Cry of Pugad Lawin

The Cry of Pugad Lawin (Filipino: Sigaw ng Pugad Lawin), alternately and originally referred to as
the Cry of Balintawak (Filipino: Sigaw ng Balíntawak, Spanish: Grito de Balíntawak), was the
beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire.
At the close of August 1896, members of the Katipunan secret society (Katipuneros) led by Andrés
Bonifacio rose up in revolt somewhere in an area referred to as Caloocan,[2] wider than the
jurisdiction of present-day Caloocan City which may have overlapped into present-day Quezon City.
Originally the term "cry" referred to the first clash between the Katipuneros and the Civil
Guards (Guardia Civil). The cry could also refer to the tearing up of community tax
certificates (cédulas personales) in defiance of their allegiance to Spain. This was literally
accompanied by patriotic shouts.
Because of competing accounts and ambiguity of the place where this event took place, the exact
date and place of the Cry is in contention. From 1908 until 1963, the official stance was that the cry
occurred on August 26 in Balintawak. In 1963 the Philippine government declared a shift to August
23 in Pugad Lawin, Quezon City.

Different dates and places

Various accounts give differing dates and places for the Cry. An officer of the Spanish guardia civil,
Lt. Olegario Diaz, stated that the Cry took place in Balintawak on August 25, 1896. Historian
Teodoro Kalaw in his 1925 book The Filipino Revolution wrote that the event took place during the
last week of August 1896 at Kangkong, Balintawak. Santiago Alvarez, a Katipunero and son of
Mariano Alvarez, the leader of the Magdiwangfaction in Cavite, stated in 1927 that the Cry took
place in Bahay Toro, now in Quezon City on August 24, 1896. Pío Valenzuela, a close associate
of Andrés Bonifacio, declared in 1948 that it happened in Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896.
Historian Gregorio Zaide stated in his books in 1954 that the "Cry" happened in Balintawak on
August 26, 1896. Fellow historian Teodoro Agoncillo wrote in 1956 that it took place in Pugad Lawin
on August 23, 1896, based on Pío Valenzuela's statement. Accounts by historians Milagros
Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion and Ramon Villegas claim the event to have taken place
in Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City.
Some of the apparent confusion is in part due to the double meanings of the terms "Balintawak" and
"Caloocan" at the turn of the century. Balintawak referred both to a specific place in modern
Caloocan City and a wider area which included parts of modern Quezon City. Similarly, Caloocan
referred to modern Caloocan City and also a wider area which included modern Quezon City and
part of modern Pasig. Pugad Lawin, Pasong Tamo, Kangkong and other specific places were all in
"greater Balintawak", which was in turn part of "greater Caloocan".

Definition of the Cry

The term "Cry" is translated from the Spanish el grito de rebelion (cry of rebellion) or el grito for
short. Thus the Grito de Balintawak is comparable to Mexico's Grito de Dolores (1810). However, el
grito de rebelion strictly refers to a decision or call to revolt. It does not necessarily connote shouting,
unlike the Filipino sigaw.

First skirmish
Up to the late 1920s, the Cry was generally identified with Balintawak. It was commemorated on
August 29, considered the anniversary of the first hostile encounter between the Katipuneros and
the Guardia Civil. The "first shot" of the Revolution (el primer tiro) was fired at Banlat, Pasong Tamo,
then considered a part of Balintawak and now part of Quezon City.
Tearing of cédulas
Not all accounts relate the tearing of cédulas in the last days of August. Of the accounts that do,
older ones identify the place where this occurred as Kangkong in Balintawak/Kalookan. Most also
give the date of the cédula-tearing as August 26, in close proximity to the first encounter.
One Katipunero, Guillermo Masangkay, claimed cédulas were torn more than once – on the 24th as
well as the 26th.
For his 1956 book The Revolt of the Masses Teodoro Agoncillo defined "the Cry" as the tearing of
cedulas, departing from precedent which had then defined it as the first skirmish of the revolution.
His version was based on the later testimonies of Pío Valenzuela and others who claimed the cry
took place in Pugad Lawin instead of Balintawak. Valenzuela's version, through Agoncillo's
influence, became the basis of the current stance of the Philippine government. In 1963,
President Diosdado Macapagal ordered the official commemorations shifted to Pugad ng
uwak, Quezon City on August 23.

Formation of an insurgent government

An alternative definition of the Cry as the "birth of the Filipino nation state" involves the setting up of
a national insurgent government through the Katipunan with Bonifacio as President in Banlat,
Pasong Tamo on August 24, 1896 – after the tearing of cedulas but before the first skirmish. This
was called the Haring Bayang Katagalugan (Sovereign Tagalog Nation).

