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The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a
revolutionary organization A revolutionary movement (or revolutionary social movement) is a specific type of social movement dedicated to carrying out a revolution. Criteria Charles Tilly defines it as "a social movement advancing exclusive competing claims to control o ...
founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists
Deodato Arellano Deodato Arellano y de la Cruz (July 26, 1844 – October 7, 1899) was a Filipino propagandist and the first President (corporate title), president of the Katipunan, which was founded at his home in Azcarraga Street (Recto Avenue, Claro M. Recto ...
,
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
, Valentin Diaz,
Ladislao Diwa Ladislao Diwa y Nocon (June 27, 1863 − March 12, 1930) was a Filipino patriot who was among the founders of the Katipunan that initiated the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Early years He was born in San Roque, Cavite to Mari ...
,
José Dizon José Dizon y Matanza (died January 11, 1897) was a Filipino patriot who was among those who founded the Katipunan that sparked the Philippine Revolution Dizon was born in Binondo, Manila and was married to Roberta Bartolomé, who died in March 1 ...
, and
Teodoro Plata Teodoro Plata (1866 – February 6, 1897) was a Filipino patriot, and a co-founder of the Katipunan, the secret society which sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule in 1896. He met Andrés Bonifacio at a boarding house in Manila ...
. Its primary objective was achieving independence from the
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
through an armed revolution. It was formed as a
secret society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...
before its eventual discovery by Spanish authorities in August 1896. This discovery led to the start of the
Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...
. Historians generally placed the date of its founding in July 1892 shortly after the arrest and deportation of Filipino author and nationalist
José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...
to
Dapitan Dapitan, officially the City of Dapitan (; Subanon: ''Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan''; ), is a component city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,202 people. ...
in
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
. Rizal was one of the founders of the nascent
La Liga Filipina La Liga Filipina () was a secret society. It was founded by José Rizal in the house of Doroteo Ongjunco at Ilaya Street, Tondo, Manila on July 3, 1892.In 1892, prior to its birth, Rizal alighted at the Old Malolos station to campaign in the ...
, which aimed for a Filipino representation to the
Spanish Parliament The (; ) are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). The Congress of Deputies meets in the Palacio de las Cortes. The Senate meets in the Palac ...
. Many members of the Katipunan, including Bonifacio himself, were members of that organization. However, recent discovery of documents of the organization suggest that the Katipunan may have been around by January 1892 but became active by July. Being originally formed as a
secret society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...
, the Katipunan had its members undergo through initiation rites similar to
freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
. Membership to the organization was initially open only for men; however, women were eventually accepted. The Katipunan had a short-lived publication, ''Kalayaan'' (), which only saw printing in March 1896. During its existence, revolutionary ideals and works flourished, and Filipino literature was expanded by some of its prominent members. Existing documents suggest that the Katipunan planned for an armed revolution since its founding, and initially sought for support from Filipino intellectuals. In one such incident, Bonifacio planned a rescue for the deported José Rizal in Dapitan in exchange for his support to the revolution, to which Rizal refused. An attempt to secure firearms from a visiting Japanese warship in May 1896 failed to gain anything. In August that year, Spanish authorities in Manila discovered the organization. Days after, the Katipunan, led by Bonifacio, openly declared war to the Spanish government, starting a three-year long revolution, which marked the beginning of the creation of the nation of
the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands, with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which ar ...
.


Etymology

The name "''Katipunan''" is a short name for "''Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan''" (Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation). The Tagalog word "''katipunan''" (literally, "association", "gathering", "assemblage", or "group") comes from the root word "''tipon''", a Tagalog word meaning "gathering" or "to gather".


Formation

The Katipunan was formed in 1892 by Filipino nationalists Deodato Arrellano,
Teodoro Plata Teodoro Plata (1866 – February 6, 1897) was a Filipino patriot, and a co-founder of the Katipunan, the secret society which sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule in 1896. He met Andrés Bonifacio at a boarding house in Manila ...
, Valentin Diaz,
Ladislao Diwa Ladislao Diwa y Nocon (June 27, 1863 − March 12, 1930) was a Filipino patriot who was among the founders of the Katipunan that initiated the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Early years He was born in San Roque, Cavite to Mari ...
,
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) Andres or Andrés is a male given name. It can also be a ...
, and Jose Dizon. It was one of the two groups that was formed after the dissolution of the nascent
La Liga Filipina La Liga Filipina () was a secret society. It was founded by José Rizal in the house of Doroteo Ongjunco at Ilaya Street, Tondo, Manila on July 3, 1892.In 1892, prior to its birth, Rizal alighted at the Old Malolos station to campaign in the ...
, a nationalist organization formed by Filipino writer
Jose Rizal Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halaft ...
and members of the Propaganda Movement in Spain, following Rizal's arrest and deportation to
Dapitan Dapitan, officially the City of Dapitan (; Subanon: ''Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan''; ), is a component city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,202 people. ...
in
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
. Most of the Katipunan's early members were also members of the La Liga. However, while the La Liga advocated for a Filipino representation in the
Spanish Parliament The (; ) are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). The Congress of Deputies meets in the Palacio de las Cortes. The Senate meets in the Palac ...
, Katipunan's goals was for the archipelago to achieve independence through an armed revolution. Its founders saw that any move for Filipino autonomy from within Spain would be suppressed by colonial Spanish authorities. The other group, Cuerpo de Compromisarios, argued for a peaceful reformation instead. While fundamentally different in their views, the Katipunan decided to name Rizal as their honorary president. Rizal's status was so prominent within the organization that "Rizal" was one of the passwords of the group alongside "
Gomburza Gomburza, alternatively stylized as GOMBURZA or GomBurZa ("Gom" for Gómes, "Bur" for Burgos, and "Za" for Zamora), refers to three Filipino Catholic priests, Mariano Gómes, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed by a garrot ...
", a trio of Filipino priests executed in Bagumbayan in 1872 the wake of the
Cavite mutiny The Cavite mutiny (; ) was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort San Felipe, the Spanish arsenal in Cavite, Philippine Islands (then also known as part of the Spanish East Indies) on January 20, 1872. Around 200 locally recruited ...
. Modern historical consensus generally place Katipunan's formation on the night of July 7, 1892, following Rizal's arrest. It was formed in secrecy on a house in Azcarraga Street (now
Recto Avenue Claro M. Recto Avenue, more popularly known as simply Recto, is the principal commercial thoroughfare in north-central Manila, Philippines. It spans six districts just north of the Pasig River in what is generally considered Manila's old downt ...
) in
San Nicolas, Manila San Nicolas is one of the sixteen districts in the city of Manila in the Philippines. It is located at the west central part of the city, on the northern bank of the Pasig River bounded by the districts of Binondo to the east by Estero de Binond ...
. However, it may have been formed on paper as early as January of the same year based on recent documents discovered in the 21st century. The organization was originally formed as a secret society following
freemasonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
practices such as its initiation rites and its organizational structure. This may come from the fact that many of its early members were freemasons themselves. While not directly involved in the organization, prominent Filipino freemason
Marcelo H. del Pilar Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán (; ; August 30, 1850July 4, 1896), commonly known as Marcelo H. del Pilar and also known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Pláridel,.''Filipinos in History: Volume II'', National Historical Commission o ...
may have influenced the group. Del Pilar is also said to have approved the Katipunan's statutes. Filipino historian Epifanio de los Santos, in the 1920s, noted, "It is very correctly stated that Andrés Bonifacio ordered Teodoro Plata to draw up the statutes of the Katipunan, and that he did this with the aid of Ladislao Diwa and Valentín Diaz. After the statutes had been discussed, Bonifacio, with the concurrence of Deodato Arellano, submitted them to Marcelo H. del Pilar for approval. Upon the latter's letter approving the statutes, Bonifacio used the same for the purpose of gaining adepts."


