KARTILYA OF THE KATIPUNAN

Historical Context

On July 7, 1892, Andres Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, Deodato
Arellano, and a few others, met secretly and decided to form an association called
Kataastaasan, Kagalang-galang na Katipunan nang mga Anak ng Bayan, or Katipunan for short.
The preparation for armed struggle proceeded at the same time with recruitment and gathering
of arms. The Katipunan is founded on a radical platform, it aimed to unite the country and to
obtain the independence from Spain by means of a revolution.
The Katipunan had three governing bodies which
include Kataastaasang Sanggunian (Supreme Council), the
Sangguniang Bayan (Provincial Council), and Sangguniang
Balangay (Popular Council). The Supreme Council was the
highest governing body. The Provincial Council and Popular
Council represented the province and the municipality or town.
The Supreme Council, together with the presidents of the
other two councils, constituted the Katipunan Assembly whih
was the society’s legislative body. A Judicial Council or
Sangguniang Hukuman acts as a court of justice to pass
judgement on any member who violated the rules of the
society or to mediate between quarreling factions.

The Katipunan strived to work for the liberation of the Filipino people from Spanish
oppression and friar despotism. It has three fundamental objectives: political, moral and civic.
These include working for the separation of the Philippines from Spain (political) as well as
teaching of good manners, hygiene, good morals and attacking obscurantism, religious
fanaticism and weakness of character (moral). It also promotes and encouraged the principle of
self-help, defense of the poor and the oppressed (civic). All members were urged to come to
the aid of the sick comrades and their families. In case of death, the society was to pay for the
funeral expenses.

Called as the “Brains of the Katipunan”, Emilio Jacinto was born in Tondo on Dec. 15,
1875. He was 18 years old when he joined the society. Known by his symbolic name, Pingkian,
Jacinto was appointed by Bonifacio as a commander of the Katipunan in Northern Luzon on
April
15, 1897. He also served as an adviser of the Supremo. He and Bonifacio were like brothers and
communicated with each other when time and circumstances permitted.

He edited the newspaper, Kalayaan and wrote several literary writings using the pen
name Dimas Ilaw. Some of these include Liwanag at Dilim, Pahayag, Sa mga Kababayan,
Ang Kasalanan ni Cain, Pamahalaan at Hukuman ng Silangan , among others. Realizing the
relevance of a primer to indoctrinate the members of the society in its ideals, Jacinto wrote the
Kartilya. It was printed as a small pamphlet and given to the members of the Katipunan. The
term was derived from the Spanish cartilla which was a primer used for grade school during the
Spanish period. The
Kartilya was the
Katipunan’s
code of conduct.

Emilio Jacinto died

on April 6, 1899.

Kartilya
ng

Katipunan (Tagalog Text) Katipunan Nanag

Manga A.N.B.
Sa may nasang
Makisanib sa
Katipunang Ito

Sa pagkakailangan, na ang lahat na nagiibig pumasuk sa katipunang ito ay magkaroon ng

lubos ba pananalig at kaisipan sa mga layong tinutungo at mga kaaralang pinaiiral, minarrapat
na ipakilala sa kanila ang mag bagay na ito, at ng bukas makalawa’y huwag silang magsisis at
tuparing maluag sa kalooban ang kanilang mga tungkulin.
Ang kabagayang pinaguusig ng katipunang ito ay lubos na dakila at mahalag,
papagisahin ang loob at kaisipan ng lahat ng tagalog (*) sa pamamagitan ng isnag mahigpit na
panunumpa, upang sa pagkakaisang ito’y magkalakas na iwasak ang masinsing tabing na
nakabubulag sa kaisipan at matuklasan ang tunay na landas ng Katuiran at Kaliwanagan.
Dito’y isa sa mga kaunaunahang utos, ang tunay na pagibig sa baying tinubuan at lubos
na pagdadamayan ng isa’t isa.
Maralita, mayaman, mangmang, marunong, lahat dito’y magkakapantay at tunay na
magkakapatid.

Kapagkarakang mapusok ditto ang sino man, tataligdan pili tang buhalhal na kaugalian,
at paiilalim sa kapangyarihan ng mga banal na utos ng katipunan.

Ang gawang lahat na laban sa kabanalan at kalinisan, dito’y kinasusuklaman; kaya’t sa

bagay na ito’y ipinaiilalim sa masigasig na pakikibalita ang kabuhayan ng sinumang nag-iibig
makisanib sa katipunang ito.
Kung ang hangad ng papasok dito’y ang tumalastas lamang ng mga kalihiman nito, o ang
ikagiginhawa ng sariling katawan, o ang kilalanin ang mga naririto’t nang maipagbili sa isang
dakot na salapi, huwag magpatuloy sapagkat dito’y bantain lamang ay talastas na ng makapal
na
nakikiramdam sa kanya at karaka-rakang nilalapatan ng mabisang gamut na laan sa mga sukaban.

