Notable Katipuneros

Andres Bonifacio (1863–1897) – Supremo, the founder and the third leader of the Katipunan.

Emilio Aguinaldo (1869–1964) – First president of the First Philippine Republic, Katipunan's
successor. He was also a war general and a leader of the Magdalo faction that led to a lot of
notable victories for Katipunan against Spain. During his presidency, he ordered the
execution of Andrés and Procopio Bonifacio in 1897 after the trial.

Emilio Jacinto (1875–1899) – called as the Brains of the Katipunan. He wrote several papers
during the Revolution like the Kartilya(Primer).

Gregoria de Jesús (1875–1943) – called as the Lakambini ng Katipunan (Muse of the

Katipunan) and nicknamed Aling Oryang, she was the wife of Bonifacio before marrying
Julio Nakpil after the former's death. She was also regarded as one of the first women
members of the Katipunan.

Gregorio del Pilar (1875–1899) – entered the Katipunan circle when he joined the First
Philippine Republic's army against the Americans. He died during the Battle of Tirad Pass.

Pio del Pilar (1860–1931) – the leader of the Matagumpay chapter one of the closest officers
of Andrés Bonifacio as the Newly Revolutionary government was established he was one of
the officers who advised Aguinaldo to change the commutation (banishment) to execution of
Andrés and Procopio Bonifacio.

Licerio Gerónimo (1855–1924) – Aguinaldo's war general during Philippine–American War.

Vicente Lukbán (1860–1916) – Americans regarded him to be the mastermind of the

bloody Balangiga massacre in 1901 during Philippine–American War.

Miguel Malvar y Carpio (1865–1911) – commander of the Katipunan and became a general
of the First Philippine Republic.
Macario Sakay- head of Katipunan in Trozo, Manila. Future founder of Republika ng
Katagalugan that would oppose American occupation in the Philippines.

Paciano Rizal – The older brother of national hero José Rizal, he was also a personal friend
of Padre José Burgos in his youth. He joined the Katipunan years before Jose's return from
Dapitan.

Manuel Tinio (1877–1924) – youngest general of the Katipunan and the First Philippine
Republic, he later became the governor of Nueva Ecija from 1907–1909.

Aurelio Tolentino

Julian Felipe (1832–1835) – composer of Lupang Hinirang, teacher and member of La Liga
Filipina, he later served as legal advisor to the Katipunan. His tenacious ability in
argumentative reasoning earned him the nickname "demente viejo" among the colonial
Principalía.[51] In spite of being devout Catholic, Carpio, like other Filipino revolutionaries,
was a member of the Freemasons before the formation of the Katipunan. In Manila, Julian
ran a private law school which many of his personal socio-political ideals succeeded to his
students. Notable Katipuneros under his tutelage was Gregorio Aglipay[52] and Miguel
Malvar

MEMBERS:

MELCHORA AQUINO

Early life and marriage

Aquino was born on 6 January 1812 in Balintawak, Quezon City.[1]

Aquino, daughter of a peasant couple, Juan and Valentina Aquino, never attended school.
However, she was apparently literate at an early age and talented as a singer and performed
at local events as well as at Mass for her Church. She was also often chosen for the role
of Reyna Elena during the "Santacruzan", a processional pageant commemorating Empress
Helen's finding of the Cross of Christ, celebrated in the Philippines in May.[1][2]

Later in life, she married Fulgencio Ramos,[1] a cabeza de barrio (village chief), and bore six
children. Ramos died when their youngest child was seven and she was left as a single parent
for their children. Aquino continued her life as an hermana mayor active in
celebrating fiestas, baptisms, and weddings. She worked hard in order to give her children an
education.[1]

Involvement in the revolution

In her native town, Tandang Sora operated a store,[3] which became a refuge for the sick and
wounded revolutionaries. She fed,[1] gave medical attention to and encouraged the
revolutionaries with motherly advice and prayers.

Secret meetings of the Katipuneros (revolutionaries) were also held at her house. Thus she
earned the names "Woman of Revolution", "Mother of Balintawak", "Mother of
the Philippine Revolution", and Tandang Sora (Tandang is derived from
the Tagalog word matandâ, which means old). She and her son, Juan Ramon, were present in
the Cry of Balintawak and were witnesses to the tearing up of the cedulas.[1]

When the Spaniards learned about her activities and her knowledge to the whereabouts of the
Katipuneros, she was interrogated but she refused to divulge any information. She was then
arrested by the guardia civil and was deported to Guam, Marianas Islands,[1]where she and a
woman named Segunda Puentes were placed under house arrest in the residence of a Don
Justo Dungca.[4][5]

After the United States took control of the Philippines in 1898, Tandang Sora, like other
exiles, returned to the Philippines until her death on 19 February 1919, at the age of
107.[1] Her remains were then transferred to her own backyard (now known as Himlayang
Pilipino Memorial Park, Quezon City).[citation needed]
Melchora Aquino, as depicted on the English Series 100 pesos banknote.

Legacy[

As a token of gratitude, a Quezon City district and a road were named after Aquino. Her
profile was also placed in the Philippines' five-centavo coin from 1967-92.

She was the first Filipina who appears on a Philippine peso banknote, in this case, a 100-peso
bill from the English Series (1951–66). Tandang Sora Street in the city of San Francisco,
California, United States, is named in her honor.

In 2012, on the celebration of her 200th birthday, the City Government of Quezon City
decided to transfer Aquino's remains from Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park to
the Tandang Sora National Shrine in Banlat, Quezon City. The city government also declared
2012 to be Tandang Sora Year.

Her descendants carry different surnames, with almost all living in Novaliches and Tandang
Sora districts in Quezon City as well as in Guam (USA) such as Figueroa, Ramos (her
husband’s surname), Geronimo, Eugenio, Cleofas and Apo.
Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈmiljo xaˈsinto]; 15 December 1875 – 16
April 1899) was a Filipino General during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the
highest-ranking officer in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking
officers of the revolutionary society Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga
Anak ng Bayan, or simply and more popularly called Katipunan, being a member of its
Supreme Council. He was elected Secretary of State for the Haring Bayang Katagalugan, a
revolutionary government established during the outbreak of hostilities. He is popularly
known in Philippine history textbooks as the Brains of the Katipunan while some contend he
should be rightfully recognized as the "Brain of the Revolution" (a title given to Apolinario
Mabini). Jacinto was present in the so-called Cry of Pugad Lawin (or Cry of Balintawak)
with Andrés Bonifacio, the Supremo(Supreme President) of the Katipunan, and others of its
members which signaled the start of the Revolution against the Spanish colonial government
in the islands.

Biography

Born in Manila, Jacinto was proficient both in Spanish and Tagalog. He attended San Juan de
Letran College, and later transferred to the University of Santo Tomas to study law. Manuel
Quezon, Sergio Osmeña and Juan Sumulong were classmates. He did not finish college and,
at the age of 19, joined the secret society called Katipunan. He became the advisor on fiscal
matters and secretary to Andrés Bonifacio. He was later known as Utak ng Katipunan. He
and Bonifacio also befriended Apolinario Mabini when they kill to continue José Rizal's La
Liga Filipina.

Jacinto also wrote for the Katipunan newspaper called Kalayaan. He wrote in the newspaper
under the pen name "Dimasilaw", and used the alias "Pingkian" in the Katipunan. Jacinto
was the author of the Kartilya ng Katipunan as well.

After Bonifacio's execution, Jacinto pressed on with the Katipunan's struggle. Like
general Mariano Álvarez, he refused to join the forces of general Emilio Aguinaldo, the
leader of the Katipunan's Magdalo faction. Jacinto lived in Laguna and also joined the militia
fighting the Spaniards. Jacinto contracted malaria and died on April 16, 1899 in Brgy. Alipit,
Santa Cruz, Laguna.[1] His remains were initially buried in Brgy.San Juan Santa Cruz,
Laguna, and were transferred to Manila North Cemetery a few years later.
He was married to Catalina de Jesus, who was pregnant at the time of his death.[2][3]

Tributes[

In the 1970s, Jacinto's remains were transferred and enshrined at Himlayang Pilipino
Memorial Park in Quezon City. At the shrine is a life-size bronze sculpture of a defiant
Jacinto riding a horse during his days as a revolutionary.[4] Another statue of Jacinto is
located in Mehan Garden.[5] Another Monument Of Jacinto was unveiled in the town plaza of
Magdalena, Laguna on April 17, 2017.[6]

Jacinto's likeness used to be featured on the old 20 peso bill that was circulated from 1949 to
1969, and also on the old 20 centavo coin.

Gregorio del Pilar

Gregorio Hilario del Pilar y Sempio (November 14, 1875 – December 2, 1899) was
a Filipino general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American
War.

As one of the youngest generals in the Revolutionary Army, he was known for the successful
assault on the Spanish barracks in the municipality of Paombong, his victory on the first
phase Battle of Quingua and his last stand at the Battle of Tirad Pass during the Philippine-
American War. Because of his youth, he became known as the "Boy General".[1] He was also
known as a ladies man and was described by National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin as
the "Byron of Bulacan".[2]

Born on November 14, 1875 to Fernando H. del Pilar and Felipa Sempio of Bulacan,
Bulacan, the fifth among six siblings.[3] His siblings were María de la Paz del Pilar (b.1865),
Andrea del Pilar (b. 1866), Pablo del Pilar (b. 1869), Julian del Pilar (b. 1872), and Jacinto
del Pilar (b. 1878).[4] He was part of the del Pilar family of the principalia, whose members
included his uncles, lawyer-turned-propagandist Marcelo H. del Pilar, editor-in-chief
of Diariong Tagalog and La Solidaridad, as well as the priest Toribio H. del Pilar, who was
exiled in Guam for his alleged involvement in the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. The del Pilar clan
was distantly related to the Gatmaitans. Although principalia, Gregorio del Pilar's branch
was relatively poor. It was said that del Pilar had to hawk meat pies as a child to survive.[2]

As a child, he completed his primary education under Maestros Monico Estrella and
Romualdo Sempio before being sent to study in Manila.[4] He was enrolled at the Ateneo
Municipal de Manila at the age of 15, where he was rated good in Latin, Greek, Spanish and
French, middling in philosophy, and excellent in arithmetic and algebra.[2] During his studies
in the Ateneo, he stayed in the house of his fraternal aunt, Hilaria H. del Pilar, and her
husband, the propagandist Deodato Arellano. He helped his uncle distribute revolutionary
pamphlets and other materials. There was one incident in Malolos, where del Pilar stole
copies of the book Cuesteones de sumo interes from the parish priest, Father Felipe García,
who had a habit of distributing counter-revolutionary materials after mass. These books were
set to be distributed after the mass. Del Pilar removed the book covers and pasted the
pamphlets inside before distributing them after.[4]

Del Pilar finished his bachelor of arts in March 1896 and had intended to enroll at the School
of Arts and Trades and study to become a maestro de obras;[2] however when
the revolution broke out in August of that year his plans of further study were thwarted. Del
Pilar quickly went home to Bulacan and enlisted himself for military service under Colonel
Vicente Enríquez.[4]

Philippine Revolution[edit]

At the onset of the revolution, and in response to reports of "successive triumphs" in Cavite,
some 3,000 revolutionary forces marched to seize the town of Paombong, Bulacan, forming a
military government. Del Pilar was among those who marched towards Paombong, although
there are also rumors of him being present during the Cry of Balintawak.[2]

Del Pilar was eventually assigned to the forces of Eusébio Roque (also known as Mang
Sébio) in Kakarong de Sili, a fort near the town of Pandi. On New Year's day, 1897, del Pilar
participated in the defense of Kakarong de Sili, managing to escape with only nine others
before the Spanish overran the fort. He recounts in his diary:[2]
As for me, I need not say how I fought. Those who saw me in peril can tell. A Mauser bullet
grazed my forehead. Thank God I was spared that danger. Finally, I had to leave the fort
because, when I looked for our valiant brothers, none was any longer at his post. This should
not cause shame. Self-preservation is the law of God. I passed the night in the barrio of
Manatal.

His courage and bravery in that action won him recognition and a promotion to the rank of
lieutenant.[5] He eventually left Roque's unit - Roque was sold out to the Spanish by his own
soldiers and executed on February 1897, and del Pilar began to make his way to Imus,
Cavite, reaching as far as Montalban in February. He eventually returned to Bulacan and
joined Adriano Gatmaitán's army, being promoted to captain in the process.[2]

As captain, del Pilar managed feats of bravery. He once mananged to single-handedly

ambush a priest and his escort of cazadores from Mambog on their way to Malolos. He shot
of the cazadores which prompted the rest to flee. This act netted him several Mauser rifles
and four sacks of coins, which he distributed to his troops. He decreed that married men be
given 50 pesos each, unmarried ones 25 pesos, and the remaining money be sent to Manila to
buy a blanket and a cloak for each soldier.[4]

Flag of Gregorio del Pilar

On September 3, 1897, del Pilar executed an attack on the Spanish garrison in the town
of Paombong. He and ten other men slipped into town in the night and fell upon
the cazadores in the basement of the convent during Sunday mass. Del Pilar himself was
stationed in the plaza, firing at the second story of the convent to prevent any men from
approaching from the windows. They were eventually able to capture 14 Mauser rifles. Other
versions of the raid vary, however. Some tellings talk about how del Pilar and his men
slipped into town dressed as women, while other versions have them disguised
as cazadores.[2] Del Pilar's success in Paombong caught the attention of Emilio Aguinaldo,
who promoted the captain to a lieutenant colonel, eventually earning his trust and being let
into his inner circle of confidants. Artemio Ricartenoted that Del Pilar's feat in Paombong
“exalted him to the horns of the moon."[6]

Del Pilar celebrated his promotion to lieutenant colonel by creating a distinctive flag for
himself and his battalion: a tricolor with a blue triangle at the hoist, red stripe on top and
black at the bottom, taking cues from the Cuban flag. He first unfurled this flag during his
participation in the Battle of Pasong Balite (modern-day Polo, Bulacan) in 1897.

Due to his closeness to Aguinaldo, del Pilar became one of the signatories of the provisional
constitution of the Republic of Biak-na-Bato in November 1897. When negotiations with the
Spanish took place in the which concluded with the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato,
Aguinaldo took del Pilar with him to exile in Hong Kong.[4]

Second phase and the Philippine-American War[edit]

The exiles in Hong Kong organized a Supreme Council, electing del Pilar to a position
second only to Tomás Mascardo. Aguinaldo's confidence in del Pilar grew such that he wrote
the following about him:[2]

I took him to Hong Kong, Saigon, and Singapore. He was my man of confidence. I could
trust him with everything. Therefore, I had him always at my side until he died.

— Emilio Aguinaldo

When Aguinaldo was supposed to go to Europe, he took only del Pilar and Colonel José
Leyba with him. The trip ended in Singapore, where Aguinaldo conferred
with Americanconsul E. Spencer Pratt, learning of the American declaration of war against
Spain. Spurred by this, Aguinaldo and the other exiles decided to return to the Philippines to
restart the revolution.[2]

After the Americans defeated the Spanish in the Battle of Manila Bay, Aguinaldo, del Pilar,
and other exiled leaders returned to the Philippines. Aguinaldo named del Pilar Dictator
of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija provinces, an honor Aguinaldo would not confer to anybody
else.[7]
On del Pilar's return to the Philippines, he set out to liberating his home province of Bulacan,
eventually accepting Spanish surrender on June 24, 1898.[8] Del Pilar was then called to
relieve the wounded General Pantaleon García and continue operations in Caloocan,
ultimately succeeded on August 13, 1898. The Revolutionary Congress was then inaugurated
on September 15, 1898 and del Pilar became in charge of the military parade. He was
promoted to brigadier-general after this event.[4]

When the Philippine-American War broke out in February 1899, following the cession of the
Philippines by Spain to the United States in the Treaty of Paris of 1898, del Pilar fought
alongside General Antonio Luna in Manila, suffering heavy casualties.[4] Del Pilar's
relationships with his fellow generals were contentious at best. General José
Alejandrino wrote of del Pilar:[2]

There was a young pretentious general who set up his headquarters in one of the nearby
towns, not bothering even to present himself to General [Antonio] Luna. He did not want to
recognize any orders other than those which emanated directly from the Captain General
[Emílio Aguinaldo] of whom he was a great favorite. At the headquarters of General Luna it
was learned that his gentleman spent days and nights at fiestas and dances which his
flatterers offered in his honor.

