The Early Filipino Revolts and The Propaganda
Movement
• Philippine Revolution - 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.
• After Cavite Mutiny – the condition of
Filipino worsens.
➢ The middle-class Filipinos go to
other countries to continue their
studies; they set up a group and
unite to fight for the Filipino
rights.
➢ They begin to launch a peaceful
campaign to ask for a reform
and change in the government
system from Spain – Kilusang
Propaganda or Propaganda
Movement, whose members
are called Reformists.
➢ Goals of the Propaganda:
▪ Equality among the
Filipino and Spaniards.
▪ To recognize the
Philippines as province
rather than colony.
▪ To have a Filipino
representative in
Spain’s government
body.
▪ To remove all the
Spanish priest in the
country and replaced
them with the Secular
Priest.
▪ To return the freedom
of the Filipinos such as
Freedom of Speech and
justice and others.
➢ 1902 – our fight against
Spaniards ended, where Spain
lost and ceded sovereignty of
the Philippines to the US.
Spanish Colonization of the Philippines
• Philippines was a colony of the Spanish
empire for more than 300 years.
• Spain gave natives a colonial
government to rule by the sword and
what was essentially a state religion,
Spanish Catholicism, which ruled by the
cross.
• Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, Martin de
Goiti and Juan de Salcedo – earliest
conquistadores.
➢ Carved out an island empire for
Spain that subsequent warrior-
administrators would expand
and build upon.
➢ The earliest land fall had been in
central Cebu, which Magellan
ha reached before his fatal
encounter with the Chiefttain of
Mactan.
➢ Legaspi chose the burgeoning
native citadel of Maynila (name
after the blossoming Nila –
flowering mangrove – plants at
the mouth of the great river
Pasig) as the seat of Spanish
power in the islands.
▪ Drive out Chieftain
Suleyman with the aid
of native auxiliaries.
▪ He remakes the Islamic
Malay kingdoms into a
Spanish catholic colony.
• Manila – the faithful and ever loyal city.
• The Asiatic jewel of Nueva Espanya
whose viceroyalty administered the
Asian colony.
• La Fuerza de Santiago (Fort Santiago) –
a wooden palisade wall gave way to
massive stone walls with bastions and a
fortress keep.
• Intramuros – called to the entire citadel.
• Trade – primarily with china.
• Galleon Trade – was primarily with
Acapulco and often had a singular
annual contact with the mother country.
• Spain retained a monopoly on trade
and fought several bitter wars with
marauding Chinese pirates (as well as
several bloody Chinese uprisings) as well
as the persistent Dutch whose raiding
and trading began with Oliver van
Noort’s dramatic circumnavigation of
the globe in 1600.
• The Spanish chief-justice Don Antonio
de Morga drove off van Noort in what
can only be described as a tragicomedy
of errors, the Dutch would continue to
raid Manila throughout the 17th century
leading to the founding of a naval-
themed religious feast day, La Naval de
Manila after two aging trade galleons
drove back several Dutch raiders and
‘saved’ the colony.
• Spain ruled the natives through a
system of divide and rule.
➢ Native rulers, known as
Principalia, were given key roles
in local administration,
becoming essentially glorified
tax-collectors, while rivalries
between native tribes were
exploited to ensure that no one
group of natives became
powerful enough to launch a
successful rebellion.
➢ Religion was an extremely
potent force as well and Spanish
clerics in the island soon became
not only key figures but
kingmakers in their own right.
➢ 1719 – feud between
churchmen under Archbishop of
Manila Francisco de la Cuesta
and the Governor General
Fernando Bustamante
escalated to the point where
(allegedly) priests leading an
angry mob stormed the
governor general’s palace and
murdered him and his son.
➢ Archbishop of Manila, Manuel
Rojo, was in charge when the
British Honorable East India
Company, fresh from its
conquest of India, set its greedy
eyes on the Philippines.
➢ 1762 - the British launched a
massive invasion of Luzon,
landing just south of the walled
city and capturing several solid
stone churches and taking the
city under siege.
➢ Archbishop Rojo exhorted the
people to resist with passionate
religious fervor but soon
discovered that religious fervor
was no substitute for disciplined
troops under decisive
leadership.
➢ The most determined
resistance was from Pampanga
natives under a leader called
Manalastas who assaulted the
British siege lines with little
more than machetes, bamboo
spears and bows-and-arrows,
and were paid rough tribute by
the British general who praised
their courage and described
them as having “died like
beasts, gnawing the bayonets”.
 ➢ British stormed Manila and
sacked it but were unable to
expand their territory thanks to
Spanish officers like Don Simon
de Anda, the junior oidor of the
Spanish colonial government,
the Real Audiencia, who
became the de facto leader of
the Spanish colonial
government following
Archbishop Rojo’s surrender
and capture, and loyal natives.
➢ 1763 - British abandoned their
claims to the archipelago.
➢ Anda - became the next
governor general.
• Local Uprisings:
➢ Francisco Dagohoy (whose
brother had been refused a
Christian burial and whose
subsequent rebellion lasted
more than a hundred years), a
leader known colloquially as
Palaris in north-central Luzon.
➢ The husband-and-wife team of
Diego and Gabriella Silang.
▪ One of the legendary
uprisings against Spain
and had, ironically,
began as a locally raised
militia under Diego for
service against the
British.
▪ Instead of being
grateful, the local
Spanish official threw
Diego into jail for
insurrection which led
to Diego rising up
against Spain instead.
▪ The Spanish officials
bribed Diego’s friend
Vicos to murder Diego,
which he did in due
course.
▪ Gabriella Silang then
took up the leadership
of the rebellion but was
unable to withstand
renewed Spanish efforts
against their
insurrection and she
and her leaders were
eventually hanged.
The Spanish Colonial Military Establishment
• Spanish-led native troops were the
backbone of the insular defense forces
against foreign invaders, native
insurrection and the ever-present threat
of Moro incursions.
• The Spanish- native infantry regiments
were known as Regimentos Fijos or
“Fixed Regiments” as they were
regiments for use only in the Philippine
colonies as well as the Carolinas.
▪ They were also called
“Indigenas” and continued the
numbering of regiments in Cuba
which ended in the 67th.
• The native regiments:
➢ 68th (Legaspi) Infantry
Regiment- named after the
conquistador who claimed the
Philippines for Spain, Don
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.
Headquartered in Jolo but
serving in the field in Luzon and
Mindanao with detachments in
the Carolinas and Paragua
Islands.
➢ 69th (Iberia) Infantry Regiment-
named after the Iberian
homeland. Headquartered in
Zamboanga and serving in
Luzon.
➢ 70th (Magallanes) Infantry
Regiment- perhaps the most
infamous native regiment it is
remembered to this day as the
unit which provided the firing
squad that executed Dr. Jose
Rizal. Named after the Spanish
explorer that discovered the
Philippines, Ferdinand de
Magallanes. The regiment was
part of the capital’s permanent
garrison and served mostly in
Luzon.
➢ 71st (Mindanao) Infantry
Regiment- named after the
large – and conflict-ridden –
island of Mindanao.
Headquartered at Iligan, serving
in the field in Luzon and
Mindanao.
