GE- RIPH Readings in Philippine History

Cry of Balintawak or Pugad Lawin (Pio Valenzuela & Guillermo Masangkay)

Lacanilao, Candys Angel | Magbanua, Angela | Magno, Febby | Manipon, Eden March | Mate, Jenny | Opiala, Reivel
Bachelor of Science in Nursing 1-3

DSICOVER
Person/s, Group’s/, and Historical events in Philippine History:

Katipunan
The Katipunan - also known as Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng
mga Anak ng Bayan or KKK - was a revolutionary society founded in the Philippines by anti-
Spanish colonialism Filipinos in 1892. The ultimate
goal of the society was to regain independence for
the country from Spain. It was organized as early
as January 1892 but may not have become active
until July 7 of the same year; that was when Jose
Rizal was to be banished to Dapitan.

The group was founded by Filipino patriots

Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa
and many others, all of whom fought tirelessly to KATIPUNAN
Photo retrieved from: https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com
achieve their goals in secret until the society was
discovered by the colonial government in 1896. It was this discovery that resulted in the
Philipine Revolution that followed. The Katipunan had its own publication, Kalayaan
(Freedom) which issued its first and last printing in March 1896.

The Katipunan’s existence was revealed to the Spanish authorities. Days after the
Spanish authorities learned of the existence of the secret society, on August 23, 1896
various wings of the Katipunan gathered at the house of Juan Ramos in Pugad Lawin.
Bonifacio and his men tore up their cédulas as a sign of their defiance and determination to
rise against the Spaniards. The men immediately tore up their cedulas, shouting, Mabuhay
ang Pilipinas (long live the Philippines) -known as the Cry of Pugadlawin which started the
Philippine Revolution of 1896.

Andres Bonifacio (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897)

Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro was known as "The
Father of the Philippine Revolution". He was also a
Filipino revolutionary leader and the president of the Tagalog
Republic. He was one of the founders and later Supremo
(Supreme Leader) of Katipunan, a movement which sought
the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial
rule and started the Philippine Revolution. On orders from
General Mariano Noriel, Andres Bonifacio was executed at
the foothills of Mt. Buntis by Major Lazaro Makapagal on May
10, 1897.
ANDRÉS BONIFACIO Y DE CASTRO
Photo retrieved from: https://philstarlife.com
CRY OF BALINTAWAK
The Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire began with the Cry of Pugad
Lawin, also known as the Cry of Balintawak at first. Members of the Andres Bonifacio-led
Katipunan secret society (Katipuneros) revolted at the end of August 1896 in a region known
as Caloocan, which was larger
than the boundaries of the
present-day city of Caloocan
and may have extended into
Quezon City.
Originally the term “cry”
referred to the first clash
between the Katipuneros and
the Civil Guards (Guardia Civil).
The cry could also refer to the
tearing up of community tax
CRY OF PUGAD LAWIN
certificates (cédulas personales) Photo retrieved from: https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org
in defiance of their allegiance to
Spain. The inscriptions of “Viva la Independencia Filipina” can also be referred as term for
the cry. This was literally accompanied by patriotic shouts.
The precise time and location of the cry are up for debate because of conflicting
stories and uncertainty around the scene. The official position was that the cry happened on
August 26 at Balintawak from 1908 to 1963. The Philippine government declared a change
to August 23 at Pugad Lawin, Quezon City, in 1963.

The term “Cry” is translated from the Spanish El Grito De Rebelion (cry of rebellion) or
El Grito for short.However, El Grito De Rebelion strictly refers to a decision or call to
revolt. It does not necessarily connote shouting, unlike the Filipino sigaw.

The First Battle

Up to the late 1920s, the Cry was generally identified with Balintawak. It was
commemorated on August 26, considered the anniversary of the first hostile encounter
between the Katipuneros and the Guardia Civil. The "first shot" of the Revolution was fired
at Banlat, Pasong Tamo, then considered a part
of Balintawak and now part of Quezon City.

