TEACHINGS OF THE KATIPUNAN OF THE SONS OF THE PEOPLE

A life that is not dedicated to a great and sacred cause is like a tree without a shade, or a poisonous weed.
A good deed lacks virtue if it springs from a desire for personal profit and not from a sincere desire to do good.
True charity resides in acts of compassion, in love for one’s fellow men, and in making true Reason the measure of every move,
deed and word.
Be their skin dark or pale, all men are equal. One can be superior to another in knowledge, wealth and beauty... but not in being.
A person with a noble character values honor above self-interest, while a person with an ignoble character values self-interest
above honor.
An honorable man’s word is his bond.
Don’t waste time; lost wealth may be recovered, but time lost is lost forever.
Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor.
An intelligent man is he who takes care in everything he says and keeps quiet about what must be kept secret.
Along the thorny path of life, the man leads the way and his wife and children follow. If the leader goes the way of perdition, then
so do those who are led.
Do not regard a woman as a mere plaything, but as a helpmate and partner in the hardships of this existence. Have due regard to
her weakness, and remember the mother who brought you into this world and nurtured you in your infancy.
What you would not want done to your wife, daughter and sister, do not do to the wife, daughter and sister of another.
A man’s worth does not come from him being a king, or in the height of his nose and the whiteness of his face, or in him being a
priest, a REPRESENTATIVE OF GOD, or in his exalted position on the face of this earth. Pure and truly noble is he who, though
born in the forest and able to speak only his own tongue, behaves decently, is true to his word, has dignity and honor, who is not
an oppressor and does not abet oppressors, who knows how to cherish and look after the land of his birth.
When these doctrines have spread and the brilliant sun of beloved liberty shines on these poor Islands, and sheds its sweet light
upon a united race, a people in everlasting happiness, then the lives lost, the struggle and the suffering will have been more than
recompensed.

The Kartilya by Emilio Jacinto

Background of the Author
 He is considered as the “Brain of the Katipunan”.
 He was born in the district of Trozo in Tondo, Manila on December 15, 1875.
 He was the son of Mariano Jacinto, a book keeper, and Josefa Dizon, a midwife.
 He finished his elementary in a private school; his secondary education in Colegio de San Juan de Letran; and he studied law at
the University of Sto. Tomas.
 He did not finish his law because the Philippine Revolution started in 1896.
 Private School of Maestro Ferrer
 Jose Dizon enrolled him at the College of San Juan de Letran for his Bachelor of Art.
 He joined the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) at the age of 18.
 He had a symbolic name of “Pingkian” and a pen-name of “Dimas Ilaw”.
 He was the youngest member of the Katipunan. At the age of 19, he was given the tasks of a fiscal, a secretary, and an editor of
the official organ of the Katipunan, the Kalayaan.
 As an adviser of the Supremo, he furnished Bonifacio with weapons, money, printing materials and musical compositions.
 Editor of the newspaper “KALAYAAN.”
 Director of the Printing Shop and Library of the Katipunan.
 Library contained treatises on tactics and weaponry; French Revolution and works of Demagogues.
 Proclaimed generalissimo of the North (Punong Hukbo sa Hilagaan)

 Emilio Jacinto Seal as Punong Hukbo of KKK forces in Manila, Morong,

Bulacan & Nueva Ecija (late 1896 - early 1897).

 May 10, 1897, when Bonifacio died in Cavite, Emilio Jacinto did not stop fighting against the Spaniards, but he was captured in
a battle in Magdalena, Laguna.
 He deceived the Spanish soldiers that he was a spy for the Spaniards when he showed a military pass that he got from the man
he killed in a battle.
 His spirit of patriotism continued even against the American colonizers.
 Unfortunately, he contracted malaria in his headquarter in Majayjay, Laguna where he died on April 16, 1899 (23 yrs old).

 Literary Works (mostly in Tagalog)

  Divided into three :
➢Journalistic
➢the Primer of the Katipunan and;
➢ his still unpublished book “Liwanag at Dilim”
 His literary influences
➢La Solidaridad, Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, Dr. Morga’s Sucesos
➢The Period of the “greatest effervescence and prestige of Spanish poetry in the Islands”
➢Rizal, moral and literary idol; Marcelo H. del Pilar, political idol.

Historical Background of the Document

- Aside from ill-treatment experiences felt by katipuneros under the Spanish rule, there were other influencing factors causing
the creation of Katipunan and the conceptualization of Kartilya.

Background of the Document

• Enlightenment in Europe
• French Revolution
• Coming of Masonry in the Philippines
• Propaganda Movement
• La Liga and The Cuerpo de Compromisarios

1. Enlightenment in Europe
 Immanuel Kant summed the definition of enlightenment in the following terms: "Dare to know! Have courage to use your own
reason!“
 Enlightened rationality gave way to the rise of Romanticism. By the 19th-century it pave its way to Liberalism and Classicism
then in the 20th-century, Modernism.
 During this period, secret societies like the Freemasons, the Bavarian Illuminati, the Rosicrucian—flourished. Coffeehouses,
newspapers and literary salons emerged as new venues for ideas to circulate.

2. French Revolution
 The French Revolution of 1789 was the culmination of the High Enlightenment vision of throwing out the old authorities to
remake society along rational lines.
 A legacy of the Age of Enlightenment, the motto "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité" inspired the French Revolution.
 The ideas of enlightenment and the French Revolution inspired the Ilustrados in Europe and in the island. These two events in
the globe encouraged the Filipinos to take up a stand for reforms and later independence. Books from Europe easily reached
the Philippines thru the Suez Canal and thus this leads to the spread of the idea of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

3. Coming of Masonry in the Philippines

 In 1856, Freemasonry was introduced in the Philippines, however, native Filipinos were not allowed to join the organization.
 In 1889, Graciano Lopez-Jaena organized the Logia Revolución in Barcelona thru the support of Grande Oriente Español hence
the root of true Philippine Masonry.
 Pedro Serrano Laktaw, with the help of Moises Salvador (initiated in Madrid) and Jose A. Ramos (initiated in London),
organized Logia Nilad and it was approved by the Grande Oriente Español as Logia Nilad No 144 on March 20, 1892.
 As the Fraternity grew, the Spanish friars were alarmed and therefore branded all Masons as insurrectos. Masons were
arrested, tortured,
 exiled. These event became the voice for freedom and democracy.
 Most of the prominent personalities in the Katipunan were members of the Masonry. The influence of this fraternity to the
members were very evident in the Kartilya written by Emilio Jacinto.
 During the revolution, the Spanish Friars believed that the root of all the problems was Masonry and Katipunan. Katipunan as
considered by the friars as “Huwad sa Masonerya.”
 Jesuit Francisco Foradada wrote in his book that Filipino filibusterism (subversion) was not the son of righteousness, morality
or justice; but of Masonry –the enemy of God.

4. Propaganda Movement
 The death of Gomburza in 1872 awakened strong feelings of anger and resentment among the Filipinos. They questioned
Spanish authorities and demanded reforms. The Filipino ilustrados aimed for reforms and so they created a systematic
movement and they used a peaceful means of battling the Spanish government called the Propaganda Movement.
 The writings produced by the Propaganda Movement inspired Andres Bonifacio and other radicals to establish the Katipunan
and set the Philippine Revolution in place.
 5. La Liga and the Cuerpo de Compromisarios
 In 1892, Jose Rizal arrived home and with the support of the Masonic Leaders, he established the La Liga Filipina. However, he
was arrested and soon deported to Dapitan.
 Andres Bonifacio and other members of Logia Taliba saw Rizal’s deportation as a sign that reforms were no longer attainable.
Before the revival of the Liga, Andres Bonifacio had conceptualized a new secret society called the Katipunan to advocate
separation from Spain. Thus, Katipunan was established on July 7, 1892.
 On April 3, 1893, Andres Bonifacio of Logia Taliba, Domingo Franco and Apolinario Mabini, both of Logia Balagtas, led the
revival of the Liga Filipina.
 Six months after the Liga’s revival two factions emerged: one that wanted to continue the society’s aim of peaceful reforms,
and another which advocated the overthrow of the colonial government. In October of 1893, the Liga was dissolved.
 Mabini and other moderates formed the Cuerpo de Compromisarios, they tried to continue sending funds to finance the
Propaganda Movement in Spain. However, most of the members became increasingly disappointed over the apathy of the
central government in Madrid.
 Some Filipinos were convinced that separation from Spain was the only alternative – some members united with the radical
movement - Katipunan of Bonifacio, Arellano, Plata and other Logia Taliba members.

The Kartilya ng Katipunan has 14 points.

1. A life that is not dedicated to a noble and divine cause is like a tree without a shade, if not, a poisonous weed
2. A deed that is motivated by self-interest or self-pity and done without sincerity lacks nobility.
3. True piety is the act of being charitable, loving one's fellowmen, and being judicious in behavior, speech and deed.
4. All [people] are equal, regardless of the color of their skin; While one could have more education, wealth or beauty than the
other, none of them can overpass one's identity.
5. A person with a noble character values honor above self-interest, while a person with a base character values self-interest above
honor.
6. To a [person] that respects, his/her word is a pledge.
7. Do not waste your time; lost wealth can be retrieved, but time lost is lost forever.
8. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor.
9. A wise man is someone who is careful in all that he says; learn to keep the things that need to be kept secret.
10. In the thorny path of life, the man leads the way and his wife and children follow; If the leader goes the way of evil, so do the
followers.
11. Never regard a woman as an object for you to trifle with; rather you should consider her as a partner and a friend in times of
need; Give proper considerations to a woman's frailty and never forget that your own mother, who brought you forth and nurtured
you from infancy, is herself such a person.
12. Don't do to the wife, children and brothers and sisters of others what you do not want done to your wife, children and brothers
and sisters.
13. (A (person's) worth is not measured by his/her station in life, neither by the height of his nose nor the fairness of skin, and
certainly not by whether he is a priest claiming to be God's deputy. Even if he is a tribesman/tribeswoman from the hills and speaks
only his/her own tongue, a (person) is honorable if he/she possesses a good character, is true to his/her word, has fine perceptions
and is loyal to his/her native land.
14. When these teachings shall have been propagated and the glorious sun of freedom begins to shine on these poor islands to
enlighten a united race and people, then all the loves lost, all the struggle and sacrifices shall not have been in vain.

Contributions to the Grand Narrative of Philippine History

 It serves as a guiding principle.
 It enhances sense of nationalism.
 It advocates an anti- enslavement.
 It promotes spread of liberal ideas.
 Hence, be someone that can be a… Partner For Change

Relevance to Contemporary Times

 Kartilya is a source of moral beacon for self transformation for the contemporary times. It can be used as guide:
• To institutionalize good governance among our government officials.
•To teach honor and dignity and curtail corruption among politicians.
•To inculcate generosity and compassion among us.
•To practice respect for women and love for our family.