CRY OF BALINTAWAK OR PUGAD LAWIN

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

Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”

(August 23, 1896)
This controversial version of the “Cry of the Pugad Lawin” has been authorized by no other than
Dr. Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness himself of the event. In his first version,
he told that the prime staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak on Wednesday of August 26,
1896. He held this account when the happenings or events are still vivid in his memory. On the
other hand, later in his life and with a fading memory, he wrote his Memoirs of the Revolution
without consulting the written documents of the Philippine revolution and claimed that the “Cry”
took place at Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896. Below is his account on this topic:
(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History.
Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.)
“The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio, Teodoro
Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there on August 19
and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan met on
August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong. Aside from the
persons mentioned above, among those who were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago,
Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged, and no
resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-house, and yard of
Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and
carried out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1986. The discussion was on
whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started on August 29,
1986. Only one man protested and fought against a war, and that was Teodora Plata [Bonifacio’s
brother-in-law-Z]. Besides the persons named above, among those present at this meeting were
Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and others. After the
tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula certificates and shouted “Long live
the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!”

Santiago Alvarez’s The “Cry of Bahay Toro”

(August 24, 1896)
This version of the “Cry” was written by Santiago Alvarez, a well-known Katipunero from
Cavite and a son of Mariano Alvarez. Santiago is a relative of Gregoria de Jesus, who happened
to be the wide of Andres Bonifacio. Unlike the author of the first version mentioned
(Valenzuela), Santiago Alvarez is not an eyewitness of this event. As a result, this version of him
is not given of equal value as compared with the other versions for authors of other accounts are
actually part of the historic event. Below is his account:
(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History.
Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.)
Sunday, August 23, 1896
As early as 10 o’clock in the morning, at the barn of Kabesang Melchora [Melchora Aquino-Z.],
at a place called Sampalukan, barrio of Bahay Toro, Katipuneros met together. About 500 of
these arrived, ready and eager to join the “Supremo” Andres Bonifacio and his men …
Monday, August 24, 1896
There were about 1,000 Katipuneros … The “Supremo” decided to hold a meeting inside the big
barn. Under his leadership, the meeting began at 10 o’clock in the morning …
It was 12 o’clock noon when the meeting adjourned amidst loud cries of “Long live the Sons of
the Country” (Mabuhay ang mga anak ng Bayan)!

Gregoria de Jesus’ Version of the First “Cry”

(August 25, 1896)
This version was written by no other than the “Lakambini of the Katipunan” and wife of Andres
Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. She has been a participant of this event and became the keeper of
the secret documents of the Katipunan. After the Revolution in August 1896, she lived with her
parents in Caloocan then fled to Manila when she was told that Spanish authorities wanted to
arrest her. Eventually, she joined her husband in the mountains and shared adversities with him.
In her account, the First “Cry” happened near Caloocan on August 25, 1896.
(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History.
Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.)
“The activities of the Katipunan had reached nearly all corners of the Philippine Archipelago, so
that when its existence was discovered and some of the members arrested, we immediately
returned to Caloocan. However, as we were closely watched by the agents of the Spanish
authorities, Andres Bonifacio and other Katipuneros left the town after some days. It was then
that the uprising began, with the first cry for freedom on August 25, 1896. Meanwhile, I was
with my parents. Through my friends, I learned that Spanish were coming to arrest me.
Immediately, I fled town at eleven o’ clock at night, secretly going through the rice fields to La
Lorna, with the intention of returning to Manila. I was treated like an apparition, for, sad to say,
in every house where I tried to get a little rest, I was driven away as if people therein were
frightened for their own lives. Later, I found out that the occupants of the houses which I had
visited were seized and severely punished--and some even exiled. One of them was an uncle of
mine whom I had visited on that night to kiss his hand, and he died in exile.”

Guillermo Masangkay’s The “Cry of Balintawak”

(August 26, 1896)
This version is written by the Katipunan General Guillermo Masangkay. He is an eyewitness of
the historic event and a childhood friend of Bonifacio. According to him, the first rally of the
Philippine Revolution happened on August 26, 1896 at Balintawak. Correspondingly, the date
and site presented were accepted by the preliminary years of American government. Below is
General Guillermo Masangkay’s version of the “Cry of Balintawak”.
(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History.
Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.)
“On August 26th [1896-Z.], a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio
Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who attended, I remember,
were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro
Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon. They were all leaders of the
Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization. Delegates from Bulacan,
Cabanatuan, Cavite and Morong (now Rizal,) were also present.
At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with Andres
Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The purpose was to discuss when the
uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio’s brother-in-law – Z.], Briccio Pantas, and
Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution too early. They reasoned that the
people would be in distress if the revolution were started without adequate preparation. Plata was
very forceful in his argument, stating that the uprising could not very well be started without the
arms and food for the soldiers. Valenzuela used Rizal’s argument about the rich not siding with
the Katipunan organization.
Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session hall and
talked to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the leaders. He
told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution early, and appealed to
them in a fiery speech in which he said: “You remember the fate of our countrymen who were
shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our
organization has been discovered and we are all marked men. If we don’t start the uprising, the
Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you say?”
“Revolt!” the people shouted as one.
Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He told them that the
sign of slavery of the Filipinos were (sic) the cedula tax charged each citizen. “If it is true that
you are ready to revolt,” Bonifacio saved, “I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be the
sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.”
With tears in their eyes, the people as one man, pulled out their cedulas and tore them to pieces.
It was the beginning of the formal declaration of the separation from Spanish rule. With their
cedulas destroyed, they could no longer go back to their homes because the Spaniards would
persecute them, if not for being katipuneros, for having no cedulas. And people who had no
cedulas during those days were severely punished.
When the people’s pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he returned to the session hall and
informed the leaders of what took place outside. “The people want to revolt, and they have
destroyed their cedulas,” Bonifacio said. “So now we have to start the uprising; otherwise the
people by hundreds will be shot.” There was no alternative. The board of directors, in the spite of
the protests of Plata, Pantas, and Valenzuela, voted for the revolution. And when this was
decided, the people outside shouted: “Long Live the Philippine Republic!”
I still remember Bonifacio as he appeared that day. Although a mere bodeguero (warehouseman)
and earning ₱25 (Mex.) a month, he was a cultured man. He always wore an open coat, with
black necktie, and black hat. He always carried an umbrella. At the meeting that morning of
August 26, Bonifacio took off his coat and was wearing only his shirt, with collar and tie.
Bonifacio’s hobby was weaving bamboo hats. During his spare time, he wove dozens of them
and sold them in Manila. Thus, he made extra money.
At about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, while the gathering at Balintawak was celebrating the
decision of the Katipunan leaders to start the uprising, the guards who were up in trees to watch
for any possible intruders or the approach of the enemy, gave the warning that the Spaniards
were coming.
Led by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other leaders of the Katipunan, the men were distributed in
strategic positions and were prepared for attack of the civil guards. I was with a group stationed
on the bank of a small creek, guarding the places where the Spaniards were to pass in order to
reach the meeting place of the katipuneros. Shots were then fired by the civil guards, and that
was the beginning of the fire which later became such a huge conflagration.