— Jose Alejandrino

Another story between Luna and del Pilar have the two riding together on the front, with
Luna so absorbed in what he was saying that he did not notice they were moving into a
danger zone. Del Pilar did notice but did not back off because Luna had not. After Manila,
del Pilar and his troops moved to Bulacan. Major General Venancio Concepción was placed
under his command but the two did not get along. After the fall of Baliuag each blamed the
other. Concepción was eventually moved under the command of Luna in Pampanga. Del
Pilar, for his part, led his troops to a victory over Major Franklin Bell in the first phase of
the Battle of Quingua (modern-day Plaridel, Bulacan) on April 23, 1899. During the battle,
his forces repelled a cavalry charge and killed American Colonel John M.
Stotsenburg,.[9] The Americans were, however, reinforced during the second phase of the
Battle and the Filipino forces were forced to retreat. Del Pilar then participated in the Battle
of Calumpit alongside General Luna. Luna, however, had left the battle to punish
General Tomás Mascardo for insubordination, leaving del Pilar with the defense of the
Bagbag river. On Luna's return, the Americans had already succeeded in penetrating the
Filipino lines and they were forced to retreat.[10]

On June 4, 1899, del Pilar joined Aguinaldo in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and received orders
to capture Antonio Luna, dead or alive, on charges of high treason. It is said that had Luna
not come down himself to Cabanatuan and assassinated by the Kawit Batallion from his
headquarters in Bayambang that del Pilar would have gone down as Luna's killer.[2] Del Pilar
and Aguinaldo then descended upon General Concepcion's headquarters in Pampanga to
relieve him of his position, as he was suspected to be partisan to the assassinated general.
Troops surrounded Concepcion's headquarters and sentries were replaced by the presidential
guards. Concepción was then relieved of his command on suspicions of a conspiracy being
plotted against Aguinaldo.

Del Pilar was then tasked with taking possession of Luna's old headquarters in Bayambang,
and of liquidating Luna's former aides-de-camp, Manuel and José Bernal. He arrived in
Bayambang on June 7 and managed to capture a younger Bernal brother, Angel, who was
arrested and maltreated. Manuel Bernal was captured a few days later, located in the house of
the Nable José family. Remedios or Dolores, daughters of the family, was said to be one of
del Pilar's last loves.[4] Manuel was tortured in the presence of his younger brother Angel by
del Pilar and his brother Julian del Pilar for a week before he was killed. José Bernal was
captured soon after, taken to Angeles, Pampanga and murdered by soldiers thereafter.[2]

After this, del Pilar was given command in Pangasinan, where he stayed for five months
from June to November 1899. He was also posted in Pangasinan to defend against a possible
mutiny from Ilocanos outraged with Luna's assassination, as well as to defend against
the Guardia de Honor, a millenarian cult fashioned after the Katipunan.[1] During this time,
the American forces were unusually quiet but the revolutionary government failed to
capitalize on this opportunity. Del Pilar himself, was engaged in a number of love affairs.[2]In
a letter sent to a relative in Bulacan, he asked for the finest of riding boots, while he ordered
the best horses in Dagupan to show off his horsemanship.[1]

By November, Tarlac had fallen to the Americans and Aguinaldo was moving northward
towards Bayambang, Pangasinan. From Bayambang, the fleeing government led an
expedition to Santa Barbara. Del Pilar, at the time, had 2,000 troops: 1,000 in the del Pilar
Brigade, 350 in the Joven column, 400 in the Kawit Battalion, 100 in the Corps of Lancers,
and two vanguard companies.[2] del Pilar led the expedition northward towards Ilocos.
During this time he carried a briefcase containing a girl's letter and a lock of hair, from one of
his loves in Bulacan.[2]

Tirad Pass and death[edit]

Main article: Battle of Tirad Pass

On November 1899, Aguinaldo's party had reached the town of Concepción and climbed the
peak of Mount Tirad. Del Pilar ordered three lines of trenches be dug up on the pass and had
the "pick of all the men that can be spared" on orders from Aguinaldo.[2] While Aguinaldo
and the rest were in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, Del Pilar rode to the rearguard to ensure the safety
of the retreat. Word had come that the Americans were advancing on Tirad Pass in an effort
to cut off Aguinaldo from the Tinio Brigade situated on the Abra River.

The U.S. Army 33rd Infantry Regiment, under Major Peyton C. March took Concepción on
December 1 and began to scale Tirad Pass the next day. Although they had difficulty in
attacking the Filipino position, they saw an opening with the aid of a Tingguian
Igorot named Januario Galut.[4] The Americans then devised a plan to flank the entrenched
defenders from the village of Lingay at the foot of the pass, and from the peak.[2] The
combined attack surprised the defenders and the engagement barely lasted six hours. Del
Pilar was killed in the skirmish from a shot in the neck, killing him instantly. Of the 60
defenders, only eight remained. After the battle, Del Pilar's belongings were taken by the
Americans as war trophies, including a handkerchief embroidered with the name Dolores, a
locket with a picture of a girl, and his diary. His last entry was:[10]

The General [Aguinaldo] has given me the pick of all the men that can be spared and ordered
me to defend the Pass. I realize what a terrible task has been given me. And yet I felt that this
is the most glorious moment of my life. What I do is done for my beloved country. No
sacrifice can be too great.

Reports of Del Pilar's death varied. Two newsmen, John McCutcheon and Richard Henry
Little, and a local newspaper called The Manila Freedom reported accounts which captured
the imaginations of American and Filipino readers. McCutcheon and Little both reported
how del Pilar was the last to fall; how he continually urged his men during the battle to fight
on, appealing to their sense of love for their native land; how he refused to turn away on his
white horse until all the men had retreated; and his death when a sharpshooter got the better
of him. The Manila Freedom wrote this of Del Pilar:[2]

It is said that in the battle against Major March's troops, Mr. Gregorio del Pilar, surrounded
by the dead and the wounded falling by his side, fought a valiant defense, inspiring his troops
by his example and, though gravely wounded, had stood atop the trench to animate then
when a bullet pierced his heart and he fell among his comrades. When the American troops
advanced they found the body of the general on the same spot where he had fallen and the
expression on his face was of a command or a supreme desire abruptly interrupted. One of
his hands, pressed to his heart, from which blood flowed, clutched a silk handkerchief
embroidered with the name of his sweetheart.

— The Manila Freedom

Filipino accounts of Del Pilar's death corroborate each other and are less glamorous. Del
Pilar's aide-de-camp, Vicente Enríquez, writes:[2]

I returned to the peak where I had left General del Pilar but midway up I saw him with
Lietunants Eugenio [Telesforo] Carrasco and Vicente Morales and the bugler. I told him
what I had seen. The general quickened his pace on learning that the Americans could be
seen from a certain high point. We arrived at the upper trenches. Then we went to the hilltop
where I was and the moment we got there we heard renewed firing and saw our soldiers
giving battle. Our soldiers, pointing with their hands, warned del Pilar that the enemy was
almost on top of us, but we could see nothing save an irregular movement in the cogongrass.
So the general ordered a halt to the firing. And erect on the hilltop he tried to see and
distinguish the enemy. While he was doing this he was hit by a bullet. The general covered
his face with both hands, falling backward and dying instantly. He wore a new khaki uniform
with his campaign insignia, his silver spurs, his polished shoulder straps, his silk
handkerchiefs, his rings on his fingers. Always handsome and elegant!

— Vicente Enriquez
Lieutenant Telesforo Carrasco also recounted:[2]

The general could not see the enemy because of the cogon grass and he ordered a halt to the
firing. At that moment I was handing him a carbine and warning him that the Americans
were directing their fire at him and that he should crouch down because his life was in danger
and at that moment he was hit by a bullet in the neck that caused instant death. on seeing that
the general was dead, the soldiers jumped up as if to flee, but I aimed the carbine at them
saying I would blow the skull off the brains of the first to run, whereupon they resumed firing
while the body of the general was being removed to the next trench.

— Telesforo Carrasco

Del Pilar's body lay unburied for days, exposed to the elements. While retracing the trail, an
American officer, Lt. Dennis P. Quinlan, gave the body a traditional U.S. military burial.
Upon Del Pilar's tombstone, Quinlan inscribed, "An Officer and a Gentleman".[11]

In 1930, Del Pilar's body was exhumed and was identified by the gold tooth and braces he
had installed while in exile in Hong Kong.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]

Del Pilar was known for his various relationships during the war. He was reported to have
courted almost half a dozen girls, including Neneng Rodrigo, the daughter of Bulacan's civil
governor, who has his first love; a sister of Col. José Leyba; a woman named Poleng, and
Felicidad Aguinaldo, the sister of Emilio Aguinaldo. It has been asserted that a woman
named Remedios Nable José, a daughter of Don Mariano Nable José from Dagupan, was del
Pilar's last love. It was said that Nable José and del Pilar were almost married, but Nable José
rejected del Pilar's advances, partly due to his reputation as a playboy.[12] Though Nable
José’s claim is based solely on an interview of her, there still remained a glaring lack of
third-party sources to verify her story.[citation needed] Some[who?] are still speculating that her
sister, Dolores, was the general's actual last love as there were numbers of third-party
resources name her as the one. First, John McCutcheon, the war correspondent that was with
the American troops at Tirad Pass. In an article published by the Boston Evening Transcript,
McCutcheon details that Gregorio del Pilar and Dolores Nable José were set to be married
around mid-November of 1899. However, Aguinaldo’s order of a hasty retreat in early
November caused the wedding to be postponed, and ultimately, to be canceled
altogether.[13] He also mentions the handkerchief found on del Pilar’s body to be embroidered
with Dolores’ name, and that a number of the letters retrieved from his person were from
her.[13]

There is good reason to believe in the authenticity of McCutcheon’s account. For one,
McCutcheon knew del Pilar previously, having interviewed him multiple times throughout
the war.[13] For another, he was with the soldiers that looted del Pilar’s body, and would have
actually seen the spoils himself. He also released more articles that consistently named
Dolores, where she could be mentioned. Had he been mistaken, he would have corrected
himself in a later article, but the reports did not change..[13] Second, Isaac Cruz Jr.’s
biography of Gregorio del Pilar, General Gregorio H. Del Pilar: Idol of the Revolution,
includes statements from Tirad Pass survivors that he was able to interview before they
passed on.

Lt. José Enríquez recounted that Maj. March showed them some of the del Pilar’s belongings
in his possession, and asked explicitly for Dolores Nable José. Additionally, Captain Isidro
Wenceslao mentioned that Dolores was in del Pilar’s thoughts during his last meeting with
Aguinaldo.

Aside from being two of the only survivors from the Tirad Pass, both men were particularly
close to the del Pilar. Enríquez was the younger brother of Vicente Enríquez and Anacleto
Enríquez, who were del Pilar’s aide-de-camp and supporter respectively. The children of
both families were neighbors and childhood friends.

Meanwhile, Isidro Wenceslao was part of the famed "Seven Musketeers of Pitpitan", a group
of young men led by del Pilar that initially joined Maestrong Sebio’s forces at Kakarong de
Sili.

If anyone had been privy to the thoughts and feelings of del Pilar, especially in matters so
important to him as love, it would be these men. Third, “Nandaragupan : the story of a
coastal city and Dagupan Bangus” names Dolores Nable José as the Dagupan belle that del
Pilar fell in love with during his stay in Pangasinan. After del Pilar’s death, Dolores seems to
have disappeared from the records, as there is no mention of her in the 1916 court case where
her other siblings and father appear.
Despite all this, del Pilar's love life still remains a mystery to all historians.[14]

Memorials[]

Fort Del Pilar, home of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio, is named after him.

In 1944, the Japanese-sponsored Philippine republic of President Jose P. Laurel issued the
Tirad Pass Medal commemorating the battle and del Pilar's sacrifice. A bust of General del
Pilar occupies the center of the obverse (front) side of the medal. The Tirad Pass Medal was
the only award issued to recognize service to the Laurel government during the Japanese
occupation.

In 1955, the town of Concepcion, Ilocos Sur, where the Battle of Tirad Pass took place, was
renamed Gregorio del Pilar in his honor.

In 2011, the newest vessel of the Philippine Navy, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, was named after
him. The ship is a patrol frigate.

Mariano Noriel

Mariano Noriel (1864 - January 27, 1915) was a Filipino general who fought during
the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War. He was member of the War
Council that handled the case of Andres Bonifacio in 1897. He led Filipino advance troops
before the American army landed in Intramuros in 1898
Early life and career[edit]

A native of Bacoor, Cavite, General Mariano Noriel was born in 1864.[2] There is no
available information about the exact date and place of his birth, nor about his parents,
education, and other personal data.

Noriel was the president of the Council of War that tried the Bonifacio brothers (Andres and
Procopio) in Naik and later in Maragondon in May 1897. Convicted of sedition and treason,
Andres and Procopio were sentenced to death but Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the
newly established Revolutionary Government, commuted the death verdict to banishment to
the Pico de Loro Mountain in Maragondon. The commutation, however, was later withdrawn
due to strong pressure from senior army officers and prominent citizens, including General
Pio del Pilar and Gen. Noriel himself who believed that the two brothers, if allowed to live,
would endanger the Revolution.

The withdrawal of the commutation order was construed by Noriel, who was also in charge
of the prisoners, as a go signal for the execution of the sentence, and so he had the two
brothers shot to death a squad of soldiers under Major Lazaro Macapagalon Mount
Nagpatong (not Mount Buntis as reported in history books), Maragondon, May 10, 1897.

Aguinaldo, in the book A Second Look at America, which he co-authored with Vicente
Albano Pacis but later disauthorized, claims that his withdrawal of the commutation order did
not mean immediate implementation of the death verdict. He says he wanted a little more
time for a cooling-off period so that eventually the Bonifacio brothers would be forgiven and
pardoned. This is in accord with Aguinaldo’s well-known humanist and compassionate
character. However, this continues to be a controversial point in Philippine history.[4][5]

Life after the Philippine Revolution[edit]

History has a way of putting a strange twist to the life story of Noriel. The records show that
the doughty Bacoor general, along with the two others, was sentenced to death for the murder
of a man in the Bacoor cockpit in May 1909. The Court of First Instance decision on the case
was later confirmed by the Philippine Supreme Court, so it was appealed by an Irish-
American lawyer named Amzi B. Kelly, to the Supreme Court of the United States which
subsequently reversed the decision. But before the final verdict was received from
Washington, Noriel and his co-accused had already been executed by hanging in Manila on
January 27, 1915

Teresa Magbanua

Teresa Ferraris Magbanua (born Teresa Magbanua y Ferraris October 13, 1868 – August
1947), better known as Teresa Magbanua, dubbed as the "Visayan Joan of Arc" was a
Filipino schoolteacher and military leader. Born in Pototan, Iloilo, Philippines, she retired
from education and became a housewife shortly after her marriage to Alejandro Balderas, a
wealthy landowner from Sara, Iloilo.[1] When the 1896 Philippine Revolution against
the Spanish Empire broke out, she became one of only a few women to join the Panay-based
Visayan arm of the Katipunan, the initially secret revolutionary society head by Andrés
Bonifacio.[2]

Despite opposition from her husband, Magbanua followed her two younger brothers and took
up arms against the Spaniards,[3]leading troops into combat and winning several battles under
the command of General Martin Delgado.[4] Magbanua is credited as the only woman to lead
troops in the Visayan area during the Revolution.[5] Shortly thereafter, Magbanua shifted to
fighting American colonial forces during the Philippine–American War.[1].[6]

She is one of the few Filipinos to have participated in all three resistance movements against
Spain (in the Philippine Revolution), the United States (in the Philippine-American War),
and Japan (in World War II

Early life[edit]

Magbanua's date of birth is variously reported as 13 October 1863,[1] 13 October, 1868,[8] or

4 November 1871.[9] She was born in Pototan, Iloilo, Philippines, to affluent
parents. Don Juan Magbanua, a judge, sat on the Court of First Instance in Iloilo City, while
Doña Alejandra Ferraris was the daughter of Captain Benito Ferraris. Teresa was the
Magbanua's second child, joining her sisters María and Paz, and younger brothers
Manuel, Pascual and Elias.[1] Magbanua was recorded to have been a precocious child,
remembered by one of her sisters as a "dynamic personality, restless, and unafraid of any
man."[10]

Magbanua studied teaching in college, first at the Colegio de San José in Jaro, Iloilo, and
later in Manila, where she studied at three different girls' schools: Colegio de Santa
Rosa (1894), Santa Catalina College (1886), and Colegio de Doña Cecilia.[10]She earned a
teaching certificate at Colegio de Doña Cecilia in 1894 and a master's degree soon after from
the University of Santo Tomás.[10] She then returned home to Pototan and began teaching,
where her students knew her as a disciplinarian. After four years of teaching in Pototan,
Magbanua moved north to Sara, Iloilo, and became a schoolteacher there, meeting Alejandro
Balderas whom she married in 1898.[10] Balderas was a wealthy landowner, and after she
married, Magbanua quit her teaching job and became a housewife. While working on her
husband's lands, Magbanua learned how to shoot a pistol and ride a horse.[8] Her horseback
skills improved to the point that she would ride on horseback from Sara to her hometown of
Pototan, a 30 kilometres (19 mi) distance over rugged terrain.[10]

Philippine Revolution[edit]

See also: Battle of Barrio Yoting and Battle of Sapong Hills

War broke out between the Filipinos and Spanish in 1896, and Magbanua became a member
of the Katipunan revolutionaries. While the Katipunan "largely excluded (women) from the
revolutionary army", the movement also recognized the role women had played in the
struggle against the Spanish,[11] so much that the Katipunan organized a woman's chapter as
early as 1893.[2]

In October 1898, the war entered Iloilo province and two of her brothers joined the
revolutionary army. While Magbanua wanted to help out the war effort, her husband was
against it. Magbanua didn't listen; however, and went to her uncle, Major General Perfecto
Poblador, who commanded the Northern Zone at the time. Magbanua asked him to join the
Army and who would later take charge of the Administrative Division.[12] While hesitant at
first, General Poblador eventually gave in to his niece and gave Magbanua command of a
battalion of bolo troops.[1]
Magbanua fought in several key battles during the revolution. On 3 December 1898, her
forces fought and defeated Spanish troops at the Battle of Barrio Yoting, which took place
in Pilar, Capiz. She led her troops into this, her first battle, on horseback.[10] Her efforts
during the Battle of Barrio Yoting earned Magbanua the nickname "Visayan Joan of
Arc".[13] She was also affectionately known among her troops as "Nanay Isa" or "'Nay Isa"
(Nanay being the Visayan word of "mother", and "Isa" a shortening of her name.)

