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Cry of Balintawak or Pugad Lawin
Philippine History (Ateneo de Davao University)
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CRY OF BALINTAWAK OR PUGAD LAWIN
It is surprising that there are different versions on the dates for the first cry of the
revolution as well as the venue. This controversy up to this time remains unsolved. It is believed
that the so-called Cry took place in Balintawak; but others would say that it really happened in
Pugad Lawin. Nevertheless, there are different versions to consider in knowing the real date and
place of the Cry. These include Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”, Santiago
Alvarez’s “The Cry of Bahay Toro”, Gregoria de Jesus’ version of the “First Cry”, and
Guillermo Masangkay’s “The Cry if Balintawak”.
Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”
(August 23, 1896)
This controversial version of the “Cry of the Pugad Lawin” has been authorized by no
other than Dr. Pio Valenzuela, who happened to be the eyewitness himself of the event. In his
first version, he told that the prime staging point of the Cry was in Balintawak on Wednesday of
August 26, 1896. He held this account when the happenings or events are still vivid in his
memory. On the other hand, later in his life and with a fading memory, he wrote his Memoirs of
the Revolution without consulting the written documents of the Philippine revolution and
claimed that the “Cry” took place at Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896. Below is his account on
this topic:
(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)
“The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio,
Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there on
August 19 and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan
met on August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong. Aside from
the persons mentioned above, among those who were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro
Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged,
and no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-house, and
yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met
and carried out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1986. The discussion was on
whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started on August 29,
1986. Only one man protested and fought against a war, and that was Teodora Plata
[Bonifacio’s brother-in-law-Z]. Besides the persons named above, among those present at this
meeting were Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and
others. After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula certificates and
shouted “Long live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!”
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Santiago Alvarez’s The “Cry of Bahay Toro”
(August 24, 1896)
This version of the “Cry” was written by Santiago Alvarez, a well-known Katipunero
from Cavite and a son of Mariano Alvarez. Santiago is a relative of Gregoria de Jesus, who
happened to be the wide of Andres Bonifacio. Unlike the author of the first version mentioned
(Valenzuela), Santiago Alvarez is not an eyewitness of this event. As a result, this version of him
is not given of equal value as compared with the other versions for authors of other accounts are
actually part of the historic event. Below is his account:
(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)
Sunday, August 23, 1896
As early as 10 o’clock in the morning, at the barn of Kabesang Melchora [Melchora
Aquino-Z.], 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)
This version was written by no other than the “Lakambini of the Katipunan” and wife of
Andres Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus. She has been a participant of this event and became the
keeper of the secret documents of the Katipunan. After the Revolution in August 1896, she lived
with her parents in Caloocan then fled to Manila when she was told that Spanish authorities
wanted to arrest her. Eventually, 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.
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(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)
“The activities of the Katipunan had reached nearly all corners of the Philippine
Archipelago, so that when its existence was discovered and some of the members arrested, we
immediately returned to Caloocan. However, as we were closely watched by the agents of the
Spanish authorities, Andres Bonifacio and other Katipuneros left the town after some days. It
was then that the uprising began, with the first cry for freedom on August 25, 1896. Meanwhile, I
was with my parents. Through my friends, I learned that Spanish were coming to arrest me.
Immediately, I fled town at eleven o’ clock at night, secretly going through the rice fields to La
Lorna, with the intention of returning to Manila. I was treated like an apparition, for, sad to say,
in every house where I tried to get a little rest, I was driven away as if people therein were
frightened for their own lives. Later, I found out that the occupants of the houses which I had
visited were seized and severely punished-- and some even exiled. One of them was an uncle of
mine whom I had visited on that night to kiss his hand, and he died in exile.”
Guillermo Masangkay’s The “Cry of Balintawak”
(August 26, 1896)
This version is written by the Katipunan General Guillermo Masangkay. He is an
eyewitness of the historic event and a childhood friend of Bonifacio. According to him, the first
rally of the Philippine Revolution happened on August 26, 1896 at Balintawak. Correspondingly,
the date and site presented were accepted by the preliminary years of American government.
Below is General Guillermo Masangkay’s version of the “Cry of Balintawak”.
(Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila:
National Book Store.)
“On August 26th [1896-Z.], a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of
Apolonio Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those who attended, I
remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas,
Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon. They were all leaders
of the Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization. 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 [Bonifacio’s brother-in-law – Z.], Briccio Pantas, and
Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution too early. They reasoned that the
people would be in distress if the revolution were started without adequate preparation. Plata
was very forceful in his argument, stating that the uprising could not very well be started without
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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 in which he said: “You remember the fate of our countrymen
who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns, the Spaniards will only shoot
us. Our organization has been discovered and we are all marked men. 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 were (sic) the cedula tax charged each citizen. “If it is
true that you are ready to revolt,” Bonifacio saved, “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 as one man, 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, if not for being katipuneros, for having no cedulas. And 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. And when this was
decided, the people outside shouted: “Long Live the Philippine Republic!”
I still remember Bonifacio as he appeared that day. Although a mere bodeguero
(warehouseman) and earning ₱25 (Mex.) a month, he was a cultured man. He always wore an
open coat, with black necktie, and black hat. 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. During his spare time, he wove dozens of them
and sold them in Manila. Thus, he made extra money.
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 who were up in trees to
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watch for any possible intruders or the approach of the enemy, 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. I was with a
group stationed on the bank of a small creek, guarding the places where the Spaniards were to
pass in order to reach the meeting place of the katipuneros. Shots were then fired by the civil
guards, and that was the beginning of the fire which later became such a huge conflagration.
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