The Katipunan — Revolution and Its Documents

Lesson 1: Kartilya ng Katipunan

Context: The Founding of the Katipunan

The Katipunan was founded on July 7, 1892, by Andres Bonifacio and a small group of Manilans, motivated by the failure of the peaceful Reform Movement and the disbanding of José Rizal's La Liga Filipina. In need of an organization that could pursue independence through direct action, Bonifacio built the Katipunan as a mass revolutionary society open to ordinary Filipinos regardless of class.

Emilio Jacinto: The Author

The Kartilya is almost universally attributed to Emilio Jacinto (c. 1875–1899), who served as Bonifacio's closest intellectual adviser and is often called the "Brain of the Katipunan."

Despite never completing a formal university degree, Jacinto was intellectually gifted. He rose rapidly within the Katipunan, served as intelligence director in the assault on San Juan del Monte on August 30, 1896, and also authored a collection of political and social essays titled Liwanag at Dilim (Light and Darkness). He died on April 6, 1899, at the age of approximately 24, after contracting malaria.

The Kartilya: Content and Significance

The Kartilya is a primary source containing the oaths and guiding principles that Katipunan members were required to follow. British scholar Jim Richardson (2013) notes it was sold at four kualta per copy and continued to circulate even after the revolution shifted to resisting American control.

Richardson distinguishes the Kartilya from Bonifacio's own Decalogue: Jacinto's Kartilya was more expansive, focusing on aspirations and moral values — the kind of person a Katipunero should aspire to be, rather than simply listing obligations.

Key principles stressed in the Kartilya:

• Love of country as a supreme obligation
• The dignity and equality of all human beings
• Rejection of cruelty, dishonesty, and exploitation
• Reverence for women
• Duty to aid others, especially the poor and oppressed
• Prioritizing collective welfare over personal interest

Note: The full text of the Kartilya is available in Jim Richardson's The Light of Liberty: Documents and Studies on the Katipunan, 1892–1897 (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2013, pp. 131–134).

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Lesson 2: The Declaration of Philippine Independence

Historical Background

The Philippine Declaration of Independence was proclaimed by Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12, 1898, at his ancestral house in Kawit, Cavite. This proclamation came in the context of the Spanish-American War, during which U.S. naval forces under Commodore George Dewey had destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.

The declaration document, known formally as the Acta de la Proclamación de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino, was written and publicly read by Ambrocio Rianzares Bautista before a crowd of thousands. At the same occasion:

• The Philippine flag — sewn in Hong Kong — was raised and waved publicly for the first time
• The national anthem was performed for the first time by composer Julian Felipe

Points of Historical Interest and Controversy

1. Aguinaldo's missing signature. Of the 98 signatories, Aguinaldo's signature does not appear (Ocampo, 2020). The reasons remain a subject of historical discussion.
2. American presence. Commodore Dewey was invited but did not appear. An American military officer, Colonel L.M. Johnson, was among the signatories.
3. Apolinario Mabini's opposition. Mabini considered the proclamation "reckless and premature." He believed the Philippines was not yet ready — it needed more weapons and ammunition.
4. Absence of immediate ratification. The declaration was not immediately promulgated into law or recognized internationally.

Note: The full text of the Acta de la Proclamación (English translation by Sulpicio Guevara) is available through the Official Gazette of the Philippines online.

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Lesson 3: The Malolos Constitution and the First Philippine Republic

From Revolution to Republic

The proclamation of independence set in motion a process of political organization. On September 15, 1898, the Revolutionary Congress convened at the Church of Barasoain in Malolos, Bulacan to draft the constitution. This body became known as the Malolos Congress.

After revisions and debate, Aguinaldo promulgated the Malolos Constitution on January 21, 1899.

Key features:

• It established three branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary
• It was composed of 93 articles divided into 14 titles, plus transitory provisions
• It is historically significant as the first Philippine constitution and the first republican constitution enacted in Asia

On January 23, 1899, the First Republic of the Philippines was inaugurated in Malolos, with Aguinaldo as President.

Note: The full text of the Malolos Constitution is accessible through the Official Gazette of the Philippines online.