READINGS IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY

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ANNA DOMINIQUE M. SOLON

 Proclamation of the Philippine Independence
Declaration of Independence

With a government in operation, Aguinaldo thought that it was necessary to declare the
independence of the Philippines. He believed that such a move would inspire the people
to fight more eagerly against the Spaniards and at the same time, lead the foreign
countries to recognize the independence of the country. Mabini, who had by now been
made Aguinaldo's unofficial adviser, objected. He based his objection on the fact that it
was more important to reorganize the government in such a manner as to convince the
foreign powers of the competence and stability of the new government than to proclaim
Philippine independence at such an early period. Aguinaldo, however, stood his ground
and won.

On June 12, between four and five in the afternoon, Aguinaldo, in the presence of a huge
crowd, proclaimed the independence of the Philippines at Cavite el Viejo (Kawit). For
the first time, the Philippine National Flag, made in Hongkong by Mrs. Marcela
Agoncillo, assisted by Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herboza, was officially hoisted
and the Philippine National March played in public. The Act of the Declaration of
Independence was prepared by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, who also read it. A passage
in the Declaration reminds one of another passage in the American Declaration of
Independence. The Philippine Declaration was signed by ninety-eight persons, among
them an American army officer who witnessed the proclamation. The proclamation of
Philippine independence was, however, promulgated on August 1 when many towns has
already been organized under the riles laid down by the Dictatorial Government.

The most significant achievement of Aguinaldo's Dictatorial Government was the

proclamation of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898. The day
was declared a national holiday. Thousands of people from the provinces gathered in
Kawit to witness the historic event. The ceremony was solemnly held at the balcony
of General Emilio Aguinaldo's residence. The military and civil officials of the
government were in attendance.

A dramatic feature of the ceremony was the formal unfurling of the Filipino flag amidst
the cheers of the people. At the same time, the Philippine National Anthem was played
by the band. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista solemnly read the "Act of the Declaration of
Independence" which he himself wrote. The declaration was signed by 98 persons. One
of the signers was an American, L.M. Johnson, Colonel of Artillery.
The Philippines: A Unique Nation. Dr. Sonia M. Zaide

Protectorate Proclaimed
Aguinaldo continued his moves for consolidation. The next step was the proclamation of
Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898. Appropriate celebrations marked the event in
Kawit at which the Philippine flag was officially raised and the Philippine National
Anthem first publicly played. The declaration was prepared by Ambrosio Rianzares
Bautista who patterned it after the American Declaration of Independence. Aguinaldo
invited Dewey to the festivities, but the latter declined the invitation and did not even
report the event to Washington. The declaration was signed by ninety-eight persons,
including an American office, L.M. Johnson, Colonel of Artillery.

By mid-1945, the Philippines was a liberated land, but also a land with a ruined capital
and nearly one million dead citizens, mostly civilians. And what of the ten-year transition
period to independence which began with the founding of the commonwealth in 1935?
What would happen to those who collaborated with the Japanese during the occupation?
How and when would the Philippines finally gain its independence? These were
questions the Commonwealth government, General Douglas MacArthur, and the
United States government needed to answer. The Filipino people had suffered great
hardship during the war and were ready to start the rebuilding process and move forward
as a free and independent people. There were concerns from the American military about
the speed with which the Philippines would become independent and who would lead
the newly independent nation. There were also concerns about the guerrillas, many of
whom were supported by communists. Into this difficult situation stepped Manuel Roxas.
Roxas was the pre-war Speaker of the Philippines House of Representatives. During the
war he worked both with the puppet government and provided military information to the
Americans. General MacArthur supported Roxas in his campaign for President. In the
1946 election, he defeated Sergio Osmeña to become the first president of the
independent republic. Later, he declared a general amnesty (official forgiveness for
crimes) for many of those who collaborated with the Japanese during the war.

See the inauguration of Manuel Roxas in 1946 On July 4, 1946, the Philippines became
independent of the United States. At 10:00 AM, the American flag was lowered, and the
Philippine flag raised, in front of a massive crowd in Manila.

