Unit 2:Cry of Balintawak or Cry

of Pugadlawin

Commemorative monument for the Cry of Pugad El Grito del Revolucion monument by sculptor Ramon
Lawin Source: Lazaro Martinez in 1911 to commemorate the Cry of
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipNzwvnaBalintawak. It was relocated UP Diliman in 1968. ce:Sour
uPyDpJfOT-GouN-Mj6E8kFpLvBBKPtQu=w408-h306-k- https://files.pna.gov.ph/source/2018/11/28/balintawak
-
no cry-monument-in-front-of-vinzons-hall-up-dil.jpg

Another controversy in Philippine history is the date and location of the start of the
Katipunan revolution.The term“Cry” was translatedfrom the Spanish phraseel“ grito de
rebellion‖which means a call to revolt.In the Philippines, the phrase was used by Spanish
historian Manuel Sastron in his 1897 book entitled , La Insurreccion en Filipinas
. Many
historical write
-ups have often interch
anged the two,the Cry of Balintawak andthe Cry of
Pugad Lawin. Confusion may haverisenfrom the interpretations of the locations alt
hough
both areas historically are located in Caloocan which had a wider area as a political unit
compared to what it ist apresent.

It was in 1908 that the Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards was first
commemorated. In 1911, a monument was erected (photo above) but later transferred to
UP Diliman in 1968 due to some roadworkits former
in original location.

In the60s, Historian Teodoro Agoncillo campaign

ed for the change in the site of the
Cry to Pugad Lawin and the date to August 23 1896 from August 26. As consequence,
President Diosdado Macapagal ordered the change and since then, this became the
prevailing view.

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 Engage
Just to refresh our memory about the Philippine Revolution, Answer the following:
A. Match column A to B. Write your answer beside the number of the item in column A.
Column A Column B
____1. The leader of the 1896 revolutionary movement A. Andres Bonifacio
____2. He is known to be the “Utak ng Katipunan” ____3. What B. Cedula
C. Emilio Aguinaldo
was the item ceremoniously torn by the katipuneros when they D. Emilio Jacinto
started the revolution? E. Gregoria de Jesus
____4. She was known as Tandang Sora F. Melchora Aquino
G. Spanish flag
____5. He led the Cavite contingent of the Katipunan

Explore
Read the following selected accounts. There are other narratives about the same event and you are
free to examine them. The texts you are about read are selected for purposes of showing that there is
confusion on the date and place of the revolution
Highlight the text that pertains to the date, location, and the activities that mark the start of the
Philippine revolution against the Spaniards.
Pio Valenzuela’s Version of the “Cry”
Source: Pio Valenzuela in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, (vol. 8, pp. 301-302) (Collection of Accounts)

The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio,
Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there
on August 19, and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the
Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at
Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who were there were
Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here,
views were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad
Lawin, in the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where
over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate and
discussion on August 23, 1896. The discussion was on whether or not the revolution
against the Spanish government should be started on August 29, 1896. Only one man
protested and fought against a war, and that was Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio’s brother-in-law
– Z.] Besides the persons named above, among those present at this meeting were Enrique
Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and others. After the
tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula certificates and shouted “Long
live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!”
Santiago Alvarez’ Version of the “Cry”

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 Source: Santiago Alvarez in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, (vol. 8, p. 303) (Collection of Accounts)

Sunday, August 23, 1896

As early as 10 o’clock in the morning, at the barn of Kabesang Melchora Aquino – Z.],
at a place called Sampalukan, barrio of Bahay Toro, Katipuneros met together. About 500
of these arrived, ready and eager to join the “Supremo” Andres Bonifacio and his men …
Monday, August 24, 1896
There were about 1,000 Katipuneros . . . . The “Supremo” decided to hold a meeting inside
the big barn. Under his leadership, the meeting began at 10 o’clock in the morning . .
.
It was 12 o’clock noon when the meeting adjourned amidst loud cries of “Long live the Sons
of the Country” (Mabuhay ang mga Anak ng Bayan)!