Organization


Administration

The Katipunan was governed by the Supreme Council (Tagalog: ''Kataas-taasang Sanggunian''). The first Supreme Council of the Katipunan was formed around August 1892, a month after the founding of the society. The Supreme Council was headed by an elected president (''pangulo''), followed by the secretary/secretaries (''kalihim''), the treasurer (''tagaingat-yaman'') and the fiscal (''tagausig''). The Supreme Council also had its councilors (''kasangguni''); the number varied through presidencies. To distinguish from presidents of lower ''sanggunian'' or councils (below), the president of the Supreme Council was called the Supreme President (Tagalog: ''Kataas-taasang Pangulo''; Spanish: ''Presidente Supremo''). At the outbreak of the 1896 Revolution, the council was further reorganized into a 'cabinet' which the Katipunan regarded as a genuine revolutionary government, de facto and
de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...
. In each province where there were Katipunan members, a provincial council called ''Sangguniang Bayan'' was established and in each town was an organized popular council called ''Sangguniang Balangay''. Each ''bayan'' and ''balangay'' had its own set of elected officials: ''pangulo'' (president); ''kalihim'' (secretary); ''tagausig'' (fiscal);'' tagaingat-yaman'' (treasurer); ''pangalawang pangulo'' (vice president); ''pangalawang kalihim'' (vice secretary); ''mga kasangguni'' (councilors); ''mabalasig'' (terrible brother); ''taliba'' (guard); ''maniningil'' (collector/auditor); ''tagapamahala ng basahan ng bayan'' (custodian of the people's library); ''tagapangasiwa'' (administrator); ''manunulat'' (clerk); ''tagatulong sa pagsulat'' (assistant clerk); ''tagalaan'' (warden) and ''tagalibot'' (patroller). Each ''balangay'' was given a chance to expand their own spheres of influence through the triangle system in order to elevate their status to ''Sangguniang Bayan''. Every ''balangay'' that did not gain ''Sangguniang Bayan'' status were dissolved and annexed by greater provincial or popular councils. The towns/cities which supported the Katipunan cause were given symbolic names, such as ''Magdiwang'' (to celebrate) for
Noveleta Noveleta, officially the Municipality of Noveleta (), is a municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 49,452 people. History Noveleta was originally a barrio of the municipality of ...
; ''Magdalo'' (to come) for
Kawit Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit (), is an urban municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of ...
; ''Magwagi'' (to win) for
Naic Naic (), officially the Municipality of Naic (), is a municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 160,987 people. Etymology Naic, Cavite is one of the former barrios of Maragond ...
; ''Magtagumpay'' (to succeed) for
Maragondon Maragondon, officially the Municipality of Maragondon (), is a municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,687 people. The town is famous for its bamboo crafts, Mounts Palay-Palay ...
; ''Walangtinag'' (never-diminished) for
Indang Indang, officially the Municipality of Indang (), is a municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,699 people. Etymology Indang (originally called ) was established as a town in ...
and ''Haligue'' (wall) for
Imus Imus (), officially the City of Imus (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
–all are in the province of
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
. Within the society functioned a secret chamber, called Camara Reina, which was presided over by Bonifacio, Jacinto and
Pío Valenzuela Pío Valenzuela y Alejandrino (July 11, 1869 – April 6, 1956) was a Filipino physician and revolutionary leader. At the age of 22, he joined the society of Katipunan, a movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish c ...
. This mysterious chamber passed judgment upon those who had betrayed their oath and those accused of certain offenses penalized by Katipunan laws. Every ''katipunero'' stood in fearful awe of this chamber. According to José P. Santos, throughout the existence of the secret chamber, about five ''katipuneros'' were convicted and sentenced to die by it. The death sentence was handed down in the figure of a cup with a serpent coiled around it.


History of administration

In 1892, after the ''Katipunan'' was founded, the members of the Supreme Council consisted of Arellano as president, Bonifacio as comptroller, Diwa as fiscal, Plata as secretary and Díaz as treasurer. In 1893, the Supreme Council comprised Ramón Basa as president, Bonifacio as fiscal,
José Turiano Santiago José Turiano Santiago y Acosta (July 13, 1875 – ) was a Filipino patriot who was among the leaders of the Katipunan that sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Biography Santiago graduated from the University of Santo Toma ...
as secretary, Vicente Molina as treasurer and Restituto Javier, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Gonzales. Gonzales, Plata and Diwa were councilors. It was during Basa's term that the society organized a women's auxiliary section. Two of its initial members were
Gregoria de Jesús Gregoria de Jesús y Álvarez (May 9, 1875 – March 15, 1943), also known by her nickname Oriang, acted as secretary of the women's section and also the custodian of the documents and seal of the Katipunan. She married Andrés Bonifacio, ...
, whom Bonifacio had just married, and Marina Dizon, daughter of José Dizon. It was also in 1893 when Basa and Diwa organized the provincial council of Cavite, which would later be the most successful council of the society. The Filipino scholar Maximo Kalaw reports that Basa yielded the presidency to Bonifacio in 1894 because of a dispute over the usefulness of the initiation rites and Bonifacio's handling of the society's funds. Basa contested Bonifacio's practice of lending their funds to needy members, complete with promissory notes. Moreover, Basa refused to induct his son into the organization. It was also in 1894 when
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
, a nephew of Dizon who was studying law at the
University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...
, joined the Katipunan. He intellectualized the society's aims and formulated the principles of the society as embodied in its primer, called ''Kartilla''. It was written in Tagalog and all recruits were required to commit it to heart before they were initiated. Jacinto would later be called the ''Brains of the Katipunan.'' At the same time, Jacinto also edited ''Kalayaan'' (Freedom), the society's official organ, but only one edition of the paper was issued; a second was prepared but never printed due to the discovery of the society. ''Kalayaan'' was published through the printing press of the Spanish newspaper ''Diario de Manila''. This printing press and its workers would later play an important role in the outbreak of the revolution. In 1895,
José Turiano Santiago José Turiano Santiago y Acosta (July 13, 1875 – ) was a Filipino patriot who was among the leaders of the Katipunan that sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Biography Santiago graduated from the University of Santo Toma ...
, a close personal friend of Bonifacio, was expelled because a coded message of the ''Katipunan'' fell into the hands of a Spanish priest teaching at the
University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...
. Since the priest was a friend of Santiago's sister, he and his half-brother Restituto Javier were suspected of betrayal, but the two would remain loyal to the ''Katipunan'' and Santiago would even join the Philippine revolutionary forces in the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. Jacinto replaced Santiago as secretary. In early 1895, Bonifacio called for a meeting of the society and deposed Basa in an election that installed Bonifacio as president, Jacinto as fiscal, Santiago as secretary, Molina as secretary,
Pío Valenzuela Pío Valenzuela y Alejandrino (July 11, 1869 – April 6, 1956) was a Filipino physician and revolutionary leader. At the age of 22, he joined the society of Katipunan, a movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish c ...
and Pantaleon Torres as physicians and Aguedo del Rosario and Doreteo Trinidad as councilors. On December 31, 1895, another election named Bonifacio as president, Jacinto as fiscal, Santiago as secretary, Molina as secretary, Pío Valenzuela and Pantaleon Torres as physicians and Aguedo del Rosario and Doreteo Trinidad as councilors. The members of the Supreme Council in 1895 were Bonifacio as president, Valenzuela as fiscal and physician, Jacinto as secretary and Molina as treasurer. Enrico Pacheco, Pantaleon Torres, Balbino Florentino, Francisco Carreón and Hermenegildo Reyes were named councilors. Eight months later, in August 1896, the fifth and last supreme council was elected to rename offices. Bonifacio was named President, Jacinto as Secretary of State, Plata as Secretary of War, Bricco Pantas as Secretary of Justice, Aguedo del Rosario as Secretary of the Interior and Enrico Pacheco as Secretary of Finance.


Members

Over the next four years, the ''Katipunan'' founders would recruit new members. By the time the society was uncovered, the American writer James Le Roy estimated the strength of the Katipunan at 100,000 to 400,000 members. Historian Teodoro Agoncillo estimated that the membership had increased to around 30,000 by 1896. The Ilocano writer
Isabelo de los Reyes Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino, also known as Don Belong (July 7, 1864 – October 10, 1938), was a prominent Filipino patriot, politician, writer, journalist, and labor activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. He was the original founder a ...
estimated membership at 15,000 to 50,000. Aside from Manila, the ''Katipunan'' also had sizeable chapters in
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
, Laguna,
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
,
Rizal Rizal most commonly refers to: * Rizal (province), a province of the Philippines * José Rizal, Filipino national hero whom the province is named after Rizal may also refer to: People * Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Malaysian footballer * Atep Ri ...
,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
,
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
,
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
and
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
. There were also smaller chapters in
Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur (), officially the Province of Ilocos Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan, while Candon is ...
,
Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...
,
Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
and the
Bicol region The Bicol Region, designated as Region V, is an administrative region of the Philippines. It comprises six Provinces of the Philippines, provinces, four on the Bicol Peninsula (the luzon#Southeastern Luzon, southeastern end of Luzon): Albay, Ca ...
. The Katipunan founders spent their free time recruiting members. For example, Diwa, who was a clerk at a judicial court, was assigned to the office of a justice of the peace in Pampanga. He initiated members in that province as well as Bulacan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija. Most of the Katipuneros were plebeian although several wealthy patriots joined the society and submitted themselves to the leadership of Bonifacio. ''Katipunero'' (plural, ''mga Katipunero'') is the
demonym A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
of a male member of the Katipunan. ''Katipunera'' (plural, ''mga Katipunera'') refers to female members.


Triangle system and grades

It was the original plan of Bonifacio to increase the membership of the Katipunan by means of ''sistemang patatsulok'' or triangle system. He formed his first triangle with his two comrades,
Teodoro Plata Teodoro Plata (1866 – February 6, 1897) was a Filipino patriot, and a co-founder of the Katipunan, the secret society which sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule in 1896. He met Andrés Bonifacio at a boarding house in Manila ...
and
Ladislao Diwa Ladislao Diwa y Nocon (June 27, 1863 − March 12, 1930) was a Filipino patriot who was among the founders of the Katipunan that initiated the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Early years He was born in San Roque, Cavite to Mari ...
. Each of them re-instituted Katipunan thoughts into another two new converts. The founder of the triangle knew the other two members, but the latter did not know each other. In December 1892 the system was abolished after proving it to be clumsy and complicated. A new system of initiation, modelled after the
Masonic rites A Rite, within the context of Freemasonry, refers to a comprehensive system of degrees that hold the capability to initiate and advance a newcomer through various stages of Masonic knowledge and experience. In some cases, a Master Mason can be i ...
was then adopted. When the Katipuneros had expanded to more than a hundred members, Bonifacio divided the members into three grades: the ''Katipon'' (literally: Associate) which is the lowest rank, the ''Kawal'' (soldier), and the ''Bayani'' (Hero or Patriot). In the meeting of the society, ''Katipon'' wore a black hood with a triangle of white ribbon having the letters "''Z. Ll. B.''", corresponding to the roman "''A. N. B.''", meaning ''Anak ng̃ Bayan'' (Son of the People, see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
). ''Kawal'' wore a green hood with a triangle having white lines and the letters "''Z. LL. B.''" at the three angles of the triangle, and also wore a green ribbon with a medal with the letter (''ka'') in
Baybayin Baybayin (,), also sometimes erroneously referred to as alibata, is a Suyat, Philippine script widely used primarily in Luzon during the 16th and 17th centuries and prior to write Tagalog language, Tagalog and to a lesser extent Visayan lang ...
script above a depiction of a crossed sword and flag. The password was '' Gom-Bur-Za'', taken from the names of the three martyrs Mariano Gomez,
Jose Burgos Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...
and
Jacinto Zamora Jacinto Zamora y del Rosario (August 14, 1835 – February 17, 1872) was a Catholic Church in the Philippines, Filipino Catholic Priesthood in the Catholic Church, priest, part of the Gomburza, a trio of priests who were falsely accused of muti ...
. ''Bayani'' (Hero) wore a red mask and a sash with green borders, symbolizing courage and hope. The front of the mask had white borders that formed a triangle with three ''K''s arranged as if occupying the angles of a triangle within a triangle, and with the letters "''Z. Ll. B.''" below. Another password was ''
Rizal Rizal most commonly refers to: * Rizal (province), a province of the Philippines * José Rizal, Filipino national hero whom the province is named after Rizal may also refer to: People * Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Malaysian footballer * Atep Ri ...
''. Countersigns enabled members to recognize one another on the street. A member meeting another member placed the palm of his right hand on his breast and, as he passed the other member, he closed the hands to bring the right index finger and thumb together.
Color designations: * ''Katipon''. First-degree members. Other symbols: Black hood, revolver and/or bolo. * ''Kawal''. Second-degree members. Other symbols: green ribboned-medallion with Malayan ''K'' inscription. * ''Bayani''. Third degree members. Other symbols: Red hood and sash, with green borders.
''Katipon'' could graduate to ''Kawal'' class by bringing several new members into the society. A ''Kawal'' could become a ''Bayani'' upon being elected an officer of the society.


Membership

Any person who wished to join the Katipunan was subjected to certain initiation rites, resembling those of
Masonic rites A Rite, within the context of Freemasonry, refers to a comprehensive system of degrees that hold the capability to initiate and advance a newcomer through various stages of Masonic knowledge and experience. In some cases, a Master Mason can be i ...
, to test his courage, patriotism and loyalty. New recruits underwent the initiation rite three at a time so that no member knew more than two other members of the society. The neophyte was first blindfolded and then led into a dimly lighted room with black curtains where his folded cloth was removed from his eyes. An admonition, in Tagalog, was posted at the entrance to the room: Inside the candle-lit room, they would be brought to a table adorned with a skull and a bolo. There, they would condemn the abuses of the Spanish government and vow to fight colonial oppression: During Bonifacio's time, all of the Filipino people are referred collectively by the Katipunan as ''Tagalogs'', while the Philippines is referred to as the ''Katagalugan''. The next step in the initiation ceremony was the lecture given by the master of ceremonies, called ''Mabalasig/Mabalasik'' (terrible brother), who informed the neophyte to withdraw if he lacked courage since he would be out of place in the patriotic society. If the neophyte persisted, he was presented to the assembly of the brethren, who subjected him to various ordeals such as blindfolding him and making him shoot a supposedly a
revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
at a person, or forcing him to jump over a supposedly hot flame. After the ordeals came to final rite—the ''pacto de sangre'' or
blood compact Blood compact ( Spanish: ''Pacto de sangre''; Tagalog: ''Sanduguan'') was an ancient ritual in the Philippines intended to seal a friendship or treaty, or to validate an agreement. The contracting parties would cut their hands and pour their blo ...
—in which the neophyte signed the following oath with the blood taken from his arm: He was then accepted as a full-fledged member, with a symbolic name by which he was known within Katipunan circles. Bonifacio's symbolic name was ''Maypagasa''; Jacinto was ''Pingkian'' and
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 of ...
was ''Vibora''.


Admission of women to the society

At first, Katipunan was purely a patriotic society for men. Owing to the growing suspicion of the women regarding nocturnal absences of their husbands, the reduction of their monthly earnings and "long hours of work", Bonifacio had to bring them into the realms of the KKK. A section for women was established in the society: to become admitted, one must be a wife, a daughter, or a sister of a male ''katipunero''. It was estimated that from 20 to 50 women had become members of the society. The first woman to become a member of the Katipunan was
Gregoria de Jesús Gregoria de Jesús y Álvarez (May 9, 1875 – March 15, 1943), also known by her nickname Oriang, acted as secretary of the women's section and also the custodian of the documents and seal of the Katipunan. She married Andrés Bonifacio, ...
, wife of Bonifacio. Her codename was ''Lakambini'' (Princess). Initially, there were 29 women were admitted to the Katipunan: Gregoria de Jesús, Marina Dizon, president of the women's section; Josefa and
Trinidad Rizal Trinidad Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (June 6, 1868 – May 9, 1951), commonly known as Trinidad Rizal, was a Filipina feminist leader and co-founder of the Philippines' first feminist organization, the ''Asociación Femenista Filipina''. She ...
, sisters of Dr.
José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...
; Angelica Lopez and
Delfina Herbosa Natividad Delfina Rizal Herbosa de Natividad (December 20, 1879 – March 10, 1900) was a Filipino renowned for being one of the three women, together with Marcela Agoncillo and her daughter Lorenza, who seamed together the Philippine flag, and for bein ...
, close relatives of Dr. Rizal; Carmén de Rodriguez; Marina Hizon; Benita Rodriguez; Semiona de Rémigio; Gregoria Montoya; Agueda Kahabagan,
Teresa Magbanua Teresa Magbanua y Ferraris (October 13, 1868 – August 1947), better known as Teresa Magbanua and dubbed as the " Visayan Joan of Arc", was a Filipino schoolteacher and military leader. Born in Pototan, Iloilo, Philippines, she retired from e ...
, Trinidad Tecson, rendered as "Mother of Biak-na-Bato"; Nazaria Lagos; Patrocinio Gamboa;
Marcela Agoncillo Doña Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo (née Mariño y Coronel; June 24, 1859 – May 30, 1946) was a Filipina who was the principal seamstress of the first and official flag of the Philippines, gaining her the title of "The Mother of the Philippin ...
; Melchora Aquino, the "Grand Old Woman of Balintawak"; Marta Saldaña and Macaria Pañgilinan. The women rendered valuable services to the Katipunan. They guarded the secret papers and documents of the society. Whenever the Katipunan held sessions in a certain house, they usually made merry, singing and dancing with some of the men in the living room so that the civil guard were led that there was nothing but a harmless social party within. Though women are considered to be members of the Katipunan, information regarding the women's section were scarce and sometimes conflicting.
Teodoro Agoncillo Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a Filipino historian from the 20th century. He and his contemporary, Renato Constantino, were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a Filipino nationalis ...
, for example, disregarded Marina Dizon and concluded that Josefa Rizal was the only president of the said section.
Gregorio Zaide Gregorio Fernandez Zaide (May 25, 1907 – October 31, 1986) was a Filipino historian, author, and politician from the town of Pagsanjan, Laguna, Philippines. A multi-awarded author, Zaide wrote 67 books and more than 500 articles abou ...
, on the other hand, mentioned Dizon's presidency in his 1939 publication ''History of the Katipunan'' but changed his mind when he adopted Dr.
Pío Valenzuela Pío Valenzuela y Alejandrino (July 11, 1869 – April 6, 1956) was a Filipino physician and revolutionary leader. At the age of 22, he joined the society of Katipunan, a movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish c ...
's notion that women-members did not elect officers, hence there is no room for president.


Foreign members of the Katipunan

Attracted by the universal appeal of the Katipunan's Kartilya, several members who were not native Filipinos joined the Katipunan or, later, the
Philippine Revolutionary Army The Philippine Revolutionary Army ( Spanish: ; ), later renamed Philippine Republican Army, was the army of the First Philippine Republic from its formation in March 1897 to its dissolution in November of 1899 in favor of guerrilla operation ...
(PRA) in the spirit of national liberation. Among the foreign-born Katipuneros were General
Juan Cailles Juan Cailles y Kauppama (November 10, 1871 – June 28, 1951) was a Philippines, Filipino general and politician. A member of the revolutionary movement Katipunan, he was a commanding officer of the Philippine Revolutionary Army who served durin ...
, a half Indian (From India) and French mestizo; General Jose Ignacio Paua, a full-blooded Chinese; African-American PRA Captain David Fagen who defected from the Americans to join the Filipinos due to his disgust of racism and imperialism; Captain Camillo Richairdi, an Italian who joined the rebel Filipinos; and
Vicente Catalan Vicente Catalan was a Cuban-Filipino of Criollo descent known for his mutiny against his Spanish naval officers in the 800-ton steamer of the Compania Tobacco De Filipinas seized by its Filipino Crew who killed the Spanish Officers. The Filipino mu ...
, a Cuban
Criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...
captain who became the first Admiral of the Philippine Navy. A large number of former Latin-American officers in the Spanish army from
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
,
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
,
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
,
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, and
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
were dismissed in the context of the Andres Novales uprising, one of the precursors of the Philippine revolution. These Latin-American-born officers moved to the Philippines to serve in the military and allied with the revolutionaries. There were also several Spanish and American defectors to the Philippine side during the Philippine War of Independence and the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. To add to these were the Japanese militants supporting the Katipunan and the First Republic among which include Lieutenant Saburo Nakamori and Captain Chizuno Iwamoto who served on President Emilio Aguinaldo's staff. Nevertheless, there was friction between the Masons from the United States and France against the Masonic associated Katipunan as the first President of the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
was once a Mason, but the nascent
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
which the Katipunan founded went to war against the same Masonic-led United States in the Philippine-American War, and furthermore, the treaty which sealed the American invasion of the Philippines was concluded in the
1898 Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898, was signed by Spain and the United States on December 10, 1898, and marked the end of the Spanish–American Wa ...
. The Revolution and the Philippine–American War caused many deaths but eventually, America granted the Philippines Independence after
World War 2 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisin ...
.


Notable Katipuneros

*
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) Andres or Andrés is a male given name. It can also be a ...
(1863–1897) – The leading founder and the third Supreme President (Kataas-taasang Pangulo, Presidente Supremo) of the Katipunan, later taking the title Pangulo ng Haring Bayang Katagalugan (President of the Sovereign Tagalog Nation; "Haring Bayan" was also translated as Republic, i.e. Republika ng Katagalugan) upon the start of the revolution. *
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
(1869–1964) – First president of the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
, the Katipunan's successor. He was also a war general and one of the officers of the ''Magdalo'' chapter that led to a lot of notable victories for the Katipunan against Spain. During his presidency, he ordered the arrest and eventual execution of Andrés and Procopio Bonifacio in 1897 after the trial. *
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
(1875–1899) – called as the ''Brains of the Katipunan''. He wrote several papers during the Revolution like the '' Kartilya'' (Primer). *
Mariano Álvarez Mariano Malia Álvarez (: March 15, 1818 – August 25, 1924) was a Philippines, Filipino revolutionary and statesman. He was the first Municipal President of Noveleta. Pre-war life Álvarez was born in Noveleta, Tierra Alta, Cavite to Se ...
(1818–1924) – the President of the ''Magdiwang'' chapter and a war general he was also Oriang's uncle. *
Baldomero Aguinaldo Baldomero Aguinaldo y Baloy (February 27, 1869 – February 4, 1915) was a leader of the Philippine Revolution. He was the first cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines, as well as the grandfather of Cesar Virata, a ...
(1818–1924) – the President of the ''Magdalo'' chapter and a war general he was also
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
's first cousin. *
Gregoria de Jesús Gregoria de Jesús y Álvarez (May 9, 1875 – March 15, 1943), also known by her nickname Oriang, acted as secretary of the women's section and also the custodian of the documents and seal of the Katipunan. She married Andrés Bonifacio, ...
(1875–1943) – called as the ''Lakambini ng Katipunan'' (Muse of the Katipunan) and nicknamed Aling Oryang, she was the wife of Bonifacio before marrying Julio Nakpil after the former's death. She was also regarded as one of the first women members of the Katipunan. *
Gregorio del Pilar Gregorio Hilario del Pilar y Sempio (; ; November 14, 1875 – December 2, 1899) was a Filipino general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War. As one of the youngest generals in the Revolutionary Army, he ...
(1875–1899) – entered the Katipunan circle fighting against the Spanish and later the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
's army against the Americans. He died during the
Battle of Tirad Pass The Battle of Tirad Pass, sometimes referred to as the Philippine Thermopylae, took place during the Philippine–American War on December 2, 1899, in northern Luzon in the Philippines. A 60-man Filipino rear guard commanded by Brigadier Gener ...
. *
Pio del Pilar Pio or PIO may refer to: Places * Pio Lake, Italy * Pio Island, Solomon Islands * Pio Point, Bird Island, south Atlantic Ocean People * Pio (given name) * Pio (surname) * Pio (footballer, born 1986), Brazilian footballer * Pio (footballer, born 1 ...
(1860–1931) – the leader of the ''Matagumpay'' chapter, one of the closest officers of
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
. Despite this, as the new revolutionary government was established, he was one of the officers who advised Aguinaldo to reverse his commutation (to banishment) of the death sentences given to Andrés and Procopio Bonifacio. * Licerio Gerónimo (1855–1924) – Aguinaldo's war general during
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. *
Vicente Lukbán Vicente Lukbán y Rilles or Vicente Lucbán Rilles (February 11, 1860 – November 16, 1916) was a Philippine general in the Philippine Republican Army and politician who served as the governor of Tayabas (now Quezon) from 1912 to 1916. He wa ...
(1860–1916) – Americans regarded him to be the mastermind of the bloody
Balangiga massacre The Balangiga massacre was an incident in which the residents of the town of Balangiga on the island of Samar conducted a surprise attack on an occupying unit of the US 9th Infantry, killing 54. The incident is also known as the Balangiga enc ...
in 1901 during
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. *
Miguel Malvar y Carpio Miguel Malvar y Carpio (September 27, 1865 – October 13, 1911) was a Filipino general who served during the Philippine Revolution and, subsequently, during the Philippine–American War. He assumed command of the Philippine revolutionary forc ...
(1865–1911) – commander of the Katipunan and became a general of the First Philippine Republic. *
Macario Sakay Macario Sakay y de León (March 1, 1870 – September 13, 1907) was a Filipino general who took part in the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire and in the Philippine–American War. After the war was declared over by the Un ...
(1878–1907) – head of Katipunan in Trozo, Manila. Future founder or rather reviver of the Republika ng Katagalugan (the concept and name dating back to Bonifacio) that would oppose American occupation in the Philippines. *
Paciano Rizal Paciano Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (March 9, 1851 – April 13, 1930) was a Filipino general and revolutionary, and the older brother of José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Early life Paciano Rizal was born to Francis ...
(1851–1930) – The older brother of national hero
José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...
, he was also a personal friend of Padre
José Burgos José Apolonio Burgos y García (February 9, 1837 – February 17, 1872) was a Filipino Catholic priest, accused of mutiny by the Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines in the 19th century. He was tried and executed in Manila a ...
in his youth. He joined the Katipunan years before Jose's return from Dapitan. *
Manuel Tinio Manuel Tinio y Bundoc (June 17, 1877 – February 22, 1924) was the youngest General of the Philippine Revolutionary Army, and was elected Governor of the Province of Nueva Ecija, Republic of the Philippines in 1907. He is considered to be one ...
(1877–1924) – youngest general of the Katipunan and the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
, he later became the governor of
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
from 1907 to 1909. * Aurelio Tolentino (1869–1915) – was a Filipino playwright, poet, journalist, and revolutionary. He wrote and directed the anti-imperialist play Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow), which led to his arrest in 1903. *
Julián Felipe Julián Reyes Felipe (; : January 28, 1861 – October 2, 1944) was a Filipino composer of the music of the Philippine national anthem, formerly known as ''"Marcha Nacional Filipina"'', now known as "Lupang Hinirang". Early life Julián Fe ...
(1861–1944) – composer of Lupang Hinirang, teacher and member of La Liga Filipina, he later served as legal advisor to the Katipunan. His tenacious ability in argumentative reasoning earned him the nickname "demente viejo" among the colonial Principalía. In Manila, Julian ran a private law school which many of his personal socio-political ideals succeeded to his students. Notable Katipuneros under his tutelage was
Gregorio Aglipay Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayán (; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Gregorio Labayan Aglipay Cruz''; pronounced ; May 5, 1860 – September 1, 1940) was a Filipino former Roman Catholic (term), Roman Catholic Priesthood (Catholic Church), priest ...
and
Miguel Malvar Miguel Malvar y Carpio (September 27, 1865 – October 13, 1911) was a Filipino general who served during the Philippine Revolution and, subsequently, during the Philippine–American War. He assumed command of the Philippine revolutionary forc ...
. File:Andrés Bonifacio.jpg,
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
File:Emilio Aguinaldo (ca. 1898).jpg,
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
File:Santiago Alvarez.jpg, Santiago Alvarez File:Miguel_Malvar.JPG,
Miguel Malvar Miguel Malvar y Carpio (September 27, 1865 – October 13, 1911) was a Filipino general who served during the Philippine Revolution and, subsequently, during the Philippine–American War. He assumed command of the Philippine revolutionary forc ...
File:Ladislao_Diwa.jpg,
Ladislao Diwa Ladislao Diwa y Nocon (June 27, 1863 − March 12, 1930) was a Filipino patriot who was among the founders of the Katipunan that initiated the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Early years He was born in San Roque, Cavite to Mari ...
File:Macario_Sacay.jpg,
Macario Sakay Macario Sakay y de León (March 1, 1870 – September 13, 1907) was a Filipino general who took part in the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire and in the Philippine–American War. After the war was declared over by the Un ...


