Readings in Philippine History

Case Study 4:

Where Did the Cry of Rebellion Happen?

Submitted by:

Balunan, Liv Mari

Bustrillo, Gerah Mae Paulyn
Lepiten, Chynnamae
Masong, Justin Dwight
Nailon, Rheabelle
Pelaez, Rhea Rose
Quilaton, Daryl
Senados, Joanah Marie
Ursabia, Krsytal Shane
Yuson, Lougi

l. Introduction

Momentous events swept the Spanish colonies in the late nineteenth century, including the
Philippines. Journalists of the time referred to the phrase "El Grito de Rebelion" or "Cry of
Rebellion" to mark the start of these revolutionary events, identifying the places where it
happened. In the Philippines, this happened in August 1896, northeast of Manila, where they
declared rebellion against the Spanish colonial government. These events are are important
markers in the history of colonies that struggled for their independence against their colonizers.

The controversy regarding this event stems from the identification of the date and place where
the Cry happened. Prominent Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the event when
Bonifacio tore the cedula of tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also did the same. Some
writers identified the first military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the Cry, for which,
Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an "Himno de Balintawak" to inspire the renewed struggle after
the Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed.
A monument to the Heroes of 1896 was erected in what is now the intersection of Epifanio de los
Santos (EDSA) Avenue and Andres Bonifacio Drive-North Diversion road, and from then on
until 1962, the Cry of Balintawak was celebrated every 26th of August. The site of the
monument was chosen for an unknown reason.

Different Dates and Places of the Cry

Various accounts of the Cry give different dates and places. A guardia civil, Lt. Olegario Diaz,
identified the Cry to have happened in Balintawak on 25 August 1896. Teodoro Kalaw, Filipino
historian, marks the place to be in Kangkong, Balintawak, on the last week of August 1896.
Santiago Alvarez, a Katipunero and son of Mariano Alvarez, leader of the Magdiwang faction in
Cavite, put the Cry in Bahay Toro in Quezon City on 24 August 1896. Pio Valenzuela, known
Katipunero and privy to many events concerning the Katipunan stated that the Cry happened in
Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896.
Historian Gregorio Zaide identified the Cry to have happened in Balintawak on 26 August 1896,
while Teodoro Agoncillo put it at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896, according to statements by
Pio Valenzuela. Research by historians Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion, and Ramon
Villegas claimed that the event took place in Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat,
Quezon City, on 24 August 1896.

ll. Primary Sources: Accounts of the Cry

A. Primary Source: Guillermo Masangkay
Source: Guillermo Masangkay, "Cry of Balintawak" in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide,
Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990),
307-309.
On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the hevane 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 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... I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be a sign that all of us
have declared our severance from the Spaniards."

B. Primary Source: Pio Valenzuela

Source: Pio Valenzuela, "Cry of Pugad Lawin," in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide,
Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990),
301-302.

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, exchanged, and resolution was debated or adopted. It was
at Pugad Lawin, 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, 1896. The discussion was on whether or not the revolution against the
Spanish government should be started on August 29, 1896... After the tumultuous meeting, many
of those present tore their cedula certificates and shouted “Long live the Philippines! Long live
the Philippines!”

C. Primary Source: Gregoria De Jesus

Source: The Philippine First Cry https://pdfcoffee.com/the-philippine-first-cry-pdf-free.html .

Andrea Mallari Siladan

Gregoria de Jesus, the wife of Supremo Andres Bonifacio, and the "Lakambini of the
Katipunan." She was the custodian of the secret documents, seal, and some weapons of the
katipunan, and constantly risked her life in safeguarding them.
After the outbreak of the Revolution in August, 1896, she went to live with her parents in
Caloocan, while Bonifacio and his men gathered in the hills of Balintawak for the war of
liberation. When warned that the Spanish authorities were coming to arrest her, she fled to
Manila and later joined her husband in the mountains and shared the hardships and sacrifices of a
patriot's life with him.
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.”

From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed marked disagreement among
historical witnesses as to the place and time of the occurrence of the Cry. Using primary and
secondary sources, four places have been identified: Balintawak, Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and
Bahay Toro, while the dates vary: 23, 24, 25, or 26 August 1896. Valenzuela's account should be
read with caution: He once told a Spanish investigator that the "Cry" happened in Balintawak on
Wednesday, 26 August 1896. Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs of the Revolution that it
happened at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896. Such inconsistencies in accounts should always be
seen as a red flag when dealing with primary sources. According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and
Villegas, all these places are in Balintawak, then part of Caloocan, now, in Quezon City. As for
the dates, Bonifacio and his troops may have been moving from one place to another to avoid
being located by the Spanish government, which could explain why there are several accounts of
the Cry.

lll. Analysis

The Cry of Rebellion is an important event in Philippine history, but the exact date and
location remain debatable. The three primary sources—Guillermo Masangkay, Pio Valenzuela,
and Gregoria de Jesus—offer different accounts of this event.

Guillermo Masangkay’s account places the Cry in Balintawak on August 26, 1896. He provides a
detailed narrative of a meeting led by Andres Bonifacio, where the decision to revolt was
debated. When some leaders hesitated, Bonifacio took the discussion outside, rallied the masses,
and urged them to tear their cedulas as a sign of defiance. This account emphasizes Balintawak
as a gathering place and highlights Bonifacio’s leadership.

Pio Valenzuela gives a more complex account, initially stating that the Cry happened in
Balintawak on August 26, but later claiming it occurred in Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896. He
describes several meetings, including one in Juan Ramos’ yard where cedulas were torn.
Valenzuela’s shifting narratives make his account inconsistent, but his detailed descriptions
provide insight into the growing momentum of the Katipunan.

Gregoria de Jesus, the wife of Andres Bonifacio, places the Cry near Caloocan on August 25,
1896. She recounts how the Katipuneros regrouped after their activities were discovered,
emphasizing the urgency of their actions. While her testimony adds credibility as an eyewitness,
it lacks specific details about the event itself, making it less definitive.

All three accounts agree on the importance of the symbolic tearing of cedulas and the
leadership of Bonifacio. However, the inconsistencies in dates and locations suggest that the Cry
may not have been a single event but rather a series of revolutionary activities that spread across
nearby areas like Balintawak, Pugad Lawin, and Caloocan.

lV. Conclusion
In analyzing primary sources, we compared the accounts of Guillermo Masangkay,
Pio Valenzuela, and Gregoria de Jesus to determine where the Cry of Rebellion occurred. Among
these, Guillermo Masangkay’s narrative appeared as the most detailed and credible source. His
account provides specific information about the events in Balintawak on August 26, 1896,
including the key meeting presided over by Andres Bonifacio and the symbolic tearing of
cedulas, which marked the collective defiance against Spanish rule. Masangkay's consistency
and level of detail strengthen his credibility, making his account a reliable basis for identifying
Balintawak as the place of the Cry. Pio Valenzuela’s account is inconsistent in a reason that he
mentioned two different dates and places—Balintawak on August 26 and Pugad Lawin on
August 23—which makes his narrative less reliable. Gregoria de Jesus’ account, while important,
it lacks details about the Cry itself and focuses more on the Katipuneros’ movements. In
comparison, Guillermo Masangkay’s account is clear and detailed. He firmly places the Cry in
Balintawak on August 26, describing the key events like Bonifacio’s meeting and the tearing of
cedulas. This makes his narrative the most reliable. Therefore, we conclude that the Cry of
Rebellion happened in Balintawak, an important moment in the fight for Philippine
independence.

References:
 Masangkay, Guillermo. "Cry of Balintawak." In Documentary Sources of Philippine
History, edited by Gregorio F. Zaide and Sonia M. Zaide, Volume 8, pages 307-309.
Manila: National Book Store, 1990.

 Valenzuela, Pio. "Cry of Pugad Lawin." In Documentary Sources of Philippine History,

edited by Gregorio F. Zaide and Sonia M. Zaide, Volume 8, pages 301-302. Manila:
National Book Store, 1990.

 The Philippine First Cry https://pdfcoffee.com/the-philippine-first-cry-pdf-free.html .

Andrea Mallari Siladan