Gregoria de Jesus’ Version of the “Cry”

Source: Gregoria de Jesus in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, (vol. 8, p. 305) (Collection of Accounts)

The activities of the Katipunan had reached nearly all corners of the Philippine
Archipelago, so that when its existence was discovered and some of the members arrested,
we immediately returned to Caloocan. However, as we were closely watched by the agents
of the Spanish authorities, Andres Bonifacio and other katipuneros left the town after some
days. It was then that the uprising began, with the first cry for freedom on August 25,
1896. Meanwhile, I was with my parents. Through my friends, I learned that the Spanish
were coming to arrest me. Immediately, I fled town at eleven o’clock at night, secretly going
through the ricefields to La Loma, with the intention of returning to Manila. I was treated
like an apparition, for, sad to say, in every house where I tried to get a little rest, I was
driven away as if the people therein were frightened for their own lives. Later, I found out
that the occupants of the houses which I had visited were seized and severely punished -
and some even exiled. One of them was an uncle of mine whom I had visited on that night
to kiss his hand, and he died in exile.

Guillermo Masangkay’s Version of the “Cry”

Guillermo Masangkay in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, (vol. 8, pp. 307-309) (Collection of Accounts)

On August 26th [1896 – Z.], a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio
Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who attended, I

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transmitting in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document,
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without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited.
 remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio
Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon. They were
all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization.
Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and Morong (now Rizal), were also present.
At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with
Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The purpose was to
discuss when the uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio’s brother-in-law – Z.],
Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution too early.
They reasoned that the people would be in distress if the revolution were started without
adequate preparation. Plata was very forceful in his argument, stating that the uprising
could not very well be started without arms and food for the soldiers. Valenzuela used
Rizal’s argument about the rich not siding with the Katipunan organization.
Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session hall
and talked to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the
leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution
early, and appealed to them in a fiery speech in which he said: “You remember the fate of
our countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns, the
Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been discovered and we are all marked
men. If we don’t start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you
say?”
“Revolt!” the people shouted as one.
Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He told them that
the sign of slavery of the Filipinos were (sic) the cedula tax charged each citizen. “If it is true
that you are ready to revolt,” Bonifacio saved, “I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It
will be the sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.”
With tears in their eyes, the people as one man pulled out their cedulas and tore them to
pieces. It was the beginning of the formal declaration of the separation from Spanish rule.
With their cedulas destroyed, they could no longer go back to their homes because the
Spaniards would persecute them, it not for being katipuneros, for having no cedulas. And
people who had no cedulas during those days were severely punished.
When the people’s pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he returned to the session hall
and informed the leaders of what took place outside. “The people want to revolt, and they
have destroyed their cedulas,” Bonifacio said. “So now we have to start the uprising;
otherwise the people by hundreds will be shot.” There was no alternative. The board of
directors, in spite of the protests of Plata, Pantaas, and Valenzuela, voted for the revolution.
And when this was decided, the people outside shouted: “Long live the Philippine Republic!”
I still remember Bonifacio as he appeared that day. Although a mere bodeguero
an open coat,
(warehouseman) withandblack necktie,
earning P25 and black
(Mex.) hat. He
a month, he always carried an
was a cultured man.umbrella. At the
He always wore
meeting that morning of August 26, Bonifacio took off his coat and was wearing only his
shirt, with collar and tie. Bonifacio’s hobby was weaving bamboo ng his hats.
spareDuri
time he wove dozens of them and sold them in Manila. Thus he made extra
money.
At about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, while the gathering at Balintawak was
celebrating the decision of the Katipunan leaders to start guards
the who
uprising,
were
the in trees to watch for any possible intruders or the approach of the enemy, gave the
up
warning that the Spaniards were coming.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or
transmitting in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document,
Led by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and
4 other leaders of the Katipunan, the men were
distributed
without the prior in strategic
written permission positions
of SLU, is strictlyere prepared
and
for the attack of the civil guards. I was
prohibited.
w
with a group stationed on the bank of a small creek, guarding the places where the
Spaniards were to pass in order to reach the meeting place of the katipuneros. Shots were
 such a huge
conflagration.

To provide more contextto the accountsyou examined,read the biographies of

their authors and write a brief description about each person and the role they played in
the revolution. You may refer to any Philippine history book or literature you have.

Pio Valenzuela

Santiago Alvarez

Gregoria de Jesus

Guillermo Masangkay

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transmitting in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document,
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without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited.
Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval system, distributing, uploading or posting online, or
transmitting in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document,
6
without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited.