Om June 5, 1898, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo requested Julian Felipe, a musician (a pianist and composer) and a native of Cavite, to compose a national march. Six days later, Felipe went back to Aguinaldo’s residence and played the first draft of the march he composed, entitled Marcha Nacional Filipina.

When Aguinaldo proclaimed the independence of the Philippines in Kawit,Cavite, on June 12,1898, the Philippine National Flag was officially hoisted for the first time. And for the first time also, the Marcha Nacional Filipina was played as the flag was being raised.

Meanwhile, a young poet, Jose Palma imbued with the revolutionary spirit of the period – wrote a poem entitled “FILIPINAS“, expressed to suit the music of Julian Felipe’s Marcha.

The following are abstracts of papers presented in the said international conference:

Dr. Jose Rizal and the Concept of the State
David S. Bell
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington, USA

Nationalistics stirrings, fanned by colonial injustices, racial degradation and discrimination, particularly in clerical appointments, flagrant agrarian exploitation by the religious orders, resulted in numerous regional uprisings against the Spanish colonial administration. The most important revolts were those in Bohol, Pangasinan, and Ilocos in the 1740s and 1760s, respectively. Subsequently, economic changes such as cash crop cultivation for exportation, the opening of Manila to foreign traders and the completion of Suez Canal fostered an indigenous agricultural elite. Contacts between the Filipino enterpreneurial elite – the illustrados and the foreign merchants – produced an awareness and acceptance of new liberal ideas and a yearning by the members of the illustrado to further their education overseas and experience the outside world. The termination of liberal policies in 1872, together with the reimposition of repressive policies under the new reactionary governor general, served as an impetus for illustrado emigration. Numerous young Filipinos left for education in Europe and among those was Jose Rizal, a scholarly, articulate moderate from a middle-class Catholic family in Calamba. Deeply distressed by rampant clerical economic oppression, religious bigotry and neglect of the Filipinos, Rizal, before he left for Spain, penned poem to his peers exhorting them to work for their motherland – the Philippines.

While in Spain, Rizal and his colleagues, the propagandists, wrote numerous articles in La Solidaridad in which they addressed the injustices of the colonial administration. The objective was to raise the national spirit and restore the dignity of their countrymen. They were not advocates of revolution; rather they sought reforms within the existing order. In his famous novel, Noli Me Tangere (1887), Rizal argues for the government to correct the abuses. In his second novel, El Filibusterismo (1891), a disillusioned and bitter Rizal has his hero advocate total freedom for the Filipinos. He recognized that the Filipinos were not ready for revolution, and upon his return to the motherland, Rizal founded the La Liga Filipina – a civic organization.

From this organization whose objective was to unite the Philippines into one, we can discern the outlines of his concept of the state. Due to his subsequent arrest and deportation to Dapitan on Mindanao, Rizal’s formulations were not realized. The moderate leadership La Liga Filipina was replaced by a militant organization, the Katipunan. The colonial administration accused him of sedition. He was tried and executed on 30 December 1896.

Dr. Jose Rizal was the inspirational fount for the revolutionary movement and his martyrdom moved his successors to focus on violence and armed revolt to achieved freedom and independence for the Philippines.

There were tides of national democratic revolution during the period from the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century in Asia. In the view of historians, it was an “awakening in Asia.” Filipinos played the part of brave pioneers in the revolution. The 1896 Philippine Revolution was the first national democratic revolution in Asia. The Malolos Constitution was the first republican constitution in Asia.

Unlike constitutional monarchies and peasant rebellions presented in other Asian countries, the 1896 Philippine Revolution was a real revolutionary movement. The theory of revolution founded by Locke, Rousseau, and other Western philosophers were accepted by Del Pilar, Rizal, and other Europeanized Filipino intellectuals. When the Enlightenment ideas imbibed by Rizal and others finally became translated into a mass movement, a climax of revolution was in the offing. Other Asian countries had never before undergone such a great revolution as the 1896 Philippine Revolution.