➢ 72nd (Visayas) Infantry
Regiment- named after the
group of islands occupying the
central Philippines known
collectively as the Visayas.
Headquartered at Manila and
serving in Mindanao.
➢ 73rd (Jolo) Infantry Regiment-
named after the largely Muslim
southern islands, south of the
larger island of Mindanao,
whose neutralization was
considered a major Spanish
victory. Headquartered in
Manila and serving in Luzon and
Mindanao. This regiment
particularly distinguished itself
during the quelling of the Manila
uprising in August 1896.
➢ 74th (Manila) Infantry
Regiment- named after the
capital city, the “Faithful and
Ever-Loyal City”. Headquartered
in Manila and serving in Luzon
and Mindanao.
• The native infantry did most of the hard
fighting in Mindanao and during the
Tagalog Revolt, but it was the three
tercios of the paramilitary police force,
the Guardia Civil, which gained
legendary infamy thanks to their role as
the ‘muscle’ or ‘enforcers’ of the local
government officials and the friars but
particularly because of their portrayal in
this role in popular Revolutionary
literature, Rizal’s Noli Mi Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.
➢ The three tercios of Guardia
Civil paramilitary police (20th,
21st, and 22nd) along with one
infantry battalion and a
mounted troop of the elite
Guardia Civil Veteranas,
comprised the Guardia Civil
establishment.
➢ The 6th Mountain Artillery and
few calvaries – local defense
troops.
➢ Artillery Regiment de la Plaza –
for permanent defense in the
capital.
➢ There was also a disciplinary
battalion for suspected rebels
and mutineers and a regiment of
Marine Infantry.
➢ Between November 1896 and
February 1897 - the Spanish
government dispatched
numerous Expeditionary Rifle
Battalions, the dreaded
Cazadores, as reinforcements.
The Propaganda Movement and the Rise of the
Katipunan
• The continuing conflict in Spain between
Liberal and Conservation as well as the
opening of the Suez Canal meant new
ideas were spreading to the Philippines.
• Cavite Mutiny:
➢ A conflict between local
‘secular’ priests (those not
belonging to any religious order)
and those arrived from Spain
which were part of an order
coincided with a mutiny over
pay at the Spanish arsenal of
Cavite in 1872.
➢ The resulting “Cavite Mutiny”
was quickly put down and the
blame and responsibility shifted
to three particularly outspoken
and ‘troublesome priests’ –
Fathers Gomez, Burgos and
Zamora. The three were made
out to be the ringleaders of the
mutiny and executed by
garrotte.
➢ GOM-BUR-ZA as they became
known inspired widespread
indignation among the natives,
particularly the native educated
elite or ‘ilustrado’ class which
launched the Propaganda
Movement spearheaded by the
polymath Doctor Jose Rizal and
the publisher-propagandist
Marcelo H. Del Pilar. M.H. del
Pilar published the broadsheet
La Solidaridad which spoke
against Spanish colonial abuses
and Rizal wrote and published
two extremely incendiary novels
which even today shape the
Filipino consciousness – Noli Mi
Tangere (Touch me Not, taken
from the scene in the Garden of
Gethsemane between Christ
and Mary Magdalene), and El
Filibusterismo (the
Filibuster/Piratical Adventurer/
or its English title “the reign of
greed”).
➢ Rizal formed a gentleman’s
social organization La Liga
Filipina which counted among
its membership a young zealous
clerk who worked for a
European firm and had a passion
for learning and organizing,
Andres Bonifacio.
➢ The Spanish almost
immediately arrested Rizal and
exiled him to Dapitan in the
southern island of Mindanao.
Bonifacio then rallied many of
the La Liga Filipina members
along with family and friends
and with them formed The
Highest, Most Honorable
Society of the Children/Sons of
the Nation (Kataastaasan,
Kagalang-galangan, Katipunan
ng mga Anak ng Bayan).
Adopting a semi-Masonic
organization complete with
triangular recruiting, code
words, colored hoods and a
‘blood compact’ final initiation
ritual.
➢ The Katipunan, led by Bonifacio,
faced a shortage of firearms
despite rapid growth. A
disagreement with Aguinaldo
over weapons led to a rejected
plea to Rizal. Frustrated,
Bonifacio aimed for an uprising,
but before setting a date, the
Katipunan was discovered by
the Spaniards in August 1896,
 resulting in arrests by the
Guardia Civil.
➢ Undeterred, Bonifacio gathered
his followers and symbolically
rejected Spanish rule by tearing
up their government tax
document or Cedula. In
response to the spreading
rebellion, Spanish Governor
General Ramon Blanco y Erenas
declared martial law and
redirected forces from the
conflict in Mindanao to defend
Manila.
The First Battles
• Bonifacio initiated a complex plan to
capture Manila, involving cutting power
to signal rebel forces and seizing military
stores. Armed with bolos and bamboo
spears, his forces aimed to disguise
themselves in red pants to blend in with
a saint's feast day celebration. The plan,
however, was overly intricate.
• Lack of coordination and decisive action
at Polvorin forced the garrison to retreat
to El Deposito. Bonifacio's consultative
leadership hindered progress until a
relief force (mere 100 men of the 73rd
Jolo Infantry Regiment) under General
Echaluce y Jauregui arrived, driving off
the Katipuneros. Pursued to Santa Mesa
and the Pasig River, the Spanish inflicted
over 150 fatal casualties and captured
200-300 Katipuneros. Bonifacio's
reputation as a war leader was
significantly damaged by this defeat.
• Shortly after the San Juan del Monte
debacle, Emilio Aguinaldo of the
Magdalo Council overcame a local
garrison in Imus, Cavite. General Ernesto
de Aguirre led an expeditionary force to
suppress the rebellion, but Aguinaldo,
anticipating their approach, set up an
ambush near Zapote Bridge. Many of
Aguirre's men were killed, forcing
Aguinaldo to hide among the bodies.
Aguirre, returning to Manila for
reinforcements, allowed Aguinaldo to
plan a defensive strategy. Aguinaldo
fortified river banks, broke a stone
bridge, and created a kill-zone with
homemade weapons, including a
'lankata' cannon and a Winchester
repeater. Upon Aguirre's return, the
Katipunan army, strategically
positioned, inflicted significant
casualties as the Spanish column
struggled to cross the broken bridge.
• Aguinaldo executed the final blow by
leading a selected team downstream,
forming a human chain to cross and
attacking the wavering Spanish
formation on the flank. Overwhelmed,
the Spanish broke ranks and fled
through muddied fields, discarding their
arms. The Katipuneros pursued
ruthlessly, inducing terror in General
Aguirre, who fled the field, dropping his
command sabre. Aguinaldo seized the
saber, a Toledo steel blade marked 1869,
his birth year, remarking, "Lady Fortune
has been on my side."
The Time of the Tagalogs
• Because of the victory at Imus, more
recruits from other provinces feeling the
Juez de Cuchilo (Martial Law) imposed
by the government while other joined
out of patriotic fervor.
• Edilberto Evangelista – a young brilliant
engineering student.
➢ He builds line of trenches to
protect major Cavite Katipunan
strongholds.