Church bells rang out across the nation and President Roxas said, “We mark here today a
forward thrust of the frontiers of freedom.” In Washington, DC, American President
Harry Truman pledges the United States’ support if the Philippines ever needed it, but
added, “I am confident, however, that the Filipino people will meet the challenge of
independence with courage and determination.
  Who wrote the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence?

Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista y Altamira (December 7, 1830 – December 4, 1903), also known as
Don Bosyong, was a Filipino lawyer and author of the Declaration of Philippine Independence. A
distant relative to the Rizal family and the Bonifacio family, Bautista often gave advice to José Rizal,
a Filipino nationalist, while studying in Manila.
Bautista was born in Biñan, La Laguna (Laguna) to Gregorio Enriquez Bautista and Silvestra Altamira.
He attended preparatory school in Biñan and studied law at University of Santo Tomas, obtaining a
degree in 1865. He practiced law in Manila and offered free legal services to poor clients. Whilst
practicing law, Bautista, on his way to Malolos, Bulacan, was captured by a group of bandits, who
subsequently learned that he saved many of their friends as a defender of the poor in court cases
against rich Filipinos and Spaniards. The bandits apologized to Bautista and set him free.

Bautista solicited funds to finance a campaign for reforms in the Philippines, later

Monument of Bautista in Biñan Laguna

becoming a member of the La Liga Filipina, Cuerpo de Compromisarios and La

Propaganda. In 1896, the Spaniards arrested and imprisoned him at Fort Santiago, as he
was suspected of being involved in the Philippine Revolution; Bautista elected to defend
himself and was later released from prison.
In 1898, Bautista became the first adviser to President Emilio Aguinaldo and
subsequently wrote the Declaration of Philippine Independence.
Contrary to common belief, it was Bautista, and not Aguinaldo, who waved the
Philippine flag before the crowd on June 12, 1898, during the Philippine Proclamation of
Independence in Cavite.
On July 14, 1899, Bautista was elected to the position of president in Tarlac's
Revolutionary Congress and was later appointed judge of the Court of First Instance of
the province of Pangasinan.
CONTEXT ANALYSIS

The Act of Declaration of Philippine Independence was written and was read by
Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista in Spanish and translated by Sulpicio Guevara. It was
written to use for the declaration of freedom of the Philippines after the war against
America and Spain. The declaration was signed by 98 persons and at the end of it,
emphasizing an American present in there with no official role. It is said that there are
American army officer who witnessed. The main reason for having the declaration is to
symbolize that Philippines has the right to be independent and free from the Spaniards
and is no longer tied politically with them.

With a government in operation. Aguinaldo thought that it was necessary to declare the
independence of the Philippines. He believed that such a more would inspire the people
to fight more eagerly against the

Spaniards and at the same time, lead the foreign countries to recognize the independence
of the country. Mabini, who had by now been made Aguinaldo’s unofficial adviser,
objected. He based his objection on the fact that it was more important to reorganize the
government in such a manner as to convince the foreign powers of the competence and
stability of the new government than to proclaim Philippine independence at such an
early period. Aguinaldo, however, stood his ground and won.

The proclamation commenced with a characterization of the conditions in the Philippines

during the Spanish colonial period. The document specifically mentioned abuses and
inequalities in the colony. The declaration says:

"...taking into consideration, that their inhabitants being already weary of bearing
the ominous yoke of Spanish domination, on account of the arbitrary arrests and harsh
treatment practiced by the Civil Guard to the extent of causing death with the connivance
and even with the express orders of their commanders, who sometimes went to the
extreme of ordering the shooting of prisoners under the pretext that they were attempting
to escape, in violation of the provisions of the Regulations of their Corps, which abuses
were unpunished and on account of the unjust deportations, especially those decreed by
General Blanco, of eminent personages and of high social position, at the instigation of
the Archbishop and friars interested in keeping them out of the way for their own selfish
and avaricious purpose, deportations which are quickly brought about. By a method of
procedure more execrable than that of the inquisition and which every civilized nation
rejects on account or a decision being rendered without a hearing of the persons accused."

The above passage demonstrates the justifications behind the revolution against Spain.
Specifically cited are the abuse by the Civil Guards and the unlawful shooting of
prisoners whom they alleged as attempting to escape. The passage also condemns the
unequal protection of the law between the Filipino people and the "eminent personages."
Moreover, the line mentions the avarice and greed of the clergy like the friars and the
Archbishop himself. Lastly, the passage also condemns what they saw as the unjust
deportation and rendering of other decision without proper hearing, expected of any
civilized nation.

From here, the proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview of the Spanish
occupation since Magellan's arrival in Visayas until the Philippine Revolution, with
specific details about the latter, especially after the Pact of Biak-na-Bato had collapsed.
The document narrates the spread of the movement "like an electric spark" through
different towns and provinces like Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and
Morong, and the quick decline of Spanish forces in the same provinces. The revolt also
reached Visayas; thus, the independence of the country was ensured. The document also
mentions Rizal's execution, calling it unjust

The execution, as written in the document, was done to "please the greedy body of friars
in their insatiable desire to seek revenge upon and exterminate all those who are opposed
to their Machiavellian purposes, which tramples upon the penal code prescribed for these
islands." The document also narrates the Cavite Mutiny of January 1872 that caused the
infamous execution of the martyred native priests Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and
Jacinto Zamora, "whose innocent blood was shed through the intrigues of those so-called
religious orders" that incited the three secular priests in the said mutiny.

The proclamation of independence also invokes that the established republic would be led
under the dictatorship of Emilio Aguinaldo. The first mention was at the very beginning
of the proclamation. It stated:

 “In the town of Cavite Viejo, in this province of Cavite, on the twelfth day of
June eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, before me, Don Ambrosio Rianzares
Bautista, Auditor of War and Special Commissioner appointed to proclaim
solemnize this act by the Dictatorial Government of these Philippine islands, for
the purposes and by virtue of the circular addressed by the Eminent Dictator of
the same Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy."

The same was repeated toward the last part of the proclamation. It states:

 “We acknowledge, approve and confirm together with the orders that have been
issued therefrom. the Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom
we honor as the Supreme Chief of this Nation, which this day commences to have
a life of its own, in the belief' that the is the instrument selected by God in spite of
his humble origin, to effect the redemption of this unfortunate people, as foretold
by Doctor Jose Rizal in the magnificent verses which he composed when he was
preparing to be shot, liberating them from the yoke of Spanish domination in
punishment of the impunity with which their Government allowed the
commission of abuses by its subordinates."
Another detail in the proclamation that is worth looking at is its explanation on the
Philippine flag that was first waved on the same day. The document explained:

 “And finally, it was unanimously resolved that, this Nation, independent from this
clay, must use the same flag used heretofore, whose design and colors and
described in the accompanying drawing, with design representing in natural
colors the three arms referred to. The white triangle represents the distinctive
emblem of the famous Katipunan Society, which by means of its compact of
blood urged on the masses of the people to insurrection; the three stars represent
the three principal Islands of this Archipelago, Luzon, Mindanao and Panay, in
which this insurrectionary movement broke out; the sun represents the gigantic
strides that have been made by the sons of this land on the road of progress and
civilization, its eight rays symbolizing the eight provinces of Manila. Cavite,
Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna and Batangas, which were
declared in a state of war almost as soon as the first insurrectionary movement
was initiated; and the colors blue, red and white, commemorate those of the flag
of the United States of North America, in manifestation of our profound gratitude
towards that Great Nation for the disinterested protection she is extending to us
and will continue to extend to us."

This often-overlooked detail reveals much about the historically accurate meaning
behind the most widely known national symbol in the Philippines. It is not known by
many for example, that the white triangle was derived from the symbol of the Katipunan.
The red and blue colors of the flag are often associated with courage and peace,
respectively. Our basic education omits the fact that those colors were taken from the flag
of the United States. While it can always be argued that symbolic meaning can always
change and be reinterpreted, the original symbolic meaning of something presents us
several historical truths that can explain the subsequent events, which unfolded after the
declaration of independence on the 12th day of June 1898.
  Struggle for independence

