At the end of the lesson, the learners are able to:

• Discuss the movement for the secularization of the parishes and the Cavite Mutiny in 1872

• Explain the contributions of the Propaganda Movement in igniting the sense of nationalism of the Filipinos (examples: La Liga Filipina, Asociacion Hispano-Filipino)

• Discuss the establishment and expansion of Katipunan

The Issue of Secularization

During the Spanish colonization period in the country, there were two classifications of priests in the Church:  regular and secular. The regular priests were those who belonged to the congregations of the Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, and Augustinians. On the other hand, secular priests did not belong to any religious order. They were the ones assigned to run the parishes under the supervision of the bishop according to the Council of Trent.  However, there was a scarcity of priests to be assigned in the parishes. So later on, the regular priests were allowed to handle parishes based on the order of King Philip II to Pope Pius V. The Holy Father expressed it in Exponi Nobis, stating that the regular priest could become parish priest and they would still be under their

congregation or order and not under the bishop. The bishop insisted that it is his right and responsibility to manage those assigned in the parishes. This resulted in some conflict among the regular priests who were given parish assignments. They did not agree to what the bishop wanted to happen. The regular priests did not like to have two

superiors, and so they threatened to resign from parish assignments, causing a delay in the spread of Christianity.

Archbishop Basilio Santa Justa used the Royal Decree of November 9, 1774, in ordaining the Filipino secular priests and installing them in the parishes. Since there were only a few of them, even those who have little preparations were given a parish. On the other hand, the regular priests protested the move of Archbishop Justa. According to them, Filipino priests must not be given parish assignments because of their skin color and lack of

education. They also believed that Filipinos have inadequate skills in serving God.

In 1776, a Royal Decree that gave way for the return of regular priests to the parishes was issued. It was also stipulated in the decree that only the bishop or the superior of the congregation had the right to visit the parishes. Included in the decree was the schedule of training for Filipino priests so that secularization could be materialized, which did not happen because many secular priests resigned and left the parishes due to the Royal Decree.

Monsignor Pedro Pelaez, the Ecclesial Governor of the Church fought for the rights of the Filipino priests. He died during an earthquake in 1863—the same earthquake that destroyed the Manila Cathedral. After Monsignor Pelaez’s death, Father Jose Burgos continued the fight for secularization.

The Cavite Mutiny

The mutiny in Cavite took place on January 20, 1872, when the workers from the arsenal protested the payment of taxes as commanded by Governor-General Izquierdo. The leader of this mutiny was Sergeant Fernando La Madrid. Sergeant La Madrid heard a shot outside and thought that the shot was the signal to attack, so he shot one of

the Spanish guards at the Cavite arsenal. It turned out to be just a firecracker since it was the feast day of Our Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc, Manila. Immediately after the shooting incident, Izquierdo sent his soldiers to stop the uprising. Sergeant La Madrid was

killed, including some of the workers. The priests who were implicated in the uprising were exiled to the Mariana Islands, including Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jose Burgos, and Fr. Jacinto Zamora.

The Execution of the Three Priests

The Cavite Mutiny resulted in the persecution and execution of the three secular priests called “GomBurZa” or Padre Gomez, Padre Burgos, and Padre Zamora. They were implicated in the Cavite Mutiny as the masterminds, so they were charged with treason and sedition in a ruling by a Spanish military tribunal. The ruling was believed to be

a conspiracy to stop the growing number of Filipino secular priests which threatened the Spanish clergy.

The three priests were publicly executed by garrote in Bagumbayan on February 17, 1872, together with Francisco Zaldua, a Filipino soldier who stood as a witness against GomBurZa during the trial. The Archbishop of Manila refused to defrock them as requested by the Spanish officials. He even directed the parishes to toll the bells

during execution. Many believed that this was the beginning of Philippine nationalism. Dr. Jose P. Rizal dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to Padre Gomez, Padre Burgos, and Padre Zamora.

