Rise of the Propaganda Movement
After 1872, Philippine conditions went from
bad to worse. The deportation of Filipino leaders to Spanish penal colonies,
the persecution of the intellectuals, and the abuses of the Spanish masters
continued unabated.
Reforms Desired by the Propaganda
Movement
The
Propaganda Movement was not a revolutionary or seditious affair. The men who
led it were loyal to Spain; they asked merely for reforms, not independence.
The reforms which they asked were are follows;
1. Equality
of Filipinos and Spaniards before the laws.
2. Assimilation
of the Philippines as a regular province of Spain.
3. Restoration
of Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes.
4. Filipinization
of the Philippine parishes and expulsion of the friars.
5. Human
rights for Filipinos, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and
freedom to meet and petition for redress of grievances.
The Propagandists
The
propagandists were the scions of good families, highly intelligent, educated,
patriot, and courageous, who symbolized the flower of Filipino manhood. Of
these propagandist, journalist, beloved by the masses for his eloquent Tagalog
and fearless defense of the poor against friar abuses.
Greatest
orator of the Propaganda Movement; Mariano Ponce, medical student and
biographical writer; Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, masters of the
brush; Dr. Pedro A. Paterno lawyer and man-of-letters; Antonio Luna, pharmacist
and essayist; Pedro Serrano Laktaw, teacher-tutor of Prince Alfonso de Bourbon
(later King Alfonso XIII of Spain); Jose Ma. Panganiban, linguist and essayist;
Fernando Canon, engineer and musician; Jose Alejandrino engineer and political
writer; Isabelo de los Reyes, folklorist, news-paperman, and scholar; and
Dominador Gomez, physician and orator.
Foremost
among them was Ferdinand Blumentritt, Austrian professor, scholar, and Dr.
Rizal’s best friend. He praised Rizal’s two novels (Noli and Fili) and wrote
the “Prologue” to Rizal’s annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas (Paris, 1890).
In
September 1882 he founded a civic association of Spaniards and Filipinos in
Madrid called Circulo Hispano-Filipino and published the newspaper Revista del
Circulo Hispano-Filipino. Unfortunately, both the association and newspaper did
not last long.
Other
Spanish friends of the Propaganda Movement were Miguel Morayta, statesman,
historian, journalist, and Rizal’s professor at the Central University of
Madrid; Francisco Pi y Margall, statesman and former President of the First
Spanish Republic (1873 – 1875); Emilio Junoy, journalist and member of the
Cortes; and Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla, parliamentarian and leader of the Spanish
Republican Party.
The Anti-Friar Manifesto of 1888
On
March 1, 1888, Manila was rocked by a tumultuous event. This was the anti-friar
demonstration of hundreds of Filipinos
patriots led by the Manila patriotic lawyer Doroteo Cortes, with the
secret assistance of M. H. del Pilar and Jose A. Ramos, a London-educated rich
merchant and leading Masonic leader.
La Solidaridad, Organ of the
Propaganda Movement
Graciano
Lopez Jaena founded a fortnightly newspaper, La Solidadridad, in Barcelona on
February 15, 1889. In its issue on this date, Jaena boldly stated in his
editorial that the aims of La Solidaridad, were as follows: (1) to portray
vividly the deplorable conditions of the Philippines, (2) to work peacefully for
political and social reforms, (3) to combat the evil forces of medievalism and
reaction(4) to advocate liberal ideas and progress, and (5) to champion the
legitimate aspirations of the Filipino people for democracy and happiness.
Literature of the Propaganda
Movement
It
gave birth to the first Filipino novel, Ninay, which was written by Dr. Pedro
a. Paterno, doctor of laws and man-of-letters, and published at Madrid in 1885.
He also wrote a volume of melodious poems Sampaguitas (Madrid, 1880) and a historical
book, La Antigua Civilization Tagalog (Madrid, 1887).
Masonry and the Propaganda
Movement.
The
first Filipino Masonic lodge called Revolution was founded by Lopez Jaena in
Barcelona and was recognized on April, 1889 by the Grande Oriental Español headed
by Don Miguel Morayta. Unfortunately, the first Filipino Masonic lodge did not
last long. It died out after Lopez Jaena resigned as Worshipful Master on
November 29, 1889.
The
following month, M.H. del Pilar, with the help of Julio Llorante, organize
Lodge Solidaridad in Madrid. It was recognized in May 1890 by the Grande
Oriente Español. Its first Worshipful Master was Llorente.
Towards
the end of 1891, M.H. del Pilar, with the consent of the Grande Oriente
Español, sent Serrano Laktaw to the Philippines to establish the First Filipino
Masonic lodge in Manila. In compliance with this mission, Serrano Laktaw
founded in manila on January 6, 1892, Lodge Nidad, the first Filipino Masonic
lodge in the Philippines.
Asociacion Hispano-Filipina
The
Filipino propagandist and their Spanish friends organized the Asociacion
Hispano-Filipina (Hispano-Philippine Association) in Madrid in January 12,
1889, for the purpose of securing reforms for the Philippines. The president
was Don Miguel Morayta, Spanish professor at the University of Madrid. The
vice-president was General Felipe de la Corte, who had resided in the
Philippines. Dominador Gomez was the secretary.
Liga Filipina
He
called it the Liga Filipina (Philippine League). He wrote its constitution with
the help of Jose Ma. Basa, an exile of 1872. After finishing the constitution,
he returned to Manila.
The aims of the League were the
following
1. Union
of the Archipelago into a compact, vigorous, and homogeneous body
2. Mutual
protection in all cases of pressing necessity.
3. Defense
against all violence and injustice.
4. Encouragement
of education, agriculture and commerce.
5. Study
and application of reforms..
