Established in the house of Doroteo Ongjunco at Ilaya St., Tondo, Manila on July 3, 1892.
Katipunan
"Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangan, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan."
Founded on July 7, 1892, Recto Avenue, Manila.
Founder: Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata
Controversy Surrounding the First Cry of the Revolution
Different versions exist regarding the dates and venue of the first cry of the revolution.
The controversy remains unsolved.
Some believe the Cry took place in Balintawak, while others say it happened in Pugad Lawin.
Different versions to consider:
Pio Valenzuela's Controversial "Cry of Pugad Lawin".
Santiago Alvarez's "The Cry of Bahay Toro".
Gregoria de Jesus' version of the "First Cry".
Guillermo Masangkay's "The Cry of Balintawak".
Pio Valenzuela's Controversial "Cry of Pugad Lawin" (August 23, 1896)
Authorized by Dr. Pio Valenzuela, an eyewitness to the event.
First Version:
The prime staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak on Wednesday of August 26, 1896. Valenzuela held this account when the happenings or events are still vivid in his memory.
Later Version (Memoirs of the Revolution):
Without consulting written documents, he claimed that the "Cry" took place at Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896.
Account details:
The first refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Aguedodel Rosario, and Valenzuela himself was Balintawak.
Bonifacio and others arrived on August 19, 1896, and Valenzuela on August 20, 1896.
Around 500 members of the Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, at the house and yard of Apolonio Samson in Kangkong.
Attendees included Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others.
Views were exchanged, but no resolution was debated or adopted.
At Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met on August 23, 1896.
They held considerable debate and discussion on whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started on August 29, 1896.
Teodoro Plata protested against starting a war.
Attendees included Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and others.
After the meeting, many tore their cedula certificates and shouted "Long live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!"
The "Cry of Bahay Toro" (August 24, 1896)
Written by Santiago Alvarez, a well-known Katipunero from Cavite and son of Mariano Alvarez.
Santiago is a relative of Gregoria de Jesus, wife of Andres Bonifacio.
Alvarez was not an eyewitness; therefore, his version is not valued as highly as others.
Account details:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 1896: As early as 10 o'clock in the morning, at the barn of Kabesang Melchora [Melchora Aquino], at a place called Sampalukan, barrio of Bahay Toro, Katipuneros met together. About 500 of these arrived, ready and eager to join the "Supremo" Andres Bonifacio and his men…
MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1896: There were about 1,000 Katipuneros…. The "Supremo" decided to hold a meeting inside the big barn. Under his leadership, the meeting began at 10 o'clock in the morning…
It was 12 o'clock noon when the meeting adjourned amidst loud cries of "Long live the Sons of the Country" (Mabuhay ang mga anak ng Bayan)!
Gregoria de Jesus' Version of the First "Cry" (August 25, 1896)
Written by Gregoria de Jesus, the "Lakambini of the Katipunan" and wife of Andres Bonifacio.
She was a participant in the event and the keeper of the secret documents of the Katipunan.
After the Revolution in August 1896, she lived with her parents in Caloocan and fled to Manila when she was told that Spanish authorities wanted to arrest her.
She joined her husband in the mountains and shared adversities with him.
In her account, the First "Cry" happened near Caloocan on August 25, 1896.
Account details:
The activities of the Katipunan had reached nearly all corners of the Philippine Archipelago.
When its existence was discovered and some members arrested, they immediately returned to Caloocan.
Andres Bonifacio and other Katipuneros left the town after some days because they were closely watched by Spanish agents.
The uprising began then, with the first cry for freedom on August 25, 1896.
She was with her parents. Through her friends, she learned that Spanish were coming to arrest her.
She fled town secretly at eleven o'clock at night, going through the rice fields to La Loma with the intention of returning to Manila.
She was treated like an apparition, for, sad to say, in every house where she tried to get a little rest, she was driven away.
The occupants of the houses which she had visited were seized and severely punished-- and some even exiled.
One of them was an uncle of mine whom she had visited on that night to kiss his hand, and he died in exile.
The "Cry of Balintawak" (August 26, 1896)
Written by Guillermo Masangkay, a Katipunan General, eyewitness, and childhood friend of Andres Bonifacio.
He had no formal education but was fluent in Spanish.
According to him, the first rally of the Philippine Revolution happened on August 26, 1896, at Balintawak.
The date and site presented were accepted by the preliminary years of American government.
Account details:
On August 26th [1896], a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan.
Attendees included Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedodel Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon.
Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite and Morong (now Rizal,) were also present.
At about nine o'clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary.
The purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to take place.
Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela opposed starting the revolution too early.
They reasoned that the people would be in distress if the revolution were started without adequate preparation.
Plata stated that the uprising could not well be started without the arms and food for the soldiers.
Valenzuela used Rizal's argument about the rich not siding with the Katipunan organization.
Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session hall and talked to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the leaders.
He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution early, and appealed to them in a fiery speech.
Bonifacio reminded the people of the fate of countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan.
He stated that the organization has been discovered and they are all marked men.
He asked, "If we don't start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you say?"
"Revolt!" the people shouted as one.
Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt.
He told them that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos was the cedula tax charged each citizen.
Bonifacio said, "If it is true that you are ready to revolt, I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be the sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards."
With tears in their eyes, the people pulled out their cedulas and tore them to pieces.
It was the beginning of the formal declaration of the separation from Spanish rule.
With their cedulas destroyed, they could no longer go back to their homes because the Spaniards would persecute them.
People who had no cedulas during those days were severely punished.
When the people's pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he returned to the session hall and informed the leaders of what took place outside.
"The people want to revolt, and they have destroyed their cedulas," Bonifacio said. "So now we have to start the uprising; otherwise the people by hundreds will be shot."
There was no alternative.
The board of directors, in the spite of the protests of Plata, Pantas, and Valenzuela, voted for the revolution.
When this was decided, the people outside shouted: "Long Live the Philippine Republic!"
Masangkay describes Bonifacio as a cultured man, despite being a mere bodeguero (warehouseman) earning P25 (Mex.) a month.
Bonifacio always wore an open coat, with black necktie, and black hat, and he always carried an umbrella.
At the meeting that morning of August 26, Bonifacio took off his coat and was wearing only his shirt, with collar and tie.
Bonifacio's hobby was weaving bamboo hats, which he sold in Manila.
At about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, while the gathering at Balintawak was celebrating the decision of the Katipunan leaders to start the uprising, the guards gave the warning that the Spaniards were coming.
Led by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and other leaders of the Katipunan, the men were distributed in strategic positions and were prepared for attack of the civil guards.
Shots were then fired by the civil guards, and that was the beginning of the fire which later became such a huge conflagration.