General of the Revolution
|1st President of the Philippines
President of the First Republic
President of the Supreme Government
President of Republic of Biak-na-Bato
Dictator of Dictatorial government
President of the Revolutionary Government
23 January 1897[a] – 1 April 1901[b]
|Vice President||Mariano Trías (1897)|
|Succeeded by||Office nullified
(As president of the Commonwealth)
22 March 1869|
Cavite El Viejo
Spanish East Indies (now Kawit, Cavite, Philippines)
|Died||6 February 1964
Quezon City, Philippines
|Resting place||Aguinaldo Shrine, Kawit, Cavite, Philippines|
National Socialist Party
|Alma mater||Colegio de San Juan de Letran|
|Profession||Soldier, Manager, Teacher, Revolutionary|
|Religion||Iglesia FIlipina Independiente
formerly Roman Catholicism
Emilio Famy Aguinaldo QSC PLH[d] (22 March 1869[c] – 6 February 1964) is officially recognized as the First President of the Philippines (1899-1901) and led Philippine forces first against Spain in the latter part of the Philippine Revolution (1896-1897), and then in the Spanish-American War (1898), and finally against the United States during the Philippine-American War (1899-1901). He was captured by American forces in 1901, which brought an end to his presidency.
In 1935 Aguinaldo ran unsuccessfully for president of the Philippine Commonwealth against Manuel Quezon. After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, he cooperated with the new rulers, even making a radio appeal for the surrender of the American and Filipino forces on Bataan. He was arrested as a collaborator after the Americans returned but was later freed in a general amnesty.
- 1 Early life and career
- 2 Personal life
- 3 Revolutionary and political career
- 4 Post-presidency
- 5 Media portrayal
- 6 See also
- 7 Notes
- 8 References
- 9 Further reading
- 10 External links
Early life and career
Emilio Famy Aguinaldo was born on 22 March 1869[c] in Cavite Viejo (present-day Kawit), in Cavite (province), to Carlos Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy,[d] a Chinese mestizo couple who had eight children, the seventh of whom was Emilio. The Aguinaldo family was quite well-to-do, as his father, Carlos Aguinaldo was the community's appointed gobernadorcillo (municipal governor) in the Spanish colonial administration.
Emilio became the "Cabeza de Barangay" of Binakayan, a chief barrio of Cavite del Viejo, when he was only 17 years old.
In 1895 the Maura Law that called for the reorganization of local governments was enacted. At the age of 26 Aguinaldo became Cavite Viejo's first "gobernadorcillo capitan municipal" (Municipal Governor-Captain).
On 1 January 1896, he married Hilaria del Rosario (1877–1921). They had five children: Carmen Aguinaldo Melencio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Jr, Maria Aguinaldo Poblete, Cristina Aguinaldo Suntay and Miguel Aguinaldo. Hilaria died of leprosy on 6 March 1921 at the age of 45. Nine years later, on 14 July 1930, Aguinaldo married Maria Agoncillo (15 February 1879 – 1963) at Barasoain Church. She died on 29 May 1963 at the age of 82, a year before Aguinaldo himself.
Revolutionary and political career
In 1894, Aguinaldo joined the "Katipunan", a secret organization led by Andrés Bonifacio, dedicated to the expulsion of the Spanish and independence of the Philippines through armed force.(p77) Aguinaldo used the nom de guerre Magdalo, in honor of Mary Magdalene.(p179) His local chapter of the Katipunan, headed by his cousin Baldomero Aguinaldo, was also called Magdalo.
On 1 January 1895, Aguinaldo became a Freemason, joining Pilar Lodge No. 203, Imus, Cavite. He would later say:
- "The Successful Revolution of 1896 was masonically inspired, masonically led, and masonically executed, and I venture to say that the first Philippine Republic of which I was its humble President, was an achievement we owe largely, to Masonry and the Masons."
The Katipunan-led Philippine Revolution against the Spanish began in the last week of August 1896 in San Juan del Monte (now part of Metro Manila).(p176) However, Aguinaldo and other Cavite rebels initially refused to join in the offensive alleging lack of arms. Their absence contributed to the defeat of Katipunan leader Andres Bonifacio's there. While Bonifacio and other rebels were forced to resort to guerrilla warfare, Aguinaldo and the Cavite rebels won major victories in set-piece battles, temporarily driving the Spanish out of their area.
On 17 February 1897 Aguinaldo and a group of katipuneros defeated Spanish forces led by General Camilo de Polavieja at the Battle of Zapote Bridge in Cavite. The province of Cavite gradually emerged as the Revolution's hotbed, and the Aguinaldo-led katipuneros had a string of victories there.
Tejeros Convention and execution of Bonifacio
Conflict between the two Katipunan factions -- the Magdalo and Magdiwang -- led to Bonifacio's intervention in the province of Cavite.(pp178–182) The Cavite rebels then made overtures about establishing a revolutionary government in place of the Katipunan.(p182) Though Bonifacio already considered the Katipunan to be a government, he acquiesced and presided over a convention held on 22 March 1897 in Tejeros, Cavite. There the republic of the Philippines was proclaimed, with Aguinaldo being elected president. Bonifacio was elected Director of the Interior but, after Daniel Tirona questioned his qualifications for that position, became angered and declared "I, as chairman of this assembly, and as President of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan, as all of you do not deny, declare this assembly dissolved, and I annul all that has been approved and resolved."(p178)
Bonifacio refused to recognize the revolutionary government headed by Aguinaldo and attempted to reassert his authority, accusing the Aguinaldo faction of treason and by issuing orders contravening orders issued by the Aguinaldo faction.(p188) At Aguinaldo's orders, Bonifacio and his brothers were arrested and, in a mock trial lasting one day, convicted of treason, and sentenced to death.(pp189–190) After some vacillation, Aguinaldo initially commuted the death sentence. Andrés and Procopio were executed by firing squad on 10 May 1897 at Mount Buntis, Maragondon, Cavite.(p249)
Biak-na-Bato and exile
On the same day as the execution of the Bonifacio brothers, the Spanish army launched an attack which forced insurgent forces under Aguinaldo into a general retreat.(pp249–250) On 24 June 1897 Aguinaldo arrived at Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan, and established a headquarters there, located in Biak-na-Bato National Park in what is now known as Aguinaldo Cave. In late October 1897, Aguinaldo convened an assembly of generals at Biak-na Bato, where it was decided to establish a constitutional republic. A constitution patterned closely after the Cuban Constitution was drawn up by Isabelo Artacho and Felix Ferrer. The constitution provided for the creation of a Supreme Council composed of a president, a vice president, a Secretary of War, and a Secretary of the Treasury. Aguinaldo was named president.(p183–184)
From March, 1897, Fernando Primo de Rivera, 1st Marquis of Estella, the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, had been encouraging prominent Filipinos to contact Aguinaldo for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. On 9 August, Manila lawyer Pedro Paterno met with Aguinaldo at Biak-na-Bato with a proposal for peace based on reforms and amnesty. In succeeding months, Paterno conducted shuttle diplomacy, acting as an intermediary between de Rivera and Aguinaldo. On 14 December – 15 December 1897 Aguinaldo signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, under which Aguinaldo effectively agreed to end hostilities and dissolve his government in exchange for amnesty and "$800,000 (Mexican)" (Aguinaldo's description of the amount) as an indemnity.(p252)[e] The documents were signed on 14 December – 15 December 1897. On 23 December, Aguinaldo and other insurgent officials departed for Hong Kong to enter voluntary exile. $400,000, representing the first installment of the indemnity, was deposited into Hong Kong banks. While in exile, Aguinaldo reorganized his revolutionary government into the so-called "Hong Kong Junta" and enlarging it into the "Supreme Council of the Nation".(p253)
Return to the Philippines and Philippine Declaration of Independence
On 25 April, the Spanish–American War began. While the war mostly focused on Cuba, the United States Navy's Asiatic Squadron was in Hong Kong, and commanded Commodore George Dewey, it sailed for the Philippines. On 1 May 1898, in the Battle of Manila Bay, the squadron engaged and destroyed the Spanish navy's Pacific Squadron and proceeded to blockade Manila.(pp255–256) Several days later, Dewey agreed to transport Aguinaldo from Hong Kong to the Philippines aboard the USS McCulloch, which left Hong Kong with Aguinaldo on 16 May. arriving in Cavite on 19 May. Aguinaldo promptly resumed command of revolutionary forces and besieged Manila.(pp256–257)
On 24 May 1898 in Cavite, Aguinaldo issued a proclamation in which he assumed command of all Philippine forces and established a dictatorial government with himself as dictator.