The Thirteen Martyrs

When the Spaniards learned of the plan that Filipinos will uprise against them, they immediately arrested the leaders of the rebel groups and even the ordinary citizens. Some were tortured, and some were incarcerated. Thirteen of those that were arrested were sentenced to death by firing squad. On September 12, 1896, the Spanish officials

ordered the hasty execution of the thirteen Caviteños.

A monument and marker was installed in Trece Martires, Cavite in honor of the thirteen martyrs for igniting the sense of nationalism among Filipinos. The following are the 13 martyrs of Cavite and their ages during the time of their death:

1. Luis Aguado – 33 – supply chief of the Spanish arsenal

2. Eugenio Cabezas – 41 – goldsmith and Katipunero

3. Feliciano Cabuco – 31 – hospital worker

4. Agapito Conchu – 33 – school teacher; lithographer

5. Maximo Inocencio – 64 – builder and contractor

6. Maximo Gregorio – 40 – former member of colonial army; Katipunero

7. Jose Lallana – 54 – tailor; shop was used as meeting place for Katipuneros

8. Severino Lapidario – 49 – corporal

9. Victoriano Luciano – 32 – pharmacist

10. Alfonso de Ocampo – 36 – pharmacist

11. Francisco Osorio – 36 – physician

12. Hugo Perez – 40 – physician

13. Antonio de San Agustin – 33

– owned a bookstore which was used as Katipunan’s meeting place

The Propaganda Movement

The Propaganda Movement was a peaceful organization composed of Filipinos who have gone and studied in Spain to voice out their sentiments for reforms in the Philippines. Its aim was to remove the unlawful collection of taxes and forced labor, demand equal rights for both Filipinos and Spaniards, have a Filipino representative in the Spanish Cortes, make the Philippines a province of Spain, implement secularization of parishes, and call for freedom of the press of the Filipinos.

The movement which was led by Dr. Jose P. Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and Graciano Lopez-Jaena, supported the human and political rights of the Filipinos. The membership included not only the Ilustrados, but also the exiled liberal-minded Filipinos. The propagandists or reformists were also supported by a few rich and liberal-minded

Spaniards, one of which was Don Miguel Morayta. He was a teacher and a writer who wanted change in the Philippines. He founded the Hispano-Filipino Asociacion in Madrid in 1889, which aimed to institute reforms for the Philippines. Included among the propagandists were Mariano Ponce who used the code names Naning, Tikbalang, and Kalipulako; Antonio Luna as Taga-ilog; Jose Ma. Panganiban as Jomapa; Pedro A. Paterno, a writer and a lawyer, who used the pen name Justo Desiderio Magalang; Gregorio Sanciangco, an economist and a lawyer; Isabelo delos Reyes, a writer and storyteller; Antonio Ma. Regidor, a lawyer; Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, a painter;

Jose Alejandrino, a chemical engineer; Pedro Serrano Laktao, a journalist; and Dominador Gomez, a physician.

The propagandists used their written works and speeches to call the attention of the Spaniards in Spain regarding the deplorable conditions of the Philippines. To be more effective in their campaign, they established the newspaper La Solidaridad, which was founded by the first editor, Graciano Lopez-Jaena. The first issue was published on

February 15, 1889. La Solidaridad aimed to expose the friar’s greediness and cruelty. This caught the attention of some Spanish politicians. The newspaper was printed once every two weeks. The last issue existed up to November 15, 1895. The circulation of La Solidaridad was stopped by the government in Spain but a few copies reached the

Philippines. It was not a success, however, Filipinos proved that they have the abilities and intelligence, and likewise, disproved that there was no culture in the Philippines before the Spaniards came to the country. In spite of the sacrifices of the propagandists, success was not attained due to lack of unity. The reformists had different ideas on how to institute the reforms, which resulted to the division of the movement into two groups: one group headed by Rizal and the other group headed by Marcelo H. del Pilar. Because of this, Rizal decided to leave for Barcelona.

The movement was left for del Pilar to lead. Another reason why the movement failed was the lack of funds—they could not even send money to their families.

The La Liga Filipina

On the night of July 3, 1892, Dr. Jose Rizal established the La Liga Filipina at the house of Doroteo Ongjunco on Calle Ilaya, Tondo. Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, and Ladislao Diwa attended the gathering. Its aims were to unify the archipelago, to foster cooperation, and to provide assistance to all its members; protection against

violence and injustices; support for education, agriculture, and commerce; and implementation of reforms. The elected officers of La Liga Filipina were Ambrosio Salvador as president, Agustin de la Rosa as fiscal, Bonifacio Arevalo as treasurer, and Deodato Arellano as secretary. The establishment of La Liga Filipina could have been the

most important attempt to free the country as it was done in the Philippines. But after three days, July 6, 1892, Rizal was arrested and exiled to Dapitan, Zamboanga by Governor-General Eulogio Despujol. The arrest of Rizal had caused the organization to weaken and later on, it died a natural death.

The Founding of Katipunan

On July 7, 1892, news broke out about the exile of Rizal in Dapitan. Most people were surpised because for them, Jose Rizal was the symbol of independence. On that same night, Andres Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, Deodato Arellano, and a few others secretly met on Calle Azcarraga (now Claro M. Recto Avenue), near the corner of Elcano in Tondo. There, they established the association called Kataastaasang,

Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK), or simply called Katipunan.

Katipunan came from the word “gather” which means “association”or “league.” All of them belong to the lower class of the society, except for Arellano who was able to get an education. Afterwards, they did the traditional sanduguan or blood compact to demonstrate their love for their motherland and to the natural-born Filipinos.

Sanduguan is an old Filipino ritual which intends to seal a friendship or treaty, or to validate an agreement by cutting the wrists, pouring blood into a cup filled with water or wine, and drinking the mixture.

The Objectives of the Katipunan

Under the leadership of Andres Bonifacio who brought the idea of organizing the group, they laid down the three main objectives of the Katipunan: political, moral, and civic.

The civic objective was based on the principle of self-reliance and protection of the poor and the oppressed. The political objective was the separation of the Philippines from Spain and assurance of independence from colonialism, while the moral objective was focused on good manners and right conduct, respect, and cleanliness.

The members of the Katipunan or Katipuneros were encouraged to help the sick members and their families. In times of death among the members, the Katipunan paid for all the expenses, including the burial. But for economic reasons, the organization assured that the burial will be done in the simplest way to avoid over-expenditures which

was the usual practice among friars. It is clear that there was damayan among the Katipuneros. 

The Administration of the Katipunan 

The Katipunan was managed by three leader-representatives: the Supreme Council (Kataastaasang Sanggunian), the Provincial Council (Sangguniang Bayan), and the Popular Council (Sangguniang Barangay). The Supreme Council is the highest among the three. It was composed of a president or supremo, secretary, treasurer/comptroller, fiscal, and six councilors. The provincial and popular councils represent the province and municipality, respectively.

The president of the Supreme Council, including the two presidents of the remaining councils, make up the Katipunan Assembly. These three officials were representatives to the central, provincial, and municipal government.

For judicial concerns, the Judicial Council (Sangguniang Hukuman) served as the court of justice who passes judgment to any member of the Katipunan who violated the rules of the organization, and as a mediator in times of disputes between members of the Katipunan. There is also the Camara Reina or Secret Chamber headed by Andres

Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and Pio Valenzuela. They were the ones who passed judgment to members of the Katipunan who would reveal the secrets of the organization. Expulsion was the usual judgment given to those who could not keep the secret.

The Election in the Katipunan

The Katipunan used the triangle system to recruit members. However, it did not last long because this system proved to be ineffective and slow as they were only able to recruit 100 members only by the end of 1892. Instead of this system, they allowed the members to bring in as many members as possible. After a few months, membership grew and later on, they held an election since there were already enough members in the organization. The following were the elected officers of the Supreme Council:

President or Supremo Deodato Arellano

Inventor/Comptroller Andres Bonifacio

Fiscal Ladislao Diwa

Secretary Teodoro Plata

Treasurer Valentin Diaz

Andres Bonifacio remained the Supremo of the Katipunan until the revolutionary government was established in Tejeros, Cavite.

