Position Paper

The Cry of Balintawak

By Guillermo Masangkay
Question: Why do you think that the first cry of the Philippine revolution occurred in Balintawak
on August 26, 1896?
Outline
Introduction:
- A brief history of the Spanish assimilation in the Philippines
Body:
- Who is Guillermo Masangkay? What was his role in the pursuit of the revolt against
Spanish ruling?
- Enumerate the sequential pattern of the fact in the narrative of Masangkay’s version of
the event. (Facts)
- Comparison of the different narratives.
- Argue why is it in Balintawak not in Pugad Lawin.
Conclusion:
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Guillermo Masangkay was born on June 25, 1867, by Victoria Rafael, and his father Domingo
Masangkay, in Tondo, Manila. He was the childhood friend of Andres Bonifacio and later
became the Katipunan General. As maintained in his account, he witnessed the first cry of the
Philippine revolution, against the Spanish regime, held at the rustic barrio of Balintawak on
August 26, 1896.
When Spanish authorities divulge the Katipunan, the secret organization was shaken by the
amount of devastating demolition inflicted by the Spanish authorities on their fellow countrymen.
With cruel promulgation by the Spanish authorities, the first meeting by the Katipunan was held
in Balintawak on August 26, 1896, at the house of Apolonio Samson the attendees were Andres
Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro
Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon. By nine o’clock in the
morning, the meeting commenced by the Supremo Andres Bonifacio as the presiding body
whereas Emilio Aguinaldo was acting as the secretary. The urgent meeting was purposively to
plot a revolt against the uprising brutality of Spanish authorities. Several members protested to
take prompt action against the Spanish since it jeopardizes the welfare of their countrymen.
However, Bonifacio remained steadfast despite the heating atmosphere, and he asked the
people that were waiting outside if they will take a step against the Spaniards or otherwise,
without a hint of skepticism they did agree to take a revolt. As nationalism and patriotism
converge, they tore their cedulas as a sign of an end to the Spanish ruling. Onwards, as the
dawn starts taking up the sky and the mountain eats the sun, the group was positioned based on
their strategic plan to attack the civil guards. Both groups started firing, from that moment our
ancestors, living as our heroes fought for our freedom.
Position Paper

It is important to highlight the account, the cry of Balintawak, written by Guillermo Masangkay, a
member of the Katipunan and dearest friend of Bonifacio as the primary source. Hence, his
share of the narrative is vastly reliable for the first cry of the Philippine revolution, it wasn’t called
the primary account for no good reason. On the contrary, I argue that Pio Valenzuela’s account
is a primary source, however, it is vividly controversial that at the time when we embarked on
writing the narrative, he wasn’t able to review the facts, instead, he counts on his dying memory.
We can draw a thin line between his memory and the facts in connection with the first cry of the
Philippine revolution.
Some disparities are apparent in Pio Valenzuela’s account that diminishes the credibility of his
narrative. Firstly, Pio Valenzuela claimed that the first staging point of the cry of the Philippines
revolution was in Balintawak, the “Cry of Balintawak.” He mentioned it himself while his memory
serves him right; thus, it justified the Balintawak as the first cry of the Philippine revolution
written by Guillermo Masangkay the Katipunan General. Secondly, numerous significant
historians of the Philippines cast off Pio Valenzuela’s impression of the first cry for the reason
that the narrative knocked out certain fallacies. By the time Pio Valenzuela surrender himself to
General Ramon Blanco, he expressed different versions of the matter, therefore, Pio
Valenzuela’s account does not deserve earnest credence. Lastly, as Teodoro Agoncillo
maintained, in his book The Revolt of the Masses, he accentuated that the first cry of the
Philippine revolution happened at Balintawak on August 26, 1896, as the “Sigaw ng Balintawak.”
This information was accepted and adapted for the first cry of the Philippine revolution.
Taking everything that has been provided into account, the first cry of the Philippine revolution
happened in Balintawak.