First Philippine President
The insurgent First Philippine Republic was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution on 21 January 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan and endured until the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo by the American forces on 23 March 1901 in Palanan, Isabela, which effectively dissolved the First Republic. Aguinaldo appointed two Prime Ministers of the Philippines in his tenure, Apolinario Mabini and Pedro Paterno. He had two cabinets in the year 1899. Thereafter, the military situation resulted in his ruling by decree.
On 12 August 1898, American forces captured Manila during the Battle of Manila and on 14 August 1898 established the United States Military Government of the Philippine Islands, with Major General Wesley Merritt as the first American Military Governor.(pp110–112) On the night of 4 February 1899, a Filipino was shot by an American sentry. This incident is considered the beginning of the Philippine–American War, and precipitated the 1899 Battle of Manila between American and Filipino forces. Superior American firepower drove Filipino troops away from the city, and Aguinaldo's government had to move from one place to another as the military situation developed.(pp268–270, 273–274) Aguinaldo led resistance to the Americans, then retreated to northern Luzon with the Americans on his trail.
On 23 March 1901, Aguinaldo was captured at his headquarters in Palanan, Isabela.:507–509 On 19 April 1901, Aguinaldo took an oath of allegiance to the United States, formally ending the First Republic and recognizing the sovereignty of the United States over the Philippines.(pp274–275) After Aguinaldo's surrender, some Filipino commanders continued the revolution. On 30 July 1901 General Miguel Malvar issued a manifesto saying, "Forward, without ever turning back... All wars of independence have been obliged to suffer terrible tests!"(p275) General Malvar surrendered to U.S forces in Lipa, Batangas on 16 April 1902. The war was formally ended by a unilateral proclamation of general amnesty by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt on 4 July 1902.
During the American period, Aguinaldo supported groups that advocated immediate independence and helped veterans of the struggle. He organized the Asociación de los Veteranos de la Revolución (Association of Veterans of the Revolution), which worked to secure pensions for its members and made arrangements for them to buy land on installment from the government.
The display of the Philippine flag was declared illegal by the Sedition Act of 1907. This law was repealed on 30 October 1919. Following this, Aguinaldo transformed his home in Kawit into a monument to the flag, the revolution and the Declaration of Independence. As of 2011[update], his home still stands and is known as the Aguinaldo Shrine.
Aguinaldo retired from public life for many years. In 1935, when the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established in preparation for Philippine independence, he ran for president in the Philippine presidential election, 1935, but lost by a landslide to Manuel L. Quezon.[f] The two men formally reconciled in 1941, when President Quezon moved Flag Day to 12 June, to commemorate the proclamation of Philippine independence.
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II, Aguinaldo cooperated with the Japanese, making speeches, issuing articles and radio addresses in support of the Japanese — including a radio appeal to Gen. Douglas MacArthur on Corregidor to surrender in order to "spare the innocence of the Filipino youth."(p285) He explained his action by saying, "I was just remembering the fight I led. We were outnumbered, too, in constant retreat. I saw my own soldiers die without affecting future events. To me that seemed to be what was happening on Bataan, and it seemed like a good thing to stop." After the combined American and Filipino troops retook the Philippines, Aguinaldo was arrested along with several others accused of collaboration with the Japanese, and jailed for some months in Bilibid prison. He was released by presidential amnesty.(p2)
In 1950, President Elpidio Quirino appointed Aguinaldo as a member of the Council of State, where he served a full term. He returned to retirement soon after, dedicating his time and attention to veteran soldiers' "interests and welfare."
He was made an honorary Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, by the University of the Philippines in 1953.
In 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal changed the celebration of Independence Day from 4 July to 12 June.[g] Although in poor health by this time, Aguinaldo attended that year's Independence Day observances.
Death and Legacy
Aguinaldo was rushed to Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on 5 October 1962 where he stayed there for 469 days until he died of coronary thrombosis at age 94 on 6 February 1964. A year before his death, he donated his lot and mansion to the government. This property now serves as a shrine to "perpetuate the spirit of the Revolution of 1896."
In 1985, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas issued a new 5-peso bill depicting a portrait of Aguinaldo on the front. The back features the declaration of the Philippine independence on 12 June 1898. Printing was discontinued in 1995, when it was replaced with a 5₱ coin whose obverse features a portrait of Aguinaldo.
- Flag of the Philippines (designed by Aguinaldo)
- History of the Philippines
- Tagalog people
- Tejeros Convention
- 23 January 1899 was the date of Aguinaldo's inauguration as President of the First Philippine Republic. Previously, he held positions as President of a Revolutionary Government from 22 March 1897 to 1 November 1897, President of the Biak-na-Bato Republic from 2 November 1897 to 15 December 1897, Head of a Dictatorial Government from 24 May 1898 to 22 June 1898, and President of another Revolutionary Government from 23 June 1898 to 22 January 1897.
- 1 April 1901 was the date of Aguinaldo's capture by American forces.
- Most sources, including the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, support a 22 March birthdate.(p )(p ) Some sources give other dates.
- In the Philippine "Declaration of Independence" his matronymic is given as Fami.(p )
- The Mexican dollar at the time was worth about 50 U.S. cents(p126)
- Quezon took 67.99% of the popular vote; Aguinaldo 17.54%
- On 12 May 1962, President Macapagal signed "Presidential Proclamation No. 28, Declaring 12 June as Philippine Independence Day". There is no doubt that President Macapagal intended the proclamation to have that effect and sources commonly assert this as fact, however the operative paragraph of the proclamation declares a single day, "Tuesday, 12 June 1962, as a special public holiday throughout the Philippines ...". On 4 August 1964, Republic Act No. 4166 proclaimed the twelfth day of June as the Philippine Independence Day and renamed the fourth of July holiday to "Philippine Republic Day".
- "Emilio Aguinaldo". Presidential Museum and Library.
- "First Philippine President Emilio F. Aguinaldo 47th Death Anniversary". Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. 5 February 2011.
- The year of birth on his death certificate was incorrectly typed as 1809.
"Philippines, Civil Registration (Local), 1888-1983," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-27184-32236-46?cc=1410394&wc=9Z7H-JWG:25272501,114827101,25271303,25290201 : accessed 2 May 2014), Metropolitan Manila > Quezon City > Death certificates > 1964; citing National Census and Statistics Office, Manila.
- Guevara, Sulpicio, ed. (1972) . The laws of the first Philippine Republic (the laws of Malolos) 1898–1899. English translation by Sulpicio Guevara. Manila: National Historical Commission. ISBN 9715380557. OCLC 715140.
- KARNOW, Stanley. "Emilio Aguinaldo". In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines. Random House (1989). ISBN 978-0-394-54975-0.
- "EMILIO F. AGUINALDO (1869–1964)". nhi.gov.ph.
- DYAL, Donald H; CARPENTER, Brian B & THOMAS, Mark A (1996). [extract Historical Dictionary of the Spanish American War] (Digital library). Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-28852-4.
- OOI, Keat Gin, ed. (2004). Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor (3 vols). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1576077702. OCLC 646857823.
- "Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo (1869–1964)". aboutph.com.
- TUROT, Henri (1900). Les hommes de révolution Aguinaldo et les Philippins [Emilio Aguinaldo, first Filipino president, 1898–1901] (in French). préface par Jean Jaures; translated by Mitchell Abidor. Paris: Librairie Léopold Cerf. ISBN 978-1146599917. OCLC 838009722.
- KALAW, Maximo Manguiat (1926). The Development of Philippine Politics, 1872–1920. Manila: Oriental Commercial Co. OCLC 723615963.
- AGONCILLO, Teodoro Andal (1990). History of the Filipino People. Garotech Publishing. ISBN 978-9718711064.
8th edition; 651 pp; 22.2 x 14.4 x 3.4 cm
- GUERRERO, Milagros; SCHUMACHER SJ, John (1998). DALISAY, Jose Y, ed. Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People. 5 Reform and Revolution. Project Director: Teresa Maria CUSTODIO. Manila / Pleasantville NY: Asia Publishing Company, Limited (Reader's Digest). ISBN 9622582281. OCLC 39734321.
Contents: Vol 1 The Philippine Archipelago; Vol 2 The earliest Filipinos; Vol 3 The Spanish conquest; Vol 4 Life in the colony; Vol 5 Reform and revolution; Vol 6 Under stars and stripes; Vol 7 The Japanese occupation; Vol 8 Up from the ashes; Vol 9 A nation reborn; Vol 10 A timeline of Philippine history.
- Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy, "Famous Filipino Masons", The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines, retrieved 11 November 2013
- ZAIDE, Sonia M (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All-Nations Publishing. ISBN 978-9716420715.
2nd edition; 478 pp; 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
- AGUINALDO y FAMY, Don Emilio, "True Version of the Philippine Revolution", Authorama Public Domain Books, retrieved 16 November 2007
- HALSTEAD, Murat (1898). "XII. The American Army in Manila. General Emilio Aguinaldo, a traitor of the Philippine Republic, during Spanish-American Regime.". The Story of the Philippines and Our New Possessions, Including the Ladrones, Hawaii, Cuba and Porto Rico (Project Gutenberg).
- Agoncillo,, Teodor A. (1990). History of the Filipino people ([8th ed.]. ed.). Quezon City: Garotech. p. 157. ISBN 978-9718711064.
- TITHERINGTON, Richard Handfield (1900). A history of the Spanish–American war of 1898. D. Appleton and Company. (republished by openlibrary.org)(pp357–358)
- Foreman, J., 1906, The Philippine Islands, A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons
- "GENERAL AMNESTY FOR THE FILIPINOS; Proclamation Issued by the President" (PDF), The New York Times, 4 July 1902, retrieved 5 February 2008
- Quezon, Manuel L. III (2 April 2002). "History of the Philippines Flag". Flags of the World. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
- "Emilio Aguinaldo". philippine-revolution.110mb.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
- SCHRODER, William (2004). Cousins of Color. Twenty First Century Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-1-904433-13-2.[unreliable source?]
- "Emilio Aguinaldo", Encyclopædia BritannicaOnline, retrieved 25 April 2008
- FREDRIKSEN, John C (2001). America's military adversaries: from colonial times to the present. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-603-3.
- TREATY OF GENERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES. SIGNED AT MANILA, ON 4 JULY 1946 (pdf), United Nations, retrieved 10 December 2007[dead link]
- Diosdado Macapagal, Proclamation No. 28 Declaring June 12 as Philippine Independence Day, Philippine History Group of Los Angeles, retrieved 11 November 2009.
- Diosdado Macapagal (2002), "Chapter 4. June 12 as Independence Day", KALAYAAN, Philippine Information Agency, pp. 12–15, archived from the original on 3 March 2006.
- DELMENDO, Sharon (2004). The star-entangled banner: one hundred years of America in the Philippines. University of the Philippines Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-971-542-484-4.
- AN ACT CHANGING THE DATE OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM JULY FOUR TO JUNE TWELVE, AND DECLARING JULY FOUR AS PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC DAY, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION TWENTY-NINE OF THE REVISED ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, Chanrobles Law Library, 4 August 1964, retrieved 11 November 2009
- Virata, Cesar E.A. (12 June 1998). "Emilio Aguinaldo". Asiaweek. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- Aguinaldo, Emilio (1964), Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan
- Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984), Philippine History and Government, National Bookstore Printing Press[broken citation]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Emilio Aguinaldo.|
|Wikisource has original works written by or about:
- The Philippine Presidency Project[dead link]
- CAUTUSAN: Gobierno Revolucionario nang Filipinas at the Wayback Machine (archived 11 December 2007) [in Tagalog] A decree dated 2 January 1899 signed by Emilio Aguinaldo establishing a council of government.
- Aguinaldo: A Narrative of Filipino Ambitions at the Wayback Machine (archived 13 February 2008) Book written by American Consul Wildman of Hong Kong regarding Emilio Aguinaldo and the Filipino–American War during the early 1900s.
- General Emilio Aguinaldo’s “Confession” at the Wayback Machine (archived 27 May 2008). [in Tagalog]
- Works by Emilio Aguinaldo at Project Gutenberg
|Offices and distinctions|
||President of the Philippines
23 January 1899 – 1 April 1901
Office nullified by the United States by Spain
Title next held byManuel L. Quezon