TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

MODULE 5

CONTENT & CONTEXTUAL

ANALYSIS of “Kartilya ng
Katipunan” by Emilio
Jacinto

RATIONALE:
Module 5 furthers the understanding of students through content and contextual analysis as a tool
in evaluating selected primary sources in Philippine history. It aims to develop student’s skills in
analyzing and interpreting primary sources.

Particularly, in this module, Emilio Jacinto’s “Kartilya ng Katipunan” will be examined through
content and contextual analysis as he wrote teachings and principles of Katipunan members. It is
expected that student will acknowledge these teachings and be able to live up to them as good
citizens of our nation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Analyze the context, content and perspective of different kinds of primary sources
2. Determine the contribution of different kinds of primary sources in understanding Philippine
history.
3. Develop critical and analytical skills with exposure to primary sources.
4. Appreciate the teachings of the Kartilya and be able to live up to these principles as good
citizens of our nation.

ATTENTION!!!
Before you go to the next page, PLEASE ANSWER
MODULE PRE-TEST 5
GOOD LUCK!!! 😊

MODULE 5
NAME: ________________________________________ DATE: ___________
SECTION: _____________________________________ SCORE: __________

PRE- TEST 5

Encircle the letter of the correct/best answer.

1. The group that aimed to achieve independence through violent means.
A.Katipunan
B. Katipon
C. La Liga
D. Katapangan
2. What is the complete meaning of KKK
A. Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangan Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bansa
B. Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangan Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
C. Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangan Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayani
D. Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangan Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bato
3. The system used by the Katipunan to recruit new members.
A. Flag system
B. Square System
C. Tribute System
D. Triangular System
4. Who is the first supremo of the Katipunan?
A. Deodato Arellano
B. Andres Bonifacio
C. Ladislao Diwa
D. Emilio Aguinaldo
5. What is the code of Katipon?
A. Anak ng Bansa
B. Anak ni Rizal
C. Anak ng Bayan
D. Anak ni Bonifacio
6. What is the code of Kawal?
A. Gomburza
B. Anak ng Bayan
C. Rizal
D. Gomez
7.What is the code of Bayani?
A. Anak ng Bayan
B. Gomburza
C. Gomez
D. Rizal
8. What is the code of law that was created by Emilio Jacinto?
A. Code of Act
B. Kartilya
C. Dekalogo
D. Kalayaan
9. What is the official newspaper of Katipunan?
A. Kartilya
B. Dekalogo
C. Kalayaan
D. Katungkulan
10. Who is Emilio Jacinto?
A. The Supremo of Katipunan
B. The Editor of Katipunan
C. The Treasurer of Katipunan
D. The Brains of Katipunan
The KKK or Katipunan
The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) or Katipunan
is arguably the most important organization formed in the Philippine history. The two principal
aims of the KKK as gathered from the writings of Bonifacio:
1. Unity of the Filipino people
2. Separation from Spain through revolution

Bonifacio came out after the failure of the reform movement headed by Rizal and M. Del Pilar.
This paved way for a more radical and more active lines. He formed the Katipunan, a secret
society which was founded at Tondo Manila, in a house on Azcarraga Street then numbered 314,
on July 7, 1892, the same date on which Rizal was decreed to be banished to Dapitan.
Rizal doubtless approved the first aim but refused to accept the second and this was the reason
that he refused to go along with the “Katipuneros” (soldiers’ of the Katipunan) and voluntarily
surrendered that leads him to prison and death. To achieve unity of the Filipinos, propaganda
work must be done and this was through massive education and civic trainings of the Katipuneros.
To that end, Bonifacio prepared his now well-known decalogue, and Jacinto his famous “Kartilya
ng Katipunan” (Primer of the Katipunan)
These are the rules in Kartilya. The Kartilya can be treated as the Katipunan’s Code of conduct
which contains 14 rules that instruct the way a Katipunero should behave.
 Kartilya ng Katipunan
Emilio Jacinto

