CHRIST THE KING COLLEGE

MAGSAYSAY BLVD
CALBAYOG CITY
SY. 2022-2023
SECOND SEMESTER

FARAH MAE O. TITOY BSED–1A ENG GEC 6–READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

INSTRUCTOR: MS. PAVE LOVE MANALILI CABUNDOC

NARRATIVE REPORT about Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan

BY Emilio aguinaldo
Presented by Mr. ALDRIN JC GALITAN on March 7, 2023

Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan is the memoir of Emilio Aguinaldo written based on a diary
he kept, several documents he preserved, and family lore he gathered from his elders.
Aguinaldo was one of the many members of the Katipunan and belonged to the
Magdalo faction. He led numerous attacks and won victories against the Spaniards in
the Cavite province. After the death of Bonifacio, he assumed total leadership of the
revolution.

Later, Aguinaldo forcibly set up a provisional dictatorship in the country, declared

Philippine independence on June 12, 1898, and sworn in as the first president of the
new, self-governed Philippine republic. Believed to be of two volumes, Aguinaldo’s
memoir includes accounts beginning from his birth, his early life, and his participation in
the revolution.

However, the first volume ends the memoir only with the details of the Treaty in Biak-na-
Bato. Although its existence is still not proven, the second volume is assumed to
continue with the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War.

The provided excerpts begin the memoir with Aguinaldo’s arrival to Cavite and his
encounter with two of his generals which led to the confrontation of the three
Filipino civil guards patrolling their territory.

This is followed by a narrative of the Siege of Imus, where they have been cheated at
first yet was able to make a successful attack after regrouping and changing tactics.
The last of the three excerpts is the longest and tackles several events in the revolution.
First, it recorded the arrival of Supremo Bonifacio and some of his men in San
Francisco de Malabon where he was welcomed with a wonderful parade and
regarded as the “Haring Bayan.”

It continued with Aguinaldo discussing notable differences between the Magdiwang

and the Magdalo factions of the Katipunan, including the party name, members and
officials, territories, achievements, attitude, and form of government. It also provided the
planned attempt to rescue Jose Rizal from his execution, which could have been
performed if not only for Paciano Rizal’s intervention and warning not to risk any more
lives.

It ended with the account of the Battle of Pateros which initially was a victory after they
caused the retreat of the Spanish troops by the Pasig River but then was forced to go
back to Cavite when a bigger army of Spaniards from Laguna came to attack the
province. Produced in long hand and written in Tagalog between 1928 and 1946, it gave
us essential information to visualize how Filipino revolutionaries engaged in battle with
the Spaniards which were important events in the Philippine history.

It chronicled the revolution which showed us how united and persistent the Filipinos
were to end the Spanish occupation. This allows us to grasp how great their struggles
were during the colonial era to the point that what they desired was nothing more than
independence. Other than that, the document highlights the experiences and
aspirations of Emilio Aguinaldo. The understanding we give to his persona becomes
relevant in knowing what kind of a Filipino leader he was. We were able to view history
through the eyes of Aguinaldo, which leads us to a better appreciation of his heroism
and efforts important to the freedom we enjoy today.

Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan was an exciting to read. But more than the thrill it offered
was another motivation for me to keep on working hard for my dreams. After all,
success comes from perseverance and persistence which are both qualities shown by
the Filipino revolutionaries. And I realize that our county is worth dying for and
thanking these people for the sacrifice they have made is not enough; we must sacrifice
ourselves, too, that we may be able to preserve and protect this independence which
we have achieved because of the blood shed by our fellow Filipinos in the past.