Literature of the society


Written works

During the Katipunan's existence, literature flourished through prominent writers of the Katipunan:
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
,
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
and Dr. Pío Valenzuela. Each of the three's works stirred patriotism and are aimed to spread the revolutionary thoughts and ideals of the society. * Bonifacio works. Probably one of the best works done inside the Katipunan was written by
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
, ''Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa'' (Love for the Homeland). It is a poem of sincere patriotic sentiment. ''Pag-ibig'' was published in the January 1896 issue of '' Kalayaan'' by Bonifacio under his
pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...
''Agapito Bagumbayan''. According to Manuel Artigas y Cuerva, the name ''Agapito Bagumbayan'' was a corruption of ''agap-ito, bagum-bayan'', which, if translated from Tagalog to English word by word, means "the new nation is here and ready". There is no known original source of ''Pag-ibig'', especially that there is no surviving ''Kalayaan'' issue. The two available texts accessible reprinted through books is the one published by Jose P. Santos in 1935. The other one, with familiar discrepancies to Santos' print, was archived in the military annals of
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
. : After Rizal's execution at Bagumbayan on December 30, 1896, Bonifacio wrote the first Tagalog translation of the former's ''
Mi último adiós "Mi último adiós" () is a poem written by Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal before his execution by firing squad on December 30, 1896. The piece was one of the last notes he wrote before his death. Another that he had written was found i ...
'' (Final Farewell), in which he gave the name ''Pahimakas'' (Farewell). He also wrote the prose ''Katungkulang Gagawin ng mga Z. Ll. B.'' (Duties of the Sons of the People), that was never published because he believed that Jacinto's ''Kartilya'' was superior than his. Bonifacio also wrote ''Ang Dapat Mabatid ng Mga Tagalog'' (What the Tagalogs Should Know), which is a politic-historical essay. * Jacinto works.
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
is considered as the ''Brains of the Katipunan'', later ''of the Revolution''. His poetical masterpiece, written in Laguna on October 8, 1897, was ''A la Patría'' (To My Fatherland), with an inspiring melody paralleled from Rizal's ''
Mi último adiós "Mi último adiós" () is a poem written by Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal before his execution by firing squad on December 30, 1896. The piece was one of the last notes he wrote before his death. Another that he had written was found i ...
''. He also wrote a touching
ode An ode (from ) is a type of lyric poetry, with its origins in Ancient Greece. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structu ...
entitled ''A mí Madre'' (To My Mother). His masterpiece in prose, the '' Kartilya'' (Primer; see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
), became the
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
of the Katipunan. His other prose writing was ''Liwanag at Dilim'' (Light and Darkness), a series of articles on
human right Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...
s, liberty, equality, labor, government, and love of country. His
pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...
was ''Dimas-Ilaw''. * Valenzuela works. Dr. Pío Valenzuela was a
medical doctor A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...
by profession. In 1896, during the first publication of ''Kalayaan'', Valenzuela assisted Bonifacio and Jacinto in editing the newspaper. He also wrote ''Catuiran?'' (Is it Fair?), which described the cruelties of the Spanish priest and civil guards of
San Francisco del Monte San Francisco del Monte, also referred to as SFDM and Frisco, is a district of Quezon City, Philippines. It is bisected by two major thoroughfares, Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue and the eponymous Del Monte Avenue, and is bounded by Atty. Pat Senador S ...
(now in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
) on a helpless village lieutenant. He also collaborated with Bonifacio in writing the article ''Sa Mga Kababayan'' (To my Countrymen), an essay addressing the people of the Philippines. His
pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...
was ''Madlang-Away''. :During the infamous
Cry of Balintawak The Cry of 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 somewhere around Caloocan, which included parts of the ...
, Valenzuela held the position of physician-general of the Katipunan.


''Kalayaan''

''Kalayaan'' (Liberty/Freedom) was the official organ and newspaper of the Katipunan. It was first published March 1896 (even though its masthead was dated January 1896.) The first ''Kalayaan'' issue has never been followed. In 1895, the Katipunan bought an old hand-press with the money generously donated by two
Visayan Visayans ( Cebuano: ''mga Bisayà'' ) are a Philippine ethnolinguistic family group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, to the southernmost islands south of Luzon, and to a significant portion of Mindanao. They are composed of numerous di ...
co-patriots Francisco del Castillo and Candido Iban–who returned to the country after working as shell and pearl divers in Australia and had some money from a lottery win. They bought the press and a small quantity of
types Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...
from Antonio Salazar's "Bazar del Cisne" on Calle Carriedo, and Del Castillo transported it to the house of
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
in
Santa Cruz, Manila Santa Cruz is a district in the northern part of the Manila, City of Manila, Philippines, located on the right bank of the Pasig River near its mouth. It is bordered by the districts of Tondo, Manila, Tondo, Binondo, Manila, Binondo, Quiapo, Ma ...
. On January 1, 1896, Valenzuela accepted the position as the Katipunan "fiscal" in exchange for Bonifacio's consent to send the printing press to his house in Calle de Lavezares,
San Nicolas, Manila San Nicolas is one of the sixteen districts in the city of Manila in the Philippines. It is located at the west central part of the city, on the northern bank of the Pasig River bounded by the districts of Binondo to the east by Estero de Binond ...
, "so that he could assist and edit a monthly publication which would be the Katipunan's main organ". Bonifacio agreed, and on mid-January, the press was delivered in San Nicolas. The name ''Kalayaan'' was suggested by Dr. Pío Valenzuela, which was agreed both by Bonifacio and
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
. Even though Valenzuela was chosen to become the editor of the organ, they all decided to use the name of
Marcelo H. del Pilar Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán (; ; August 30, 1850July 4, 1896), commonly known as Marcelo H. del Pilar and also known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Pláridel,.''Filipinos in History: Volume II'', National Historical Commission o ...
as its editor. To fool the Spanish authorities, the ''Kalayaan'' was also decided to carry a false masthead stating that it was being printed in
Yokohama, Japan is the second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a population of 3.7 million in 2023. It lies on Tokyo B ...
. That very same month, January 1896, the publication of ''Kalayaan'' began. Valenzuela expected to complete it by the end of the month and so it was dated as such. The existence of the press was kept in utmost secrecy. Under the supervision of Valenzuela, two printers, Faustino Duque, a student from
Colegio de San Juan de Letran The Colegio de 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 in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. I ...
, and Ulpiano Fernández, a part-time printer at ''El Comercio'', printed the revolutionary literature of the society and ''Kalayaan''. When Valenzuela was appointed the physician-general of the Katipunan, he passed on his editorial duties to Jacinto. Jacinto edited the articles after his pre-law classes in
University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...
. Since the press was in the old
orthography An orthography is a set of convention (norm), conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, punctuation, Word#Word boundaries, word boundaries, capitalization, hyphenation, and Emphasis (typography), emphasis. Most national ...
and not in the new "
Germanized Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people, and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In l ...
" alphabet, as called by the Spaniards, there were no Tagalog letters such as "k", "w", "h" and "y". To solve this problem, Jacinto obliged his mother, Josefa Dizon, to buy typefaces that resembled such letters. The typefaces used in its printing were purchased from publisher
Isabelo de los Reyes Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino, also known as Don Belong (July 7, 1864 – October 10, 1938), was a prominent Filipino patriot, politician, writer, journalist, and labor activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. He was the original founder a ...
, but many were taken surreptitiously from the presses of the ''Diario de Manila'' by Filipino employees who were also members of the Katipunan. According to Valenzuela, the printing process was so laborious that setting eight pages required two months to complete. For weeks, Jacinto, Duque and Fernández (and sometimes Valenzuela) took turns in preparing the pages of the ''Kalayaan'', which was approximately nine by twelve inches in size. In March 1896, the first copies of the January 1896 issue were secretly circulated with about 2,000 copies, according to Valenzuela. According to Epifanio de los Santos, only 1,000 copies were printed: 700 were distributed by Bonifacio, 300 by Aguinaldo, and some 100 by Valenzuela himself. The first issue contained a supposed editorial done by del Pilar, which, in fact, was done by Jacinto himself. It also included Bonifacio's ''Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa'', Valenzuela's ''Catuiran?'' and several works that exposed Spanish abuses and promoted patriotism. Copies spread to nearby
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
provinces, including Cavite, Morong (now
Rizal Rizal most commonly refers to: * Rizal (province), a province of the Philippines * José Rizal, Filipino national hero whom the province is named after Rizal may also refer to: People * Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Malaysian footballer * Atep Ri ...
), Kalookan, and
Malabon Malabon, officially the City of Malabon (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north of the city of Manila, Malabon is ...
. Surprised by this initial success, Jacinto decided to print a second issue that would contain nothing but his works. In August 1896, the second issue was prepared. It was during this time that Spanish authorities began to grow wary of anti-government activities and, suspecting the existence of a
subversive Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to sabotage the established social order and its structures of power, authority, tradition, hierarchy, and socia ...
periodical in circulation (see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
), raided the place where ''Kalayaan'' was being printed, at No. 6 Clavel Street,
San Nicolas, Manila San Nicolas is one of the sixteen districts in the city of Manila in the Philippines. It is located at the west central part of the city, on the northern bank of the Pasig River bounded by the districts of Binondo to the east by Estero de Binond ...
. Fortunately, the printers Duque and Fernández were warned in time, destroyed the incriminating molds and escaped. Therefore, Spanish authorities never found any evidence of the ''Kalayaan''.


