ANDRES BONIFACIO AND THE KATIPUNAN

Andres Bonifacio was born on November 30, 1863 in a small hut at Calle Azcarraga,
presently known as Claro M. Recto Avenue in Tondo, Manila. His parents were
Santiago Bonifacio and Catalina de Castro.
Andres was the eldest in a brood of five. His other siblings were Ciriaco, Procopio,
Troadio, Esperidiona and Maxima. He obtained his basic education through a certain
Guillermo Osmeña of Cebu. The Bonifacio family was orphaned when Andres was
barely fourteen. With this, Andres assumed the responsibility of raising his younger
siblings.
In order to support the needs of their family, he maximized his skills in making
crafts and sold paper fans and canes. He also worked as messenger in Fleming &
Company. Eventually, he moved to Fressel & Company, where he worked as
warehouse man until 1896. Poverty never hindered Andres’ thirst for knowledge. He
devoted most of his time reading books while trying to improve his knowledge in the
Spanish and Tagalog language. The warehouse of Fressel & Company served as his library
and study room.
Andres was married to Gregoria de Jesus who happened to be his second wife. His
first wife – Monica- died of leprosy a year after their marriage. Gregoria was only
sixteen years old and Andres was twenty-nine when their romance sprung. At first,
Gregoria’s parents were against their relationship, but in time, allowed the couple to
be married in Catholic rites. The two were married in 1892, both in Catholic and
Katipunan rites. Gregoria chose “Lakambini” as her nom de guerre.

THE TEJEROS CONVENTION

On March 22, 1897, a convention was held in Tejeros in order to settle the dispute
between the two councils and to decide on what type of government should be
installed. During the early phase of the convention the crowd became unruly, causing
a recess. When the convention resumed, Bonifacio was assigned to preside in the
election of the officers of the new government that was to be set up. Before this,
however, Bonifacio laid down the rule that the assembly should respect whatever
would be the outcome of the election.
When Bonifacio was elected Secretary of Interior, Daniel Tirona contested and
argued that a lawyer should handle the position. Bonifacio felt insulted and
demanded an apology from Tirona. Because of humiliation and anger, Bonifacio
declared that all matters convened in the Tejeros Convention were null and void.
Together with his supporters, he left the estate house.
“ACTA DE TEJEROS,” “NAIC PACT” AND THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
OF AGUINALDO
The next day, Bonifacio stressed out his reason for invalidating the Tejeros
Convention through a document known as “Acta de Tejeros” signed by his
supporters. Meanwhile, the elected officers of Magdalo held a meeting at Sta. Cruz de
Malabon. That night, Aguinaldo and the other elected officers in Tejeros took their
oath of office.
Bonifacio decided to establish another government independent from that of
Aguinaldo in accordance with the “Naic Pact” enacted by him which signed by his 41
supporters including two of Aguinaldo’s general. These two generals, however,
turned their back on Bonifacio after a talk with Aguinaldo, pledging loyalty to the
latter, instead.
The Revolutionary Government was established without the customary elections on
17 April 1897 with Aguinaldo completing his Cabinet members through appointment.

THE CRY OF PUGADLAWIN

On 23 August 1896, the Supremo and his troops formally launched an armed
revolution against Spain. They tore their resident certificates or cedulas which
symbolized their defiance against from the colonizers. This became known in history
as “The Cry of Pugadlawin.”
CONTINUED STRUGGLES
On 29 August 1896, Katipunan members tried to seize Mandaluyong, Pandacan
and Pasig. However, the attacks were unsuccessful. The Battle at San Juan del Monte
was a military disaster after the death of more than a hundred Katipuneros. Gen.
Ramon Blanco, as a response, declared in a state of war in the eight provinces
believed to be the hotbeds of revolution namely: Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas,
Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga.
MAGDIWANG VS. MAGDALO
Bad blood erupted between the two Katipunan Councils in Cavite—the Magdalo
and Magdiwang due to lack of respect and territorial competition prompting
Mariano Alvarez to invite Bonifacio to Cavite and intercede. On 17 December 1896,
Bonifacio together with his brothers, wife and troops went to Cavite –the province
where the Supremo met his tragic fate.
An assembly was held at Imus estate house on December 29 with both Magdalo
and Magdiwang members attending. A disagreement arose between the two councils
on the issue of establishing a revolutionary government to replace the Katipunan.
The assembly ended without the issue being resolved.

SITUATION DURING BONIFACIO’S TIME

Andres Bonifacio was born in an era when the natives were considered Indios and
the Spanish friars were believed to be God’s representative on earth. He observed
that the Filipinos during his time were not free and the Spanish government and the
Catholic Church enslaved them. During the same period, Freemasonry and its
doctrine gained popularity.
Bonifacio admired Jose Rizal for his great effort in awakening Filipino nationalism.
He even witnessed and joined the founding of La Liga Filipina spearheaded by Rizal
on 3 July 1892. Sadly, the organization died naturally after Rizal was exiled in
Dapitan. Prior to his involvement in free masonry and Liga, Bonifacio continued to
work in Fressel & Co. and sell fans and canes. He met Ladislao Diwa, and Teodoro
Plata who would play major roles in the establishment of the Katipunan.

THE KATIPUNAN

On July 7, 1892, the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng

Bayan was founded in the house of Deodato Arellano at 734 Calle El Cano cor.
Azcarraga. Membership was through blood compact symbolizing the foundation of
the secret society, which aimed the separation of the Philippines from Spain and the
expulsion of the Spaniards in the country. The first Supremo of the Katipunan was
Deodato Arellano, followed by Roman Basa and finally, Andres Bonifacio.
In 1893, women were given the chance to join the organization. The first members were
Gregoria de Jesus, Josefa Rizal, Marina Dizon and Angelica Lopez. They served as the
keepers of important and confidential documents of the Katipunan and staged galas as fronts
for the regular meetings of the male members. By 1894, the Katipunan spread throughout
Manila.
In order to strengthen and further widen the operations of the organization, the
Kalayaan, the official organ of the Katipunan was published with Emilio Jacinto as
editor. Two works of Bonifacio were published in the Kalayaan– “Pag-ibig sa
Tinubuang Lupa” and “Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog.”
THE PLAN FOR A REVOLUTION
An important meeting held on 3 May 1896 concluded with a plan to rescue Rizal
from Dapitan to lead the revolution. The task was assigned to Dr. Pio Valenzuela.
Unfortunately, Rizal expressed his opposition to the idea of launching an unprepared
revolution against a strong nation protected by well-armed defense force. In the end,
he urged that if the revolution is inevitable, the revolutionary members should seek
the help of the rich and influential people to convince them to support the cause of
the revolution. He also suggested that the service of Antonio Luna be secured by the
organization because of his military expertise and affiliation with rich and influential
Filipinos.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE KATIPUNAN
The quarrel between two employees of the printing shop publishing Diario de
Manila resulted in the discovery of Katipunan. This happened after Apolonio dela
Cruz was given a P2 raise in salary and Teodoro Patiño was not given any. A heated
argument sparked between them which led Patiño to confide the secrets of the
Katipunan to his sister Honoria at the convent where she was staying, her tearful
reaction attracted the attention of one of the nuns. The nun in turn, persuaded
Patiño to tell everything he knew to Fr. Mariano Gil, the parish priest of Tondo. After
hearing the revelations, Fr. Gil contacted the authorities and urged them to raid the
printing shop. Documents, oaths signed in blood, receipts and ledgers related to
Katipunan were confiscated from the shop.

ILL FATED DESTINY

As a result of the fateful experiences he encountered in Cavite, Bonifacio planned to
return to Montalban and San Mateo. On their way to Montalban, he and his followers
passed by Limbon, Indang – a place in Cavite where food was scarce and people were
tightfisted. At this point, Severino de las Alas turned his back against Bonifacio. The
angered Bonifacio responded with threats and words that were wrongly interpreted
by the people of Indang. The people sought the help of Aguinaldo, who immediately
ordered the arrest of Bonifacio.
On 27 April 1897, skirmishes took place between the forces of Bonifacio and
Aguinaldo. In the said scuffle, Ciriaco was killed, while Procopio and the Supremo
were caught. Andres Bonifacio was stabbed in the neck, weakening him and soaking
him in blood.
The next day, the prisoners were brought to Indang Tribunal, then to Naic. Within
the day, Gen. Mariano Noriel created the tribunal that eventually tried and convicted
the Bonifacio brothers of sedition, and sentenced them to death. Surprised by the
decision of the tribunal, Aguinaldo commutated the verdict. He recommended the
Bonifacio brothers be exiled to an isolated island also found in Cavite. However, Gen.
Noriel and Gen. Pio del Pilar dissuaded him, arguing that by reducing the sentence,
the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines would once again be at stake.
Aguinaldo, in the end, changed his mind and signed the death sentence of the
Bonifacio brothers.
On 10 May 1897, Procopio and Andres were shot at Mount Nagpatong, near Mount
Buntis in Maragondon, Cavite. This event ended the short life of the Supremo. His
educational attainment and military expertise may not have been equal to that of
other heroes but his love for the country was absolute. His name will always be
revered and serve as the battle cry of Filipinos who yearn for freedom oppression and
injustice.