Other Cries
In 1895 Bonifacio, Masangkay, Emilio Jacinto and other Katipuneros spent Good Friday in the caves
of Mt. Pamitinan in Montalban (now part of Rizal province). They wrote "long live Philippine
independence" on the cave walls, which some Filipino historians consider the "first cry" (el primer
grito).

Commemoration
The Cry is commemorated as National Heroes' Day, a public holiday in the Philippines.[7]
The first annual commemoration of the Cry occurred in Balintawak in 1908 after the American
colonial government repealed the Sedition Law. In 1911 a monument to the Cry (a lone Katipunero
popularly identified with Bonifacio) was erected at Balintawak; it was later transferred to Vinzons Hall
in the University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City. In 1984, the National Historical Institute of
the Philippines installed a commemorative plaque in Pugad Lawin.

The Cry of Pugadlawin

News about the discovery of the Katipunan spread to Manila and nearby suburbs,
and Andres Bonifacio immediately called for a general meeting. Various wings of the
Katipunan gathered at the house of Juan Ramos in Pugadlawin on August 23, 1896. Ramos
was the son of Melchora Aquino, also known as “Tandang Sora” and was later acknowledged
as the Mother of the Katipunan."

Bonifacio asked his men whether they were willing to fight to the bitter end. Everyone
shouted their approval, except for Teodoro Plata, who though that it was too soon for a
revolution. Heartened by his men’s response, Bonifacio then asked them to tear their
cedulas (residence certificates) to pieces, as a sign of their defiance and determination to
rise against the Spaniards. The men immediately tore up their cedulas, shouting, Mabuhay
ang Pilipinas (long live the Philippines) -known as the Cry of Pugadlawin.
The Katipunan in Cavite

Cavite soon became the center of the Revolution, and the Katipuneros there divided
themselves into the Magdalo and Magdiwang factions. Baldomero Aguinaldo, brother of
Emilio Aguinaldo, headed the Magdalo group, which was stationed in Kawit. General Mariano
Alvarez led the Magdiwang group, which was stationed in Noveleta.

The two groups fought in separate battles. Emilio Aguinaldo overran Kawit on August 31,
1896, while Alvarez attacked Noveleta. In Bacoor, Aguinaldo tried to intercept Spanish
reinforcements coming from Manila; but he was repulsed and forced to retreat to nearby
Imus. Here, on the morning of September 5, he defeated the Spanish troops under the
command of General Aguirre. A hundred Spaniards were killed and 60 weapons were
confiscated. Aguinaldo was hailed as a hero. The adoring Caviteños referred to him as
“General Miong” and no longer “Kapitan Miong.”

General Aguinaldo’s numerous victories in the battlefield made him the acknowledged
revolutionary leader in Cavite. He issued a proclamation on October 31, 1896 enjoining the
people to take courage and continue fighting for Philippine independence.

Owing to the defeat of the Spaniards in Cavite, Camilo de Polavieja replaced

Ramon Blanco as governor general on December 13, 1896. Polavieja was more successful
than his predecessor and slowly regained one-third of the province.

Andres Bonifacio's Execution

While Aguinaldo was recognized as leader by the Magdalo faction, Bonifacio was recognized
as the leader of the Katipunan by the Magdiwang faction. An assembly was held in Imus,
Cavite on December 31, 1897 to settle the leadership issue but was not successful. Then on
March 22, another assembly was held at Tejeros (known as the Tejeros Convention)
to elect officers of the revolutionary government. Aguinaldo won as president while
Bonifacio was relegated as the Director of the Interior. Bonifacio rejected the elections and
declared it void. Bonifacio later formed the Naic Military Agreement, essentially creating a
government contending Aguinaldo's. Soon after, Bonifacio was captured, stood trial, and
was sentenced to death by a War Council of Aguinaldo's government. Aguinaldo initially
commuted the sentence to deportation but later reversed the commutation upon pressure
from Pio Del Pilar and other officers. On orders from General Mariano Noriel, Andres
Bonifacio was executed at the foothills of Mt. Buntis by Major Lazaro Makapagal on May 10,
1897.

The Revolution Continues

Bonifacio’s death did not deter the Filipinos from fighting for their freedom. The Spanish
government, for its part, doubled its efforts in trying to control Cavite, which was
considered the seat of the Revolution. When Governor General Primo de Rivera
replaced Camilo Polavieja on April 27, 1897, he immediately marched to Naic, Cavite to
persuade the Filipinos to surrender. The rebels, however, stood their ground.

Aguinaldo realized that Cavite was no longer safe for his men. They moved to Batangas,
where they temporarily set up camp in the town of Talisay. However, Spanish soldiers were
able to pursue them there. Thus, they retreated to Morong on June 10, 1897 and proceeded
to Biak-na-Bato in Bulacan. Click here to continue with Pact of Biak-na-Bato.
Balintawak or Pugad Lawin?
WELL OVER two decades ago, the late National Artist Nick Joaquin, in his INQUIRER column
“Small Beer,” argued repeatedly for a return to the traditional “Cry of Balintawak.” All our
textbooks, following a resolution from the National Historical Commission, state that the spark
of the Revolution started with a cry, followed by the tearing of cedulas led by Andres Bonifacio
in Pugad Lawin, Quezon City. The issue is not just historiographical but political. If the National
Historical Commission, upon review of the facts, reverses its earlier resolution and moves the
site of the “Cry” back to Balintawak then history will be moved from Quezon City to Caloocan.
Mayor Herbert Bautista’s loss will be Mayor Recom Echiverri’s gain.
Re-opening the issue looks simple because people think it’s just like tossing a coin to decide
between Balintawak or Pugad Lawin. If you bring two to three historians together you would not
get a consensus.
To the above options, you must add other contenders to the historical site: Kangkong, Bahay
Toro, Pasong Tamo, Banlat and God knows where else, depending on the primary source being
cited.
If you think location is the only issue, look again. The date declared by the National Historical
Commission as the start of the Philippine Revolution—Aug. 23, 1896—is but one date proposed,
the others being Aug. 20, 24, 25 and 26, 1896. And, if I remember from a historical forum in UP,
one scholar even insisted on a wildcard date of Sept. 5, 1896!
All these debates on dates and places, which may seem trivial to the general public, is the
lifeblood of historians.
Teodoro A. Agoncillo said that Bonifacio scheduled a general assembly of the Katipunan for
Aug. 24, 1896, the Feast of San Bartolome, in Malabon. This date was chosen to enable
Katipuneros to pass security checkpoints carrying their bolos because Malabon is famous for
manufacturing a long bladed weapon called “ sangbartolome.” Bonifacio and his men were in
Balintawak on August 19. They left Balintawak for Kangkong on August 21, and on the
afternoon of August 22 they proceeded to Pugad Lawin. The next day, August 23, in the yard of
Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, better known as “Tandang Sora,” the Katipuneros listened
to the rousing speech of Bonifacio, tore their cedulas, and vowed to fight.
Teodoro Agoncillo convinced the National Historical Commission to move the traditional Aug.
26 date to Aug. 23 and transfer the historical site from Balintawak to Pugad Lawin. If
Agoncillo’s personality wasn’t enough for the Commission, he cited as his principal source Dr.
Pio Valenzuela, a close associate of Bonifacio.
I wonder if other members of the commission bothered to remind Agoncillo that Valenzuela may
have been in Bonifacio’s inner circle, but may be unreliable as a primary source. In Wenceslao
Emilio’s fivevolume compilation of historical documents, Archivo del Bibliofilo Filipino,
Valenzuela’s signed testimony before Spanish interrogators dated September 1896 stated that the
Cry of Balintawak was held in Balintawak on Aug. 26, 1896. Years later, in his memoirs
published in English after World War II, Valenzuela stated that the Cry was actually held in
Pugad Lawin on Aug. 23, 1896. Agoncillo explained that the September 1896 account was
extracted from Valenzuela under duress and couldn’t be trusted.
Balintawak was the place determined by tradition and many eyewitness accounts, including
Guillermo Masangkay who, in an interview in the Sunday Tribune in 1932, declared the place as
Balintawak and the date Aug. 26, 1896. Spanish Lt. Olegario Diaz in 1896 pinpointed the place
as Balintawak but placed the date on Aug. 24, 1896.
Depending on your source, the dates and places do not seem to match.
In 1928 Gregoria de Jesus Nakpil, widow of Andres Bonifacio, wrote a short autobiography,
entitled “Mga tala ng aking buhay,” where she stated, among other things, that the Cry of
Balintawak took place on Aug. 25, 1896 in Pasong Tamo! This place isn’t in Makati but in
Caloocan. How more authoritative can you get than the Supremo’s widow? Oryang was revered
as the muse, the Lakambini of the Katipunan.
To complicate things further, another Bonifacio associate, the composer of the Katipunan, Julio
Nakpil, second husband of Gregoria de Jesus, deposited his handwritten notes on the Philippine
Revolution in the National Library under Teodoro M. Kalaw in 1925. Here he wrote, “swearing
before God and before history that everything in these notes is the truth”: “The revolution started
in Balintawak in the last days of August 1896.” On another page he wrote, “Bonifacio uttered the
first cry of war against tyranny on Aug. 24, 1896.” Finally, he remembered that “the first cry of
Balintawak was in Aug. 26, 1896 in the place called Kangkong, adjacent to Pasong Tamo, within
the jurisdiction of Balintawak, Caloocan, then within the province of Manila.”
Now, which of these three declarations do we choose? Last but not least, we have Santiago
Alvarez whose memoirs identify the place as Bahay Toro and the date as Aug. 25, 1896. There
are more conflicting sources available, so to keep the peace, and until more conclusive evidence
can be presented, let’s just stick to Pugad Lawin and Aug. 23, 1896.

The "Cry" of Pugadlawin

The news of the discovery of the Katipunan spread throughout Manila and the suburbs. Bonifacio, informed of the
discovery, secretly instructed his runners to summon all the leaders of the society to a general assembly to be held
on August 24. They were to meet at Balintawak to discuss the steps to be taken to meet the crisis. That same night of
August 19, Bonifacio, accompanied by his brother Procopio, Emilio Jacinto, Teodoro Plata, and Aguedo del Rosario,
slipped through the cordon of Spanish sentries and reached Balintawak before midnight. Pio Valenzuela followed
them the next day. On the 21st, Bonifacio changed the Katipunan code because the Spanish authorities had already
deciphered it. In the afternoon of the same day, the rebels, numbering about 500, left Balintawak for Kangkong,
where Apolonio Samson, a Katipunero, gave them food and shelter. In the afternoon of August 22, they proceeded to
Pugadlawin. The following day, in the yard of Juan A. Ramos, the son of Melchora Aquino who was later called the
"Mother of the Katipunan", Bonifacio asked his men whether they were prepared to fight to the bitter end. Despite the
objection of his brother-in-law, Teodoro Plata, all assembled agreed to fight to the last. "That being the case,
" Bonifacio said, "bring out your cedulas and tear them to pieces to symbolize our determination to take up
arms!" The men obediently tore up their cedulas, shouting "Long live the Philippines!" This event marked the so-
called "Cry of Balintawak," which actually happened in Pugadlawin.

The Cry of Balintawak

First Skirmishes
In the midst of this dramatic scene, some Katipuneros who had just arrived from Manila and Kalookan shouted
"Dong Andres! The civil guards are almost behind us, and will reconnoiter the mountains." Bonifacio at once
ordered his men to get ready for the expected attack of the Spaniards. Since they had inferior arms the rebels
decided, instead, to retreat. Under cover of darkness, the rebels marched towards Pasong Tamo, and the next
day, August 24, they arrived at the yard of Melchora Aquino, known as Tandang Sora. It was decided that all the
rebels in the surrounding towns be notified of the general attack on Manila on the night of August 29, 1896.

At ten in the morning of August 25, some women came rushing in and notified Bonifacio that the civil guards and
some infantrymen were coming. Soon after, a burst of fire came from the approaching Spaniards. The rebels
deployed and prepared for the enemy. In the skirmish that followed, the rebels lost two men and the enemy one.
Because of their inferior weapons, which consisted mostly of bolos and a few guns, the rebels decided to retreat.
On the other hand, the Spaniards, finding themselves greatly outnumbered, also decided to retreat. So both
camps retreated and thus prevented a bloody encounter. This was the first skirmish fought in the struggle for
national emancipation.

On August 26, Spanish reinforcements were dispatched to Pasong Tamo to drive away the rebels. But the latter,
who were going to or were already in Balara, could not be found. The Spaniards, frustrated in their attempt to
contact the Filipino contingent, shot, instead, two innocent farmers who were leisurely going on their way home.
Returning to Manila, the Spanish soldiers boasted that a great fight has taken place at Pasong Tamo, and that
they had driven the rebels to the interior. This was the origin of the so-called "Cry of Balintawak", which neither
happened on August 26 nor in Balintawak.

Meanwhile, the rebels, skirting the mountain trails day and night, finally arrived in Mariquina. Later in the day,
however, they abandoned it and proceeded to Hagdang Bato on August 27. The following day, Bonifacio issued
a manifesto inciting the people to take up the Filipino cause and to get set for a concerted attack on the
Spaniards on August 29.

Bonifacio's Manifesto of August 28

This manifesto is for all of you. It is absolutely necessary for us to stop at the
earliest possible time the nameless oppressions being perpetrated on the sons of
the people who are now suffering the brutal punishment and tortures in jails, and
because of this please let all the brethren know that on Saturday, the revolution
shall commence according to our agreement. For this purpose, it is necessary for
all town to rise simultaneously and attack Manila at the same time. Anybody who
obstructs this sacred ideal of the people will be considered a traitor and an
enemy, except if he is ill or is not physically fit, in which case he shall be tried
according to the regulation we have put in force.