The Philippine Revolution is one of the most important events in the country’s history, awakening a

proud sense of nationalism for generations of Filipinos to come. In a period of heavy struggle and
conflict, Filipinos of different backgrounds united with a common goal: to resist colonialism.

The revolution against Spain was sparked in 1896 after Spanish authorities discovered the “Katipunan,”
a Filipino revolutionary society plotting against their colonisers. It ended in 1902, where Spain lost and
ceded sovereignty of the Philippines to the United States.

The Katipunan: the secret organization that initiated the revolt

The organization drew inspiration from Dr. Jose Rizal, whose literary works, particularly Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, exposed the cruelties of the Spanish colonisers. Upon hearing of Rizal’s arrest,
Bonifacio and his fellows founded the Katipunan. The anti-colonial secret organization eventually
attracted people from lower and middle classes across the country, enjoining them in an armed revolt
against Spain.

A series of bloody revolts

After the discovery of the Katipunan, Spanish authorities made several arrests to identify their members.
Bonifacio and his fellows were planning a nationwide revolt. This led to an event called the ‘Cry of Pugad
Lawin’, where revolutionaries took part in a mass tearing of cedulas (community tax certificates),
symbolizing their fight against Spain.

Internal struggles, conflicts, and a surprising turn of events

Alongside the Spanish authorities, Katipuneros were soon fighting amongst themselves. Rivalries
emerged between commanders and territories, creating big rifts in the association. The Katipunan
divided into two councils, namely the Magdiwang and Magdalo – that is, those who favoured Aguinaldo
and those who favoured Bonifacio.

A rival government

Bonifacio soon set out to Naic, Cavite, where he established a rival government against Aguinaldo.
Newly recognised as the leader of the revolution, he issued a coup d’etat against Aguinaldo’s
government. Upon learning this, Aguinaldo ordered the official arrest of Bonifacio.
Biak-na-bato

Aguinaldo and his fellows soon established the Republic of Biak-na-Bato and drafted the first
constitution.

They came up with a pact that called for an end to the revolution, which was positively favored by the
Spanish Governor-General. The pact’s agenda included: the surrender of weapons to revolutionaries,
amnesty, exile for leaders, and payment to the revolutionaries worth $400,000 USD.

While the Spanish kept their word, other revolutionary generals took arms – the Philippines was still not
independent.

The arrival of the Americans and the Declaration of Independence

April 1898 marked the second phase of the Philippine Revolution. After a US Navy warship exploded and
sunk in Havana harbor, the Americans declared a war against Spain known as the Spanish-American
War.

And on June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared the country’s independence and the birth of the Philippine
Republic. From his balcony in his house in Kawit, Cavite, the Philippine flag was unfurled. The
Philippines’ National Anthem, “Lupang Hinirang” was first heard by the Filipino people.

It was December of that year when the Spanish government ceded the Philippines to the United States
through the Treaty of Paris. While it ended the Spanish-American War, the Americans took possession of
the Philippines. Independence had not really been achieved.