The Cry of Balintawak

Or
Pugad Lawin

MEMBERS:
Jhey Vy D. Celebrar
 Introduction
The Philippine Revolution against over three centuries of Spanish domination began with Andrés Bonifacio,

leader of the Katipunan, a liberalist movement that sought independence for the Philippines from Spanish

colonial rule. July 7, 1892, the Kataastaasan kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga anak ng bayan (KKK) was

founded in the house of Deodato Arellano. The Membership was though blood compact symbolizing the

foundation of the secret society, which aimed the separation of the Philippines from Spain and the

expulsion of the Spaniards in the country. The first supremo of the katipunan was Deodato Arellano,

followed by Roman Basa and finally, Andres Bonifacio. Millions of Filipinos had lost their lives fighting for

independence. The Spanish is too proud to surrender to what they call idiots and stupid Filipinos.

Millions of Filipinos had lost their lives fighting for independence. The Spanish is too proud to surrender to

what they call idiots and stupid Filipinos.

Evidence of the controvercy

Positive Stand
Negative Stand
Final Stand

The start of the revolution against Spain has been officially commemorated in recent years as
“The Cry of Pugad Lawin.” The supposed site of “Pugad Lawin” is situated in Brgy. Bahay
Toro, Quezon City, and is memorialized with a tableau of life-sized, oddly rigid Katipuneros
tearing their cedulas.

The inscription on the marker at the site says that “In the
vicinity of this place, Andres Bonifacio and about one
thousand Katipuneros met on the morning of August 23,
1896 and decided to launch the revolution against the
Spanish government in the Philippines. They affirmed
their decision by tearing their cedulas, symbols of the
enslavement of the Filipinos. This was the first cry of the
oppressed people against the Spanish nation, and was
given force by means of arms.” In 1896, according to the
National Historical Commission (NHCP), the house and
yard of Juan Ramos had stood on this site.

Historians agree the precise date and location are not vitally important. They concur, a few
mavericks excepted, that the “Cry” took place between August 23 and 26, 1896 in what was
then the municipality of Caloocan. The doubt about the exact site could be put aside, as
Ambeth Ocampo has suggested, simply by calling the occasion the “Cry of Caloocan”. But
this fudge would not end the controversy. Official history demands precise dates to
commemorate and exact places to mark, and historians feel uneasy that decades of debate
have not produced any clear answers. Pinpointing the “Cry” is a challenge they have failed to
meet. Nicolas Zafra voiced such a view back in 1960. The detail of the “Cry” might seem
insignificant in relation to the broader sweep of events, he acknowledged, and indeed it
might seem “pointless and unprofitable” to pursue the matter, but the historical profession
had a duty to ensure the facts of public history were as accurate as humanly
possible. Settling the problem, he said, would redound to the “credit, honor and glory of
historical scholarship in our country.”

The First Cry of Balintawak – The first cry of revolution

On August 20, at the last series of meetings held in Kangkong, a barrio in Caloocan, Bonifacio
and his followers plan and agreed to attack Manila on August 29, 1896. That decision marked the
triumph of the radicals under the leadership of Bonifacio and Jacinto. Resolved not to return
home, the Katipuneros, as proof of their determination to break off their allegiance to Spain, tore
up their “cedulas” (certificate of residence), shouting “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!” (Long live the
Philippine Republic)

That was the start of the Philippine revolution which took place in many parts of the land. Many
Katipuneros had died in the battle for the sake of freedom and liberty. Bonifacio has fought for
this purpose until the last breath of his life.

300 years of Bondage. Millions of Filipinos had lost their lives fighting for independence.

The Spanish is too proud to surrender to what they call idiots and stupid Filipinos. They rather
surrender to Americans. And so it was done.

The history tells us who the real heroes are. ..who fought to liberate this land. It was clearly
written but Bonifacio, was denied the title of a National Hero. My daughter asked me that same
question. I said, maybe because Bonifacio is a radical person and must not be idolized by future
generation. They want us to be meek and just pray and ask for God’s mercy. Not fight and bear
the unbearable… and whoever raised his voice against the government must be silenced…
legally…brutally.
The Cry of Balintawak still echoes in the wind. For every life that is wasted, for every leader
who dies because of a word called “principle”. I wonder if independence was really achieved
because until this day, the Spanish styles of killings and tortures is still existing. Activists are
killed. Organizations are busted. Workers are displaced. Unions are abolished.

The journey to freedom is long and hard. The price of bravery and principle is high.

