Reading the

“Proclamation of the
Philippine
Independence”
Prepared by: Lovely C.
Conge
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this lesson

students should be able to:

 To familiarize oneself with the primary documents in

different historical periods of the Philippines.
 To learn history through primary sources.

 To properly interpret primary sources through examining

the content and context of the document.
 To understand the context behind each selected
document.
Introductio
n
Every year, the country
commemorates the anniversary of
the Philippine independence
proclaimed on 12 June 1898, in the
province of Cavite. Indeed, such
event is a significant turning point in
the history of the country because it
signaled the end of the 333 years of
Spanish colonization.
Philippine
The declaration was a sho
Independence
2,000-word document, whic
summarized the reaso
behind the revolution agains
Spain, the war fo
independence, and th
future of the new republ
under Emilio Aguinaldo.
The proclamation commenced
with a characterization of the
conditions in the Philippines
during the Spanish colonial
period. The document
specifically mentioned abuses
and inequalities in the colony.
The declaration says:
“...taking into consideration, that their inhabitants being already weary of
bearing the ominous yoke of Spanish domination, on account of the
arbitrary arrests and harsh treatment practiced by the Civil Guard to the
extent of causing death with the connivance and even with the express
orders of their commanders, who sometimes went to the extreme of
ordering the shooting of prisoners under the pretext that they were
attempting to escape, in violation of the provisions of the Regulations of
their Corps, which abuses were unpunished and on account of the unjust
deportations, especially those decreed by General Blanco, of eminent
personages and of high social position, at the instigation of the
Archbishop and friars interested in keeping them out of the way for their
own selfish and avaricious purpose, deportations which are quickly
brought about by a method of procedure more execrable than that of the
Inquisition and which every civilized nation rejects on account of a
 Philippine
 It demonstrates the justifications behind
the revolution against Spain.
Independence
 The abuse by the Civil Guards and the
unlawful shooting of prisoners whom they
alleged as attempting to escape.
 It condemns the unequal protection of the
law between the Filipino people and the
“eminent personages”.
 The avarice and greed of the clergy like
the friars and the Archbishop himself.
 It also condemns what they saw as the
unjust deportation and rendering of other
decision without proper hearing, expected
of any civilized nation.
From here, the proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview of the

Spanish occupation since Magellan’s arrival in Visayas until the Philippine

Revolution, with specific details about the latter, especially after the Pact of Biak-na-

Bato had collapsed. The document narrates the spread of the movement “like an

electric spark” through different towns and provinces like Bataan, Pampanga.

Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, and the quick decline of Spanish forces in

the same provinces. The revolt also reached Visayas; thus, the independence of the

country was ensured. The document also mention, Rival's execution, calling it

unjust. The execution, as written in the document, was done to “please the greedy

body of friars in their insatiable desire to seek revenge upon and exterminate all

those who are opposed to their Machiavellian purposes, which tramples upon the

penal code prescribed for these islands," The document also narrates the Cavite

Mutiny of January 1872 that caused the infamous execution of the martyred native

priests Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora, “whose innocent blood

was shed through the intrigues of those so-called religious orders" that incited the

three secular priests in the said mutiny.

The proclamation of
independence also invokes that
the established republic would
be led under the dictatorship of
Emilio Aguinaldo. The first
mention was at the very
beginning of the proclamation.
It stated:
“In the town of Cavite Viejo, in this province of Cavite, on
the twelfth day of June eighteen hundred and ninety-eight,
before me, Don Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Auditor of
War and Special Commissioner appointed to proclaim and
solemnize this act by the Dictatorial Government of these
Philippine Islands, for the purposes and by virtue of the
circular addressed by the Eminent Dictator of the same
Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy.”
 The same was repeated toward the last part of the proclamation.
It states:

“We acknowledge, approve and confirm together with the orders

that have been issued therefrom, the Dictatorship established by
Don Emilio Aguinaldo, whom we honor as the Supreme Chief of this
Nation, which this day commences to have a life of its own, in the
belief that he is the instrument selected by God, in spite of his
humble origin, to effect the redemption of this unfortunate people,
as foretold by Doctor Jose Rizal in the magnificent verses which he
composed when he was preparing to be shot, liberating them from
the yoke of Spanish domination in punishment of the impunity with
which their Government allowed the commission of abuses by its
subordinates.”
 Another detail in the
proclamation that is worth
looking at is its explanation on
the Philippine flag that was
first waved on the same day.
The document explained:
“And finally, it was unanimously resolved that this Nation, independent from this day, must
use the same flag used heretofore, whose design and colors and described in the
accompanying drawing, with design representing in natural colors the three arms referred
to. The white triangle represents^ the distinctive emblem of the famous Katipunan Society,
which by means of its compact of blood urged on the masses of the people to insurrection;
the three stars represent the three principal Islands of this Archipelago, Luzon, Mindanao
and Panay, in which this insurrectionary movement broke out; the sun represents the
gigantic strides that have been made by the sons of this land on the road of progress and
civilization, its eight rays symbolizing the eight provinces of Manila, Cavite, Bulacan,
Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna and Batangas, which were declared in a state of
war almost as soon as the first insurrectionary movement was initiated; and the colors
blue, red and white, commemorate those of the flag of the United States of North America,
in manifestation of our profound gratitude towards that Great Nation for the disinterested
protection she is extending to us and will continue to extend to us.”
 This often overlooked detail reveals much about
the historically accurate meaning behind the most
widely known national symbol in the Philippines. It is
not known by many for example, that the white
triangle was derived from the symbol of the
Katipunan. The red and blue colors of the flag are
often associated with courage and peace,
respectively. Our basic education omits the fact that
those colors were taken from the flag of the United
States. While it can always be argued that symbolic
meaning can always change and be reinterpreted,
the original symbolic meaning of something
presents us several historical truths that can explain
the subsequent events, which unfolded after the
declaration of independence on the 12th day of
June 1898.
Analysis of
the
“Proclamatio
n of the
 As mentioned earlier, a re-examination of the document on the
declaration of independence can reveal some often overlooked historical
truths about this important event in Philippine history. Aside from this, the
document reflects the general revolutionary sentiment of that period. For
example, the abuses specifically mentioned in the proclamation like friar
abuse, racial discrimination, and inequality before the law reflect the most
compelling sentiments represented by the revolutionary leadership. However,
no mention was made about the more serious problem that affected the
masses more profoundly (i.e., the land and agrarian crisis felt by the
numerous Filipino peasants in the nineteenth century). This is ironic
especially when renowned Philippine Revolution historian, Teodoro Agoncillo,
stated that the Philippine Revolution was an agrarian revolution. The
common revolutionary soldiers fought in the revolution for the hope of owning
the lands that they were tilling once the friar estates in different provinces like
Batangas and Laguna dissolve, if and when the revolution succeeded. Such
aspects and realities of the revolutionary struggle were either unfamiliar to
the middle class revolutionary leaders like Emilio Aguinaldo, Ambrosio
Rianzares-Bautista, and Felipe Buencamino, or were intentionally left out
because they were landholders themselves.
 The Treaty
of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was an agreement signed between Spain
and the United States of America regarding the ownership of
the Philippine Islands and other Spanish colonies in South
America. The agreement ended the short-lived Spanish-
American War. The Treaty was signed on 10 December 1898,
six months after the revolutionary government declared the
Philippine Independence. The Philippines was sold to the
United States at $20 million and effectively undermined the
sovereignty of the Filipinos after their revolutionary victory. The
Americans occupied the Philippines immediately which
resulted in the Philippine-American War that lasted until the
earliest years of the twentieth century.
 The proclamation also gives us the impression on how the victorious
revolutionary government of Aguinaldo historicized the struggle for
independence. There were mentions of past events that were seen as important
turning points of the movement against Spain. The execution of the GOMBURZA
for example, and the failed Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was narrated in detail. This
shows that they saw this event as a significant awakening of the Filipinos in the
real conditions of the nation under Spain. Jose Rizal’s legacy and martyrdom was
also mentioned in the document. However, the Katipunan as the pioneer of the
revolutionary movement was only mentioned once toward the end of the
document. There was no mention of the Katipunan’s foundation. Bonifacio and
his co-founders were also left out. It can be argued, thus, that the way of
historical narration found in the document also reflects the politics of the victors.
The enmity between Aguinaldo’s Magdalo and Bonifacio’s Magdiwang in the
Katipunan is no secret in the pages of our history. On the contrary, the war led by
Aguinaldo’s men with the forces of the United States were discussed in detail.
 The point is, even official records and
documents like the proclamation of independence, while
truthful most of the time, still exude the politics and biases
of whoever is in power. This manifests in the selectiveness
of information that can be found in these records. It is the
task of the historian, thus, to analyze the content of these
documents in relation to the dominant politics and the
contexts of people and institutions surrounding it. This tells
us a lesson on taking primary sources like official
government records within the circumstance of this
production. Studying one historical subject, thus, entails
looking at multiple primary sources and pieces of historical
evidences in order to have a more nuanced and contextual
analysis of our past.
Than
k
you!
Prepared by: Lovely C.
Conge