Albano, Mark Ian A.

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CRY OF BALINTAWAK OR PUGAD LAWIN

It is surprising that there are different versions on the dates for the first cry of the
revolution as well as the venue. This controversy up to this time remains unsolved. It is
believed that the so-called Cry took place in Balintawak; but others would say that it really
happened in Pugad Lawin. Nevertheless, there are different versions to consider in knowing
the real date and place of the Cry. These include Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad
Lawin”, Santiago Alvarez’s “The Cry of Bahay Toro”, Gregoria de Jesus’ version of the “First
Cry”, and Guillermo Masangkay’s “The Cry if Balintawak”.

Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”

(August 23, 1896)

This controversial version of the “Cry of the Pugad Lawin” has been authorized by no
other than Dr. Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness himself of the event. In
his first version, he told that the prime staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak on
Wednesday of August 26, 1896. He held this account when the happenings or events are still
vivid in his memory. On the other hand, later in his life and with a fading memory, he wrote
his Memoirs of the Revolution without consulting the written documents of the Philippine
revolution and claimed that the “Cry” took place at Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896. Below is
his account on this topic:

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)

“The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio,
Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there
on August 19 and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the
Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong.
Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who were there were Briccio Pantas,
Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only
exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, in the house,
store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of
the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1986.
The discussion was on whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should
be started on August 29, 1986. Only one man protested and fought against a war, and that was
Teodora Plata [Bonifacio’s brother-in-law-Z]. Besides the persons named above, among those
present at this meeting were Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso
San Pedro, and others. After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula
certificates and shouted “Long live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!”

Santiago Alvarez’s The “Cry of Bahay Toro”

(August 24, 1896)

This version of the “Cry” was written by Santiago Alvarez, a well-known Katipunero
from Cavite and a son of Mariano Alvarez. Santiago is a relative of Gregoria de Jesus, who
happened to be the wide of Andres Bonifacio. Unlike the author of the first version mentioned
(Valenzuela), Santiago Alvarez is not an eyewitness of this event. As a result, this version of
him is not given of equal value as compared with the other versions for authors of other
accounts are actually part of the historic event. Below is his account:

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)

Sunday, August 23, 1896

As early as 10 o’clock in the morning, at the barn of Kabesang Melchora [Melchora

Aquino-Z.], at a place called Sampalukan, barrio of Bahay Toro, Katipuneros met together.
About 500 of these arrived, ready and eager to join the “Supremo” Andres Bonifacio and his
men …

Monday, August 24, 1896

There were about 1,000 Katipuneros … The “Supremo” decided to hold a meeting
inside
the big barn. Under his leadership, the meeting began at 10 o’clock in the morning …

It was 12 o’clock noon when the meeting adjourned amidst loud cries of “Long live the
Sons of the Country” (Mabuhay ang mga anak ng Bayan)!
Gregoria de Jesus’ Version of the First “Cry”
(August 25, 1896)

This version was written by no other than the “Lakambini of the Katipunan” and wife
of Andres Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. She has been a participant of this event and became
the keeper of the secret documents of the Katipunan. After the Revolution in August 1896, she
lived with her parents in Caloocan then fled to Manila when she was told that Spanish
authorities wanted to arrest her. Eventually, she joined her husband in the mountains and
shared adversities with him. In her account, the First “Cry” happened near Caloocan on August
25, 1896.

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)

“The activities of the Katipunan had reached nearly all corners of the Philippine
Archipelago, so that when its existence was discovered and some of the members arrested, we
immediately returned to Caloocan. However, as we were closely watched by the agents of the
Spanish authorities, Andres Bonifacio and other Katipuneros left the town after some days. It
was then that the uprising began, with the first cry for freedom on August 25, 1896.
Meanwhile, I was with my parents. Through my friends, I learned that Spanish were coming to
arrest me. Immediately, I fled town at eleven o’ clock at night, secretly going through the rice
fields to La Lorna, with the intention of returning to Manila. I was treated like an apparition,
for, sad to say, in every house where I tried to get a little rest, I was driven away as if people
therein were frightened for their own lives. Later, I found out that the occupants of the houses
which I had visited were seized and severely punished-- and some even exiled. One of them
was an uncle of mine whom I had visited on that night to kiss his hand, and he died in exile.”

Guillermo Masangkay’s The “Cry of Balintawak”

(August 26, 1896)

This version is written by the Katipunan General Guillermo Masangkay. He is an

eyewitness of the historic event and a childhood friend of Bonifacio. According to him, the
first rally of the Philippine Revolution happened on August 26, 1896 at Balintawak.
Correspondingly, the date and site presented were accepted by the preliminary years of
American government. Below is General Guillermo Masangkay’s version of the “Cry of
Balintawak”.

(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)
 “On August 26th [1896-Z.], a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of
Apolonio Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who attended, I
remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio
Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon. They were
all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization.
Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite and Morong (now Rizal,) were also present.

At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with Andres Bonifacio
presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to
take place. Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio’s brother-in-law – Z.], Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all
opposed to starting the revolution too early. They reasoned that the people would be in distress if the
revolution were started without adequate preparation. Plata was very forceful in his argument, stating
that the uprising could not very well be started without

the arms and food for the soldiers. Valenzuela used Rizal’s argument about the rich not siding
with the Katipunan organization.

Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session
hall and talked to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the
leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution early,
and appealed to them in a fiery speech in which he said: “You remember the fate of our
countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns, the Spaniards
will only shoot us. Our organization has been discovered and we are all marked men. If we
don’t start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you say?”

“Revolt!” the people shouted as one.

Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He told them
that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos were (sic) the cedula tax charged each citizen. “If it is
true that you are ready to revolt,” Bonifacio saved, “I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It
will be the sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.”

With tears in their eyes, the people as one man, pulled out their cedulas and tore them
to pieces. It was the beginning of the formal declaration of the separation from Spanish rule.
With their cedulas destroyed, they could no longer go back to their homes because the
Spaniards would persecute them, if not for being katipuneros, for having no cedulas. And
people who had no cedulas during those days were severely punished.
 When the people’s pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he returned to the session hall
and informed the leaders of what took place outside. “The people want to revolt, and they
have destroyed their cedulas,” Bonifacio said. “So now we have to start the uprising;
otherwise the people by hundreds will be shot.” There was no alternative. The board of
directors, in the spite of the protests of Plata, Pantas, and Valenzuela, voted for the revolution.
And when this was decided, the people outside shouted: “Long Live the Philippine Republic!”

I still remember Bonifacio as he appeared that day. Although a mere bodeguero

(warehouseman) and earning ₱25 (Mex.) a month, he was a cultured man. He always wore an
open coat, with black necktie, and black hat. He always carried an umbrella. At the meeting
that morning of August 26, Bonifacio took off his coat and was wearing only his shirt, with
collar and tie. Bonifacio’s hobby was weaving bamboo hats. During his spare time, he wove
dozens of them and sold them in Manila. Thus, he made extra money.

At about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, while the gathering at Balintawak was celebrating
the decision of the Katipunan leaders to start the uprising, the guards who were up in trees
to

watch for any possible intruders or the approach of the enemy, gave the warning that the
Spaniards were coming.

Led by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other leaders of the Katipunan, the men were
distributed in strategic positions and were prepared for attack of the civil guards. I was with a
group stationed on the bank of a small creek, guarding the places where the Spaniards were to
pass in order to reach the meeting place of the katipuneros. Shots were then fired by the civil
guards, and that was the beginning of the fire which later became such a huge conflagration.