1898

Philippine
Revolution
Darell C. Bueno, LPT, MAED-SS
Objectives:
Demonstrate the ability to
use primary sources to argue
in favor or against a
particular issue
Compare and contrast the
different features of
Philippine culture in order to
appreciate and embrace our
national identity, from the
following historical eras
The Philippine Revolution is
one of the most important
events in the country’s history,
awakening a proud sense of
nationalism for generations of
Filipinos to come. In a period
of heavy struggle and conflict,
Filipinos of different
backgrounds united with a
common goal: TO RESIST
COLONIALISM
The revolution against Spain
was sparked in 1896 after
Spanish authorities discovered
the “Katipunan,” a Filipino
revolutionary society plotting
against their colonisers. It
ended in 1902, where Spain
lost and ceded sovereignty of
the Philippines to the United
States.
The Secret Organization
that Initiated the Revolt
Andres Bonifacio was the Supreme of the
Katipunan (association), or as it was also
known: Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang
Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Highest
and Most Venerated Association of the Sons
and Daughters of the Land).
The organization drew inspiration from Dr.
Jose Rizal, whose literary works, particularly
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
exposed the cruelties of the Spanish
colonisers. Before Katipunan was established,
both Bonifacio and Rizal were part of ‘La Liga
Filipina’ – a progressive organization initiated
by Rizal that sought peaceful reforms.
 The Secret Organization
that Initiated the Revolt
After Rizal’s arrest and deportation to Dapitan, La Liga
Filipina dissolved.
This was later replaced by a call for aggressive
reforms, put forward and favored by Bonifacio.
Upon hearing of Rizal’s arrest, Bonifacio and his
fellows founded the Katipunan.
The anti-colonial secret organization eventually
attracted people from lower and middle classes across
the country, enjoining them in an armed revolt against
Spain.
Rizal, the country’s national hero, refused to
participate. He believed timing wasn’t on their side
and the nation was still unprepared.
In spite of his friend’s reservations, Bonifacio and his
fellow Katipuneros continued with their plan.
Yet on August 1896, a Spanish friar found them out.
A Rival Government
Bonifacio soon set out to Naic, Cavite,
where he established a rival government
against Aguinaldo. Newly recognised as
the leader of the revolution, he issued a
coup d’etat against Aguinaldo’s
government. Upon learning this,
Aguinaldo ordered the official arrest of
Bonifacio.
Bonifacio was captured and found guilty
of sedition and treason by the War
Council. They were soon executed near
Maragondon.
Aguinaldo and his fellows soon
established the Republic of Biak-na-Bato
and drafted the first constitution.
A Rival Government
They came up with a pact that called
for an end to the revolution, which
was positively favored by the
Spanish Governor-General. The
pact’s agenda included: the
surrender of weapons to
revolutionaries, amnesty, exile for
leaders, and payment to the
revolutionaries worth $400,000 USD.

While the Spanish kept their word,

other revolutionary generals took
arms – the Philippines was still not
independent.
The arrival of the Americans
and the Declaration of
Independence
April 1898 marked the second phase of
the Philippine Revolution. After a US
Navy warship exploded and sunk in
Havana harbor, the Americans declared
a war against Spain known as the
Spanish-American War.

The US Navy’s Asiatic Squadron, led by

Commodore George Dewey, sailed to
Manila and defeated the Spanish Navy.
In just a few hours all Spanish ships
were destroyed and the US gained
control of the Philippine capital.
The arrival of the Americans
and the Declaration of
Independence
Meanwhile, Aguinaldo became friendly with the
United States. He met with a US consul who
advised him to cooperate with the Americans.
And so, from his exile in Hong Kong, Bonifacio
eventually returned to the Philippines and
resumed the attacks against the Spanish
authorities.

And on June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared the

country’s independence and the birth of the
Philippine Republic. From his balcony in his
house in Kawit, Cavite, the Philippine flag was
unfurled. The Philippines’ National Anthem,
“Lupang Hinirang” was first heard by the Filipino
people.
It was December of that year
when the Spanish
government ceded the
Philippines to the United
States through the Treaty of
Paris. While it ended the
Spanish-American War, the
Americans took possession
of the Philippines.
Independence had not really
been achieved.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/ar
ticles/the-history-of-the-philippine-
revolution/