Make a persuasive essay about the Cry of Rebellion. What did it signify?

Laughter from Cries

Our country has indeed a wonderful and marvelous history that records the bravery and courage of our
ancestors and heroes to have fought for the freedom we are now enjoying. Alongside these records
were differences of the accounts regarding the real and actual place and date of those events. One of
the controversial topics and still a debate until now is the place and date for the Cry of Rebellion, two of
the famous accounts argue whether it happened by August 23 in Pugad Lawin or by August 26 in
Balintawak. Even other historians provided different places and dates, may it be between August 20 to
26 and happened in Kangkong, Bahay Toro and Pasong Tamo.

In my own perspective though, the Cry of Rebellion happened on August 26, 1963 in Balintawak, in
accordance with Gregorio Zaide’s account. First, this choice was with the knowledge that Pio Villanueva,
one of the Katipunero present at that cry, an eyewitness, told a Spanish investigator that the Cry
happened in Balintawak on August 26. The disagreement came into account when Pio Villanueva later
wrote on Memoirs of Revolution that the cry happened in Pugad Lawin, on August 23. Regarding this
matter, I think Pio Villanueva gave his first account (Balintawak-August 26) with the events or happening
still vivid in his mind and that the change he later addressed in the second Account (Pugad Lawin-August
23) was due to a fading memory without consulting previously written documents. Second and the last
evidence or account that made me finally choose Balintawak and August 23 as place and date is that
even the account of Guillermo Magsangkay, who is also a katipunero, eyewitness of Cry of Rebellion and
a childhood friend of one of the leaders of Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio says that Cry of Rebellion took
place at Balintawak on August 26. The site and date presented were accepted during the ruling of
American Government. In my own understanding, the opposing accounts were based on revisions later
made. The confusion between the actual date and place of the Cry of Rebellion was also probably due
to the Kaputineros were constantly changing the place of meeting from one place to another because of
the possibility that the Spaniards would be able to track or locate them.

Despite all the confusions with regard to this Cry of Rebellion, the bravery, overflowing courage, the
prevailing and dominating patriotism and nationalism of these Katipuneros can never be denied.
Opposing the Spanish Government who has the power over the country that time was such a big act of
bravery and heroism considering that their lives including their families’ were put at stake so that their
fellow countrymen would be free from the Spaniards who oppressed them at their own country,
Philippines. The initiative to tore down the cedula into pieces which they see as the start for them to be
determined to fought for the country’s freedom. This move of the Katipuneros is a vital start for the
Filipinos to be thirsty of independence and freedom, a mark for the start of Philippine Revolution. The
Cry of Rebellion for me signifies the turning point by which the Filipinos rejects the ruling of the Spanish
Government and their colonial dominion in our country by tearing away the cedulas or tax certicates
which they see as something that ties them with the Spanish government. By tearing the cedulas while
shouting the battle cry “Long Live the Philippine”, the revolution started, and now we were able to get
and enjoy the independence our heroes worked for.