• Governor General Blanco – gathered his
forces and launched them at the main
strongholds of the Cavite Katipunan, the
towns of Binakayan, Dalahican and
Noveleta.
• Colonial military stormed the churches
but Filipino in desperate engage in agaw-
araw raids in order to fight the Spanish
soldiers.
• Candido Tirona – Aguinaldo’s
bestfriend, was killed during the fighting
but the naval and artillery failed to break
the Filipinos.
• The Spaniards retreated with great
casualties, leaving the Cavite province
entirely in Filipino hands.
• Ang Panahon ng Tagalog or The Time of
the Tagalogs (Cavite) - it is the peaceful
interlude between the victorious battle
of Binakayan-Dalahican at the beginning
of November 1896 and the resumption
of the Spanish offensive in February
1897.
• Segundo cobo Camilo de Polavieja – the
person who replace Blanco, a ruthless
man who initiated a reign of terror of
arrests, torture, and execution of rebels
including the leaders captured at San
Juan Del Monte, wealthy Filipino patriots
suspected of supporting the Revolution,
and ultimately Dr. Jose Rizal.
• December 30, 1896 – Rizal was shot
after a sham-trial on the field of
Bagumbayan to the east of the walled
city (also called Luneta).
• Katipunan – had never been a unified
government but rather a confederacy of
closely allied councils or sanggunian.
• Spanish Guerillas fighting Napoleon –
there is no actual head of the rebellion
but rather many local groups need to be
dealt and quelled in turn.
• Republic of Kakarong (1896) – founded
by some members of Katipunan located
in Caracong of Sile, in the province of
Bulacan, building a fortress protected by
nearly 6000 men.
• January 2, 1897 – a column of 600
Spanish soldiers assaulted and occupied
the fortress and that was the end of
short-lived republic.
• Karakong de Sili – a splinter group of
revolutionaries under Eusebio Roque,
known as Maestro Sebio. It was able to
survive by the help of Blanco but it was
crushed by Palavieja with his fresh
troops.
• Magdiwang – under the powerful
Alvarez clan.
• Magdalo – under Aguinaldo clan.
• The two councils were in the midst of
friendly but rapidly souring rivalry. Both
agreed a centralized, top-down
command structure must replace the
consultative assembly structure of the
Katipunan.
The Bonifacio-Aguinaldo Conflict and the
Lachambre Steamroller
• Palavieja Troops – opened the campaign
with a massive two-pronged invasion
leading an assault directly south by way
of Zapote bridge with half of his force.
• General Jose Lachambre Troops –
swung around the eastern flank through
Laguna Province and move against the
Caviteno stronghold of Imus from the
southeast.
• Edilberto Evangelista – held a strategic
Zapote bridge and his troops killed of the
Spanish generals during the engagement
but it was a pyrrhic victory as Evangelista
himself was hit by a sniper and killed in
February 1879.
• Bonifacio’s sister was accused being a
priest’s whore
 • Bonifacio himself was accused as an
agent provocateur of the friars.
• Tejeros Election – Bonifacio failed to win
against Emilio Aguinaldo.
• Director of Interior – Bonifacio won the
position but Daniel Tirona insulted him,
pointing out that he’s lacks of
qualification for the job and suggested to
get a Caviteno lawyer instead.
• General Artemio Ricarte – elected as a
Capital General of the Revolutionary
Army restrained Bonifacio’s hand in
drawing a pistol, attempting to shoot
Daniel Tirona because of his
disagreement.
Dispute at Tejeros Election
• Bonifacio declared the entire convention
null and void.
• Acta de Tejeros – proclaiming loudly
that cheating had occurred and that
convention was void.
• Magdiwang – won in the elections” 7 to
9 electoral seats went to their officers;
only Emilio and Baldomero had won for
the Magdalo.
• Aguinaldo, having not attended the
convention, learned of his political
victory and refused to leave his post.
Meanwhile, Bonifacio, feeling defeated
and humiliated, allegedly conspired with
Capitan General Ricarte to prevent
Filipino reinforcements from reaching
the battlefield. Aguinaldo suggested that
this might imply an attempt to harm him
with Spanish bullets if relief did not
arrive. Despite the situation, Bonifacio's
brother Crispulo vowed to defend the
position until Emilio Aguinaldo returned
to take office, stating that it would only
happen over his dead body.
• Crispulo Aguinaldo - were wounded
multiple times during the fight at Pasong
Santol, and was cut down by a Spanish
rifle man.
• Naik Military Pact - Bonifacio attempted
to co- opt to Magdalo generals, Mariano
Noriel and Pio del Pilar, and form his own
military government.
• The breach of Filipino defenses during
the Cavite Rebellion shifted the tide
unfavorably. Bonifacio exacerbated the
situation by attempting to co-opt
Magdalo generals, Mariano Noriel and
Pio del Pilar, forming the Naik Military
Pact. This declaration placed all
revolutionary forces under Pio del Pilar's
command, advocating forcible
conscription into the 'true' revolutionary
army. Upon learning of this, Aguinaldo
intervened, bringing the generals back
into loyalty. Bonifacio, allegedly
assaulting the Magdiwang town of
Indang, demanded provisions for his
troops, leading to an alleged bandit-like
attack on the town. Rumors circulated
that Bonifacio had stolen the
revolutionary war chest for a pardon
from General Lachambre, prompting the
order for his arrest.
• In a violent clash between the Bonifacio
brothers and arresting troops led by
Colonel Agapito 'Yntong' Bonzon,
Colonel Jose Ignacio 'Yntsik' Paua, and
Colonel Tomas Mascardo, Bonifacio and
one brother were injured, and another
brother was killed. Subsequently,
Bonifacio faced trial before a Consejo de
Guerra established by the new
revolutionary government, where he
was found guilty and sentenced to
death.
• Despite the newly elected president's
inclination to commute Bonifacio's
death sentence to exile, strong
opposition, particularly from generals
Mariano Noriel and Pio del Pilar, led to
 Aguinaldo reluctantly signing the death
warrant. Bonifacio, the former Supremo
of the Katipunan, who had transformed
Rizal's dream of revolution into a harsh
reality, was executed by firing squad
under the command of Major Lazaro
Makapagal.
Biak na Bato and the Exile
Enter America Exeunt Hispania
• Aguinaldo was compelled to escape
Cavite, moving north beyond Manila to
Bulacan province, where he joined
revolutionary generals engaged in
combat against the Spaniards in Central
Luzon. Simultaneously, Polavieja,
fatigued from the fighting, requested
and received relief. Capitan General
Fernando Primo de Rivera took his place,
accompanied by his nephew Miguel,
who would eventually become the
dictator of Spain before Francisco
Franco.
• Primo de Rivera discovered that despite
the loss in Cavite, Filipinos remained
resilient, and the confederacy structure
of the rebellion prevented a complete
collapse. In central Luzon, generals
united to defeat Primo de Rivera's
troops at Aliaga, while Aguinaldo sought
refuge in the mountain fortress of Biak
na Bato. Spain's refusal to sustain
support for the war in the Philippines
added to Primo de Rivera's challenges,
as Spain was already dealing with two
rebellions on opposite sides of the globe
and sought a swift resolution to the
Philippine rebellion.
• Initially reluctant, Aguinaldo was
eventually convinced to negotiate with
Primo de Rivera's emissaries, leading to
the signing of the Biak na Bato peace
treaty. According to the agreement,
Spain would pay a substantial sum to
Aguinaldo and his key leaders for them
to go into exile. The remaining rebel
generals also received a portion of the
money, coupled with promises of
reforms and restitution by Spain. To
guarantee compliance, Colonel Miguel
Primo de Rivera served as the Spanish
government's official "hostage."
• After the American victory at Manila
Bay, Aguinaldo returned to the
Philippines on an American warship,
sparking a widespread uprising by native
rebels. Exploiting the weakened and
unsupported Spanish garrisons, rebels
quickly overwhelmed them across the
archipelago. Spanish forces in Cavite
were defeated at the Battle of Alapan,
marked by the unfurling of the newly
designed Philippine flag. To the surprise
of Dewey and the Spanish
administration, Aguinaldo successfully
secured most of Luzon and the Visayas,
with only small hold-out garrisons
remaining in Baler, Zamboanga, and
Manila.
• Governor General Fermin Jaudenes –
negotiated secretly with the American
military commandeers to fight a mock
battle which would save Spanish honor
then give the Americans the victory they
wanted, provided the Filipinos were left
out in the cold – the Americans agreed.
• August 13, 1898 – blue-shirted line of
American infantrymen climbed out of
their trenches and moved against
Spanish defenders.
• The “three hundred years in a convent”
had ended for the natives, replaced by
“fifty years of Hollywood”.
• Treaty of Paris – refers to the agreement
signed on December 10, 1898, that
 officially ended the Spanish-American
War. The treaty was negotiated and
signed in Paris, France, between the
United States and Spain which sold the
islands to America for $20-million.
• The Benevolent Assimilation
proclamation signaled America's intent
to stay in the Philippines, dispelling
hopes that the anti-war movement
could prevent the U.S. Congress from
ratifying the Treaty of Paris, which sold
the islands to the U.S. for $20 million.
Hostilities erupted between February 4
and 5, 1899, marking the start of a
bloody counterinsurgency war. Filipinos,
along with some Spaniards, faced a
formidable adversary, and the
Philippine-American War became
America's first significant overseas war
of attrition.
The Katipunan or Revolutionary Army
• The Katipunan troops were essentially a
clan/tribal force centering around the
local council and its officers.
• Bodyguard troops – these would be the
family and close friends/servants of the
leader and would have a higher level of
toughness and more access to firearms,
particularly as the revolution
progressed.
• Katipuneros – these would be the
conscript troops armed with bamboo
spears, bows & arrows and the
ubiquitous machete. There might be a
few pistols among them.
• Sandatahanes – (literally Swordbearers)
these would be tough and fanatical bolo
armed shock troops, effective at close
quarters against the enemy. An upgrade
from Katipuneros.
• Kawal - (literally Soldiers) these would
be conscript troops who had been issued
captured enemy rifles. Not very effective
except at fairly close range where even
they cannot miss. An upgrade from
Katipuneros.
• Veteranas – (literally Veterans) these
would be leader types who had deserted
from the Spanish Colonial Army. These
would have limited training capacity to
improve Kawal class troops rifle skills.
• Tiradores - (literally Sharpshooters)
these would be Kawal troops that had
been upgraded by training with
Veteranas leadership. Fairly effective at
close to middle range. An upgrade from
Kawal.
• Commandante - (Major) a mid-grade
field officer capable of leading men into
battle. Having been promoted up from
Teniente, he would be fairly
experienced.
• Colonel – (Colonel) a high-grade field
officer capable of leading men into
battle. Some colonels gained rank
through experience but most, like most
of the self-proclaimed generals owed
their rank to political connections and
recruitment abilities. Randomly
indifferent leadership.
• Daniel Tirona of Tejeros Convention
infamy - in charge of a cartridge recovery
program.
• Aguinaldo integrated Katipunan forces,
seen in Spanish uniforms, during the war
against the Americans. The Filipino flag
with the Sun emblem evolved from
Katipunan flags was visible. General Jose
Ignacio Paua operated an artillery
foundry producing small cannons called
'lankata.' Historical evidence suggests
Magdiwang troops wore black uniforms,
while Magdalo troops mimicked the
Spanish mil-raya uniform. The era was
marked by decentralized warlord rule,
with local councils largely autonomous.
 Katipuneros lacked uniformity, wearing
civilian clothes or captured Spanish
uniforms. Most photos show white or
rayadillo jackets with side-slits for
weapons.
The 1896 Philippine Revolution, The American
Occupation, and The Suppression of Filipino
Nationalism
• Causes of the 1896 revolution:
➢ The abuses of Spanish officials
and priests.
➢ Persecution of Filipino leaders
who defended the rights of their
fellow countrymen.
➢ Filipinos’ desire to regain their
independence.
➢ Discovery of the Katipunan and
Bonifacio’s call for revolution.
• August 23, 1896 – Cry of the Pugad
Lawin
➢ The revolution began with
Bonifacio and his men tearing up
their cedulas. A valiant
Katipunero, Simplicio Acabe,
became the first casualty of the
revolution.
• August 30, 1896 – Battle of the San Juan
and Battle of Pinaglabanan
➢ Bonifacio and his under-
equipped Katipuneros launched
an attack on the San Juan
polverin, defended by 100
skilled soldiers. Despite their
disadvantage, over 200
Katipuneros were captured, and
153 lost their lives.
Simultaneously, various
locations in Manila and Cavite
witnessed uprisings, indicating a
coordinated rebellion against
the existing authority.
• August 30, 1896 – Martial Law
Proclaimed
➢ In the afternoon of August 30,
afternoon of the morning battle
at San Juan, Governor General
Blanco issued a proclamation
declaring a state of war on eight
Luzon provinces -- Manila,
Cavite, Laguna, Batangas,
Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija
and Tarlac.
• August 31, 1896 – Kawit Revolt
Liberation of Noveleta
➢ In Cavite, the uprisings were
more successful, because they
Kawit Revolt Liberation of had
able military commanders like
Emilio Aguinaldo who led and
Mariano Alvarez who liberated
Noveleta on the same day.
Other military leaders rose to
prominence, notably Artemio
Ricarte, Tomas Mascardo, Juan
Cailles, Vito Belarmino, Mariano
Trias and Marcelino Aure.
• September 2, 1896 – Cry of Neva Ecija
➢ In Nueva Ecija, around two
thousand revolutionaries led by
General Mariano Llanera, the
municipal captain of Cabiao,
launched a flamboyant attack on
the Spanish Garrison in San
Isidro on September 2. Adorned
with red ribbons, the
revolutionaries paraded
through the streets
accompanied by music before
engaging in the assault. Armed
with bolos and pointed sticks,
they held the town for three
days but eventually retreated
after a fierce battle against
reinforcements of fresh Spanish
troops.
• September 5, 1896 – Battle of Imus
➢ Emilio Aguinaldo, mayor of
Kawit, was then known as
Capitan Miong. He won a signal
victory in Imus on September 5,
1896 against the forces if
General Ernesto Aguirre. From
then on, hebecame General
Miong, the hero of the
Caviteños.
• September 6, 1896 - The four Katipunan
leaders taken prisoner in the Battle of
San Juan -- Sancho Valenzuela, Ramon
Peralta, Modest Sarmiento, and Eugenio
Silvestre -- were executed by a firing
squad at the Luneta, Manila.
• September 12, 1896 - Thirteen martyrs
of Cavite were executed in front of San
Felipe Fort in the Cavite arsenal.
• November 9-11, 1896 - Battle of
Binakayan and Battle of Dalahican
➢ The twin battles in Binakayan (a
barrio in Kawit) and Dalahican
(then a barrio of Noveleta) were
decidedly brilliant. They were
the first humiliating defeat of
the Spanish army.
• December 5, 1896 - the Christian-
Filipino soldiers of the 2nd Company,
Regiment No. 69, having learned of the
raging revolution in Luzon, mutinied
under the leadership of Corporal Felipe
Cabrera de los Reyes and Bugler Protasio
Añonuevo. The mutiny was suppressed
and both Cabrera and Añonuevo and five
comrades were executed on December
26.
The American Occupation, Rule, Colonial
Policy
• Reasons of uniqueness of American
Colonial Policy:
➢ The Americans said they would
go as soon as the Filipinos could
stand on their own as a free
nation. From the beginning,
American officials did not want
to hold on to the Philippines as a
colony forever.
➢ The Americans were kinder and
more generous than other
colonial powers of the same era
(Germany, Netherlands, France
or Britain). The American shared
power with the Filipinos in
government.
➢ The Filipinos adopted American
ways very well. No other former
colony like its other country as
much as the Filipinos liked the
United States.
• American Colonial Government:
➢ Military government (August
14, 1898 – July 4, 1901) - this
government was run by military
generals appointed by the
American president. There were
three military governors: Gen.
Wesley Merritt; Gen. Elwell Otis;
and Gen. Arthur McArthur.
➢ Civil government (July 4, 1901-
August 1902) - this government
was run by American civilian
officials appointed by the
American president. But later it
was run by Filipino officials
elected by Filipinos.
• Civilian Governments:
➢ The Philippine Commission
 ➢ The American Governor-General
together with the Filipino
people
➢ The Commonwealth of the
Philippines.
War of Philippine Independence from the
United States
• Manifest Destiny
➢ Benevolent Assimilation
Proclamation issued on Dec. 21,
1898 – the US shall exercise
sovereignty over the entire
archipelago.
➢ Aguinaldo issued a counter-
proclamation on January 5,
1899.
• January 20, 1899 - Pres. McKinley
appointed the First Philippine
Commission to make recommendations
in the administration of the country; this
commission was headed by Dr. Jacob
Schurman.
• February 4, 1899 - Private Willie Grayson
shot and killed a Filipino soldier. This
event triggered the Philippine-American
War (1899-1906).
• Bates Treaty – signed by John Bates and
Sultan Jamalul Kiram II of Sulu on August
20, 1899. The Muslims remained neutral
in the war.
• February 5, 1899 – the American fleet
bombarded the Filipinos fort north of
San Juan del Monte killing Major. Jose
Torres Bugallion.
• February 22, 1899 – Antonio Luna
burned American occupied houses in
Tondo and Binondo.
➢ Gen. MacArthur and his troops
arrived from the US; they aimed
to capture Malolos.
• March 31, 1898 – Malolos was captured.
• March 6, 1898 - Apolinario Mabini met
with the Schurman Commission to
request for a cease-fire but he was
refused.
➢ Mabini resigned in the
Aguinaldo cabinet and was
replaced by Pedro A. Paterno as
the head of the new cabinet
―Peace Cabinet headed by
Felipe Buencamino negotiated
peace with the Americans.
➢ Antonio Luna met a tragic death.
• October 12, 1898 – a full-scale offensive
was launched to capture Pres.
Aguinaldo.
➢ Gregorio del Pilar defended
Tirad Pass.
➢ Januario Galut guided the
Americans in Tirad pass which
led to the death of del Pilar.
➢ The whereabouts of Aguinaldo
was discovered; Gen. Funston
employed the Macabebe scouts
to capture Aguinaldo.
• April 9, 1898 – Aguinaldo took the oath
of allegiance to the United States.
➢ Pacificados (Pacifists) led by
Pedro Paterno and Felipe
Buencamino which later became
Partido Federal headed by
Trinidad Pardo de Tavera
wanted to make the Philippines
a part of the US.
• July 02, 1902 – Pres. Theodore Roosevelt
declared that the Philippine-American
War was over.
A Government Under America
• Timeline:
➢ Philippine Bill (1902)
➢ Philippine Assembly (1907)
➢ Jones Law (1916)
➢ OSROX Mission (1931)
 ➢ Hare-Hawes Cutting Law (1932)
➢ Tydings McDuffie Law (1934)
➢ Constitutional Convention
(1935)
➢ Philippine Commonwealth
(1935-1945)
• March 16, 1899 – Pres. McKinley
appointed the Taft Commission and gave
it legislative and executive power to put
up a civilian government.
• July 4, 1901 – Judge William Howard Taft
became the first civil governor. His policy
―Philippines for Filipinos laid the
foundation of a democratic government.
• Taft’s Achievements:
➢ The sale of huge tracts of friar
lands to Filipinos on installment
terms.
➢ Cooper Act/Philippine Organic
Act of 1902 – extends the US Bill
of Rights to Filipinos.
➢ First official census was held on
March 2, 1899.
• Other Political Parties:
➢ These parties were organized to
counteract the pro-American
activities of the Partido Federal.
They were Partido Nacionalista,
Partido Independencia, Partido
Democrata, and Partido
Conservador.
➢ Gen. Vicente Lukban ambushed
American soldiers in Balangiga,
Samar.
➢ Gen. Jacob Smith ordered the
massacre of all men and children
about ten years of age.
General Miguel Malvar
continued to fight for Philippine
independence. He surrendered
to the Americans on April 16,
1902.
• Anti-nationalist Laws:
➢ Sedition Law – imposed death
penalty or long prison term to
those who advocated
separation form the US even
through peaceful means.
➢ Brigandage Act – punished with
death or with a prison term of
not less than 20 years for
members of an armed band.
➢ Reconcentration Act – this gave
the governor general the power
to authorize any provincial
governor to reconcentrate in the
towns all residents outlying
barrios if outlaws operated in
these areas.
➢ Flag Law – prohibited the
display of Philippine flag and
other symbols used by the
resistance against the US.
How the Filipinos carried on their fight for
freedom?
• Theater and literature.
• Peasant revolts and the Communist
Party of the Philippines.
• Peaceful pressure by the Filipino
politicians ending in the establishment
of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
in 1935.
Arts and Literature Resistance
• American authorities enacted “Sedition
Law” in 1901. Any Filipino advocating
independence or separation from the
United States would be punished
severely by death or imprisonment.
• Plays and drama’s advocating
independence were labeled “seditious
plays”
 • Filipinos employed a variety of
subterfuges: allegorical verses,
talinhaga, double-meanings, etc.
