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"Cry of Balintawak or Pugadlawin"

The "cry" may be understood as decision to revolt, the tearing of community tax certificates or
cedulas, or the encounter with Spanish forces. The Philippine Revolution against over 300 years of
Spanish rule began with Andrés Bonifacio, leader of the Katipunan, a secret revolutionary society that
sought independence for the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule.

In August 1896, in the sitio of Pugad Lawin in Balintawak, now part of Quezon City, the
Katipuneros led by Andrés Bonifacio rose up in revolt by tearing up their “cedulas” which became a
sign of enslavement of the Filipinos. This event called the “Cry of Pugad Lawin,” officially regarded as
the start of the Philippine Revolution against Spain with the use of violence and arms.

Definition of the Cry

• The word “cry” comes from the Spanish el grito de rebelion (cry of rebellion) or el grito for short.
Thus the Grito de Balintawak is similar to the Grito de Dolores of Mexico (1810). But the “el grito
de rebelion” strictly refers to a decision or call to revolt. It doesn’t necessarily mean shouting, unlike
the Filipino term Sigaw or Sigao.
• Originally the term “cry” referred to the first clash between the members of Katipunan and the Civil
Guards (Guardia Civil).
• The cry could also refer to the tearing up of cedulas (community tax certificates) in resistance to
Spanish government.
• The cry can also be referred to in the inscriptions of “Viva la Independencia Filipina” which was
literally accompanied by patriotic shouts.

Different places and dates

• Olegario Diaz, who was an officer of the Spanish Guardia civil stated that the Cry happened in
Balintawak on August 25, 1896.
• Teodoro Kalaw in his 1925 book The Filipino Revolution, wrote that the took place during the last
week of August 1896 at Kangkong, Balintawak.
• Gregorio Zaide stated in his books in 1954 that the "Cry" happened in Balintawak on August 26,
1896
• Accounts by 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.
• Historian Teodoro Kalaw wrote in his 1925 book entitled The Filipino Revolution that the Cry took
place during the final week of August 1896 at Kangkong, Balintawak.
• Santiago Alvarez, a Katipunero and son of Mariano Alvarez who was the leader of the Magdiwang
faction in Cavite, stated in 1927 that the cry happened at Bahay Toro, now in Quezon City on
August 24, 1896.
• Pío Valenzuela, Andrés Bonifacio’s close associate, declared in 1948 that the event took place on
August 23, 1896, in Pugad Lawin.
• Several accounts provide differing dates and places for the Cry of Pugad Lawin.
• Some of the apparent confusion about the place where it happened is in part due to the double
meanings of the words “Balintawak” and “Caloocan” at the turn of the century.
• However, from 1908 until 1963, this event was officially recognized as having happened on August
26 in Balintawak. Ultimately, the Philippine government declared in 1963 a change from August 26
to August 23 in Pugad Lawin, Quezon City.

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:

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 wife of Andres Bonifacio. Unlike the author of the first version
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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:

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

According to her version of the First "Cry," it occurred near Caloocan on August 25, 1896, as follows: 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 witched 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.

Guillermo Masangkay's account

The first cry happened in balintawak on August 26, 1896 masangkay account is used by the government
and civil officials to fix the date and place the first cry, in the first decade of American rules, capped the
erection of the monument to the heroes of 1896. Newspapers are published bagong buhay on august
26,1957, Masangkay changed his narrative stating that the revolution began on august 23, 1896, similar to
Dr. Pio Valenzuela. Masangkay date was change again when his granddaughter soledad Buehler-
borroomeo, cited the sources included Masakany's papers that the original date was August 26.

Below his Account

On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio Samson, then 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 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 were all opposed to starting the revolution too early... Andres
Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose 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... I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be a sign that all of us have declared
our severance from the Spaniards.
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EVENTS PRIOR TO THE CRY OF PUGAD LAWIN

• Several events occurred to strengthen the unity of the Filipino people and brought a “thirst” for
independence.
• These include the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, Martyrdom of the GOMBURZA, propaganda movements,
and different peaceful campaigns for reforms, Dr. Rizal’s exile in Dapitan, and the foundation and
the discovery of the KKK or Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
(“Supreme and Venerable Association of the Children of the Nation”).

THE KATIPUNAN

• The Katipunan was an offshoot from the La Liga Filipina, a movement that sought to bring about
political reform in the Spanish colonial government led by José Rizal (Philippines’ national hero).
• Rizal had been exiled right after his organization was formed with their first meeting.
• After several years had passed with essentially no changes in the constitution, Bonifacio and others
lost all hope for some peaceful reform being brought about by La Liga Filipina.
• Spearheaded by Andres Bonifacio, they abandoned the organization and concentrated their efforts
on the Katipunan to bring about a revolution with the use of violence and arms.
• Founded by Bonifacio, Ladislaw Diwa, Deodato Arellano, and others on July 7, 1892, the secret
organization consisted of both male and female patrons, including Bonifacio’s wife, who led the
female faction.
• With aiming the organization’s goal of independence from Spain, the Katipunan led by Andres
Bonifacio started the revolution preceded by the Cry of Pugad Lawin.
• August 19, 1896, the paraphernalia used in printing Katipunan documents and other items was
found revealing the existence of the Katipunan.
• Consequently, a series of arrests of Katipuneros in Manila followed, and many Filipinos were jailed
or imprisoned.
• As many as five hundred arrests were performed and many escaped the city for fear of been
captured, tortured, or killed.

TEARING OF CEDULA

• Not all statements describe the tearing of cédulas in the last days of August but the version of
Agoncillo, which was based on the later statements of Pío Valenzuela including the others who
insisted that the cry happened in Pugad Lawin instead of Balintawak, was the source of the current
stance of the Philippine government official commemorations.
• Bonifacio and many others had escaped to Pugad Lawin.
• During their meeting at the house of Juan Ramos on August 23, 1896, Bonifacio urged his
supporters to tear into pieces their cédulas (residence certificates) as a sign of revolt against the
Spanish government.
• Being highly motivated by the killings and arrest of their fellow members in Manila, they tore up
their cedulas and let out the cry “Long live the Philippines,” which is known as the Cry of Pugad
Lawin in Philippine history.
• He released a manifesto on the 28th for all their supporters in the surrounding towns to take up
arms on the impending strike on Manila which would happen on August 29th.
• The revolt eventually increased in strength and spread to eight provinces –Manila, Bulacan, Cavite,
Pampanga, Tarlac, Laguna, Batangas, and Nueva Ecija — which were subsequently represented
by the eight rays of the sun in the present Filipino flag.

DEATH AND LEGACY

• The Cry of the Rebellion in Pugad Lawin marked the beginning of the Philippine Revolution in 1896
which ultimately led to Philippine Independence in 1898.
• After Bonifacio’s death on May 10, 1897, in Maragondon, Cavite, General Emilio Aguinaldo
continued the revolution.
• He declared the independence of the country from Spain on June 12, 1898, at Kawit, Cavite.
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The Cry of Pugadlawin as we know today

Since 1963, via the virtue of Proclamation No. 149, s. 1963, President Diosdado Macapagal
declared every 23rd of August a special public holiday in Quezon City. Another Proclamation by then
President Ferdinand Marcos in 1971 included the City of Caloocan in the celebration. Hence, citizens of
the mentioned cities and other Katipunan-minded citizens remember this momentous event as the Cry of
Pugadlawin.

Prepared by: Ryan A. Jancinal, LPT, PhD