Reading the “Proclamation of the

Philippine Independence”
► Every year, the country commemorates the anniversary of
the Philippine Independence
▪ Proclaimed on the 12th of June, 1898, in the province of Cavite
between 4 and 5 in the afternoon.
• The event saw the unfurling of the Philippine National Flag, made
by Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, and Delfina Herboza.
• Performance of the Marcha Filipina Magdalo, as the national
anthem, now known as Lupang Hinirang, composed by Julian
Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon Marching
Band.
• The proclamation was prepared, written, and read by Ambrosio
Rianzares Bautista in Spanish.
Signed by 98 people, including a United States Army officer,
Mr. L. M. Johnson.
Eventually promulgated on August 1, after many towns had
been organized under Aguinaldo’s government.
Not recognized, however, by the United States, nor Spain.
U.S. bought the Philippines from the Spanish in the 1898
Treaty of Paris.
Philippine-American War
The Philippine Revolutionary Government did not recognize the
treaty or American sovereignty, and subsequently fought and
lost a conflict with United States.
Ended when Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by U.S. forces in
March 23, 1901, and issued a statement acknowledging and
accepting the sovereignty of the United States over the
Philippines.
The U.S. finally granted complete independence to the
Philippines on July 4, 1946 via the Treaty of Manila, following
World War II.
• President Diosdado Macapagal, in 1964, signed into law
Republic Act No. 4166, designating June 12 as the country's
Independence Day.
• It is a significant turning point in the history of the country.
• It signaled the end of the 333 years of Spanish colonization.
► There have been numerous studies done on the events leading
to the independence of the country, but very few students had
the chance to read the actual document of the declaration.

► This is in spite of the historical importance of the document and

the details that the document reveals on the rationale and
circumstances of that historical day.
► PROCLAMATION OF THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE
▪ It is a short 2,000-word document.
▪ It summarized the reason behind the revolution against Spain.
▪ It also summarized the subsequent war for independence, as
well as the future of the new republic under the leadership of
Emilio Aguinaldo.
► The proclamation commenced with a characterization of the
condition of the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period.
▪ It specifically mentioned the abuses and inequalities existing in
the colony.
► The declaration says:
▪ “…taking into consideration, that their inhabitants being
already weary of bearing the ominous yoke of Spanish
domination, on account of the arbitrary arrests and harsh
treatment practiced by the Civil Guard to the extent of
causing death with the connivance and even with the
express orders of their commanders, who sometimes went to
the extreme of ordering the shooting of prisoners under the
pretext that they were attempting to escape, violation of the
provisions of the Regulations of their Corps, which abuses
were unpunished and on account of the unjust deportations,
especially those decreed by
► The declaration says:
General Blanco, of eminent personages and of high social
position, at the instigation of the Archbishop and friars
interested in keeping them out of the way for their own selfish
and avaricious purpose, deportations which are quickly
brought about by a method of procedure more execrable
than that of the Inquisition and which every civilized nation
rejects on account of a decision being rendered without a
hearing of the persons accused.”
WHAT IS THE CONTENT OF THE PASSAGE?
▪ The passage demonstrates the justifications behind the
revolution against Spain.
▪ Specifically cited are the abuses by the Civil Guards and the
unlawful shooting of prisoners whom they alleged as “attempting
to escape”.
▪ It also condemns the unequal protection of the law between the
Filipino people and the “eminent personages”.
▪ Moreover, the line mentions the avarice and greed of the clergy
like the friars and the Archbishop himself.
▪ The passage also condemns what they saw as the unjust
deportation and rendering of other decisions without proper
hearing, expected of any civilized nation.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

▪ The proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview of the

Spanish occupation since Magellan’s arrival until the Philippine
Revolution.
▪ It narrates the movement, describing it as “like an electric spark”,
through different towns and provinces like Bataan, Pampanga,
Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, and the quick decline of
Spanish forces in the same provinces.
▪ The revolt also reached Visayas, thus, the independence of the
country was ensured.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

▪ The document also mentions Rizal’s execution, calling it unjust.

