The Cry of Sta.

Barbara—A Shout
of Freedom in The Cradle of the
Philippine Revolution
Iloilo

Belle Piccio | Nov 04, 2015

Sta. Barbara is a suburban town located in the middle of Iloilo province. The town
was recognized as the cradle of the Philippine Revolution outside Luzon. Sta.
Barbara got hold of its independence on November 17, 1898 after it performed a
major revolt. Here’s what happened:

General Martin Teofilo Delgado marker at Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

Gov. Gen. Basilio Agustin, a Spanish Governor General of the Philippines, ordered
the organization of the Volunteer Militia in the Visayas in May 1898. The so called
“voluntarios” were believed to be loyal to Spain.
Martin Delgado was named the captain of the voluntarios.
He was in-charge of commanding an infantry of 125 men. The voluntarios main
function is to prevent and stop any warnings or signs of rebellion against the
Spanish regime. The voluntarios were also tasked to fight the Tagalog
revolutionaries if they come to Visayas. But, Martin Delgado also called as Tan
Martin, betrayed the trust of the Spaniards. In connivance with the Ilonggo leaders,
Martin planned for simultaneous revolution. He also diverted the weapons to the
“revolucionarios” instead of giving it to the Volunteer Militia.
The simultaneous uprising in Iloilo was agreed at the Comite Central
Revolucionarios de Visayas. The meeting took place at the hacienda of Tan
Martin’s uncle, Tan Sabas Solinap. Tan Martin became the General-in-Chief of the
Liberating Army when Sta. Barbara turned into the center of revolution in Visayas.
His brother, Posidio Delgado, composed the march for the revolution known as
Marcha Libertador”.
Tan Martin set up his voluntarios in October 1898. He led them to Jelicuon, another
barrio in Iloilo, to purportedly capture bandits. He gathered his men around
midnight and informed them that the Spaniards will arrive to seize their weapons.
During that time, the revolution in Luzon was already happening. He persuaded his
men to unite and pledge their loyalty for the cause of the revolution. They then
shouted the first cry of revolution in Iloilo:

“Viva Filipinas! Fuera España!”

(Roughly translates to “Long live the Philippines! Oust Spain!”)
The news about the revolutionary movement in Visayas reached Gen. Emilio
Aguinaldo. The general sent a saber and the Filipino flag through Roque Lopez, a
general in Jaro, in recognition of the movement headed by Tan Martin. But due to the
tight security of the Spanish infantry called casadores, Lt. Honorio Solinap and Tia
Patron Gamboa volunteered to bring the saber and flag given by Gen. Emilio
Aguinaldo from Jaro to Sta. Barbara. Before they were inspected by the casadores,
they made a scene. Tia Patron acted like a dominant wife shouting at Lt. Honorio.
They quarreled. She also bit and pinched the lieutenant. The casadores let them pass
by without inspecting them and their belongings. Laughing and enjoying the scene,
the casadores thought that the lieutenant was an “under de saya." Successfully
passing through the area, Tia Patron Gamboa and Lt. Honorio Solinap made it to Sta.
Barbara just in time for the flag raising ceremony. The event was the final launch of
the revolution in Visayas and also in Mindanao.

Philippine Flag raised at the flag pole of Sta. Barbara Town Hall in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.
The Cry of Santa Barbara symbolized freedom for the Ilonggos.

How to Get There

From Manila, you can fly to Iloilo (estimated cost of Php3,000++, round trip, one hour). You can also
opt for a bus trip (estimated cost of Php875++ per head, air-conditioned bus and boat fare, 17 hours
plus).

Sta. Barbara is 20-minute drive or approximately 16 kilometers away from Iloilo City and is only 5
minutes away from the new Iloilo International Airport.