On 3 December 1898. Magbanua lead her troops against Spanish forces at the Battle of
Sapong Hills near Sara. Magbanua prevailed, despite the odds being heavily in favor of the
Spanish.[3] After these battles, Magbanua's forces were joined by revolutionary forces
from Antique, under the command of General Leandro Fullon, for a march on Iloilo City.[14]

On 24 December 1898, Magbanua participated in the liberation of Iloilo City, alongside

Generals Martin Delgado, Roque Lopez, Quintin Salas and others. Along with the other
generals, Magbanua helped circle Iloilo City, allowing General Delgado to enter and retake
the city from the Spanish.[15]

Philippine-American War[edit]

See also: Battle of Balantang

During the Philippine–American War, Magbanua participated in several battles against

American forces, as did her brothers. Her brothers were both ranking officers—Pascual was a
general while Elias was a major. On 11 February 1899, Magbanua fought in the Battle of
Iloilo City.[16] Along with General Martin Delgado, Magbanua defended Iloilo City against
the advancing forces of Brigadier General Marcus Miller.[4] This battle ended in defeat for
Magbanua and Delgado, as American forces took Iloilo without a single reported
casualty.[17]On 10 March 1899, Magbanua participated in the Battle of Balantang, Jaro, along
with her brother Pascual.[1] This battle resulted in Philippine forces retaking Jaro from the
Americans.[10] For her valor, Magbanua was given a prominent place in the celebration that
followed, and led her troops into the city while riding a white horse.[3] Also in 1899,
Magbanua participated in the defense of the Balantang-Tacas-Jiabo-an line.[10]

The celebrations would not last long, and Magbanua soon suffered personal tragedy. General
Pascual Magbanua died in December 1899 at the age of 24, under mysterious
circumstances.[18] Her other brother, Major Elias Magbanua, also died mysteriously at the age
of 19,[10] and both deaths dealt a blow to Magbanua. She began using guerrilla tactics after
the Filipino's regional headquarters in Santa Barbara fell to the Americans.[6] She surrendered
her troops to the American forces in 1900[1] and returned to farming.[19]

There is no official record that proves Magbanua was a commissioned officer;[10] however,
she is referred to by the honorific "general" in many texts.[2]

Later life[edit]

While not an active fighter during World War II, Magbanua did what she could to resist
Japanese forces during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. She sold her personal
belongings to purchase food and supplies, which she would then give to the local
guerrillas.[1] Shortly after the outbreak of the war, her husband Alejandro Balderas died and
Magbanua sold her property in Iloilo to help finance the guerrillas.[6]

Death[edit]

Magbanua moved to Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur in Mindanao, after the end of World War
II and lived there with her sister Maria. She never remarried after Baldaras's death, and their
marriage produced no children. Magbanua died on an unknown date in August 1947.[10] Her
burial was attended only by her close friends; there were no announcements made of her
death at the time.[3]

Legacy[edit]

While not as well known as her brothers,[10] Magbanua was recognized for her courage and
service. There are streets named after Magbanua in Pototan and Iloilo City. Several awards
are also given out in her name, including the Gawad Teresa Magbanua Award given to
teachers in Davao,[20] and the Teresa Magbanua award for women's and children's rights
given to Ilonggos in Iloilo.[21] October 13 is officially Teresa Magbanua Day in Pototan; it
was first observed in 2006
Paciano Rizal

Early life[edit]

Paciano Rizal was born to Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro (1818–1897) and
Teodora Morales Alonso y Quintos (1827-1911; whose family later changed their surname to
"Realonda"), as the second of eleven children born to a wealthy family in the town of
Calamba, Laguna.

He grew up witnessing the abuses of the clergy and the Spanish colonial government. As a
young student, together with Felipe Buencamino and Gregorio Sancianco, Paciano was a
founding member of La Juventud Liberal, a reformist student organization that worked under
the direction of the Comite de Reformadores, among whose leaders was Padre José Burgos.
Among their tasks was to secretly distribute copies of the reformist paper, El Eco Filipino,
while pretending to be purveyors of horse fodder (zacateros).

Burgos, who was Paciano's friend and teacher, was later implicated in the Cavite Mutiny of
1872 and summarily executed.[1]

Revolutionary[edit]

Paciano joined and actively supported Propaganda Movement for social reforms, and
supported the Movement's newspaper, Diariong Tagalog. An avid supporter of the
movement, he did tasks such as collecting funds to finance the said organization, and
solicited money for the nationalist paper.

In January 1897, after his younger brother's execution, Paciano joined General Emilio
Aguinaldo in Cavite. He was appointed brigadier general of the revolutionary forces, and was
elected Secretary of Finance in the Departmental Government of Central Luzon.[1]

During the Philippine-American War (1899–1913), he commanded the Filipino forces in

Laguna. U.S. troops captured him in Laguna on 1900.[1] He was released soon after, and he
settled in the town of Los Baños, Laguna.

Death[edit]

He lived a quiet life as a gentleman farmer, and died on April 13, 1930 at the age of 79 of
tuberculosis

Artemio Ricarte

Artemio Ricarte y García (October 20, 1866 – July 31, 1945) was a Filipino general during
the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. He is regarded as the Father of
the Philippine Army, and the first Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (March 22, 1897- January 22, 1899) though the present Philippine Army grew
out of the forces that fought in opposition to, and defeated the Philippine Revolutionary
Army led by General Ricarte.[1][verification needed] Ricarte is also notable for never having taken
an oath of allegiance to the United States government, which occupied the Philippines from
1898 to 1946.
Early life[edit]

From the legal union and matrimony of Esteban Ricarte y Faustino with Bonifacia Garcia y
Rigonan were born three children: Uno, Artemio, and Ylumidad, in the town of Batac,
province of Ilocos Norte. He finished his early studies in his hometown and moved
to Manila for his tertiary education. He enrolled at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran where
he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He prepared for the teaching profession at
the University of Santo Tomas and then at the Escuela Normal. After finishing his studies, he
was sent to the town of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) in Cavite province to
supervise a primary school. In his new job, he met Mariano Álvarez, another school teacher
and a surviving revolutionary of the 1872 Cavite mutiny. Ricarte then joined the ranks of
the Katipunan under the Magdiwang Council, where he held the rank of Lieutenant
General.[2] He adopted the nom-de-guerre, "Víbora" (Viper).[3][4][5]

Philippine Revolution[edit]

Main article: Philippine Revolution

After the start of the Philippine Revolution on August 31, 1896, Ricarte led the revolutionists
in attacking the Spanish garrison in San Francisco de Malabon. He crushed the Spanish
troops and took the civil guards as prisoner. On March 22, 1897,during the Tejeros
Convention, Ricarte was unanimously elected Captain-General and received a military
promotion to Brigadier-General in Emilio Aguinaldo's army.[6] At the battle of Pasong
Santol, Bonifacio ordered him to have Magdiwang troops intercept the Magdalo
reinforcements for Pasong Santol preventing additional troops to Crispulo
Aguinaldo resulting to the defeat of revolutionary forces assigned to take on the renewed
Spanish offensive. He led his men in various battles in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas.
Aguinaldo designated him to remain in Biak-na-Bato, San Miguel, Bulacan to supervise the
surrender of arms such that both the Spanish government and Aguinaldo's officers complied
with the terms of the peace pact.

Philippine–American War[edit]

Main article: Philippine–American War

The second phase of the Philippine Revolution was ushered in when the Americans brought
back Aguinaldo from exile on May 19, 1898. Ricarte was a minor figure at this stage. He was
the rebel commander of Sta. Ana when Manila fell to the Americans on August 13, 1898.
With the help of Rear Admiral George Dewey, commander of the American Asiaric
Squadron anchored in Manila Bay, and General Wesley Merritt of the American Army, the
Filipino troops routed the Spanish command of General Fermin Juadenes. This eventually led
General Jaudenes to surrender the City of Manila to Admiral Dewey, thus the liberation of
the Philippines from the Spanish colonizers.

General Ricarte was jubilant over the victory, thinking it was the prelude to the attainment of
complete Philippine independence. Unfortunately, however, the Americans afterwards
refused to recognize the participation of the Filipinos in the siege of the city and even
deprived them of their rights as victors to triumphantly enter its gates. The Americans,
having gotten rid of the Spaniards with the help of Filipinos, were intent on possessing the
Philippines. This development saddened Ricarte, to the extent that later on, he considered
another option by which Filipinos could gain their independence.

When the Philippine–American War started in 1899, he was Chief of Operations of the
Philippine forces in the second zone around Manila. In July 1900, he tried to infiltrate the
American lines to enter Manila but he was captured by the Americans. For six months, he
was locked up in the Bilibid Prisons but stubbornly refused to swear allegiance to the United
States. Because of this, the Americans exiled him to Guam, together with many of the other
rebel prisoners in the islands, including Apolinario Mabini. The exile lasted for two years.[5]

Post-war era[edit]

In early 1903, both Ricarte and Mabini would be allowed back into the Philippines upon
taking the oath of allegiance to America.[7]:546Just as their transport USS Thomas pulled
into Manila Bay, both were asked to take the oath. Mabini, who was ill, took the oath but
Ricarte refused. Ricarte was set free but banned from the Philippines. Without setting foot on
Philippine soil, he was placed on the transport Garlic and sailed to Hong Kong.

In December 1903, Ricarte returned to the Philippines disguised as a seaman,[7]:546 on board

the Wenshang. Ricarte planned to reunite with former members of the army and rekindle
the Philippine Revolution. Upon meeting with several former members and friends, he
discussed his general plan and the continuation of the revolution. After said meetings, some
of these members turned on Ricarte and notified the Americans, specifically the ex-
General Pío del Pilar. A reward for US$10,000 was then issued for Ricarte's capture, dead or
alive. In the following weeks, Ricarte traveled throughout central Luzon trying to drum up
support for his cause.

In early 1904, Ricarte was stricken by an illness that put him at rest for nearly two months.
Just as his health was returning, a clerk from his outfit, Luis Baltazar, turned against him and
notified the local Philippine Constabulary of his location at Mariveles, Bataan. In May 1904,
Ricarte was arrested and spent the next six years at Bilibid Prison.[7]:546 Ricarte was well
received and respected by both the Philippine and American authorities. He was frequently
visited by old friends from the Philippine revolutionary war as well as U.S. government
officials, including the Vice-President of the United States under Theodore
Roosevelt, Charles W. Fairbanks.

Due to good behavior, Ricarte served only six years of his 11-year sentence. On June 26,
1910, he was released from Bilibid Prison. But upon his exit he was detained by American
authorities and taken to the Customs-House in Bagumbayan. He was again ordered to pledge
his oath of allegiance to the United States. He still refused to swear allegiance and within the
hour of the same day, he was again put on a transport and deported to Hong Kong.

From July 1, 1910 to 1915, Ricarte lived in Hong Kong, first on Lamma Island, at the mouth
of the harbor, and, later in Kowloon where he initiated the publication of a fortnightly, ‘’El
Grito de Presente’’ (The Cry of the Present). His name was repeatedly brought to light
whenever any manner of uprising occurred in the Philippines. To get away from damaging
propaganda, he and his wife, together with his family moved to Tokyo and, later,
to Yokohama, Japan, where he lived in self-exile at 149 Yamashita-cho. While in Japan,
Ricarte and his wife, Agueda opened a small restaurant, Karihan Luvimin, and returned to
teaching. They chose this name for it is so that Filipino travelers in Japan would know that
there were Filipinos living there. Being an educator, Gen. Ricarte taught Spanish language at
the Kaigai Shokumin Gakko School in Tokyo. To augment the family income, Agueda sold
copies of her husband's book, "Hispano-Philippine Revolution", or Himagsikan nang manga
Pilipino Laban sa Kastila (The Revolution of Filipinos Against the Spaniards) was published
in Yokohama in 1927. It became very saleable to Filipinos on board ship.[3] Agueda Esteban,
his wife engaged in the real estate business, which enabled the couple to purchase three
houses in Japan.

In all the years they stayed in Japan, the dream of an independent Philippines of Gen. Ricarte
never waned. Every year, he never failed to celebrate Rizal Day and Bonifacio Day by
hosting big affairs with Filipino residents and Japanese officials.

Wartime and Ricarte's Return to the Philippines

Just as Ricarte's life was fading away into obscurity, World War II began and Imperial
Japanese Army invaded the Philippines. In 1942, when Japan's military forces occupied
Manila, Prime Minister Tojo asked Ricarte to return to the Philippines to help maintain peace
and order. He agreed and requested Tojo to give Philippines its genuine independence from
the American colonial rule. Tojo thus promised Ricarte that if he could bring about peace and
order in the Philippines within a year, the Japanese government would hand back to the
Filipino people their independence. As he had always aspired to see a free Philippines,
Ricarte accepted the offer. Under this agreement, he gained the respect of the Japanese and
Filipino nationalists like Emilio Aguinaldo. In 1943, independence was given to the
Philippines by Japan and declared the establishment of the Second Philippine Republic,
formally known as "The Republic of the Philippines"

Ricarte and Benigno Ramos[edit]

Sometime in November 1944, Gen. Artemio Ricarte informed his wife, Agueda that
President Laurel and his cabinet would have a meeting in Baguio with high-ranking Japanese
officials and that he had to be present there. He would tell her further that in case he had to
stay longer in Baguio, he would send for his family to join him.

Before he left Baguio, Benigno Ramos, the leader-founder of MAKAPILI, invited him over
to his place (where the Christ the King building in Quezon City is now located). He went
there together with his granddaughter Ma. Luisa D. Fleetwood. While they were having their
lunch, Ramos asked him to sign up as a member of the Makapili Organization. Gen. Ricarte,
refused. He told Ramos that he did not have to sign up with the said organization in order to
prove his patriotism and loyalty to his people. He added that he was already physically frail
and could not carry out large tasks anymore. However, he gave the approval and blessing to
establish the organization to counter the impending American invasion.

Near the end of World War II, Ricarte again found himself taking flight from American and
Filipino forces. Ricarte was implored by colleagues to evacuate the Philippine Islands but
had refused, stating "I can not take refuge in Japan at this critical moment when my people
are in actual distress. I will stay in my Motherland to the last."

In April 1945, the "Battle of Bessang Pass" was midway. It had started in January of that
year, when Filipino forces under the Philippine Commonwealth Army, Philippine
Constabulary & USAFIP-NL military units were raided the foothills of Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
in pursuit of the Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita, the "Tiger of Malaya" and his
forces, which Ricarte had joined. In May, there was a lull in the fighting, as casualties
mounted on both sides from the armed conflict, but worsened by malaria, cholera and
dysentery. In June, Yamashita’s army found themselves surrounded on all sides and Bessang
Pass fell on June 14, 1945. Ricarte had fallen ill and suffered from
debilitating dysentery at Kalinga, Mountain Province,[8]:167–168 Ricarte died on July 31, 1945,
at the age of 78. His grave was discovered nine years later in 1954 by treasure hunters.
Ricarte's body was exhumed and his tomb now lies in Manila at the Heroes' Cemetery.
Furthermore, a landmark was inaugurated by historian Ambeth Ocampo, chairman of
the National Historical Institute with a granddaughter of Artemio Ricarte, on April 2002, at
the same place where the general died.

