THE NHI FILES ON THE COMMITTEE’S FINDINGS SHOW THE FOLLOWING:

 Pugad Lawin in barangay Bahay Toro was inhabited by squatter colonies (1983)
 The NHI believed that it was correct in looking for the house of Juan Ramos and not of Tandang
Sora
 Teodoro Agoncillo tried to locate the marker installed in 1962 by the UP-Student Council
 NHI disregarded its own 1964 report that the Philippine Historical Committee had determined in
1940 that the Pugad Lawin residence was Tandang Sora’s and not Juan Ramos’s and that the
specific site of Pugad Lawin was Gulod in Banlat.

ANG SIGAW NG PUGAD LAWIN (1896)

ika-23 Agosto 1896

Note: The place name “Pugad Lawin “, however, is problematic. In History of the Katipunan (1939), Zaide
records Valenzuela’s mention of the site in a footnote and not in the body of text, suggesting that the
Historian regarded the matter as unresolved.

CARTOGRAPHIC CHANGES

Was there a Pugad Lawin in maps or literature of the period?

A rough sketch or croquis de las operaciones practicadas in El Español showed the movements of Lt. Ros
against the Katipunan on 25, 26, and 27 August 1896. The map defined each place name as sitio “Baclac”
(sic: Banlat). In 1897, the Spanish historian Sastron mentioned Kalookan, Balintawak, Banlat and Pasong
Tamo. The names mentioned in some revolutionary sources and interpretations- Daang Malalim,
Kangkong and Pugad Lawin- were not identified as barrios. Even detailed Spanish and American maps
mark only Kalookan and Balintawak.

WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE FROM ALL THIS?

 “Pugad Lawin” was never officially recognized as a place name on any Philippine map before
Second World War
 “Pugad Lawin” appeared in historiography only from 1928, or some 32 years after the events
took place
 The revolution was always traditionally held to have occurred in the area of Balintawak, which
was distinct from Kalookan and Diliman
DETERMINING THE DATE

The official stand of NHI is that the Cry took place on 23 August 1896. That date, however, is debatable.
The later accounts of Pio Valenzuela and Guillermo Masangkay on the tearing of cedulas on 23 August
are basically in agreement, but conflict with each other on the location. Valenzuela points to the house
of Juan Ramos in Pugad Lawin, while Masangkay refers to Apolonio Samson’s in Kangkong. Masangkay’s
final statement has more weight as it is being corroborated by many eyewitnesses who were
photographed in 1917, when the earliest 23 August marker was installed. Valenzuela’s date (23 August)
in his memoirs conflict with 1928 and 1930 photographs of the surveys with several Katipunan officers,
published in La Opinion, which claim that the Cry took place on the 24th.

THE TURNING POINT

What occurred during those last days of August 1896?

 Eyewitness accounts mention captures,  the decision to go war;

 escapes,  the shouting of slogan;
 recaptures,  tearing of cedulas;
 killings of Katipunan members;  the sending of letters presidents of
 the interrogation of Chinese spies; Sanggunian and balangay councils;
 the arrival of arms in Meycauyan,  the arrival of civil guard;
Bulacan;  the loss of Katipunan funds during the
 the debate with Teodoro Plata and skirmish
others;

WHERE DID THIS TAKE PLACE?

The introduction to the original Tagalog text of the Biyak na Bato Constitution states: Ang paghiwalay ng
Filipinas sa kahariang España sa patatag ng isang bayang may sariling pamamahala’t kapangyarihan na
pangangalang “Republika ng Filipinas” ay siyang layong inadhika niyaring Paghihimagsik na kasalukuyan,
simula pa ng ika- 24 ng Agosto ng taong 1896.

The Spanish text also states: