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The Battle of San Juan del Monte also refers as ''"Battle of Pinaglabanan"'' took place on August 30, 1896. It is considered as the first major battle of the Philippine Revolution, which sought
Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
independence from
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") , ...
. The first battle cry of the
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 ...
coincided with the pealing of church bells at nine o'clock on the night of August 29, 1896.Alvarez, S.V., 1992, Recalling the Revolution, Madison: Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison,


Background

At 5 pm on the 29th, the ''Supremo''
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino Freemason and revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippine Revolution", and considered one of the national heroes of the Philippines ...
and 800 '' Katipuneros'' met up with ''Katipunero'' Felix Sanchez, chairman of the Sapa chapter, at Hagdang Bato in San Felipe Neri. By 7 pm, with a thousand men, including the local police force, they attacked the civil guards, who surrendered immediately. However, the Tala chapter chairman, ''Katipunero'' Buenaventura Domingo, allowed the parish priest to escape. Troops under General Ramón Bernardo then took the town hall of
Pandacan Pandacan is a district in Manila, Philippines which is known in recent history for its former Pandacan oil depot which supplies the majority of oil exports in the country. Profile In 2000, Pandacan had a total population of close to 82,194. T ...
and, by , were dispatched to
Santa Mesa Santa Mesa is a district in Manila, Philippines. It is surrounded by Pasig River on the southwestern side, and by the San Juan River on its southern and eastern side. Land borders include the districts of San Miguel to the west and Sampaloc t ...
. Troops under Santiago V. Alvarez,
Artemio Ricarte Artemio Ricarte y García (October 20, 1866 – July 31, 1945) was a Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. He is regarded as the ''Father of the Philippine Army'', and the first Chief of Staff ...
and
Mariano Trías Mariano Trías y Closas ( : October 12, 1868 – February 22, 1914) is considered to be the first ''de facto'' Philippine Vice President of that revolutionary government established at the Tejeros Convention - an assembly of Philippine revo ...
were deployed in Noveleta and San Francisco de Malabon in
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southw ...
. Bonifacio, along with Genaro de los Reyes and Vicente Leyba, proceeded to San Juan del Monte.


Battle

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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 ...
on 19 August 1896,
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino Freemason and revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippine Revolution", and considered one of the national heroes of the Philippines ...
became aware of the Spanish government's plans for military action. On 25 August, Bonifacio deployed several of his men around the Pasong Tamo bridge when he heard infantrymen and Spanish ''guardia civil'' coming to raid communities around the bridge. On the evening of 29 August, Bonifacio, with his aide Emilio Jacinto, led a group of ''Katipuneros'' towards ''El Polvorin'', a Spanish powder magazine situated in San Juan del Monte. Spanish infantry and artillerymen, armed with German Mauser rifles, guarded ''Polvorin''; the ''Katipuneros'' were generally armed with ''bolo'' knives, a few assorted guns, bamboo spears and '' anting-antings''. After two successful skirmishes with the civil guards, Bonifacio was joined by 300 men from Santolan. The chapter chairman was Valentin Cruz. By midnight, a small second group of ''Katipuneros'', under the command of Sancho Valenzuela, and coming from
Santa Mesa Santa Mesa is a district in Manila, Philippines. It is surrounded by Pasig River on the southwestern side, and by the San Juan River on its southern and eastern side. Land borders include the districts of San Miguel to the west and Sampaloc t ...
, arrived at ''Polvorin''. This group was composed of 100
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 ...
members, two of them women: Luisa Lucas and Segunda Fuentes Santiago. According to some accounts, the next day, 30 August, at about 4:00 a.m., Bonifacio and his men launched their surprise attack, capturing the 'Polvorin' several hours later. Supposedly, the Spanish troops retreated to the nearby building of '' El Depósito'', the Manila water works deposit office, after having lost their commander and another man killed. However, more recent research by Katipunan researcher Jim Richardson, using memoirs and reports demonstrates that contrary to myth, the Katipuneros never captured the 'Polvorin' and never killed the Spanish commander, Captain of Artillery Camilo Rambaud, who continued to serve the Spanish Colonial Army long after the opening battle. Florencio Inocentes noted Bonifacio's courageous leadership during the battle: "Worthy of admiration also was the action of the Supremo, who, in the center of the road in front of the house of Don Martin Ocampo, knelt on one knee and continued shooting his revolver at the enemy artillery soldiers shooting with their Mauser rifles." Before noon, the 73rd "Jolo" Regiment, composed of Filipino soldiers under Spanish officers, under the command of General Bernardo Echaluce y Jauregui, arrived as Spanish reinforcements at San Juan del Monte to assist in suppressing the rebellion. The 73rd Regiment, like most of the native conscripts in the Spanish army in the Philippines, were armed with the Remington Rolling Block rifle. Another confusing aspect of the battle is that in reality there were two separate engagements, one at San Juan del Monte where Bonifacio with from 1,000-2,500 Katipuneros attempted to storm the 'Polvorin' defended by Captain Rambaud, and the one at Santa Mesa where one of Bonifacio's generals, Ramon Bernardo with about a thousand Katipuneros engaged a force of Guardia Civil, Carabineros and native Infantry until the Spanish relief column under Echaluce drove them off, having sustained about 80 casualties during the fight with another 50 being lost during the retreat down the Pasig. Contemporary Spanish reportage did not distinguish between the two separate actions which led to them being referred to as a single battle. Richardson also notes that contrary to popular myth, Sancho Valenzuela was more an extremely unfortunate bystander who was implicated in the revolution rather than a heroically tragic leader. According to Julio Nakpil, “Sancho Valenzuela was innocent. He was neither initiated in the Katipunan nor in Masonry. He was implicated because the revolutionists ate at his rope factory in Sta. Mesa.” The revolutionaries regrouped at Santa Mesa and engaged the arriving Spanish troops. The 73rd Regiment, together with the garrison of the magazine, almost wiped out Bonifacio's men, leaving about 150 dead and capturing over 200. Despite the Katipunaneros being numerically superior, the Spaniards inflicted heavy losses to Bonifacio which he will never recover. This disastrous outcome forced Bonifacio to retreat towards the Pasig River.


