MODULE10: CRY OF BALINTAWAK

“Only he is truly a patriot who, whatever his post, high, or low, tries to do the greatest
possible good to his countrymen.”
- Apolinario Mabini

OBJECTIVES. What will you learn from this module?

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Recognize the historical events in achieving the Philippine Independence

2. Criticize the historical data and facts through critical thinking
3. Reconstruct history by developing critical thinking skill

INTRODUCTION.

Hi! Are you interested in riddles and mysteries? Some historical events remained to
be questionable because of the limited facts and resources. Today, I want you to be a
detective as we learn our lesson. You need your imagination and critical thinking as we
unlock the puzzle for the day. Good luck!

ANALYSIS. Who did it?

Let’s read the statement below then answer this brief exercise before we start to
dig deeper into our lesson.

It was evening of June, Mr. James was found dead in his room. The room had no
window and the door was locked. The only 4 people who had a key to the room were
questioned.
Sophia the maid: “I came to wake up Mr. James. When I saw him dead, I screamed!”
John the Butler: “When I heard the scream, I ran into the room, turned the light and saw
Mr. James with a knife in his neck.”
Sarah the governess: “I rushed up alongside John. When he turned on the light, the room
was all bloody.”
Jack the cook: “I was preparing dinner and didn’t see anything.”

Who did it?

Who

What

When

Where

Why

How

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 Answer Key:

Who Sophia

What Mr. James is dead

When Evening of June

Where Mr. James’ room

Why

How Stabbed through a knife

LESSON10: MONASTIC SUPREMACY IN THE PHILIPPINES

ABSTRACTION

It is surprising that there are different versions on the dates for first cry of the
revolution as well as its 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 of Balintawak”.

PIO VALENZUELA’S CONTROVERSIAL “CRY OF PUGAD LAWIN”

(August 23, 1896)

This controversial version of the “Cry of Pugad Lawin” has been authorized by no
other than Dr. Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness himself to 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:

The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio,
Teodoro Plata, Aguedodel Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there

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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 person 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 Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio’s
brother in-law-Z]. Beside the persons named above, among those present at this meeting
were Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pachero, 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 Phlippines!”

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 wife 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:

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 meening 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 Banifacio, Gregiria 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

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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 mountain and shared adversities with him. In her account, the First “Cry” happened
near Caloocan on August 25, 1896.

The activities of the katipunan had reached nearly all concerns 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, I 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.”

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 Magsangkay’s version of The “Cry of
Balintawak”

“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, Aguedodel Rosario, Tomas
Remigio, BriccioPantas, 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.],
BriccioPantas, 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 waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the
leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing starting the revolution early,

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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 Filipino 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 cadulas 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 hundred 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’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 man
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 five which later
became such a huge conflagration.

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APPLICATION
Complete the graph by answering the questions below?

1. What makes Pio Valenzuela and Santiago Alvarez’ version controversial?

2. What are the similarities and dissimilarities of each version?

3. Reconstruct history based from your answer in your diagram.

Pio Valenzuela Santiago Alvarez

Gregoria De Jesus Guillermo Masangkay

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