The declaration was never recognized by either the United States or Spain. Later in 1898,
Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the
Spanish–American War.
The Philippine Revolutionary Government did not recognise the treaty or American
sovereignty, and subsequently fought and lost a conflict with the United States originally
referred to by the Americans as the "Philippine Insurrection" but now generally and
officially called the Philippine–American War, which ended when Emilio Aguinaldo was
captured by U.S. forces,[10] and issued a statement acknowledging and accepting the
sovereignty of the United States over the Philippines. This was then followed on July 2,
1902, by U.S. Secretary of War Elihu Root telegraphing that the Filipino insurrection had
come to an end and that provincial civil governments had been established everywhere
except those areas inhabited by Moro tribes. Pockets of resistance continued for several
years.
Following the end of World War II, the United States granted independence to the
Philippines on July 4, 1946, via the Treaty of Manila.July 4 was observed in the
Philippines as Independence Day until August 4, 1964, when, upon the advice of
historians and the urging of nationalists, President Diosdado Macapagal signed into law
Republic Act No. 4166 designating June 12 as the country's Independence Day. June 12
had previously been observed as Flag Day and many government buildings are urged to
display the Philippine Flag in their offices.
 Current location of the Declaration
The Declaration is currently housed in the National Library of the Philippines.[1] It is not
on public display but it can be viewed with permission like any other document held by
the National Library.
During the Philippine–American War, the American government captured and sent to the
United States about 400,000 historical documents. In 1958, the documents were given to
the Philippine government along with two sets of microfilm of the entire collection, with
the U.S. Federal Government keeping one set.
Sometime in the 1980s or 1990s, the Declaration was stolen from the National Library As
part of a larger investigation into the widespread theft of historical documents and a
subsequent public appeal for the return of stolen documents, the Declaration was returned
to the National Library in 1994 by historian and University of the Philippines professor
Milagros Guerrero, who mediated the return of the documents.
Appendix A, Sheet 1 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page (from the NHCP
booklet, June 12, 1898).
(3 names

1. Jose Oliverez
2. Daniel Tirona.
3.Tomás Mascardo
Appendix A, Sheet 2 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page (from the NHCP
booklet, June 12, 1898)
(24 names)

1. X Peres ?
2. Pedro Mendiola
3. Felix Polintan
4. Ciriaco Bauza
5. Rafael Villafranca
6. Calixto de Lara
7. Felix Ferrer
8. Mariano Legaspi
9. Eduardo R. Bautista
10. Graciano José
11. J. T. Santiago y A
12. Gregorio X
13. M. Gómez
14. Ramon Delfino
15. Antonio Olivares
16. Dionisio Asuncion
17. Martin de los Reyes
18. Simon Villareal ?
19. Leandro Tan
20. Gregorio Villa
21. Pastor Lopez
22. Mariano Toribio
23. Rafael Perez ?
24. Zacarias Fajardo
Appendix A, Sheet 3 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page (from Felice Sta
Maria, Visions of the Possible: Legacies of Philippine Freedom (Makati City:
Studio 5, 1998).
(24 names)

1. Felipe Buencamino
2. Francisco Arámbulo
3. Román Gana
4. Agapito Zialcita
5. Catalino Ramon ?
6. Tomas Avanceña
7. Ladislao Diua
8. E. Cuisia
9. Luis Perez ?
10. Francisco Paulino ?
11. Federico Tomacruz
12. X
13. Mariano de los Santos
14. Gregorio Alvarez
15. Honorio Tiongco
16. Aurelio Tolentino
17. Bonifacio Gonzalez
18. José Medina
19. Martin Locsin
20. Rosendo Simon
21. Sixto Roldan
22. Epitacio Asuncion
23. Hugo Sim
24. Pascual Alvares
Appendix A, Sheet 4 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page (from the NHCP
booklet, June 12, 1898).
(26 names)

1. Atilano Sta Ana

2. Catalino Abueg
3. José Bañuelo
4. Isidoro Martinez
5. Placido Campos
6. José X
7. José Olivares
8. Dominador X
9. Juan Cortes
10. Francisco Rosario
11. Manuel Salafranca
12. Marcelo Basa
13. Hipolito X
14. ? for Emiliano Riego
15. Sulpicio Antony
16. Crisostomo Riel
17. Candido Hizo
18. Pedro de Leon ?
19. Mariano Lopez de Leon
20. José Guevara
21. Manuel Añonuevo
22. José Salamanca
23. Ladislao José
24. Claudio T. Tirona
25. Victorino Villafranca
26. Marcos Jocson
Appendix A, Sheet 5 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page (from the NHCP
booklet, June 12, 1898).
(21 names)

