University of Saint Louis
Mabini Street, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTANCY, BUSINESS
AND HOSPITALITY
S.Y. 2021-2022
READINGS IN PHHILIPPINE HISTORY
PHILIPPINE HISTORY IN A GLIMPSE
The Early Philippines
The Philippines is named after King Philip II
of Spain (1556-1598) and it was a Spanish
colony for over 300 years.
Today the Philippines is an archipelago of
7,000 islands. However, it is believed that
during the last ice age they were joined to
mainland Asia by a land bridge, enabling
human beings to walk from there.
The first people in the Philippines were
hunter-gatherers. However, between 3,000
BC and 2,000 BC people learned to farm.
They grew rice and domesticated animals.
From the 10th AD century Filipinos traded
with China and by the 12th Century AD Arab
merchants reached the Philippines and they
introduced Islam.
Then in 1521 Ferdinand Magellan sailed
across the Pacific. He landed in the
Philippines and claimed them for Spain.
Magellan baptized a chief called Humabon
and hoped to make him a puppet ruler on
behalf of the Spanish crown. Magellan
demanded that other chiefs submit to
Humabon but one chief named Lapu Lapu
refused. Magellan led a force to crush him.
However the Spanish soldiers were scattered
and Magellan was killed.
The Spaniards did not gain a foothold in the
Philippines until 1565 when Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi led an expedition, which built a fort in
Cebu. Later, in 1571 the Spaniards landed in
Luzon. Here they built the city of Intramuros
(later called Manila), which became the
capital of the Philippines. Spanish
conquistadors marched inland and conquered
Luzon. They created a feudal system.
Spaniards owned vast estates worked by
Filipinos.
Along with conquistadors went friars who
converted the Filipinos to Catholicism. The
friars also built schools and universities.
The Spanish colony in the Philippines brought
prosperity - for the upper class anyway! Each
year the Chinese exported goods such as
silk, porcelain and lacquer to the Philippines.
From there they were re-exported to Mexico.
The years passed uneventfully in the
Philippines until in 1762 the British captured
Manila. They held it for two years but they
handed it back in 1764 under the terms of the
Treaty of Paris, signed in 1763.
The Philippines in the 19th Century
In 1872 there was a rebellion in Cavite but it
was quickly crushed. However nationalist
feeling continued to grow helped by a writer
named Jose Rizal (1861-1896). He wrote two
novels Noli Me Tangere (Touch me Not) and
El Filibusterismo (The Filibusterer) which
stoked the fires of nationalism.
In 1892 Jose Rizal founded a movement
called Liga Filipina, which called for reform
rather than revolution. As a result Rizal was
arrested and exiled to Dapitan on Mindanao.
Meanwhile Andres Bonifacio formed a more
extreme organisation called the Katipunan. In
August 1896 they began a revolution. Jose
Rizal was accused of supporting the
revolution, although he did not and he was
executed on 30 December 1896. Yet his
execution merely inflamed Filipino opinion
and the revolution grew.
Then in 1898 came war between the USA
and Spain. On 30 April 1898 the Americans
defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay.
Meanwhile Filipino revolutionaries had
surrounded Manila. Their leader, Emilio
Aguinaldo declared the Philippines
independent on 12 June. However as part of
the peace treaty Spain ceded the Philippines
to the USA. The Americans planned to take
over.
War between American forces in Manila and
the Filipinos began on 4 February 1899. The
Filipino-American War lasted until 1902 when
Aguinaldo was captured.
The Philippines in the 20th Century
American rule in the Philippines was
paternalistic. They called their policy
'Benevolent Assimilation'. They wanted to
'Americanize' the Filipinos but they never
quite succeeded. However they did do some
good. Many American teachers were sent to
the Philippines in a ship called the Thomas
and they did increase literacy.
In 1935 the Philippines were made a
commonwealth and were semi-independent.
Manuel Quezon became president. The USA
promised that the Philippines would become
completely independent in 1945.
However in December 1941 Japan attacked
the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. On 10
December 1941 Japanese troops invaded the
Philippines. They captured Manila on 2
January 1941. By 6 May 1942 all of the
Philippines were in Japanese hands.
However American troops returned to the
Philippines in October 1944. They recaptured
Manila in February 1945.
The Philippines became independent on 4
July 1946. Manuel Roxas was the first
president of the newly independent nation.
Ferdinand Marcos (1917-1989) was elected
president in 1965. He was re-elected in 1969.
However the Philippines was dogged by
poverty and inequality. In the 1960s a land
reform program began. However many
peasants were frustrated by its slow progress
and a Communist insurgency began in the
countryside.
On 21 September 1972 Marcos declared
martial law. He imposed a curfew, suspended
Congress and arrested opposition leaders.
The Marcos dictatorship was exceedingly
corrupt and Marcos and his cronies enriched
themselves.
Then, in 1980 opposition leader Benigno
Aquino went into exile in the USA. When he
returned on 21 August 1983 he was shot.
Aquino became a martyr and Filipinos were
enraged by his murder.
In February 1986 Marcos called an election.
The opposition united behind Cory Aquino the
widow of Benigno. Marcos claimed victory (a
clear case of electoral fraud). Cory Aquino
also claimed victory and ordinary people took
to the streets to show their support for her.
The followers of Marcos deserted him and he
bowed to the inevitable and went into exile.
Things did not go smoothly for Corazon
Aquino. (She survived 7 coup attempts).
Furthermore, the American bases in the
Philippines (Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark
Air Base) were unpopular with many Filipinos
who felt they should go. In 1992 Mount
Pinatubo erupted and covered Clark in
volcanic ash forcing the Americans to leave.
They left Subic Bay in 1993.
In 1992 Fidel Ramos became president. He
improved the infrastructure in the Philippines
including the electricity supply. Industry was
privatized and the economy began to grow
more rapidly.
However, at the end of the 1990s the
Philippine economy entered a crisis.
Meanwhile, in 1998 Joseph Estrada, known
as Erap became president. Estrada was
accused of corruption and he was impeached
in November 2000. Estrada was not
convicted. Nevertheless, people
 demonstrated against him and the military
withdrew its support. Estrada was forced to
leave office and Vice-president Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo replaced him. She was re-
elected in 2004.
MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF
HISTORY
What is History? How is it different from
other disciplines or other forms of
writing? How is it the same?
History is……
 a recitation of unrelated facts that do
not contribute to a larger story.
 an agreed upon set of facts or a
forever-fixed story that is never subjected to
changes and updates.
 a simple acceptance of what is written
about a historical topic, event or person
 a simple historical chronology of
famous dates, incidents and people.
 a strict reliance solely on the past with
no examination of how the past has
influenced the present or how it may influence
the future.
 about one absolute truth, one
particular perspective, or one set of facts and
figures.
 a chronological storytelling in its finest
form; it sequentially weaves together many
related historical and contemporary events
and ideas that linked to a larger story.
SOME OTHER DEFINITIONS OF THE
NATURE HISTORY
Some comments about history by famous
authors and individuals
WHY STUDY HISTORY?
History- both knowledge of the past and the
practice of researching and making sense of
what happened in the past- is critically
important to the welfare of individuals,
communities and the future of our nation.
According to processhistory.com, the study of
history is essential for the following:
To Ourselves:
Identity:
History nurtures personal identity in an
intercultural world. History serves as the
trademark of a group of people, distinguishing
them from the rest wherever they are. This
distinct identity is unique and you carry with it
a profound superiority.
Critical Skills:
History teaches critical 21st century skills and
independent thinking. The practice of history
teaches research, judgment of the accuracy
and reliability of sources, validation of facts,
awareness of multiple perspectives and
biases, analysis of conflicting evidence,
sequencing to discern causes, synthesis to
present a coherent interpretation, clear and
persuasive written and oral communication
and other skills (processhistory, 2015).
To Our Communities:
Vital Places to Live and Work:
History lays the groundwork for strong,
resilient communities. No place really
becomes a community until it is wrapped in
human memory: family story, tribal traditions,
and civic consciousness. By way of analogy,
even in the bible, the famous story of the
prodigal son illustrates that nothing in this
earth is more precious than the love of a
family to a son who became astray because
of material interest. History would probably
bring us to the old memories of the significant
things in the past.
Economic Development:
History is a catalyst for economic growth.
People are drawn to communities that have
preserved a strong sense of historical identity
and character (processhistory, 2015).
Learning from the many mistakes of our
ancestors, we have to really move on and
make a change. History is perhaps attached
to our old culture and beliefs that many would
not want to go away. Economic growth is
somehow related to how people effect
change such as for example the old manner
of farming and doing things.    man or woman on earth, every leaf that fell in
To Our Future:
Engaged Citizens:
History helps people craft better solutions. At
the heart of democracy is the practice of
individuals coming together to express views
and make action. Students of history become
better individuals when they see and perform
their vital roles in the community. When
young people go out of the shells and start
engaging themselves to the many programs,
activities and the like of the community, then
we can truly say that they are engaged
citizens of their respective place.
Leadership:
History inspires local and global leaders.
History provides leaders with inspirations and
role models for meeting the complex
challenges that face our communities,
nations, and the world. Our national politics
can speak of this. Many of the highest
officials of the government started as local
leaders such as mayors, governors etc. This
would only show that local governments are
the training grounds of future national
leaders.
Legacy:
History, saved and preserved, is the
foundation for future generations. History is
crucial to preserving democracy for the future
by explaining our shared past
(processhistory, 2015). Nothing beats history.
