Readings in Philippine History
commander of the Katipunan in Northern
The KKK and the “Kartilya ng Katipunan”
KKK
- Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang
Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
- Katipunan
- Arguably the most important organization
formed in the Philippine history
- only organization that envisioned (1) a
united Filipino nation that would revolt
against the Spaniards for (2) the total
independence of the country from Spain
PREVIOUS ARMED REVOLTS
Diego Silang (1730-1763)
- Ilocano
- led one of the longest running revolts in
the country
- mainly concerned about his locality
- referred to himself as El Rey de Ilocos (The
King of Ilocos)
Propaganda Movements
- led by the ilustrados: Jose Rizal, Marcelo H.
del Pilar, Graciano López
- did not envision a total separation of the
Philippines from Spain
- only demanded equal rights,
representation, and protection from the
abuses of the friars
KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN
- one of the most important Katipunan
documents
- original title: Manga Aral Nang Katipunan
ng mga A.N.B (Anak ng Bayan) or Lessons
of the Organization of the Sons of the
Country
- Katipunan’s code of conduct
- Written by: Emilio Jacinto in 1896
EMILIO JACINTO (1875-1899)
- only 18 years old when he joined the
movement
- a law student at the Universidad de Santo
Tomas
- Bonifacio favored the Kartilya over his
own Decalogue to be distributed to the
Katipuneros
- became the secretary of the organization
- took charge of the short-lived printing
press of the Katipunan
- appointed by Bonifacio as the
Luzon when he was 22 years old (April
15th 1987)
- died of Malaria at a young age of 24 in
the town of Magdalena, Laguna
“KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN”
- contains fourteen rules that instruct the
way a Katipunero should behave, and
which specific values should he uphold
- rules stated in the Kartilya can be
classified into two:
o first group – contains the rules
that will make the member an
upright individual
o second group – contains the rules
that will guide the way he treats
his fellow men
RULES:
I. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty
and reasonable purpose is a tree without
a shade, if not a poisonous weed.
II. To do good for personal gain and not for
its own sake is not virtue.
III. It is rational to be charitable and love
one's fellow creature, and to adjust one's
conduct, acts and words to what is in itself
reasonable.
IV. Whether our skin be black or white, we are
all born equal: superiority in knowledge,
wealth and beauty are to be understood,
but not superiority by nature.
V. The honorable man prefers honor to
personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to
honor.
VI. To the honorable man, his word is sacred.
VII. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be
recovered but not time lost.
VIII. Defend the oppressed and fight the
oppressor before the law or in the field.
 IX. The prudent man is sparing in words and
faithful in keeping secrets.
X. On the thorny path of life, man is the guide
of woman and the children, and if the
guide leads to the precipice, those whom
he guides will also go there.
XI. Thou must not look upon woman as a
mere plaything, but as a faithful
companion who will share with thee the
penalties of life; her (physical) weakness
will increase thy interest in her and she will
remind thee of the mother who bore thee
and reared thee.
- One can analyze the values upheld in the
document as consistent with the
burgeoning rational and liberal ideals in
the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
- We can also decipher certain Victorian
and chivalrous values in the text. In the
contemporary eyes, the Katipunan can
be criticized because of these provisions.
- Aside from this, the Kartilya was instructive
not just of the Katipunan's conduct toward
other people, but also for the members'
development as individuals in their own
rights.

XII. What thou dost not desire done unto thy

wife, children, brothers and sisters, that do
not unto the wife, children, brothers and
sisters of thy neighbor.

XIII. Man is not worth more because he is a

king, because his nose is aquiline, and his
color white, not because he is a priest, a
servant of God, nor because of the high
prerogative that he enjoys upon earth,
but he is worth most who is a man of
proven and real value, who does good,
keeps his words, is worthy and honest; he
who does not oppress nor consent to
being oppressed, he who loves and
cherishes his fatherland, though he be
born in the wilderness and know no
tongue but his own.

XIV. When these rules of conduct shall be

known to all, the longed-for sun of Liberty
shall rise brilliant over this most unhappy
portion of the globe and its rays shall
diffuse everlasting joy among the
confederated brethren of the same rays,
the lives of those who have gone before,
the fatigues and the well-paid sufferings
will remain. If he who desires to enter has
informed himself of all this and believes he
will be able to perform what will be his
duties, he may fill out the application for
admission.

ANALYSIS
- The content and provisions of the Kartilya
as a reaction and response to certain
value systems that they found despicable
in the present state of things that they
struggled against with.