The Death of Gomburza & The Propaganda Movement

In February 17, 1872, Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jocinto
Zamora (Gomburza), all Filipino priest, was executed by the Spanish
colonizers on charges of subversion. The charges against Fathers Gomez,
Burgos and Zamora was their alleged complicity in the uprising of workers
at the Cavite Naval Yard. The death of Gomburza awakened strong feelings
of anger and resentment among the Filipinos. They questioned Spanish
authorities and demanded reforms. The martyrdom of the three priests
apparently helped to inspire the organization of the Propaganda
Movement, which aimed to seek reforms and inform Spain of the abuses
of its colonial government.

The illustrados led the Filipinos’ quest for reforms. Because of their
education and newly acquired wealth, they felt more confident about
voicing out popular grievances. However, since the illustrados themselves
were a result of the changes that the Spanish government had been
slowly implementing, the group could not really push very hard for the
reforms it wanted. The illustrados did not succeeded in easing the
sufferings of the Filipinos; but from this group arose another faction called
the intelligentsia. The intelligentsia also wanted reforms; but they were
more systematic and used a peaceful means called the Propaganda
Movement.

Goals of the Propaganda Movement

Members of the Propaganda Movement were called propagandists or

reformists. They worked inside and outside the Philippines. Their
objectives were to seek:

▪ Recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain

▪ Equal status for both Filipinos and Spaniards
▪ Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes
▪ Secularization of Philippine parishes.
▪ Recognition of human rights

The Propaganda Movement never asked for Philippine independence

because its members believed that once Spain realized the pitiful state of
the country, the Spaniards would implement the changes the Filipinos
were seeking.

The Propagandists

The Filipinos in Europe were much more active in seeking reforms than
those in Manila. They could be divided into three groups: The first
included Filipinos who had been exiled to the Marianas Islands in 1872
after being implicated in the Cavite Mutiny. After two
many years in the Marianas, they proceeded to
Madrid and Barcelona because they could no longer
return to the Philippines. The second group
consisted of illustrados in the Philippines who had
been sent to Europe for their education. The third
group was composed of Filipinos who had fled their
country to avoid punishment for a crime, or simply
because they could not stand Spanish
atrocities any longer. Still, not all Filipinos living in
Spain were members of the Propaganda Movement.
Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. del
Pilar were it most prominent members.

Lopez Jaena was a brilliant orator who wrote such pieces as " Fray Botod,"
"Esperanza," and "La Hija del Fraile," which all criticized the abuses of
Spanish friars in the Philippines. Del Pilar was an excellent writer and
speaker who put up the newspaper Diarion Tagalog in 1882. His favorite
topic was the friars. Some of his most popular writings included "Caiingat
Cayo", "Dasalan at Tocsohan," and "Ang Sampung Kautusan ng mga
Prayle". "Caingat Cayo" was a pamphlet answering the criticisms received
by Jose Rizal’s novel
Noli Me Tangere. "Dasalan…" was parody of the prayer books used by the
Church, while "Ang Sampung Kautusan…" was a satirical take on the Ten
Commandments, which highly ridiculed the Spanish friars.

Jose Rizal was recognized as the great novelist of the Propaganda

Movement. He was the first Filipino become famous for his written works.
He wrote a poem entitled “Sa Aking mga Kababata” when he was only eight
years old. His novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, clearly
depicted the sufferings of the Filipinos and the rampant abuses committed
by the friars in the colony. Because of his criticisms of the government
and the friars, Rizal made a lot of enemies. He was executed at
Bagumbayan (later renamed Luneta Park and now called Rizal Park) on
December 30, 1896.

The writings produced by the Propaganda Movement inspired Andres

Bonifacio and other radicals to establish the Katipunan and set the
Philippine Revolution in place. Continue to La Solidaridad & La Liga
Filipina.

José Rizal and the Propaganda Movement

Between 1872 and 1892, a national consciousness was growing among the Filipino émigrés who had settled in
Europe. In the freer atmosphere of Europe, these émigrés--liberals exiled in 1872 and students attending
European universities--formed the Propaganda Movement. Organized for literary and cultural purposes more
than for political ends, the Propagandists, who included upper-class Filipinos from all the lowland Christian
areas, strove to "awaken the sleeping intellect of the Spaniard to the needs of our country" and to create a closer,
more equal association of the islands and the motherland. Among their specific goals were representation of the
Philippines in the Cortes, or Spanish parliament; secularization of the clergy; legalization of Spanish and
Filipino equality; creation of a public school system independent of the friars; abolition of the

polo (labor service) and vandala (forced sale of local products to the government); guarantee of basic freedoms
of speech and association; and equal opportunity for Filipinos and Spanish to enter government service.

