Republic of the Philippines

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

Tanza Campus
 235-7997

www.cvsu.edu.ph
GNED 04 : MGA BABASAHIN HINGGIL SA KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS

THE CONTROVERSY : CHANGE OF THE COUNTRY’S INDEPENDENCE DAY

Bacoor City, Cavite

Prepared by : Giane Mikas F. Anastacio.

Instructor : Mr. Leo G. Mojica.

JANUARY 2022
 I. Brief History of Bacoor City

In "Relaciones de las Yslas Filipinas", records of history composed by Miguel Lopez De Legaspi, it
was referenced by Miguel De Loarca, an encomendero, that the barrios of Cavite were named while their
vessel ships left on the seaside towns. These towns are Vacol (presently known as Bacoor), Minakaya
(presently called Binakayan) and Maragondon, generally close to Manila Bay.

The name Bacood (got from the Tagalog word bakod, which means fence) is reminiscent of its job
as a suburb of Parañaque (referred to before as Palanyag) comprising the limit between the mother town
of Cavite del Viejo (presently known as Kawit) and Silang. In early occasions during the Spanish system,
Bacood was thickly covered with bamboo forests running from Zapote to sitio Talaba. The expression
"Bakood" additionally alludes to the individuals who resided in the spot who were called such by the early
Tagalog pioneers. As per "Historia, Geografica, Geologica y Estadistica de Filipinas" (por D. Agustin de la
Cavada, Mendez de Vega, Tesoro de Hacienda, Cesanti). Bacoor was established in 1671 with a populace
of 10,165. Movement from Palanyag (Parañaque) to Bacoor began in 1669, the period wherein illustrado
families like the Cuenca, Bauan, Farolan, Pagtakhan, De Ocampo, Gregorio and Guevarra set up residency
in Bacoor.

Bacooreños in the sixteenth century lived in the waterfront regions as well as in lands gave to
farming. The names of earliest towns, indeed, showed individuals were engaged with agrarian
undertakings like : Zapote (chico), Sineguelasan (plum natural product), Alima (arimas), Daangbukid (way),
Banalo (tree), Mabolo (kamagong tree), Ligas (tree), Pinyahan (pineapple estate), and Molino (dam or
water repository).

In the sixteenth century, Bacoor is a normal town with an area minister and a Governor under the
bishopric of Imus. Bacoor is found along Manila Bay with an exceptionally reviving cool climate coming
from neighboring Bacoor Bay. Around 2,068 houses made of tiles and wood existed with a parochial
house, a preliminary court, and an elementary school.

Huge commitments of Bacoor to Philippine autonomy was the Battle of Zapote Bridge in February
15, 1897 that saw the boldness and courage of General Edilberto Evangelista "the Engineer of the
Revolution" and "Saint of Zapote Bridge" and stirred patriotism among Filipinos. On July 4, 1898, Bacoor
turned into the principle central command and capital of the Revolutionary government. The home of
Juan Cuenca and Candida Chaves in Digman was the First Malacañang of the Republic of the Philippines.

II. Proclamation: Philippine Independence – The Truth About Aug. 1, 1898 Bacoor Assembly (A
Historiographical Inquiry)

A book, entitled “Proclamation: Philippine Independence – The Truth About Aug. 1, 1898 Bacoor Assembly
(A Historiographical Inquiry)” was sent off Wednesday at the Plaza de Mariano Gomez. The starting
supposedly offers explored information and investigation of a significant yet unnoticed piece of the
country’s Proclamation of Independence which occurred around the Bacoor.
The book sending off is one of the features of a 3-section program, which incorporates the revealing of
the chronicled occasion’s marker at Plaza de Mariano Gomez and the debut appearing of the narrative
film “Agosto Uno, Kasaysayang Nakalimutan” to recognize the 120th year of the Bacoor Assembly.

The book containing 250 pages book from one cover to another, a result of an extended period of
examination and long stretches of composing, is given free by the regional government.