Memorial

In 1972, a monument was erected at Yamashita Park in Yokohama, Japan.[3]

The birth house of Artemio Ricarte is now the Ricarte National Shrine and Museum in Batac
City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

For battles and deeds accomplished in Cavite, a marker was placed at Poblacion, General
Trias, Cavite for General Artemio Ricarte.
Daniel Tirona

Early life[edit]

Tirona was born in the town of Cavite el Viejo (modern Kawit) in Cavite province. He had
an elder brother, Candido Tria Tirona. He was married four times, widowed thrice and had
three children. He worked as a schoolteacher. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from
the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and studied law in the University of Santo Tomas.[1]

Katipunan[edit]

He and his elder brother Candido were members of the Katipunan, a secret society founded
in 1892 by Andrés Bonifacio and others. The Katipunan sought independence from Spain
through armed revolt. The Tironas were leading members of the Magdalo, one of two
chapters of the Katipunan in Cavite, the other being the Magdiwang. They were close
associates of Emilio Aguinaldo, mayor of Cavite el Viejo and the most
prominent Magdalo leader.[1]

Military career[edit]

After the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution in the last days of August 1896, Tirona
ceased his law studies.[1] With several provinces in open revolt, the rebels of Cavite enjoyed
the most success[2] and they controlled virtually the entire province by September–October
1896.[3]

After the Spanish forces retook Imus, Cavite on March 25, Governor-General Camilo de
Polavieja offered amnesty to surrendering rebels.[4] Tirona took advantage of the amnesty
offer.[5]

However, Tirona returned to Aguinaldo sometime later. Aguinaldo had been exiled to Hong
Kong in December 1897 in accordance with the Pact of Biak-na-Bato which officially ended
the revolution.[6] In May 1898, the Philippines was embroiled in the Spanish–American War.
Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines and officially resumed the revolution as an unofficial
ally to the United States. Tirona was a witness and signatory of the Philippine Declaration of
Independence on June 12. Commissioned as a colonel, Tirona headed a military expedition
sent by Aguinaldo to Cagayan in August. He was subsequently appointed military
governor of Cagayan and Isabela and held the rank of brigadier-general. Tirona represented
the province of Batanes in the Malolos Congress in 1898-1899.[1]

The Philippine–American War broke out in February 1899 and Tirona fought against the
United States in Cagayan. Having the best and well equipped troops among Aguinaldo's
forces, he surrendered in January 1900 without firing a single shot.[1] It was reported to
Aguinaldo that Tirona became the general factotum of the American officer to whom he had
surrendered for a time, cleaning his shoes and serving his meals.[7]

Later life[edit]

Tirona supported the American colonial government after Aguinaldo's capture in March
1901. He was one of the representatives of Cavite el Viejo that met with the Taft
Commissionduring their visit to Cavite on June 6.[8] In the same year he held the position of
provincial secretary of Cavite. He afterward served as provincial assessor and treasurer
of Tarlac.[1]

Tirona lived to see the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935. He
died in 1939 just after the start of World War II.[1]
Controversy[edit]

As the revolution progressed, the Magdalo and Magdiwang clashed over authority and
jurisdiction and did not help each other in the face of Spanish counterattacks. Bonifacio was
called to Cavite as the Supremo (supreme leader) or Presidente Supremo (Supreme President)
of the Katipunan to mediate between the factions and unify their efforts. Meanwhile, Tirona's
brother Candido was killed in battle on November 10 and he succeeded him
as Magdalo secretary of war four days later.[1] When Bonifacio arrived in Cavite in late
November, Tirona was part of the welcoming party.

Within Cavite, friction grew between Bonifacio and the Magdalo leaders. Earlier in October,
Aguinaldo had issued a manifesto in the name of the Magdalo ruling council which
proclaimed an insurgent government.[9] This was done despite the existence of
the Katipunan,[9] which Bonifacio had already converted into an insurgent government with
him as president just before the outbreak of hostilities.[10][11][12] Once Bonifacio was in Cavite
the Magdalo leaders made overtures about replacing the Katipunan with an insurgent
government of their design. Bonifacio and the Magdiwang maintained they already had a
government in the Katipunan.[13][14]

After Bonifacio was acclaimed as the "ruler of the Philippines" by townsfolk, unflattering
rumors about him began to spread. It was rumored that Bonifacio had
stolen Katipunan funds, his sister was the mistress of a priest, and he was an agent
provocateur paid by Spanish friars to foment unrest. Also circulated were anonymous letters
which told the people of Cavite not to idolize Bonifacio because he was (allegedly)
a Freemason, a mere warehouseman, an atheist, and uneducated. These letters also said
Bonifacio did not deserve the title of Supremo since only God was supreme. Tirona was
widely suspected to be responsible for the rumor-mongering. When confronted by Bonifacio,
Tirona dismissed his accusations in such a manner that provoked him to anger. He drew a
gun and would have shot Tirona if others had not intervened.[15][16]

Tirona was present at the Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897, wherein Bonifacio and
leaders of the Magdalo and Magdiwang met to settle the issue of leadership of the
revolution.[17] Bonifacio presided over the elections that followed, despite his misgivings
over the lack of representation by other provinces.[18] Tirona helped distribute the ballots.
Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President in absentia while Bonifacio was elected Director of
the Interior.[17][19] Tirona loudly protested Bonifacio's election to Director of the Interior
because he lacked a lawyer's diploma (the implicit message being that he lacked the
education for the position). Tirona repeatedly suggested a prominent Cavite lawyer, José del
Rosario, for the position. Since it had been agreed beforehand to respect the election results,
Bonifacio demanded an apology. Instead, Tirona made to leave the assembly room. Angered,
Bonifacio again drew his gun and was again restrained from shooting Tirona.[20] Bonifacio
invoked his position as chairman of the convention and leader of the Katipunanto declare the
proceedings null and void.[20][21] In the following days, Bonifacio refused to recognize
Aguinaldo's government and alleged the elections were fraudulent.[22] This allegation is
supported by the revolutionaries Santiago Álvarez, Gregoria de Jesús and Guillermo
Masangkay.[23][24] Bonifacio was eventually arrested, tried and executed for treason by
Aguinaldo's government.[25][26][27][28]

In popular culture[edit]

Tirona was portrayed in various films which featured or centered on the Philippine
Revolution. He was portrayed by the following actors in these films:

2012 - Don Umali in El Presidente

2014 - Lawrence Roxas in Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo

Legacy[edit]

The Tirona Highway and the proposed Tirona LRT station in Cavite is named after him.
José Turiano Santiago

Santiago joined the Katipunan in 1893 and was among those tasked to organize popular
councils in key areas in Manila and its environs. He was elected secretary of the secret
society's second Supreme Council under the presidency of Roman Basa. It was at this time
that he met Marina Dizon, daughter of Katipunan founder José Dizon and member of the
Katipunan's women's auxiliary.

In the same year, Santiago and Marina, who was already his fiancee, witnessed the wedding
of Andrés Bonifacio to Gregoria de Jesús. The wedding sponsors were Santiago's half-
brother and fellow Katipunan member Restituto Javier and his wife. Santiago himself
married Marina Dizon on September 16, 1894 in the church of Binondo, Manila. They would
eventually have eight children.
The following year, Santiago was elected secretary of the secret society but he and his half-
brother Restituto Javier were accused of betraying the secret society because a priest-
professor of the University of Santo Tomas got hold of a coded message of the Katipunan.
Since the priest was a friend of Javier's sister, the Katipunan suspected that Santiago and
Javier revealed the society's existence and the two were expelled although they were never
proven guilty.

The Katipunan would not be uncovered until August 1896 and neither Santiago nor Javier
had anything to do with it. Nonetheless, the half-brothers were among those who were
arrested by the Spanish authorities and detained for months. Santiago's father-in-law was also
arrested and executed. Javier was later banished to the Canary Islands. Santiago, however,
was released on September 11, 1897.

But he remained in contact with revolutionary forces and was appointed representative of
Nueva Ecija in the Malolos Congress in 1898. When the Americans took Manila, Santiago
and his wife tried to live normal lives in Meycauayan, Bulacan but had to flee to Tarlac in the
course of the Philippine–American War. The couple tried to settle down in Manila anew but
Santiago was later exposed as an insurgent and he had to flee to Hong Kong.

When peace restored in the Philippines, Santiago returned and lived a normal life as an
accountant and auditor for several companies in Manila. He died during the Japanese
Occupation.
Manuel Tinio

The young Manuel Tinio learned his caton, the phonetic ABCs, under an unknown tutor in
Licab. Later, he went to the provincial capital where he attended a school in Calaba, San
Isidro headed by Don Rufino Villaruz. He continued his studies in Manila in the school run
by Don V. Crisologo. In 1893 he entered San Juan de Letran, where he pursued his segunda
ensenianza or high school studies until 1896.

Manuel Tinio was said to have been a mischievous student, but a born leader. As was the
custom of the time, the students tended to gravitate into regional groups. Naturally, Manuel
became the leader of the Novo-Ecijanos. He and his friends pulled a prank, which cost him
his graduation. The teenaged Manuel Tinio and his "barkada" had just come from an arnis de
mano match in the Jardin Botanico (behind the present-day Manila Metropolitan Theater)
and were on their way back to Intramuros when they saw a Spaniard bicycling towards them.
Dared by his friends, Manuel pushed the cyclist and everyone ran away in glee as soon as the
man fell. The furious Spaniard, who turned out to be an officer of the Guardia Civil,
recognized Manuel. That night, several civil guards came knocking at the boarding house
where Manuel was staying. Tinio and his fellow boarders, wondering at the commotion,
peeped through a hole on the floor and saw the soldiers. Realizing that he was going to be
arrested Manuel jumped out of a window for his dear life and fled to Licab, his hometown.
This was the first of many such narrow escapes in his remarkable life.

1896 and the Revolution[edit]

Manuel Tinio, then 18 years old, joined the Katipunan in April 1896. By August he had
organized a company composed of friends, relatives and tenants. Personally leading his
group of teenaged guerillas, he conducted raids and depredations against Spanish
detachments and patrols in Nueva Ecija. Occasionally, he joined up with similar forces under
other youthful leaders.
An Early flag of the Katipunan.

On September 2, 1896, Manuel Tinio and his men joined the combined forces of Mariano
Llanera and Pantaleon Belmonte, capitanes municipales or mayors of Cabiao and Gapan,
respectively, in the attack on San Isidro. Of 3,000 who volunteered, 500 determined men
were chosen for the attack. Led by a bamboo orchestra or musikong bumbong of Cabiao, the
force came in two separate columns from Cabiao and Gapan City and converged in Sitio
Pulu, 5 km. from San Isidro. Despite the fact that they had only 100 rifles, they furiously
fought the Spaniards holed up in the Casa Tribunal, the arsenal, other government buildings
and in the houses of Spanish residents. Capt. Joaquin Machorro, commander of the Guardias
Civiles, was killed on the first day of battle. According to Julio Tinio, Manuel's cousin and a
participant in the battle, Manuel had a conference in the arsenal with Antonio Luna and
Eduardo Llanera, the general's son, immediately after the battle.

The Spanish authorities hastily organized a company of 200 civilian Spaniards and
mercenaries the following day and attacked the overconfident insurgents, driving the
besiegers away from the government center. The next day more Spanish reinforcements
arrived from Peñaranda, forcing the poorly armed rebels to retreat, leaving behind 60 dead.
The Spaniards went in hot pursuit of the insurgents, forcing those from Cabiao to flee to
Candaba, Pampanga, and those from Gapan to hide in San Miguel de Mayumo in Bulacan.
The insurgents from San Isidro fled across the river to hide in Jaen. The relatives of those
who were recognized were driven away from their homes by the colonial authorities. Manuel
Tinio and his troop stayed to protect the mass of people from Calaba, San Isidro, who were
all his kinfolk, hastening across the river to Jaen, Nueva Ecija.

The Spaniards’ relentless pursuit of the rebels forced them to disband and go into hiding until
January 1897. Tinio was a special target. At 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall, he literally stood
out among the attackers, whose average height was below 5 feet (150 cm). He fled to Licab.
A platoon of cazadores (footsoldiers) was sent to arrest him, forcing Hilario Tinio Yango, his
first cousin and the Capitan Municipal of the town, to lead them to him. Warned of the
approaching soldiers, Manuel again escaped and fled on foot back to San Isidro, where, in the
barrios of Calaba, Alua and Sto. Cristo, he hid with relatives in their various farms beside the
Rio Gapan (now known as the Peñaranda River). Fear of arrest compelled him to be forever
on the move. He never slept in the same place. Later on, he would attribute his ill health in
his middle age to the privations he endured during those months of living exposed to the
elements.

1897[edit]

The passionate rebels reorganized their forces the moment Spanish pursuit died down. Tinio
and his men marched with Gen. Llanera in his sorties against the Spaniards. Llanera
eventually made Tinio a Captain.

The aggressive exploits of the teen-aged Manuel Tinio reached the ears of General Emilio
Aguinaldo, whose forces were being driven out of Cavite and Laguna, Philippines. He
evacuated to Mount Puray in Montalban, Rizal and called for an assembly of patriots in June
1897. In that assembly, Aguinaldo appointed Mamerto Natividad, Jr. as commanding general
of the revolutionary army and Mariano Llanera as vice-commander with the rank of Lt.-
General. Manuel Tinio was commissioned a Colonel and served under Gen. Natividad.

The constant pressure from the army of Gov. Gen. Primo de Rivera drove Aguinaldo to
Central Luzon. In August, Gen. Aguinaldo decided to move his force of 500 men to the caves
of Biac-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan because the area was easier to defend. There, his
forces joined up with those of Gen. Llanera. With the help of Pedro Paterno, a
prominent Philippines lawyer, Aguinaldo began negotiating a truce with the Spanish
government in exchange for reforms, an indemnity, and safe conduct.

On August 27, 1897, Gen. Mamerto Natividad and Col. Manuel Tinio conducted raids in
Carmen, Zaragoza and Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija. Three days later, on the 30th, they stormed
and captured Santor (now Bongabon) with the help of the townspeople. They stayed in that
town till September 3.
On September 4, with the principal objective of acquiring provisions lacking in Biac-na-
Bato, Gen. Natividad and Col. Manuel Tinio united their forces with those of Col. Casimiro
Tinio, Gen. Pío del Pilar, Col. Jose Paua and Eduardo Llanera for a dawn attack on Aliaga.
(Casimiro Tinio, popularly known as ‘Capitan Berong’, was an elder brother of Manuel
through his father's first marriage.)

Thus began the Battle of Aliaga, considered one of the most glorious battles of the rebellion.
The rebel forces took the church and convent, the Casa Tribunal and other government
buildings. The commander of the Spanish detachment died in the first moments of fighting,
while those who survived were locked up in the thick-walled jail. The rebels then proceeded
to entrench themselves and fortify several houses. The following day, Sunday the 5th, the
church and convent as well as a group of houses were put to the torch due to exigencies of
defense.

Spanish Governor General Primo de Rivera fielded 8,000 Spanish troops under the
commands of Gen. Ricardo Monet and Gen. Nuñez in an effort to recapture the town. A
column of reinforcements under the latter's command arrived in the afternoon of September
6. They were met with such a tremendous hail of bullets that the general, two captains and
many soldiers were wounded, forcing the Spaniards to retreat a kilometer away from the
town to await the arrival of Gen. Monet and his men. Even with the reinforcements, the
Spaniards were overly cautious in attacking the insurgents. When they did so the next day,
they found the town already abandoned by the rebels who had gone back to Biac-na-
Bato. Filipinocasualties numbered 8 dead and 10 wounded.

Gen. Natividad and Col. Manuel Tinio shifted to guerrilla warfare. The following October
with full force they attacked San Rafael, Bulacan to get much-needed provisions for Biac-na-
Bato. The battle lasted several days and, after getting what they came for, they left a
detachment in Bo. Kaingin to hold back the Spanish reinforcements from Baliwag, Bulacan.
To divert Spanish forces from Nueva Ecija, Natividad and Tinio attacked Tayug,
Pangasinan on Oct. 4, 1897, occupying the church in the heart of the poblacion.

