1.

Background of the Author

Emilio Jacinto (Kei Hojas)

 (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈ Kei Hojaso];
 15 December 1875 – 16 April 1899
 Was a Filipino General during the Philippine Revolution.
 He was one of the highest-ranking officer in the Philippine Revolution and was
one of the highest-ranking officers of the revolutionary society Kataas-taasan,
Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, or simply and more
popularly called Katipunan,
 He was elected Secretary of State for the Haring Bayang Katagalugan, a
revolutionary government established during the outbreak of hostilities.
 He is popularly known in Philippine history textbooks as the Brains of the
Katipunan
 Some contend he should be rightfully recognized as the
 "Brain of the Revolution"
 (Filipino: Utal ng Himagsikan, a title that is usually given to Apolinario Mabini).
 Jacinto was present in the so-called Cry of Pugad Lawin (or Cry of Balintawak)
with Andrés Bonifacio, the Supremo (Supreme President) of the Katipunan,

2. Historical Background of the document

The KKK or The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang, Katipunan ng mga anak

ng bayan or Katipunan is arguably the most important organization formed in the
Philippine history. The organization envisioned:
A united Filipino nation that would revolt against the Spaniards.
The total independence of the country from Spain.
Previous armed revolts had already occurred beforenth foundation of the
katipunan, but none of them envisioned a unified Filipino nation revolting against
colonizers. For example:
 Diego Silang was known as an Ilocano who took up his arms and led one of the
strongest running revolts in country. His mainly concerned about is locality and
referred to himself as El Rey de Ilocos (The King of Ilocos). The imagination was
largely absent in the aspirations as the local revolt before the Katipunan.
 The Propaganda movements led by the Illustrado like Marcelo H. Del Pilar,
Graciano Lopez Jaena and Jose Rizal did not envision a total separation of the
Philippines from Spain, but only wants is equal rights, representation, and
protection from the abuses of the friars.

The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish

Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from
Spain through revolution. The name Katipunan is actually a shorter version of the
official name, which is in Tagalog: Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng
mga Anak ng Bayan (translated as, Supreme and Venerable Society of the Sons of
the People, Highest and Most Honorable Society of the Children of the Nation). The
Katipunan is also known by its acronym, KKK. The word "katipunan", literally
meaning 'association', comes from the root word "tipon", a Tagalog word, meaning
"society" or "gather together". Katipunan was a secret organization until its
discovery in 1896 that led to the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.
3. Content presentation and analysis of the important historical
information found in the document.

On the night of July 7, 1892, Andrés Bonifacio, a member of the La Liga

Filipina, founded the Katipunan in a house in Tondo, Manila. Bonifacio did establish
the Katipunan when it was becoming apparent to anti-Spanish Filipinos that colonial
authorities would suppress societies like the La Liga Filipina. The Katipunan was
founded along Azcarraga St. (now Claro M. Recto Avenue) near Elcano St. in
Tondo, Manila.
The Katipunan had four aims, namely:
 To develop a strong alliance with each and every Katipunero
 To unite Filipinos into one solid nation;
 To win Philippine independence by means of an armed conflict (or revolution)
 To establish a republic after independence.

The rise of the Katipunan signalled the end of the crusade to secure reforms from
Spain by means of a peaceful campaign.
The KKK members agreed on the following objectives:
The political goal was to completely separate the Philippines from Spain after
declaring the country’s independence.
The moral goal was to teach the Filipinos good manners, cleanliness, hygiene, fine
morals, and how to guard themselves against religious fanaticism.
The civic goal was to encourage Filipinos to help themselves and to defend the poor
oppressed.

The Katipunan was governed by the Supreme Council (Tagalog:

Kataastaasang Sanggunian).The first Supreme Council of the Katipunan was formed
around August 1892, a month after the founding of the society. The Supreme
Council was headed by an elected president (Pangulo), followed by the
secretary/secretaries (Kalihim); the treasurer (Tagaingat-yaman) and the fiscal
(Tagausig). The Supreme Council also had its councilors (Kasanguni); the number
varied through presidencies. To distinguish from presidents of lower sanggunian or
councils (below) the president of the Supreme Council was called the Supreme
President (Tagalog: Kataastaasang Pangulo; Spanish: Presidente Supremo).
In each province where there were Katipunan members, a provincial council called
Sangguniang Bayan was established and in each town was an organized popular
council called Sangguniang Balangay. Each Balangay were given a chance to
expand their own spheres of influence, through triangle system in order to elevate
their status to Sangguniang Bayan.
It was the original plan of Bonifacio to increase the membership of the Katipunan by
means of sistemang patatsulok or triangle system. He formed his first triangle with
his two comrades, Teodoro Plata and Ladislao Diwa. Each of them re-instituted
Katipunan thoughts into another two new converts. A new system of initiation,
modeled after the Masonic rites was then adopted.

Bonifacio divided the members into three grades. In the meeting of the
society, Katipon wore a black hood with a triangle of white ribbon having the letters
"Z. Ll. B.", corresponding to the roman "A.N.B.", meaning Anak ng Bayan (Son of
the People). Kawal wore a green hood with a triangle having white lines and the
letters "Z. LL. B." at the three angles of the triangle, and also wore a green ribbon
with a medal with the letter (ka) in Baybayin script above a depiction of a crossed
sword and flag. The password was Gom-Bur-Za, taken from the names of the three
martyrs. Bayani (Hero) wore a red mask and a sash with green borders, symbolizing
courage and hope. The front of the mask had white borders that formed a triangle
with three Ks arranged as if occupying the angles of a triangle within a triangle, and
with the letters "Z. Ll. B." below. Another password was Rizal. A member meeting
another member placed the palm of his right hand on his breast and, as he passed the
other member, he closed the hands to bring the right index finger and thumb
together.
Color designations:
(Black) Katipon. First-degree members. Other symbols: Black hood, revolver and/or
bolo.
(Green) Kawal. Second-degree members. Other symbols: green ribboned-medallion
with Malayan K inscription.
(Red and Green) Bayani. Third degree members. Other symbols: Red hood and sash,
with green borders.

Any person who wished to join the Katipunan was subjected to certain
initiation 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. 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.
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.
The next step in the initiation ceremony was the lecture given by the master of
ceremonies, called Mabalasig/Mabalasik (terrible brother), who informed the
neophyte to withdraw if he lacked courage since he would be out of place in the
patriotic society, If the neophyte persisted, he was presented to the assembly of the
brethren, who subjected him to various ordeals such as blindfolding him and making
him shoot a supposedly a revolver at a person, or forcing him to jump a supposedly
hot flame. After the ordeals came to final rite–the pacto de sangre or blood
compact–in which the neophyte signed the oath with blood taken from his arm. He
was then accepted as a full-pledged member, with a symbolic name by which he was
being known within Katipunan circles.

Kartilya ng Katipunan
Ni Emilio Jacinto

1. The life is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree withut a
shade, if not a poisonous weed.
2. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue.
3. It is rational to be charitable and love one’s fellow creature, and to adjust one’s
conduct, acts and words to what is in itself reasonable.
4. Whether our skin is black or white, we are all born equals: superiority in
knowledge, wealth and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by nature.
5. The honourable man prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor.
6. To the honourable man, his word is sacred
7. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost.
8. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field.
9. The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.
10. On the thorny path of life, man is guide of woman and the children, and if the
guide leads to the precipice, those whom be guides will also go there.
11.Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful companion
who will share with thee the penalties of life; her (physical) weakness will
 increase thy interest in her and she will remind thee of the mother who bore thee
and reared thee.
12.What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brother, and sister that do
not unto the wife children, brother and sister neighbour.
13. Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is aquiline, and his
color white, not because he is a priest, a servant of God, norr because of the
prerogative that he enjoys upon earth, but he is worth most who is a man of
proven and real value, who does good, keeps his words, is worthy and honest; he
who loves and cherishes his fatherland, though he be born in the wilderness and
know no tongue but his own.
14.When these rules of conduct shall be known to all, the longed for sun of Liberty
shall rise brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe and rays shall
diffuse everlasting joy among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the
lives of those who have gone before, the fatigues and the well paid suffering will
remain. If he who desires to enter has informed himself of all this and believes he
will be able to perform what will be his duties, he may fill out the application for
admission.

4. Contribution and relevance of the document in the understanding

the grand narrative of Phil. History
Knowing the sacrifices of the hero’s and their contribution on how we become
independence and we get our freedom for our country. Knowing there is one way to give
respect to them. The movement of Katipunan is a huge success for the Filipino’s because it is
the symbol of the unity of the people of the Philippines. If they don’t wrote this documents or
statement, todays generation wont know how the Filipino’s get their freedom this is the
reason why the Katipunan has a huge. The grand narrative of the Philippines not only about
how the Spaniards taken us but also the other countries. The grand narrative of the
Philippines is about the history of the Filipino who fight our freedom and made a better
future for the future generation.

5. Learnings Experiences
The past discussion about the history of our country i realized why we cant be a better
country, because of this what we called envy, because of envy we cant become a better
country also because of crab mentality we have that set up of mind several years ago, that is
not new to us if we know the truth and the truth only maybe the people know a days will be
more aware and maybe we can change it but this generation they want to change but they
don’t want to be change, we still in the cage of past, we are still living in the palm of other
country, if don’t want to be change we cant stand to our own feet.