F

tEss0l{ 3

TRY OT BRLI}IIRtlt|Rl( OR PUGHO tRWIl{

IT IS SURPRISING that there are different versions on the dates for first cry of the
revolution as well as its venue. This controversy up to this time remains unsolved. It
is believed that the so-called Cry took place in Balintawak; but others would say that it
really happened in Pugad Lawin. Nevertheless, there are different versions to consider in
knowing the real date and place of the Cry. These include Pio Valenzuela's Controversial
"cry of Pugad Lawin", santiago Alvarez's "The cry of Bahay Toro", Gregoria de Jesus'
version of the "First Cry", and Guillermo Masangkay's "The Cty of Balintawak".

P I O..V fl I. E ]I ZU Etfl
15, C t] II T R O l/ ER SIR l. " C fl Y O T PUGR O LR[i' I II " t
il
(August 23, 1896) I
I
This controversial version of the "Cry of Pugad Lawin" has been authorized by no Ifi
other than Dr. Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness himself of the event. {
in his first version, he told that the prime staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak on
Wednesday of August 26, 1896. He held this account when the happenings or events are
still vivid in his memory. On the other hand, later in his life and with a fading memory,
he wrote his Memoirs of the Revolution without consuiting the written documents of the
Philippine revolution and claimed that the "Cry" took place at Pugad Lawin on'August
23, 1896. Below is his account on this topic:
Source: Zoide, Gregorio and Sonia Zoide. (1gg0). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manilo: Notional
Book Store.

"The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, ProcopioBonifacio,

nd
Teodoro Plata, Aguedodel Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving
there gn August 19 and I, on August 20, 1-896. The first place where some 500 members
of the Katipunan met on August 22,1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson
at Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who were there
were BriccioPantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolbnio Samson, and others.
Here, views were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at
Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino,
where.over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate
_0
and discussion on August 23, 1986. The discussion was on whether or not the revolution
1y
against the Spanish government should be started on August 29, 1986' Only one man
ie protested and fought against a war, and that was Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio's brother-
in-|aw-Z]. Besides the persons named above, among those present at this meeting were

READTNGS tN PHILTPPTNE Htsronv 79

]Y
--l.
Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and others.
After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula certificates and

L shouted "Long live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!"

THE "[RY t]I

(August 24,1"896)
BRHHY Tt]Rt]"
I

This version of the "Cry" was written by Santiago Alvarez, a well-known Katipunero
from Cavite and a son of Mariano Alvarez. Santiago is a relative of Gregoria de Jesus,
who happened to be the wife of Andres Bonifacio. Unlike the author of the first version
mentioned (Valenzuela), Santiago Alvarez is not an eyewitness of this event. As a result,
this version of him is not given of equal value as compared with the other versions for
h,r
lilr authors of other accounts are actually part of the historic event. Below is his account:
h
r*
tt
.t
Source: Zoide, Gregorio and Sonio Zoide. (1990). Documentory Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Monila: Nationol
Book Store.
I an
t,
$g SUNDAY, AUGUST 23,1896 to
at
lr,
E As early as 10 o'clock in the morning, at the barn of Rabesang Melchora [Melchora
pr
Gt Aquino-7.1, at a place called Sampalukan, barrio of Bahay Toro, Katipuneros met together.
tr ve
-.1 I
About 500 of these arrived, ready and eager to join the "Supremo" Andres Bonifacio and
5c"
E; hismen...
t
)r
hr
MONDAY, AUGUST 24,1896
Bc

u There were about L,000 Katipuneros . . . . The "Supremo" decided to hold a meetinginside
the bigbarn. Under his leadership, the meeting began at 10 o'clock in the morning . . .
It was 12 o'clock noon when the meeting adjourned amidst loud cries of "Long live the Sons
of the Country" (Mabuhay angmga anakngBayan)!

GntG0Rtfl,DE,J[S,US' t|tRSI 0 t'l0t TH t H RST "CRY"

(August 25, 1896)
t.
This version was written by no other than the "Lakambini of the Katipunan" and L
j

wife of Andres Bonfacio, Gregoria de Jesus. She has been a participant of this event and L
became the keeper of the secret documents of the Katipunan. After the Revolution in
August 1896, she lived with her parents in Caloocan then fled to Manila when she was
told that Spanish authorities wanted to arrest her. Eventually, she joined her husband in
the mountains and shared adversities with him. In her account, the First "Cry" happened
near Caloocan onAugust 25, 1896.
Source: Zoide, Gregorio ond Sonia Zaide. (1990). Documentory Sources of Philippine History. Vol.
Book store.
5. Manilo: Notional rL
"The activities of the Katipunanhadreachednearly all corners of th*PhilippineArchipelago,
so that when its existence was discovered and some of the members arrested, we immediately

READTNGS rN PHTLIPPTNE Htsronv F,

80
s.
returned to Caloocan. However, as we were closely watched by the agents of the Spanish
d authorities; Andres Bonifacio and other Katipuneros left the town after some days. It was
then that the uprising began, with the first cry for freedom on August 25, L896. IVleanwhile,
I was with my parents. Through my friends, I learned that Spanish were coming to arrest me.
Immediately, I fled town at eleven o' clock at night, secretly going through the rice fields to La
Lorna, with the intention of returning to Manila. I was treated like an apparition, for, sad to
say, in every house where I tried to get a little rest, I was driven away as if pmple therein were
frightened for their own lives. Later, I found out that the occupants of the houses which I had
visited were seized and severely punished-- and some even exiled. One of them was an uncle of
mine whom I had visited on that night to kiss his hand, andhe diedin exile."

IllI "CRY OT BRtI}ITRuJHl(''

26, 1896)
-(August
tl This version is written by the Katipunan General Guillermo Masangkay. He is
an eyewitness of the historic event and a childhood friend of Bonifacio. According
to him, the first rally of the Philippine Revolution happened on August 26, 1896
at Balintawak. Correspondingly, the date and site presented were accepted by the
'a
preliminary years of American government. Below is General Guillermo Masangkay's
r.
version of The "Cry of Balintawak"
d
Source: Zaide, Gregorio ond Sonio Zoide. (1990). Documentory Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Monilo: Nationol
Book Store.

"On August 26th [1896-2.], a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house
le of Apolonio Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who
attended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedodel Rosario, Tomas
Remigio, BriccioPantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco
ls
Carreon. They were all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the board of directors of
the organization. Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite and Morong (now Rizal,)
were also present.
At about nine o'clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with
Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The purpose was to
discuss when the uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata fBonifacio's brother-in-law -
Z.], BriccioPantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution too early.
They reasoned that the people would be in distress if the revolution were started without
adequate preparation. Plata was very forceful in his argument, stating that the uprising
could not very well be started without the arms and food for the sold.iers. Valenzuela
used Rizal's argument about the rich not siding with the Katipunan organization.
Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session
tl hall and talked to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting

0,

ty

H Rglolres ru Pntllpptre Htstonv 81

)
 of the leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the E)(t
revolution early, and appealed to them in a fiery speech in which he said: "You remember
the fate of our countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now ttl
the towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been discoverecl and
we are all marked men. If we don't start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway.
A.
What then, do you say?"
"Revolt!" the people shouted as one.
Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He told
them that the sign,of slavery of the Filipinos were (sic) the cedula tax charged each
citizen. "If it is true that you are ready to revolt," Bonifacio saved, "I want to see you
destroy your cedulas. It will be the sign that all of us have declared our severance from
the Spaniards."
With tears in their eyes, the people as one man, pulled out their cedulas and tore
them to pieces. It was the beginning of the formal declaration of the separation frorn
Spanish rule. With their cedulas destroyed, they could no longer go back to their homes
I because the Spaniards would persecute them, if not for being katipuneros, for having no
rl
iI cedulas. And people who had no cedulas during those days were severely punished.
When the people's pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he returned to the session
ril

hall and informed the leaders of what took place outside. "The people want to revolt,
rll

[I
ftr and they have destroyed their cedulas," Bonifacio said. "So now we have to start the B.W
uprising; otherwise the people by hundreds will be shot." There was no alternative. The
Dt

board of directors, in the spite of the protests of Plata, Pantas, and Valenzuela, voted for
the revolution. And when this was decided, the people outside shouted: "Long Live the
Philippine Republic!"
I still remember Bonifacio as he appeared that day. Although a mere bodeguero
(warehouseman) and earning F25 (Mex.) a month, he was a cultured man. He always
wore an open coat, with black necktie, and black hat. He always carried an urnbrella" At
the meeting that morning of August 26, Bonifacio took off his coat and was wearing only
his shirt, with collar and tie. Bonifacio's hobby was weaving bamboo hats. During his
spare time he wove dozens of them and sold them in Manila. Thus he made extra mone)/.
At about 5 o'clockin the afternoon, while the gathering at Balintawakwas celebrating
the decision of the Katipunan leaders to start the uprising, the guards who were up in
trees to watch for any possible intruders or the approach of the enemy, gave the warning
that the Spaniards were coming.
Led by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other leaders of the Katipunan, the men rarere
distributed in strategic positions and were prepared for attack of the civil gtlards. I
was with a group stationed on the bank of a small creek, guarding the places where the
Spaniards were to pass in order to reach the meeting place of the katipuneros. Shots were
then fired by the civil guards, and that was the beginning of the fire which later became
such a huge conflagration.

READINGS IN PHILTPPINE HISTONY REAorr:

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