Dito’y gawa ang hinahanap at gawa ang tinitingnan; kaya’t hindi dapat pumasok ang di
makagagawa, kahit magaling magsalita.

Ipinauunawa din na ang mga katungkulang ginaganap ng lahat ng napaaanak sa

katipunang ito ay lubhang mabibigat, lalong lalo na kung gugunitain na di mangyayaring
maiiwasan at walang kusang pagkukulang na di aabutin ng kakila-kilabot na kaparusahan.

Kung ang
hangad ng papasok
dito ay ang siya’y
abuluyan o
ang ginhawa’t
malayaw
na

katahimikan ng katawan, huwag magpatuloy sapagkat mabigat na mga katungkulan ang

matatagpuan, gaya ng pagtangkilik sa mga naaapi at madaluhong na pag-usig sa lahat ng
kasamaan. Sa bagay na ito ay aabutin ang maligalig na pamumuhay.

Di kaila sa kangino pa man ang mga nagbalang kapahamakan sa mga Tagalog na

nakaisip nitong mga banal na kabagayan (at hindi man) at ang mga pahirap na ibinibigay ng
naghaharing kalupitan, kalikuan, at kasamaan.

Talastas din naman ng lahat ang pangangailangan sa salapi na sa ngayo’y isa sa mga
unang lakas na maaasahang magbibigay-buhay sa lahat. Sa bagay na ito, kinakailangan ang
lubos na pagtupad sa mga pagbabayaran – piso sa pagpasok at sa buwan-buwan ay sikapat. Ang
salaping ito’y ipinagbibigay-alam ng nag-iingat sa tuwing kapanahunan, bukod pa sa
mapagsisiyasat ng sinuman kailanma’t ibigin. Di makikilos ang salaping ito kundi pagkayarian ng
karamihan.

Ang lahat ng ipinagsaysay ay dapat gunitain at mahinahong pagbulay-bulayin sapagkat

di magaganap at di matitiis ng isang walang tunay na pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa at tunay na
adhikaing tangkilikin ang Kagalingan.

At nang lalong mapagtimbang ang sariling isip at kabaitan, basahin ang sumusunod na

MGA ARAL NG KATIPUNAN NG MGA A.N.B

Ang kabuhayang hindi ginugugol sa isang malaki at banal na kadahilanan ay kahoy na

walang lilim, kundi damong makamandag.

Ang gawang magaling na nagbubuhat sa pagpipita sa sarili, at hindi sa talagang nasang

gumawa ng kagalingan, ay di kabaitan.

Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ang pagkakawang gawa, ang pagibig sa kapua at ang isukat
ang bawat kilos, gawa’t pangungusap sa talagang Katuiran.
Maitim man at maputi ang kulay ng balat, lahat ng tao’y magkakapantay;
mangyayaring ang isa’y higtan sa dunong, sa yaman, sa ganda…; ngunit di
mahihigtan sa pagkatao.

Ang may mataas na kalooban inuuna ang puri sa pagpipita sa sarili; ang may hamak na
kalooban inuuna ang pagpipita sa sarili sa puri.

Sa taong may hiya, salita’y panunumpa.

Huag mong
sasayangin
ang
panahun;
ang
yamang
nawala’y

magyayaring magbalik; nguni’t panahong nagdaan na’y di na muli pang

magdadaan.

Ipagtanggol mo ang inaapi, at kabakahin ang umaapi.

Ang taong matalino’y ang may pagiingat sa bawat sasabihin, at matutong ipaglihim
ang dapat ipaglihim.
Sa daang matinik ng kabuhayan, lalaki ay siyang patnugot ng asawa’t mga anak;
kung ang umaakay ay tungo sa sama, ang patutunguhan ng iaakay ay kasamaan din.

Ang babai ay huag mong tignang isang bagay na libangan lamang, kundi isang katuang
at karamay sa mga kahirapan nitong kabuhayan; gamitan mo ng buong pagpipitagan
ang kaniyang kahinaan, at alalahanin ang inang pinagbuhata’t nagiwi sa iyong
kasangulan.
Ang di mo ibig na gawin sa asawa mo, anak at kapatid, ay huag mong gagawin sa
asawa, anak, at kapatid ng iba.
Ang kamahalan ng tao’y wala sa pagkahari, wala sa tangus ng ilong at puti ng
mukha, wala sa pagkaparing kahalili ng Dios wala sa mataas na kalagayan sa balat ng
lupa; wagas at tunay na mahal na tao, kahit laking gubat at walang nababatid kundi
ang sariling wika, yaong may magandang asal, may isang pangungusap, may dangal at
puri; yaong di napaaapi’t di nakikiapi; yaong marunong magdamdam at
marunong lumingap sa bayang tinubuan.

Paglaganap ng mga aral na ito at maningning na sumikat ang araw ng mahal na

Kalayaan dito sa kaabaabang Sangkalupuan, at sabugan ng matamis niyang liwanag
ang nangagkaisang magkalahi’t magkakapatid ng ligaya ng walang katapusan,
ang mga ginugol na buhay, pagud, at mga tiniis na kahirapa’y labis nang
natumbasan. Kung lahat ng ito’y mataruk na ng nagiibig pumasuk at inaakala
niyang matutupad ang mga tutungkulin, maitatala ang kaniyang ninanasa sa
kasunod nito.
 Teachings of the Katipunan of the Sons of the People

The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without
shade, if not a poisonous weed.

A good deed that springs from a desire for personal profit and not from a desire to do
good is not kindness.

True greatness consists in being charitable, in loving one’s fellowmen and in adjusting
every moment, deed and word to true Reason.

All men are equal, be the color of their skin black or white. One may be superior to
another in knowledge, wealth and beauty, but cannot be superior in being.

He who is noble prefers honor to personal gains; he who is mean prefers personal profit
to honor.
To a man with a sense of shame, his word is inviolate.

Don’t fritter away time; lost riches may be recovered, but time lost will never come
again.

Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor.

An intelligent man is he who is cautious in speech and knows how to keep the secrets
that must be guarded.

In the thorny path of life, man is the guide of his wife and children, is he who guides
moves toward evil, they who are guided likewise move toward evil.

Think not of a woman as a thing merely to while away time with, but as a helper and
partner in the hardships of life. Respect her in her weakness, and remember the mother
who brought you into this world and who cared for you in your childhood.

What you do not want done to your wife, daughter, and sister, do not do to the wife,
daughter, and sister of another.

The nobility of man does not consist in being a king, nor in the highness of the nose and
the whiteness of the skin, nor in being a priest representing God, nor in the exalted
position on this earth, but pure and truly noble is he who, though born in the woods, is
possessed of an upright character; who is true to his words, who has dignity and honor,
who does not oppress and does not help those who oppress, who knows how to look
after and love the land of his birth.
 When these doctrines spread and the Sun of beloved liberty shines
with brilliant effulgence on these unhappy isles and sheds its soft
rays upon the united people and brothers in everlasting happiness,
the lives, labors, and sufferings of those who are gone shall be
more than recompensed.

Analysis
 The Kartilla can be classified into two categories; one, rules that
will make the member an upright individual and second, rules that will

guide the way they treat other people. It is also established not only as
rules for the members but as well as the principles for the Filipinos once
independence had been achieved. The document is reflective of the
Katipunan’s recognition of the inherent equality between and among men
regardless of race, occupation or status in life. It also shows the influence
of prevailing liberal ideas in the 19 th century such as freedom, equality and
liberty.

Many of the tenets of the Kartilla

were reflective of the very things that
they were fighting for under the yoke of
Spanish colonization. One of these is the
importance of respecting women. The
men of the Katipunan are in touch with
indigenous concepts of gender
complementarity. Andres Bonifacio and
 other revolutionaries were more
egalitarian. Bonifacio sees the woman as
a “companion in life” while Apolinario
Mabini, on the other hand, sees female
suffrage on the same basis as that of the
males. Jacinto in his Kartilla encouraged
his brethren to not regard women as a
mere plaything but rather as a partner
and one who shares in the difficulties of
their lives. The membership of the
Katipunan also includes women.

Contrary to the usual

generalizations, the Katipunan is not
solely composed of individuals coming
from the masses. One
has to remember that during the first phase of the revolution – Filipinos, rich and poor,
ilustrados and less educated, found themselves united in an opportunity to participate in the
anti-colonial struggle and to remove Spanish tyranny. With the creation of the Katipunan, the
leadership of the society from 1892 to May 1897 may be classified as lower to middle class. The
original members of the Katipunan’s women’s chapter suggest that they too may be classified
as lower to middle class. These include Josefa and Trinidad Rizal (sisters of Jose Rizal), Angelica
Lopez y Rizal and Delfina Herbosa y Rizal (both nieces of Rizal). They belong to the educated
and propertied lineage. Gergoria de Jesus, Andres Bonifacio’s second wife, was the daughter of
a gobernadorcillo in the town of Caloocan. Moreover, she was also the grandniece of Gen.
Mariano Alvarez who was a member of the municipal elite of Cavite. Bonifacio’s social origin
also suggests that he comes from the lower-middle class.