Mga Aral nang Katipunan ng mga The Katipunan Code of Conduct

A.N.B.
1. A life that is not consecrated to a
1. Ang kabuhayang hindi ginugugol sa lofty and reasonable purpose is a
isang ma6amingt banal na kadahilanan ay tree without a shade, if not a
kahoy na walang lilim, kundi damong poisonous weed.
makamandag
2. To do good for personal gain
2. Ang gawang magaling na nagbubuhat and not for its own sake is not
sa pagpipita sa sarili, at hindi sa talagang virtue.
nasang gumawa ng kagalingan, ay di
kabaitan. 3. It is rational to be charitable and
love one's fellow creature, and to
3. Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ang adjust one's’ conduct, acts and
pagkakawang gawa, ang pagibig sa kapua words to what is in itself
at ang isukat ang bawat kilos, gawa’t reasonable.
pangungusap sa talagang Katuiran.
4. Whether our skin be black or
4. Maitim man at maputi ang kulay ng white, we are all born equal:
balat, lahat ng tao’y magkakapantay; superiority in knowledge, wealth
mangyayaring ang isa’y higtan sa dunong, and beauty are to be understood,
sa yaman, sa ganda…; ngunit di but not superiority by nature.
mahihigtan sa pagkatao.
5. The honorable man prefers
5. Ang may mataas na kalooban inuuna honor to personal gain; the
ang puri sa pagpipita sa sarili; ang may scoundrel, gain to honor.
hamak na kalooban inuuna ang pagpipita
sa sarili sa puri. 6. To the honorable man, his word
is sacred.
6. Sa taong may hiya, salita’y panunumpa.
7. Do not waste thy time: wealth
7. Huag mong sasayangin ang panahun; can be recovered but not time lost.
ang yamang na6aming magyayaring
magbalik; ng6amin panahong nagdaan 8. Defend the oppressed and fight
na’y di na muli pang magdadaan. Value of the oppressor before the law or in
time the field.

8. Ipagtanggol mo ang inaapi, at 9. The prudent man is sparing in

kabakahin ang umaapi. words and faithful in keeping
secrets.
9. Ang taong matalino’y ang may pagiingat
sa bawat sasabihin, at matutong ipaglihim 10. On the thorny path of life, man
ang dapat ipaglihim. is the guide of woman and the
children, and if the guide leads to
10. Sa daang matinik ng kabuhayan, lalaki the precipice, those whom he
ay siyang patnugot ng asawa’t mga anak; guides will also go there.
kung ang umaakay ay tungo sa sama, ang
patutunguhan ng iaakay ay kasamaan 11. Thou must not look upon
din. woman as a mere plaything, but as
a faithful companion who will share
11. Ang babai ay huag mong tignang isang with thee the penalties of life; her
bagay na libangan lamang, kundi isang (physical) weakness will increase
katuang at ka7aming7a mga kahirapan thy interest in her and she will
nitong kabuhayan; gamitan mo ng buong remind thee of the mother who
pagpipitagan ang kaniyang kahinaan, at bore thee and reared thee.
alalahanin ang inang pinagbuhata’t nagiwi
sa iyong kasangulan. 12. What thou dost not desire done
unto thy wife, children, brothers
12. Ang di mo ibig na gawin sa asawa mo, and sisters, that do not unto the
anak at kapatid, ay huag mong gagawin sa wife, children, brothers and sisters
asawa, anak, at kapatid ng iba. of thy neighbor.

13. Ang kamahalan ng tao’y wala sa 13. Man is not worth more because
pagkahari, wala sa7aming7a7g ilong at he is a king, because his nose is
puti ng mukha, wala sa pagkaparing aquiline, and his color white, not
kahalili ng Dios wala sa mataas na because he is a *priest, a servant
kalagayan sa balat ng lupa; wagas at of God, nor because of the high
tunay na mahal na tao, kahit laking gubat prerogative that he enjoys upon
at walang nababatid kundi ang sariling earth, but he is worth most who is a
wika, yaong may magandang asal, may man of proven and real value, who
isang pangungusap, may dangal at puri; does good, keeps his words, is
yaong di napaaapi’t di nakikiapi; yaong worthy and honest; he who does
marunong magdamdam at marunong not oppress nor consent to being
lumingap sa bayang tinubuan. oppressed, he who loves and
cherishes his fatherland, though he
14. Paglaganap ng mga aral na ito at be born in the wilderness and know
maningning na sumikat ang araw ng no tongue but his own.
mahal na Kalayaan di7amina kaabaabang
Sangkalupuan, at sabugan ng 14. When these rules of conduct
matamis niyang liwanag ang shall be known to all, the longed-for
nangagkaisang magkalahi’t magkakapatid sun of Liberty shall rise brilliant
ng ligaya ng walang katapusan, ang mga over this most unhappy portion of
ginugol na buhay, pagud, at mga tiniis na the globe and its rays shall diffuse
kahirapa’y labis nang natumbasan. Kung everlasting joy among the
lahat ng ito’y mataruk na ng nagiibig confederated brethren of the same
pumasuk at inaakala niyang matutupad rays, the lives of those who have
ang mga tutungkulin, maitatala ang gone before, the fatigues and the
kaniyang ninanasa sa kasunod nito. well-paid sufferings will remain. If
he who desires to enter (the
Katipunan) has informed himself of
all this and believes he will be able
 to perform what will be his duties,
he may fill out the application for
admission.
[translation by Gregorio Nieva,
1918]