The Philippine Revolution exerted a tremendous influence on Asian countries. In China, Chinese revolutionists led by Sun Yat-sen saw the bright future of Asia from the Philippine Revolution. They were inspired by it and drew a lesson from it. Chinese and Philippine revolutionists supported each other. Chinese progressive public opinion set a high value on the Philippine Revolution. In Indonesia, its national independence movement at the beginning of the twentieth century was affected by the Philippine Revolution. Although some Asian countries were directly affected by it, revolutionary ideas and the democratic system presented in the Philippine Revolution had actually influenced them. The course, from colonialism to independence, from tradition to modernization in Asia, was headed by the 1896 Philippine Revolution.

Summary of Contents:

1. The Revolution in our collective memory.

2. The “Katipunan Revolution” doomed to lose in Manila. The Katipunan abolished, July 1898, and revived, November 1899, to support guerilla warfare in the Christian Filipino-American War.

3. Agrarian society, not Manila, the base of the Revolution. The Struggle becomes the Filipino Revolution.

4. The enemy military forces. Biyak na Bato: Aguinaldo assumes overall leadership of the Revolution. The Spaniards decide to seek a truce, October 1897. The Provisional Republic, November 1897. The Hong Kong Junta repudiates truce of Biyak-na-Bato, February 1898. The recovery of Luzon, June-October 1898. Independence proclaimed, June 12, 1898. The Revolution in the Visayas, April-December 1898.

5. The army of liberation of Filipinas. The Filipino besiege Manila, June- August 1898. The Spaniards surrender Manila to the Americans, August 1898. Aguinaldo announces victory in the Revolution against Spain, September 1898. The Constitution, the Filipino Republic, January 1899.

6. McKinley sets collision course with the Revolution, May 19, 1898. Filipinos encouraged by American consuls. The balance of power system invites American take-over of the Philippines. Why the Revolution could not take Manila. U.S. Army troops in Manila. Tension between Filipinos and Americans. Aguinaldo’s options. The Paris Peace Treaty negotiations.

7. McKinley Instructions, December 21, 1898, provoke conflict. Aguinaldo announces rupture with the United States, January 5, 1899. The American begins the new war, February 4, 1899. The Filipino Revolution flows into the Christian Filipino-American War, 1899-1906.

Landed Estates in the Colonial Philippines and Mexico: A Comparison
Nicholas P.Cushner
State University of New York
Buffalo, New York, USA

The institution of the large landed estate appeared throughout the Spanish Empire. The origin, development, and social effects of the estate in the Philippines and Mexico are compared. The geographic extension of effective Spanish rule, the presence of an urban population with the need for regular food supplies, the willingness to engage in large-scale farming, and a steady labor supply are points of comparison. In the Philippines, the Revolution of 1896 resulted in the large estate evolving for the most part into a system of tenant farming. In Mexico, the peasant farmer waited until 1910 for the beginning of land reform.

Principales y Conquistadores: Why It Took the Filipinos Too Long to End Spanish Domination in the Philippines
Luis C. Dery
De La Salle University
Manila, Philippines

The Spaniards, from 1571 to 1896 when the Philippine Revolution broke out, numbered only a few thousands yet they ruled the millions of Philippine inhabitants for more than three hundred years. The popular view is that this long duration of Spanish domination was due to Spanish military superiority and the invaluable role played by the friar missionaries. This paper revises this traditional view and highlights the role played by native principal families who served and sustained the Spanish colonial system in the country.

The historical importance of these native principal families is oftentimes neglected, especially in the relation to the establishment and maintenance of Spanish rule in the Philippines. Who these families were and what roles they performed in the Spanish conquest and Christianization of the Philippines and in the suppression of rebellions that challenged Spanish rule shall be the focus of this paper. In this paper, the writer also raises the question of why the Philippine Revolution happened only in 1896 whereas the South American colonies of Spain had already cast off the colonial yoke since 1820.

We have presented only 5 out of 95 abstracts.