We may die. Our ancestors may die but the
only legacy they can leave behind is their
experiences and good stories which are
worthy of emulations. 
 
HISTORY DIFFERENTIATED
History vs. Past
The past is not the same as history. The past
involves everything that ever happened since
the dawn of time- every thought and action of
the tree and every chemical change in this
universe and others.
History by contrast, is a process of
interpreting evidence or records from the past
in a thoughtful and informed way. It is the
narrative that gives meaning, sense, and
explanation to the past in the present.
History vs. Prehistory
History and prehistory show differences
between them in their nature and substance.
The main difference between history and
prehistory is the existence of records.
History vs. Herstory
The word “history” is etymologically unrelated
to the possessive pronoun his. Traditionally,
history has been defined as “the study of the
past as it is described in written documents.”
Feminists argued that is has been men (“his”
“story”) who usually have been the ones to
record the past.
Herstory, by contrast, is history written from a
feminist perspective, emphasizing the role of
women, or told from a woman’s point of view.
It is a neologism coined as a pun with the
word “history” as part of a feminist critique of
conventional historiography, which in their
opinion is traditionally written as “his story”,
e.i., from the masculine point of view. What
about women? Should an event in the past
was written down be called “herstory?”
(“History,”2018; “Herstory”, 2018)   Historians who are into publishing academic
HISTORICAL SOURCES AND
CRITICISMS
HISTORICAL SOURCES
PRIMARY SOURCES
A primary source provides direct or first-hand
evidence about an event, an object, a person,
or a work of art. These primary sources
provide the original materials on which other
research is based and enable students and
other researchers to get as close as possible
to what actually happened during a particular
event or era. Published materials can be
viewed as primary sources as long as they
come from the time period that is being
discussed, and were written or produced by
someone with first-hand experience of the
event. For instance, the stenographic notes of
a court trial and the news reporter’s account
of the trial are primary sources. All physical
objects, including photographs, and cultural
institutions and practices are primary sources
themselves and all accounts written about
them by those who had actually seen and
experienced are primary sources.
History as an academic discipline heavily
relies on primary sources, as evaluated by a
community of scholars, who report their
findings in books, articles and papers. As one
historian says, “Primary sources are
absolutely fundamental to history”. Generally,
a historian capitalizes on all available primary
sources that were created by the people
involved at the time being studied. In reality
some sources have been destroyed, while
others are not available for research. The
most reliable eyewitness reports of an event
may be memoirs, autobiographies, or oral
interviews taken years or even centuries ago.
Manuscripts that are sources for classical
texts can be copies of documents, or
fragments of copies of documents. For this
reason, history is usually taught in schools
using secondary sources.
articles with fresh or new perspectives prefer
to go back to available primary sources and
to seek new ones. Primary sources, be it
accurate or not, offer new inputs into
historical questions and most modern history
dwells on archives and special collections for
the purpose of finding useful primary sources.
It is then essential to classify the sources to
determine its independence and reliability. In
context such as historical writing, it is indeed
advisable to use primary sources but in the
absence of one, the author may use the
secondary sources with great caution.
Determine if Primary Source
Ask yourself:
1. Was it produced, written, or painted
during a specific time period?
2. Did the person live during the time or
event?
Different Kinds of Primary Sources:
Literary or Cultural Sources:
1. Novels, plays, poems (both published
and in manuscript form)
2. Television shows, movies, or videos
3. Paintings or photographs
Accounts that describe events, people, or
ideas:
1. Newspapers
2. Chronicles or historical accounts
3. Essays and speeches experienced nor observed personally the
4. Memoirs, diaries, journals, and letters objects and have based their writings upon
5. Philosophical treaties or manifestos the information gathered from those who
have knowledge of the events are secondary
Information about people:
sources.
1. Census records In historiography, when a study of history is
2. Obituaries subject to historical scrutiny, a secondary
3. Newspaper articles source becomes a primary source. The
4. Biographies and autobiographies historian’s publication can likewise be a
primary source. Documentary films are
Finding information about a place:
considered secondary or primary sources
depending on how much the film maker
1. Maps and atlases modifies the original source.
2. Census information
3. Statistics Whether a source is regarded as primary or
4. Photographs secondary in a given context may change,
5. City directories depending upon the present state of
6. Local libraries or historical societies knowledge within the field. For example, if a
document refers to the contents of a previous
Finding information about an organization: but undiscovered letter, that document may
be considered ‘primary’, since it is the closest
1. Archives (sometimes held by libraries, known thing to an original source, but if the
institutions, or historical societies letter is later found, it may then be considered
Three Types of Written Sources ‘secondary’.
Determine if Secondary Source
1. Narrative sources or literary sources
tell a story or message. These include diaries, Ask yourself:
films, biographies, leading philosophical
works and scientific works. 1. Was it produced, written, or painted
2. Diplomatic sources include charters after a specific time period?
and other legal documents which observe a 2. Did the person live after the time or
set format. event?
3. Social documents are records created
Examples of Secondary Sources:
by organizations, such as register of births
and tax records.
1. Books with endnotes and footnotes
2. Reprint of artwork
3. A journal or magazine which interprets
SECONDARY SOURCES or reviews previous findings
4. Conference proceedings
Secondary sources generally describe, 5. Literary Criticism
discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, 6. Book reviews
evaluate, summarize, and process primary
sources. These secondary source materials
can be articles in newspapers or popular
magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles TERTIARY SOURCES
found in scholarly journals that discuss or
Tertiary sources are publications that
evaluate someone else’s original research. All
summarize and digest the information in
writings by people who have never
 primary and secondary sources to provide
background on a topic, idea or event.
Examples of Tertiary Sources:
1. Dictionaries
2. Almanacs
3. Fact books
4. Directories, Guidebooks and Manuals
IMPORTANCE OF HISTORICAL SOURCES
1. Useful in writing and learning history
2. Can be useful in doing historical
research that is important in establishing
historical truth.
3. However, a student should not
scrutinize these sources to avoid deception.
Rather, the student must dwell on internal
and external criticism.
HISTORICAL CRITICISM
External Criticism
The practice of verifying the authenticity of
evidence by examining its physical
characteristics. This also refers to the
genuineness of the document a researcher
used in a historical study. Some questions
that illustrate external criticism include: Who
was the author, what was his/her
qualifications, personality, and position? How
soon after the events was the document
written and how was the document was
written and is it related to other document?
Internal Criticism
This is the examination of truthfulness of
the evidence. It looks at the content of the
document to determine its authenticity. This is
referred to as the textual criticism, it involves
factor such as competence, good faith,
position, and bias of the author (Sanchez,
1980). It also involves determining the
intention of the source of data while external
criticism conducts document analysis using
science.
To simplify, the authenticity of the
document is determined by external
criticism, whereas credibility is
established by internal criticism.
The purpose of criticism is to validate
historical sources that tend to manipulate
conclusions which are indeed deceptive in the
analysis and study of history. We don’t
entertain lies in studying history.
KATIPUNAN AND THE
REVOLUTION: MEMOIRS OF A
GENERAL
By Santiago Alvarez Translated by Carolina
Malay
Who is Santiago V. Alvarez?
Born July 25, 1872 and died October 30,
1930, he was the only child of revolutionary
general Mariano Alvarez and Nicolasa Virata,
was born in Imus but was raised in Noveleta,
Cavite. He was known as Kidlat ng Apoy
(Lightning of Fire) because of his inflamed
bravery and participation in the Battle of
Dalahican.
Santiago was among the first in Cavite to take
up arms against Spain. All through the
Revolution, he fought side by side with his
father. In the 36- hour battle in Dalahican, one
of the bloodiest encounters during the
Revolution, he scored a decisive victory and
repulsed the Spanish troops.
When the American civil government was
established in the Philippines in 1901,
Santiago assisted in the organization of the
Nacionalista Party, where he later became
president of its directorate. The memoirs was
published in the year 1902 in Sampaguita, a
Tagalog weekly, in 36 installments (from July
24, 1927 to April 15, 1928). These were
reproduced in book from and translated in
English by Paula Carolina S. Malay.
Malay graduated from the University of the
Philippines. She taught economics at various
universities during the 1950s and 1960s. She
turned to translation and writing during the
martial law period.
A Summary of the Memoirs of a General
The events I have related in this account of
the Katipunan and the Revolution reverberate
with shouts of “Long live our patriots!” and
“Death to the enemy!” These were in answer
to the enemy’s assaults with mausers and
cannons, the latter fired from both land and
sea.
The Magdiwang government honored me with
an appointment as captain general, or head
of its army. Gen. Artemio Ricarte was
lieutenant general.
I will now attempt to write down what I saw
and what I know about the Katipunan and the
Revolution. First, I shall narrate the events
relating to the Revolution beginning from
March 14, 1896; then I shall deal with the
organization and the activities of the Most
Venerable Supreme Society of the Sons of
the People (Kamahalmahalan at
Kataastaasang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng
Bayan). The Katipunan account is based on
records which were entrusted to me by the
original founder of the Katipunan. In the
interest of honorable truth, I shall now attempt
to write a history of the Katipunan and the
Revolution which I hope will be acceptable to
all. However, I realize that it is inevitable that,
in the narration of actual happenings, I shall
run the risk of hurting the feeling of
contemporaries and comrades- in- arms. I
would like to make it clear that I shall try to be
as possible and that it is far from my intention
of depreciate anyone’s patriotism and
greatness.