1. Mariano Alvite ?
2. Eugenio X
3. X
4. Segundo Arellano ?
5. Sabas de Guzman
6. Jacinto X
7. Florencio Manalo ?
8. Fausto Tirona
9. Fernando Canon
10. M. Pascual Santos ?
11. Antonio Caling
12. Valentin X
13. Agapito X
14. Lanhope E. Argado ?
15. Tiburcio del Rosario
16. Canuto Celestino
17. Luis Perez de Tagle
18. Numeriano Castillo ?
19. Guido Yap Tinchay ?
20. Ramon Magcauas ?
21. V. Polintan
`Appendix A, Sheet 6 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page (from the NHCP booklet,
June 12, 1898).
(23 names)

1. Alberto Bautista
2. Sergio Matias
3. Mariano J. Rianzares
Bautista
4. Juan de Loasya ?
5. Teodoro Yatco ?
6. Quintin Castillo
7. Arsenio Mauricio
19. Filomeno X
8. Inosencio Marcidel ?
9. Zacaria Marasigan
10. Simon Teczon Libunao
11. Eleuterio Gipala ?
12. Guido Cabrera ?
13. Andrés Tria
14. Epifanio Saguil
15. J. Arévalo
16. Anastacio Pinzon y José
17. X
18. Juan Bordador
20. Crisanto Rodriguez
21. Juan X
22. Nemesio Bartoleme
23. Cirilo B. Santos
Appendix A, Sheet 7 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page (from the NHCP
booklet, June 12, 1898).
(24 name

1. Anacleto Reyes
2. Agapito Bonzon
3. Isidoro Torres
4. Ceferino Uy Tangcay
5. Anastacio Monzon
6. Isidoro Paguio
7. X
8. J. Pulido
9. Jose M. del Rosario
10. Pedro de Castro
11. Arcadio Grala ?
12. X Buendia ?
13. X Hilario ?
14. Domingo Herrera
15. Mariano Santos
16. Mamerto Pajarillo
17. Maximino Borlongan
18. P. Pulido
19. Francisco Valencia
20. X
21. Santiago Garcia
22. Narciso Mayuga
23. Flaviano Rodriguez
24. Gavino Masankay
Appendix B, Sheet 1 – “Acta de Proclamación” signature page in the Philippine
Insurgent Records, PIR 674.1
(15 names)

1.Mariano Trias
2. Artemio Ricarte, Vibora
Estrella
3. Baldomero Aguinaldo
4. Pantaleon Garcia
5. Esteban San Juan
6. Rufino Mata
Francisco Constante
7. Juan Cailles
8. Hugo C. Arias
9. Ambrosio Flores
10. Salvador
11. Salvador Estrella
12. Wenceslao Viniegra
13. Felipe Topacio
14. El Capitan de artill.
15. Daniel Tirona
Appendix C - Persons listed as signatories in the text of the “Acta de
Proclamación,” but whose signatures cannot be found on the sheets shown
in Appendices A and B.
(17 names)

Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista

Estevan Francisco
Flaviano Alonzo
Antonio Gonzales
Timoteo Bernabe
L.M. Johnson
Gregorio Bonifacio
Gabriel Reyes
Estanislao Calingo
Emiliano Sim
Luis de Lara
Buenaventura Toribio
Francisco del Rosario
Carlos Tria Tirona
José del Rosario
Estanislao Tria Tirona
Evaristo Dimalanta

References:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosio_Rianzares_Bautista

https://www.academia.edu/29617251/Counting_the_Signatures_on_the_Declarat
ion_of_Philippine_Independence_June_12_1898

https://www.academia.edu/44432686/WEEK_7_1898_Declaration_of_Philippine_
Independence_The_Malolos_Constitution_and_First_Philippine_Republic_LEAR
NING_CONTENT?email_work_card=view-paper

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Declaration_of_Independence#:~:text=
The%20Proclamation%20on%20June%2012,-
The%20Proclamation%20of&text=The%20Act%20of%20the%20Declaration,offic
er%20who%20witnessed%20the%20proclamation.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Library_of_the_Philippines