Tanikalang Ginto
• Juan Abad’s “Tanikalang Ginto” first
produced on July 7, 1902 and banned on
May 10, 1903 after performance in
Batangas and was fined $2,000. (The
supreme court later on reversed the
decision.)
• The play follows Liwanag, symbolizing a
post-Spanish Philippines, engaged to
Kulayaw, a hero representing freedom
fighters. Liwanag's adopted father,
Maimbot (symbolizing the U.S.), initially
approves but later tries to bribe her to
abandon Kulayaw. Despite his efforts,
tragic events unfold: Nagtapon, a symbol
of collaborators, kills Liwanag. Diwa,
representing the spirit of struggle, takes
Liwanag to heaven, promising her return
to Kulayaw after circling the universe.
The play ends with Nagtapon possessed
by demons and Kulayaw crowned by
spirits after an emotional speech.
Other Dramatists
• Aurelio Tolentino – master of
subterfuge; was able to weave in the
national anthem and the flag in his plays.
➢ He wrote, directed and played
the lead in “Kahapon, Ngayon at
Bukas.”
➢ He was arrested 9 times and
sentenced to life imprisonment.
His sentence was later on
reduced to 15 years.
➢ He also wrote poems, short
stories, sarswelas, essays,
editorials in Tagalog, Spanish
and Pampango.
➢ He fought in Bicol during the Fil-
Am war.
➢ The play delved on intense love
of country exposing foreign
economic control, and a call for
armed struggle.
• Hindi Aco Patay (I am not Dead) by Juan
Matapang Cruz - was closed on May 8,
1903 at Teatro Neuva Luna in Malabon.
➢ The red sun on the Katipunan
flag that rose behind the stage
caused the riot inside the
theater.
➢ Cruz was arrested and later
imprisoned, which he served in
full.
Resistance Groups
• General Lucio San Miguel – Rizal and
Bulacan; they were captured on March
28, 1903 after some Philippine Scouts
discovered his headquarters in Caloocan
and Marikina.
• Macario Sakay, Julian Montalan, and
Cornelio Felizardo - established in
Philippine Republic or the Tagalog
Republic which was the continuation of
the Bonifacio Katipunan.
• General Simeon Olas - was the last
revolutionary general to surrender to
the Americans on September 25, 1903.
Ola took the oath of allegiance to the
United States. They surrendered to the
Americans to save the people from
brutality and hunger.
• The Colorums:
➢ They were the remnants of
Hermano Pule’s Cofradia de San
Jose.
➢ During the American
occupation, the term colorum
was used by the authorities to
 refer to rebel organizations with
mystical characteristics.
➢ In Tarlac, the colorums
worshipped Jose Rizal and Apo
Ipe Salvador.
• Pedro Kabola – he founded a secret
society called Kapisanan Makabola
Makarinag (1923).
➢ They planned to assault the
municipal building of San Jose,
Nueva Ecija and execute all the
town officials, equally divide the
land among the masses, and
expel the Americans from the
country.
• Pedro Calosa – he organized a colorum
group in 1929.
➢ He and his group marched in
Tayug, Pangasinan to spark a
revolution. But he was captured.
➢ He said that many of the
colorum members were tenants
who were ejected by
hacienderos or small farmers
deprived of their lands by land
grabbers.
The First Labor Groups
• Isabelo de los Reyes – organized the first
labor union, the Union de Litografos e
Impresores de Filipinas, in January 1902.
➢ After its founding, the members
decided to reorganize
themselves into the Union
Oberera Democratica, with its
organ La Redencion del Obrero.
• Lope K. Santos – became the leader of
U.O.D.
• May 1, 1903 – Labor Day was first
officially celebrated in the country.
• Congreso Obrero de Filipinas –
approved the resolutions demanding
eight-hour Labor Day, child and women
labor laws, and an employer’s liability
law.
• Vicente Sotto – established Asamblea
Obrero which he used to support his
candidacy.
• Joaquin Balmori – founded the
Federacion del Trabaho to support the
Democratic party while Congreso
Obrero del Filipinas backed the
Nationalista Party candidates.
• Union ng Magsasaka – formed in 1917
to fight the evils of tenancy and usury.
• Partido Obrero de Filipinas – founded by
Crisanto Evangelista, Domingo Ponce,
and Cirilo Bognot in 1924. Its platform
showed a strong Marxist influence.
The Communist Party of the Philippines
• Crisanto Evangelista – established the
Katipunan ng mga Anak-pawis ng
Pilipinas or KAP.
• KAP – wanted unity among workers,
peasants and the exploited masses. It
advocated struggle against America
imperialism in the Philippines,
immediate and complete independence
of the country, unity among
revolutionary movements all over the
world, and an establishment of a Soviet
system in the Philippines.
• Antonio Ora - was arrested and died
reportedly due to an accident while
being taken to prison.
• The CCP members were skeptical about
it and they staged a demonstration on
January 25, 1931.
• Evangelista and other CCP leaders were
arrested and imprisoned.
• The Supreme Court declared the CCP an
illegal organization on October 26, 1932.
Sakdal Uprising
• The Sakdalista (coming from the Tagalog
word sakdal, meaning "to accuse")
movement was founded in 1930 by a
right-wing leader, Benigno Ramos, a
writer and discontented former
government clerk. The name of the
movement was based on Émile Zolas
1898 letter criticizing the French
government, Jaccuse.
• Sakdal began as a fortnightly populist
tabloid, with articles tackling issues
which were of interest to the Philippine
masses: corruption and
mismanagement under the American-
sponsored Nacionalista administration,
immediate independence for the
Philippines, and the land reform
problem.
• Investigators concluded that the motive
behind the uprising was the worsening
economic condition.
• The elite bitterly criticized the uprising;
MLQ called its leader (Benigno Ramos)
“and irresponsible and crafty
demagogue.”
• Colonial authorities and media
described the Sakdalistas “astonighingly
ignorant,” “economically helpless,”
“victims of the local cacique,” and “the
remorseless usurers.”
What they believe in Sakdal?
• They believe that the country’s God-
given riches was controlled by the
Catholic church, foreigners and a few
rich Filipinos.
• They see politicians’ lack of will to
achieve independence.
• This task should not be left to those who
had lost the ability to suffer and work
hard for the sake of the country.
• They are living examples of honor, being
oppressed and poor, and possessing
pure hearts capable of humility,
compassion and sacrifice.
• They emulate the life of Jesus Christ and
the hero’s of 1896 revolution
particularly Jose Rizal.
• They considered their work as a mission
with a heavy cross to be borne.
• Upon occupying the municipal building,
they destroyed the stars and stripes;
there was no looting or burning.
• They confiscated pistols and issued
receipt; they fed the passengers of the
buses they stopped.
• They did this because of their belief that
they must be honorable, true
representatives of the people and heirs
of the 1896 struggle for independence.
• They want to show the world they are
not accepting passively the terms of
American colonialism.
• Political and economic freedom cannot
be fully realized if their souls remained
subjects to alien rule.