I shall be honored if these memoirs become
a worthy addiction to what Gen. Artemio
Ricarte as already published in this weekly.
The memoirs continued on the narration of
Gen Santiago Alvarez encounter with Emilio
Aguinaldo and Raymundo Mata in Manila as
he accompanied them for their initiation into
the Katipunan secret society. He narrated the
arrival until the time they went to one of the
quarters of the caretaker of the central
telephone exchange on San Jacinto Street in
Binondo until the time they are escorted to go
to the Katipunans’ headquarters. He even
narrated that before they leave the quarter
HIST 1013- Readings in Philippine History
Module 2 | 4 his two companions were
blindfolded until they reached the house of
Andres Bonifacio, the Katipunan Supremo.
They were escorted in a room in which the
ritual will be executed. After the event he
narrated that he was asked by Emilio
Aguinaldo to accompany him to see Andres
Bonifacio again to learn more about the
Katipunan. He continued narrating that they
travelled to and from Manila aboard Spanish
vessels called “Ynchausti boats”. They bore
names like “Isabel”, “Dominga”, and others.
He described his encounter with Andres
Bonifacio together with her wife Gregoria de
Jesus. He said that they are welcomed
cordially with fraternal embraces, they happily
exchanged news and talked about the
progress of the Katipunan.
He also mentioned in his memoirs the day
Bonifacio went to Cavite to establish a council
of the Katipunan. The council was said to be
known as the Magdiwang. They selected
officers as well, while both councils approved
their respective regulation uniforms, with a
common set of rank insignias, very few were
able to comply because of unsettling events
coming one after the other. His narration
ended on Saturday September 28, 1896,
wherein Captain Apoy and General Vibora
prepared to go to the field to inspect the
fortifications to the west along the Cavite-
Batangas border, which were under the
command of Brig. Gen. Eleuterio Marasigan
and Col. Luciano San Miguel. But before the
two generals could leave, the commander of
the troops defending Dalahikan, Major Aklan,
came to the war ministry to report that they
had sighted the enemy fortifying the
narrowest neck of Dalahikan. The enemy
activity, which had started in the night,
included the massing of Spanish troops.
THE TABON CAVE
By Robert B. Fox
Who is Robert Bradford Fox?
He was an anthropologist and leading
historian on the prehispanic Philippines. Fox
actively served the National Museum of the
Philippines from 1948 to 1975. In the 1960s,
he led a six- year archaeological research
project in Palawan, focused mainly on the
caves and rockshelters of Lipuun Point in the
southern part of the island. Its most
outstanding site is the Tabon Cave complex,
the large main cave where the only
Pleistocene human fossils in the Philippines
were found.
The Tabon Cave
During the initial excavation of Tabon Cave,
June and July 1962, the scattered fossil
bones of at least three individuals were
excavated, including a large fragment of a
frontal bone with the brows and portions of
the nasal bone. These fossil bones were
recovered at the rear of the cave along the
left wall.
Unfortunately, the area in which the fossil
human bones were recovered had been
disturbed by Magapode birds.
It was not possible in 1962 to establish the
association of these bones with a specific
flake assemblage, although they were
provisionally related to either Flake
Assemblage II or III. Subsequent excavations
in the same area now strongly suggest that
the fossil human bones were associated with
Flake Assemblage III, for only the flakes of
this assemblage have been found to date to
this area of the cave, the available data would
suggest that Tabon Man may be dated from
22,000 to 24,000 years ago. But, only further
excavations in the cave and chemical
analysis of human and animal bones from
disturbed and undisturbed levels in the cave
will define the exact age of the human fossils.
The fossil bones are those of Homo sapiens.
These will form a separate study by a
specialist which will be included in the final
site report from Tabon Cave. It is important to
point out. However because of a recent
publication (Scott 1969), that a preliminary
study of the fossil bones of Tabon Man shows
that it is above average in skull dimensions
when compared to the modern Filipino. There
is no evidence that Tabon Man was "...
amass brainy individuals..." (Scott 1969, 36).
Moreover, Scott's study includes many
misstatements about the Tabon Caves.
Always the problem when writers work from
"conversation."
Homo sapiens is unquestionably of great
antiquity in Asia. The Niah skull is securely
dated to about 38,000 B.C., bring"...much the
earliest Homo sapiens (modern man) found
so Far East" [Harrison (1964) 179]. Tabon
man may be tentatively dated to about 22,000
to 24,000 years ago. The controversial keilor
cranium found near Melbourne, Australia is
claimed to date to about 16,000 B.C. [Shutler
(1865), 2; McCarthy 91961), 147].
The writer believes that the first major
movement of Homo sapiens into the
Philippines occurred with the exposure of the
Sunda shelf during the last glacial beginning,
according to various estimates, some 45,000
to 55,000 years ago, the land bridge of the
previous Riss Glacial, estimated as
terminating between 100,000 to 130,000
years ago, would appear to be too early for
any significant movements of modern man
into the islands at that time. Further
excavations in Tabon Cave and other areas
of Palawan during 1969-70, the receipt of
additional C-14 dates and more detailed
geochronological studies of the Quezon area
and the rest of Palawan will greatly help to
clarify the geologic events of the late
Pleistocene in Palawan and their relationship
to the upper Paleolithic cultures.
Pleistocene is the geological epoch that
lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years
ago, spanning the world's most recent period
of repeated glaciations.
Riss Glaciation: the second youngest
glaciation of the Pleistocene epoch in the
traditional, quadripartite glacial classification
of the Alps.
Carbon 14 dating: a way of determining the
age of certain archeological artifacts of a
biological origin up to about 50,000 years old.
It is used in dating things such as bone, cloth,
wood and plant fibers that were created in the
relatively recent past by human activities.
But certainly history has an unending
discovery of what might really happen in the
past or what might be the origin of the things
around us. Like the recorded earlier species
of the Homo sapiens which was the Homo
erectus who may have lived here in Cagayan
Valley as early as 400,000 BC together with
now extinct species like the pygmy elephant,
rhinoceros, giant turtle and crocodile. For
many years we believe to Homo erectus as
the oldest species of homos until Professor
Armand Mijares revealed the discovery on
what we call now the Homo luzonensis found
inside Callao Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan.
CALLAO MAN
By Armand Salvador B. Mijares
Who is Armand Salvador B. Mijares?
He is a University of the Philippines Associate
Professor Armand Salvador B. Mijares, who
led an international multidisciplinary team in
discovering the newest human species here
in Cagayan Valley. The project that led to the
discovery of Homo luzonensis was funded by
the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the Leakey
Foundation Research Grant, and the
University of the Philippines via the Enhanced
Creative Work and Research Grant in
cooperation with the National Museum of the
Philippines, the Cagayan Provincial
Government, and the Protected Area
Management Board – Peñablanca.
His group started excavating in the year 2003
but later stopped for they did not find
anything, for Southeast Asian archeologist
would only excavate cave sites up to two
meters. But later in the year 2004 when a
discovery in Indonesian island was found it
prompted Prof. Armand to dig deeper, luckily
little by little they are unveiling another
account of history from the fossils that they
have discovered.
This latest discovery uncovers another story
in our history. For as we connect one from the
other, we will be able to know what possibly is
the root of our ancestors.
THE PREHISPANIC SOURCE
MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF
THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY
By William Henry Scott
Who is William Henry Scott?
William Henry Scott was born July 10, 1921
died October 4, 1993. He was a historian of
the Gran Cordillera Central and Prehispanic
Philippines.
 He rejected the description of anthropologist
as applying to himself. During the time when
Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial law in
1972, Scott was arrested as a subversive and
placed in military detention. Scott was given
"a memorable and triumphant welcome back
in Sagada" following his acquittal. He
continued to be critical of the Marcos regime.
Scott's first well known academic work is The
Discovery of the Igorots.
Who is Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro’s
Maragtas?
Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro is the one who
wrote Maragtas, or History of Panay from the
first inhabitants and the Bornean immigrants
from which the Bisayans are descended to
the arrival of the Spaniards, was published by
Kadapig sang Banwa (Advocate of the Town)
at the El Tiempo Press, Iloilo, in 1901. It is
written in mixed Hiligaynon and Kin-iraya, the
author having been a native of the border
region between these two Visayan dialects. A
second edition was published by the
Makinaugalingon Press in 1929, and a third
edition in 1957 by Sol Gwekoh under a
copyright held by the author's son Juanito L.
Monteclaro, which differs from the original
only in certain orthographic reforms and a
more colloquial version of the title.
Pedro Monteclaro was born in Miag-ao, Iloilo,
on 15 October 1850, graduated from the
Seminario Colegio de Jaro in 1865, was twice
married, and had five children. He served as
Teniente Mayor in 1891, and Gobernadorcillo
in 1892-1894, and became a local hero
during the Revolution and the American
invasion both for his leadership and
diplomacy. He served as Liaison Officer
during the American occupation of the area,
and was the first President of Miag-ao (1901-
1903), during which period he began the
researches which resulted in his publication
of the Maragtas. He was also known as a
poet in both the vernacular and Spanish, and
a few of his Visayan songs have survived. He
died on 13 April 1909, and is memorialized in
the name of the local Philippine Constabulary
base, Camp Monteclaro, at whose gate his
statue stands.
THE MARAGATS
The word maragtas is used by the author as
the equivalent of the Spanish historia, and
glossed in the 1957 edition with Visayan
sayuron (account), though commentators
have regularly sought some Sanskrit origin for
the word. (Guillermo Santiago-Cuino, for
example, considered it a corruption of a
Sanskrit term meaning "great people" or
"great country.") Present-day speakers of
Visayan, however, know the word only as the
title of this book or of some prehispanic
manuscript believed to be its origin. It is in
consideration of this latter opinion that the
provenance and contents of the book must be
examined in detail.
Provenance: Consideration of the
provenance (place where something originally
came or began, or a record tracing the
ownership history that helps to confirm their
authenticity and value) of the Maragtas must
begin with the author's own statement as set
forth in his "Foreword to the Readers," which
is here quoted in full:
I wrote this Maragtas, a history of the first
inhabitants of the island of Panay, with great
reluctance for fear I might be considered too
presumptuous. I would therefore have
refrained from writing it but for my burning
desire to reveal to the public the many data
which I gathered from records about the first
inhabitants of the island of Panay, the arrival
of the Datus from Borneo, their possession
and settlement of our land, their spread to
different parts of the Island, and their customs
and habits until the Spaniards came and ruled
the Philippines.
In order that the readers of this Maragtas
should not accuse me of having merely
composed this book from imagination, I wish
to mention two manuscripts I found. One of
these was given to me by an 82-year old
man, who had been the first teacher of the
town and who said it had been given him by
his father who, in turn, got it from his father,
the old man's grandfather. The long years
through which the manuscript must have
passed wore out the paper so much that it
was almost impossible to handle. Worse yet,
it was only written in a black dye and
smeared with sap which had burned the
paper and made it almost useless. The other
manuscript I found in a bamboo tube where
my grandfather used to keep his old papers.
This manuscript, however, was hardly legible
at all, and was so brittle I could hardly handle
it without tearing it to pieces. Having located
one manuscript, I concluded there would
most likely be another copy somewhere, so I
decided to inquire of different old men and
women of the town. My search was not in
vain for I then came across the
aforementioned old man in the street, who
even gave me the manuscripts dealing with
what happened in the town of Miag-ao from
the time of its foundation. I copied these
records in a book on 12 June 1901, as a
memoir for the town of Miagao, but did not
publish them for the reasons stated. Besides,
I was waiting for someone better qualified to
write a history of the Island of Panay from the
time of its first inhabitants.
I should like my readers to know that my
purpose in writing this Maragtas is not to gain
honor for myself but to transmit to others what
I read in the records I collected.
The author therefore claims the Maragtas as
an original work based on various data that
he collected, which -considering its many
ethnographic, linguistic and historic details, its
many Spanish terms, and such modern
theories as a geological connection between
Palawan and Borneo, is exactly what it
sounds like.
The publisher's introduction is equally clear:
The following account of history called
Maragtas written by Mr. Pedro A. Monteclaro
deseribes the different ways of life of the first
inhabitants of Panay Island... and] is of great
importance as a collection of many different
passages which hereto fore have been
scattered. The dramatic description of the two
nearly illegible documents among these data
is intended, as the author explicitly states, to
show that the work is not sheer fiction: he
carefully records the exact date when he first
copied them down but neither states nor
implies that they are transcribed in the
present work; moreover, the contents of one
of them-"what happened in the town of Miag-
ao from the time of its foundation"- does not
directly concern the subject matter and is
relegated to the last page of the epilogue. n
the same epilogue, he emphasizes his having
consulted "all the old men of every town" by
giving his reason-"my documents did not give
me clear and complete data on the things of
the past."
Summary of the Maragtas
The Maragtas consists of a publisher's
introduction by Salvador Laguda, the author's
"Foreword to the Readers," six chapters and
an epilogue entitled, "Author's concluding
statements to his countrymen in the island of
Panay." Although the author of the Maragtas
did not provide any data or clues by which the
authenticity of this code could be established,
an interesting parallel appeared in Cuillermo
Santiago-Cuino s "El Codigo de Maragtas" in
the 20 February 1938 issue of FI Debate,
which professed to have been translated
direct from "ancient Filipino writing."
It was based on written and oral sources then
available, and contains three sorts of subject
matter folk customs still being practiced or
remembered by old folks, the description of
an idealized political confederation whose
existence there are reasonable grounds to
doubt and for which there is no evidence, and
a legend recorded in 1858 of a migration of
Bornean settlers, some of whom are still
remembered as folk heroes, pagan deities, or
progenitors of part of the present population
of Panay. There is no reason to doubt that
this legend preserves the memory of some
actual event itself or to decide which of its
details are historic facts and which are the
embellishments of generations of oral
transmission.
THE BOXER CODEX
The Boxer Codex, sometimes known as the
Manila Manuscript contains illustrations of
ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic
groups across Southeast Asia, East Asia, and
Micronesia at the time of their initial contact
with the Spaniards with additional Taoist
mythological deities and demons, and both
real and mythological birds and animals
copied from popular Chinese texts and books
in circulation at the time
The Boxer Codex depicts the Tagalogs,
Visayans, Zambals, Cagayanes or possibly
Ibanags, and Negritos of the Philippines in
vivid color. The technique of the paintings, as
does the use of Chinese paper, ink, and
paints, suggests that the unknown artist may
have been Chinese. It is believed that the
original owner of the manuscript was Luis
Pérez Dasmariñas, son of Governor General
Gómez Pérez.
Dasmariñas, who was killed in 1593 by
Sangleys or Chinese living in the Philippines.
Luis succeeded his father in office as
Governor-General of the Philippines. Since
Spanish colonial governors were required to
submit written reports on the territories they
governed, it is likely that the manuscript was
written under the orders of the governor.
THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE
WORLD
by Antonio Pigaffeta
Introduction
The Philippines had a long and arduous
history, which details can be seen in
numerous books by different authors. It is
important to note that some of these authors
were fated to witness a significant fragment of
history being made, thus tasked themselves
to immortalize such remarkable time for
posterity. Antonio Pigafetta, who had been
the chronicler of Ferdinand Magellan,
documented what transpired during the first
ever circumnavigation. His documentation is
deemed as a notable primary source as it
helped historians validate various historical
claims as facts. His own narration about
circumnavigation was one of the greatest
achievements in the history of navy
exploration and discovery. Apart from his
account on the circumnavigation, this Italian
seafarer and geographer described peoples,
countries, goods, and even the languages
spoken. He gave us an idea about pre-
colonial Philippines and narrated the first
mass, an event in Philippine history that had
stirred waves of constroversy and demanded
further scrutiny.
Who is Antonio Pigafetta?
A Venetian scholar and explorer, Pigafetta (c.
1491 – c. 1531) traveled with Portuguese
explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew
under the order of King Charles I of Spain on
their voyage around the world. He served as
Magellan’s assistant and kept an accurate
journal, which became the source of
information on Magellan’s voyage. He was
one of the 18 men who returned to Spain in
1522, out of the approximately 240 men who
set out three years earlier. Pigafetta’s voyage
completed the first circumnavigation of the
world. His journal, however, centers on the
events in the Mariana islands and the
Philippines.
Pigafetta was born into a wealthy Vicenza
family and studied navigation among other
things. He served on board the galleys of the
Knights of Rhodes, and accompanied the
papal nuncio, Monsignor Chieregati, to Spain.
Later, he joined the Portuguese captain
Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish crew on
their trip to the Maluku Islands. While in the
Philippines Magellan was killed, and Pigafetta
was injured. Nevertheless, he recovered and
was among only 18 of Magellan’s original
crew who, having completed the first
circumnavigation of the world, returned to
Spain onboard another vessel, the Victoria.
Pigafetta was one of the 18 men who
returned to Spain in 1522, out of the
approximately 240 who set out three years
earlier.
HISTORICAL CONTENT
(Table below shows the chronology of events
happened in Philippines when Magellan
arrived)
MARCHo
They came upon an island
17,
named Homonhon in Samar,
1521 where they rested for the day.
Since that this date is considered
to be the opening day of the
Philippines.
o Originally Magellan named
the newly discovered archipelago
in honor of St. Lazarus - San
Lazaro but later it was renamed.
In 1542 the island was decided to
name in honor of King Philip II.
And up to now, in all the maps of
the world they are marked as
Filipino.
o They saw 9 men in a boat
approaching them and these men
came from the island Zuluan.
These men were giving signs of
joy for Magellan's arrival.
MARCHo There was an exchange of
18, gifts between them. These
1521 people became very familiar and
friendly with native folks, and
explained many things to them in
their language, and told them the
names of some islands which
they saw with their eyes before
them.
o The above-mentioned
people, who had promised to
return, came about midday, with
two boats laden with the said fruit
cochi, sweet oranges, a vessel of
palm wine, and a cock..
MARCHo The seignior of the natives
22, was painted (tattooed) and had
1521 many accessories like rings and
bracelets. They call the natives
caphri, or heathen.
o The blood compact is
where the Rajah and Magellan
drank each other’s blood mixed
with the native wine, Atuba in
southern Leyte. They sealed an
implicit political pact between
Spain and the Philippines.
MARCHo Because of this alliance,
28, the Rajah allowed Magellan and
1521 his men to come ashore to
celebrate mass. Rajah Kolambu
was also invited to the mass
along with Rajah Siagu of
Butuan, his brother.
