THE CRY OF

BALINTAWAK
T H E   C RY O F B A L I N TAWA K   ( F I L I P I N O :   S I G AW N G B A L Í N TAWA K ,   S PA N I S H :   G R I TO D E
B A L Í N TAWA K ) , WA S T H E B E G I N N I N G O F T H E   P H I L I P P I N E R E V O L U T I O N  A G A I N S T
T H E   S PA N I S H E M P I R E .
AT T H E C L O S E O F A U G U S T 1 8 9 6 , M E M B E R S O F T H E   K AT I P U N A N   S E C R E T S O C I E T Y
( K AT I P U N E R O S ) L E D B Y A N D R É S B O N I FA C I O   R O S E U P I N R E VO LT S O M E W H E R E I N A N
A R E A R E F E R R E D TO A S   C A L O O C A N , [ 2 ]  W I D E R T H A N T H E J U R I S D I C T I O N O F P R E S E N T-
D AY  C A L O O C A N C I T Y W H I C H M AY H AV E O V E R L A P P E D I N T O P R E S E N T- D AY  Q U E Z O N
C I T Y.
O R I G I N A L LY T H E T E R M   C RY  R E F E R R E D TO T H E F I R S T C L A S H B E T W E E N T H E
K AT I P U N E R O S A N D T H E   C I V I L G U A R D S   ( G U A R D I A C I V I L ) . T H E C RY C O U L D A L S O
R E F E R TO T H E T E A R I N G U P O F  C O M M U N I T Y TA X C E RT I F I C AT E S   ( C É D U L A S
P E R S O N A L E S ) I N D E F I A N C E O F T H E I R A L L E G I A N C E T O S PA I N . T H E I N S C R I P T I O N S O F
" V I VA L A I N D E P E N D E N C I A F I L I P I N A " C A N A L S O B E R E F E R R E D A S T E R M F O R T H E
C RY. T H I S WA S L I T E R A L LY A C C O M PA N I E D B Y PAT R I O T I C S H O U T S .
BECAUSE OF COMPETING ACCOUNTS AND AMBIGUITY OF THE PLACE WHERE THIS
E V E N T T O O K P L A C E , T H E E X A C T D AT E A N D P L A C E O F T H E   C RY  I S I N C O N T E N T I O N .
[ 3 ] [ 4 ]   F R O M 1 9 0 8 U N T I L 1 9 6 3 , T H E O F F I C I A L S TA N C E WA S T H AT T H E C RY O C C U R R E D
O N A U G U S T 2 6 I N B A L I N TAWA K . I N 1 9 6 3 T H E P H I L I P P I N E G O V E R N M E N T D E C L A R E D A
S H I F T TO A U G U S T 2 3 I N P U G A D L AW I N , Q U E Z O N C I T Y.
Various accounts give differing dates and places for the Cry. An officer of the Spanish guardia civil,
Lt. Olegario Diaz, stated that the Cry took place in Balintawak on August 25, 1896. Historian
Teodoro Kalaw in his 1925 book The Filipino Revolution wrote that the event took place during the
last week of August 1896 at Kangkong, Balintawak. Santiago Alvarez, 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. Pío Valenzuela, a close associate
of Andrés Bonifacio, declared in 1948 that it happened in Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896.
Historian Gregorio Zaide stated in his books in 1954 that the "Cry" happened in Balintawak on
August 26, 1896. Fellow historian Teodoro Agoncillo wrote in 1956 that it took place in Pugad
Lawin on August 23, 1896, based on Pío Valenzuela's statement. Accounts by historians Milagros
Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion and Ramon Villegas claim the event to have taken place
in Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City. Some of the apparent confusion is
in part due to the double meanings of the terms "Balintawak" and "Caloocan" at the turn of the
century. Balintawak referred both to a specific place in modern Caloocan City and a wider area
which included parts of modern Quezon City. Similarly, Caloocan referred to modern Caloocan City
and also a wider area which included modern Quezon City and part of modern Pasig. Pugad Lawin,
Pasong Tamo, Kangkong and other specific places were all in "greater Balintawak", which was in
turn part of "greater Caloocan".
Philippine revolution in 1896.
Earlier in this century, survivors of the katipunan uprising of 1896 generally agreed that the Philippine Revolution
started on the 26th of August 1896, in Balintawak.

Pio Valenzuela, made inconsistent public statements about the "Cry"

between August 23 and 25 in Balintawak.
at Apolonio Samson's house at Balintawak, August 23
at Melchora Aquino's house, August 23
at Kangkong, August 22 & the cry occurred in the house of Juan Ramos
Issues and Controversies of the "Cry"
Historians have different interpretations of the term "Cry"
The real date when the uprising happened is still not clear
Some witnesses states that it happened on an earlier date and in different places.
Historians have difficulty pinpointing on when the uprising began. Some said that it
is when the katipuneros have gathered while others said it is the shredding of
cedula personal
In the earlier days, the revolution was named as “Cry of Balintawak” however, due
to Agoncillo’s book The Revolt of the Masses, it has been changed to “Cry of Pugad
Lawin”, even tho, according to many critiques, the source is not reliable due to
Valenzuela’s inconsistent statements.
1. FIRST ENCOUNTER / SKIRMISH
Formation of a Revolutionary Government.
It was the traditional and inextricable association of the actual start of the Philippine Revolution
with a borrowed Spanish phrase, el grito, which means the “cry” or unang sigaw in Filipino, that
led to the confusion.
3. TORN CEDULAS - In the book of Agoncillo, his definition of “Unang Sigaw” or “Cry” is the
tearing of cedula personal by the Katipunero (his source is only Valenzuela and Jose Santos’
published signed statement by Valenzuela, Pantas, and Pacheco about the supposed “Cry of
Pugad Lawin”).
2. LITERAL TRANSLATION of “Unang Sigaw” = not much help. The “Cry” at Pamitinan Cave,
Montalban in April 1895, happened a year prior to the outbreak of hostilities in 1896
2. “Pugad Lawin” was never officially recognized as a place name on any Philippine map before
Second World War.
 trivia
3. “Pugad Lawin “ appeared in historiography only from 1928, or some 32 years after the
events took place.
4. The revolution was always traditionally held to have occurred in the area of
Balintawak, which was distinct from Kalookan and Diliman.
Importance/ Significance/ Insights of the Balintawak History:
History of the Katipunan (1939), Zaide records Valenzuela’s mention of
the site in a footnote and not in the body of text, suggesting that the
Historian regarded the matter as unresolved.
The cry of balintawak is important in the history and most especially for
the Filipinos because it represents the bravery and resilience of every
filipino.