The most outstanding Propagandist was José Rizal, a physician, scholar, scientist, and writer. Born in 1861 into
a prosperous Chinese mestizo family in Laguna Province, he displayed great intelligence at an early age. After
several years of medical study at the University of Santo Tomás, he went to Spain in 1882 to finish his studies at
the University of Madrid. During the decade that followed, Rizal's career spanned two worlds: Among small
communities of Filipino students in Madrid and other European cities, he became a leader and eloquent
spokesman, and in the wider world of European science and scholarship--particularly in Germany--he formed
close relationships with prominent natural and social scientists. The new discipline of anthropology was of
special interest to him; he was committed to refuting the friars' stereotypes of Filipino racial inferiority with
scientific arguments. His greatest impact on the development of a Filipino national consciousness, however, was
his publication of two novels--

Noli Me Tangere (Touch me not) in 1886 and El Filibusterismo (The reign of greed) in 1891. Rizal drew on his
personal experiences and depicted the conditions of Spanish rule in the islands, particularly the abuses of the
friars. Although the friars had Rizal's books banned, they were smuggled into the Philippines and rapidly gained
a wide readership.

Other important Propagandists included Graciano Lopez Jaena, a noted orator and pamphleteer who had left the
islands for Spain in 1880 after the publication of his satirical short novel, Fray Botod (Brother Fatso), an
unflattering portrait of a provincial friar. In 1889 he established a biweekly newspaper in Barcelona, La
Solidaridad (Solidarity), which became the principal organ of the Propaganda Movement, having audiences
both in Spain and in the islands. Its contributors included Rizal; Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, an Austrian
geographer and ethnologist whom Rizal had met in Germany; and Marcelo del Pilar, a reformminded lawyer.
Del Pilar was active in the antifriar movement in the islands until obliged to flee to Spain in 1888, where he
became editor of

La Solidaridad and assumed leadership of the Filipino community in Spain.

In 1887 Rizal returned briefly to the islands, but because of the furor surrounding the appearance of Noli Me
Tangere the previous year, he was advised by the governor to leave. He returned to Europe by way of Japan and
North America to complete his second novel and an edition of Antonio de Morga's seventeenth-century work,
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (History of the Philippine Islands). The latter project stemmed from an
ethnological interest in the cultural connections between the peoples of the pre-Spanish Philippines and those of
the larger Malay region (including modern Malaysia and Indonesia) and the closely related political objective of
encouraging national pride. De Morga provided positive information about the islands' early inhabitants, and
reliable accounts of pre-Christian religion and social customs.

After a stay in Europe and Hong Kong, Rizal returned to the Philippines in June 1892, partly because the
Dominicans had evicted his father and sisters from the land they leased from the friars' estate at Calamba, in
Laguna Province. He also was convinced that the struggle for reform could no longer be conducted effectively
from overseas. In July he established the Liga Filipina (Philippine League), designed to be a truly national,
nonviolent organization. It was dissolved, however, following his arrest and exile to the remote town of Dapitan
in northwestern Mindanao.
The Propaganda Movement languished after Rizal's arrest and the collapse of the Liga Filipina. La Solidaridad
went out of business in November 1895, and in 1896 both del Pilar and Lopez Jaena died in Barcelona, worn
down by poverty and disappointment. An attempt was made to reestablish the Liga Filipina, but the national
movement had become split between ilustrado advocates of reform and peaceful evolution (the compromisarios,
or compromisers) and a plebeian constituency that wanted revolution and national independence. Because the
Spanish refused to allow genuine reform, the initiative quickly passed from the former group to the latter.

The Propaganda Movement

The Propaganda Movement (1872-1892) was the first Filipino nationalist
movement, led by a Filipino elite and inspired by the protonationalist
activism of figures such as José Burgos and by his execution at the
hands of colonial authorities. Propagandists were largely young men,
often mestizos and creoleswhose families could afford to send them to
study in Spanish universities in Madrid and Barcelona. There, they
encountered the tumult of 19th century political movements inspired by
Enlightenment thought, individual rights, constitutionalism, and anti-
clericalism.

It was an assimilationist movement in that the propagandists—many of

whom were of half Spanish parentage and saw themselves as
inheritors of Spanish civilization—believed that the Philippines should
be fully incorporated into Spain as a Spanish province and not merely
as a colony, with Filipinos granted the same citizenship rights accorded
to Spanish citizens. Second, it sought the expulsion of the Spanish friars
from the Philippines and the empowerment of a native Filipino clergy.
Lastly, as a cultural movement, it showcased the writing and artistic
production of the young Filipino elite as a means of demonstrating
their intellectual sophistication, on par with their Spanish peers.

The Propaganda Movement targeted the Spanish government and

public, but as an elite movement failed to engage with the wider Filipino
population. The Spanish government was little interested in the
conditions of the Philippines, particularly with the immense political
foment in the Spanish political environment, and the movement
ultimately received scant support and made little headway in Spain. The
propagandists themselves were considered to be rebels at home in the
Philippines, and many were exiled. Despite its overall failure, the
movement generated a political consciousness that fed into the
nationalist revolution of 1896 and the struggle for independence that
followed.