THE CAMPAIGN FOR REFORMS
(The violent events of 1872)
Peaceful Campaign For Reforms
-Assimilate the Philippines as a province of
Spain.
-Philippines will be represented in the
Spanish lawmaking body called the Cortes.
-Filipinos would become Spanish citizens
with equal rights and privileges by all
Spanish citizens.
-Filipinos would not be treated cruelly by the
friars and Spanish Civil authorities.
The Great Triumvirate
o Jose Rizal
o Marcelo Del Pilar
o Graciano Jaena
The Great Orator (Graciano Lopez Jaena)
o He wrote a long story about a friar
named Fray Botod.
o The friars hated him for it.
o He founded the fortnightly
newspaper La Solidaridad.
Aims of La Solidaridad
o To fight reaction
o To stop all the efforts to keep the
Philippines a backward country
o To extol (praise) liberal ideas
o To defend progress
Reform
o The right to vote
o Freedom of speech, of assembly and
of press
o Freedom of commerce Removal of
the friars from the Philippines
o Education of the people Reforms in
the jails of the country
o Abolition of the diezmos prediales
or the tithe (1/10 of the produce of
the land)
The Great Thinker and Writer (Jose
Rizal)
-He saw, too, how the Spanish authorities
ordered his aging mother to walk from
Calamba to the town of Sta. Cruz because of
a false charge made against her by Spanish
provincial officials. This made him swore to
work for the freedom of his country.
-At the age of twenty six, he wrote his first
novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not).
-This novel exposed the defects of
the Spanish administration of the Philippines,
the greed and immorality of the friars and the
superstition of the Filipinos.
The Great Political Analyst and Journalist
(Marcelo H. Del Pilar)
-He founded the Tagalog – Spanish
newspaper, Diariong Tagalog.
-He secretly left for Spain to avoid arrest.
-A year later, he became the editor of La
Solidaridad and became its guiding spirit.
-Two of his famous books were La Soberania
Monacel en Filipinas (Monastic Sovereignty
in the Philippines) and La Frailocracia
Filipina Frailocracy in the Philippines).
Unlike Rizal and the other reformists, he
wrote in the language of the masses.
BONIFACIO AND THE
KATIPUNAN
Insurrection
-The failure of the reform movement led
even a reformist like Marcelo H. Del Pilar to
think of revolution. ―Insurrection
-Del Pilar wrote in La Solidaridad , ―is the
last remedy, especially when the people have
acquired the belief that the peaceful means to
secure the remedies for evils prove futile.
-Upon Rizal’s arrest and exile at Dapitan , an
unknown member of the Liga, Andres
Bonifacio, saw the futility of continuing the
campaign for reforms. He would teach the
people to depend on themselves for their
salvation.
THE FOUNDING OF THE KATIPUNAN
-After the news about the arrest of Rizal
circulated, a small group of patriotic
Filipinos met at the house on Azcarraga
Street, Manila (now Claro M. Recto
Avenue), and decided to create a new
society.
-These men were Andres Bonifacio, Teodora
Plata, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa ,
Deodato Arellano, and one or two others. All
of them belonged to the lower class of
society.
THE AIMS AND STRUCTURE OF THE
KATIPUNAN
Bonifacio laid down three primary objectives
of the Katipunan:
1. Civil principle of self-help and the defense
of the weak and the poor;
2. Political separation of the Philippines
from Spain: secure the independence of the
colony; and
3. Moral focused on the teaching of good
manners, hygiene, and good moral character.
Katipuneros were urged to help sick
comrades and their families. In case of death,
the Society paid the funeral expenses. Hence,
there was damayan among its members.
THE KATIPUNAN GOVERNMENT
-Bonifacio took note of La Liga Filipina’s
structure and when he founded the Katipunan
-he borrowed the structure of the Liga. The
Katipunan had three governing bodies:
1. Kataastaasang Sanggunian (Supreme
Council) highest; central government
2. Sangguniang Bayan (Provincial Council)
provincial government
3. Sangguniang Balangay (Popular Council)
municipal government There was a Judicial
Council, called Sangguniang Hukuman ,
which passed judgment on members who
violated the rules of the Society.
THE KATIPUNAN ELECTIONS
-The triangle method was slow and
ineffective resulting to only about 100 new
members by the end of 1892.
-It was then agreed that all members should
be allowed to get as many new members as
circumstances permitted.
-The membership increased in a few months
that it was thought that the set of officers
would be elected.
The elected officers of the first Supreme
Council were the following:
o Deodato Arellano - president or
supremo
o Andres Bonifacio - comptroller (title
of a financial officer)
o Ladislao Diwa - fiscal (legal official
in the treasury)
o Teodoro Plata – secretary
o Valentin Diaz – treasurer
-The elected councilors were Briccio Brigido
Pantas , Restituto Javier, Teodoro Plata,
Teodoro Gonzales, and Ladislao Diwa .
-Early in 1895, Bonifacio was not contented
with the performance of Basa as supremo of
the Katipunan. Hence, he had himself elected
to replace Basa.
-He remained the Supremo of the Katipunan
until the establishment of a revolutionary
government in Tejeros , Membership
-The following are the three kinds of
Katipunan members together with their
passwords: First Grade: Katipon (member)
Anak ng Bayan Second Grade: Kawal
(soldier) GomBurZa Third Grade: Bayani
(patriot) Rizal
-In order to recognize each other in the
streets, a member, upon meeting another
member, would place the palm of his right
hand on his breast, and as he passed the other
member he would close his hand and bring
his index finger and his thumb together
-The Katipunan Codes Because the danger of
discovery of the Society was always present,
Bonifacio invented a system of writing which
would make it difficult for the Spaniards to
read the Katipunan letters or any written
communication.
-The first secret code invented by Bonifacio
was the following:
THE WOMEN OF THE KATIPUNAN
-pBonifacio wanted to involve the women of
the Katipunan without putting it in danger of
discovery.
-He suggested that women be taken in as
members of the Katipunan.
-To minimize the danger of exposing the
Society to women who could not be relied
upon, Bonifacio decided that only the wife,
sister, daughter of a Katipunero , and a few
selected women could be eligible for
membership.
-This strict requirement is to compel women
members to keep the secrets of the
Katipunan.
-Aside from propagating the ideas and ideals
of the Society, the Katipunera’s duty is to
make the police authorities believe that no
Katipunan meeting was being held in a
house.
-The women are engaged in dancing and
singing in full view of the people on the
street while the male members were holding
a meeting in a room behind the sala .
Among the prominent women members of
the Katipunan were:
o Josefa Rizal (President)
o Gregoria de Jesus (Vice President)
o Marina Dizon (Secretary)
o Angelica Lopez Rizal (Fiscal)
Rizal’s niece
Twin Souls of Katipunan (Bonifacio –
Jacinto)
Bonifacio – Jacinto
o They did not use their true names to
prevent discovery.
o They used pen names: Jacinto
Pingkian , Dimas Ilaw Bonifacio
Agapito Bagumbayan Valenzuela
Madlang Away
The Teachings of the Katipunan
-Love God with all of your heart.
-Bear always in mind that the love of God is
also love of country, and this, too, is love of
one’s fellowmen.
-Engrave in your heart that the true measure
of honor and happiness is to die for the
freedom of your country.
-All your good wishes will be crowned with
success if you have serenity, constancy,
reason, and faith in your acts and endeavor.
-Guard the mandates and aims of the K.K.K.
as you guard your honor.
-It is the duty of all to defend, at the risk of
their own lives and wealth, anyone who runs
great risk in the performance of his duty.
-Our responsibility to ourselves and the
performance of our duties will be the
example set for our fellowmen to follow.
-Insofar as it is within your power, share your
means with the poor and the unfortunate.
-Diligence in the work that gives sustenance
to you is the true basis of love love for your
own self, for your wife and children, and for
your brothers and countrymen.
-Punish any scoundrel and traitor and praise
all good work. Believe, likewise, that the
aims of the K.K.K. are God given, for the
will of the people is also the will of God.
The Kartilya ng Katipunan
-Emilio Jacinto wrote the Kartilya which
consisted of thirteen ―teachings. It is the
―best known of all Katipunan texts and it is
the ―only document set in print by the
Katipunan prior to August 1896 that is
known to be still extant(existing).
-The Kartilya was printed as a small
pamphlet that was distributed to the members
of the Katipunan.
-It was derived from the Spanish cartilla
which was the primer used for grade schools
during Spanish period.
-Hence, it served as the primary lessons of
the members of the Katipunan.
-Life which is not consecrated to a lofty and
sacred cause is like a tree without a shadow,
if not a poisonous weed.
-A good deed that springs from a desire for
personal profit and not from a desire to do
good is not kindness.
-True greatness consists in being charitable,
in loving one’s fellowmen and in adjusting
every movement, deed and word to true
Reason.
-All men are equal, be the color of their skin
black or white. One may be superior to
another in knowledge, wealth, and beauty,
but cannot be uperior in being.
-He who is noble prefers honor to personal
gains; he who is mean prefers personal profit
to honor.
-To a man with a sense of shame, his word is
inviolate.
-Don’t fritter away time; lost riches may be
recovered, but time lost will never come
again.
-Defend the oppressed and fight the
oppressor.
-An intelligent man is he who is cautious in
speech and knows how to keep the secrets
that must be guarded.
-In the thorny path of life, man is the guide of
his wife and children; if he who guides
moves to evil, they who are guided likewise
move towards evil.
PRELUDE TO AMERICAN
REGIME (The Relief of Primo De
Rivera)
-Primo de Rivera’s success in stopping the
bloodshed was highly praised in Spain. The
Queen of Spain, who was reigning for her
son, rewarded him with the Grand Cross of
San Fernando and a pension of 10,000.
-When armed hostilities occurred in mid
February 1898, many Spaniards blamed the
Filipinos for violating the Truce of Biak na
Bato.
-Meanwhile in Spain, the elections resulted
in the triumph of the Conservative Party.
-It sent General Basilio Augustin as governor
general to succeed Primo de Rivera. This was
unfortunate because Primo de Rivera has
good intentions, which he thought, would
make the Filipino rebels return to Spain as
faithful subjects.
- At that time there was a rumor that the
Spaniards and the Americans were drifting
towards a war. With the possibility of a war,
Primo de Rivera would have been a wise
choice to govern the archipelago since he
knew the Filipinos well.
-The newly appointed governor general had
never been to the Philippines and did not
know the problems confronting the country.
But the new Spanish Prime Minister insisted
on Primo de Rivera’s relief. On April 9,
1898, General Augustin arrived in Manila.
The Spanish American War (1898)
Factors:
o Cuban struggle for independence
o Efforts of the Americans to extend
influence overseas
o Sinking of the warship MAINE
-Jose Marti leader of the Cubans; they
rejected Spain’s offer of autonomy because
they wanted complete independence.
-New York Journal and New York World
published stories about the alleged atrocities
of the Spanish people and they called for US
to intervene.
Manifest Destiny
o belief that the US has the divinely
ordained duty to help troubled
countries.
-On April 24, Spain declared war and on
April 25, US declared war and the Spanish –
American war began.
BATTLE OF MANILA BAY
-Commodore George Dewey upon orders of
President McKinley, proceeded immediately
to the Philippines with a squadron of four
armored cruisers (Olympia, Baltimore,
Boston and Raleigh), two gunboats (Concord
and Petrel) and a revenue cutter
(McCulloch).
-Admiral Patricio Montojo he headed the
Spanish fleet of 12 ships (with Reina Castilla
as the flagship) in the battle which lasted for
only a few hours (started at 5:40 am and
ended at noon).
-After the battle, there was no fatal casualties
and no ship was heavily damaged on the side
of the Americans whereas, 160 men were
killed and 210 were wounded on the side of
the Spaniards.
-Because of the battle, Commodore Dewey
became an instant hero. He was promoted to
rear admiral and later admiral.
-Dewey blockaded Manila because he had no
land forces to back them up in besieging the
city.
ATTEMPTS AT GAINING FILIPINO
SUPPORT
-Basilio Augustin successor of Primo de
Rivera; he was demoralized by the defection
of the Filipinos from their side to
Aguinaldo’s side and Dewey’s victory in
Manila Bay; he appealed to Filipino people
to assist Spain; he issued decrees creating a
Filipino Volunteer Militia and Consultative
Assembly to win over ilustrados whom he
appointed to both bodies.
-Filipino Volunteer Militia they all sided with
Aguinaldo.
-Consultative Assembly headed by Pedro
Paterno, accomplished nothing.
Four Major Forces on the Historical Stage:
1. Spanish colonialism [trying to ward off its
impending end]
2. American imperialism [waiting for such
time when it had gathered sufficient military
strength in the Philippines before showing its
real motives]
3. Filipino ilustrados [ main concern was to
place themselves in a jockeying position
whatever political setup was to emerge]
4. The masses [who still believed and fought
for the revolutionary objectives of the
Katipunan]
The Filipino Seige of Manila
-While the Americans waited for
reinforcements, they treated Aguinaldo with
the courtesies befitting a head of state.
-They took care not to make any commitment
at the same time, continuing to let the
Filipinos think they meant well.
-Their motive was to use the Filipinos to
fight the Spaniards until reinforcements
arrived.
-When the Spanish navy was destroyed,
many Spaniards took refuge at Intramuros or
Walled City.
-Aguinaldo besieged the city and cut off its
food and water supply to force the Spaniards
out.
-Aguinaldo offered the option of surrender
three times, with generous terms, but these
were rejected by Gov. Gen. Augustin as he
was also waiting for reinforcements which
never came.
The Aguinaldo Dictatorship
-Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista adviser of
Aguinaldo; convinced Aguinaldo to establish
a dictatorial government to prosecute the war
against Spain.
May 24, 1898
-Aguinaldo issued a decree formally
establishing a dictatorial government. Having
this government, Aguinaldo deemed it
necessary to declare the independence of the
Philippines.
-Apolinario Mabini [Sublime Paralytic] is
the unofficial adviser of Aguinaldo.
-He objected to the plan and stressed the need
to reorganize the government first into one
that could prove to foreign powers its
independence and stability Before declaring
independence. But Aguinaldo prevailed over
Mabini.
Proclamation of Philippine Independence
June 12, 1898
-Philippine independence was proclaimed in
the presence of a huge crowd at the ancestral
home Of General Emilio Aguinaldo between
four and five in the afternoon in Cavite El
Viejo [now known as Kawit ].
This was highlighted by the following:
-Official Unfurling of the Philippine National
Flag [The Philippine flag war first unfurled
in the Battle of Alapan . It was sewed in
Hong Kong by Doña Marcela Mariño
Agoncillo , her daughter Lorenza Agoncillo
and the niece of Rizal, Mrs. Delfina Herbosa
de Natividad].
[The eight rays of the sun signifies the eight
provinces: Manila, Cavite, Bulacan,
Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Tarlac,
Laguna and Batangas] Governor Ramon
Blanco placed under martial law. Playing of
the Marcha Nacional Filipina [formerly
Marcha Filipina Magdalo ] by the San
Franciso de Malabon marching band as the
country’s national anthem.
End of Filipino American Collaboration
and Spanish Rule
o Surrender of Manila ended the
Filipino American collaboration.
o Gen. Diego delos Rios last Spanish
Governor General in the country.
o November 1899 all Spanish forces
in the South were shipped to Spain.
o The Treaty of Paris of 1898
The Treaty of Paris was concluded on
December 10, 1898 and provided for the
following:
1. Spain agreed to remove all soldiers from
Cuba
2. Spain ceded Philippines, Guam and Puerto
Rico to the United States
3. The US compensated Spain for its losses
with a payment of $20 million
The Malolos Congress
-By virtue of the Decree of June 18, 1898,
Aguinaldo called for the election of delegates
to the revolutionary Congress which Mabini
envisioned to be a mere advisory body of the
president.
-The historic Malolos Congress was
convened by Aguinaldo at Barasoain Church
in Malolos.
-Aguinaldo gave his due respect to the people
for their patriotism and heroism and briefed
them on their task of writing a constitution
for the country.
-An election of officers was held and Pedro
A. Paterno became the president.
-The Philippine Independence proclaimed in
Cavite El Viejo was ratified.
The First Philippine Republic
-On January 23, 1899, the first Philippine
Republic was inaugurated in Malolos with
Aguinaldo as the first president.
-There are three branches: executive, judicial
and legislative.
-Executive was vested in the President and
assisted by the Cabinet called Council of the
Government
-Legislative was exercised by the unicameral
Assembly of Representatives. When the law
making body is not in session, legislative was
exercised by a Permanent Commission (7
assemblymen).
-Judicial power was vested in the Supreme
Court of Justice. A chief justice selected by
the Assembly of Representatives headed this
branch.
-Lawmaking body was more powerful than
the executive branch.
The Malolos Republic At Work
o Education was one of the concerns.
Schools were opened and 35,000
was set aside to finance the
educational needs of the Malolos
Republic.
o Primary schools and higher
education were established.
o War tax was imposed to Filipinos
[age of 18 to 60].
o They solicited donations from rich
Filipinos and Chinese.
o Armed forces were organized but it
was ill-trained and ill equipped
Gaceta de Filipinas [first called El
Heraldo de la Revolucion ]
newspaper of the Republic.
o La Independencia most famous of
private owned newspapers.
PHILIPPINE – AMERICAN WAR
ROOTS OF CONFLICT
Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation
-Announced in the Philippines on January 4,
1899.
-Through this proclamation, the US made
clear its intention of imposing its sovereignty
over the Philippines.
-In the same proclamation, General Elwell
Otis was named the commander of American
ground forces in the Philippines which was to
“extend by force American sovereignty over
this country.” On January 5, 1899, Aguinaldo
issued a counter proclamation.
Outbreak of War
-The tension between the Americans and the
Filipinos precipitated an inevitable war.
-On the night of February 4, 1899, an
American sentry, Private William W.
Grayson, with another soldier, encountered
three armed Filipinos in Silencio corner
Sociego St. in Sta Mesa, Manila. Recalling
the incident, Grayson said: About eight
o’clock, Miller and I were cautiously pacing
our district.
-We came to a fence and were trying to see
what the Filipinos were up to. Suddenly, near
at hand, on our left, there was a low but
unmistakable Filipino outpost signal whistle.
-It was immediately answered by a similar
whistle about twenty five yards to the right.
Then a red lantern flashed a signal from
blockhouse number 7. We had never seen
such a sign used before.
Filipino – American War Escalates
After the refusal of General Otis to end
hostilities, General Arthur MacArthur
ordered the advance of American troops
toward Filipino positions in Manila and the
suburbs.
-Regiments from Kansas and California
captured Santa Ana and Makati.
-Troops from Nebraska and Utah occupied
the San Juan Bridge
-Volunteers from Idaho and Washington
massacred hundreds of Filipinos who were
then trying to cross the Pasig River.
-The coastlines were pounded continuously
by Admiral Dewey’s naval guns capturing
Manila and the Suburbs.
--Major Jose Torres Bugallon one of the
bravest Filipino soldier; killed in the Battle of
La Loma.
-Caloocan fell to the Americans because they
were superior in arms.
-General Antonio Luna fought bravely but
were forced to retreat to Bulacan.
-American cruelty was clearly demonstrated
in their siege of Malabon as men, women,
and children in the area were killed by the
Americans.
-When reinforcements arrived in late
February and early March, 1899, Americans
advanced towards Bulacan, capturing other
towns on their way.
Assassination of Luna
-General Antonio Luna was the most brilliant
among the Filipino military officers. He had
one defect, he was short tempered.
-Aguinaldo recognized his brilliance and
appointed him to a high position in the army.
Luna saw that the army has no discipline.
-He tried to instill discipline in the army, but
the common soldiers particularly the Kawit
regiment did not like him for it. They refused
to take orders from him.
-When the Philippine American War broke
out, Luna was chief of the military zone that