Membership Ranks

1. Katipon (Associate) is the lowest grade/rank in the Katipunan. During meetings, the member wore a black hood with a triangle of white ribbons, bearing the letters “Z. Ll. B.” which correspond to the Roman letters “A. N. B.,” meaning Anak ng Bayan or “Sons of the People.” This served as the password for the Katipon.

2. Kawal (Soldier) wore a green hood with a triangle of white lines with the letters “Z. Ll. B.” at the angles of the triangle. The kawal also wore a medal inscripted with the letter “ka” in Baybayin script above a depiction of a crossed sword and flag. This password meant “GomBurZa,” taken from the names of the three martyr priests, Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora.

3. Bayani (Hero/Patriot) wore a red mask and a sash with green borders that symbolizes bravery and hope. The front of the mask had a triangle of white lines with three letter Ks that were arranged at the corners of the triangle and with the letters “Z. Ll. B.” below. This password meant “Rizal.”

4. Diktador (Dictator or Leader)

• Leadership role: A higher executive position, though it was not a common rank. The title of Diktador was often associated with key figures who led important segments of the revolutionary efforts.

• Responsibilities: These leaders were responsible for making critical decisions, overseeing significant military and political strategies, and guiding the overall direction of the revolution. Notably, Emilio Aguinaldo, though not officially using this title in the Katipunan, assumed a similar leadership role in the revolutionary government.

5. Supremo (Supreme Leader)

• Highest rank: This was the highest position within the Katipunan. The Supremo was the supreme leader and founder of the Katipunan, responsible for guiding the entire revolution.

• Responsibilities: The Supremo oversaw all major decisions, strategies, and leadership appointments. The most famous Supremo was Andres Bonifacio, who founded the Katipunan and led it until his death. After his death, Emilio Aguinaldo took leadership of the revolutionary efforts.

The Flags of the Katipunan

The flags of Katipunan were made of rectangular red cloth. One flag had three white letter Ks as shown in picture 1. Other members used another flag with a different design as shown in picture 2, wherein the three Ks were arranged in a triangular shape. Andres Bonifacio had his own flag. It had a sun with rays, regardless of the number, placed at the center, and below it were the three Ks as seen in picture 3. The other generals of the Katipunan used other flags.

The Newspaper of the Katipunan

Kalayaan was the official newspaper of the Katipunan. Only one edition was released which was dated January 1896, but it was circulated in March 1896 due to lack of funds and the tremendous campaign of the Spaniards against their enemies.

The first edition helped a lot in strengthening the power of the Katipunan. Emilio Jacinto, the “Brains of the Katipunan,” was the editor of the Kalayaan. He was chosen because of his ability and competency in writing Tagalog language. It was Dr. Pio Valenzuela, a Katipunero, who suggested the name “Kalayaan” in recognition of the ideals of the Katipunan. To confuse the Spaniards, Marcelo del Pilar was named as editor and Yokohama, Japan as the place of publication of the newspaper. There was a wide distribution of Kalayaan in Manila and nearby provinces.

The Magdiwang and Magdalo

The Katipunan in Cavite was divided into two councils: the Magdalo headed by Don Baldomero Aguinaldo and the Magdiwang headed by Mariano Alvarez. Both groups fought the Spaniards at the same time and manner. But later on, they separated ways because of disunity. Since then, they could not win a fight against the colonizers,

especially when Governor-General Polavieja ordered the suppression of the revolts against them.

Andres Bonifacio was invited in Cavite to settle the dispute between the warring groups. Bonifacio accepted the invitation and he went there together with his wife, Gregoria de Jesus, and his two brothers, Ciriaco and Procopio. The meeting was held on December 31, 1896, and they discussed about the establishment of a revolutionary government. Bonifacio tried to reconcile the Magdalo and Magdiwang and form one force against the Spaniards.

There was a heated argument among the members so the meeting did not accomplish its objective.

Teacher made Activity