CRY OF BALINTAWAK OR PUGAD LAWIN

It is surprising that there are several tales of the dates and location of the first cry of the
revolution. This controversy has not been resolved as of yet. The so-called Cry is thought to have
occurred in Balintawak, although some argue that it actually occurred in Pugad Lawin.
Nonetheless, there are several variations to consider while determining the true date and location
of the Cry. Pio Valenzuela's contentious "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
of Balintawak" are among them.

Pio Valenzuela’s Controversial “Cry of Pugad Lawin”

(August 23, 1896)

This controversial version of the "Cry of the Pugad Lawin" has been sanctioned by none other
than Dr. Pio Valenzuela, an eyewitness to the tragedy. In his first rendition, he stated that the
Cry's main staging location was in Balintawak on August 26, 1896. He gave this account while
the events or circumstances were still fresh in his mind. On the other side, later in life and with a
fading memory, he penned his Memoirs of the Revolution without reading the recorded sources
of the Philippine revolution and stated that the "Cry" occurred on August 23, 1896 at Pugad
Lawin. 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!”

Santiago Alvarez’s The “Cry of Bahay Toro”

(August 24, 1896)
This version of "Cry" was written by Santiago Alvarez, a well-known Katipunero from Cavite
and the son of Mariano Alvarez. Santiago is related to Gregoria de Jesus, who happens to be
Andres Bonifacio's wife. Santiago Alvarez, unlike the author of the first version described
(Valenzuela), was not present at the event. As a result, this version of him is not accorded similar
weight as the other versions because the authors of the other reports are truly there at 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)

Gregoria de Jesus, the "Lakambini of the Katipunan" and Andres Bonifacio's wife, wrote this
version. She took part in this incident and became the custodian of the Katipunan's secret
documents. After the Revolution in August 1896, she stayed in Caloocan with her parents until
fleeing to Manila when she learned that Spanish officials sought to arrest her. She eventually
joined her spouse in the highlands and experienced his trials. According to her, the First "Cry"
occurred on August 25, 1896, near Caloocan.
(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)
General Guillermo Masangkay of the Katipunan wrote this version. He witnessed the historic
event and was Bonifacio's boyhood pal. According to him, the first rally of the Philippine
Revolution took place in Balintawak on August 26, 1896. Similarly, the date and location stated
were accepted by the early years of the American government. The following is a rendition of the
"Cry of Balintawak" by General Guillermo Masangkay.
(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 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 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.