• The execution was done “to please the greedy body of friars in
their insatiable desire to seek revenge upon and exterminate
all those who are opposed to their Machiavellian purposes,
which tramples upon the penal code prescribed for these
islands.”
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

▪ It also narrates the Cavite Mutiny of January 1872 that caused

the infamous execution of the martyred native priests namely
Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora, “whose
innocent blood was shed through the intrigues of those
so-called religious orders” that incited the three secular priests
in the said mutiny.
► Emilio Aguinaldo’s Dictatorship
▪ The proclamation of
independence also invokes that
the established Republic would
be led under the dictatorship of
Emilio Aguinaldo. The first
mention was at the very
beginning of the proclamation.
It stated:
“In the town of Cavite Viejo, in this province of Cavite, on
the twelfth day of June eighteen hundred and
ninety-eight, before me, Don Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista,
Auditor of War and Special Commissioner appointed to
proclaim and solemnize this act by the Dictatorial
Government of these Philippine Islands, for the purposes
and by the virtue of the circular addressed by the Eminent
Dictator of the same Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy.”
The same was repeated toward the last part of the proclamation.
“We acknowledge, approve and confirm together with the orders
that have been issued therefrom, the Dictatorship established by
Don Emilio Aguinaldo, whom we honor as the Supreme Chief of this
Nation, which this day commences to have a life of its own, in the
belief that he is the instrument selected by God, in spite of his
humble origin, to effect the redemption of this unfortunate people,
as foretold by Doctor Jose Rizal in the magnificent verses which he
composed when he was preparing to be shot, liberating them from
the yoke of Spanish domination in punishment of the impunity with
which their Government allowed the commission of abuses by its
subordinates.”
▪ Another detail in the proclamation that is worth looking at is
its explanation on the PHILIPPINE FLAG that was first waved
on the same day.
The document explained:
“And finally, it was unanimously resolved that this Nation,
independent from this day, must use the same flag used
heretofore, whose design and colors and described in the
accompanying drawing, with design representing in natural
colors the three arms referred to. The white triangle represents
the distinctive emblem of the famous Katipunan Society, which
by means of its compact of blood urged on the masses of the
people to insurrection; the three stars represent the three
principal Islands of this Archipelago, Luzon, Mindanao and
Panay, in which this insurrectionary movement broke out;
▪ The document explained con’t..
“the sun represents the gigantic strides that have been made by
the sons of this land on the road of progress and civilization, its
eight rays symbolizing the eight provinces of Manila, Cavite,
Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna and
Batangas, which were declared in a state of war almost as soon
as the first insurrectionary movement was initiated: and the
colors blue, red and white, commemorate those of the flag of
the United States of North America, in manifestation of our
profound gratitude towards that Great Nation for the
disinterested protection she is extending to us and will continue
to extend to us.”
Marcela Mariño Lorenza Mariño Delfina Herboza de
Agoncillo Agoncillo Natividad
▪ This often overlooked detail reveals much about the historically
accurate meaning behind the most widely known national symbol
in the Philippines. It is not known by many for example, that the
white triangle was derived from the symbol of the Katipunan. The
red and blue colors of the flag are often associated with courage
and peace, respectively. Our basic education omits the fact that
those colors were taken from the flag of the United States, While it
can always be argued that symbolic meaning can always change
and be reinterpreted, the original symbolic meaning of something
presents us several historical truths that can explain the
subsequent events, which unfolded after the declaration of
independence on the 12th day of June 1898.
ANALYSIS OF THE "PROCLAMATION OF THE
PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE”
▪ As mentioned earlier, a re-examination of the document on the
declaration of independence can reveal some often overlooked historical
truths about this important event in Philippine history.
1. The document reflects the general revolutionary sentiment of that
period. For example the abuses specifically mentioned in the
proclamation:
• friar abuse,
• racial discrimination,
• inequality before the law
2. These reflect the most compelling sentiments represented by the
revolutionary leadership.
▪ However, no mention was made about the more serious problem that
affected the masses more profoundly (i.e., the land and agrarian crisis
felt by the numerous Filipino peasants in the nineteenth century). This
is ironic especially when renowned Philippine Revolution historian,
Teodoro Agoncillo, stated that the Philippine Revolution was an
agrarian revolution. The common revolutionary soldiers fought in the
revolution for the hope of owning the lands that they were tilling once
the friar estates in different provinces like Batangas and Laguna
dissolve, if and when the revolution succeeded. Such aspects and
realities of the revolutionary struggle were either unfamiliar to the
middle class revolutionary leaders like Emilio Aguinaldo, Ambrosio
Rianzares-Bautista, and Felipe Buencamino, or were intentionally left
out because they were landholders themselves.
▪ The proclamation also gives us the
impression on how the victorious
revolutionary government of
Aguinaldo historicized the struggle for
independence. There were mentions
of past events that were seen as
important turning points of the
movement against Spain.
▪ The execution of the GOMBURZA, for
example, and the failed Cavite Mutiny
of 1872 was narrated in detail.
▪ This shows that they saw this event as a
significant awakening of the Filipinos in the
real conditions of the nation under Spain.
Jose Rizal's legacy and martyrdom was
also mentioned in the document. However,
the Katipunan as the pioneer of the
revolutionary movement was only
mentioned once toward the end of the
document.
▪ There was no mention of the Katipunan's
foundation. Bonifacio and his co-founders
were also left out.
▪It can be argued, thus, that the way of historical narration found in
the document also reflects the politics of the victors. The enmity
between Aguinaldo's Magdalo and Bonifacio's Magdiwang in the
Katipunan is no secret in the pages of our history.