MARCHo It is the first Catholic mass
31, in the Philippines officiated by
1521 Father Pedro de Valderama in
APRIL o
the shore of a town named as
27,
Limasawa in the tip of Southern
1521
Leyte.
o Limasawa is known as the
birthplace of Roman Catholicism
in the Philippines. Conducted
near the shores of the island, the
Holy First Mass marked the birth
of Roman Catholicism in the
Philippines.
o Magellan instructed his
comrades to plant a large
wooden cross on the top of the
hill overlooking the sea.
APRIL o Ferdinand Magellan and
7, 1521 his fleet of ships under the flag of
Spain arrived in Cebu. Magellan
was welcomed by the native
chieftain of Cebu, Rajah
Humabon, Magellan sent an
ambassador and the interpreter
the the king Rajah Humabon said
that all ships were required to pay
tribute. But both parties not
agreed and then there was an
exchange of warnings between
the two parties.
APRIL o Magellan asked his Malay
8, 1521 slave Enrique to assure the
natives of Cebu that they came
as friends and were not enemies.
Rajah Humabon, Cebu chieftain,
welcomed them and soon a blood
compact ensued. Rajah
Humabon was baptised and was
named Don Carlo.
o Rajah Humabon swore to
help Magellan conquer his
enemies. Especially the growing
muslim community. Queen Juana
also converted to Christianity and
was handed a Wooden Child
Jesus sculpture
Ferdinand Magellan
arrived at the shores of Mactan
three hours before sunrise.
Magellan sent a message to the
natives saying that if they still
refused to recognize the Spanish
king and pay them tribute, they
would demonstrate how effective
their swords were at wounding
people. In reply, Lapu-Lapu’s
men told Magellan that although
the Spaniards had lances, they,
too, were armed with bamboo
and stakes hardened with fire.
The natives requested Magellan’s
party to wait until morning before
attacking so they could gather
more warriors, to which Magellan
obliged.
o When the sun rose,
Magellan, including his crew of
49 (11 remained on the ship)
witnessed how the natives were
highly organized at warfare. The
natives shot only at their legs, for
the latter were bare; and so many
were the spears and stones that
they hurled at us, that we could
offer no resistance.
o Native continued to retire
from the shore always fighting up
the knees in the water. One of
them wounded him on the left leg
with a large cutlass, which
resembles a scimitar, only being
larger. That caused the
Ferdinand Magellan to fall face
downward, when immediately
they rushed upon him with iron
and bamboo spears and with
their cutlasses, until they killed
him.
CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOG
by Juan de Plasencia, OSF
Introduction
This literary work reflects the customs of the
Tagalog before which provides us a
background of their lifestyle, beliefs, and
traditions during the early times. This
literature is important as it preserves the
customs and beliefs of the Filipinos that
reflect who we were and influence who we
are today. The text foregrounds two important
figures: the observer (de Plasencia) himself,
with his own background, subjectivities and
biases; and the observer’s subject
(Tagalogs), seen as the “Other". In colonial
situations, the relationship of these figures –
the colonizer and the colonized – flows in
both but unequal directions; the former being
dominant, while the latter is the inferior one.
Plasencia's Customs of the Tagalogs is very
essential and interesting until now. Like, who
wouldn't want to know about the customs of
the Tagalogs before?
Author’s Background
A Spanish priest of the Franciscan Order, he
spent most of his missionary life in the
Philippines, where he founded numerous
towns in Luzon and wrote several religious
and linguistic books.
Plasencia is reported to have arrived in the
Philippines in 1578 and joined forces with
another missionary, Fray Diego de Oropesa.
They both started preaching around Laguna
de Bay and Tayabas, Quezon where he
founded several towns. The following years,
they also put up a large number of towns in
the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal
including Caliraya, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Lilio
(Liliw), Pila, Santa Cruz, Lumban, Pangil,
Siniloan, Morong, Antipolo, Taytay, and
Meycauayan.
He wrote a number of books intended to
promote the understanding of both the
Spanish language among the natives, and the
local languages among the missionaries, to
facilitate the task of spreading Christianity.
Plasencia is believed to have authored the
first book printed in the Philippines, the
Doctrina Christiana, which was not only
printed in Spanish but also in Tagalog, in both
Latin script, and the commonly used
Baybayin script of the nativesof the time, and
it even had a version in Chinese.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE
DOCUIMENT
It was written on the year 1589 during the
Spanish Colonial Period. After receiving the
Lordship’s letter, Plasencia wished to reply
immediately; but he postponed his answer in
order that he might first thoroughly inform
himself in regard to People’s request, and to
avoid discussing the conflicting reports of the
Indians. Therefore, he collected Indians from
different districts – old men, and those of
most capacity; and from them he had
obtained the simple truth, after weeding out
much foolishness, in regard to their
government, administration of justice,
inheritance, slaves, and dowries.
HISTORICAL CONTENT
The work of Plasencia is considered by many
historians as an example of a friar account.
This kind of writing is one of the most
common contemporaneous accounts during
the early part of the Spanish period. The
original text of Plasencia’s Customs of the
Tagalogs is currently kept in Archivo General
de Indias in Seville, Spain. There is also a
duplicate copy of it in the Archivo Franciscano
Ibero-Oriental, in Madrid, Spain. The original
text of Plasencia’s Customs of the Tagalogs
is currently kept in Archivo General de Indias
in Seville, Spain. There is also a duplicate
copy of it in the Archivo Franciscano Ibero-
Oriental in Madrid, Spain. In the Philippines,
an English version of it appeared in volume
VII of the Blair and Robertson collections.
Another English translation of it was
published as part of the volume for the pre-
Hispanic Philippines of the Filipiniana Book
Guild series and what will be presented below
is from this version. There is several historical
information in the document of Plasencia:
Social System, Government, and Laws,
Inheritance, Property, Marriage and Customs,
Religious Beliefs and Practices, The Twelve
Disciples of Darkness, Superstitious Beliefs
and Burial.
SOCIAL SYSTEM
In the Social System, the social class of
Filipinos prior to Spanish colonization, the
Chieftain (Datu) is the highest, followed by
Nobles (Maharlika) and Commoners (Aliping
Namamahay), and the Slaves (Aliping
Saguiguilir) as the lowest in the hierarchy of
the society. Datu was the chief and captain of
wars who governed them and to whom they
obeyed and reverenced. Individuals who were
identified as Maharlika were the free-born
who do not pay any tax or tribute to the Datu.
Aliping Namamahay were the married, who
served their master and live in their own
houses and lords of their property and gold.
Aliping Namamahay served their master in
his house and on his cultivated lands, and
they may be sold.
GOVERNMENT AND LAWS
Barangay is a term pertaining to a unit of
government. It is a group of people consisting
of 30 to 40 families and is being ruled and
governed by a Datu. Datu's function includes
law implementation, ensuring peace and
order, and giving protection within his control
as well as settling individual disputes in the
court together with the council of leaders.
They had laws by which they condemned to
death a man of low birth who insulted the
daughter or wife of a chief; likewise witches,
and others of the same class. They
condemned no one to slavery unless he
merited the death penalty.
INHERITANCES
The succession of thrones played as part of
the inheritances of the Filipinos at that time.
The Datu transfers his position to his 1st son;
if the 1st son dies, the 2nd son succeeds their
father; in the absence of male heirs, it is the
eldest daughter that becomes the chieftain.
PROPERTY
The chief in some villages had also fisheries,
with established limits, and sections of the
rivers for markets. No one could fish without
paying unless he belonged to the chief's
barangay. The lands on the mountain ridges
are not divided but owned in common by the
barangay. The lands inhabited were divided
among the whole barangay. At the time of the
rice harvest, any individual or any particular
barangay, although he may have come from
some other village, if he commences clearing
any land may sow it.
MARRIAGE AND CUSTOMS
The first part of courtship was referred to as
Paninilbihan. If the man succeeded in the
courtship, he asked for the parents'
permission and had to satisfy several
conditions: give a dowry, pay the
panghihimuyat, pay the wet nurse bigay-suso,
pay the parents himaraw, or bribe for the
relatives called sambon. Marriage belonging
to different social class were not common
during those times. There are also various
instances of divorcement which grounds
include adultery, abandonment by the
husband, insanity, and cruelty. The cases of
divorce in relation to dowry depend on who
acted the divorce. If the wife initiated the
divorce before childbirth and has married
another, all her dowry and an equal additional
amount go to the husband. If the wife did not
marry after leaving the husband, the dowry
has to be returned to the husband. If the
husband left his wife, he lost only half of the
dowry and the rest is returned. If he
possessed children during the divorce, the
whole dowry and fine went to the children and
held by their grandparents or relatives.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
Filipinos had traditional beliefs even in the
precolonial period. They believe in the
immortality of soul and life after death. They
worship various Gods that are associated
with their environment. The existence of the
number of gods of whom they made offerings
are some of the following: Bathalang
Maycapal -Creator, Agni-Fire God, Idinayale-
God of agriculture, Lalahon-Goddess of
Harvest, Sidapa-God of Death, Siginarugan-
God of Hell, Balangaw-Rainbow God, Diyan
Masalanta-Goddess of Love, and
Mandarangan-War God. Their beliefs
included animals, sun, moon, and even rocks
along the seashores are adored. There was
no old tree to which they did not attribute
divine honors. Diseases were thought to be
caused by the temper of the environmental
spirits. The Anitos or Diwata are adored
private idols to whom permissions were
asked from them to go. They were believed to
have jurisdictions over mountains and open
country, sowed fields, and seas. By carving
on ivory or gold called licha or larawan, it is
being made to keep a memory of the dead.
