Historical Controversy:

Cry of
Balintawak
or Cry of
Pugadlawin?
 Unang Sigaw ng Himagsikan (The
First Cry of the Revolution): Was it
Balintawak (Caloocan City) or
Pugadlawin (Quezon City) or in
three other places (Bahay Toro,
Kangkong, Pasang Tamo)?
Bonifacio Mural
by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco
1964
The First Cry of the Philippine Revolution

Gregorio Zaide Teodoro Agoncillo

IN HIS TEXTBOOK ON 1954, HE WROTE
THAT THE FIRST CRY HAPPENED IN
BALINTAWAK ON AUGUST 26, 1896.
IN HIS TEXTBOOK HISTORY OF THE
FILIPINO PEOPLE (1956), HE WROTE
THAT THE FIRST CRY HAPPENED IN
PUGAD LAWIN ON AUGUST 23, 1896.
FROM THE MEMOIRS OF PIO
VALENZUELA.
A quick recap.
HOW?
LA LIGA FILIPINA
CONSISTS OF RIZAL, BONIFACIO, AND
OTHERS

KKK
ANDRES BONIFACIO FORMED A SECRET
SOCIETY

TEODORO PLATINO
BETRAYED THE KATIPUNAN BECAUSE OF
APOLONIO DELA CRUZ
 From the account of Agoncillo

AUGUST 19, 1896 AUGUST 20, 1896 AUGUST 21, 1896

Bonifacio informs the leaders of
KKK to attend the general
assembly in Balintawak on August
24 to solve the crisis.
Procopio, Emilio Jacinto, Teodoro
Plata, and Aguedo del Rosario
accompanied Bonifacio to
Balintawak.
Pio Valenzuela followed them in
Balintawak.
Bonifacio changed the Katipunan
code.
500 members left Balintawak for
Kangkong.
Apolonio Samson gave them food
and shelter.
From the account of Agoncillo
AUGUST 22, 1896
They proceeded to Pugad Lawin
AUGUST 23, 1896
In the yard of Juan Ramos, the
tearing of Cedulas happened
that symbolizes their
determination to take up arms.
“Long live the Philippines!” or
“Mabuhay ang Katipunan!”
AUGUST 24, 1896
They arrived at the yard of
Melchora Aquino to have a
general assembly planning to
have general attack in Manila on
August 29, 1896.
The First Cry of the Philippine Revolution
Ambeth R. Ocampo
COMPARED THE AGONCILLO
TRANSCRIPTIONS WITH THE BONIFACIO
ORIGINALS AND WAS SURPRISED TO
FIND DISCREPANCIES IN THE TEXT.
WHILE AGONCILLO REPRODUCED THE
“ORIHINAL SA TAGALOG,” AND CLAIMS
THAT IT IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
Soledad Borromeo-
Buehler
“CRY OF BALINTAWAK: A CONTRIVED
CONTROVERSY” CLAIMS THAT THE
“CRY OF PUGAD LAWIN” IS AN
INVENTED STORY
The First Cry of the Philippine Revolution

Lt. Olegario Diaz Teodoro M. Kalaw

A SPANISH GUARDIA CIVIL STATED
THAT THE CRY TOOK PLACE IN
BALINTAWAK ON AUGUST 25, 1896.
‘’THE FILIPINO REVOLUTION’’
(PREPARED IN 1925) WROTE THAT THE
EVENT TOOK PLACE DURING THE LAST
WEEK OF AUGUST 1896 AT KANGKONG,
BALINTAWAK.
The First Cry of the Philippine Revolution

Santiago Alvarez
Emmanuel Encarnacion
A KATIPUNERO AND SON OF MARIANO
ALVAREZ, THE LEADER OF THE
MAGDIWANG FACTION IN CAVITE,
STATED IN 1927 THAT THE CRY TOOK
PLACE IN BAHAY TORO (NOW IN
QUEZON CITY) ON AUGUST 24, 1896.
Milagros Guerrero,
Ramon Villegas
CLAIMED THAT THE EVENT TO HAVE
TAKEN PLACE IN TANDANG SORA'S
BARN IN GULOD, BARANGAY BANLAT,
QUEZON CITY.
 Why it was
called “cry”?
“First Cry” “First Cry”
“cry” also refer to the
Borromeo-Buehler tearing up of cédulas
referred to the personales) (community
word “cry” as the tax certificates) in
first clash between defiance of their
Katipuneros and allegiance to Spain that
Guardia-Civil was literally accompanied
by patriotic shouts.
 "Balintawak" "Caloocan"

Caloocan referred to modern Caloocan

City and also a wider area which
Balintawak referred both to
included modern Quezon City and part
a specific place in modern
of modern Pasig. PugadLawin, Pasong
Caloocan City and a wider
Tamo, Kangkong and other specific
area which included parts
places were all in "greater Balintawak",
of modern Quezon City.
which was in turn part of "greater
Caloocan”
Thank You