Development of Filipino Nationalism, starting from Cavite Mutiny up to KKK Founding

1. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
I. Development of Filipino Nationalism
A. Cavite Mutiny
- The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was an uprising of military personnel of Fort San
Felipe, the Spanish arsenal in Cavite, Philippines on January 20, 1872.
- Around 200 soldiers and laborers rose up in the belief that it would elevate to a
national uprising.
- The mutiny was unsuccessful, and government soldiers executed many of the
participants and began to crack down on a burgeoning nationalist movement
- Many scholars believe that the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was the beginning of
Filipino nationalism that would eventually lead to the Philippine Revolution of
1896.
- The primary cause of the mutiny is believed to be an order from Governor-
General Rafael de Izquierdo to subject the soldiers of the Engineering and
Artillery Corps to personal taxes, from which they were previously exempt.
- The taxes required them to pay a monetary sum as well as to perform forced
labor called, "polo y servicio."
- The mutiny was sparked on January 20, when the laborers received their pay
and realized the taxes as well as the falla, the fine one paid to be exempt from
forced labor, had been deducted from their salaries.
B. Secularization of Priests
- Two kinds of priests served the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
- These were the regulars and the seculars.

2. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
- Regular priests belonged to religious orders. Their main task was to spread
Christianity. Examples were the Franciscans, Recollects, Spanish church in
Cavite circa 1899Dominicans, and Augustinians.
- Secular priests did not belong to any religious order. They were trained
specifically to run the parishes and were under the supervision of the bishops.
- Conflict began when the bishops insisted on visiting the parishes that were
being run by regular priests.
- It was their duty, they argued, to check on the administration of these parishes.
But the regular priests refused these visits, saying that they were not under the
bishop’s jurisdiction. They threatened to abandon their parishes if the bishops
persisted.
- In 1774, Archbishop Basilio Santa Justa decided to uphold the diocese’s
authority over the parishes and accepted the resignations of the regular priests/
- He assigned secular priests to take their place. Since there were not enough
seculars to fill all the vacancies the Archbishop hastened the ordination of
Filipino seculars.
- A royal decree was also issued on November 9, 1774, which provided for the
secularization of all parishes or the transfer of parochial administration from the
regular friars to the secular priests.
- The regulars resented the move because they considered the Filipinos unfit for
the priesthood.
- Among other reasons they cited the Filipinos’ brown skin, lack of education, and
inadequate experience.

3. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
- The controversy became more intense when the Jesuits returned to the
Philippines. They had been exiled from the country because of certain policies of
the order that the Spanish authorities did not like.
- The issue soon took on a racial slant.
- The Spaniards were clearly favouring their own regular priest over Filipino
priests.
- Monsignor Pedro Pelaez, an ecclesiastical governor of the Church, sided with
the Filipinos.
- Unfortunately, he died in an earthquake that destroyed the Manila Cathedral in
1863.
- After his death, other priests took his place in fighting for the secularization
movement.
- Among them were Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora.
C. Trial of Gomburza
- In February 17, 1872, Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jocinto Zamora
(Gomburza), all Filipino priest, was executed by the Spanish colonizers on
charges of subversion.
- The charges against Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora was their alleged
complicity in the uprising of workers at the Cavite Naval Yard.
- The death of Gomburza awakened strong feelings of anger and resentment
among the Filipinos.
- They questioned Spanish authorities and demanded reforms.

4. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
- The martyrdom of the three priests apparently helped to inspire the
organization of the Propaganda Movement, which aimed to seek reforms and
inform Spain of the abuses of its colonial government.
D. The Propaganda Movement
- Members of the Propaganda Movement were called propagandists or
reformists. They worked inside and outside the Philippines. Their objectives
were to seek:
o Recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain
o Equal status for both Filipinos and Spaniards
o Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes
o Secularization of Philippine parishes.
o Recognition of human rights
- The Propaganda Movement never asked for Philippine independence because
its members believed that once Spain realized the pitiful state of the country,
the Spaniards would implement the changes the Filipinos were seeking.
- The Propagandists and their known works
o Jose Rizal, Noli Me Tangere & El Filibusterismo
o Graciano Lopez Jaena, "Fray Botod," "Esperanza," and "La Hija del
Fraile,"
o Marcelo H. del Pilar, "Caiingat Cayo", "Dasalan at Tocsohan," and "Ang
Sampung Kautusan ng mga Prayle"

5. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
E. La Liga Filipina
- In 1892, Jose Rizal (full name: Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal y Alonzo) returned to the
Philippines and proposed the establishment of a civic organization called “La Liga
Filipina.”
- On July 3, 1892, the following were elected as its officers: Ambrosio Salvador,
president: Agustin dela Rosa, fiscal; Bonifacio Arevalo, treasurer; and Deodato
Arellano, secretary. Rizal functioned as its adviser
- La Liga Filipina aimed to:
o Protect and assist all members
o Unite the whole country
o Fight violence and injustice
o Support education
o Study and implement reforms
- La Liga Filipina had no intention of rising up in arms against the government; but the
Spanish officials still felt threatened.
- On July 6, 1892 only three days after La Liga Filipina’s establishment, Jose Rizal was
secretly arrested.
- The next day, Governor General Eulogio Despujol ordered Rizal’s deportation to
Dapitan, a small, secluded town in Zamboanga.
- La Liga Filipina's membership was active in the beginning; but later, they began to
drift apart. The rich members wanted to continue supporting the Propaganda
Movement; but the others seemed to have lost all hope that reforms could still be
granted.

6. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
- Andres Bonifacio was one of those who believed that the only way to achieve
meaningful change was through a bloody revolution.
La Solidaridad
- In order to help achieve its goals, the Propaganda Movement put up its own
newspaper, called La Solidaridad.
- The Soli, as the reformists fondly called their official organ, came out once every
two weeks. The first issue saw print was published on November 15, 1895.
- The Solidaridad’s first editor was Graciano Lopez Jaena. Marcelo H. del Pilar took
over in October 1889.
- Del Pilar managed the Soli until it stopped publication due to lack of funds.
Why the Propaganda Movement Failed?
- The propaganda movement did not succeed in its pursuit of reforms.
- The colonial government did not agree to any of its demands.
- Spain itself was undergoing a lot of internal problems all that time, which could
explain why the mother country failed to heed the Filipino’s petitions.
- The friars, on the other hand, were at the height of their power and displayed even
more arrogance in flaunting their influence.
- They had neither the time nor the desire to listen to the voice of the people.
- Many of the reformists showed a deep love for their country, although they still
failed to maintain a united front. Because most of them belonged to the upper
middle class, they had to exercise caution in order to safeguard their wealth and
other private interests.

7. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
- Personal differences and petty quarrels, apart from the lack of funds, were also a
hindrance to the movements success. Lastly, no other strong and charismatic leader
emerged from the group aside from Jose Rizal.
F. KKK Founding
- The KKK members agreed on the following objectives:
o The political goal was to completely separate the Philippines from Spain
after declaring the country’s independence.
o The moral goal was to teach the Filipinos good manners, cleanliness,
hygiene, fine morals, and how to guard themselves against religious
fanaticism..
o The civic goal was to encourage Filipinos to help themselves and to defend
the poor oppressed.
- The “Kataastaasang Sanggunian” (supreme council) was the highest governing
body of the Katipunan. It was headed by a supremo, or president. Each province
had a “Sangguaniang Bayan” (Provincial Council) and each town had a
“Sangguniang Balangay” (Popular Council).
- Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (30 November 1863 – 10 May 1897) was a Filipino
nationalist and revolutionary.
- He is often called "the father of the Philippine Revolution". He was a founder
and later Supremo ("supreme leader") of the Katipunan movement which
sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and
started the Philippine Revolution.

8. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
- Emilio Jacinto y Dizon (December 15, 1875 — April 16, 1899), was a Filipino
revolutionary known as the Brains of the Katipunan.
Women Membership in the Katipunan
- For a woman to become admitted in KKK, one must be a wife, a daughter, or a
sister of a male katipunero. It was estimated that from 20 to 50 women had
become members of the society
- The first woman to become member of the Katipunan was Gregoria de Jesús,
wife of Bonifacio. She was called the Lakambini ng Katipunan (Princess of the
Katipunan).
- The women rendered valuable services to the Katipunan.
- They guarded the secret papers and documents of the society. Whenever the
Katipunan held sessions in a certain house, they usually made merry, singing
and dancing with some of the men in the living room so that the civil guard
were led that there was nothing but a harmless social party within.
Membership of KKK
- Any person who wished to join the Katipunan was subjected to certain initiation
rites, resembling those of Masonic rites, to test his courage, patriotism, and
loyalty.
- New recruits underwent the initiation rite three at a time so that no member
knew more than two other members of the society.

9. Outline in History
CAPUSO, Czarilyn A. | BBA MM 3-3
- The neophyte was first blindfolded and then led into a dimly lighted room with
black curtains where his folded cloth was removed from his eyes. An
admonition, in Tagalog, was posted at the entrance to the room:
“ Kung may lakás at tapang, ìkaw'y makatutuloy!
(If you have strength and valor, you can proceed!) ”
“ Kung ang pag-uusisa ang nagdalá sa iyó dito'y umurong ka.
If what has brought you here is only curiosity–go away! ”
“ Kung di ka marunong pumigil ng̃ iyong masasamang hilig, umurong ka;
kailan man ang pintuan ng̃
May-kapangyarihan at Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Baya'y hindi
bubuksan nang dahil sa iyó.
If you cannot control your passions, retire. Never shall the doors
of the Supreme and Venerable Society of the Sons of the People be opened to
you. ”
- Inside the candle-lit room, they would be brought to a table adorned with a
skull and a bolo. There, they would condemn the abuses of the Spanish
government and vow to fight colonial oppression