Meanwhile, peace negotiations continued and in October Aguinaldo gathered together his
generals to convene a constitutional assembly. On Nov. 1, 1897 the Constitution was
unanimously approved and on that day the Biac-na-Bato Republic was established.
However, Gen. Natividad, who believed in the revolution, opposed the peace negotiations
and continued to fight indefatigably from Biac-na-Bato. On Nov. 9, while leading a force of
200 men with Gen. Pío del Pilar and Col. Ignacio Paua, Natividad was killed in action in
Entablado, Cabiao. Col. Manuel Tinio brought the corpse back to the general's grieving wife
in Biac-na-Bato. (Incidentally, Gen. Natividad's widow, Trinidad, was the daughter of
Casimiro Tinio–"Capitan Berong".) With the death of the army's commanding general, Col.
Manuel Tinio was commissioned Brigadier General and designated as commanding general
of operations on Nov. 20, 1897. Gen. Tinio, all of 20 years, became the youngest general of
the Philippine Revolutionary Army. (Gregorio del Pilar, already 22, was only a Lt. Colonel at
that time.)

On Dec. 20, 1897, the Pact of the Biac-na-Bato was ratified by the Assembly of
Representatives. In accordance with the terms of the peace pact, Aguinaldo went to Sual,
Pangasinan, where he and 26 members of the revolutionary government boarded a steamer to
go into voluntary exile in Hongkong. The Novo-Ecijanos in the group were Manuel Tinio,
Mariano and Eduardo Llanera, Benito and Joaquin Natividad, all signatories of the
Constitution.

In Hongkong, the exiles agreed among themselves to live as a community and spend only the
interest of the initial P400,000 the Spanish Government had paid in accordance with the Pact
of the Biac-na-Bato. The principal was to be used for the purchase of arms for the
continuation of the revolution at a future time. The Artacho faction, however, wanted to
divide the funds of the Revolution among themselves. The Novo-Ecijanos did not vote with
the opportunist Artacho ‘faction’, and, being relatively well off, thanks to a relative who
provided them with funds (Trinidad Tinio vda. de Natividad), "they got a house where they
lived like a republic", as they said.

1898[edit]

Would history have been different if the Spanish authorities had not reneged on the terms of
the Pact and withheld the amount of P900,000 which was supposed to have been divided
among non-combatants who had suffered in the fighting? Thus shortchanged, considering
themselves no longer honor bound to lay down arms, the revolutionists rose again. Once
again fighting broke out all over Luzon. In Nueva Ecija, the rebels captured the towns again
one by one.

But American intervention was on the way. As early as February 1898 an American naval
squadron had steamed into Manila Bay. On May 1, less than a week after the declaration of
the Spanish–American War, the American naval squadron completely destroyed the Spanish
fleet. Admiral Dewey of the United States of America immediately dispatched the revenue
cutter "McCulloch" to Hongkong to fetch Aguinaldo, who returned to the Philippines on May
19. On May 21 Aguinaldo issued a proclamation asking the nation to rally behind him in a
second attempt to obtain independence. Revolutionary leaders promptly stepped up their
raids and ambuscades on Spanish garrisons in Central Luzon, capturing more than 5,000
prisoners. By the end of May, the whole of central and southern Luzon, except Manila, was
practically in Filipino hands. Aguinaldo promptly established a Dictatorial Government on
May 24, with himself as Supremo (supreme commander) and proclaimed Philippine
Independence on June 12, 1898. Apolinario Mabini, however, prevailed upon Aguinaldo to
decree the establishment of a Revolutionary Government on June 23.

The Siege of Ilocos[edit]

Manuel Tinio and the rest of the revolutionists in Hongkong sailed for Cavite on June 6 on
board the 60-ton contraband boat "Kwan Hoi" to join their Filipino leader. Upon his arrival
in Cavite, Tinio was instructed to organize an expeditionary force to wrest the Ilocano
provinces from Spanish hands. Thus would start the thrust into the North and its conquest by
Novo-Ecijano General Manuel Tinio. First, he retrieved from Hagonoy, Bulacan 300 Mauser
and Remington rifles that had been captured from the Spaniards and stored in that town. He
then took the steamer to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Upon his arrival on June 13 he immediately
set up 3 companies of 108 men each under the commands of Captains Joaquin Alejandrino,
Jose Tombo and 1st Lt. Joaquin Natividad who was given overall command. All the officers
were Novo-Ecijanos, except for Celerino Mangahas who hailed from Paombong, Bulacan.

On July 7, 1898 Aguinaldo reorganized the provincial government of Nueva Ecija and
appointed Felino Cajucom as governor. The province was divided into four military zones:
Zone 1 under Gen. Mariano Llanera with Gen. Tinio as deputy covered the towns of San
Isidro, San Antonio, Jaén, Gapan and Peñaranda;

Zone 2 under Pablo Padilla and Angelo San Pedro covered the towns of Cabanatuan, San
Leonardo, Sta. Rosa, Sto. Domingo and Talavera;

Zone 3 under Delfin Esquivel and Ambrosio Esteban covered the towns of Aliaga, Licab,
Zaragoza, San Jose, San Juan de Guimba and Cuyapo;

Zone 4 under Manuel Natividad and Francisco Nuñez covered the towns of Rosales,
Nampicuan, Umingan, Balungao and San Quintin.

On June 19, Gen. Tinio and his men proceeded to Pangasinan to assist Gen. Makabulos in the
siege of Dagupan which was the most important of the three Spanish strongholds in the
North at that time, the others being Tarlac, Tarlac and San Fernando, La Union. Dagupan
was held by the Spaniards under the command of Col. Federico J. Ceballos. In Dagupan,
Gen. Tinio met the force of Lt. Col. Casimiro Tinio, composed of Captains Feliciano Ramoso
and Pascual Tinio, Lt. Severo Ortega, several other officers, and 300 Novo-Ecijano soldiers.
Gen. Makabulos, who had taken over the Central Luzon Command the previous April, was
optimistic that he had the situation well in hand and allowed Gen. Tinio and the combined
Novo-Ecijano troops at Dagupan to proceed northward to liberate Ilocos from the Spaniards.
This Ilocos Expeditionary Force would become the nucleus of the future Tinio Brigade.

The Novo-Ecijano troops, now over 600 strong, reached San Fernando, on July 22, the day
that Dagupan surrendered to Gen. Makabulos. They found the capital of La Union already
besieged by revolutionists under the command of Gen. Mauro Ortiz. The Spaniards, under
the command of Col. Jose Garcia Herrero, were entrenched in the convent, the Casa Tribunal
and the provincial jail and were waiting for succour. Gen. Tinio wanted a ceasefire and sent
for Col. Ceballos in Dagupan to mediate a peaceful capitulation of the San Fernando
garrison. But despite news that the Spaniards had already surrendered Central Luzon to the
Revolutionists and the pleadings of Col. Ceballos, the besieged Spaniards refused to
capitulate. On the morning of the eighth day, July 31, Gen. Tinio ordered the assault of the
convent from the adjoining church. At a cost of 5 lives and 3 wounded, Capt. Alejandrino's
company occupied the kitchen and cut the water supply in the aljibe or cistern under the
azotea, the terrace beside the kitchen. At 4 p.m. a 4"-cannon taken from the gunboat "Callao"
moored in the harbor was fired against the left side of the convent. The deafening blast
frightened the Spaniards who immediately called for a ceasefire and flew the white flag.
Alejandrino received the saber of Lt. Col. Herrero as a token of surrender. 400 men, 8
officers, 377 rifles, 3 cannons and P 12,000 in government silver were turned over. Upon
seeing his captors, the Spanish commander wept in rage and humiliation, for many of the
Filipino officers and men were but mere youths. Gen. Tinio himself had just turned 21 the
previous month!

From San Fernando the Tinio Brigade and its prisoners marched on to Balaoan, where they
met stubborn resistance from the enemy who were again entrenched in the convent. The
siege lasted for five days, and, despite the support of the populace, resulted in the deaths of
more than 70 Filipinos, mostly townspeople. Camilo Osías, a witness to the event, wrote in
his memoirs that after the siege, the Balaoan katipuneros were inducted en masse into the
ranks of the Tinio Brigade. Meanwhile, the company of Capt. Alejandrino, dispatched earlier
by Gen. Tinio to reconnoiter and clear the neighboring commandancia or military district of
Benguet, had met no opposition for the small force of cazadores in La Trinidad had fled to
Bontoc upon learning of their approach. Alejandrino immediately turned back and rejoined
Gen. Tinio.

From Balaoan, the rebels marched on to Bangar, the northernmost town of La Union, where
they laid siege to the Spaniards holed up, again, in the convent. They won a victory on Aug.
7 after four days of fighting at a cost of 2 casualties. 87 Spaniards surrendered in Bangar.

The Tinio Brigade then crossed the mighty Amburayan River that divides the province of La
Union from Ilocos Sur. The colonial force occupying the strategic heights on the opposite
bank was the last obstacle to Tinio's advance to Vigan. Tinio stormed their positions, causing
the enemy to withdraw to Tagudin,[5]:250 the first town of Ilocos Sur. There, the Spaniards
consolidated all the available forces they could muster (1,500 men according to one
source)[5]:250 and prepared to make a stand in the convent and surrounding buildings.
However, their spirited defense the first three days turned into a rout, when the native
volunteers in the Spanish army deserted their units to fight with the rebels. The Brigade
suffered no casualties in that siege. The Spaniards fled north, but were intercepted in Sta.
Lucia, Ilocos Sur by Ilocano and Abra revolutionists under Gen. Isabelo Abaya.

The Tinio Brigade, now over 2,000 strong, marched northward and encountered the Ilocano
patriots in Sabuanan, Sta. Lucia. The latter escorted them to Candon, whose inhabitants
jubilantly received the conquerors.

There, Isabelo Abaya, a native of the place and the initiator of the revolution in Ilocos, was
given a regular rank of Captain of Infantry in the Tinio Brigade.

On August 13, 1898, the same day that the Spaniards surrendered Intramuros to the
Americans, Gen. Tinio entered Vigan, the capital of Ilocos Sur and the citadel of Spanish
power in the North.[5]:251 He found the capital already in rebel hands. Gov. Enrique Polo de
Lara, newly appointed Spanish governor of both Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, had fled to
Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, with all the resident Spaniards of Vigan. There he spent
five days at the beach of Diriqui, loading the civilians and friars, including Bishop
Campomanes, on boats which would hazard the rough weather for the journey to Aparri. He
then ordered the troops under Col. Mariano Arques, district commander of the Civil Guards
and Jefe de Linea in Ilocos, to take the coastal road to Aparri, Cagayan.

Upon his arrival in Vigan, Gen. Tinio had immediately launched a two-pronged movement to
capture the Spaniards fleeing northward and those escaping into the interior.[5]:251 He
dispatched his brother, Casimiro, with a light cavalry column of 600 men to Ilocos Norte to
pursue the fleeing enemy. Without encountering any opposition along the way, the Filipino
column reached Laoag on August 17. They overtook some of the fleeing Spaniards at
Bacarra, the next town, where, after exchanging a few token shots, more than 300 Spaniards
surrendered. The Spaniards had heard of the humane treatment Gen. Tinio afforded prisoners
and did not put up much of a fight.

Two companies were then dispatched to Bangui, the northernmost town of Ilocos Norte, and
to Claveria, the first town in Cagayan. Capt. Vicente Salazar's company pressed the
northward pursuit with more tenacity, overtaking the enemy on the road to the Patapat Pass
leading to Cagayan province. Right there and then, on August 22, Col. Arques and some 200
Spanish regulars, all tired and frustrated, surrendered almost willingly. In Patapat itself, the
crack Regiment No. 70, composed of Ilocano and Visayan volunteers, stationed there to
guard the pass, deserted their officers and joined the revolutionaries. The enemy was on the
run, and even Aparri at the very end of Luzon was secured too by the detachment under the
command of Col. Daniel Tirona.

Relentlessly, from Vigan, Capt. Alejandrino and 500 men, with Capt. Isabelo Abaya as
guide, went to Bangued, Abra to track and capture the enemy who were retreating towards
the rugged and mountainous interior towns of Cervantes, Lepanto and Bontoc. The Filipinos
easily achieved their goal with only 3 casualties, the whole Ilocos and the Cordillera
commandancias were now in Philippine hands.

Gen. Tinio is credited with capturing the most number of Spanish prisoners during the
revolution, over 1.000 of them. The prisoners were brought to Vigan, their number later
augmented by other prisoners sent over from the Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon during
the last quarter of 1898. Gen. Tinio exercised both firmness and compassion in dealing with
the prisoners. Fray Ulpiano Herrero y Sampedro, a Dominican who had been captured and
sent over from Cavite, kept a journal of his 18-month imprisonment together with over a
hundred other friars. He wrote that when they were imprisoned in Vigan, "Gen. Tinio wanted
to improve the living conditions of the friar prisoners … sent us food, clothing, books, paper
and writing implements."

There was another group of prisoners. The revolucionarios’ anger against the friars extended
even to their native mistresses, and these women were imprisoned in the girls’ school beside
the Bishop's Palace. Their properties were confiscated. One of the incarcerated women, a
native of Sinait, had a 15-year-old daughter, Laureana Quijano, who pleaded with Gen. Tinio
for her mother's release and the restoration of their properties. The general, attracted to her
beauty, forthwith acceded to her request, and then began to court her. Later, Laur, as she was
called, also pleaded for the release of another prisoner, her mother's first cousin, and
introduced the daughter, Amelia Imperial Dancel. Again, the general gave in and released
Amelia's mother. Subsequently, Gen. Tinio also fell in love with Amelia.
The Establishment of the Civil and Military Government in Ilocos[edit]

Gen. Tinio set up his Command Headquarters in the Bishop's Palace in Vigan. There he lived
with 18 of his officers, all very young, mostly 16–20 years of age, the oldest being the 29-
year-old Captain Pauil.

In accordance with Aguinaldo's Dictatorial Decree of June 18, 1898 which set the guidelines
for setting up a civil government in those towns liberated from the Spaniards, Gen. Tinio
conducted elections for the whole region. First to be elected were the officials of each town.
Under the revolutionary government, the mayor, instead of being called the capitan
municipal, was now addressed as the presidente municipal. These mayors then elected the
Provincial Governor and Board.

With the civil government in place, Gen. Tinio then reorganized the Tinio Brigade. The
successful military exploits of the Brigada Tinio were heralded all over Luzon and attracted
hundreds of volunteers. The Brigade swelled to over 3,400 men, with scores of officers and
more than 1,000 non-commissioned officers and soldiers coming from Nueva Ecija. The rest
consisted mostly of Ilocanos, Abreños, Igorots and Itnegs, with a few Bulakeños, Bicolanos
and Visayans. There were also some Spaniards in the group.

The Brigade garrisoned the entire western portion of Northern Luzon which included the four
genuine Ilocano provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union, and also the
comandancias of Amburayan, Lepanto-Bontoc and Benguet. Gen. Tinio divided this territory
into 3 zones, each under a military commander who commanded a regiment, as follows:

Zone 1 under Lt. Col. Casimiro Tinio covered La Union, Benguet and Amburayan;

Zone 2 under Lt. Col. Blas Villamor covered Southern Ilocos Sur from Tagudin to Bantay,
Abra and Lepanto-Bontoc;

Zone 3 under Lt. Col. Irineo de Guzman covered Northern Ilocos Sur from Sto. Domingo to
Sinait and Ilocos Norte.

Captains Vicente Salazar, Jose Tombo and Juan Villamor were the deputy commanders.

The establishment of the civil and military government in the Ilocos brought 15 months of
peace in the region. The young general and his officers became social denizens sought after
and regally entertained by the people. Being young, they caught the eyes of pretty señoritas
of the best families in the region. The dashing Manuel Tinio, rich, handsome and a bachelor
to boot, seized the moment with the many belles of Ilocandia. He was unforgettably
charming and popular. In the 1950s, women reminiscing about their youth, and the Tinios,
would look up and sigh, "how handsome they were." A grandmother from Ilocos Norte living
in Baguio City could still passionately say in the 1960s, "all the ladies in the province were in
love with the general." An old maid in Vigan proudly recalled in her twilight years of the
1970s the dashing general's visits every Friday afternoon when she was 14.

With the Ilocos in stable condition, Gen. Tinio then went to Malolos to report to Gen.
Aguinaldo and upon the request of Felipe Buencamino, Minister of Finance, turned over
P120,000 that had been contributed by the citizens of Vigan. During his visit, everyone,
particularly his fellow generals, admired and congratulated Gen. Tinio for having the largest
and best-equipped army in the country!

In October 1898 Gen. Tinio received his appointment as Military Governor of the Ilocos
provinces and Commanding General of all Filipino forces in Northern Luzon. His army was
formally integrated as an armed unit of the Republic. Thus he became one of only four
regional commanders in the Republican Army!

Upon his return to Vigan, Gen. Tinio marshalled his troops, all well equipped and completely
in uniform. He assembled them in the town's main Plaza and made them swear to defend the
new Republic with their lives. The next month, on Nov. 11, 1898 Manuel Tinio was
appointed Brigadier General of Infantry.

