Supreme Catipunan in 21st Century

Deanna Mae T. Gicale, Far Eastern University, Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc, Manila
deannamaegicale@gmail.com

Introduction
As we look back to our old times wherein Filipino suffer from abusive domination of Spaniards.
“Had she wanted you to progress, she would have given you advantages over other people; had she desired
your welfare, she would have treated you like a favored child…” The statement explains that the Spaniards
promise Filipinos that they just want to help the entire Philippines to be one of a developed country. “...but
you have not been treated like this. You have been persecuted; you have suffered despicable punishments and
grave injustice. (Richardson, 2013)” However, Spaniards took advantage of having lack of knowledge of my
fellow Filipino on that century and they abusively used their power to dominate whole Philippines, control
each Filipinos and in order for them to gain more money for their own use or pleasure. Unfair treatment is
understatement, but abusive control is what Spaniards did to the Filipinos. Also stated in the article by
Richardson in year 2013, “Instead of keeping their promise to awaken us to a better life, they have only
blinded us, contaminated us with their debased customs and forcibly destroyed the good customs of our
land. They have instilled in us a false faith and have cast the honor of our country into a mire of corruption.”
This explains how Spaniards make us fool with their own hands. When will it stop? Andres Bonifacio is very
thirsty to revolt and fight against the Spaniards. He thinks of a possible way, Supreme Catipunan is the
answer.
“It is hereby now declared that from this day forward these Islands are separated from ------ and that
no other leadership or authority shall be recognized or acknowledged other that this Supreme Catipunan.
(Richardson, 2013)” This statement is that affirmation that Katipunan will exercise power throughout the
archipelago and no other leaders even the Spaniards will be able to rule the Philippines. Based on the
statement I’ve mentioned earlier about the sufferings of the filipinos as well as the abusive control of the
Spaniards, the establishment of Supreme Catipunan is needed in order to obtain the peace and freedom
filipino needed. With its very convincing goal, obviously, many wanted to be part of this and to obtain the
goal they are wanted to have for. The Supreme Catipunan was found through all the sequence events such as
a succession of meetings and agendas by the members of the organization. Despite of very convincing goal
of the organization, still, during the process of building it, there are a lot of circumstances that hinders to
obtain the goal they wanted to have and not surprisingly, the result of it is the other way around. Still on
that time, Philippines suffer from the greediness of Spaniards.
Now in 21st Century, are we still controlled by Spaniards or the country? Or maybe we are controlled
by our own leader, the government? Everyone knew that the establishment of Supreme Catipunan before fails
its intention or its goal. But what if, using the idea of this Supreme Catipunan, wherein the Filipino will be
separated from the abusive government through the power of all the citizen who will fight for the country.
This goal wherein is very favorable to all Filipinos. A goal that will leads for the betterment of the country.
 Supreme Catipunan was found in very problematic way. It was stated in the article by Richardson in
year 2013, “There is an oft-reproduced diagram, for instance, based on Ladislao Diwa’s recollections, that
depicts the four initial “triangles” of the Katipunan, purportedly as created at the foundational meeting on
July 7, 1982.” Can this triangle of Katipunan be effective for the Katipunan that will be established in today’s
century? Wherein, each angle triangle has its own leader that will leads the Katipunan to its goal. However,
in the true Katipunan, it does not end well yet it just caused trouble. Will it be effective if it will be used for
today’s Catipunan?
The founding of the Supreme Catipunan consist of rules which will benefit the people. Is using the
idea of Supreme Catipunan in today’s century will be effective? The main Katipunan listed 10 (ten) Duties
of the Sons of the People. Does it really helpful if the using this 10 Duties of the Sons of the People or
making new Duties in accordance of the new Supreme Catipunan will be easily achieve its goal? In addition,
in the article of Richardson in year 2013 stated, “Taught in schools and debated in universities, the Kartilya
is the best-known of all the Katipunan texts. Making manifest the KKK’s principles and teachings…” this
statements informs us that the KKK wrote this text containing their principles and teachings of KKK, in that
so, the members will be able to be educated enough of this organization and about their goal. In that way, if
applying it in today’s generation, does the new Supreme Catipunan requires to print a lot of these texts to be
spread out the news of the organization? Is using the idea of Supreme Catipunan before in 21st century will
be effective?
A text from the article Ileto in 1998 stated “Filipinos lived in a kind of static dreamworld somewhat
like children initially fascinated and eventually enslaved by the cosmology introduced by the colonizers.” it
was interpreted that the Filipinos lived just the way how they live their life but the moment the Philippines
subjugated by the colonizers everything happened before are already changed. In the article of McCoy in year
1981 stated” The Sulu sultanate operated a slave system; the Chinese Mestizo platers of Negros passed
quickly through tenancy to wage labour and debt bondage; and Central Luzon used tenancy. “ This explains
that Filipino are willing to be a slave for the colonizers in exchange of something that will benefit them,
which is in fact, shows that the colonizers are just using them and make them suffer for the benefit of the
colonizers. Similar way in today’s life in the Philippines, Filipinos suffered in severe poverty, hunger and
injustice because of the actions made by the government. These actions, example of it is the train law, the
Filipino suffered of having overpriced goods need to buy in exchange of having an increase of salary and
reducing of their taxes which just shows manipulation to the Filipinos, since, it does not benefit the whole
population of the Philippines. It happened to be that this suffering become the main problem why Filipinos
are been triggered to end this suffering. By that means, the life before and the life of the Filipinos today still
experience the suffering made by the abusive leaders who lead them, in that so, Supreme Catipunan had been
established before. The goal of this organization, which is stated in the article, was to be separated from the
Spaniards or from the abusive way of leading by the Spaniards towards the Filipinos. In that way, establishing
Supreme Catipunan in today’s generation, mainly, the goal would be the separation of affected and suffered
Filipino away from the abusive government. The term abusive government was used in this argument, since,
Filipinos cannot be totally separated to the government, however, it can be separated to those government
officials that uses their power for their own benefit and make the Filipinos suffered from it which simply
shows that these actions made by the officials makes the government to be abusive.
 After being set with the goal of this organization, another problem faced in founding the Supreme
Government was the founding members of this organization. It was stated there that they created a four
initial “triangles” of the Katipunan and it happened to be that the members which were included in the
triangle shows no unity which makes it to be problematic. This supports by the text from the article by
Richard in year 2013 stated “There is an oft-reproduced diagram, for instance, based on Ladislao Diwa’s
recollections, that depicts the four initial “triangles” of the Katipunan, purportedly created at the
foundational meeting on July 7, 1892. Bonifacio forms the first triangle with Ladislao Diwa and Teodoro
Plata, and then a second triangle with Ciriaco Bonifacio and Restituto Javier. Diwa forms the third triangle
with Teodoro Gonzales and Roman Basa, and Plata forms the fourth with Briccio Pantas and Valentin Diaz.
This diagram, though, is highly problematic.” However, if it will be applying in founding the Supreme
Catipunan in today’s generation, who will be the leaders of it? Looking for the effectiveness of this Supreme
Catipunan, the leaders should lead with willingness to achieve their goal. These leaders I am mentioning
includes; for the first triangle would be the military, specifically, the ones who protects the Philippines against
the colonizers, 2nd triangle will be the Priests or the Church, who are the ones who keeps the faith of each
Filipino, 3rd triangle are the students, who are said to be the “pag-asa ng bayan” which serves to be the future
leaders that will aim for the betterment of the country and 4th triangle would be the potential leaders who
will lead and fight for the country and for their people. With this founding members mentioned, it can be
clearly seen that their goal to be separated from the abusive government will be able to achieve and be able
to establish a Supreme Catipunan effectively.
The organization could not run successfully if there are no rules implemented. Meaning, Supreme
Catipunan set a list of rules in order to run it effectively. It was stated in the article by Richardson in year
2013, “the Kartilya is the best-known of all the Katipunan texts. Making manifest the KKK’s principles and
teachings…” it is a guide book that listed all the group’s rules and principles so that they may perform their
duties in the organization wholeheartedly. In that manner, this Kartilya must be spread out throughout the
members of the Supreme Catipunan which is very useful to develop each member and that may help the
organization achieve their goal. If that so, the Supreme Catipunan in 21st century must also come up a set of
rules, policies and teachings throughout the members of the organization that may help them improve
themselves in order to obtain the goal of the Supreme Catipunan. How it could be possible? After being set
with the goal and establishment of the members of the organization, the rules, policies and teachings of the
organization must be implemented immediately. For the rules and policies, in the 21st Century Supreme
Catipunan, the moment that the members enter the organization they should commit themselves
wholeheartedly and until their last breath of their lives. They should follow all the rules listed on in this
organization. They should protect and fight for the rights of each individual in the Philippines and also for
the betterment and peaceful of the country. In addition, for the teachings in the 21st Supreme Catipunan, it
must include all the punishments of each mistakes or disobedience done by the members which leads them
to do better and never do those such things again. The teachings must include the equality in the organization,
regardless of what race you are into, whether what is your social status, you must practice equality. These
given rules, policies and teachings in the organization is just a little factor that will shows and results of
having effectivity of the Supreme Catipunan in 21st Century and should be implemented immediately since
there are a lot of Filipinos suffered in the abusive government run by the abusive officials using their own set
of rules that are not effective in the having a peaceful life in today’s generation. Just like how the Spaniards
rule the Filipinos before using their own rules to run the whole country. An example given in the article by
McCoy in year 1981 stated “Tagalog entrepreneurs who leased their rice lands from the Spanish church
estates ringing Manila had every reason to supper the nationalist revolt. Pampangan and Visayan sugar
planters, who owned their own plantations, had equal cause to rally to the side of Spain and the colonial
order.” The statement just shows an example on how the Spanish rule the Filipinos in order for them to be
benefited through the hard work made by the Filipino which triggers them to do a revolution, that shows
the eagerness to fight for their freedom, the same way, on how the Filipino wants to get rid away from the
government in today’s generation. However, how it could become effective if it is not spread in to the whole
members of organization? That’s why in order to make the Kartilya effective during that time of Supreme
Catipunan, they spread the teachings and be taught in the schools and debated in the Universities. Since,
Technology is very prominent in today’s generation, it is possible and easy to spread the rules, policies and
teachings of the organization through the use of the Social Media Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and etc. The spreading of the rules is not just limited through the schools or University but instead
it was spread throughout the citizen of the Philippines which makes the establishing of the Supreme
Catipunan in 21st Century be effective in obtaining the goal which has to be separated from the abusive
government lead by the abusive officials.

References

Ileto, R. (1998). Rizal and the Underside of Philippine History. In Filipinos and their Revolution Event,

Discourse and Historiography. Pp 29-254

Richardson J. (2013) Foundational Documents. In The Light of Liberty. Pp 20-205

Mccoy, A. (1981) Philippine Social History: Global Trade and Local Transformation. Ateneo de Manila University
Press.