Name: Estela Marie C.

Acebo Date of Submission: July 31, 2018

Course: BSED 1 – English Date of Reporting: August 1, 2018
Subject and Time: Readings in the Philippine History Instructor: Peter Paul Peruda
Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00- 10:00 A.M.

Case Study 4: Where Did the Cry of

Rebellion Happen?
“El Grito de Rebellion” or ”Cry of Rebellion” – marks the start of the revolutionary events, identifying the
places where it happened.

Happened in August 1896, northeast of Manila, where

the rebellion against the Spanish colonial was declared.

Teodoro Agoncillo – a prominent Filipino historian

Emphasizes that the Cry happened when Bonifacio tore the cedula or tax
receipt before the Katipuneros who also did the same.
Some writers identified the first military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the Cry, for which
Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an “Himno de Balintawak” to inspire the renewed struggle after the
Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed.
Monument to the Heroes of 1896 was built in what is now the intersection of Epifanio de los santos
Avenue (EDSA) and Andres Bonifacio Drive-North Diversion road.
From 1962, the Cry of Balintawak was celebrated every 26 th of August. The site of the monument was
chosen for unknown reason.

Different Dates and Places of the Cry

Lt. Olegario Diaz – Balintawak on 25 August 1896
Teodoro Kalaw – Filipino historian, marks the place to be in Kangkong, Balintawak, on the last week
of August 1896
Mariano Alvarez – a Katipunero, leader of the Magdiwang faction in Cavite, put the Cry in Bahay Toro
in Quezon City on 24 August 1896
Pio Valenzuela – stated that it happened in Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896
Gregorio Zaide – a historian who identified the event to have happened in Balintawak on 26 August
1896

Primary Source: Accounts of the Cry

Guillermo Masangkay
Source: Guillermo Masangkay, “Cry of Balintawak” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary
of Philippine History, Volume 8 (Manila: National Book Store,1990), 307-309.

August 26 – a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio Samson, then cabeza of
that barrio of Caloocan.
- The purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to take place
- Was attended by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguendo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio,
Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco
Carreon, who were all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the board of directors
of the organization.
- Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and Morong were also present.
- Andres Bonifacio as presiding officer and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary opened
the meeting.
- Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela opposed to starting the revolution
too early.
- Andres Bonifacio left the session hall and appealed to the people in a fiery speech in
which he said:
“You remember the fate of our countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan.
Should we return now to the towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our
organization has been discovered and we are all marked men. If we don’t start
the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then do you say?”
 The people shouted, “Revolt!”
- Bonifacio asked the people to destroy their cedulas as a sign of severance from the
Spaniards.

Pio Valenzuela
Source: Pio Valenzuela, “Cry of Pugad Lawin,” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary
Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8 (Manila, National Book Store,1990), 301-302.

The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata,
Aguedo del Rosario, and Pio Valenzuela was Balintawak.
- The first five arrived on August 19, while Valenzuela arrived on August 20, 1896.
- 500 members of the Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, at the house and yard of
Apolonio Samson Kangkong.
- Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others.
- Views were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted.
In Pugad Lawin, the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino.
- Over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate and
discussion on August 23,1896.
- The discussion was about whether or not the revolution against the Spanish
government should be started on August 29, 1896
- After the meeting, many of those present tore their cedula and shouted “Long live
the Philippines! Long live Philippines!”

Valenzuela’s account should be read with caution because of inconsistencies: He once told to a
Spanish investigator that the Cry happened in Balintawak on Wednesday, in 26 August 1896, but
wrote on his Memoirs of the Revolution that it happened at Pugad Lawin on 23 august 1896.

According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all these places are in Balintawak, then part of
Caloocan, now, in Quezon City. As for the dates, Bonifacio and his troops may have been moving
from one place to another to avoid being located by the Spanish government, which could explain
why there are several accounts of the Cry.