lalung kataksilan,
lalut lalung kaalipustaan at lalut lalung kaalipinan. Ytinuturo ng katuiran,
na huag nating sayangin ang panahon sa pagasa sa ipinangakong
kaguinhawahan na hindi darating at hindi mangyayari. Ytinuturo ng
katuiran ang tayo'y umasa sa ating sarili at huag antain sa iba ang ating
kabuhayan. Ytinuturo ng katuiran ang tayo'y mag kaisang loob magka
isang isip at akala at ng tayo'y magkalakas na maihanap ang naghaharing
kasamaan sa ating Bayan.

Panahun na ngayong dapat na lumitaw ang liwanag ng

katotohanan; panahon ng dapat nating ipakilala na tayo’y may sariling
pagdaramdam, may puri, may hiya at pagdadamayan. Ngayon panahun
ng dapat simulan ang pagsisiwalat ng mga mahal at dakilang aral na
magwawasak sa masinsing tabing na bumubulag sa ating kaisipan;
panahun na ngayong dapat makilala ng mga tagalog ang pinagbuhatan ng

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kanilang mga kahirapan. Araw na itong dapat kilalanin na sa bawat isang
hakbang natin ay tumutuntong tayo at nabibingit sa malalim na hukay ng
kamatayan na sa ati’y inuumang ng mga kaaway.

Kaya! oh mga kababayan! ating idilat ang bulag na kaisipan at

kusang igugol sa kagalingan ang ating lakas sa tunay at lubos na pag asa
na mag tagumpay sa nilalayong kaguinhawahan ng bayang tinubuan.

English translation1

WHAT THE TAGALOGS SHOULD KNOW

In the early days, when the Spaniards had not yet set foot on our soil,
this Katagalugan was governed by our compatriots, and enjoyed a life of great
abundance, prosperity and peace. She maintained good relations with her
neighbors, especially with the Japanese, and traded with them in goods of all
kinds. As a result, everyone had wealth and behaved with honor. Young and
old, including women, could read and write using our own Tagalog alphabet.
Then the Spaniards came and offered us friendship. It seemed they would
help us better ourselves and awaken our intellects, and our leaders were
seduced by the sweetness of their enticing words. The Spaniards, however,
were required to follow the custom of the Tagalogs, and to bind their
agreement by means of an oath, which consisted of taking blood from each
other's veins, and then mixing and drinking it as a token of their sincere and
wholehearted pledge not to betray the agreement. This was called the "Blood
Compact" of King Sikatuna and Legazpi, the representative of the King of
Spain.

Since then, for more than three hundred years, we have supported the
race of Legaspi most bountifully; we have allowed them to live lavishly and
grow fat, even if we ourselves suffered deprivation and hunger. We have
expended our wealth, blood and even our lives in defending them, even
against our fellow countrymen who refused to submit to their rule; and we
have fought the Chinese and the Dutch who tried to take Katagalugan from
them.

Now, after all this, after everything we have done, what benefits have
we seen bestowed upon our Country? Do we see them fulfilling their side of
the contract which we ourselves fulfilled with sacrifices? We see nothing but
treachery as a reward for our favors. Instead of keeping their promise to
awaken us to a better life, they have only blinded us, contaminated us with
their debased customs and forcibly destroyed the good customs of our land.
They have instilled in us a false faith, and have cast the honor of our Country
into a mire of corruption. And if we dare beg for scraps of compassion, they
respond by banishing us, by sending us far away from our beloved children,
spouses, and aged parents. Every sigh we utter is branded by them as a grave
sin, and is instantly punished with brute force.

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 Now nothing can be considered stable in our lives; our peace is now
always disturbed by the moans and lamentations, by the sighs and plaints of
countless orphans, widows and parents of compatriots wronged by the
Spanish oppressors; now we are being deluged by the streaming tears of a
mother whose son was put to death, by the wails of tender children orphaned
by cruelty, and whose every falling tear is a like a drop of molten lead that
sears the excruciating wound of our suffering hearts; now we are being bound
ever tighter with the chains of slavery, chains that shame every man of honor.
What, then, is to be done? The sun of reason that shines in the East clearly
shows, to our eyes long blind, the way that must be taken; its light enables us
to see the claws of those inhuman creatures who bring us death. Reason
shows that we cannot expect anything but more and more suffering, more and
more treachery, more and more insults, more and more enslavement. Reason
tells us not to waste our time waiting for the promised prosperity that will
never arrive. Reason tells us that we must rely upon ourselves alone and
never entrust our livelihood to anybody else. Reason tells us to be one in
sentiment, one in thought, and one in purpose so that we may have the
strength in confronting the evil that reigns in our Country.

Now is the time that the light of truth must shine; now is the time for us
to make it known that we have our own feelings, have honor, have self-respect
and solidarity. Now is the time to start spreading the noble and great
teachings that will rend asunder the thick curtain that obfuscates our minds;
now is the time for the Tagalogs to know the sources of their misfortunes.
This day we must realize that every step we take is taking us closer to the brink
of the abyss of death that our enemies have dug to ensnare us.

And so! Oh compatriots! Let us dispel the blindness from our

intellects; let us resolutely dedicate our strength to the triumph of our true
and mighty cause, the prosperity and peace of our native land.

1This translation is my own, but it draws heavily on two others - Reynaldo Clemeña Ileto,
Pasyon and Revolution: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910 (Quezon City:
Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1979), 102–6; and The Writings and Trial of Andres
Bonifacio, translated by Teodoro A. Agoncillo with the collaboration of S. V. Epistola (Manila:
Antonio J. Villegas; Manila Bonifacio Centennial Commission; University of the Philippines,
1963), 2–3.