Aurelio Tolentino y Valenzuela (October 15, 1869 – July 5, 1915) was a Filipino playwright, poet, journalist, and revolutionary. His works at the turn of the 20th century depicted his desire to see Philippine independence from its colonizers. He was arrested twice, first by the Spaniards and later by American forces. He wrote and directed the anti-imperialist play ''Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas'' (''Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow''), which led to his arrest in 1903''.''
Early life and career
Tolentino was born in Santo Cristo,
Guagua
Guagua, officially the Municipality of Guagua ( pam, Balen ning Guagua; tl, Bayan ng Guagua), is a 1st class municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
,
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
, he was the third and youngest child of Leonardo Tolentino and Patrona Valenzuela. Tolentino received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
Colegio de San Juan de Letran
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, (transl: College of San Juan de Letran) also referred to by its acronym CSJL, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution owned and run by the friars of the Order of Preachers i ...
, and read law at the
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migue ...
.
Later in his life, Aurelio Tolentino moved to
Tondo,
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, where he became a court desk official.
Later career
In Tondo he met
Andres Bonifacio
Andres or Andrés may refer to:
*Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US
*Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France
*Andres (name)
*Hurricane Andres
* "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7
See also ...
, one of the founders of
Katipunan
The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...
and eventual leader of the
Philippine revolution against Spain. Tolentino would eventually become an early member of the Katipunan. He accompanied Bonifacio in their search for a secret headquarters in the mountains of Morong province (now
Rizal) in preparation for the start of the
Philippine Revolution.
Tolentino was arrested shortly after the start of the war and was detained for nine months. He took part in the revolutionary campaigns of Gen. Vicente Lukban after his release.
He continued to support the cause for Philippine sovereignty and became one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence in Kawit, Cavite, in 1898.
When
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
ceded the Philippines to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, Tolentino formed ''Junta de Amigos'', a secret organization composed of former Katipuneros to fight for independence from the Americans. Later, he attempted to reorganize the Revolutionary Army but was unsuccessful, in part due to the surrender of
Emilio Aguinaldo.
This led Tolentino to shift his focus from warfare to propaganda.
He edited several anti-US newspapers in Tagalog and Kapampangan, some of which were closed down by the American authorities.
On May 14, 1903, his now famous verse drama, ''Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas'', premiered at Manila's Teatro Libertad. The script called for tearing of the
American flag
The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...
, which was seen by some Americans in the audience. After the show, he was promptly arrested for sedition and rebellion. He was pardoned in 1912 by Governor General W. Cameron Forbes partly due to pressure from Washington.
After his release, he continued to write for the theater. Among his later works is ''Ang Bagong Cristo,'' a proletarian interpretation of the story of Christ.
Tolentino also founded the first worker's cooperative in the Philippines, ''Samahang Hanapbuhay ng Mahihirap'', as well as ''El Parnaso Filipino'', a school for the promotion of Tagalog literature.
Death
Tolentino died on July 5, 1915, in Manila. He was buried in the
Manila North Cemetery
The Manila North Cemetery (Spanish: ''Cementerio del Norte'') is one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, Philippines. The cemetery is owned by and located in the City of Manila, the national capital, and is one of the largest in the metropo ...
. His remains were transferred to his hometown in Guagua in 1921, where it is interred under a commemorative monument.
In popular culture
* The Little Theater of the
Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...
is named after Aurelio Tolentino.
*Tolentino was portrayed by
Francis Magalona
Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known by the moniker Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, actor, and television personality. Born in Manila, He became a significant influ ...
in the 1997 TV series, of
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...
's
Bayani
*Tolentino was portrayed by VJ Mendoza in the 2013 TV series, ''
Katipunan
The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...
''.
*Tolentino's life was the subject of the 2017 rock opera ''Aurelio Sedisyoso,'' staged by
Tanghalang Pilipino Tanghalang Pilipino (''Philippine Theater'') is the leading exponent of Philippine theater and the resident drama company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines since its organization in 1987. It has successfully presented hundreds of production ...
at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tolentino, Aurelio
1867 births
1915 deaths
Writers from Pampanga
People from Tondo, Manila
People from Guagua
Kapampangan people
Filipino dramatists and playwrights
Colegio de San Juan de Letran alumni
University of Santo Tomas alumni
People of the Philippine Revolution
People of the Philippine–American War
Members of the Philippine Independent Church
Burials at the Manila North Cemetery