The day of real freedom and independence still remains a dream…

d that "real men cry." Surely, scores of Katipunan (KKK) members who gathered one fateful day
have the same idea. Since 1963, when President Diosdado Macapagal issued Proclamation
Number 149, it has been widely accepted that August 23, 1896 is the date when the "Cry of
Pugad Lawin" took place, a momentous event in Filipino history which is known for being the
launching point of the Philippine Revolution. It may be comparable to Mexico's Cry of Dolores
(September 16, 1810) and to Cuba's Cry of Yara (October 10, 1868). However, to this day,
controversy and confusion has haunted the Cry of Pugad Lawin. There is even the notion that it
did not happen at all! Is it possible that Filipinos have been remembering an event coming from
the figment of imagination? This view has been forwarded as early as 1970 by historian Pedro
Gagelonia.

Not long after the Philippine Revolution, the cry has been commemorated in Balintawak on
August 26, the supposed date of the cry that was agreed upon at the time. This is shortly before a
skirmish took place between Katipuneros and the Spanish guardia civil (Civil Guard), also dated
to be on August 26, 1896 or later. The cry primarily involved the tearing of cedulas (tax
certificates), and it is supposed to be symbolic of tearing away from the yoke of Spain.
Examining Katipunan documents, taxes is one of the paramount issues leading to the Revolution.
Still, what led to the confusion and the controversy? Is it possible today to resolve it, and how?
 Pio Valenzuela
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Pugad Lawin Paradox
Imagine some event, maybe an outing or a party, that you and your friends went together in.
Then, somehow, someway, the years pass by. Now, you disagree on the details of the event,
perhaps even a few doubting it happened at all. Of course, this is putting the paradox in simple
terms, but the situation is not as easy as it may look.

Dr. Pio Valenzuela is one of the surviving witnesses of the Cry of Pugad Lawin, and this is
confirmed by the list drawn up by Guillermo Masangkay (who himself was present). If we are to
believe Masangkay, Dr. Valenzuela would be the only doctor participating in the cry. However,
it seems that his statements are not consistent. His first statement mentions a "Katipunan
meeting" happening between August 23 and 25 at Balintawak. His second statement, made some
15 years later, mentions the cry to happen at the house of Apolonio Samson in Kangkong, south
of Balintawak, on August 23. His third statement, made another six years later, tells of the cry
occurring at the house of Melchora Aquino (also known as Tandang Sora) at Pacpac-Lawin
(Pugad Lawin) near Pasong Tamo, also on August 23. Pugad Lawin is further north of
Balintawak. His fourth statement, made before Masangkay and other surviving Katipunan
members recalled the event, tells a meeting at Kangkong on August 22, but the cry occurred at
the house of Juan Ramos (Melchora Aquino's son) at Pugad Lawin near Bahay Toro the day
after, which is August 23. While Valenzuela seems to be firm on the date, August 23, he is
apparently uncertain on where the cry actually occurred. As it is, Valenzuela is not known for
having impeccable memory. This is demonstrated with his recollections of his meeting with
Rizal at Dapitan, months before the launch of the Revolution. His confusing statements threw
doubt to the cry itself. Did it really happen or not?
 Pugad Lawin marker
Photo courtesy of Quezon City LGU
Bahay Toro, not Balintawak
In 1933 and 1935, Valenzuela was supported by fellow revolutionaries Cipriano Pacheco and
Briccio Pantas in declaring that the cry occurred at the placed called "Pugad Lawin", not in
Balintawak. They also confirm Valenzuela's statement that there was a meeting before the cry at
Kangkong. Meanwhile, in 1940, the site of "Pugad Lawin" was identified as Sitio Gulod in
Barrio Banlat, which is also believed to be the site of Melchora Aquino's house. Did Valenzuela
believe that Juan Ramos and Melchora Aquino live in the same home? In 1964, the so-called
"Minutes of the Katipunan" as released by the National Historical Institute (NHI) also refers to
the cry happening on August 23. However, later research observes that the Minutes are "fake."
This is a claim supported by the remaining veterans of the Revolution at the time of release. At
any rate, the Minutes did not help. Sure, there must be a place called "Pugad Lawin," but to
where it is located exactly is another question. Of course, after the formation of Quezon City in
1939, a large chunk of the Balintawak area was claimed. To this day, there are two Balintawaks,
a fraction in Quezon City, and another fraction in Caloocan City. It would be the city's pride to
have their place be the location of the famous cry.

The date also became a subject of debate when Masangkay gives two possible dates of the cry,
August 24 and 26. This, and Julio Nakpil's mention of a primer grito (first cry) in 1925, seems to
forward a new possibility: There might have been two Cries of Pugad Lawin. Another veteran,
Santiago Alvarez, mentioned in his memoirs a cry at Bahay Toro, a place between Pasong Tamo
and Kangkong, on August 24. Of course, to be fair, neither Nakpil (the husband of Gregoria de
Jesus) nor Santiago Alvarez were included in Masangkay's list. However, they seem to support
Masangkay's claim of a cry on August 24 and 26. Also, this also throws "Pugad Lawin" into
doubt, since neither Masangkay nor Francisco Carreon (Macario Sakay's right hand man)
remembers Pugad Lawin, but seems to recall Bahay Toro. For an event attended by more or less
1,000 members (Pacheco even remembers some 2,000 members attending), is it too difficult to
correctly recall something so significant in our history? Does the confusion mean that there has
not been a cry at all? Or does this only mean that our memory has been dulled throughout the
years?

