Biography of

Aurelio Alvero
 Biography
 Aurelio Sevilla Alvero (October 15, 1913 — 1958). Was a Lawyer,
educator, poet, essayist, novelist; after 1945 he wrote under the
pen name “Magtanggul Asa”
 He was the son of Emilio Alvero y de Vera, painter, art-glass artist
and interior decorator, and Rosa Sevilla y Tolentino, writer, social
worker and educator and founder of the Instituto de Mujeres, one
of the oldest schools for women in the Philippines. Alvero studied
at the Centro Educativo y Instructivo and completed his primary
education at the Instituto de Mujeres. He later graduated from the
Ateneo de Manila high school and then went on to study law and
education simultaneously at the University of Santo Tomas. He
received the A.A. degree in 1933, the B.S.E. in 1935 and his law
degree cum laude in 1937.
 1896 (Cry Freedom)
By Aurelio Alvero
The cry awoke Balintawak
And the echoes answered back: "FREEDOM!"
All the four winds listened long,
To the shrieking of that song.
Every poet struck his lyre,
With those burning notes of fire.
All the women knelt to pray,
In their hearts that frenzied lay.
Even the children and the old,
Took to arms and shouted bold, "FREEDOM!“
I heard it from the planters in the vales,
I heard it from the traders tying bales,
I heard it where the fishers strike their sales,
I heard it where the huskers 'neath the trees,
I heard it from the divers of the seas,
I heard it from the pounders in the leas.
All the people raised the cry,
Fearing not to bleed or die,
All the tombs of slave & sire,
Broke to voice that great desire.
Up the mountain, down the plain
Louder, louder rang the strain."FREEDOM!"
I heard it from the makers of the brooms,
I heard it from the weavers at their looms,
I heard it from the smoking smithy rooms,
I heard it in the farthest islet shore.
We heard it, and shall hear it
Lines
 The cry awoke Balintawak
And the echoes answered back:
"FREEDOM!"
All the four winds listened long,
To the shrieking of that song.
 Every poet struck his lyre,
With those burning notes of fire.
 All the women knelt to pray,
In their hearts that frenzied lay.
 Even the children and the old,
Took to arms and shouted bold,
"FREEDOM!“
I heard it from the planters in the
vales,
I heard it from the traders tying
bales,
 I heard it where the fishers strike
their sales,
I heard it where the huskers neath
the trees,
 I heard it from the divers of the
seas,
I heard it from the pounders in the
leas.
All the people raised the cry,
Fearing not to bleed or die,
 All the tombs of slave & sire,
Broke to voice that great desire.
Up the mountain, down the plain
Louder, louder rang the
strain."FREEDOM!"
I heard it from the makers of the
brooms,
I heard it from the weavers at
their looms,
I heard it from the smoking smithy
rooms,
I heard it in the farthest islet shore.
We heard it, and shall hear it
evermore "FREEDOM!"
What is the
message of
the poem
“1896” ?
In his poem 1896 Aurelio Alvero celebrates the
outbreak of the 1896 Katipunan popular
revolution against the governing Spanish
Authorities in the Philippines, which was led by
Andres Bonifacio.

Alvero's poem has no political or ethical

content, it is only a list of all the various groups
of natives and labourers who shout FREEDOM
in support of the popular protest. Alvero
probably intended his poem to suggest that
the Katipunan party enjoyed universal and
uncritical support from all Filipinos
The message of the poem is that the 1896 revolutio
was a glorious achievement (because it
commanded universal popular support) even
though the freedom it gained for the Philippines
was no more than a change of colonial master.

The poem is grossly sentimental and historically

dishonest - two virtues which have ensured its
enduring popularity with forces favouring control
and appeasement in the Republic ever since.