“CRY OF BALINTAWAK OR PUGADLAWIN”

Pio Valenzuela’s Version of the “Cry”

Source: Pio Valenzuela in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, (vol. 8, pp. 301-302) (Collection of Accounts)

The first place of ref uge of Andres Bonif acio, Em ilio Jacint o, Pr oc opio
Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first
five arriving there on August 19, and I, on August 20, 1896. The first place where
some 500 members of the Katipunan met on August 22, 1896, was the house and
yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned above,
among thos e wh o we re th ere we re Bri cci o Pantas , Al ejan dro Santiag o, Ram on
Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged, and no
resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-
ho u s e , an d y a r d of Ju a n Ra m o s , s o n of Me l c h o r a Aq u i n o , wh e r e ov e r 1, 0 0 0
members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate and discussion
on August 23, 1896. The discussion was on whether or not the revolution against
the Sp an is h gov e rn me nt sh ou ld be st ar te d on Au gu st 29, 189 6. On l y one man
protested and fought against a war, and that was Teodoro Plata [Bonifacio’s brother-
in-law – Z.] Besides the persons named above, among those present at this meeting
were Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco, Tomas Remigio, Sinforoso San Pedro, and
oth e r s . Aft er the tum u lt uo u s me et in g , ma ny of tho s e pr e s en t tor e the i r ce du l a
ce rt ifi c ate s and sh out ed “ Lon g liv e the Phi l ipp in es ! Lon g liv e the Ph il ip pin es ! ”

Santiago Alvarez’ Version of the “Cry”

Source: Santiago Alvarez in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, (vol. 8, p. 303) (Collection of Accounts)

Sunday, August 23, 1896

As early as 10 o’clock in the morning, at the barn of Kabesang
Melchora Aquino – Z.], at a place called Sampalukan, barrio of Bahay Toro, Katipuneros
mettogether. About 500 of these arrived, ready and eager to join the “Supremo”
AndresBonifacio and his men …

Monday, August 24, 1896

There were about 1,000 Katipuneros . . . . The “Supremo” decided to hold ameeting inside
the big barn. Under his leadership, the meeting began at 10 o’clockin the morning . . .It was
12 o’clock noon when the meeting adjourned amidst loud cries of
“Long live the Sons of the Country” (Mabuhay ang mga Anak ng Bayan)!

Gregoria de Jesus’ Version of the “Cry”

Source: Gregoria de Jesus in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources oF
Philippine History, (vol. 8, p. 305) (Collection of Accounts)

The activities of the Katipunan had reached nearly all corners

of the Philippine Archipelago, so that when its existence was discovered and some of
themembers arrested, we immediately returned to Caloocan. However, as we
wereclosely watched by the agents of the Spanish authorities,
Andres Bonifacio andother katipuneros left the town after some days.
It was then that the uprisingbegan, with the first cry for freedom on August 25,
1896. Meanwhile, I was with myparents. Through my friends, I learned that the Spanish were
coming to arrest me.Immediately, I fled town at eleven o’clock at night,
secretly going through thericefields to La Loma, with the intention of returning to
Manila. I was treated like anapparition, for, sad to say, in every house where I tried to get a
little rest, I wasdriven away as if the people therein were frightened for their own lives. Later,
Ifound out that the occupants of the houses which I had visited were seized andseverely
punished - and some even exiled. One of them was an uncle of mine whomI had visited on that
night to kiss his hand, and he died in exile.

Guillermo Masangkay’s Version of the “Cry”

Guillermo Masangkay in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide,
DocumentarySources of Philippine History, (vol. 8, pp. 307-309) (Collection of Accounts)

On August 26th [1896 – Z.], a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at thehouse of
Apolonio Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among thosewho attended,
I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario,Tomas
Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, andFrancisco
Carreon. They were all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the boardof directors of the
organization. Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, andMorong (now Rizal), were also
present.At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was openedwith
Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The purposewas to
discuss when the uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata
[Bonifacio’sbrother-in-law – Z.], Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to
startingthe revolution too early. They reasoned that the people would be in distress if
therevolution were started without adequate preparation. Plata was very forceful in
hisargument, stating that the uprising could not very well be started without arms andfood for
the soldiers. Valenzuela used Rizal’s argument about the rich not sidingwith the Katipunan
organization.Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then, left
thesession hall and talked to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting
of the leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing againststarting the revolution
early, and appealed to them in a fiery speech in which hesaid: “You remember the fate of our
countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan.Should we return now to the
towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Ourorganization has been
discovered and we are all marked men. If we don’t start theuprising, the Spaniards will get us
anyway. What then, do you say?”“Revolt!” the people shouted as one.Bonifacio then asked the
people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. Hetold them that the sign of slavery of the
Filipinos were (sic) the cedula tax chargedeach citizen. “If it is true that you are ready to revolt,”
Bonifacio saved, “I want tosee you destroy your cedulas. It will be the sign that all of us have
declared ourseverance from the Spaniards.”With tears in their eyes, the people as one man
pulled out their cedulas andtore them to pieces. It was the beginning of the formal declaration
of the separationfrom Spanish rule. With their cedulas destroyed, they could no longer go back
totheir homes because the Spaniards would persecute them, it not
for beingkatipuneros, for having no cedulas. And people who had no cedulas during
thosedays were severely punished.When the people’s pledge was obtained by
Bonifacio, he returned to thesession hall and informed the leaders of what took
place outside. “The people wantto revolt, and they have destroyed their cedulas,” Bonifacio
said. “So now we haveto start the uprising; otherwise the people by hundreds will be shot.”
There was noalternative. The board of directors, in spite of the protests of Plata, Pantaas,
andValenzuela, voted for the revolution. And when this was decided, the people
outsideshouted: “Long live the Philippine Republic!”I still remember Bonifacio as
he appeared that day. Although a merebodeguero (warehouseman) and
earning P25 (Mex.) a month, he was a culturedman. He always wore an open coat, with black
necktie, and black hat. He alwayscarried an umbrella. At the meeting that morning of August
26, Bonifacio took offhis coat and was wearing only his shirt, with collar and tie. Bonifacio’s
hobby wasweaving bamboo hats. During his spare time he wove dozens of them and
soldthem in Manila. Thus he made extra money.At about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, while the
gathering at Balintawak wascelebrating the decision of the Katipunan leaders to start the
uprising, the guardswho were up in trees to watch for any possible intruders or the approach of
theenemy, gave the warning that the Spaniards were coming. Led by Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto
and other leaders of the Katipunan, the menwere distributed in strategic positions and were
prepared for the attack of the civilguards. I was with a group stationed on the bank of a small
creek, guarding theplaces where the Spaniards were to pass in order to reach the meeting
place of thekatipuneros. Shots were then fired by the civil guards, and that was the
beginningof the fire which later became such a huge conflagration.