In the 1980s, the search for Pugad Lawin continued. This time, there seems to be stronger
evidence of the cry happening at Pugad Lawin near Bahay Toro than at Pugad Lawin near
Pasong Tamo. It is also concluded that it is the house of Juan Ramos in Bahay Toro, not in the
house of Melchora Aquino in Pasong Tamo, where the cry happened. This is supported by the
recollection of the descendants of Juan Ramos, who pointed out where his house is located.
Thus, from August 23, 1984 to this day, the official marker for Pugad Lawin lies in Bahay Toro,
which is now part of Quezon City. Nevertheless, even to this day, there is still the chance that the
location of Pugad Lawin may be changed later on, provided new evidence surfaces in the future.

Two Cries of Pugad Lawin?

Manila Observatory
Photo courtesy of Ateneo de Manila University
Historian Teodoro Agoncillo, whose seminal work "The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of
Bonifacio and the Katipunan" (1956) helped organize Katipunan history as we know it today,
had the privilege to interview both Masangkay and Valenzuela, among other surviving veterans
of the Revolution. Seeing the similarities and the differences between the accounts of the
Katipuneros, Agoncillo tried to find possible independent sources to validate their claims. For
one, he consulted the Manila Observatory. This is to know which days from August 22 to 28
(just before the first battle at Pinaglabanan in San Juan) may fit the weather described by the
existing accounts.

He came to the conclusion that only August 23 may be the viable date to do the cry, because the
rest of the days considered are rainy days. It will prove difficult to assemble a thousand people at
the yard of someone else's house, and then tear up cedulas into pieces. Agoncillo also notes that
August 23 is a windy day. It will be easier for them to clean up, which may explain why Manuel
Sityar, one of the guardia civil officers patrolling the area at the time, did not notice them.
Agoncillo does not seem to agree to the current site recognized as Pugad Lawin at Bahay Toro.
However, the marker he placed to denote the location of Pugad Lawin has disappeared. Despite
the reputation of Agoncillo, other historians do not seem to share his ideas all of the time. The
location of Pugad Lawin is case in point.
Nevertheless, to this day, there seemed to be supporters of the notion of "two cries." One of them
would be Soledad Borromeo-Buehler, a descendant of Masangkay, in her book "The Cry of
Balintawak: A Contrived Controversy" (1998). What supports this claim is the supposed meeting
that took place before the cry, and the supposed battle that took place after the cry. It is
forwarded that there were at least two meetings and two skirmishes prior to the Battle of
Pinaglabanan on August 30. On August 24, there must have been a meeting at Kangkong, and on
August 26, there must have been a meeting at Balintawak. In between, there is August 23, and
August 25. There are two opportunities wherein the Katipunan may have gathered their forces.
Consequently, there are two opportunities for the Katipunan to encounter Spanish forces,
something that may be derived from the account of Manuel Ros, another guardia civil officer
assigned to the area. This does seem to coincide with Masangkay's claim of two cries on August
24 and 26. At any rate, she concludes that the "Cry of Pugad Lawin" as we know today is a
"hoax."

There also seems consensus among other Katipunan members who were absent from the cry that
there must have been a momentous event on August 24. For instance, the Biak-na-Bato
Constitution acknowledges that the Revolution began on August 24, and it was a document
ratified by at least one of the Katipuneros who attended the cry, Cipriano Pacheco. The date was
also agreed upon by Emilio Aguinaldo, who supposedly received the news about the decision to
start the Revolution. Of course, just like Valenzuela, Aguinaldo may not be the most reliable
source to consider. Historians Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion, and Ramon Villegas
also agree to August 24, even though they claim only a singular "Cry of Balintawak" which
happened at the house of Melchora Aquino at Sitio Gulod in Barrio Banlat. It is now part of
Quezon City.

Statues portraying the Cry of Pugad Lawin

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
However, the question of where the cry happened will float again. Did the two cries happen at
Pugad Lawin? Or is Pugad Lawin some code name for a set location to congregate? If it
happened in different places, does that explain why there are two Pugad Lawins as well, one near
Pasong Tamo and one near Bahay Toro? Or perhaps, as old maps confirm, Pugad Lawin is not a
real place at all? in this case, it might be better to revert to "Cry of Balintawak." Where there two
cedulas to tear with in the first place, or there were two groups of people who chose to tear their
cedulas? Speaking of groups of people, it is interesting to see who attended the said event, at
least according to Masangkay's list: