The KKK and the

“Kartilya ng Katipunan”
The KKK
In 1892, KKK or the Kataastaasan,
Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak
ng Bayan was founded by Andres Bonifacio.

It is the only organization that

envisioned (1) a united Filipino Nation
that would revolt against the Spaniards
for (2) the total independence of the
country from Spain.
 Previous armed revolts had already occurred before the
foundation of the Katipunan, but none of them
envisioned a unified Filpino nation revolting against
the colonizers.

 For example, Diego Silang was known as an Ilocano who

took up his arms and led one of the longest running
revolts in the country. Silang, however, was mainly
concerned about his locality and referred to himself as
El Rey de Ilocos (The King of Ilocos).

 On the other hand, the propaganda movements led by the

ilustrados like Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez
Jaena, and Jose Rizal did not envision a total
separation of the Philippines from Spain, but only
demanded equal rights, representation, and protection
from the abuses of friars.
 The
Kartilya ng
Katipunan
The author of Kartilya ng
Katipunan
Authorship of Kartilya originally
“Manga (sic) Aral Nang (sic)
Katipunan ng mga A.N.B.” has
always been credited to Emilio
Jacinto.

It was written in 1896

The Mind that Guided the
Revolution
Emilio was born on December 15, 1875 in Trozo,
Manila. His father is Mariano Jacinto and his
mother is Josefa Dizon. Emilio was raised by his
mother and his uncle Don Jose Dizon.

 Emilio attended San Juan de Letran College, and

continued his law studies at the University of
Santo Tomas before dropping
out at the
age of 18 to join the Katipunan in
1893.
Emilio Jacinto is
known as the ‘Utak ng
Katipunan’.
Bonifacio, had originally
intended that his
“Decalogue” should be
printed and handed to new
recruits, but he then read
Jacinto’s Kartilya and
decided it was superior.
SA MAY NASANG MAKISANIB

SA KATIPUNANG ITO

Sa pagkakailangan, na ang lahat na nagiibig pumasuk sa katipunang ito,

ay magkaroon ng lubos na pananalig at kaisipan sa mga layong tinutungo
at mga kaaralang pinaiiral, minarapat na ipakilala sa kanila ang mga bagay
na ito, at ng bukas makalawa’y huag silang magsisi at tuparing maluag sa
kalooban ang kanilang mga tutungkulin.
 
Ang kabagayang pinaguusig ng katipunang ito ay lubos na dakila at
mahalaga; papagisahin ang loob at kaisipan ng lahat ng tagalog (*) sa
pamagitan ng isang mahigpit na panunumpa, upang sa pagkakaisang ito’y
magkalakas na iwasak ang masinsing tabing na nakabubulag sa kaisipan
at matuklasan ang tunay na landas ng Katuiran at Kaliwanagan.
 
(*) Sa salitang tagalog katutura’y ang lahat nang tumubo sa Sangkapuluang ito; sa
makatuid, bisaya man, iloko man, kapangpangan man, etc., ay tagalog din.
Jacinto became the secretary of the
organization and took charge of the short-
lived printing press of the Katipunan
(Kalayaan).

On 15 April 1897, Bonifacio appointed Jacinto

as a commander of the Katipunan in Northern
Luzon. Jacinto was 22 years old.

He died of Malaria at a young age of 24 in the

town of Magdalena, Laguna.
Katipunan’s code of
conduct
It contains fourteen rules
that instruct the way a
Katipunero should behave,
and which specific values
should be uphold.
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 t 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 be honorable
man, his word is
sacred.
Do not waste thy

7
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.
 On the thorny path of

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life, man is the guide of
woman and the children,
and if the guide leads to
precipice, those whom he
guides will also go there.
11
Thou must not look upon woman
as 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 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 neighbors.
13
Man is not worth more because he is king,
because his nose is aquiline, and his color
white, not because he is 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,
 When these rules of conduct shall be known to

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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 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.
Analysis of the “Kartilya ng
Katipunan”
As a document written for fraternity whose main purpose is to
overthrow a colonial regime, we can explain the content and
provisions of the Kartilya as a reaction and response to certain
value systems that they found despicable in the present state of
things that they struggled against with.

Moreover, one can analyze the values upheld in the document as

consistent with the burgeoning rational and liberal ideals in the
eighteenth and nineteenth century. Equality, tolerance, freedom,
and liberty were values that first emerged in the eighteenth
century French Revolution, which spread an illustrado himself,
certainly got an understanding of these values.
Kartilya repeatedly emphasized the importance of
honor in words and in action. The teaching of the
Katipunan on how women should be treated with
honor and respect, while positive in many respects and
certainly significant stride from the practice of raping
and physically abusing women, can still be telling of
the Katipunan’s secondary regard for women in
relation to men.