THE TWELVE DISCIPLES OF DARKNESS
When Spanish friars arrived to evangelize the
Philippines, they spread propaganda about
indigenous beliefs as a strategy for converting
natives to Catholicism. Anything the friars
didn’t understand was deemed "unChristian"
and evil. They found no written records on the
native religion because everything was based
on oral tradition which was passed down
through generations.
1. CATOLONAN, commonly known all
over the Philippines, was either a man or a
woman. These priests were honorable one
among the natives and were held ordinarily
by people of rank, this rule being general
in all the islands.
2. MANGAGAUAY. These priests even
induced maladies by their charms, which in
proportion to the strength and efficacy of
the witchcraft, are capable of causing
death.
3. MANYISALAT. These priests had the
power of applying such remedies to lovers
that they would abandon and despise their
own wives, and in fact could prevent them
from having intercourse with the latter.
4. MANCOCOLAM, whose duty was to
emit fire from himself at night, once or
oftener each month. This wallows in ordure
and filth which falls random houses.
5. HOCLOBAN which originates in
Catanduanes is a powerful witch who
causes death, can heal as well, and can
destroy a home.
6. SILAGAN which originated in
Catanduanes eats a liver and causes
violence and death.
7. MAGTATANGAL is a creature whose
head separates and body walks with the
intention of showing himself to people.
8. OSUANG, which is equivalent to”
sorcerer” they say that they have seen him
fly and that he murdered men and ate their
flesh.
9. MANGAGAYOMA. They made charms
for lovers out of herbs, stones, and wood,
which would infuse the heart with love.
10. SONAT, which is equivalent to”
preacher” It was his office to help one to
die, at which time he predicted the
salvation or condemnation of the soul.
11. PANGATAHOJAN, was a soothsayer
and predicted the future. This office was
general in all the islands.
12. BAYOGUIN, signified a” cotquean,” a
man whose nature inclined toward that of a
woman or termed as homosexual.
SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS
The Filipinos’ superstitious beliefs were
evidenced by their idea of creatures such as
Tiyanak, Kapre, Tikbalang, Dwende, Aswang.
It is also referred to as the beliefs in the
magical power of amulet and charms such as
gayuma or love potion, anting-anting and
kulam. Most of them thought that the spirit of
the dead can incarnate itself in animals. The
Pre-Spanish Filipinos said that those who are
stabbed to death, eaten by crocodiles, or
killed by arrows climb on a rainbow to heaven
and evolve into gods
BURIALS
 This burial ceremony included burying their
dead in certain wooden coffins, in their own
houses. They bury with the dead, gold, cloth,
and other valuable objects - saying that if they
depart rich they will be well received in the
other world, but coldly if they go poor.
THE KARTILLA OF KATIPUNAN
Jim Richardson
Background of the Author
Emilio Jacinto was born in 1875 on the 15th
of December. He was the only son of a man
named Mariano Jacinto and a woman named
Josefa Dizon. Shortly after he was born, his
father passed away. This untimely death
forced his mother to send Emilio to live with
his uncle, Don Jose' Dizon. His mother
believed that his uncle could care for the
young Emilio better then she could after the
death of Mariano.
Emilio attended the San Juan de Letran
College when he first embarked on his
college career. However, he later attended
the University of San Tomas in order to study
law. Emilio left college before completing his
law degree.
THE KARTILLA
Taught in schools and universities, the Kartilla
is the best-known of all Katipunan texts.
Making manifest the KKK’s principles and
teachings, it was printed as a small pamphlet
for new members. It is the only document of
any length set in print by the Katipunan prior
to August 1986 that is known to be still extant.
The earliest reference to the Kartilla yet found
is in the minutes of a Supreme Assembly
meeting held in December 1895. Whether it is
the KKK branches or the individual recruits
who are to be the charged this amount is not
clear, and nor is it known whether the title
phrase ------ “To those who want to join this
Katipunan”- Truly means recruits, or in
practice should be taken to mean, “To those
who have joined this Katipunan”.
Authorship of the Kartilla has always been
credited to Emilio Jacinto, and there is little
doubt this attribution is sound: it dates back to
the Sensacional memoria of Isabelo delos
Reyes, whose sources included several
senior of KKK veterans, and it has never
been challenged. Bonifacio, the story goes,
had originally intended that his “Decalogue”
should be printed and handed to new recruits,
but then read Jacinto’s Kartilla and decided it
was superior. The two texts, though, are not
comparable. Bonifacio seeks only to
enumerate the duties of Katipunan members,
Jacinto couches his primer, four times as
long, rather as a statement of aspirations and
ethical values. Bonifacio lists ten obligations;
Jacinto presents twelve “guiding principles”
and fourteen “teachings”.
Mga Aral ng Katipunan ng mga Anak ng
Bayan
(Teachings of the Katipunan of the Sons of
the People)
1.The life that is not consecrated to a lofty
and reasonable purpose is a tree without a
shade, if not a poisonous weed.
2. To do good for personal gain and not for its
own sake is not virtue.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. The honorable man prefers honor to
personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor.
6. To the honorable man, his word is sacred.
7. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be
recovered but not time lost.
8. Defend the oppressed and fight the
oppressor before the law or in the field.
9. The prudent man is sparing in words and
faithful in keeping secrets.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.)
14. When these rules of conduct shall be
known to all, the longed-for sun of Liberty
shall rise brilliant over this unhappiest 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 (the Katipunan) 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.
MGA GUNITA NG HIMAGSIKAN
By Emilio Aguinaldo
Introduction
The Philippines was a colony of Spain for 333
years. Needless to say, our culture bears a
hispanic heritage. One of the greatest
legacies of the colonization is the country’s
Christianization which still prevails until today.
Our customs and traditions mirrror the
teachings of Christianity that had been
imposed on our forefathers.
Despite of the strong Spanish influences,
some Filipinos aimed for independence.
People clamored for liberty and freedom from
oppressions. Jose P. Rizal, in his two novels,
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
illustrated myriads of abuses perpetrated
against the Indios (as the Filipinos were
called), many of which triggered various
revolts from different parts of the archipelago.
The publication of the said novels stirred
national consciousness that consequently
inspired the establishment of the KKK. The
KKK as mentioned in previous modules was a
secret organization formed by Andres
Bonifacio. It gained popularity among people
who had enough of the croocked colonial
system, the stark economic and political
inequalities, the mayhem, the slavery and
other types of atrocities. The goal was to
attain freedom and create an independent
government that will serve the interests of the
Filipino people. This fervor was enough for
them to take up arms against Spain even if it
had cost them their lives. The revolution was
arduous and bloody, and it tested the faith
and loyalty of some Filipinos. Despite of its
flaws, we can all agree that it inspired such
remarkable valor among priviledged and
commoners alike. Together, they fought with
this resounding battlecry, ‘’Mabuhay ang
Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Inang Bayan!’’
Don Emilio Aguinaldo, in his writing, “Mga
Gunita ng Himagsikan” narrated what
happened during the revolution, how our
forefathers endured the battle in the name of
freedom. Read and internalize his narration
below.
Paglalarawan sa may akda
Sino si Emilio Aguinaldo?
Si Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo Y Famy ay
ipinanganak noong ika-22 ng Marso 1869 sa
Cavite el Viejo, o mas kilala ngayon bilang
Kawit. Siya ay ang pangpito sa walong anak
nina Carlos Jamir Aguinaldo at Trinidad
Famy- Aguinaldo. Ang pamilyang Aguinaldo
ay kilala dahil ang kanyang amang si Carlos
Aguinaldo ay ang itinalagang gobernadorcillo.
Hindi nakapagtapos ang Heneral sa Colegio
de San Juan de Letran dahil sa cholera
outbreak noong 1882.
Sa kabilang banda, siya ay naging Cabeza de
Barangay ng Binakayan noong siya’y 17
taong gulang pa lamang. Noong 1895, ang
Batas Maura na kumikilala sa mga
pamahalaang lokal ay ipinisatupad. Sa
gulang na 25, si Emilio ang naging kauna-
unahang gobernadorcillo ng Cavite el Viejo.
Siya ay sumali sa Katipunan sa ilalim ng
Magdalo at nahalal bilang president ng
Pamahalaang Panghihimagsik sa Bario
Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon noong
ika-22 ng Marso 1897.
Itinatag niya ang kalayaan ng bansa noong
ika-12 ng Hunyo 1898 sa balkonahe ng
kanyang bahay sa Kawit.
Siya ang kauna-unahang presidente ng
Pilipinas at itinatag ang Malolos Republic.
Siya ang pinakabata at pinakamatandang
namatay na president sa gulang na 94 anyos
dahil sa Coronary Thrombosis noong ika-6 ng
February 1964.
Inilathala ni Heneral Aguinaldo ang unang
libro ng kanyang “Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan”
noong 1923-1946. Ayon sa isinulat na libro ng
heneral, ang kanyang mga gunita ay batay sa
talaarawan na kanyang itinago at mga
dokumento.
Pagsusuri ng Konteksto
Dumanas ang ibang Pilipino nang matinding
pagmamaltrato ng mga Kastila sa loob ng
madaming taon. Naitatag ang Katipunan
upang tugunan ang hirap na dinadanas ng
mga Pilipino. Nagkaroon ng dalwang pangkat
sa lalawigan ng Cavite. Ito ang Magdiwang at
Magdalo. Pinamunuaan ni Mariano Alvarez
ang Magdiwang at Baldomero Aguinaldo
naman ang Magdalo. Hindi nagkaunawaan
ang dalawang pangkat na ito. Nais ng
Magdalo na palitan ang Katipunan bilang
isang rebolusyonaryo habang Magdiwang
naman ay gusting panatilihin ang umiirial na
pamamahala.
Ayon sa paglalahad ni Heneral Artemio
Ricarte, nanguna sa paglaban sa hukbo ng
Kastila sa San Francisco de Malabon,
bagamat taliwas ang Sangguniang Magdalo
sa paghihimagsik, sila ay nahikayat at napilit
na sumali sa labanan matapos makamit ang
tagumpay sa pakikidigma. Dahil dito,
nagkaroon ng madugo at masalimuot na
labanan sa pagitan ng mga Pilipino at
Espanyol.
Ang gunita ni Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo
patungkol sa himagsikan ay ang paglalahad
ng mga salaysay at alaala sa mga taong
lumahok sa labanan. Sinambit dito ang
kanilang karanasan sa pagtatanggol,
pagtataguyod, at sakripisyo upang mabawi ng
mga naghihimagsik ang kanilang teritoryo at
upang kamtan ang inaasam na kalayaan para
sa bayan.
Pagsusuri ng Nilalaman
Naganap ang nabigong paglusob sa Imus
noong ika-31 ng Agosto, 1896, ayon kay
Heneral Aguinaldo. Pagsapit ng gabi ay
dumating ang pangkat ng pangulo ng
Sangguniang Madalo na si Baldomero
Aguinaldo upang sumaklolo at hinarap ang
Kalaban sa naturang luga.
Sa kabilang dako, dinala naman ni Emilio
Aguinaldo ang hukbo ng Cavite el Viejo sa
Binakayan upang dito nila lulusubin ang
Infanteria Marina dahil sa kanilang palagay
na kung sila ay lulusob sa kuta ng kalaban na
matatagpuan sa puntod ng kulanta, sa
Polvorin, hindi nila ito matatalo dahil ito ay
malapit sa kutang Artelleria ng Arsenal ng
Cavite. Kung kaya’t hihintayin nilang dumaan
ang mga ito sa Bakayan. Ngunit sila ay
nabigo dahil bago sila makapasok sa
kabayanan ay nakasagupa na nila ang mga
Guardia Civil, at nagana pang sagupaan sa
plasa ng munisipyo at simbahan ng Imus.
Napatay nila ang dalawang kasapi ng
kalaban at nakamkam nila ang dalawang baril
ngunit naiwan nila si Teniente Marcelino
Cajulis na sugatan sa munisipyo.
Batay sa paglalahad ni Heneral Aguinaldo,
nagtungo sa kumbento ng Cavite el Viejo,
ang kuwartel ng Heneral, si Jose Tagle noong
ika-1 ng Setyembre, 1896, upang humingi ng
abuloy bilang paghahanda sa kauna-unahang
pagsalakay sa mga kalaban sa Imus, Cavite.
Ito ay agad niyang sinang-ayunan. Ngunit,
nabigo sila at nagapi dahil ito ang kauna-
unahang beses na gumawa ng taktikang
pagsulob si Aguinaldo.
Ayon pa rin sa Heneral noong ika-2 ng
Setyembre, 1896, “ang pangkat na
pinanguluhan ni Heneral Baldomero
Aguinaldo, ay siya kong inatasang lilibawa sa
dakong hilaga o norte, sa kanyang
pagsalakay. Sa dakong timog ó sur, ay ang
kawal naman ng Capitan Municipal sa Imus,
si G. José Tagle, at sa pangharapan o
liwasan ng kumbento at simbahan, ay ang
aking pangkat, at ako pa rin ang nangunguna
sa pagharap sa mga kalaban.”
Sa pagtutuloy, giniba nila ang pinto ng
simbahan gamit ang palakol at maso at
nagawa nilang pumasok. Ngunit ang inabutan
lamang ay si Padre Buenaventura. Ayon sa
pagsasalaysay ni Emilio, “Ito’y
kapagkarakang humarap sa akin nang
paluhod at humingi ng tawad. Kanyang
ipinagtapat sa akin pagkatapos na kaaalis pa
raw lamang ng mga Frayle at Guardia Civil na
nagpanakbuhan sa takot, ng kanilang marinig
ang tugtog ng banda ng musika at nang
matanawan nila sa torre ang makapal na
kawal naming dumarating. Dahil dito, muling
nagtipon ang kanilang mga kawal. Hinati na
naming muli ang grupo sa tatlong pangkat.
Isinagawa ang pagkubkob ng timog at
kanluran na nababakuran ng matibay na
hacienda.”
“At palibhasa’y sa katibayan ng asyenda na
tila sinadya iyon, at sa karamihan ng kaharap
nilang mga guwardiya sibil, pare at legong
prayle at taongbayan pang basal ang ugali na
pumanig doon, ay hindi ito nakuhang wasakin
karaka kaya nga’t lumawig ang labanan
hanggang sa umaga na kinabukasan. Siyang
pagkatalo sa nasa asyenda na
nangakukulong sila at lalang ng madlang
paraan. Tinibag namin ang mga pader,
sinunog ang kamalig ng palay, hanggang
akalaing idamay ang Bahay-uldóg sa
kinaroroonan ng kinakaaway,” dagdag pa ng
heneral.
Isinaad din ni Aguinaldo ang naging resulta
ng pagsalakay. Aniya, sa kadahilanang
mayroong taglay at maangkop na armas ang
kanilang kalban, maraming nalagas sa
mapaghmagsik na grupo kaya napahinto ang
kanilang pagsulong. Tanging ang kanyang
Sarhento Cuadrillero na si Guillermo Samoy
lamang ang nakasunod sa kanya sa may
pinto ng hacienda at habang pinapalakol at
binabareta nila ito, lalong lumalakas nag
pamumutok ng kalaban sa pangunguna ni
Fray Eduarte.
Ipinagdiwang sa Imus ang pagkamatay ng
ilan sa mga kalaban tulad nina Tinyente
Enrique Chacon, Juan Perez na isang kabo,
Isabelo del Rosario, kasalukuyang
kasalukuyang juez de paz (justice of the
peace) noon o kilala bilang asong ganid ng
prayel, dalawang pari na (isa rito ay si Padre
Jose Maria Learte na kura ng Imus),
dalawang uldog at isang kabong guwardiya
sibil na pawing kastila. Sa kabilang dako
naman, ang pagkaurong sa Bakood (Bacoor)
na ikinasawi ng dalawang kawal at ni
Victorino Sambile na isang bihag. Ito ay ayon
naman sa paglalahad ni Carlos V. Ronquillo.
Agarang ibinatid ni Kornel Tagle ang
tagumpay na nakamit nil laban sa kaaway
kay Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo na kung saan
ay nakalikom sila ng 30 baril na Remington,
dalawang ripleng Winchester, isang kanyon
de montaña, at mahigit libong bala.
Tinugunan naman si ng Heneral, “Naniniwala
ako na sa pakikihamok nating ito sa kaharian
ng Espanya, upang makalagot sila sa
kaalipinan, ay nasa piling natin ang Diyos na
lalong makapangyarihan sa lahat. Alam ng
Maykapal na iisa lamang ang ating layon, dili
iba’t ang mahango sa dustang kalagayan ang
ating Inang bayan.”
Mawawari sa mga winika ni Heneral
Aguinaldo ang lakas ng pananalig ng mga
mapaghimagsik na Pilipino sa Poong
Maykapal na kung saan Siya ay itinuturing
nilang kakampi. Ayon pa sakanya, isang
malaking tagumpay ang mapalayas ang mga
prayle at guardia civil na kumukuta roon at
tuluyang makubkob ang hacienda. Nagging
mahalaga rin ang pagtulong ng mga baying
nasa ilalim ng Sangguniang Magdalo gaya ng
Cavite el Viejo sa pagtatanggol ng Imus.
Sa pagpapatuloy ng labanan, dumating ang
tropa nina Togores at Garcia. Nagkaroon ng
engkwentro sa pagitan ng Kolumnang
Togores-Garcia at pulutong nina Aguinaldo.
Naparuong nila ang hukbo ng Heneral
sapagkat tumulong din sa labanan ang hukbo
ni Aguirre. Ayon kay Ronquillo, ipinadala ni
Gobernador Heneral Blanco si Aguirre upang
pamunuan ang hukbo at upang makubkob
muli ang Imus sa pamamagitan ng dalawang
piyesa ng canon Plasencia sa tulong ng
napakaraming sundalo.
Ayon sa isinalaysay ni Heneral Aguinaldo,
ang naganap na labanan noong ika-2 ng
Setyembre 1896 ang kauna-unahan niyang
pagkabigo sa hukbo ng mga Espanyol.
Dumating naman si Gil Ignacio, ang pangulo
ng balangay “Gargano” ng katipunan, sa
Kwartel ni Emilio Aguinaldo upang humingi ng
tulong sapagkat ang Pulang Lupa
(Parañaque) ay napupuno ng Infanteria,
Caballeria, at Artilleria.
Nagtungo ang pangkat ni Heneral Aguinaldo
sa Imus noong ika-3 ng Setyembre 1896.
Pinutol nila ang tulay ng Isabel II sa tabi ng
hacienda ng Imus na siya naming ikinagulat
at ikinagulo ng mga espanyol. Dahil dito,
halos buong hapong nagkaroon ng walang
humpay na putukan sa pagitan ng
magkaibilang pangkat.
Nag-iwan ng halos dalawang karitong
bangkay nang matapos ang labanan.
Nakamkam ng mga naghihimagsik ang 70 na
Remington at sableng naiwan ni Heneral
Aguirre. Nagpasyiya ang Sangguniang
Bayang Magdalo na ilipat ang pamahalaang
Panghihimahagsik sa bahay hacienda ng
Imus at naghirang ng panibagong mga
pinuno:
Pangulo: G. Baldomero Aguinaldo
Secretario de Guera: G. Candido Triá Tirona
Secretario de Hacienda: G. Cayetano
Topacio
Secretariode Fomento: G. Glicerio Topacio
Secretario de Agricultura: G. Felix Cuenco
Secretario de Justicia: G. Sixto Espinosa
Teniente General en Jefe Abanderado: G.
Emilio Aguinaldo
 
Ayon pa kay Aguinaldo, “Ang panibagong
pamahalaan ay nagpasinaya agad sa
pagkakatatag ng maestranza ó gawaran ng
sandata at iba pa, sa kapakanan ng
himagsikan sa isang kamalig ng hacienda.
Pinatayuan ko ito ng mga aparatus ng
ginagamit sa pagrerecarga ng mga kartuchos
ng baryo para sa sariling gamit at pagbubuo
ng baril na nasisira sa pangangasiwa ni
Coronel Eduardo Legaspi alias Dodong. Dito
rin ipinapagawa ang mga kanyong tubong
bakal ng mga kaldera, na nililikawan at
binabalutan muna ng kawad bago lalapatan
pa ng magkabiyak na kahoy molave ó gijo,
tuloy bubukluran ng sunud-sunod na
plantsuelang bakal. Ang mga kanyong tanso
ay dito rin ginagawa at binubuo, pati ang mga
kampana ng simbahan na binabasag bago
tutunawin at bago ihuhulog sa buuan para
maging kanyon. Ito’y sa pamamatnugot ni
Heneral Ignacio Pawa, isang Tsino.” (Mga
Gunita ng Himagsikan , p.132)
Ang bagong pinaglipatan ay pinamalagian
hanggang noong kalahatian ng Marso 1987
matapos kunin ng mga Espanyol at siya
naming ikinamatay ng kapatid ni Heneral
Aguinaldo na si Tenyente Heneral G. Crispulo
Aguinaldo.
Buhat ng mahigit 40,000 Infanteryiang
Espanyol, napagpasiyahan ng bagong
Gobernador Heneral na si Camilo Garcia de
Polavieja na lusubin ang Cavite na itinakda
noong ika-15 ng Pebrero 1897 sa
pangunguna ni Heneral Lachambre.
Nagpulong ang Sangguniang Bayang
Magdalo at Sangguniang Bayang Magdiwang
na lumalayong magsanib at magkaroon ng
iisang pamahalaan at tumugon sa planong
isinagawa ng mga Espanyol subalit hindi ito
napagtibay. Dahil sa kaganapang ito,
nakapagsambit ng mabigat na salita si
Heneral Artemio Ricarte. Aniya, ang
kakulangan ng isa ay pinupunan ng isa, ang
isa ay sinasaklolohan ng isa, at ang dalawa
ay magkasangga sa anumang sitwasyon
ngunit sa huli, ang dalawa ay nagwalang
bahala sa kapahamakang inaabot ng isa
hanggang sila’y nagtatanimang unti-unti,
lumala hanggang sa muntik na ipagbaka ng
mga magkababayan din. (p. 18, “Himagsikan
nang manga Pilipino Laban sa Kastila.)
Pasikat pa lang ang araw noong ika-16 ng
Pebrero 1897 noong magsimula ang
kagimbal-gimbal na putok ng kanyon at baril
sa mga tanggulan sa pagitan ng Las Piñas at
Bakood (Bacoor), Silang, at Santa Rosa
(Laguna de Bay). Sina Koronel Pio del Pilar,
Mariano Noriel, at Agapito Bonson ang
namahala sa mga tanod na naghihimagsik sa
Bacoor kasama ang kawal ng Imus sa
pamumuno ni Komandante Lucas Camerino
at mga kawal galing sa Noveleta
(Magdiwang) na sina San Gabriel at Montalan
kasama si G. Andres Bonifacio.
Iginiit ni Ricarte na noong Pebrero 16 ay
halos hindi na maaninag ang tanawin na
nilukuban ng putukan at panganganyon sa
pagitan ng Bacoor at Imus, gayon din sa
Silang at Santa Rosa sa Laguna. Bagamat
napakalawak na ng pinsala, maraming beses
pa rin nagtangka ang mga Kastila na
salakayin ang mga naghihimagsik ngunit
hindi sila nagtatagumpay. Ipinagtanggol ng
mga naghihimagsik ang garrison sa Bacoor
sa pangunguna nina Koronel Pio del Pilar,
Mariano Noriel at Agapito Bonson. Tumugon
rin ang tropa sa Noveleta sa pamumuno ng
mga kapitang sina Gabriel at Montalan,
kasama ang hukbo sa Imus sa ilalim ni Mayor
Lucas Camerino, at Brigadyer-Heneral Lucino
at si Andres Bonifacio. Sa halos araw-gabing
labanan, nanatili ang mga naghihimagsik sa
mga tanggulan hanggang noong ika-26 ng
Marso 1897. Ngunit sila ay lumikas din dahil
nakamit ng Espanyol ang Imus noong ika-25
ng Marso.
Sa patuloy na paglalahad ng Heneral, umalis
ang mga Kastila sa Imus noong mga huling
araw ng Marso taong 1897. Sila ay dumaan
sa lumang sakahan sa timog ng kabayanan
ng Cavite el Viejo. Pumasok sila sa lupang
sakop ng San Francisco de Malabon
hanggang sa Bakaw ng naturang bayan.
Nakuha nila ang Noveleta matapos umurong
sina Aguinaldo ngunit hindi nila nakamkam
ang tanggulang kinukutaan ng mga
naghihimagsik. Bagamat sila ay umurong,
para na rin silang nagwagi dahil sa mga
iniwang labi ng mga kastila.
Sa panahong iyon, ayon sa pagsasalaysay ni
Emilio Aguinaldo, dinadaing niya ang
karamdaman dala ng malaria kung kaya’t
inatasan niya sina Heneral Baldomero
Aguinaldo, Heneral Pantaleon Garcia at iba
pa na sila na ang bahalang magtanggol sa
kabayanan ng Imus.
Inilarawan din ng Heneral ang kanyang
karanasan. “Sadyang ipinag-adya ako ng
Maykapal gayon din ang ating Inang Bayan.
Ang totoo, ako’y di halos makatakbo sa pag-
urong na ito sapagka’t nanghihina na ako,
bakit ako’y inaapoy ng lagnat kaya
nagpagapang-gapang lamang ako sa
bambang (kanal) ng patubig sa kabukiran at
sa ibaba ng tulay ng kung tawagin ay “Kay
Julian.” Patang-pata ako noon pagka’t
nagkataon noon na ang dati kong
karamdamang “Malaria” ay muli na namang
sumumpong sa akin.”
Sa pagsasalaysay ni Heneral Ricarte, nakuha
rin ng mga naghihimagsik ang mga kwartel
ng mga Guardia Sibil sa Noveleta, San
Francisco de Malabon, Quintana, Naik,
Pulangi, Magallanes, Alfonso, Silang,
Paliparan ng Dasmariñas, at Imus. Nagamit
nila ang mga armas na nalikom at ang
amunisyon, kabilang din ang mga
kinukumpuni gaya ng mga lantaka na gawa
sa bakal at ang mga kanyong inihagis sa
pundisyon sa Imus, na siyang pinangunahan
ni Heneral Jose Ignacio Paua, isang
Kristyanong Tsino na taga-Maynila na
naninirahan sa San Francisco de Malabon.
Sinaad din ni Heneral Ricarte na noong ika-4
ng hapon, habang lumilikas ang mga
Espanyol, nakaenkwentro nila ang pangkat ni
Bonifacio at ng Magdiwang. Ngunit nanatili
ang pwersa ng Espanyol sa malayong lugar
ng Bacao dahil nabigo sina Bonifacio na
itulak sila sa Imus.
Naging himpilan naman ng Kapulungan ng
mga Naghihimagsik ang Imus noong Hunyo
1897 at muling mabawi ang Imus noong ika-
28 ng Marso taong 1898.
Ang alaala ng mapait na pangyayari sa
kamay ng mananakop ay nananatili at
nagpapasiklab ng poot sa mga naninirahan
sa mga lugar na pinangyarihan ng putukan,
labanan, at patayan. Sa nangyaring labanan
sa pagitan ng mga Kastila at ng mga
Naghihimagsik, kahit ordinaryo o relihisyong
tao tulad ng paring Recoleto na si Padre Jose
Maria Liarte, na tinadtad ang katawan, at ng
iba pag resedenteng Espanyol na pinana at
pinagtataga hanggang mawalan na ng buhay.