1899 and the Philippine–American War[edit]

Group showing General Manuel Tinio (seated, center), General Benito Natividad (seated,
2nd from right), Lt. Col. Jose Alejandrino (seated, 2nd from left), and their aides-de-camp.

A shot fired at a Filipino in Sociego Street, Sta. Mesa District in the suburbs of Manila on
February 4, 1899 triggered the Philippine–American War. (Contrary to popular belief that
prevailed for over a century, the first shot of the Philippine–American War was not fired on
San Juan bridge but on Sociego Street in Santa Mesa district, Manila. The Philippines'
National Historical Institute (NHI) recognized this fact through Board Resolution 7 Series of
2003. On Feb. 4, 2004 the marker on the bridge was removed and transferred to a site at the
corner of Sociego and Silencio streets.) Soon after, when war with the Americans seemed
imminent, Col. Casimiro Tinio and most of the Tagalog troops in the Tinio Brigade were sent
back to Nueva Ecija. When the conflict became critical in Central Luzon, all the soldiers in
the Brigade who had seen service in the Spanish army were ordered to report to the Luna
Division.

The inactivity of the Tinio Brigade during the period of peace in the Ilocos region spawned
problems. Boredom led to in-fighting among the soldiers and the perpetration of some
abuses. Gen. Tinio adhered to his principles of discipline among his troops, even imprisoning
Col. Estanislao de los Reyes, his personal aide-de-camp, who had slapped a fellow officer in
an effort to rectify the situation, Tinio asked Gen. Aguinaldo for the assignment of his forces
to the frontlines of the new battle at hand, but Aguinaldo paid no heed to Tinio's request.

Ever keen in foresight and strategy, anticipating an invasion by the American aggressors,
Gen. Tinio ordered the construction of 636 trenches, well designed and strategically placed
for cross fire, to protect the principal roads and ports and to guard the entire coastline from
Rosario, La Union to Cape Bojeador in Ilocos Norte.

At the start of the Philippine–American War, Gen. Tinio's forces were 1,904 strong, with 68
officers, 200 sandatahanes or bolomen, 284 armorers, 37 medics, 22 telegraphers, 80
cavalrymen, 105 artillerymen and 2 Spanish engineers. (By April 1899, this would be
reduced to 1,789 officers and men.)

On May 18, 1899, six months before his forces began battling the American invaders, he
married Laureana Quijano.
On June 5, 1899 members of the Kawit Battalion assassinated Gen. Antonio Luna, the
commanding general of the republican army. His death in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija created a
lot of antipathy against the Tagalogs, particularly in Ilocos Norte, where Luna hailed from.
The Luna assassination, however, did not diminish the love and admiration of the Ilocanos
for Gen. Tinio, who referred to the former as ‘my Ilocanos’. Luna's death resulted in a
cooling off in Tinio's attitude towards Aguinaldo. Tinio, however, never failed to obey the
orders of his superior and never made a comment on the deaths of Bonifacio or Luna.
Whenever he was asked, he would shrug his shoulders and say, "answering the question
would mean a betrayal of my superior."

Less than two weeks later, on the occasion of his 22nd birthday, delegations from the entire
region congregated in the capital to give him an asalto or dawn serenade in the main plaza of
Vigan. One of the highlights of the day-long festivities, which included a royal feast and a
grand ball, was the dedication of a birthday hymn specially written for him, set to music and
sung by the populace.

Towards the end of June, Aguinaldo recalled Gen. Tinio by telegram and ordered him to help
in the reorganization of the forces in Nueva Ecija. In his place, Brigadier Gen. Benito
Natividad, recently promoted (at age 24) and on leave because of wounds sustained in the
Battle of Calumpit, Bulacan, took over as temporary commander of the Ilocos provinces.

Gen. Tinio, seeing the handwriting on the wall, began taking private English lessons from
David Arnold, an American captive who had come over to the Filipino side. In anticipation
of the coming of the Americans, he began the construction of a formidable bank of defenses
in Tangadan Pass between Narvacan, Ilocos Sur and Bangued, Abra.

Late in September, Gen. Tinio and his northern army were finally called to the front line to
guard the beaches of Pangasinan and La Union. The Brigade was diminished in size when
Gen. Tinio marched with his general staff and several battalions to Bayambang, Pangasinan
to cover President Aguinaldo's retreat while the others were sent to Zambales under Col.
Alejandrino.

Gen. Benito Natividad stayed behind as post commander in Vigan with some officers and 50
riflemen, 20 others in Bangued and a few others scattered in neighboring towns. They were
the only armed forces that guarded the whole Ilocos region! At that time, there were 4,000
Spanish prisoners of war (including 1 general) and 26 Americans being held in Vigan,
Bangued and Laoag, where the military hospitals were located. More than half of the
prisoners had been sent from Central Luzon at the height of the hostilities. Despite their great
number, the prisoners did not rise up against their guards, because, on instructions of Gen.
Tinio, they were well fed and nicely treated. As early as June, American prisoners had begun
arriving from the battlefields of Central Luzon. Among them were Navy Lt. Gillmore and the
war correspondent Albert Sonnichsen.[5]:382–383 Gen. Tinio's humane treatment of prisoners
was legendary. Sonnichsen wrote:

". . while in Vigan, Tinio learned that the captive friars were living well on money sent from
Manila, while the poor Cazadores were obliged to subsist on their meager rations (as
prisoners of war). Before they could hide it, the young Tagalog had their money seized and,
having all the soldier prisoners assembled in the plaza, he divided the pesos of the friars
equally among them, the Cazadores cheering the Tagalog General lustily."[5]:252

Having abandoned his last capital in Tarlac, Tarlac, Pres. Aguinaldo decided to retreat to the
north and went to Bayambang, Pangasinan. Unknown to him, the Americans had planned a
pincer-like movement in the overall battle plan to cut off his northward escape route and
capture him.

On November 7, the Americans bombarded San Fabian, Pangasinan and the 33rd Infantry
landed, including a battalion commanded by Col. Luther R. Hare, an old cavalryman who
had served 25 years before under Gen. Custer.[6]:138 But on Nov. 11, on their way to San
Jacinto, the next town, the invaders came across the entrenched forces of Gen. Tinio. Maj.
John Alexander Logan, Jr and 8 American soldiers died in the fierce 3.5-hour battle that
ensued, but the Americans, armed with a Gatling gun, claimed the lives of 134 Filipino
soldiers, wounding 160 more.[6]:144–146

On November 13 a national council of war held in Bayambang resolved to disband the

Philippine Army and ordered the generals and their men to return to their own provinces and
organize the people for general resistance by means of guerrilla warfare.[6]:146 Gen.
Aguinaldo divided the country into zones, each under a general. Gen. Tinio was designated
regional commander of the Ilocos provinces. The following evening, Gen. Aguinaldo,
accompanied by his family, the cabinet, their aides and the Kawit Battalion, left Bayambang
by special train for Calasiao, only 15 kilometers away from American Headquarters!

On November 14, early in the morning, the presidential party struggled through the knee-
deep mud of backwoods trails towards Sta. Barbara, where they met with the Mixto Battalion
under Lt. Jose Joven and the Del Pilar Brigade. The column, now with 1,200 armed men,
managed to reach the forests of Manaoag and proceeded to Pozorrubio, where the party was
greeted by Gen. Tinio. The evening before, Maj. Samuel M. Swiggert's pursuing squadron
had caught up with part of the Tinio Brigade in Manaoag, but on the morning of the 14th,
failed to pursue Aguinaldo at Pozorrubio.[6]:147

Aguinaldo spent the night in Pozorrubio and was unaware of the proximity of the enemy. He
only came to know about it when Gen. Tinio informed him that the Americans were in
pursuit. The presidential party hurriedly left for Rosario, La Union, and then for Bauang.
Fortunately, the encounters with the Tinio Brigade had delayed the American pincer
movements and, by the time these closed, Aguinaldo was already far in the north.

On Nov. 18, 1899 Gen. Samuel B. M. Young with 80 men of the 3rd Cavalry plus 300 native
scouts, made a forced march north through Pangasinan in pursuit of Aguinaldo.[6]:151Ahead of
them was Gen. Tinio, who caught up with Gen. Aguinaldo in Bauang, La Union on the 19th.
The following day Gen. Tinio, upon Aguinaldo's orders, accompanied Col. Simeon Villa to
San Fernando, La Union, where most of Tinio's troops were helping the townspeople with
the rice harvest. Young's troops made a surprise raid on the town at 3 in the morning, and,
recognizing Tinio and Villa, pursued them. Luckily the two were able to flee into the
mountains on foot and to make their way to San Juan, the next town. Gen. Tinio reassembled
his men in San Juan and, in an orderly manner, marched with their wounded to Narvacan,
only a day or two ahead of the pursuing Gen. Young. Tinio then set up his command
headquarters in San Quintin, Abra and sent the wounded further ahead to the military
hospital in Bangued.

On Nov. 26, 1899, Vigan became the hottest spot as the American battleship ‘Oregon’ and
the former Spanish gunboats ‘Callao’ and ‘Samar’ anchored off it and started shelling
Caoayan, Ilocos Sur.[6]:131 Vigan was immediately evacuated on orders of post commander
Gen. Benito Natividad. The prisoners, both Spanish and American, together with his meager
troops moved on to Abra and Bangued as early as Sept.[6]:120 When the Americans landed the
following day, led by Commander McCracken and Lt. Col. James Parker, there were no
Filipino soldiers in Vigan.[5]:358 A few days later, 225 American troops, mostly Texas
volunteers forming a battalion of the 33rd Infantry under Major Peyton C.
March,[6]:153 arrived from San Fabian, took up residence in the Archbishop's Palace and
stored their ammunition and supplies in the adjoining girls’ school.

On Nov. 27, the day the Americans occupied Vigan, Gen. Tinio sent orders for all active
soldiers of the Brigade to concentrate along the shores of the Abra River towns of San
Quintin, Piddigan and Bangued, beyond the Tangadan Pass. Gen. Young, who was chasing
them relentlessly; had reached Candon on the 28th and, from seized documents, discovered
that he was no longer trailing the enemy, but was right in their midst! He also learned that
Aguinaldo was at Angaki, 25 km. away to the southeast, while Tinio was up north some
40 km. away.[6]:153 Young realized immediately that Gen. Tinio's purpose in taking his forces
to the north was, as he phrased it, "to lead us away from following Aguinaldo." Unsure
whether he should pursue Aguinaldo or go after Tinio, the decision was made for him when a
battalion of the 34th Volunteer Infantry arrived under Lt. Col. Robert Howze. They had been
sent by Gen. Arthur MacArthur to reinforce Gen. Young's northern column.[6]:154 Forthwith,
March's battalion was sent in pursuit of Aguinaldo through Tirad Pass, while the bigger part
of Young's army, with Howze's battalion, marched towards Tangadan Pass in an attempt to
destroy the Tinio Battalion, the last remaining army of the Republic.[6]:156

The battles in the North[edit]

From San Quentin, General Tinio ordered 400 riflemen and bolomen, led by Capt.
Alejandrino, went down the Mestizo River in bancas and spread out on both sides of the
plaza of Vigan.[6]:163 Just before 4 AM on 4 Dec., some of the attackers in the dark streets
were challenged by an American patrol who then gave the alarm to the 250 Americans in the
city.[6]:163 Although Filipino snipers were already in position in the buildings around the
plaza, in the ensuing 4-hour battle at close range they were no match for the legendary Texas
marksmanship and the inexhaustible supply of American ammunition. The rebels were
routed, leaving over 40 dead and 32 captured, while 8 Americans were killed.[6]:165 The
survivors fled to Tangadan.
By 3 Dec. 1899, Gen. Young and Lt. Col. Howze were at Tangadan Pass with his 260
men.[6]:165 The pass was defended by 1,060 men under Lt. Col. Blas Villamor, Tinio's chielf
of staff, in trench works constructed over the last year with the assistance of Spanish
engineers.[6]:162 The Americans successfully scaled the steep, 200-foot cliffs flanking the
entrenchments to gain a vantage position.[6]:168–169 The final assault came in the evening of
Dec. 4, added by the arrival of Col. Luther Hare's 270 men from the 33rd Infantry.[6]:168–
169
Outflanked and outnumbered, Lt. Col. Villamor decided to save his men from carnage,
and retreated, abandoning rifles and ammunition, and after losing 35 killed and 80 wounded
to the American loss of 2 killed and 13 wounded.[6]:170 Thus ended the Battle of Tangadan
Pass.

Tinio, however, earned the admiration of Col. Howze who wrote glowingly on the Vauban-
type Tangadan defenses:

"The trenches captured are the best field trenches that have ever come under my observation.
They terrace the mountainside, cover the valley below in all directions, and thoroughly
control the road for a distance of 3 miles. They are permanent in nature, with perfect
approaches, bomb-proofs, living sheds, etc., with shapes and revetments sodded and
supported by timbers. The complete terrace of trenches number 10 in all, well connected for
support, defense and retreat."

Gen. Young reported on the bravery of General Tinio and his men, that at the Battle of
Tangadan,

"Some of their officers exposed themselves very gallantly on the parapets during heavy
firing."

The day after the Battle of Tangadan, December 5, the pursuing Americans invaded Tinio's
headquarters in San Quintin, five kilometers away from the pass.[6]:171 They continued
upstream on the Abra River to Pidigan and Bangued, liberating 1,500 starving Spaniards, on
6 Dec.[6]:171, 173 The American prisoners and the Spanish general had been sent ahead to
Ilocos Norte by Gen. Tinio for strategic reasons, with orders for them to be shot rather than
be rescued by the Americans.[6]:172 But the capture of Bangued was a major setback for the
Filipinos, because the Brigade arsenal was located there. Three tons of sheet brass, two tons
of lead, as well as supplies of powder, saltpeter and sulphur were found by the Americans.
General Benito Natvidad joined General Tinio at Tayum.[6]:193

The onslaught had started! Having captured Bangued, Gen. Young re-armed at Vigan and
within a week made unopposed landings in Ilocos Norte at Pasuquin, Laoag and Bangui. He
sent cavalry north from Vigan, destroying trenches and defense works around Magsingal,
Sinait, Cabugao and Badoc.

Meanwhile, the rescue of the American prisoners from Bangued became the task of Col.
Hare's 220 men of the 33rd Infantry and Col. Howze's 130 men of the 34th Infantry.[6]:172

In Abra, Gen. Tub had been roaming the farms disguised as a rich planter on a white horse.
In this way he made regular daily visits to the various American outposts to chat with the
enemy soldiers. He even went so far as to invite them to his house in Bangued for dinner.
After gathering all the information that he could, Tinio went back to the hills each day to
instruct his men on what to do that night. Unfortunately, one day his photograph was
circulated among the Americans and the daring general had no choice but to take to the hills
with Col. Hare and a picked group trailing him!

Howze caught up with the Brigade's baggage train in Danglas on 8 Dec.[6]:182 and 750 more
Spanish prisoners on 10 Dec. at Dingras[6]:188 This last group included General Leopoldo
Garcia Pena, former commander of Cavite province.[6]:188 Hare's column joined Howze at
Maananteng, where they sent the freed Spanish and Chinese prisoners on to Laoag, and the
remaining force of 151 men continued the pursuit into the Cordilleras on 13 Dec.[6]:189–192

When Gen. Tinio realized that the Americans were exerting all efforts to surround him, he
had the American prisoners conducted to Cabugaoan in Apayao country as a diversion,
spreading false rumors that he was with the group. (He had, in fact, on Dec. 12, though
surrounded by the Americans in Solsona, Ilocos Norte, near the boundary of Apayao,
managed to elude them dressed as a peasant woman.)[6]:189

After days of marching in the wild Cordillera Mountains, the Americans finally caught up
with the abandoned prisoners on Dec.18 at the headwaters of the Apayao-Abulug River,
having been abandoned by their Filipino guards in Isneg territory.[6]:207–208 On crudely
constructed rafts, the Americans eventually reached the coast in Abulug, Cagayan, on 2 Jan.
1900, where the footsore and weary soldiers found the USS Princeton and
USS Venus waiting to take them back to Vigan and Manila.[6]:217

Gen. Tinio spent the next couple of months in the mountains of Solsona, where he began
fortifying the peak of Mt. Bimmauya, east of Lapog. It was also in the remote headwaters of
the Bical River above Lapog that an arsenal had been set up to replace that captured at
Bangued. This operated for a year. Rifles were repaired, cartridges refilled, gunpowder and
homemade hand guns (paltik) manufactured with real feats of mechanical ingenuity. Twenty
to thirty silversmiths and laborers could fashion 30-50 cartridges a day by hand!

