The Frist Cry of

Revolution in
Balintawak
01 INTRODUCTION 02 COUNTER
ARGUMENTS
03 EVIDENCES 04 CONCLUSION

05 REFERENCES
Did the first “cry” of the Philippine revolution really happened in Pugad
Lawin? Filipinos are confronted with this question after the late
National Artist Nick Joaquin stated his argument in his Philippine Daily
Inquirer column “Small Beer” on the revision of Philippine history,
which includes the restoration of the traditional “Cry of Balintawak”.
The “cry” of the Filipinos was an event that officially signaled the
beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire. This
involved revolutionaries, known as the Katipuneros, who took part in a
mass shredding of cedulas (community tax certificates), expressing their
defiance to the colonizers (Valdeavilla, 2018). The date and location of
this incident are currently the subject of much controversy. For the
longest time, it has been known as the "Cry of Balintawak" and has been
commemorated every 26th of August. However, based mostly on the
reports of Dr. Pio Valenzuela, the National Historical Commission
revised the date to August 23 and the place to Pugad Lawin (Atienza &
Magkilat, 2019). Even so, there is substantial evidence from notable
historians and scholars, as well as discrepancies in Dr. Valenzuela's INTRODUCTIO
accounts, proving that the first "cry" of the revolution certainly occurred
at Balintawak.
N
 According to Arturo Valenzuela in his blog, Dr. Pio Valenzuela,
who happened to be an eyewitness to the occurrence, has been
authorized by the National Historical Commission to give reports
about the "Cry of Pugad Lawin''. Because he was a former
Katipunan official and Andres Bonifacio's associate, the
commission considered him a reputable source. His accounts
contain a description of how the Katipunan gathered and debated
their war strategy, and he explicitly stated that the "cry" occurred in
Pugad Lawin. This statement was also supported by a Filipino
historian, Teodoro Agoncillo, who also wrote in 1956 that the event
took place in Pugad Lawin (Military Wiki, n.d.). However,
according to Ocampo (2010), Pio Valenzuela may have been a
member of Bonifacio's inner group, but his testimonies were
inconsistent. Valenzuela's signed statement before Spanish
interrogators dated September 1896 indicated that the “cry”
occurred in Balintawak on August 26, 1896, according to
Wenceslao Emilio's five-volume compilation of historical materials
– Archivo del Bibliofilo Filipino. Furthermore, he gave this
narrative while the events or circumstances were still fresh in his
COUNTER mind. Valenzuela was already old and had a fading memory when
he penned his memoirs claiming that the "cry" was actually held in
ARGUMENTS Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896, making the contents
questionable.
 General Guillermo Masangkay's description of the
first cry is one significant proof that the event occurred in
Balintawak.  He  is also  an eyewitness of the historic
event and a childhood friend of Bonifacio. According to
his interview in the Sunday Tribune in 1932, the first cry
and rally of the Philippine Revolution happened on
August 26, 1896 at Balintawak. Correspondingly, the 
date  and  site  presented  were  accepted  by  the 
preliminary years of the American  government (Zaide &
Ziade, 2019). This is further supported by testimony from
Lt. Olegario Diaz, an officer of the Spanish guardia civil,
EVIDENCE who similarly identified the location as Balintawak, but
the date was August 24, 1896 (Ocampo, 2010).
S
 Soledad Borromeo-Buehler, the granddaughter of
Guillermo Masangkay was also present at the gathering of
the Katipunan at Balintawak (UP Press, n.d.). Because of
the rumors and various stories about the "Cry of Pugad
Lawin," Soledad decided to publish a book called "The
Cry of Balintawak: A Contrived Controversy," which
provides a comprehensive study of eyewitness and
contemporary sources about the cry of the Filipinos. The
book mostly argues against Pio Valenzuela's theory and
concludes that the "Cry of Pugad Lawin" is a made-up
account. She then reconstructs the events in Balintawak
from 22 to 26 August 1896, when Andres Bonifacio's
Katipuneros gathered in Pook Kangkong (part of EVIDENCE
Balintawak), and answers the questions of where and
when cedulas were torn, as well as when and where the
S
initial engagement between the Katipuneros and the
Spanish troops took place (ADMU Press, 2020).
 Filipino historians, Renato Constantino and Letizia Constantino
also argued that Pugad Lawin shall not be considered as the
place of the “cry”. In their published book in 2012, “A History of
the Philippines: From the Spanish Colonization to the Second
World War '', they notably mentioned three reasons. First, the
Balintawak people initiated the movement against the Spaniards,
which is why the title "Cry of Pugad Lawin'' is inappropriate.
Second, the place Pugad Lawin did not exist until 1935 after the
rebellion happened in 1896. And lastly, the term “Pugad Lawin''
was only created because of the hawk's nest at the top of a tall
tree in the backyard of Tandang Sora in Banlat, Gulod,
EVIDENCES Kaloocan, which is supposed to have been one of the hiding
spots of the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio. The authors also
claim that the actual location of their gathering is in Balintawak.
 CONCLUSION
Considering all the aforementioned testimonies and theories coming from
the witnesses, historians, and other scholars, the title - “Cry of Balintawak”
must be restored in Philippine history. The government and the National
Historical Commission should thoroughly investigate this case and accept
all relevant evidence in order for us to have an accurate record of this
famous historical moment. In this way, it can help the future Filipino
generations to be enlightened to the true history of the past.
REFERENCES
ADMU Press. (2020, August 10). Cry of balintawak: A contrived controversy (HB). Ateneo de Manila
University Press. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
http://www.ateneo.edu/ateneopress/product/cry-balintawak-contrived-controversy-hb.

Atienza, C. L., & Magkilat, B. C. (2019, August 20). Cry for freedom. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved October 21,
2021, from https://mb.com.ph/2019/08/21/cry-for-freedom/.

Constantino, R., & Constantino, L. R. (2012, December 7). A History of the Philippines: From the Spanish
Colonization to the Second World War. Bonifacio Papers. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
http://bonifaciopapers.blogspot.com/2012/12/constantino-renato-and-constantino_7976.html.

Military Wiki. (n.d.). Cry of pugad lawin. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Cry_of_Pugad_Lawin.

Ocampo, A. R. (2010, September 3). Balintawak or Pugad Lawin? PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper &
Magazine. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-daily-inquirer-1109/20100903/283274569062897.
UP Press. (n.d.). Scripted by men. University of the Philippines Press. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
https://press.up.edu.ph/project/scripted-by-men-not-by-fate-andres-bonifacio-in-cavite-an-analytical-narra
tive-with-commentary-on-selected-sources/
.

Valdeavilla, R. (2018, July 30). The history of the Philippine Revolution. Culture Trip. Retrieved October 21,
2021, from https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-history-of-the-philippine-revolution/.

Valenzuela, A. E. (n.d.). If not for dr. Pio Valenzuela, there would be no Katipunan uprising. City Government of
Valenzuela. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/the_city/drpio.

Zaide, G. (1990).  Documentary  Sources  of  Philippine  History.  Vol.  5.  Manila: National Book Store.
THANK
YOU