The KKK and the “Kartilya ng Katipunan”

The document was written by Emilio Jacinto in 1896. Jacinto was only 18 years old
when he joined the movement. He was law student at the Universidad de Santo Tomas.
Despite his youth, Bonifacio recognized the value and intellect of Jacinto that upon seeing
that Jacinto’s Kartilya was much better than the Decalogue he wrote, he willingly favored
that the Kartilya be distributed to their fellow Katipuneros. Jacinto became secretary of the
organization and took charge of the short-lived printing press of the Katipunan. Emilio
Jacinto was also known as “Utak ng Katipunan”, advisor on financial matters and secretary to
Andres Bonifacio. He continued the fight against Spaniards until the Americans even after
death of Bonifacio. He wrote the Kartilya and the oath of the Katipuneros.
According to Philippine culture, the period of Enlighten was from 1872 to 1898. After
300 years of being ruled by the Spaniards, the Filipino spirit was awakened when three
priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora was killed without sufficient evidence. The actual goals
of the revolution is the hard work of reformism and the need to politically and ideologically
end goals. The political goals was to separate the Philippines from Spain after our country’s
independence. The moral goal was to teach Filipino good manners and fine morals.
The Filipinos at that time when the Kartilya ng Katipuan were portrayed as the
oppressed people, devote of the freedom and the Philippines. The objective of the Katipunan
are political, moral and civic. The Philippine at that time of Spanish regime is just considered
a city and not a nation.
The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangan Kapitpunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) or
Katipunan ostensibly the most imperative association that shaped Philippine history. While
hostile to frontier developments, endeavors and associations had just been built up hundreds
of years preceding the establishment of the Katipunan.
Kartilya is the best known of all the Katipunan text and is the only document of any
length sent in print by the Katipunan prior to August 1896 hat is known to be still extent. It is
printed is a small pamphlet that was distributed to the members of the Katipunan. It presents
not only the teachings for the neophyte Katipunero but also the guiding principles of the
society. It ends with the document of affirmation by the member to the society’s teaching.
The importance of the text is to present a concept of virtuous living as a lessons for
self-reflection rather than direct prescriptions. To appreciate the essence of its original
tagalog form within the context of the social and political environment of that colonial era,
amid local traditions, spiritual beliefs, family concepts and ethnic diversity.
The contribution of the document in understanding the grand narrative in Philippine
history was the moral and intellectual foundation used to guide the Katipuneros and lay out
the rules and principles that needed to be obeyed upon joining the secret society. It is one of
the few recorded documents of the Philippine revolution that survived today, and hence
provides a perspective to modern generations on how this code contributed to understanding
our history and how it shaped the present.