The Tearing of Cedulas

Teodoro Agoncillo defined "the Cry" in his
1956 book The Revolt of the Masses as the
tearing of cedulas, a departure from precedent
that had then defined it as the first skirmish of the
CRY OF PUGAD LAWIN SHRINE
revolution. His version was based on later
Photo retrieved from: https://alchetron.com testimonies of Pío Valenzuela and others who
claimed the cry took place in Pugad Lawin instead
of Balintawak. Valenzuela's version, influenced by Agoncillo, became the basis of the
Philippine government's current position. In 1963, President Diosdado Macapagal ordered
the official commemorations to be moved to Pugad Lawin, Quezon City, on August 23.
Formation of the Insurgent Government
Another interpretation of the Cry as the "birth of the Filipino nation state" has to do
with the establishment of a national insurgent government at Banlat, Pasong Tamo, on
August 24, 1896, following the tearing of cedulas but before the first skirmish, through the
Katipunan, with Bonifacio serving as President. The Tagalog Republic, or Republika ng
Katagalugan, was a title given to this.

In the caverns of Mt. Pamitinan in Montalban (today a part of Rizal province), Bonifacio,
Masangkay, Emilio Jacinto, and other Katipuneros spent Good Friday in 1895. The words
"long live Philippine independence" were inscribed on the cave walls, and Filipino historians
refer to this as the "first cry" (el primer grito).

The Cry is commemorated as National Heroes' Day,

a public holiday in the Philippines.

The first annually commemoration of the Cry

takes place in Balintawak in 1908, following the
abolition of the Sedition Law by the American colonial
authority. A monument to the Cry (a lone Katipunero
widely identified as Bonifacio) was constructed at
Balintawak in 1911; it was later moved to Vinzons Hall
at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon
City. The National Historical Institute of the Philippines
erected a memorial plaque at Pugad Lawin in 1984.

THE MONUMENTO SA MGA BAYANI NG 1896

Photo retrieved from: https://upd.edu.ph

ACCOUNTS OF THE CRY

Guillermo Masangkay

Guillermo Masangkay (June 25, 1867 – May

30, 1963), who joined the underground society
(Katipunan) when he was only 17 – was the
Supremo’s personal counselor. When Bonifacio
founded the Katipunan on July 7, 1892 together with
Ladislao Diwa and Teodoro Plata, he became one of
its first members, along with Restituto Javier, Vicente
Molina, Valentin Diaz, Briccio Pantas, Roman Basa,
etc. As his adviser, Bonifacio sought Masangkay for
his approval in transforming the Katipunan into a
revolutionary association. It was Masangkay whom
he had designated to organize the Katipunan chapter
in Cavite. His accounts contribute to our GUILLERMO MASANGKAY
Photo retrieved from: https://www.theurbanroamer.com
understanding of the Cry of Balintawak and the death of Bonifacio:

In August 1896, after the Katipunan was discovered, Masangkay joined Bonifacio,
Emilio Jacinto, and others in a secret meeting held on August 24 1896, at Apolonio
Samson’s house in Caloocan. Among those who attended 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 were also present. 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. Initially, the leaders of the movement quarreled over strategy and
tactics, and many of its members questioned the wisdom of an open rebellion due to the lack
of arms and logistical support.

Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the
revolution too early, Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose 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?” CRY OF PUGAD LAWIN
Photo retrieved from: http://www.pinoystop.org
“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 the cedula tax charged each citizen.

“If it is true that you are ready to revolt... I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It
will be a sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.”

In April 1896, Masangkay was with Bonifacio at the Bernardo Carpio Cave on Mt.
Tapusi in San Mateo, Rizal. It was not Balintawak that was originally designated as the
starting point for the rebellion. It was, however, abandoned due to its remoteness from the
town.

Nonetheless, Bonifacio, Masangkay, and Emilio Jacinto plotted the Manila assault
there. Masangkay, a newly appointed general, was assigned by Bonifacio with leading one
of the attack forces against the city. Masangkay played an important role as a revolutionary
general during the Filipino-American War. His skill was visible during the famous battle
against American soldiers on Zapote Bridge in Las Pias Rizal. Masangkay and his forces
were winning the first day of the 72-hour war.

They eventually lost an advantage due to the superior weapons of the opponent.
Masangkay was severely hurt in the war and was sent to San Juan de Dios Hospital for
treatment. Masangkay, disguised as a woman, fled the hospital after three days and went
into hiding. Masangkay came home after the restoration of peace and was reunited with his
wife, Romana Noriel of Cavite, and their 12 children. Since then, he has led a modest life
while taking care of his kids' education and the expanding family company.

Pio Valenzuela
Pio Valenzuela Y Alejandrino (July 11, 1869–April 6, 1956) was a Filipino physician
and revolutionary leader who joined Katipunan at 23. Together with Andres Bonifacio and
Emilio Jacinto, they formed the secret chamber of the society called Camara Reina. He took
charge of the publication of Ang Kalayaan, Katipunan's first and only official publication.

In 1935, Pio Valenzuela, along with Briccio

Pantas and Enrique Pacheco said: “The first Cry of the
revolution did not happen in Balintawak where the
monument is, but in a place called Pugad Lawin.” In
1940, a research team of a forerunner of the National
Historical Institute (NHI) which included Valenzuela,
identified the location as part of Sitio Gulod, Banlat,
Kalookan City. In 1964, NHI described this location as
the house of Tandang Sora.

This controversial version of the “Cry of the

Pugad Lawin” has been authorized by no other than Dr.
Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness
himself of the event. In his first version, he told that the
prime staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak on
Wednesday of August 26, 1896. He held this account
when the happenings or events are still vivid in his
PIO VALENZUELA
Photo retrieved from: memory.
https://museovalenzuela.blogspot.com/
On the other hand, later in his life and with a
fading memory, he wrote his Memoirs of the Revolution without consulting the written
documents of the Philippine revolution and claimed that the “Cry” took place at Pugad Lawin
on August 23, 1896. Below is his account on this topic: (Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide,
Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila: National Book
Store.)

“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, 1986. The discussion was on whether or not the
revolution against the Spanish government should be started on August 29, 1986. Only one
man protested and fought against a war, and that was Teodoro Plata. 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!”

DIFFERENT DATES AND PLACES OF CRY

PERSON PLACES DATES
L.T. Olegario Diaz Balintawak August 25, 1896
Teodoro Kalaw Kangkong, Balintawak Last week of August
Santiago Alvarez Bahay Toro, Quezon City August 24, 1896
Pio Valenzuela Pugad Lawin August 23, 1896
Gregorio Zaide Balintawak August 26, 1896
Teodoro Agoncillo
(according to statements Pugad Lawin August 23, 1896
of Pio Valenzuela)
Research (Milagros
Tandang Sora’s barn in
Guerrero, Emmanuel
Gulod, Barangay Banlat, August 24, 1896
Encarnacion, Ramon
Quezon City
Villegas)

REFERENCES:

Katipunan. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://historylearning.com/history-of-the-

philippines/colonial/katipunan/

Know Your Heroes: Andres Bonifacio. (2016, June). Retrieved November 1, 2023, from
http://www.filipino-association.org/tambuli/showarticle.asp?_id=90

Filipino Martyr: GUILLERMO R. MASANGKAY. (2013, January 19). Retrieved November 1,

2023, from https://pinoyfolktales.blogspot.com/2013/01/filipino-martyr-guillermo-r-
masangkay.html

Cry of Pugad Lawin ~ Complete Details with Photos | Videos. (2022, November 7).
Retrieved from https://alchetron.com/Cry-of-Pugad-Lawin

Gomez. (n.d.). Cry of Balintawak or Pugad Lawin. Retrieved November 1, 2023, from
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/ateneo-de-davao-university/philippine-
history/cry-of-balintawak-or-pugad-lawin/8599383

Quinonez. (n.d.). One Past but Many Histories’: Cry of Pugad-lawin or Cry of Balintawak?
Retrieved November 1, 2023, from https://www.studeersnel.nl/nl/document/has-
hogeschool/gusthisoria/cry-of-pugad-lawin-or-cry-of-ba/18089716

Arceo. (n.d.). Cry-of-Balintawak-or-Pugad-Lawin. Retrieved November 1, 2023, from

https://www.scribd.com/document/483144128/Cry-of-Balintawak-or-Pugad-Lawin