The defenses constructed by Gen. Tinio were similar to those that he had put up in Tangadan
the year before, but, having learned his lesson, he situated the defenses on a peak that Lt. J.
C. Castner described as follows:

"one of the principal peaks (is) on the coast range of northwestern Luzon. Its altitude is
between 2,500 and 3,000 feet above the Rio Cabugao that washes its western shore. By
reason of standing more to the westward than its immediate neighbors and being bare of
timber, it affords a view of the entire coastal plain from Vigan on the South to Laoag on the
north. The lower part of Monte Bimmauya is wooded, but the upper three-fourths is bare of
trees and bush, and, in certain places, even the grass has been burned off by the insurgents.
Consequently, there is no cover for attacking troops ascending the western spur of the
mountain. The slopes of the upper portion make angles of from 45-60 degrees with the
horizon. The only trail in existence or even possible on this western spur... is so narrow that it
is what is known among geographers as a ‘knife-edge’, hence the only formation admissible
was a column of files, two men not being able to march abreast. The ascent is so steep and
the footing so insecure that one has to watch continually where he plants his feet to avoid
precipitation down the precipice-like slopes on either side."

1900. Guerilla warfare[edit]

New Year's Day 1900 signaled the outburst of guerilla warfare throughout the Ilocos region.
On that day, Gen. Tinio engaged in a skirmish with American forces at Malabita, San
Fernando, La Union. The disconcerted Gen. Young ordered daily patrols by all his units "to
settle this insurgent business with the least possible delay." The following day, he requested
another battalion of veterans with which he promised "to drive these outlaws out or kill them
and settle the savages before letting up." The day after that he repeated the request:

"My belief is that by keeping up a constant hunt after these murderers, thieves and robbers,
the country can be cleared of them within two months." Needless to say, he did not receive
any reinforcements, because he already had 3,500 men, more than thrice the number of
Tinio's troops!

On January 13 the Americans intercepted an order from Gen. Tinio to execute all Filipinos
who surrender to the enemy.

The following day, January 14. the only artillery duel of the Fil-American War was fought in
Bimmuaya between the Republicans and the combined forces of Maj. Steever and Lt. Col.
Howze. The barrage lasted from noon until sundown. Despite holding the ‘strongest position
in Luzon’, as Steever believed the Bimmuaya stronghold to be, the Filipinos, with their paltry
stock of rifles and ammunition, succumbed in less than 24 hours to the mighty American
forces. Steever's two Maxim guns dominated the show. Although the Americans halted their
fire at sunset, the Filipinos kept up desultory fire until midnight. The next day the Americans
discovered that it was just to cover the withdrawal of Gen. Tinio and his men!

After the Battle of Bimmuaya, Gen. Tinio's guerrilla forces continuously fought and harassed
the American garrisons in the different towns of Ilocos for almost 1½ years. His command
was probably the first to initiate guerrilla activities in Luzon in accordance with the
Aguinaldo's official proclamation at Bayambang on Nov. 12, 1899. Once again, he
reorganized the Tinio Brigade, now greatly reduced by the casualties sustained in San
Jacinto, Manaoag and other places. Discarding its inter-provincial designation of units, he
reformed his forces as a guerrilla organization with overlapping territories and troops, Ilocos
Sur being shared by other Ilocano provinces. The military commands came to be known as:

Ilocos Norte-Vigan Line covering the province of Ilocos Norte south to northern
Ilocos Sur down to Vigan, · Abra-Candon Line under Lt.-Col. Juan Villamor which
covered the Province of Abra and Ilocos Sur south of Vigan down to Candon · La
Union-Sta. Cruz Line covering the province of La Union north to southern Ilocos Sur
as far as Sta. Cruz.
The battalion commanders came to be known as Jefes de Linea, while the company
commanders were now called Jefes de Guerrilla. Companies of riflemen became numbered
units of guerrillas, each ranging from 50-100 soldiers, depending on the number of fighters a
unit could arm and equip. These troops were then divided further into destacamentos or
detachments of 20 men, more or less, under a subaltern officer. These bands were virtually
independent of each other in their operations. But they could function occasionally as a unit
on rare instances of mass assaults, as in the raids on Laoag on April, Bangued in June and
Candon in February 1901.

Col. Bias Villamor, now 2nd in command as a result of his good showing in the Pangasinan
campaigns, gave the full count of the Tinio Brigade in January 1900 at 1,062 men, 64 of
them officers. The high proportion of officers to men was due to the nature of guerrilla
warfare with its small separate units and flying columns of 20-30 men that strike at their
chosen times and places. The majority of the officers were Novo-Ecijanos and veterans of
earlier campaigns, some even from the Revolution of 1896!

The use of guerrilla tactics by the Filipinos resulted in more American losses than they had
previous to Nov. 14, 1899. The never-ending guerrilla raids forced Gen. Young to start
garrisoning the towns, setting up 15 of them in January, 4 in March and a total of 36 by
April. Detachments varied in size from 50 in San Quintin, 200 in Sinait to 1,000 in Cabugao
and Candon. These garrison troops were under fire in one place or another for the next 18
months. Cabugao alone was attacked every Sunday for 7 consecutive weeks! Ambuscades of
American patrols became almost a daily occurrence and resulted in so many casualties for the
invaders, that by March 1900, no patrols were sent out unless they were 40-50 strong! Gen.
Arthur MacArthur, in an official report, stated that:

"The extensive distribution of troops has strained the soldiers of the army to the full limit of
endurance. Each little command has had to provide its own service of security and
information by never ceasing patrols, explorations, escorts, outposts and regular guards. . . In
all things requiring endurance, fortitude and patient diligence, the guerilla period has been
pre-eminent."

The "secret weapon" of these attacks was the Ilocano people. The whole population was an
espionage network and developed a warning system to apprise the revolutionists of
approaching invaders. Even priests would tap church bells as a warning of approaching
American patrols. Pvt. James Lyons, a prisoner in Tinio's camp, reported that "runners came
in every few minutes" with information. It seemed that the whole Ilocos was now engaged in
war, with trade and agriculture virtually at a standstill!

Gen. Tinio's raids were so sporadic and simultaneous that many, including the Americans,
believed that Tinio had the power of bilocation, appearing in several places at the same time!
His personal movements indicated an energetic contact with his forces – organizing,
inspecting, consulting, encouraging or commanding in action, and constantly eluding his
would-be captors. He was everywhere.

On 31 January, Gen. Tinio and his men had a skirmish on the Candon-Salcedo road with
American troops. Fortunately they did not suffer any casualties.

The next day, February 1, Tinio, visited Sto. Domingo, unescorted and dressed as a farmer.

On February 9, he ambushed a troop of 7 cavalry in Sabang, Bacnotan, but withdrew when

American reinforcements arrived.

On 16 February, from Bacnotan, he ordered Capt. Galicano Calvo to apprehend certain

American spies.

On February 19, he ambushed an enemy patrol in Kaguman and captured the equipment.

On February 26, he ambushed an American convoy between San Juan and Bacnotan,
together with their supplies of food, medicine, shoes, mules, etc.

On March 5 the next month, he surprised and routed an American camp in San Francisco,
Balaoan, capturing all the equipment. He then went north to Magsingal, but left the next day
on an inspection trip.

On the 8th, a surprise search for him in Sto. Domingo and San Ildefonso was frustrated by
warnings of church bells.

On the 10th, he issued a warning to the Mayor of Candon, prompting the American
command there to request for a picture of Gen. Tinio.
On the 14th, while holding a meeting in Bacnotan, he was surprised by an American patrol.
Fortunately, a troop of Filipino cavalry arrived, and, with the support of two guns in the
house, the Filipinos were able to repulse the attackers and enable Tinio to escape.

Two days after, on the 16th, Tinio met with Mayor Almeida in Bacsayan, Bacnotan.

On March 29, Gen. Tinio and his escort had a skirmish with an American patrol and routed
them. An escaping American was drowned in the river between San Esteban and Sta. Maria.

In April, Tinio reported to Aguinaldo in Lubuagan, Kalinga and in May conferred with
Aglipay in Badoc and fought a battle in Quiom, Batac, Ilocos Norte. He then moved on to
Piddig, Ilocos Norte and, in June he set up a camp at a remote peak called Paguined on the
Badoc River east of Sinait. The last was near his arsenal in Barbar.

All this incessant movement did not detract from his love life. Although he was already
married, he continued his various liaisons, even going to the extent of bringing Amelia
Dancel into the mountains of Ilocos Norte with him in July. American military reports even
mention Amelia as his wife! In disguise, he once visited a maiden in enemy-occupied Vigan.
The Americans, hearing that he was in town, began to make a house-to-house search, but
were unable to find him, even when they searched his ladyfriend's house. The woman had
hidden him under the voluminous layers of her Maria Clara skirt! That was probably the
narrowest escape he ever made! The incident became the talk of the town and was always
cited whenever the name of Gen. Tinio came up. (The quick-thinking "heroine" lived until
the 1970s.)

By November 1900, the number of American forces in the Ilocos had increased to 5,700
men—plus 300 mercenaries. The number of garrisons also rose to 59, spread thinly over 250
kilometers from Aringay, La Union to Cape Bojeador, Ilocos Norte. Earlier, mercenaries had
been brought in from Macabebe, Pampanga and were stationed in Vigan, Sta. Maria, and San
Esteban. These mercenaries started recruiting fellow Filipinos and by April numbered over
200, half of them Ilocanos and a quarter of them Tagalogs. Attached to regular occupation
troops, these mercenaries caused significant damage to the nationalists by leading the enemy
to hidden food supplies and inducing many defections. Because of this, Gen. Tinio issued a
proclamation on March 20, 1900 as follows:
First and last article. The following shall be tried by summary court martial and sentenced to
death:

All local presidents and other civil authorities, both of towns and of the barrios, rancherias
(settlements of Christianized tribesmen) and sitios or hamlets, of their respective
jurisdictions, who do not give immediate notice of any plan, direction, movement or number
of the enemy as soon as they learn of it.

Those who, regardless of age or sex, reveal the location of the camp, stopping places,
movements or direction of the revolutionaries to the enemy.

Those who voluntarily offer to serve the enemy as guides, unless it be for the purpose of
misleading them from the right road, and

Those who, whether of their own free will or not, capture revolutionary soldiers who are
alone, or persuade them to surrender to the enemy.

The insidious guerrilla war saw such rules and warnings proclaimed from both parties. The
American commands in Ilocos Norte were ordered to warn barrio officials that those who did
not report ‘insurgents’ immediately (meaning, within an hour for every 5 km. from the
nearest American troops) would be considered insurgents themselves, and their barrios
‘absolutely destroyed’. Theft of telegraph wires or ambuscades of American patrols resulted
in the nearest villages being burned and the inhabitants killed. When 200 m. of telegraph
wire was destroyed in Piddigan, Abra, the Bangued command reported the next day that,
"There is not a single building standing out of Piddigan."

Gen. Tinio, on the other hand, ordered all the towns to aid the revolutionaries. Pasuquin, a
town in Ilocos Norte, refused to cooperate with Filipino forces, so Tinio threatened to burn
the town "at his leisure" and did so on Nov. 3, 1900.

On Dec. 21, Gen. Tinio issued a proclamation against crimes by military forces. On
Christmas Day, Tinio, with Maj. Reyes and ten officers celebrated the holiday in Lemerig
near Asilang, Lapog. On Holy Innocents’ Day, Dec. 28, the Americans made a surprise raid
on Lemerig. Fortunately, the general and his officers managed to escape.
1901[edit]

The first month of 1901 began inauspiciously with the capture of Gen. Tinio's arsenal at
Barbar on January 29, 1901.

The following month, on February 19, 1901, Brigadier Gen. James Franklin Bell came into
the picture. Gen. Young turned over the command of the First District, Department of
Northern Luzon to him. It is this General Bell who would later gain notoriety for his ‘re-
concentration’ methods in the southern Tagalog provinces right after his stint in the North.

Determined to continue the same policy of repression, Gen. Bell, with an additional 1,000
men, ordered his forces to pursue, kill and wipe out the insurrectos. Food supplies were
destroyed to prevent them from reaching the guerrillas. Inasmuch as the barrios were
supplying rice from the recent harvests to the guerrillas, whole populations were evacuated to
town centers within 10 days of notification. Noncompliance resulted in the burning of the
whole barrio. Even some interior towns were completely evacuated, while others, like
Magsingal and Lapog were surrounded by stockades to prevent the revolutionaries from
infesting them.

On February 26, Gen. Tinio attacked the Americans fortified in the convent of Sta. Maria. It
was his last attack against American forces.

The whole Ilocos was being laid waste and was in danger of starvation due to Gen. Bell's
iron fisted policies. The lack of supplies eventually forced hundreds of patriots to lay down
their arms and return to their homes. By March the Brigade only had a few hundred soldiers
left.

On March 25, 1901, the top brass of the Tinio Brigade met in a council of war at Sagap,
Bangued. In this meeting, Generals Tinio and Natividad, the two Villamors and Lt. Colonels
Alejandrino, Gutierrez and Salazar resolved that "the final action of the Tinio Brigade should
depend upon the decision of the Honorable President."

Unknown to them, Aguinaldo had been captured in Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1901.
When word of Aguinaldo's surrender reached Gen. Tinio on April 3, he only had two
command-rank subordinates remaining, his former classmates Joaquin Alejandrino and
Vicente Salazar.
On April 19, 1901 Aguinaldo proclaimed an end to hostilities and urged his generals to
surrender and lay down their arms. In compliance with Gen. Aguinaldo's proclamation, Gen.
Tinio sent Col. Salazar to Sinait under a flag of truce to discuss terms of surrender. The
following day, Salazar was sent back with the peace terms. On April 29, 1901, Gen. Manuel
Tinio, whom the American military historian, William T. Sexton, called "the soul of the
insurrection in the Ilocos provinces of Northern Luzon" and "a general of a different stamp
from the majority of the insurgent leaders", surrendered. The following day, April 30, he
signed the Oath of Allegiance. When Tinio handed his revolver to Gen. Bell as a token of
surrender, the latter immediately returned it to him – a token of great respect. Gen. Tinio was
only 23 years old!

The Americans suspended all hostilities on May 1 and printed Tinio's appeal for peace on the
Regimental press on the 5th. On May 9 he surrendered his arms together with Gen. Benito
Natividad, thirty-six of his officers and 350 riflemen.

While the Americans boasted that they eliminated 5 insurrecto generals within a month, it
took them 11/2 years and 7,000 men to ‘civilize’ Manuel Tinio y Bundoc, the Tagalog boy-
general of the Ilocanos!

The significance attached to Gen. Tinio's surrender by the Americans was felt throughout the
country. Gen. MacArthur said that the little war in the Ilocos was the "most troublesome and
perplexing military problem in all Luzon." On May 5, as Military Governor of the
Philippines, MacArthur issued General Order No. 89 releasing 1,000 Filipino prisoners of
war "to specially signalize the recent surrender of Gen. Manuel Tinio and other prominent
military leaders in the provinces of Abra and Ilocos Norte." La Fraternidad, a Manila
newspaper, happily reported, "The 1st of May is now for 2 reasons an important date in
contemporary Philippine history – 1898, the destruction of the Spanish squadron in Cavite;
1901, the surrender of Generals Tinio and Natividad and the complete pacification of
Northern Luzon.

Manuel Tinio, surprisingly, never suffered any injury during his entire military career even as
he was known to stand up and face a barrage of artillery fire! He attributed this to an amulet,
anting-anting, that he always wore and which he kept in a safe after the cessation of
hostilities.
The American Period – From General to Governor and Director[edit]

Upon his release, Manuel Tinio went back to Nueva Ecija to rehabilitate his neglected farms
in present-day Licab, Sto. Domingo and Talavera. He lived in a camarin or barn together
with all the farming paraphernalia and livestock. A typical hacendero, he was very
paternalistic and caring, extending his protection, not only on his family, but also to his
friends and supporters. His men even compared him to a ‘hen’.

As a family man, he was very protective of his daughters. Being family-oriented, he took in
all the children of his deceased sisters and half sisters (from his father's previous marriages)
when their widowers eventually remarried or played around. He treated all his nephews and
nieces as if they were his children, giving them the same education and privileges. This
resulted in the extremely close family ties of the Tinio Family. He was very loving and
fatherly and would entertain his children with stories of his campaigns. Perhaps because he
never finished high school, he believed in a good education and, in 1920, sent his two eldest
sons to the United States to study in Cornell University.

Manuel Tinio treated everyone equally, rich and poor alike, so everyone looked up to him
and respected him. In fact, he paid more attention to the poor than to the rich, because,
according to him, the poor had nothing but their pride and were, for that reason, more
sensitive. When rich relatives came to visit, his children had but to kiss their hand in
greeting, but when a poor relation came, they had to greet their kin in the same manner, but
on bended knees – the highest form of respect in those days!.

All his tenants idolized Manuel Tinio, who was not an absentee landlord, but lived with them
in the farm with hardly any amenities. However, he always kept a good table and had flocks
of sheep and dovecotes in every property he owned, so that he could have his favorite
caldereta and pastel de pichon anytime he wanted. He also enjoyed his brandy, finishing off
daily a bottle of Tres Cepes by Domecq. Wherever he lived, he received a constant stream of
visitors, relatives and friends. Many veterans of the Tinio Brigade, often coming from the
Ilocos, invariably came to reminisce and ask for his assistance. Later, as Governor, he would
help them settle in Nueva Ecija.

Although he was but a civilian, the prominence he earned as a revolutionary general and his
immense network of social and familial alliances eventually became the nucleus of a political
machine that he controlled until his death. An ardent nationalist, he fought against the
federalists who wanted the Philippines to become an American state. He did not run for any
position, but any candidate he endorsed was sure to win the position. Dr. Benedicto
Adorable, one of the richest and most prominent men in Gapan, was so fanatically loyal that
he often said, "I would vote for a dog if Gen. Tinio asked me to." Of course, he was
fanatically loyal because Gen. Tinio had saved him from a Spanish firing squad in 1896!

When Gov. Gen. Henry C. Ide lifted the ban on independence parties in 1906, the political
parties with similar ideology merged into the present Nacionalista Party. Manuel Tinio
always supported Sergio Osmeña, the leader of the party, throughout his political career.
Even during the split between Osmeña and Quezon in 1922, Tinio remained loyal to the
former. As the founder and leader of the Nacionalista Party in Nueva Ecija, Tinio stressed the
significance of a unified party, emphasizing in every local party convention that the winner
will be supported wholly by each party member. Any party member who won an election
could serve only one term in office to give the other party members a chance. Should the
incumbent seek re-election, Tinio advised his colleagues to support the choice of the
convention. As a party leader, he did not want warring factions within the party, and exerted
every effort to make rival groups come to terms. Thus, during his lifetime, the Nacionalista
Party in Nueva Ecija was unified.

On July 15, 1907 Gov. Gen. James F. Smith appointed Manuel Tinio as Governor of the
Province of Nueva Ecija, to serve the remainder of the 3-year term of Gov. Isauro Gabaldon,
who had resigned to run as a candidate for the 1st National Assembly. Incidentally, one of
the first major bills Assemblyman Gabaldon proposed was the establishment of a school in
every town in the archipelago. The Gabaldon-type schoolhouses and Gabaldon town in
Nueva Ecija are named after him. Gabaldon's wife, Bernarda, was the eldest daughter of
Casimiro Tinio.

Manuel Tinio's first term as governor was marked by the return of peace and order to the
province. William Cameron Forbes, Commissioner of Commerce and Police under both
Gov.-Generals Wright and Smith, wrote of Tinio:

"…we picked up the new Governor of Nueva Ecija at San Isidro, the capital, General Tinio.
He used to be a celebrated insurecto General and Governor Smith has just made him
Governor.. . We have more robbery and murders here than almost anywhere, one leading
band being continually on the move. General Tinio informed me that he had most of the band
in jail already, his guns captured, and the robberies stopped, and the principal outstanding
ladron (the only one that I know by name in the whole of Luzon) driven from his borders and
over to Pangasinan. I talked busily on road building and maintenance to him for a couple of
hours while we sped up to Cabanatuan and went up to call on the local officials..

An anecdote on Gov. Tinio's bravery has him negotiating with a dreaded tulisan or bandit
who held a family hostage for days, threatening to kill them if the constables, policemen,
tried to rush him. Unarmed, Tinio went into the house, talked to the bandit and went out after
30 minutes with the bandit peacefully in tow.

Gov. Tinio also brought about agricultural expansion. His Governor's report for the fiscal
year 1907–1908 stated that the area of cultivated land increased by 15%. The following year,
this was augmented by an additional 40%. These lands, which were settled by over 5,000
homesteaders, mostly Ilocanos, were in the towns of Bongabon (then including Rizal),
Talavera, Sto. Domingo, Guimba (which still included Muñoz) and San Jose. The influx of
settlers from the north explains why many people speak Ilocano in those towns today.

It was also during his term as Governor that his wife, Laureana, died. The Provincial Board
then passed a resolution naming the town Laur, after her. Soon after, he married Maura
Quijano, the younger sister of Laureana, who had accompanied her from Ilocos after Gen.
Tinio's surrender to the Americans.

Gen. Tinio ran for reelection under the Nacionalista Party in 1908 and won. But there were
other things in store for him. His executive ability and decisiveness had not gone unnoticed
by the Americans, especially by Forbes who had become Acting Gov. Gen. on May 8, 1909.
Months before Forbes assumed the office,

"Manila was being troubled by a series of strikes generally fomented by the shamelessly
corrupt labor leader Dominador Gomez, who was taking a cut out of sums levied as
blackmail against major American firms. Gomez had been arrested for threats, and some of
the other unions collapsed when Gov.-Gen. Smith had questioned the legality of the unions’
use of their funds."
To help settle labor problems, Forbes set up the Bureau of Labor and asked Manuel Tinio to
head it. Forthwith, Tinio resigned as Governor of Nueva Ecija and became the first Director
of Labor on July 1, 1909, thereby becoming the first Filipino Bureau Director! He quickly
solved the strikes. Three weeks later, Forbes welcomed Director Tinio to his staff meeting
and wrote in his diary:

"He's a good man, and Col. Bandholtz says he's got Gomez scared to death... Gomez had
tried Tinio to employ him, but Tinio refused: "Why pay you to do the work the Government
is paying me to do?"

"In a short time the condition of labor and industry in the region about Manila was vastly
improved. In general, it may be said that, as a result of Gen. Tinio's management of the
bureau, strikes ceased, laborers went their way contented, employees readily corrected abuses
brought to their attention, and the (union) leaders fell back into their proper role of caring for
and representing the laborers."

Manuel Tinio eventually became a close friend of the aristocratic Forbes, whom he invited to
hunting parties in Pantabangan. The latter liked Tinio's company, even offering to give him a
hectare of land along Session Road in Baguio, (newly developed by Forbes) so that Tinio
could build a house there and keep him company whenever he went up to the cool mountain
resort. Tinio did not accept the offer. Gov.-Gen. Forbes also wrote in his journal:

"Tinio later became a great friend of mine. I made him Director of Labor and I rated him as
one of the best Filipinos in the Islands. In fact, from the point of view of staunchness of
character, and good judgement, and other good qualities, I liked Tinio best of all and wanted
to make him Commissioner [member of the Philippine Commission]."

Gov.-Gen. Francis Burton Harrison succeeded Gov. Forbes. His term was characterized by
increased Filipinization of the insular bureaucracy, and he appointed Tinio as the first
Filipino Director of Lands on October 17, 1913. It was while he was Director of the Bureau
of Lands that cadastral surveys for each municipality began to be made, and the area now
covered by the towns of Rizal, Llanera, Gen. Natividad, Laur, Lupao and Muñoz were
subdivided into homesteads. In the largest wave of migration ever experienced by the
province, thousands of landless Tagalogs and Ilocanos came and settled in Nueva Ecija. But
Tinio suffered intrigues sown by the American Assistant Director, who wanted to be
appointed to the position. The intrigues came to the point that Tinio was even accused of
manipulating the sale of the 6,000 hectare Sabani Estate that was subsequently rescinded. In
disgust and for delicadeza, he resigned on September 13, 1914 and returned to Nueva Ecija
to manage his landholdings. A subsequent investigation cleared him of all charges, but,
disillusioned with the government system, he refused to go back to government service,
preferring to live the quiet life of a landowner instead. The Sabani Estate, in present-day
Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija and Dingalan, Aurora, never found another buyer and still belongs to
the government and is administered by the National Development Corporation.

It was during his term as Director of Lands that his wife, Maura, died. He then married
Basilia Pilares Huerta, a Bulakeña from Meycauayan.

After his resignation from the Bureau of Lands, Manuel Tinio went back to Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija, and built his house on Burgos St. It was the largest house in town. He
entertained and kept open house, which meant that anyone present at lunchtime was
automatically invited to dine. Everyday was like an Election Day – with people coming to
ask for assistance, financial or otherwise. A very generous man, he was not averse to using
his personal financial resources to help those in need.

Manuel Tinio dedicated the remainder of his life to politics. The hold that Manuel Tinio had
on the province was awesome. Even if he did not have any position, he maintained absolute
control over the local government with the unchallenged power to make or unmake
provincial leaders. In order to maintain and gain his political power, Manuel Tinio made it a
practice to visit every voter during an election year, reserving for last those who were known
to be against his party. A few days before the election, Tinio would visit them. He would sit
where everyone who passed by the house could see him. After chatting with his host for an
hour or two, without even discussing politics, the whole barrio would conclude that the
fellow had been won over by Tinio! His credibility with his partymates shattered, the poor
fellow had no choice but to move over eventually to the Nationalista Party!

Lewis Gleeck wrote of Manuel Tinio as "the supreme example of caciquism in the
Philippines" and cited the case of one of Tinio's most prominent political leaders who had
shot and killed a man in front of many witnesses. The Americans, wanting to show that there
was equality under American law, tried to make a big case out of it. However, they could not
find a single lawyer in the whole province willing to act for the prosecution. After sending an
American lawyer from Manila, the case had to be dismissed, because no witness came up to
testify! J. Ralston Hayden, a high American official, said:

"Tinio controlled the entire government: the Courts of First Instance, the Justices of the
Peace, the chiefs of police and police forces, the mayors and the councilors. These, together
with a tremendous money power, were in his hands. No one dared to stand up against him."

Manuel Tinio was also a very good friend of Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmeña, the
Speaker of the National Assembly and the most powerful Filipino in the political scene at
that time. It was not surprising, therefore, that Manuel Tinio was included in the
Independence Mission that went to Washington D. C. in 1921.

Some More Notes on the Man, and his Death[edit]

Manuel Tinio, together with his fellow Freemasons (most of the revolucionarios were
members of that Brotherhood), spearheaded the establishment of the first Masonic Lodge
in Nueva Ecija at Cabanatuan City, which is now named after him.[7]

He was also a pioneering businessman aside from being an hacendero. Having first-hand
knowledge of the severe labor shortage that came about due to the widespread conversion of
jungles into vast rice farms from 1903 to 1920, he and his fellow hacenderos established the
Samahang Magsasaka in 1910. The Samahan imported and operated the first rice thresher in
the country. This was a gargantuan machine run by a wood-fired steam engine and was many
times bigger than the huge trilladoras popular during the 50s and 60s. Eventually, the
company went on to provide electricity to Cabanatuan City, and continues to do so today.

He also founded in 1911, one of the first soft drink companies in the country. The Marilao
Mineral Water Co. had a bottling plant located beside a spring in Marilao, Bulacan who later
became Coca-Cola.

The widespread conversion of forests into ricelands during the first two decades of the 20th
century produced abundant surpluses of grain. By the 2nd decade, Nueva Ecija had
superseded Pangasinan as the rice granary of Luzon, and Cabanatuan was on its way to
becoming the gathering and distribution center of rice for Central Luzon. Numerous rice
mills mushroomed all over the capital. Manuel Tinio established one of the first and biggest
ricemills in Cabanatuan. In those days, owning a ricemill was like owning a bank. The palay
or unhusked rice deposited in the mill could be traded several times over until the owner
finally retrieved his stock, the mill owner already having made a profit on every transaction.

Nueva Ecija was the main source of livestock and meat for Manila throughout the 19th
century until WW II.

It came as no surprise, therefore, when Gen. Tinio established a cattle ranch in the foothills
of Pantabangan.

When he died, he left over 2,200 heads of cattle to his children.

On December 28, 1923, Manuel Tinio was confined in a Manila hospital for cirrhosis of the
liver. So greatly regarded was he by everyone that Manuel Quezon, upon hearing that Gen.
Tinio was gravely ill, Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo immediately rushed to the hospital, clad only
in his pajamas. He died at the age of 46 at 10:00 PM on February 22, 1924 at 214 Real
St., Intramuros, Manila, leaving a widow and 12 children.[1]

Due to his services to the nation, the insular government engaged a special train to carry his
coffin to Cabanatuan. The funeral train stopped at every station along the way, so that the
officials of each town could conduct necrological services for him. Gen. Manuel Tinio was
finally buried in Cabanatuan on March 2, 1924.[nb 1] Gen. Aguinaldo and other surviving
revolutionary generals, Quezon, Osmeña and other government dignitaries were there to pay
their respects.
General Tinio, Nueva Ecija[edit]

Congressman Celestino Juan sponsored a congressional act changing the name of Papaya to
General Tinio to honor General Manuel Tinio, a noble and prominent revolutionary leader
against the Spaniards who hailed from the Nueva Ecija. The act was signed into law on June
20, 1957 as Republic Act No. 1665.[8] The new name of the town was inaugurated days later,
on August 19, 1957.

León Kilat

Lieutenant-General Pantaleón Villegas y Soldi (July 27, 1873 – April 8, 1898) better known
as León Kilat ("Lightning Lion" in Cebuano), was a revolutionary leader in Cebu during
the Philippine Revolution against Spain. He was born in Bacong, Negros Oriental, to Don
Policarpio Villegas and Doña Úrsula Soldi. His grandfather was Don Pedro Villegas, a native
of Spain, and Dorotea, a daughter of a capitán of Bacong.

In 1895, he worked at Botica Antigua located in the corner of Calle del Palacio and Calle
Legazpi (Burgos and Legazpi). It was a well-known drugstore frequented by many
Cebuanos. With him were Ciriaco Murillo and Eulogio Duque who told the writer Manuel
Enríquez de la Calzada that Pantaleón actually used the name "Eulogio", instead of
Pantaleón. Because there were two Eulogios working in the drugstore, the German owner
had to call him instead "León". Why he used the name "Eulogio" was not known.[1]

Villegas did not stay long at Botica Antigua. He transferred to a bakery in Pahina (Fagina).
From there he moved on to a circus owned by Tagalogs on their way to Manila. The circus
happened to be owned by a katipunero. It was there that he was recruited into the secret
council of the Katipunan.

During the rebellion against Spain, Kilat led the revolutionaries in Cebu. Initially intending
to begin the rebellion on Easter Sunday, he was forced to change his plans when the
Spaniards discovered the planned revolt. Kilat and his men began the rebellion in Cebu
on Palm Sunday, April 3, 1898. He was, however, betrayed and murdered on Good Friday,
April 8, 1898, in Carcar, Cebu. He was stabbed to death by his own aide-de-camp,
Apolinario Alcuitas.[2]

The town of Bacong in Negros Oriental has honored Villegas with a statue erected in the
town plaza in 1926. On July 27, 2008, the 135th anniversary of Villegas' birth, the Philippine
National Historical Institute turned over a historical marker in honor of Villegas to local and
provincial officials in his hometown.[3]

Arcadio Maxilom

General Arcadio Maxilom y Molero (November 13, 1862 – August 10, 1924) was
a Filipino teacher and hero of the Philippine Revolution.

He was born in Tuburan, Cebu to Roberto Maxilom, the town gobernadorcillo, and Gregoria
Molero. His family were members of the local gentry, or principalía. He worked as a teacher
in the local school before joining the Katipunan, whose activities in Cebu were led by a
young Negrense, León Kilat.
After Kilat's betrayal and assassination, Maxilom continued the revolution in Cebu. Under
his command, the Katipunan was able to regroup in the central highlands, which Spanish
forces found impenetrable. On December 16, 1898, Maxilom wrote a letter to the Spanish
authorities in Cebu, demanding that the latter surrender. Weary after incessant fighting, the
Spaniards quickly responded, asking Maxilom for two to three days to leave the province. By
Christmas Eve, the Spaniards had left, leaving behind only three Catholic clerics.[1] Self-rule
would be short-lived. In the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish–American War, signed
that month, December 1898, Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for twenty
million dollars.

Maxilom is best remembered for stubbornly refusing to surrender to the American forces
even as his fellow revolutionaries in Manila and Cebu were starting to capitulate or
collaborate with the new colonial power.[2] He surrendered on October 27, 1901.[3]

Virtually forgotten after the revolution, Maxilom died in his hometown of Tuburan, after a
long bout with paralysis,[4][5] on August 10, 1924. His funeral cortège, joined in by leading
revolutionary figures including Emilio Aguinaldo, stretched some four kilometers, in what
remains to this day the longest in Cebu's history.[4]

Mango Avenue, one of main thoroughfares Cebu City, was renamed Gen. Maxilom Avenue
in honor of the general.