''Kartilya ng Katipunan''

The teachings of the Katipunan were embodied in a document entitled ''Kartilya ng Katipunan'', a pamphlet printed in
Tagalog language Tagalog ( ,According to the ''OED'' anMerriam-Webster Online Dictionary ; ''Baybayin'': ) is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as ...
. Copies of which were distributed among the members of the society. ''Kartilya'' was written by
Emilio Jacinto Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (; December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino general during the Philippine Revolution. He was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Philippine Revolution and was one of the highest-ranking office ...
, and later revised by Emilio Aguinaldo. The revised version consists of thirteen teachings (though some sources, such as the one provided by Philippine Centennial Commission, list only twelve). The term ''kartilya'' was derived from Spanish ''cartilla'', which was a primer for grade school students before going to school at that time.


Language and alphabet

According to Filipino writer and historian Hermenegildo Cruz, the official language of the Katipunan is Tagalog, and uses an alphabet nearly similar to
Spanish alphabet Spanish orthography is the orthography used in the Spanish language. The alphabet uses the Latin script. The spelling is fairly phonemic orthography, phonemic, especially in comparison to more opaque orthographies like English orthography, Engl ...
but has a different meaning and the way it was read was changed.
Diacritic A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacrit ...
s were added, to emphasize the existence of ng and
mga Mga () is an types of inhabited localities in Russia, urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Kirovsky District, Leningrad Oblast, Kirovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. Population: The name is almost certainly derived from the iden ...
on Tagalog orthography. The following is an excerpt from Cruz' '' Kartilyang Makabayan: Mga Tanong at Sagot Ukol Kay
Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
at sa KKK'' (, Manila, 1922): Presented below is the Katipunan alphabet, when compared to the Spanish alphabet.


Preparation for the revolution


Attempt to seek Rizal's support

The night when
Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Eulogio Despujol exiled Dr. José Rizal to
Dapitan Dapitan, officially the City of Dapitan (; Subanon: ''Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan''; ), is a component city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,202 people. ...
, Katipunan was discovered. In a secret meeting of the Katipunan by a small creek named Bitukang Manok (later known as Parian Creek, now nearly extinct) near
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
on May 4, 1896, Bonifacio and his councilors decided to seek the advice of Rizal regarding a decision to revolt. Bonifacio delegated Dr. Pío Valenzuela as the Katipunan's emissary to
Dapitan Dapitan, officially the City of Dapitan (; Subanon: ''Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan''; ), is a component city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,202 people. ...
. This was done in order to inform Rizal of Katipunan's plan to launch a revolution and, if possible, a war against Spain. By the end of May 1896, Valenzuela had visited and interviewed Rizal in Dapitan. As cover, Valenzuela was accompanied by a blind man named Raymundo Máta, since Rizal is an
ophthalmologist Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...
. Valenzuela arrived in Dapitan on June 21, 1896, where Rizal welcomed him. After supper, Valenzuela told him his real purpose and the necessity of securing Rizal's support. Dr. Pío Valenzuela, ''Memoirs'', Unpublished manuscript. According to Valenzuela, Rizal only answered, "''Huwag, huwag! Iya'y makasasama sa bayang Pilipino!''" (No, no! That will harm the Filipino nation!) Rizal objected to Bonifacio's audacious plan to plunge the country into a bloody revolution. He believed it was premature for two reasons: # the people are not ready for a massive revolution; and # arms and funds must first be collected before raising the cry of revolution. Because of this notion, Valenzuela made another proposal to Rizal: to rescue him. Rizal disapproved of this plan, because he had given his word of honor to the Spanish authorities, and he did not want to break it. Instead, Rizal advised Valenzuela to persuade wealthy Filipinos, so that they can solicit funds, where he recommended an elite army officer named
Antonio Luna Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (; October 29, 1866 – June 5, 1899) was a Filipinos, Filipino army general and a pharmacist who fought in the Philippine–American War before his assassination on June 5, 1899, at the age ...
to be Katipunan's war general, should a revolution break out. According to Valenzuela's statement to the Spanish authorities, they almost quarreled over the matter and Valenzuela left the following day instead of staying for a month as originally planned. When Valenzuela returned to Manila and informed the Katipunan of his failure to secure Rizal's sanction. Bonifacio, furious, warned Valenzuela not to tell anyone of Rizal's refusal to support the impending uprising. However, Valenzuela had already spread the word, so that much fund proposals to the society were canceled. Despite Rizal's rejection, the Katipunan was already trying to address its arms supply problem and had taken steps to smuggle in weapons from abroad. At his
trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...
, Rizal denied that he knew Valenzuela, saying only that he met him first at Dapitan and that he considered him a good friend because of what Valenzuela showed to him and his appreciation of medical tools Valenzuela gave to him. He also said that this was the last time they met.


Attempt to solicit Japan's aid

Despite Rizal's rejection of an armed revolution, Bonifacio continued to plan for an armed conflict with Spain. The Katipunan cast its eyes on Japan, which loomed then as the probable champion of Asian liberties against Western oppression at the time. In May 1896, after Valenzuela's visit to Rizal, a delegation of Katipunan members, headed by Jacinto and Bonifacio, conferred with a visiting Japanese
naval officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...
and captain of a Japanese ship, named ''Kongo'', and the Japanese consul at a Japanese
bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
in Manila. The interpreter, a friend of Valenzuela, was José Moritaro Tagawa who was married to a Filipino woman of
Bocaue, Bulacan Bocaue , officially the Municipality of Bocaue (), is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 141,412 people. Among its tourist attractions are a town museum located near th ...
. After the usual exchange of courtesies, Jacinto submitted the Katipunan memorial for the
Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...
in which the Filipinos prayed for Japanese aid in their projected revolution, "so that the light of liberty that illuminates Japan may also shed its rays over the Philippines." It was with good reason that the Katipunan solicited Japan's aid and alliance. Japan had been friendly to the Filipinos since the Spanish colonial era. Many Filipinos who had fled from Spanish persecution had been welcomed there and given full protection of Japanese laws. Bonifacio tried to purchase arms and
ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...
from Japan, but failed due to lack of funds and the uncovering of the Katipunan, José Dizon was part of the committee that the Katipunan formed to secure arms from Japan with the connivance of the Japanese ship captain. Three months later, however, the Katipunan was uncovered and Dizon was among the hundreds who were arrested for rebellion.


