The Cry of Pugad Lawin Controversy:

Disparity of the Location and Date of the First Cry

One of controversies that remains undisputable in Philippine's history is the Cry of Pugad
Lawin. The historical event marked the beginning of the Philippine Revolution and their act of
defiance against the Spanish Empire wherein the Katipuneros, as led by Andrés Bonifacio, tore
their cedulas. Such disputes are due to the ambiguous definitions of what the "cry" meant and the
overlapping statements by the KKK veterans. To specify, the main points addressed in the
mentioned controversy are: (1) whether the “cry” happened in Pugad Lawin or Balintawak and
(2) if it happened on August 23, 1896 or August 24, 1896. However, the case stands that the Cry
of Pugad Lawin happened on August 23, 1896 at Pugad Lawin due to the credibility of the
source and its consistency with other sources. Nonetheless, other historians argue of this
statement otherwise.

Emilio Aguinaldo’s memoirs, Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan (1964), refer to two letters from
Andres Bonifacio dated 22 and 24 August of 1896. Traditionally, people in his time referred to
the “Cry of Balintawak” since that barrio was a better known reference point than Banlat. In any
case, “Pugad Lawin” is not historiographically verifiable. To wit:

On 22 August 1896, the Magdalo Council received a secret letter from Supremo Andres
Bonifacio, in Balintawak, which stated that the Katipunan will hold an important meeting
on the 24th of the said month, and that it was extremely necessary to send two
representatives or delegates in the name of the said Council. The meeting would be timed
to coincide with the feast day of Saint Bartolomew. Our representative arrived safely at his
destination and also returned unharmed, bearing a letter from the Supremo dated 24
August. It contained no orders but the shocking announcement that the Katipunan would
attack Manila at night on Saturday, 29 August, the signal for which would be the putting
out of the lamps in Luneta. He added that many of his comrades had been captured and
killed by the Civil Guard and Veterans in Gulod. The first monument to mark the Cry was
erected in 1903 on Ylaya Street in Tondo, in front of the house were Liga Filipina was
founded. The tablet cites Andres Bonifacio as a founding member, and as “Supreme Head
of the Katipunan, which gave the first battle Cry against tyranny on August 24, 1896.

The above facts render unacceptable the stand that the tearing of cedulas in the “Cry of Pugad
Lawin” happened on 23 August 1896, in the house of Juan Ramos, Melchora Aquino’s son in
“Pugad Lawin” Bahay Toro, Kalookan. The events of 17-26 August 1896 occurred closer to
Balintawak than to Kalookan. Furthermore, in a Philippine Historical Association round-table
discussion, a great granddaughter of Tandang Sora also protested that the use of the toponym
“Pugad Lawin” which, she said, referred to a hawks nest on top of a tall sampaloc tree at Gulod,
the highest elevated area near Balintawak.
 The argument that the site was in Balintawak, however, was refuted by Pio Valenzuela, a
KKK Veteran who claims that he was present during the first cry in his testimony. The decision
to revolt, he recalled on a trial court on 1917, had been taken at the house on the road known as
Daan Malalim, in Pasong Tamo, Caloocan. The veteran said the location was “also known as
Pacpac-lawin (Richardson, 2014). Such claims and memoirs by Valenzuela were the sources
primarily used by Teodoro Agoncilio in his book, The Revolt of the Masses. The prevalent
account of the controversy is stated in the following:

It was in Pugad Lawin, where they proceeded upon leaving Samson’s place in the
afternoon of the 22nd, that the more than 1,000 members of the Katipunan met in the
yard of Juan A. Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino,…in the morning of August 23rd.
Considerable discussion arose whether the revolt against the Spanish government should
be started on the 29th. Only one man protested… But he was overruled in his stand…
Bonifacio then announced the decision and shouted: “Brothers, it was agreed to continue
with the plan of revolt. My brothers, do you swear to repudiate the government that
oppresses us?” And the rebels, shouting as one man replied: “Yes, sir!” “That being the
case,” Bonifacio added, “bring out your cedulas and tear them to pieces to symbolize our
determination to take arms!” .. . Amidst the ceremony, the rebels, tear-stained eyes,
shouted: “Long live the Philippines! Long live the Katipunan! (1956)

In addition, the first monument that commemorated the cry was in fact situated in Balintawak
on September of 1911 but later on was moved to Diliman university due to roadworks at the
site. Over the years, Balintawak as the site of the first Cry was further questioned since the
monument did not even indicate that it was the exact spot as well as because the monument was
placed there only due to the fact that the Katipuneros have congregated in Balintawak which was
the largest and best-known barrio and its name was often used to denote that general area. The
name Balintawak might be a familiar point of reference for the locals but Balintawak in the
stricter, narrower sense- a particular barrio of eastern Caloocan, was not in fact where the Cry
had been raised.

Based from the claims formed and supported by the corresponding evidences, it has been
concluded that the Cry of Pugad Lawin happened on August 23, 1896 since such notion
coincides with the indisputable and historical artifacts presented. The testimony of Pio
Valenzuela may have been inconsistent at first but this was because he was under duress during
his trial under the Spanish court. His testimony and statement along with other KKK veterans
Pantas and Pacheco is enough to authenticate and verify the mentioned issue in Philippine
history. In fact, Teodoro Agoncilio’s account became the basis of the current stance of the
Philippine government. In 1963, President Diosdado Macapagal ordered the official
commemorations shifted to Pugad ng uwak, Quezon City on August 23 (1998).
 Nonetheless, regardless of the time and place discrepancies of the event, the Filipino people
should center on the significance the cry bears. Hence, to this day, the Filipinos commemorate
the Katipunan’s act of tearing apart their cedulas and declaring a war of independence during
National Heroes Day which is derived from that event. If it weren’t for Cry of Balintawak, no
revolution would have taken place. If it weren’t for the revolution, we, the Filipinos at present
time, would not have the freedom we enjoy in the first place.

References

Guerrero, M. et al. (2003). In focus: Balintawak: the cry for a nationwide revolution. Retrieved
on January 23, 2019 from: http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/in-focus/balintawak-the-
cry-for-a-nationwide-revolution

Borromeo-Buehler, Soledad M. (1998), The cry of Balintawak: a contrived controversy : a

textual analysis with appended documents. Ateneo de Manila University Press, ISBN 978-
971-550-278-8.

Richardson, J. (2014). Notes on “the cry” of August 1896. Retrieved on January 23, 2018 from:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12IjnLpkyZZW5hTKaSAezLQBSlunYmEXAAEOemS
O7TgM/edit