THE KARTILYA OF THE

KATIPUNAN
GROUP 5:
RELYN JOMAYDA IDOC
CARL BOCA
JOHANNES MARK ALTURAS
DOMINIC ALEGATO
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE
KATIPUNAN:

u July7, 1892- Andres Bonifacio established

the Katipunan because he saw the futility
of the efforts of the Filipino propagandist
so he build and organized an underground
movement against Spain.
u The Katas-taasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng
mga Anak ng Bayan or KKK - a revolutionary society that
espoused independence and freedom for the Philippines
through force of arms.
u Aims of the Katipunan:
• Separation of the Philippines from Spain
• To fight for Philipppine Independence
• To unite the Filipinos into one solid nation
This was done through the written works of Bonifacio and his
fellow Katipunero, Emilio Jacinto - who wrote a number of
poems and essays for the society members.
About the author:
Emilio Jacinto
q born on December 15, 1875 in the district of trozo in
Tondo, Manila.
q Son of Mariano Jacinto, a bookkeeper, and Josefa Dizon.
Living life of poverty, Jacinto still managed to get a good
education. He finished his elementary education in a private
school and took up his secondary education at the Colegio de
San Juan de Letran, later studied law at the University of
Santo Tomas where he developed a love of reading and
improved his skills in Spanish. Unfortunately, he had to stop
his studies when the Philippine Revolution began in 1896.
§ Joined the Katipunan in 1894 at the age of 18 and took
the symbolic name “Pingkian”.
Through his enthusiasm and ideas, Jacinto became a
guiding light to the members of the society. He wrote
Kartilya as well as the oath of the Katipuneros. He also
edited the katipunan newspaper, kalayaan, and was the
author of several literacy writings using the pen-name
“Dimas Ilaw” he served the Katipunan in different
capacities such as secretary, fiscal, editor, and latter was
appointed general by Bonifacio in 1897. He also served as
an adviser to the Supremo.
 After the death of Bonifacio in 1897, Jacinto continued the
fight against the Spaniards even after the truce following the Pact
of Biak-na-Bato. He was wounded in a battle against the Spaniards
in Magdalena, Laguna and was the captured. Upon investigation,
Jacinto was released after he managed to convince the Spanish
soldiers he was a spy in their service when he showed them a
military pass issued to a man he killed several months ago.
Jacinto quickly went into hiding in Manila.
There he sent a letter to Apolinario Mabini in Malolos, Bulacan
stating his plan to continue his law studies at the newly-
established Literary University of the Philippines. But this plan
was discontinued when Jcinto had to go back to Laguna to lead
his fellow patriots in the war against the new enemy, the
Americans. He established his headquarters in the town of
Majayjay Where he, unfortunately, contracted malaria. He died
on April 6, 1899.
Kartilya
u From the Spanish “cartilla”
u Document of any length printed by the Katipunan prior to
August 1896,served as the primary lessons for the members of
Katipunan.
u Present the teachings for the neophyte Katipunero and guiding
principles of the society.
u The recruitment process of the Katipunan
followed the Masonic initiation rites while its
structure was said to be based on Rizal’s aborted
reformist organization, the La Liga Filipina. The
new members of the society were indoctrinated
with the Katipunan rules and its teaching that
emphasized the value of the love of one’s country
and fellow Filipinos.
Association (membership) of the Katipunan
o True love of the native land and genuine
compassion for one another
o Shall perforce disorderly habits and shall submit
to the authority of the sacred commands of the
Katipunan (anybody who is not willing to act
should not enter, no matter how good a speaker
he might be)
o Required: one peso upon entry and then twelve
and a half centavos each month
 Teachings of the Katipunan
I. Life which I not consecrated to a
lofty and sacred cause is like a
tree without a shadow, if not a
poisonous weed.
II. A good deed that springs from a
desire for personal profit and not
from a desire to do good is not
kindness.
III. True greatness consists in being
charitable, in loving one’s fellow-
men and in adjusting every
movement, deed and word to true
reason (honesty)
IV. All men are equal, be the color of
their skin black or white. One may
be superior to another in
knowledge, wealth, and beauty,
but cannot be superior in being
(equality)
V. He who is noble prefers honor to
personal gains; he who is mean
prefers personal profit to honor
VI. To man with sense of shame, his
word is inviolate. (true to his
words)
VII. Don’t fritter away time; lost riches
may be recovered, but time lost
will never come again.
VIII. Defend the oppressed and fight
the oppressor. (doing what is right)
IX. An intelligent man is he who is
cautious in speech and knows how
to keep the secrets that must be
guarded.
X. In the thorny path of life, man is
the guide of his wife and children;
if he who guides moves toward
evil, they who are guided likewise
move toward evil.
XI. Think not of a woman as a a thing merely to while away time
with, but as a helper and partner in the hardships of life. Respect
her weakness, and remember the mother who brought you into
this world and who cared for you in your childhood.
XII. What you don’t want done to your wife, daughter, and sister, do
not do to wife, daughter, and sister of another.
XIII. The nobility of a man does not consist in being a king, nor in the
highness of the nose and the whiteness representing God, nor in
the exalted position on this earth, but pure and truly noble is he
who, though born in the woods, is possessed of an upright
character, who is true to his words;
Relevance
The current relevance of the Kartilya lies in the fact that
is established not only the rules for the members of the
organization but the principles for the citizens of a nation
once independence had been achieved. Though written in
the 19th century, the Kartilya is significant to the lives of
modern Filipinos as it reads like a simple creed for living in
the light of the many changes occurring at present.