Lesson 6.

0
THE ACT OF
PROCLAMATION OF
INDEPENDENCE OF THE
FILIPINO PEOPLE
GROUP 2 REPORT
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The first phase of the Philippine Revolution ended in a statement between
the Spaniards and the Filipino rebels. In December 1897, a truce was
declared between the two forces with the Filipino leaders, led by Gen. Emilio
Aguinaldo, agreeing to be exiled to Hong Kong while the Spaniards paid an
indemnity for the damages caused as a result of the conflict. The truce
however, listed for only a few months before it collapsed. the renewed
conflict would have been disastrous for the Filipinos if not for the
deteriorating diplomatic relations between Spain and the United-States over
another revolution in Cuba. this eventually led to Spanish- American War in
1898 and the arrival of a new colonizer to the Philippines- the Americans.
 Ven before the Battle of Manila in 1898, Aguinaldo had already been
meeting with the Americans in Singapore. He talked with consul E. Spencer
Pratt regarding US-Filipino collaboration against the Spaniards before he went
back to Hong Kong to meet up with Commodore George Dewey, commander
of the Asiastic Fleet. Unfortunately, Dewey had already left for the Philippines
to attack the Spanish fleet following America's declaration of war against
Spain in April.
Aguinaldo remained in Hong Kong and met with the American consul
general Rounseville Wildman. He paid Wildman a total of Php 117,000 to
purchase rifles and ammunition. A first shipmen worth Php 50,000 was made
by the other half was never delivered. Wildman never returned the money
given to him.
 On May 19, 1898, Aguinaldo finally returned to the Philippines on board
the US cruiser McCulloch. Aguinaldo conferred with Dewey on Philippine
conditions and was suppliedwith arms captured from the Spaniards. From his
headquarters in Cavite, Aguinaldo announced the resumption of the
revolution against the Spaniards, thus the beginning the second phase of the
revolution. The Filipinos immediately flocked to the province to join the
army. By the end of May, Aguinaldo was in command of an army of 12,000
troops.
On May 28, the Filipino forces won their first victory in Alapan, Imus.
The newly-made Filipino flag was hoisted in Alapan then later unfurled at the
Teatro Caviteno in Cavite Nuevo (now Cavite City) in front of the Filipinos
and captured Spanish soldiers. A group of American officers and soldiers also
witnessed the ceremony.
Earlier, on May 24, Aguinaldo announced the creation of the dictatorial
government. The formation of this type of rule was a necessity when the
growing nation needed a strong leader. He emphasized that the dictatorship
was only temporary as it would be prelude to the establishment of a
republican form of government.
On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence from
Spanish rule at a ceremony in his house in Kawit, Cavite. Ambrosio
Rianzares Bautista read the declaration that was later signed by 177
persons, including an American military officer. The Philippine National
Anthem, then known as “Marcha Nacional Filipina,” composed by Julian
felipe, was played by the Banda de San Francisco de Malabon and the
Philippine flag was again unfurled
About the Author
(Although the actual author of the proclamation was Ambrosio Rianzares
Bautista, the initiator of Philippine independence that led to the making of
the proclamation was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo)
Emilio Aguinaldo was born on March 22, 1869 in Kawit, Cavite (Cavite
el Viejo), the second to the youngest of eight children of Carlos Aguinaldo
and Trinidad Famy. The Aguinaldos were a wealthy and influential family
with Carlos being gobernadorcillo for several terms. Following his father’s
death in 1883, Emilio assisted his mother in the family business and worked
to help earn the family income.
Aguinaldo followed in his father’s footsteps and was chosen capitan
municipal of Kawit in 1894. Months later, je joined the Katipunan choosing
the name Magdalo, a name that was also given to another branch of the
Katipunan (the other was the Magdiwang) which he set up in his province.
 When the revolution began in 1896, the Katipunan in Cavite succeeded in
driving away the Spaniards from the province. But territorial and logistical
problems between the two grous soon forced Aguinaldo to ask for help from
Supremo Andres Bonifacio in settling the conflict. Bonicaio’s intervention,
however, only worsened the situation and the only solution the two factions
saw was to create a revolutionary government.
Elections for a pamahalaang panghihimagsik were held in Barrio Tejeros,
San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) on March 22, 1897.
Aguinaldo was elected President with Mariano Trias (vice President), Artemio
Ricarte (Captain General), Emiliano Riego de Dios (Director of War), and
Andres Bonifacio (Director of the Interior). But the elections were disrupted
following a protest over Bonifacio’s educational qualification for such a
position. Bonifacio angrily declared the result of the elections null and void
and walked out.
The Magdalos, however, considered the election binding and the new
government was founded. When Bonifacio tried to put up his own
government with an armed group, he was arrested and tried for sedition.
Found guilty, the Supremo and his brother Procopio were executed on May
10, 1897.
The internal dissent cause by Bonifacio’s death weakened the Katipunan
further. The Spanis troops regained Cavite and Aguinaldo was forced to
retreat to the mountains of Biak-na-Bato. But the Spaniards soon realized that
going after the rebels in their mountain hideout was futile. A stalemate ensued
broken only by a truce proposal to which the rebels agreed. In exchange for
an indemnity, amnesty, and colonial reform, Aguinaldo and his officers went
into exile in Hong Kong in December 1897.
 The Spanish – American War in 1898 eventually changed Philippine
history. After the Americans won the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898,
Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines with their help and announced the
resumption of the revolution against Spain. After winning of several
victories against the Spaniards, he declared Philippine independence on
June 12, 1898.
But the Filipinos soon realized that the Americans were to become their
new colonizers. After the Spanish defeat in 1898, the United States began
to send fresh troops to the Philippines. In 1899, Aguinaldo convened a
Congress in Malolos, Bulacan in which the delegates wrote a Constitution
and established the Philippine Republic with Aguinaldo as President in
January 1899
 Three weeks later, the continuing friction with the Americans erupted
into a conflict in February 1899. The Philippine-American War eventually
ended in 1901 with the capture of Aguinaldo. Soon after, he pledged
allegiance to the United States and returned to private life on his family
farm. He briefly hugged the limelight when he ran for the presidency of
the Philippine Commonwealth but lost to Manuel L. Quezon.
Aguinaldo was charged with collaboration by the Americans for
helping the Japanese during World War II but was later freed in a general
amnesty. As a private citizen, he devoted his time to the cause of veteran
revolucionaries until his death at the age of 94 on February 6, 1964.
The Act of Proclamation of Independence of the
Filipino People
The Philippine Declaration of Independence (Filipino: Pagpapahayag ng
Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas; Spanish: Declaración de Independencia de Filipinas)
was proclaimed on 12 June 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo (present-day Kawit,
Cavite), Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Proclamation of
Independence of the Filipino People (Spanish: Acta de la proclamación de
independencia del pueblo Filipino; Filipino: Kasulatan ng Pagpapahayag ng
Kasarinlan ng Sambayanang Pilipino), Filipino revolutionary forces under
General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of
the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain.
Relevance
Nothing is more relevant to the Philippine history than the declaration of
independence from colonial rule. The declaration is of course, that sole
document that proves the value Filipinos place on their freedom. At present, our
independence has been questioned especially in relation to our dealings with
the United States (which colonized us for almost half century and later
recognized our independence in 1946), however, it must be understood the
independence we attained in 1898 was freedom that was fought for with the
lives of Filipinos. The goal or objective of this independence, however, is
something that we might have failed to achieve and protect properly. It in this
context that the Acta must be studied again.
THANK YOU