Discovery

As the Katipunan was busy preparing for the revolt, various denunciations regarding its existence reached the Spanish authorities. On July 5, 1896, Manuél Sityar, a Spanish lieutenant of the
Guardia Civil The Civil Guard (; ) is one of the two national law enforcement agencies of Spain. As a national gendarmerie, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Minis ...
stationed at
Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...
, reported to
Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Ramón Blanco the mysterious activities of certain natives who had been gathering arms and recruiting men for some unknown purposes. On August 13, 1896, Fr. Agustín Fernández, an Augustinian curate of San Pedro, Makati, wrote to Don Manuél Luengo, the civil governor (mayor) of Manila, denouncing anti-Spanish meetings in his parish. The Katipunan was finally discovered by the Spanish authorities six days after Fr. Fernández's letter to Luengo. In early August 1896, Teodoro Patiño and Apolonio de la Cruz, both working for the '' Diario de Manila'' printing press (leading newspaper during those times) had undergone misunderstanding regarding wages. Press foreman de la Cruz and typesetter Patiño fought over salary increase of two pesos. De la Cruz tried to blame Patiño for the loss of the printing supplies that were used for the printing of ''Kalayaan''. In retaliation, Patiño revealed the secrets of the society to his sister, Honoria Patiño, an inmate nun at the Mandaluyong Orphanage. That afternoon, on August 19, 1896, Honoria grew shocked and very upset of the revelation. The mother portress of the Orphanage, '' Sor'' (Sister) Teresa de Jesus saw Honoria crying so she approached her. Honoria told everything she heard from her brother. At around 6:15 pm that day, ''Sor'' Teresa called Patiño and advised him to tell everything he knew about the Katipunan through
confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of people – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information that ...
to Fr. Mariano Gíl. Controlled by his fear of
hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
, Patiño went to Fr. Gíl, an Augustinian
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...
of the Tondo convent. Though he is willed to tell anything about the Katipunan, Patiño confessed that a
lithograph Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...
ic stone was hidden in the press room of the ''Diario de Manila'', which was used by the society for printing receipts. He also said that aside from the lithographic stone, there were also documents of membership (that uses member's blood for signing) hidden, together with a picture of Dr. José Rizal and several
dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or stabbing, thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or ...
s that was made for the ''Katipunero''—employees of the newspaper. Alarmed by the stunning truth of the existence of a secret society, Fr. Gíl, accompanied by local Spanish authorities, searched the printing office of ''Diario de Manila'' and found the incriminating evidence. They also found de la Cruz in possession of a dagger used in Katipunan initiation rites and some list of newly accepted members. After the arrest, Fr. Gíl rushed to Governor-General Blanco to denounce the revolutionary plot of the Katipunan. The Spanish unleashed a crackdown and arrested dozens of people, where many innocent citizens were forced to go to
Fort Santiago Fort Santiago (; ), built in 1571, is a citadel or castle built by Spanish navigator and governor Miguel López de Legazpi for the newly established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is located in Intramuros, the walled ci ...
. Patiño's alleged betrayal has become the standard version of how the revolution broke out in 1896. In the 1920s, however, the Philippine National Library commissioned a group of former ''Katipuneros'' to confirm the truth of the story.
José Turiano Santiago José Turiano Santiago y Acosta (July 13, 1875 – ) was a Filipino patriot who was among the leaders of the Katipunan that sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896. Biography Santiago graduated from the University of Santo Toma ...
, Bonifacio's close friend who was expelled in 1895, denied the story. He claimed that Bonifacio himself ordered Patiño to divulge the society's existence to hasten the Philippine revolution and preempt any objection from members. Historian
Teodoro Agoncillo Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a Filipino historian from the 20th century. He and his contemporary, Renato Constantino, were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a Filipino nationalis ...
gives a differing version of events, writing that Patiño revealed the secrets of the society to his sister, Honoria, following on a misunderstanding with de la Cruz, another society member who worked with him in the Spanish-owned ''Diario de Manila'' periodical. Honoria, an orphanage inmate, was upset at the news and informed Sor Teresa, the orphanage ''madre portera'', who suggested that Patiño tell all to Fr. Gíl. On August 19, Patiño told Fr. Gíl what he knew of the secret society. Fr. Gíl and the owner of the ''Diario de Manila'' searched the printing shop, discovering the lithographic stone used to print Katipunan receipts. After this discovery, the locker of Policarpio Turla, whose signature appeared on the receipts, was forced open and found to contain a dagger, the rules of the society, and other pertinent documents. These were turned over to the Guardia Civíl, leading to the arrest and conviction on charges of illegal association and treason of some 500 prominent men. In another version, the existence of the Katipunan became known to the authorities through Patiño, who revealed it to the general manager, La Font.Alvarez, S.V., 1992, Recalling the Revolution, Madison: Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Patiño was engaged in a bitter dispute over pay with de la Cruz and exposed the Katipunan to La Font, in retaliation. La Font led a Spanish police lieutenant to the shop and the desk of de la Cruz, where they "found Katipunan paraphernalia such as a rubber stamp, a little book, ledgers, membership oaths signed in blood, and a membership roster of the Maghiganti chapter of the Katipunan."


Revolution

When the ''Katipunan'' leaders learned of the arrests, Bonifacio called an assembly of all provincial councils to decide the start of the armed uprising. The meeting was held at the house of Apolonio Samson at a place called Kangkong in Balintawak. About 1,000 ''Katipuneros'' attended the meeting but they were not able to settle the issue. They met again at another place in Balintawak the following day. Historians are still debating whether this event took place at the yard of Melchora Aquino or at the house of her son Juan Ramos. The meeting took place either on August 23 or August 24. It was at this second meeting where the Katipuneros in attendance decided to start the armed uprising and they tore their ''cedulas'' (residence certificates and identity papers) as a sign of their commitment to the revolution. The ''Katipuneros'' also agreed to attack Manila on August 29. But Spanish civil guards discovered the meeting and the first battle occurred with the Battle of Pasong Tamo. While the ''Katipunan'' initially had the upper hand, the Spanish civil guards turned the fight around. Bonifacio and his men retreated toward Marikina via Balara (now in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
). They then proceeded to San Mateo (in the province now called
Rizal Rizal most commonly refers to: * Rizal (province), a province of the Philippines * José Rizal, Filipino national hero whom the province is named after Rizal may also refer to: People * Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Malaysian footballer * Atep Ri ...
) and took the town. The Spanish, however, regained it three days later. After regrouping, the ''Katipuneros'' decided not to attack Manila directly but agreed to take the Spanish powder magazine and garrison at San Juan, Metro Manila, San Juan. On August 30, the ''Katipunan'' attacked the 14 Spanish soldiers (twelve Philippine soldiers and two Spanish officers) defending the powder magazine in the Battle of San Juan del Monte or Battle of Pinaglabanan, who were before noon reinforced by the 73rd "Jolo" Regiment, composed of Filipino soldiers under Spanish officers, under the command of General Bernardo Echaluce y Jauregui. About 153 Katipuneros were killed in the battle, but the ''Katipunan'' had to withdraw upon the arrival of Spanish reinforcements. More than 200 were taken prisoners. At about the same time, Katipuneros in other suburban Manila areas, like Caloocan, San Pedro de Tunasan (now Makati), Pateros and Taguig, rose up in arms. In the afternoon of the same day, the Spanish Gov. Gen. Camilo de Polavieja declared martial law in
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
and the provinces of
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
, Laguna,
Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
,
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
,
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
and
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
. The Philippine Revolution had begun. In Bulacan, the Bulacan Revolutionary Movement was attacked by the strongest artillery forces ever converged in the capital town of Bulacan. This subsequently led to the Battle of San Rafael, where Gen. Anacleto Enriquez and his men were surrounded and attacked in the Church of San Rafael.


Battle of Kakarong de Sili

Pandi, Bulacan played a vital and historical role in the fight for Philippine independence. Pandi is known for the Réal de Kakarong de Sili Shrine—''Inang Filipina Shrine'', the site of the bloodiest battle in Bulacan, where more than 3,000 Katipunero revolutionaries died. Likewise, it is on this site where the ''Republic of Réal de Kakarong de Sili'' of 1896, one of the first Philippine revolutionary republics, was established. It was in Kakarong de Sili—which about 6,000 Katipuneros from various towns of Bulacan headed by Brigadier General Eusebio Roque, better known as "Maestrong Sebio" or "Dimabungo" (see list of Filipino generals in the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War)—that the "Kakarong Republic" was organized shortly after the Cry of Pugad Lawin, referred to as the "Cry of Balintawak".