An Excerpt from the Second Paragraph of the Kartilya which states that “The object pursued by
this association is great and precious: to unite in ideas and purposes all filipinos by means of a
strong oath and from union derive force with which to tear the veil that obscures intelligence and
thus find the true path of reason and light”.
The strong oath was documented and signed with the signed with the blood of the “Katipuneros”
(blood (blood compact). They swore at the Katipunan creed; Katipunan creed; to defend the
oppressed, fight the fight the oppressor even to the extent of supreme self- supreme self- sacrifice.
One of the most important Katipunan documents was the Kartilya ng Katipunan. The original title
of the document was “Manga (sic) Aral Nang (sic) Katipunan ng mga A.N.B.” Or “Lesson of the
Organization of the Sons of Country”.
__________________________________________
Emilio Jacinto (attrib.), Katipunan nang manga A. N. B. – Sa may nasang makisanib sa
katipunang ito [The “Kartilya”]

Sources: Adrian E. Cristobal, The Tragedy of the Revolution (Makati City: Studio 5 Publishing
Inc., 1997) 46; José P. Santos, Buhay at mga sinulat ni Emilio Jacinto (Manila: José Paez
Santos, 1935), 59–63.

Taught in schools and debated in universities, the “Kartilya” is the best known of all
Katipunan texts. Making manifest the KKK’s principles and teachings, it was printed as a small
pamphlet for new members. It is the only document of any length set in print by the Katipunan
prior to August 1896 that is known to be still extant.

The earliest reference to the Kartilya yet found is in the minutes of a Supreme Assembly meeting
held in December 1895, which say the manifesto (“pahayag”) will be priced at 4 kualta per
copy. Whether it is the KKK branches or the individual recruits who are to be charged this amount
is not clear, and nor is it known whether the title phrase - “To those who want to join this Katipunan”
- truly means potential recruits, or in practice should be taken to mean “To those who have just
joined this Katipunan.” If copies were sold to potential as well as actual recruits, needless to say,
there was a heightened risk they might fall into the wrong hands.
The Kartilya was still in use during the first phase of the revolution, and Bonifacio was planning to
print more copies shortly before he was killed. It may still have been used during the second
phase of the revolution, for a version survives in the Philippine Insurgent Records that is stamped
with the seal used by Artemio Ricarte in 1899. This version contains basically the same text as
is transcribed here, but it bears a different title – “Final Declaration on Admission to the Katipunan”
(Katapusang pamamahayag sa pagpasok sa K.) – and it omits the famous footnote that says “the
word Tagalog means all those born in this Archipelago.”
 Authorship of the Kartilya has always been credited to Emilio Jacinto, and there is little
doubt this attribution is sound: it dates back to the Sensacional memoria of Isabelo de los Reyes,
whose sources included several senior KKK veterans, and it has never been
challenged. Bonifacio, the story goes, had originally intended that his “Decalogue” should be
printed and handed to new recruits, but he then read Jacinto’s Kartilya and decided it was
superior. The two texts, though, are not really comparable. Bonifacio seeks only to enumerate
the duties of Katipunan members, Jacinto couches his primer, four times as long, rather as a
statement of aspirations and ethical values. Bonifacio lists ten obligations; Jacinto presents
twelve “guiding principles” and fourteen “teachings”.

In its structure the Kartilya resembles the declaration used in Manila’s Masonic lodges, a
declaration that had presumably been written in Spain around 1889 when the grand order to which
the lodges were affiliated – the Gran Oriente Español - had been founded by Miguel
Morayta. The Kartilya is addressed “To those who want to join the Katipunan”; the Masonic
document to “los profanos que deben inscribirse en la Sociedad.” The preamble to the Kartilya
echoes the Masonic document’s stated purpose, which is to ensure that candidates fully
understand the association’s objectives before making a commitment they might later repent. The
division in the Kartilya between principles (“layon”) and teachings (“aral”) broadly parallels the
division in the Gran Oriente’s manifesto between the “Programa Masonica” and the “Codigo
Masonico.” And the Kartilya, finally, like the document used in the lodges, asks neophytes to
pledge their allegiance to the association’s objectives and to affirm with their signature that they
are becoming members of their own free will (“ninais ng loob ko”).

There are also parallels between the content of the two documents. Recruits to the lodges were
advised that Masonry “considera como hermanos todos los hombres”; that they should renounce
“todos los vicios”; and should “defenderás al oprimido.” Within the Katipunan, said the Kartilya,
“all are equal and true brethren.” Members had to “renounce disorderly habits” and to “defend
the oppressed.”

Other influences may be identified more tentatively. The admonitions to regard a woman
as a “helpmate” rather than a “plaything,” and to “have due regard to her weakness” may be
Biblical in origin. The adage that “an honorable man’s word is his bond” may be traced back to
Cervantes; and the thought that “time lost is lost forever” may have come from Benjamin
Franklin. One precept is perhaps taken from Rizal. A “life which is not dedicated to a great idea
is useless,” declares Rizal’s fictional insurrectionist Simoun in El Filibusterismo: “It is a pebble lost
in the field, when it should form part of some building.” “Life which is not consecrated to a lofty
and sacred cause,”Jacinto writes, varying the metaphor, “is like a tree without shade, if not a
poisonous weed.”

To emphasize Enlightenment influences on Katipunan thinking, some say, effaces the

originality of documents like the Kartilya, which may be found in the nuances of their Tagalog and
their resonance with the native psyche, familial bonds, folk Christianity, indigenous dissident
traditions and so on. Such arguments may be true up to a point, but often they seem nebulous,
reliant more on wishful assertion than on substantiating chapter and verse. The Tagalog words
that resound loudest in the Kartilya, beyond doubt, are the equivalents of the Enlightenment’s
defining watchwords: Liberty (“Kalayaan”), Equality (“lahat ng tao’y magkakapantay”), Fraternity
(“kayong lahat ay magkakapatid”), Reason (“Katuiran”), Progress (“Kagalingan”) and
Enlightenment itself (“Kaliwanagan”). Most, perhaps all, of these Tagalog equivalents had
already been employed by ilustrado writers like Rizal and Del Pilar before the KKK was
founded. The revolutionary originality of the Katipunan lay not in its idiom, but in its objectives
and its deeds.

ATTENTION!!!
Before you go to the next page, PLEASE ANSWER ACTIVITY 5
GOOD LUCK!!! 😊

REFERENCES:

ONLINE VIDEO LINKS:

GMA News, Anak ng Bayan: The Katipunan Primer (Full Episode) accessed
at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22tnExMVgVY

NHCP, Maypagasa: Ang Bantayog ni Andres Bonifacio accessed at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwWbYirxHb4

Xiao Chua, Ang Kartilya ng Katipunan, gabay sa kalayaan at kaginhawaan

ng bayan accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFgiTJZd57I

Xiao Chua, “XIAO TIME: Ang papel ng Babaylan sa kasaysayang Pilipino

accessed” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYot08uamo

1. Candelaria, John Lee, Readings in Philippine History, (pp. 22- 26)

2. Cristobal, Adrian E. The Tragedy of the Revolution. Quezon City, University of the Philippines
Press, 2008. (p.46)

3. Santos José P., Buhay at mga sinulat ni Emilio Jacinto), Manila: Impr. Manila, 1935. (pp. 59–
63)

4. Katipunan Documents and Studies accessed at http://www.kasaysayan-kkk.info/