III. CONTROVERSIAL MATTER : “Proclamation of independence” apart from what is annually

celebrated in Kawit on June 12

The regional legislature of Bacoor, drove by Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla appointed Philippine Historical
Association (PHA) President Dr. Emmanuel F. Calairo to analyze, research and gather in book structure the
defining moments in Bacoor history, the ‘Bacoor Assembly’ included as a feature of the city’s program to
feature the job it played in forming public history. The book’s highlight is the Bacoor Assembly on Aug. 1,
1898 which accumulated near 200 “Presidente Mayor” or the current nearby CEOs or city hall leaders
from various territories of the Philippines in this old Cavite town then where they made their vow of office
and sanctioned the report on the Declaration of Philippine Independence.

This ‘Aug 1 Act of Independence,’ created by Apolinario Mabini, was quickly disseminated to different
nations and a similar record was confirmed at the Malolos Congress, “which was convincingly settled by
Calairo in the book,” some portion of the impressions shared by Bacoor Historical Society President Dr.
Jose Andres L. Diaz.

Jose Napoleon L. Cuenca, current top of Bacoor’s Tourism Cluster and an extraordinary grandson of the
first proprietors of “Bahay na Tisa” or Aguinaldo’s “Malacañang” around then, has encouraged perusers
to comprehend the words “affirmation, declaration, endorsement and proclamation” for a superior
enthusiasm for the message transferred in this significant distribution. Cuenca added that this book will
step up questions and inquiries of what genuinely unfolded then during the oppressive years, the
progressive government, until the foundation of the primary republic in Asia.

Albeit the (1898) Bacoor Assembly, the occasion as a general rule, is presently perceived as a component
of the (Philippine) Independence trail: from Alapan in Imus on May 28, to the assertion of the country’s
freedom at Kawit town on June 12, the Bacoor Assembly on Aug 1 and the Malolos Congress on Sept 29,
which generally occurred in 1898, the book looks to campaign the country’s chiefs to likewise perceive
this ‘Bacoor’ announcement.

Mercado recognized that featuring the Aug 1 occasion might become disputable matter, since it
guarantees a “declaration of autonomy” aside based on what is every year celebrated in Kawit on June
12. “In any case, the city’s responsibility towards understanding the genuine occurring in Bacoor and its
constituents is our need to show to our kin that sometime in the distant past, Bacoor rose up to be the
focal point of the progressive battle in Philippine history,” Mercado focused.

What’s more inquired as to whether the book will lead towards an appeal to Congress to change the
country’s decree of freedom, Calairo’s recommendation is to peruse, or read the book to discover.
Congressperson Aquilino Pimentel III was the honorable visitor and speaker during Wednesday’s occasion
with previous Prime Minister and President of Cavite Historical Society Cesar E. A. Virata and National
Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chair Dr. Rene R. Escalante, with commonplace and
neighborhood authorities, including the area’s different chronicled gatherings and backers.

IV. THE CHANGE OF THE COUNTRY’S INDEPENDENCE DAY : Bacoor campaigning for chronicled
acknowledgment

Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla on Monday excused tales that the city's transition to feature the
'Aug 1, 1898 Bacoor Assembly' plans to change the country's freedom day and focused on that the regional
government is just campaigning for the acknowledgment of this significant part in the nation's set of
experiences.

"Hindi po namin kinekwestyon ang proklamasyon sa Kawit (on June 12, 1898) or may dapat I-guarantee,
sinasaad lang po namin dito (sa aming pagkilos) ay ang pagkilala sa kasing-importanteng bahagi ng
kasaysayan that prompted the assertion of the country's autonomy (we are not scrutinizing the Kawit
announcement or we really want to guarantee anything, our move basically is to push for the
acknowledgment of an 'as significant' part of history)," Revilla said.l Revilla, along with Philippine Historical
Association (PHA) President Dr. Emmanuel F. Calairo, Bacoor City Tourism Development Head Edwin
Guinto, Jose Napoleon L. Cuenca - current top of Bacoor's Tourism Cluster and an extraordinary grandson
of the first proprietors of "Bahay na Tisa" or Aguinaldo's "Malacañang" around then, and Bacoor Historical
Society President Dr. Jose Andres L. Diaz disclosed to media during Monday's question and answer session
on the re-send off of the book and narrative film to uncover what occurred during the Bacoor Assembly
on August 1, 1898.

"Aug 1 of 1898" ought to be viewed as a recorded achievement in the archives of Philippine history when
near 200 "Presidente Mayor" or the neighborhood CEOs or city hall leaders from the areas of Cavite,
Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Manila, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac, Morong, Batangas, Mindoro, Tayabas,
Zambales, Pangasinan, La Union and Infanta went to this old Cavite town and made their vow of office
and endorsed the report on the Declaration of Philippine Independence.

The narrative film "Agosto Uno, Kasaysayang Nakalimutan," which stars Cavite Vice-Governor Ramon
'Jolo' Revilla III as General Emilio Aguinaldo and Christian Bables as Apolinario Mabini, which was shot
altogether in the town of Kawit and the city of Bacoor, offer the better subtleties of the recorded Bacoor
Assembly, which occurred on Aug. 1, 1898.

The film begins with the primary gathering of General Emilio Aguinaldo and Apolinario Mabini and, when
delegated as the General's guide, made an effort not to continue with the June 12, 1898 function as the
nation was all the while without the required pre-necessities to proclaim a Republican government.Be
that as it may, Aguinaldo continued in any case, considering every one of the arrangements made and
individuals who came to observe the day's social event, who were generally military officials.

Albeit the authentic Kawit occasion prepared for the required record to set up a Republican country, "ang
ugat ng ating Republika ay nandon sa papel na ginawa ng mga town city chairmen at pinirmahan ni General
(Emilio) Aguinaldo noong Aug. 1, 1898 (The beginning of our Republic came from the reports made and
endorsed by General Aguinaldo on Aug. 1, 1898)," said Calairo.

Revilla originally scholarly of this secret piece of history while still an individual from the Congress, as
conferred by previous Prime Minister Cesar A.E. Virata, known relative of Aguinaldo and current leader of
Cavite Historical Society (CHS), which likewise shocked Cuenca "taking into account that the extraordinary
occasion occurred in their hereditary home."

At the point when the city obtained the National Historical Commission of the Philippines' (NHCP)
acknowledgment to this significant event, Revilla took on the lead to tap nearby antiquarians - drove by
Diaz - and authorized Calairo to inspect, research and order in book structure this defining moment in
Bacoor history, subsequently the book "Declaration: Philippine Independence - The Truth About Aug. 1,
1898 Bacoor Assembly (A Historiographical Inquiry)" came out which was additionally re-sent off today.

The 250-pages book from one cover to another is a result of an extended period of exploration and long
stretches of composing and is given free by the regional government.

Both the book and narrative film will be circulated to schools (public and private), libraries, including town
corridors and a progression of film showing drawing in understudies will be planned from there on, "to
tell more kids and comprehend concerning this significant piece of history," said Guinto.

The regional government, through its travel industry office, will likewise leave on different means and
channels, "to grant Bacoor's significant job in the decree of the country's autonomy in more kid cordial
and intuitive means," Revilla said. (Pino, 2020)

V. CONCLUSION : The New Book of History – Bacoor’s legacy

The regional government has guaranteed its solid obligation to the advancement of its nearby legacy by
leaving on a citywide scale up programs for legacy safeguarding and advancement just as in featuring its
part in Philippine history. The said move intends to assist with teaching the Bacooreños on the gallantry
produced by their ancestors in the nation's battle for opportunity. It has as of late finished its travel
industry ground breaking strategy, which fills in as a structure in conceptualizing different activities on the
travel industry improvement.

In her prior explanation, Revilla trusted that this piece of history would be remembered for the set of
experiences books that fill in as course reading for each understudy in rudimentary and secondary school,
in Cavite as well as the entire country.
APPENDICES
Proclamation: Philippine Independence – The Truth About Aug. 1, 1898 Bacoor Assembly

authored by Dr. Emmanuel Franco Calairo, PhD

Photo by Azrael Coladilla

PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE CITY HALL

Photo by Gladys Pino

 THE EXHIBIT
Photo by Gladys Pino
REFERENCES:

Historical Background of Bacoor | Bacoor Government Center. (2018). Philippine News Agency.
https://bacoor.gov.ph/historical-background-of-bacoor/

Bacoor Lobbying for Hstorical Recognition | BACOOR CITY, Cavite. (2018). Philippine News Agency.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1043459

Book Offering Turning Points in Bacoor History Launched. (2018). Philippine News Agency.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1043922

Bacoor City relives role in history in “Agosto Uno” commemoration. (2017). Radyo Natin Nationwide.
Retrieved January 2022, from https://radyonatin.com/story.php?storyid=20612