If you want to have a copy, send an e-mail to the ncca@mail.pw.net

Source: National Commission for Culture & the Arts

http://www.philserv.com/ncca

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1. Cavite Mutiny – Filipino soldiers in the fort of San Felipe in Cavite rose in mutiny under the leadership of Sergeant La Madrid. The cause was the abolition of some privileges of the Filipinos. GOMBURZA were arrested and killed because of the suspicion that they were involved in the said mutiny.

    

2. El Filibusterismo – Rizal’s second novel, published in 1891 in Belgium, with the financial support of Valentin Ventura, who lent him the money to print the book. Rizal dedicated this book to Gomburza, the three martyr-priests. This is a political novel in which Rizal predicted the coming of the revolution.

    

3. Insulares – Spaniards born in the Philippines.

    

4. Kalayaan – Newspaper of the Katipunan, which first came out on January 18,1896, with Emilio Jacinto as editor.

    

5. Katipunan – The secret revolutionary movement founded by Andres Bonifacio on July 7,1892 in Tondo,Manila. It means KATAASTAASAN KAGALANG-GALANG NA KATIPUNAN NANG MGA ANAK NG BAYAN. It laid down three fundamental objectives: Political,Moral and Civic. The political aim consisted in working for the separation of the Philippines from Spain. The moral objective focused on the teaching of good manners, hygiene, good morals and attacking obscurantism,religious,fanatism, and weaknesses of character. The civic aim revolved around the principle of self-help and the defense of the poor and the oppressed.

    

6. La Liga Filipina – Founded by Rizal on July 3,1892, in Tondo, Manila, its aims were:
   • to unite the whole archipelago into one compact,vigorous, and homogenous body;
   • mutual protection in every want and necessity;
   • defense against all violence and injustice;
   • encouragement of instruction,agriculture, and commerce; and
   • study and application of reforms.

    

7. La Solidaridad – Organ of the Reform Movement in Spain, with Graciano Lopez-Jaena as its first editor. Its first issue came out on February 15,1889. Its aim was to gather, to collect liberal ideas which were daily exposed in the camp of politics, in the field of science, arts, letters, commerce, agriculture, and industry. Known as Sol to the propagandists, it became the mouthpiece of the Filipinos in Spain.

    

8. Magdalo – One faction of the Katipunan in Cavite, led by Baldomero Aguinaldo, with headquarters in Kawit,Cavite.

    

9. Magdiwang – The other Katipunan faction in Cavite, led by Mariano Alvarez, with headquarters in Noveleta, Cavite.

    

10. Noli Me Tangere – Rizal’s masterpiece, published in 1887. This is a sociohistorical novel based on facts that Rizal gathered while in the Philippines. It is a novel, but not fiction. The novel gained popularity immediately, but the Spanish authorities, especially the friars whom Rizal ridiculed in the novel, prohibited its reading.

     

11. Pact of Biak-na-Bato – Agreement made between the Filipinos and the Spaniards, mediated by Pedro Paterno, wherein Aguinaldo and his companions would go into voluntary exile in Hong Kong while Governor Gen. Primo de Rivera would pay cash money to the rebels.

     

12. Palabra de Honor – Word of honor, or keeping one’s promises.

     

13. Peninsulares – Spaniards born in Spain.

     

14. Spolarium – The most famous painting of Juan Luna.

     

15. The True Decalogue – A political tract written by Apolinario Mabini which became the bible of the Filipino rebels.

     

16. Thomasites – American teachers who came to the Philippines in 1901 to teach English to the Filipinos. The first batch of these teachers arrived aboard the American ship Thomas, hence, they were called Thomasites.

Several months before the outbreak of the revolution in 1896, Bonifacio had another flag made. This flag consisted of a red rectangular field, with a white-rayed sun in the middle and three white K’s below it. This served as the Katipunan standard.

In October 1896, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo fashioned out a banner consisting of a rectangular field, with a white sun in the middle. The sun had eight rays – representing the first eight provinces (Manila, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Batangas,and Cavite) to take up arms against the Spaniards. In the middle of the white sun was a white K, in the ancient Tagalog script.

