To examine the context within the document, one must read through it first.

This is the English

translation, translated by Gregoria Nieva, in the year 1918.

The Katipunan Code of Conduct

1. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without a shade, if
not a poisonous weed.

2. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue.

3. It is rational to be charitable and love one's fellow creature, and to adjust one's conduct, acts
and words to what is in itself reasonable.

4. Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in knowledge, wealth
and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by nature.

5. The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor.

6. To the honorable man, his word is sacred.

7. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost.

8. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field.

9. The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.

10. On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and the children, and if the guide
leads to the precipice, those whom he guides will also go there.

11. Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful companion who will
share with thee the penalties of life; her (physical) weakness will increase thy interest in her and
she will remind thee of the mother who bore thee and reared thee.

12. What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers and sisters, that do not
unto the wife, children, brothers and sisters of thy neighbor.

13. Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is aquiline, and his color white,
not because he is a *priest, a servant of God, nor because of the high prerogative that he enjoys
upon earth, but he is worth most who is a man of proven and real value, who does good, keeps
his words, is worthy and honest; he who does not oppress nor consent to being oppressed, he
who loves and cherishes his fatherland, though he be born in the wilderness and know no
tongue but his own.

14. When these rules of conduct shall be known to all, the longed-for sun of Liberty shall rise
brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe and its rays shall diffuse everlasting joy
among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the lives of those who have gone before,
the fatigues and the well-paid sufferings will remain. If he who desires to enter (the Katipunan)
has informed himself of all this and believes he will be able to perform what will be his duties,
he may fill out the application for admission.
This is no mere document that dictates the revolution in any straight matter, or how the Filipinos would
do that in particular, but in this document – it shows the manner in which the Filipino should conduct
themselves in every situation, and sets some sort of guidelines and rules that every self-respecting
Filipino man or woman should know, regardless of gender or race.

Life should be given purpose, to be good without ulterior motive for the sake of being charitable and
loving to both one’s self and his fellow man.

His skin may be black, or it may be white but that does not change the fact that all men are born equal.
A man is not superior to any other man by birth.

The honorable man prefers to be honorable, and the scoundrel prefers personal gain than honor.

Do not waste time

Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor, In both law and in the (battle)fields.

The prudent man does not babble, and keeps secrets tightly locked up.

Men should set examples and lead children and women to better futures

Women are not play things, treat them as faithful companions

The Do unto Others rule

Man is equal, even if he is the king, or he has any “superior” qualities, they are not to be treated any
more differently than other men, or to be put on a pedestal.

When all of these rules are met, liberty shall rise.