Reactions

After the unsuccessful attack at ''Polvorin'', armed resistance spread towards
Central Luzon Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
and provinces along Southern Tagalog. At 8:00 p.m. on 30 August,
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Ramón Blanco y Erenas issued an executive order placing the eight provinces of
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 populated ...
,
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 ...
, Laguna,
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southw ...
,
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and L ...
,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...
,
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( tgl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija , also ; ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: ''Lalawigan/Probinsia ning Nueva Ecija''), is a landlocked province ...
and
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...
under
martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Martia ...
. As a lesson to revolutionaries, the ''Katipuneros'' captured at ''Polvorin'' were summarily tried and executed. One of them was Sancho Valenzuela, who was dragged off in chains together with his men, Modesto Rivera, Eugenio Silvestre and Ramon Peralta, towards the tribunal. To ease the increasing tension throughout the colony, Blanco offered a pardon to Filipino rebels who would lay down their arms and surrender to the Spanish authorities. Dr. Pío Valenzuela, the chief physician and aide of Bonifacio, was one of the first ''Katipuneros'' who availed himself of this amnesty. However, after his surrender, he was deported and imprisoned in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, and later incarcerated in a Spanish outpost in Africa. Aside from granting amnesties to returning rebels, the Spanish colonial government also assisted on trying and executing several members of the
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 ...
. Fifty-seven of the revolutionaries at San Juan del Monte were executed on 31 August 1896. On 4 September, Sancho Valenzuela, Rivera, Silvestrre and Peralta were executed, on the Campo de Bagumbayan, facing the Luneta Esplanade.Foreman, J., The Philippine Islands, A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons On 12 September, thirteen revolutionaries were executed in
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southw ...
.


Legacy

200px, ''El Depósito'', taken in 1900. 100px, Detail of eight-ray sun of the Philippine flag The present-day design of the
Philippine flag The national flag of the Philippines ( tgl, Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas; ilo, Nailian a bandera ti Filipinas; ceb, Nasudnong bandila ng Pilipinas; es, Bandera Nacional de Filipinas) is a horizontal bicolor flag with equal bands of royal ...
features the eight-ray sun, which, some of the provinces that Blanco took under martial law on August 30, 1896 took a representation. The eight rays of the sun represent the eight provinces that initiated revolution against Spain:
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 populated ...
,
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southw ...
,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...
,
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 ...
,
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( tgl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija , also ; ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: ''Lalawigan/Probinsia ning Nueva Ecija''), is a landlocked province ...
,
Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...
, Laguna and
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and L ...
, though historian
Ambeth Ocampo Ambeth R. Ocampo (born 1961 in Manila) is a Filipino public historian, academic, cultural administrator, journalist, author, and independent curator. He is best known for his definitive writings about Philippines' national hero José Rizal and o ...
listed
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...
instead of Bataan. On July 25, 1987, former
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Corazon C. Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People ...
signed Executive Order 292 which declared the last Sunday of August each year as a public holiday in the Philippines. This commemorates the
Cry of Pugad Lawin The Cry of Pugad Lawin ( tgl, Sigaw ng Pugad Lawin, es, Grito de Pugad Lawin) was the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire. In late August 1896, members of the '' Katipunan'' led by Andrés Bonifacio revolted s ...
and the start of the Philippine Revolution. In 1974, the Pinaglabanan Shrine was unveiled in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
, along Pinaglabanan Street. "''Pinaglabanan''" is a Tagalog word for "fought over". The present-day San Juan Elementary School stands on the former grounds of the ruined ''El Polvorín''. In 2006, a
museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...
for the
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 ...
was opened by the San Juan city government located by the shrine. File:SanJuanCityjf2992 03.JPG, Pinaglabanan Shrine Park File:SanJuanCityjf2992 02.JPG, Restoration, Phase I


References


Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:San Juan del Monte, Battle of Conflicts in 1896 1896 in the Philippines Battles of the Philippine Revolution History of Metro Manila San Juan, Metro Manila Last stands