Kakarong Republic

History and researchers, as well as records of the National Historical Commission, tells that the "Kakarong Republic" was the first and truly organized revolutionary government established in the country to overthrow the Spaniards antedating event the famous Malolos Republic and the Biak-na-Bato Republic. In recognition thereof, these three "republics" established in Bulacan have been incorporated in the seal of the province of Bulacan. According to available records including the biography of General
Gregorio del Pilar Gregorio Hilario del Pilar y Sempio (; ; November 14, 1875 – December 2, 1899) was a Filipino general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War. As one of the youngest generals in the Revolutionary Army, he ...
entitled ''Life and Death of a Boy General'' written by Teodoro Kalaw, former director of the National Library of the Philippines, a fort was constructed at "Kakarong de Sili" that was like a miniature city. It had streets, an independent police force, a musical band, a factory of falconets, bolos and repair shops for rifles and cartridges. The 'Kakarong Republic' had a complete set of officials with Canuto Villanueva as Supreme Chief and 'Maestrong Sebio'—Eusebio Roque as Brigadaier General of the Army. The fort was attacked and totally destroyed on January 1, 1897, by a large Spanish force headed by the Commandant José Olaguer Feliú, Olaguer-Feliu. Del Pilar was only a lieutenant at the time and the Battle of Kakarong de Sili was his "baptism of fire." This was where he was first wounded and escaped to nearby barangay 'Manatal.' The Kakarong Lodge No. 168 of the 'Legionarios del Trabajo', named in memory of the 1,200 Katipuneros who perished in the battle, erected a monument named the ''Inang Filipina'' Shrine – (Mother Philippines Shrine) in 1924 in the barrio of Kakarong of Pandi, Bulacan. The actual site of the Battle of Kakarong de Sili is now a part of the barangay of Réal de Kakarong. No less than one of the greatest generals in the Philippines' history, General
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
who became the first Philippine president visited this sacred ground in the late 1950s.


Spanish response

Even before the discovery of the ''Katipunan'', Rizal applied for a position as a doctor in the Spanish army in Cuba in a bid to persuade the Spanish authorities of his loyalty to Spain. His application was accepted and he arrived in Manila to board a ship for Spain in August 1896, shortly before the secret society was exposed. But while Rizal was en route to Spain, the ''Katipunan'' was unmasked and a telegram overtook the steamer at Port Said, recalling him to the Philippines to face charges that he was the mastermind of the uprising. He was later executed by musketry on December 30, 1896, at the field of Bagumbayan (now known as Luneta). While Rizal was being tried by a military court for treason, the prisoners taken in the Battle of Pinaglabanan—Sancho Valenzuela, Ramón Peralta, Modesto Sarmiento, and Eugenio Silvestre—were executed on September 6, 1896, at Bagumbayan. Six days later, they also executed the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite at Fort San Felipe Fort in Cavite. The Spanish colonial authorities also pressed the prosecution of those who were arrested after the raid on the ''Diario de Manila'' printing press, where they found evidence incriminating not only common folk but also wealthy Filipino society leaders. The Bicol Martyrs were executed by firing squad on January 4, 1897, at Bagumbayan. They were Don Manuel Pinzon Abella, Manuel Abella, Domingo Abella, priests Inocencio Herrera, Gabriel Prieto and Severino Díaz, Camio Jacob, Tomas Prieto, Florencio Lerma, Macario Valentin, Cornelio Mercado and Mariano Melgarejo. They arrested and seized the properties of prominent businessmen Francisco Roxas, Telesforo Chuidián and Jacinto Limjáp. While there may be circumstantial evidence pointing to Chuidián and Limjáp as financiers of the revolution, the record showed no evidence against Roxas except that he was involved in funding the Propaganda Movement. Even Mariano Ponce, another leader of the Propaganda Movement, said the arrest of Roxas was a "fatal mistake". Nonetheless, Roxas was found guilty of treason and shot on January 11, 1897, at Bagumbayan. Roxas was executed with Numeriano Adriáno, José Dizon, Domíngo Franco, Moisés Salvadór, Luis Enciso Villaréal, Braulio Rivera, Antonio Salazar, Ramón P. Padilla, Faustino Villaruél and Faustino Mañalac. Also executed with the group were Lt. Benedicto Nijaga and Corporal Geronimo M. Cristobal, Gerónimo Cristóbal, both of the Spanish army. On February 6, 1897, Apolonio de la Cruz, Román Bása, Teodoro Pláta, Vicente Molina, Hermenegildo de los Reyes, José Trinidad, Pedro Nicodemus, Feliciano del Rosario, Gervasio Samson and Doroteo Domínguez were also executed at Bagumbayan. But the executions, particularly Rizal's, only added fuel to the rebellion, with the ''Katipuneros'' shouting battle cries: "''Mabuhay ang Katagalugan''!" ("Long Live the Tagalog Nation!" – ''Tagalog Republic, Katagalugan'' (Tagalog Nation) being the Katipunan term for the Philippines) and "''Mabuhay si Dr. José Rizal''!" ("Long Live Dr. José Rizal!"). To the Katipuneros, Rizal was the honorary president of the Katipunan.


Schism, transfer of authority and dissolution

In the course of the revolution against Spain, a split developed between the ''Magdiwang'' faction (led by Gen.
Mariano Álvarez Mariano Malia Álvarez (: March 15, 1818 – August 25, 1924) was a Philippines, Filipino revolutionary and statesman. He was the first Municipal President of Noveleta. Pre-war life Álvarez was born in Noveleta, Tierra Alta, Cavite to Se ...
) and the ''Magdalo'' faction (led by Gen.
Baldomero Aguinaldo Baldomero Aguinaldo y Baloy (February 27, 1869 – February 4, 1915) was a leader of the Philippine Revolution. He was the first cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines, as well as the grandfather of Cesar Virata, a ...
, cousin of General
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
), both situated in
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
. At a Tejeros Convention, convention in Tejeros, Cavite, the revolutionaries assembled to form a revolutionary government. There, on March 22, 1897, it was decided to dissolve the Katipunan and establish a republic. Bonifacio lost his bid for the presidency of the revolutionary government to Emilio Aguinaldo, who was in Pasong Santol, fighting the Spanish forces and instead was elected Secretary of the Interior. When members of the ''Magdalo'' faction tried to discredit him as uneducated and unfit for the position, Bonifacio declared the results of the convention as null and void, speaking as the ''Supremo'' of the Katipunan. Despite this, Aguinaldo took his oath of office as president the next day in Santa Cruz de Malabon (present-day Tanza) in Cavite, as did the rest of the officers, except for Bonifacio. Bonifacio and a few others issued the Acta de Tejeros, proclaiming the events at the Tejeros Convention to have been "disorderly and tarnished by chicanery.", followed by the Naic Military Agreement characterizing actions at Tejeros to have been treasonous. This led to Andrés Bonifacio and his brother Procopio Bonifacio, Procopio being arrested due to alleged incidents in Indang and, upon the orders of the Council of War and approved by Gen. Aguinaldo, they were both executed on May 10, 1897, at Mount Buntis in Maragondon, Cavite. He and his brother were buried in an unmarked grave. The Katipunan revolution led to the eventual establishment of the First Philippine Republic. The Philippine Republic, more commonly known as the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
or the Malolos Republic was a short-lived nascent Philippine Revolution, revolutionary government in the Philippines. It was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution on January 23, 1899, in Malolos,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
, and endured until the capture of
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
by the Military of the United States, American forces on March 23, 1901, in Palanan, Isabela, Palanan, Isabela (province), Isabela, which effectively dissolved the First Republic. The
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
eventually destroyed the
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
in the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. Afterwards, the Americans exterminated any remaining vestige of the Katipunan.


See also

* Armed Forces of the Philippines * Battle of Binakayan-Dalahican * Battle of Imus * Battle of Perez Dasmariñas * Battle of Zapote Bridge (1897), Battle of Zapote Bridge *
First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
* History of the Philippine Army * Luna Sharpshooters * Malolos Congress * Military history of the Philippines *
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
* Philippine Army * Philippine Declaration of Independence *
Philippine Revolutionary Army The Philippine Revolutionary Army ( Spanish: ; ), later renamed Philippine Republican Army, was the army of the First Philippine Republic from its formation in March 1897 to its dissolution in November of 1899 in favor of guerrilla operation ...
* Secret society * Spanish–American War


Notes


References


Notes and citations


Published works

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A
Internet Archive
* Retana, Wenceslao. ''Vida y Escritorios de Dr. José Rizal''. Madrid: 1907. * This book was published by Ricarte himself, includes his memoirs on the Philippine Revolution. A copy resides in the library of University of the Philippines Diliman (see ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * citing a letter sent to him by Pío Valenzuela dated December 19, 1931. * * * *


External links

*
Draft of preliminary reading for initiation into the Katipunan

Oaths and form of initiation into the Katipunan society

Kartilyang Makabayan
Pamphlet about the Katipunan written by Hermenegildo Cruz.

*

(The site of Baler, Aurora, Baler: Final locations in the Philippines)
Information about Katipunan
{{Authority control Katipunan, Philippine nationalism Philippine Revolution Philippine–American War Secret societies Defunct organizations based in the Philippines Anti-Spanish sentiment Manila in the Philippine Revolution