The Propaganda Movement and the

Katipunan

The Propaganda Movement

Began in 1872; not a radical movement
A peaceful campaign for reforms geared towards changing the

political and social order in the country

Its objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equality of Filipinos and Spaniards before the law;

Assimilation of the Philippines as a regular province of Spain
Restoration of Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes
Filipinization or secularization of Philippine parishes;
Individual liberties for the Filipino people, such as freedom of
speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of redress of grievances

 Notable propagandists:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Jose Rizal
Graciano Lopez-Jaena
Marcelo H del Pilar
Antonio Luna
Juan Luna
Mariano Ponce
Pedro Paterno
Pedro Serrano Laktaw
Jose Ma Panganiban
Jose Alejandrino
Isabelo delos Reyes
Dominador Gomez

The triumvirate of the Propaganda

1. Jose Rizal
2. Graciano Lopez-Jaena
3. Marcelo H del Pilar

Jose Rizal
Film showing

Lopez-Jaena (the Orator)

Born on December 18, 1856 in Jaro, Iloilo
Studied at the Seminary of Jaro
A keen observer, cognizant of the deplorable conditions of

the country and the sad plight of the Filipino people

Wrote Fray Botod, depicting an immoral and ignorant, bigbellied friar named Botod who enriched himself by
exploiting the masses
Secretly left Philippines in order to escape persecution
Enrolled in medicine at the University of Valencia in Spain
Together with other expatriates in Spain, Jaena founded the
La Solidaridad

 First editor of LA SOL

Died of tuberculosis on January 20, 1896 in Barcelona, Spain

Del Pilar: the Journalist

Born in Bulacan, Bulacan on August 30, 1850
Lawyer, journalist, and a political analyst
Had pre-college education at the Colegio de San Jose
Obtained his law degree at the University of Santo Tomas in

1880
Made campaigns against the misdeeds and excesses of the
Spanish friars and civil officials
Founded the Diariong Tagalog
Published articles lambasting the Spanish authorities and the
friars and exposed all injustices committed by the colonial
government

 Went to Europe to escape persecution and joined the Filipino

expatriates in their campaign for reforms

Died on July 4, 1896

LA SOL
A newsletter (not a newspaper) founded on February 15,

1899
The organ of the Associacion La Solidaridad, founded on
December 31, 1888
Officers:
q President: Galiciano Apacible
qVice-Pres: Graciano Lopez-Jaena
q Secretary: Manuel Sta. Maria
qTreasurer: Mariano Ponce
q Accountant: Jose Ma. Panganiban

Jose Rizal unanimously chosen as its honorary president

Aims of LA SOL:
1. To work peacefully for political and social reforms
2. To portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines and

for Spain to remedy them

3. To oppose the evil forces of reaction and medievalism
4. To advocate liberal ideas and progress
5. To champion the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino
people to life, democracy, and happiness

Pennames:
To prevent the Spaniards from discovering the true identity

of the contributors:
Marcelo del Pilar ------------ Plaridel
Jose Rizal

--------- Laon Laan/ Dimasalang

Mariano Ponce
--------- Kalipulako or Tigbalang
Antonio Luna
--------- Taga-ilog
Jose Ma Panganiban -------- Jomapa

Review questions:
Explain why Rizal, del Pilar et al, are known as

propagandists?
Propagandists sought for reforms in the Philippines. What
are some of the reforms that propagandists sought?

 Based on the movie RIZAL, was Jose Rizal worth to be called

our national hero? Why?

Masonry
Masonry played a very crucial role in the Propaganda:

The organization of the reform movement;

2. Raising of funds needed in pursuing the reform movement
1.

Lopez Jaena founded lodge Revolucion on Arpil 1, 1889 in

Barcelona
Del Pilar founded the lodge La Solidaridad in Madrid
Antonio Luna and Pedro Serrano Laktaw founded lodge
Nilad in the Philippines on January 6, 1891

Asociacion Hispano-Filipino
Established by Filipino propagandists and their Spanish allies (like

Spanish scholars and European statesmen) on January 12, 1889

Officers:
President: Don Miguel Morayta
2. Vice:
Gen. Felipe de la Corte
3. Secretary: Dominador Gomez
1.

The work was divided into sections:

Political section del Pilar

2. Literary section Mariano Ponce
3. Recreation section Tomas Arejola
1.

Rizal and Del Pilar controversy

Rizal was the undisputed leader of the Filipino expatriates in

Europe
Recognized leader of the propaganda movement
But, he had a strong sense of idealism that Filipinos should
demonstrate a high sense of morality and dignity and be
willing to sacrifice for the country
Some of his supporters started to shy away from him

 Del Pilar, on the other hand, was a lawyer by profession

Was able to buy LA SOL
And believed that LA SOL was a private enterprise, which

ran conflict of Rizals belief that LA SOL must be for

patriotic cause

 To prevent the break-up between the two, a meeting was

held on January 1, 1891; attended by 90 patriots

To resolve the conflict, they had to elect a RESPONSABLE
Duties of the Responsable:
to direct the affairs of the Filipino community
2. To agree on the editorial policy of LA SOL (Del Pilar
disagreed)
1.

La Liga Filipina
While in Hong Kong, Rizal planned to establish La Liga in the

Philippines upon his return

Drafted the constitution of the league in Hong Kong, with
the assistance of Jose Ma. Basa
Motto: Unus Instar Omnium (One like All)

Its aims and objectives:

1. The unification of the whole archipelago into a vigorous,
2.
3.
4.
5.

compact body
Mutual protection in every want and necessity
Defense against all forms of violence and injustice
Stimulation of instruction, agriculture, and commerce
The undertaking of study and application of reforms

Organizational council:

Supreme
provincial
Popular

Composition:
Each council consists of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Chief
Fiscal
Treasurers
Secretary
Members

The Supreme council would be composed of the chiefs of

the provincial councils

Membership:
Applicant should pass certain tests and unanimous

endorsement by the popular council of the town he hailed

from
Members should pay a monthly due of ten centavos
Duty-bound to give preferential treatment to other members
in all actions
Duty-bound to patronize the stores of the members
Expected to recruit a member
Contribute a piece of work or an observation to the league

Privileges:
Financial and moral assistance from the council and the

organization
An assurance that fellow members would support him in his
business or profession as long as he did the same to others
Full support from the La Liga in case of trouble or injustice
Financial assistance in any business undertaken when funds
were available

 Rizal founded the La Liga on July 3, 1892

In Calle Ilaya, Tondo
In the house of Doroteo Ongjunco
Elected Officers:

President: Ambrosio Salvador

2. Vice_Pres: Agustin de la Rosa
3. Treasurer: Bonifacio Arevalo
4. Secretary: Deodato Arellano
1.

 Three days after the founding of the league, Rizal was

arrested by order of Gov-Gen Despujol

He was deported to Dapitan on July 15, 1892
La Liga was split into two:
Rightist wing Cuerpos de Compromisarios
2. Leftist wing Katipunan
1.

Failure of the Propaganda Movement

1. Spain was very much preoccupied with her own internal

problems and did not have time to consider the colonial

problems aired by the propagandists through the La
Solidaridad
2. The Friars countered all attacks of the reformers through their
newspaper in the Philippines entitled La Politica de Espana en
Filipinas
3. Petty quarrels among the reformists made them disunited
4. Lack of finances to support the propaganda activities in
Europe led to the failure of the movement

The Katipunan
Armed struggle for freedom of the country
With a platform to secure independence from Spanish

tyranny by force
A struggle not only for reforms but liberation from Spain
Founded by Andres Bonifacio, a member of the Katipunan
He had seen the futility of the La Liga when Rizal was
arrested and deported to Dapitan

Andres Bonifacio
Born on November 30, 1863 to Santiago Bonifacio and

Catalina de Castro
Orphaned at early age
His made canes and paper fans to meet their needs
Made posters for commercial firms as he had fine
penmanship
Later employed as a clerk messenger in the British
commercial firm of Fleming and Company
His industry and honesty earned him promotion
Was authorized to sell rattan and other articles of trade

Andres Bonifacio
The father of the Philippine Revolution

 Transferred as an agent to Fresell and Company, a German

commercial firm
Married at an early age, but did not last long (his wife died of
leprosy)
In 1892, he met Gregoria de Jesus of Kalookan (2nd wife)
Gregoria joined the womens chapter of the Katipunan

 Did not finish high school but smart man and very intelligent
Knew Spanish and spoke a little of English
Read foreign novels, books about revolution, politics, law and

religion
Some lists of books he read:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The French Revolution by Robiespiere

The Wandering Jew by Eugene Sue
Les Miserables Victor Hugo
Noli and Fili Rizal
The ruins of Palmyras
The Holy Bible
International law
Penal and civil Code
Lives of the Presidents of the United States
Novels of Alexander Dumas

 Realized that people had rights and freedom was a valuable

thing to have

Gregoria de Jesus
Second wife of Bonifacio when he was 29
18 years old and beautiful from Kalookan
A bright student who stopped studying to take of her family
Looked after her sisters and their family farm
On Sunday morning, she paid the workers
Sewed and wove cloth on the loom
Helped her mother work around the house
Conferred the title: LAKAMBINI ng Katipunan

Founding
On the night of July 7, 1892 the same day he heard of

Rizals exile, he met secretly with his friends at a house on

Azcarraga Street (now Claro M Recto) in Tondo
Together with Ladislao Diwa and Teodoro Plata, he formed
the first triangle of a secret society which bore the initials
KKK

Organization

Sangguniang Hukuman
(judicial council) to
settle disputes among
members

Supreme council/
Kataastaasang Sanggunian
Provincial council/
Sangguniang Bayan
Popular council/
Sangguniang Barangay

Officers:
1. President/Supremo: Deodato Arellano
2. Comptroller: Andres Bonifacio
3. Fiscal: Ladislao Diwa
4. Treasurer: Valentin Diaz
5. Secretary: Teodoro Plata

Roman Basa succeeded as supremo in 1893

Bonifacio finally assumed the presidency of the KKK when

he became dissatisfied with Basas performance

Objectives:
1. Political

To struggle for independence from Spain by force of arms

2. Moral

Centers on the teaching of good morals, honesty, self-worth,

religious fanaticism and weakness of character

3. Civic

Revolves on the principle of self-help, self-reliance, and the

defense of the poor and oppressed

Recruitment:
Triangle method:
After October 1892, all members could recruit as many

members as they could

Recruitment tests:
1. New recruit wore a black robe, led blindfolded into a darkly

lit room and required to answer questions.

2. Sandugo
3. Signed the Katipunan oath in his own blood
4. The new member chose a symbolic name for himself

Members:
At the time it was discovered, the estimated strength was

from 100,000 to 400,000 members

Sizeable chapters: Manila, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan,
Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija
Smaller chapters: Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, and
the Bicol region
Most members were poor
But there were also several wealthy members

Women membership:
Limited to the wives, daughters, or close relatives of the

Katiponeros
Formed in July 1893
Only about 30 females were known to have joined this secret
society
Wore green masks and white sashes with green borders
Served as lookouts in the outer sala while the men held their
secret meetings in the backroom

Grades of Membership:
Highest: Bayani
2nd grade: Kawal
1st grade: Katipon

Bayani:
Wore a red mask and a sash with green borders during

assemblies
Password: Rizal

Kawal:
Wore a green hood and traingle consisting of white lines
Wore a green ribbon around his neck with a medal with a

letter K inscribed on it
Password: GOMBURZA

Katipon:
Wore a black hood with a triangle formed by white ribbons

and letters
Password: Anak ng Bayan

Emilio Jacinto
Son of Mariano Jacinto and Josefa Dizon
Was sent to his uncle, Don Jose Dizon
Was fluent in Spanish and Tagalog
Preferred to speak Spanish
Attended San Juan de Letran College
Later, University of Santo Tomas to study law
Did not finish his college education
At 20, joined the Katipunan
Became advisor on fiscal matters
Secretary to Andres Bonifacio

 Wrote for the Kalayaan, Katipunan newspaper

Penname: Dimasilaw
Alias: Pingkian
Author of Kartilya ng Katipunan
Did not joined the forces of General Aguinaldo
Contacted malaria and died on April 16, 1899 in Majayjay,

Laguna at the age of 23

His remains was later transferred to the Manila North
Cemetery

Discovery of the Katipunan:

Teodoro Patino, a worker at the Diario de Manila printing press,

revealed the existence of the society to his sister, Honoria

Honoria relayed the information to Sor Teresa de Jesus, the
Mother superior of the orphanage in Mandaluyong
Sor Teresa sought advice of Father Mariano Gil, the parish priest
of Tondo
The Spanish Civil Guards raided the premises of Diario de
Manila on August 18, 1896
Arrested De la Cruz, who was found in possessions of a dagger
used in Katipunan initiation rites and a list of members
As a consequence, the printing press was closed and hundreds of
suspected members were arrested

 Patinos alleged betrayal has become the standard version of

how the revolution broke out in 1896.

However, in the 1920s, the PNL commissioned a group of
former Katipuneros to validate the truth of the said version
Jose Turiano Santiago, Bonifacios close friend who was
expelled in 1895,denied the story
He claimed that Bonifacio himself ordered Patino to reveal
the societys existence to speed up the revolution and
preempt any objection from the Katipuneros