The
motto of the Liga Filipna was Unus Instra Omnium (One Like All)
End of the Progpaganda Movement
The
Liga Filipina collapsed. The radical Andres Bonifacio and other radical members
separated from it, for they were disenchanted by the peaceful campaign. The
conservative Liga members, including Domingo Franco, Numeriano Andriano,
Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Timoteo Paez, and Aplinario Mabini, organized
themselves into a new group called Los Compromisarios because each member
pledged or promised to contribute money for the financial aid of the Propaganda
Movement in Spain.
Katipunan Government
It
had two consitutions, the first one promulgated in 1892 and the second
(replacing the first one Supreme Council (Kataastaasang Sanggunian) with a
president, a fiscal, was a Provincial Council (Sangguniang Bayan), and in each
town, a Popular Council (Sanguniang Balangay).
The
first president of the Katipunan was Deodato Arellano. He was the
brother-in-law of Marcelo H. del Pilar and a friend of Bonifacio.
The
judicial power of the Katipunan resided in a secret chamber called Judicial
Council (Sangguniang Hukuman)
Katipunan Membership
The
triangle system proved to be clumsy and complicated, so that it was abolished
after December, 1892, and new converts were initiated into the secret society
by the use of secret rites borrowed from Masonry.
A
member of the first grade called a katipun (associate). At the Katipunan
meetings, he wore a black mask with a triangle formed by white ribbons and
letters. He carried side arms, revolver or bolo. His password was Anak ng Bayan
(Son of the People). A member of the second grade, called kawal (soldier), wore
a green mask and a sash of the same color. Suspended from his neck was a green
mask and a sash of the same color. Suspended from his neck was a green ribbon
with a medal on which was inscribed the Malayan letter K. his password was
Gom-Bur-Za, the first syllables of Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. The third grade
called bayani (patriot) wore at the meeting a red mask and sash, bot bordered
with green. His password was Rizal.
The Women in the Katipunan
At
first the Katipunan was purely an association for men. Because the women were
becoming suspicious of the nocturnal absence of their husbands and the
reduction of their earnings, the door of the Katipunan was opened to them,
thereby bringing them into the confidence of their menfolk.
Gregorio
de Jesus, Bonifacio’s wife, who was called the Lakambini of K.K.K; Beneita
Rodriguez, who made the Katipunan flag and was the wife of Katipunero Restituto
Javier; Simeona de Remigio, wife of Katipunero Toams Remigio; Josefa and
Trinidad Rizal, sisters of Dr. Rizal; Delfina Herbosa and Angelica Lopez, Dr.
Rizal’s nieces; and Marta Saldana.
Literature of the Katipunan
The
three writers of the Katipunan were Bonifacio, Jacinto, and Dr. Pio Valenzuela.
Bonifacio, self-made writer in Tagalog, wrote Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan (Love
of Father land), a mediocre poem of patriotic sentiment. This prose writings
were Katungkulan Gagawin ng mga Z. Ll. B. (Duties of the Sons of the People), a
Decalogue of the Katipunan, and Ang mabatid ng mga Tagalog (What the Tagalogs
Should know), a politico-historical essay.
Emilio Jacinto
He
became the adviser of Bonifacio and peneed most of the Katipunan documents,
hence he became known as the “Brains of the Katipunan”. He wrote the kartilla
or the teaching of the Katipunan. Another of his prose work was Liwanag at
Dilim (Light and Darkness), a series of articles of human rights, liberty,
equality, labor and love of country. before his death in 1897, he wrote a poem
in Spanish, A la Patria, which echoed the same sentiments of Rizal’s last
farewell.
Dr.
Valenzuela helped Bonifacioa and Jacinto in editing the Kalayaan (Liberty). He
also wrote katwiran? (Is It Right?), an essay addressed to the motherland. He
also collaborated with Bonifacio in the article Sa Mga Kababayan (To My
Countrymen).
“Kalayaan”, Organ of the Katipunan
In
1894 the Katipunan bought an old handpress with the money generously donated by
two patriotic Filipino from Visayas – Francisco del Castillo and Candido
Iban-who had worked for some years in Australia and won a lottery prize in the
country. The types used in printing were purchased from Isabelo de los Reyes,
and many were stolen from the press of the Diario de Manila (Manila Daily) by
Filipino employees who were members of the Katipunan.
First Cry of Philippine
Independence.
During
the Holy Week in 1895, Bonifacio and a party of katipuneros reconnoitered the
mountains of Montalban in search of a good hideout where they could hold their
secret meetings.
On
April 10, 1895, Bonifacio and his companions entered the Cave of Bernardo
Carpio (also known locally aa Pamitinan Cave). After the session, Aurelio
Tolentino (Pangangeuño writer in Tagalog and Pangangueño literature) picked up
a piece of charcoal and wrote on the cave wall in Spanish: “Viva la
Independencia Filipina!” This was the first Cry of Philippine Independence in
Philippine history.
Dr. Rizal and the Katipunan
In
June, 1896, Dr. Pio Valenzuela acting as Bonifacio’s emissary, sailed for
Dapitan to solicit Rizal’s support for the coming revolution.
The Katipunan and Japan
The
interpreter was Moritori Tagawa, who married a Filipino woman of Bocaue,
Bulacan. He was a friend of Valenzuela
The
Katipunan was finally discovered by the Spanish authorities on August 19, 1896.
At 6:15 p.m. of that day. Teodoro Patiro, a member of the Katipunan and an
employee of the Diario de Manila, upon the advice of the mother portress of
Mandaluyong Orphanage and of his sister, Honoria Patiño, went to the convent of
Tondo and revealed the secrets of the Katipunan of Father Mariano Gil,
Augustinian parish curate.