▪On the contrary, the war led by Aguinaldo's men with the forces of
the United States were discussed in detail. Official records and
documents like the Proclamation of Independence, while truthful
most of the time, still exude the politics and biases of whoever is
in power. This manifests in the selectiveness of information that
can be found in these records
“…Even as they were all busy fighting the Spanish colonial army, the Cavite elite allied
with Aguinaldo called for a meeting where they engineered the Katipunan founder’s
removal from the leadership of the revolution. The so-called Tejeros Convention was
nothing but a coup against the man who started it all. Aguinaldo, who wasn’t even
present at the convention, was elected to head the new revolutionary government.
Bonifacio was later charged with sedition and treason for refusing to recognize and abide
by the orders of the Aguinaldo-led government. Arrested and detained, he and his
brother Procopio were sentenced to death by a revolutionary court. Though allegedly
with some reluctance, Aguinaldo affirmed the death sentence for the two brothers. They
were executed in the mountains of Maragondon, Cavite on May 10, 1897.
A year later, seeing that the Americans were determined to take over from the
retreating Spanish forces, Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence from Spain.
This is the event we have been celebrating every year since 1962, when former
president Diosdado Macapagal changed the date of Philippine Independence from July
4, 1946 to June 12, 1898.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/130771/a-confusion-of-heroes#ixzz8Q7bu6sTf
It is the task of the historian, thus, to analyze the content of these
documents in relation to the dominant politics and the contexts of
people and institutions surrounding it. This tells us a lesson on taking
primary sources like official government records within the
circumstance of this production. Studying one historical subject
thus, entails looking at multiple primary sources and pieces of
historical evidences in order to have a more nuanced and contextual
analysis of our past.
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Manila
The Philippine Declaration of
Independence
► Source material:
▪ Primary Sources:
• https://www.usphsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/1898-june-12-proclamation-of-p
hilippine-independence-in-kawit-cavite-e1591718668828.jpg
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emilio_Aguinaldo_ca._1919_(Restored).jpg
• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Marcela_de_Agoncillo.png
• https://s3.amazonaws.com/photos.geni.com/p13/7f/69/45/b4/5344484cf09ea77c/img_201
90707_235246_original.jpg
• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Delfina_Herbosa_de_Natividad.jpg
• https://kahimyang.com/resources/ambrosio-rianzares-bautista.webp
• https://kahimyang.com/resources/cambon-sign-treaty-of-paris.webp
• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Philippine_independence.j
pg/1024px-Philippine_independence.jpg

▪ Secondary Sources:
• Readings in Philippine History by John Lee P. Candelaria & Veronica C. Alphore, Pp. 26-30