• Sakdal uprising may be a failure in the
eyes of the outsiders, but to insiders,
they were able to show the true
meaning of being Sakdalistas: to be
honorable though poor, to know how to
sacrifice, and to live and die with dignity.
• May 2, 1935 – 150 peasants marched to
the municipal hall of San Ildefonso,
Bulacan and hauled down the American
and Philippine flags and raised the red
Sakdal flag. Fifty-
• seven peasants were killed, hundreds
were wounded, and others were
imprisoned. Benigno Ramos who was in
Japan denied his involvement on the
May 2 incident. Many peasants
withdrew their support for Ramos.
Economic Progress Under America
• In the beginning, American policy was
unselfish. The Philippine Bill of 1902
declared that all public lands and natural
resources were for “the benefit of the
inhabitants.” This pro- Filipino policy was
repeated in the Jones Law of 1916 and
Tydings- McDuffie Law of 1934.
• Some American officials gave better
treatment to Americans doing business
or working in the Philippines.
• The economy then was developed
largely by American and pro- American
Filipinos.
New Prosperity of the Philippines as A Colony of
America
• Population explosion.
• New land policy.
• Friar lands were resold to Filipino
farmers.
• Homestead Act (1924) allowed Filipinos
to own up to 24 hectares of public land.
• All lands had to be registered, and their
owners got the Torrens title.
Agricultural Increase
• In 1903, the American Congress sent
$3M emergency fund to import rice and
carabao from other Asian country.
Free Trade with America
• Philippine products (copra, sugar, cigars,
hemp, etc.) were sold to the Americans
while American products (cars, radios,
appliances, cigarettes, etc.) were bought
by Filipinos.
• Under the free trade agreement, Filipino
products entered the United States
without paying custom tariffs. There was
a limit or quota to the amount of tax-free
Filipino products – American products
could also enter the Philippines without
paying custom tariffs, but they were not
limited by quotas.
• Business boom – retail trade inside the
Philippines doubled from 1907-1935.
Filipinos had more money to buy food,
shoes, clothes, radios, toys, bicycles, and
even cars. However, the Filipinos liked to
buy more imported goods.
• New industries – The Philippines entered
the Industrial Age (which favored the use
of machines and the mass production of
goods in big factories) – Mining and
fishing became big industries –
Household cottage industries boomed –
The Americans developed the coconut
and hemp industries and they took over
the sugar and tobacco industries.
• Improvement in transportation and
communication – The Filipinos enjoyed
the automobile, electric street car
(tranvia), roads and railroads, postal
services, airplane, telephone, wireless
telegraph, radio, and movies.
• Better budget – the Philippine budget
was balanced even during the Great
World Depression in the 1930’s.
• In the 1930’s, other governments
including the U.S. itself had huge deficit
and problems but the Philippine’s
colonial budge had a surplus.
– New banks.
– International exhibitions and
meetings.
Economic Problems
• We sold our raw materials cheap and
bought expensive manufactured goods
from America. We did not develop our
own industries enough because we were
spoiled by the free trade with America.
 • Colonial mentality became worse. We
wrongly thought
imported/American products were high
class. It was bad because we forgot to
develop our native product.
• Labor and peasant unrest spread in the
1920’s and 1930’s. Many strikes in the
cities and violent revolts in the provinces
were caused by radical groups like the
Communist Party of the Philippines.
• American capitalists and businessmen
controlled the new companies. Some of
these American businessmen came to
the Philippines as soldiers or
government officials. They used their
connections in the colonial government
to become millionaires in a short time.
For example, by 1935 American
companies controlled 335 of the sugar
industries, 53% of hemp, and 60% of
copra. They also controlled the utilities,
railroads, shipping, radio
newspapers.
Summary
• The Katipunan, established on July 7,
1892, aimed for the Philippines'
complete separation from Spain through
radical means. Andres Bonifacio, known
as the "Father of the Revolution,"
envisioned a liberated nation free from
colonial abuse. Internal issues led to
factionalism within the Katipunan,
culminating in the Tejeros Convention's
division in 1897. Bonifacio and his
brother were subsequently arrested and
executed. Despite opposition, the
declaration of independence on June 12,
1898, signaled the Filipinos' assertion of
independence.
• The Philippines, along with Cuba and
Puerto Rico, was acquired by the United
States through the Treaty of Paris,
ending the Spanish-American War.
that Justifications for annexation included
economic, political, and ideological
motives such as the white man's burden
and manifest destiny. President
McKinley's plans faced opposition from
the Anti-imperialist League.
• Tensions escalated after the Treaty of
Paris's ratification and McKinley's
Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation.
The San Juan Bridge incident triggered
the Philippine-American War in 1899.
Emilio Aguinaldo's surrender in 1901
officially ended the war, but Filipino
resistance persisted until 1910.
• Post-war, the United States colonial
government aimed to strengthen
control through legislation, including the
Sedition Law, Brigandage Law, Flag Law,
and and Libel Law. These measures
suppressed native resistance, marking
an era of stifled nationalism.
Japanese Occupation in the Philippines
• 1939 – European war expanded to
Second World War.
• 1940 – Japanese occupied rich Dutch
and British possessions in Southeast
Asia.
• United States Armed Force of the Far
East - Philippine reserve and regular
forces who was incorporated into the US
Army under the command of Gen.
Douglas MacArthur.
Philippines Prepare for a War
• Military training for youth was
intensified.
• First aid courses were given in all schools
and social clubs.
• Evacuation centers were established and
air aid drills were conducted in Manila
and other cities.
• July 26, 1941 – MacArthur (Military
Adviser to the Commonwealth
Government), was called back to active
service by President Roosevelt.
• 100,000 Filipino soldiers – were
inducted into this command whom he
had trained in modern warfare.
Outbreak of the War
• Pacific – become an arena of global war.
• December 8, 1941 – Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor, mightiest US Naval base in
Hawaii at exactly 2:30 AM (American
time, 7:55 AM of December 7, 1941).
• Japanese air squadrons swept
Philippine skies:
➢ Davao City at 6:30 AM
➢ Tuguegarao, Baguio, Iba
(Zambales), Tarlac and Clark
Field were subsequently raided.
➢ Enemy air attacks were most
destructive at Clark Field, where
the American Air Force was
blasted on the ground.
• Before sunrise of December 9 - the city
of Manila experienced wartime air raid.
Japanese Invasions
• December 10, 1941: Landed at Aparri
and Vigan in Northern Luzon.
• December 11, 1941: Legazpi in Southern
Luzon.
• December 20, 1941: Landed in Davao
• December 22, 1941: Main Japanese
Force landed in Lingayen under Lt.
Masaharu Homma.
• December 26, 1941: Bombed Iloilo City.
• Gen. Douglas MacArthur could not stop
the enemy landings because his Air
Force had been destroyed on the first
day of the war and he lacked naval
support after the withdrawal of Admiral
Thomas Hart’s fleet to the south.
• General Homma’s forces were closing in
on Manila in a pincer movement from
the north and south. Realizing the futility
of defending Manila, MacArthur ordered
the transfer of valuable military
supplies to Corregidor and Bataan and
those that could not be moved were
destroyed.
• December 23, 1941: General MacArthur
put into effect the secret military plan,
WPO-3 (War Plan Orange-3) which
provided the withdrawal of all USAFFE
forces to Bataan peninsula, last stand
against the enemy. Hence, Northern
USAFFE army under Gen. Jonathan M.
Wainwright and Southern army under
Gen. Albert M. Jones began to retreat to
Bataan.
• December 24, 1941: Quezon,
accompanied by his family and War
Cabinet, moved to Corregidor, where
the Commonwealth Government was
transferred. He left Secretary Jorge B.
Vargas, Justice Jose P. Laurel and other
top officials to look after the people’s
welfare.
• December 26, 1941: General MacArthur
proclaimed Manila as an “Open City” in
order to save it and its inhabitants from
the ravages of the war.
• December 30, 1941: 2nd inaugural
ceremonies of the Commonwealth were
held. Outside the tunnel of Corregidor,
Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos
 administered the oath of office to
President Quezon and Vice-President
Osmeña.
• January 2, 1942: Japanese invaders
entered Manila.
• February 20, 1942: Quezon and
company left Corregidor by submarine.
Successfully slipped through the
Japanese blockade and reached Panay,
he and his party went to Negros, then to
Mindanao and reached Australia by
plane. After a brief rest, he reached San
Francisco on May 8, 1942 to
Washington.
Fall of Bataan and Corregidor
• Europe-First Policy: agreed by US and
Great Britain but had demoralization
effect on Bataan defenders, for without
arms, ammunition and food USAFE was
about disintegrate under the pressure of
continued enemy attacks.
• March 11, 1942 – MacArthur, his family
and staff left Corregidor and escaped
Australia.
• March 17, 1942 – after landing at
Bachelor Field, he told “I came through
and I shall return.”
• General Jonathan Wainwright –
succeeded MacArthur as commander of
USAFFE to USIP (United States Forces in
the Philippines) in Corregidor.
• April 3, 1942 – General Homma
unleashed the full fury of an all-about
Japanese offensive in Bataan.
• April 9, 1942 – General Edward King,
commander of Bataan forces,
surrendered 76,000 USAFFE forces
including 6,600 Filipino forces.
• April 10, 1942 – INFAMOUS DEATH
MARCH; surrendered Filipino-American
Troops were forced to march five days
from Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando,
Pampanga and transported by railway to
concentration camp in Capas, Tarlac,
56,000 survivors and 27,000 died.
• May 6, 1942 – the full complete fall of
Philippines to Japanese command as
Corregidor fell. Nearly 12,000 Fil-Am
soldiers were taken as prisoner.
Japanese Military Administration
• January 3, 1942 – Gen. Homma created
the military administration for
supervising the political, economic, and
cultural affairs of the conquered land,
headed by a Director General.
• Puppet Government – composed of
prominent Filipinos.
• January 8, 1942 – ordered Jorge Vargas,
the Mayor of City of Greater Manila to
organize the administrative constitution
as soon as possible.
▪ The Philippine Executive
Commission was established by
the Japanese High Command,
composed of Mr. Vargas, as
Chairman with other 6 Filipino
department secretary: Benigno
S. Aquino (Commissioner of
Interior), Antonio de las Alas
(Finance), Jose P. Laurel
(Justice), Rafael Alunan
(Agriculture and Commerce),
Claro M. Recto (Education,
Health, and Public Welfare), and
Quintin Paredes (Public Works
and Communication).
• January 21, 1941 – Premier Hideki Tojo
addressed before the Japanese Imperial
Diet said “Japan will gladly grant the
Philippines its independence so long as
it cooperates and recognizes Japan’s
program of establishing a Greater East
Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.”
Second Republic
• June 19, 1943 – KALIBAPI, only political
party that time, held a convention and
elected 20 members of Preparatory
Commission for Philippine
Independence (PCPI, Please Cancel
Philippine Independence) as in charge
constitution for the forthcoming
‘Republic.’
• September 4, 1943 – constitution was
brought to public.
• September 7, 1943 – ratification of
Japanese-sponsored Constitution
(Preamble and twelve articles).
• October 14, 1943 – inauguration of the
Second Philippine Republic, however
this was taken seriously by the people as
well as the international community.
KALIBAPI
• Meant Kapisanan ng Paglilingkod sa
Bagong Pilipinas, chief organ of Japanese
propaganda.
• Officially created by Chairman Vargas on
December 4, 1942.
• Aims to:
▪ Unify the Filipinos to extend
positive cooperation to the
Japanese military
Administration in the
reconstruction of the country.
▪ To invigorate in the people
Oriental values such as faith,
self-reliance, self-sacrifice and
hard work.
▪ All Filipinos 18 years old above
were encouraged to join the
organization while government
employees were required to be
part of it.
Collaborators
• Despicable phenomenon – existence of
renegade Filipinos who collaborated
with the Japanese invaders and aided
them in oppressing their own
compatriots and fighting for Japanese
against the Guerillas and allied forces.
• Ganaps - formerly pro-Japanese
Sakdalistas headed by Benigno Ramos,
founder of Sakdal Party.
• Paalaks - members of so-called Bamboo
Army organized in 1943 by Japanese
army.
• U.N. - United Nippon was a military
organization drawn from the Ganap
party.
• Pampars - notorious band of Filipino
collaborators named Pambansang Pag-
asang mga Anak ni Rizal in Pililla, Rizal in
1943 under Colonel Cristino Pendon.
• MAKAPILI meant MAKABAYAN -
Katipunan ng mga Pilipino which was
formally organized on 8 December 1944
with Sakdal leader Benigno Ramos, Pio
Duran and Artemio Ricarte as founding
leaders. The organization was a last-
ditch attempt to fulfill the obligations of
the Philippines in the pact of alliance
with Japan by collaborating
unreservedly the Japanese Imperial
Army and Navy.
Way of Living During Japanese Occupation
• Means of production were under control
of the Japanese.
• Few banks could operate.
• Buying and selling became the source of
income by the Filipinos.
• Mickey mouse money was
implemented; causing alarming
inflation.
• Food shortage occur.
• Outbreaks of epidemic; dysentery,
malalaria, TB causing the death of many
people.
• People live in constant fear and
apprehension.
• Five mortal enemies of Filipinos:
Japanese militaries, diseases, guerillas,
hunger, and Japanese-paid Filipinos.
• “Kura” most feared word (inward wave
of hand meant “come here!” signified
disaster outward wave of hand meant
“dismiss” or “scram”).
• Japanese encouraged the development
of Tagalog and gave it an impetus never
witnessed.
• Education Re-orientation: as embodied
in Japanese education policy, its basic
points were:
1. Propagation of Filipino
culture.
2. Dissemination of the principle
of Greater East Asia Co-
Prosperity Sphere.
3. Spiritual rejuvenation of the
Filipinos.
4. Teaching and propagation of
Niponggo.
5. Diffusion of vocational and
elementary education.
6. Promotion of love of labor.
• 1942-1945 – Period of Japanese
occupation and the darkest interludes of
the history of the Philippines.
▪ The rich Philippine natural
resources were plundered,
innumerable atrocities were
inflicted on the Filipinos and
their education and culture
were extremely regimented.