On March 17, 1897 Aguinaldo displayed a new banner at the Naic Assembly. This was a rectangular red cloth, with a white mythological sun in the middle adorned with eyes, nose, and mouth. Radiating from the sun were eight group of rays, each group consisting of three rays. This flag was used in the Truce of Biak-na-Bato, on December 14-15, 1897.

During Aguinaldo’s exile in Hongkong, He requested Mrs. Marcela Agoncillo to make a new flag. Assisted by her eldest daughter Lorenza and Miss Delfina Herbosa ( Rizal’s niece ). Mrs. Agoncillo sewed the banner that later became the Philippine National Flag. This flag is made of two stripes – one red, the other blue – and a white stripe to the left of the flag area. The upper stripe is blue and the lower stripe is red. Inside the white triangle is a central sun with eight rays. In each angle of the triangle is a five-pointed star.

The sun symbolizes liberty; the eight rays represent the first eight provinces that fought Spain. The three stars represent the three major islands of Luzon, Visayas,and Mindanao.

Leader of the revolt in Tarlac. Born in La Paz, Tarlac, on September 17, 1871. He was the first patriot in Tarlac, who joined the Katipunan. General Aguinaldo appointed him as one of the brigadier generals of the Central Luzon area. He established the Central Executive Committee, which had a constitution called the Constitution of Makabulos. Died in La Paz, Tarlac, on April 30, 1922.

Francisco Macabulos (September 17, 1871-April 30, 1922) was a Filipino patriot who led Katipunan revolutionary forces during the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896.

He was born in La Paz, Tarlac and organized the first Katipunan group there after he was inducted into the secret society by Ladislao Diwa in 1896. When the revolution broke out in 1898, he liberated Tarlac and established town councils in areas he liberted.

Macabulos refused to honor the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which called for a truce with the Spanish colonial government, and continued operations in Central Luzon. But on January 14, 1898, he disbanded his troops and accepted amnesty after receiving P14,000 as part of Spanish reparations to Filipino revolutionaries. Macabulos distributed the money to his men.

However, he resumed operations against the Spanish and on April 17, 1898, an assembly of citizens representing the town councils Macabulos established, calling themselves representatives of Central Luzon, met and drafted a provisional constitution. They created a government that was to exist until a revolutionary government is established. Macabulos’ government was headed by a general executive committee, consisting of a president, vice president, secretary of interior, secretary of war and a secretary of the treasury.

Macabulos dissolved his government after the First Philippine Republic was created by the Malolos Constitution, which he also signed. He also led his men to free nearby provinces, like Pangasinan where he led revolutionists in the Battle of Dagupan.

References

• National Historical Institute, Filipinos in History 5 vols. (Manila: National Historical Institute, 1995)
• Kalaw, Maximo M. The Development of Philippine Politics (Manila, Oriental Commercial Co. Inc., 1922)

Daughter of a Katipunan leader in Cavite, who was one of the Trece Martirez, executed by the Spanish officials in 1896. Born in Trozo, Manila, on July 18, 1875. She joined the Katipunan in July 1893, one of the first women to have done so. She also kept important documents of the Katipunan. Died on October 25, 1950.

Composer of the Philippine National Anthem. Born in Cavite City on January 28, 1861. A dedicated music teacher and composer, he was appointed by Aguinaldo as Director of the National Band of the Philippine Republic. Died in Manila on October 2, 1941.

Julián Felipe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Julián Felipe
Composer of Lupang Hinirang
Born	January 28, 1861 Cavite, Cavite
Died	October 2, 1944 Manila
Occupation	Composer
Known for	Composer of the National Anthem of the Philippines

Julian Felipe

Julián Felipe is the composer of the Philippines national anthem Lupang Hinirang.^[1] He was born in Cavite City, Cavite on January 28, 1861. A dedicated music teacher and composer, he was appointed by Emilio Aguinaldo as Director of the National Band of the First Philippine Republic. He died in Manila on October 2, 1944.

A bust of Felipe can be found in Cavite City located near San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite.

Katipunan member who later married Artemio Ricarte. She commuted from Cavite to Manila to buy saltpeter, lead, and copper which where used to make ammunitions. She also carried secret messages about the planned offensives against the Spanish posts.