Andres Bonifacio

Well-known for being a 14-year old orphaned boy who lived in the slums of
Tondo, Manila, Andres Bonifacio is considered as one of the spearheads in leading the
Philippines to its freedom and sovereignty. Known for being the great “Supremo’ of the
revolutionary group Kataas-taasan Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng
Bayan (KKK), the historical personage started from scratch. Losing his parents at a very
young age, he was forced to give up his formal education to raise and work for his five
siblings as part of his obligation as the eldest. He maximized his talents and skills by
creating and selling paper fans and canes. He also worked as messenger in Fleming &
Company, and as a warehouse man in Fressel & Company, which served as his library
and study room. He cherished education to the extent that even though he did not
attend formal education, he helped himself by reading books written in Spanish and
Tagalog, including the works of Jose Rizal and some of liberal writers of the West.
Being enlightened by the national hero’s ideals and aspirations for the country, his
eagerness to free the country from the foreign colonial conquerors blazed. His love for
the Motherland is manifested on his literary works including “Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga
Tagalog” and “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa”. The former recounts the condition of the
Philippines before and after the Spaniards arrived. It can be observed here that the
“Pacto de Sangre” started the almost 3-century suffering of the Filipino people. The
agreement of letting the foreigners meddle with the nation’s simple life started through
the blood and ended with blood as well. He added that it was the time for Filipinos to
break the chains that bind them and unite for a cause of liberating themselves. While,
the latter work of Bonifacio shows that the love for the country is the deepest form of
love. He challenged the Filipinos to do everything for the country and the best and most
noble action that a person can do is to die for the sake of the land and its people. He
presided the Tejeros Convention that settled the dispute concerning the issues on the
type of government that will be installed. The aim to start a revolutionary government
that will lead the Philippines to liberation started another conflict in the political life of the
hero and led to the partition of beliefs of some Filipino revolutionists. He also formally
launched an armed revolution against the Spaniards in the “Cry of Pugadlawin”.
However, the Supremo was betrayed by Severino de las Alas while in Limbon, Indang.
His uncontrollable anger and threats of words terrified the people of Indang, who asked
for the help of Emilio Aguinaldo, which on that time was the president of the
revolutionary government. Accused and convicted of treason and sedition, Bonifacio
and his brother, Procopio, were shot at Mount Nagpatong, Maragondon, Cavite. His ill-
fated destiny did not end in the battlefield, but in the own hands of his fellow
countrymen.
Despite this misfortune, Bonifacio will be forever revered and considered as a
noble hero. He possessed optimistic attitude, sense of responsibility, social
responsiveness, compassion humility, and above all, patriotism. These values he had
are adequate to regard him as an exalted child of the beloved nation.