Apoli

nar
ioMabini(
July23,1864–May13, 1903)wasthefir
stprimeministerofthePhil
i
ppi nes.
Knownforhispowerf
ulint
ell
ect,
poli
ti
calsavvy,andel
oquence,Mabiniwascalledthebrains
andconsci
enceoftherevol
uti
on.Beforehisunti
melydeathin1903,
Mabi ni'
swor kandthoughts
onthegover
nmentshapedt hePhil
i
ppines'fi
ghtfori
ndependenceoverthenextcentury.

Ear
lyLi
fe

Apoli
nar
ioMabini
yMar ananwasbor nt
hesecondofei ghtchi
ldr
enar ound43mil
essouthof
Manil
aonJuly23,1864.Hisparent
swereverypoor:
Hisf at
herInocencioMabi
niwasapeasant
far
merandhismotherDionisi
aMaranansupplementedtheirf
armincomeasav endoratthe
l
ocalmarket
.

Legal
Wor
kandI
ll
ness

I
n1895, Mabiniwasadmit
tedtot
helawyer
'sbarandworkedasanewlymint
edlawyerinthe
Adr
ianolawof f
icesi
nManilawhi
leheal
soservedasthesecret
aryoft
heCuer
pode
Compr i
misar
ios.However
,ear
lyi
n1896,Apol
inar
ioMabinicont
ract
edpol
i
o,whichl
efthislegs
par
alyzed.

Ir
onical
ly
,thi
sdisabi
l
itysavedhisli
fethatautumn.Thecoloni
alpoli
cearrest
edMabi niin
Octoberof1896forhisworkwiththereform movement.Hewasst il
lunderhousearrestatt
he
SanJuandeDi osHospital
onDecember30oft hatyear
,whent hecoloni
algovernment
summar i
lyexecut
edJoséRi zal
,andit
'sbeli
evedthatMabini
'spoli
olikel
ykepthimfrom the
samef at
e.

ThePhi
l
ippi
neRev
olut
ion

TheAmericanshopedtouseAgui
naldoagainstt
heSpanishinthePhili
ppi
nes,sotheybr
ought
hi
m backfrom hi
sexil
eonMay19,1898.Onceashore,Aguinal
door der
edhisment obri
ngthe
aut
horofthewarmani f
est
otohim,andtheyhadtocarr
yt hedi
sabledMabinioverthe
mountai
nsonast ret
chert
oCavi
te.

Mabi
nireachedAguinaldo'
scamponJune12,1898,andsoonbecameoneoft hegener
al'
s
pr
imar
yadv i
sers.Thatsameday,Agui
nal
dodeclar
edthePhil
i
ppines'
independence,
wit
h
hi
msel
fast hedictat
or.

Deat
h

OnFebr
uary26,
1903,Mabi
nir
etur
nedtot
hePhil
i
ppi
neswhereAmericanoff
ici
alsof
fer
edhima
pl
ushgover
nmentposi
ti
onasarewar
dforagr
eei
ngt
otakethefeal
tyoath,
butMabinir
efused,
r
eleasi
ngt
hef
oll
owi
ngst
atement
:

"Aftert
wol ongyear
sIam ret
urni
ng,sotospeak,complet
elydisori
entedand,
whatisworse,
almostov ercomebydi
seaseandsuffer
ings.Never
thel
ess,Ihope,aft
ersomet i
meofrestand
study,sti
l
l t
obeofsomeuse, unl
essIhaveretur
nedtotheIslandsforthesol
epurposeof
dying."

Sadly
,hiswordswer epropheti
c.Mabini
conti
nuedtospeakandwr it
einsuppor
tofPhi
li
ppi
ne
i
ndependenceov erthenextseveral
months.Hefell
il
lwithchol
era,whi
chwasrampantint
he
countr
yafteryearsofwar,anddiedonMay13, 1903,atonl
y38y ear
sold.

Legacy

Li
kefell
owPhil
ippinerevolut
ionar
iesJoséRi zal
andAndrésBoni
faci
o,Mabi
nididnotl
ivet
osee
hi
s40thbir
thday.Yetinhisshortcareer,
hehadanout si
zerol
einshapi
ngtherevol
uti
onar
y
gover
nmentandt hefutureofthePhili
ppines.

TheMuseoni Apol
inar
ioMabini
inTanauan,Phi
li
ppi
nesexhi
bit
sthel
if
eanddeedsofMabini
.
Mabini
'
sfacehasbeenont hePhil
i
ppi
ne10-pesocoinandbi
ll
.TheGawadMabini
isanhonor
gi
ventoFi
li
pinosfordi
sti
ngui
shedfor
eignservi
ce.