included many provinces of Central Luzon.
-He made many enemies because of his short
temper. He slapped Felipe Buencamino ,
Aguinaldo’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs,
who disagreed with his (Luna’s) strong
opposition to any negotiation with the
Americans. He also slapped soldiers due to
their inefficiency or failure to meet his
standards.
-While he was in Bayambang , Pangasinan
inspecting the defenses against the advancing
Americans, he received a telegram from
Cabanatuan saying that he was wanted there.
-He went there with his aide, Colonel
Francisco Roman, and some soldiers. When
he reached Aguinaldo’s headquarters in
Cabanatuan on June 5, 1899 and did not find
Aguinaldo there, he got angry. Then he heard
a rifle shot, rushed downstairs, cursed the
soldiers, and slapped one of them.
-A captain named Pedrong Kastila from
Cavite, hacked Luna with a bolo.
-The other soldiers started hacking him as
well with their bolos, some even fired
gunshots at him. Luna drew his revolver but
fell outside the convent and died saying,
“Cowards! Assassins!”
-He died with more than forty wounds in his
body and head.
Battle of Pasong Tirad
-While fleeing the Americans, Aguinaldo
reached the Mountain Province. He ordered
his trusted general, Gregorio Del Pilar
( Goyong ; Boy General), to remain behind
as they continued to advance. Del Pilar was
to intercept the Americans who were tracking
them.
-This would give Aguinaldo sufficient time
to widen the distance between him and the
pursuing Americans.
-Del Pilar chose to delay the enemy at
Pasong Tirad , a narrow pass of 4,500 feet
high. There is only one trail leading to it.
-So narrow was the trail that only one man at
a time could climb. It was in this place that
Del Pilar and 60 loyal soldiers positioned
themselves.
-The American troops under Major Peyton
March pursued Aguinlado . In the morning of
December 2, March and his well-armed men
proceeded toward Del Pilar’s position.
-The Filipino troops guarding the narrow
pass fired at the Americans who had no
recourse but to retreat. They held off for
more than 5 hours.
Capture of Aguinaldo
-Aguinaldo was finally captured on March
23, 1901, in Palanan, Isabela Province, by
means of a trick planned by Brigadier
General Frederick Funston.
-A party of pro American Macabebe scouts
marched into Palanan pretending to be the
reinforcements that Aguinaldo was waiting
for.
-With the Macabebes were two former
Filipino army officers, Tal Placido and
Lazaro Segovia, who had surrendered to the
Americans, and five Americans, including
General Funston, who pretended to be
captives.
-Caught by surprise, Aguinaldo’s guards
were easily overpowered by the Macabebes
after a brief exchange of shots. Aguinaldo
was seized by Tal Placido and placed under
arrest by General Funston.

-He was brought to Manila and kept a

prisoner at Malacañang. There he was treated
by General MacArthur more as a guest than
as a prisoner.

- On April 1, 1901, convinced of the futility

of continuing the war, Aguinaldo swore
allegiance to the United States.

-On April 19, 1901, Aguinaldo issued a

proclamation calling on the Filipino people to
lay down their arms and accept American
rule.

-His capture signaled the death of the Frist

Philippine Republic but the war continued.

End of Filipino – American War

-On July 4, 1902, President Theodore

Roosevelt declared that the Philippine
American War, which Americans called the
Philippine insurrection, was over.

-He made the declaration after the Philippine

Commission reported to Roosevelt that the
recent “insurrection” in the Philippines was
over and a general and complete state of
peace existed.

-With the end of the war, the United States

started concentrating its attention and efforts
towards establishing the machinery for
governing the country as an American
colony. It took the United States more than
three years to defeat the army of the first
Philippine Republic.

-However, the outcome of the war was

undoubtedly in favor of the Americans
because of the tremendous military
advantages enjoyed by the United States.

-The US was superior in terms of the number

of enlisted men and officers it employed in
the struggle, together with the superior
weapons it used on Aguinaldo and his men.