11 Things From Philippine History Everyone Pictures

Incorrectly
By FilipiKnow |

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Trust us, you do, but we can’t say we blame you (it’s happened to us too). The passage
of time, wrong information, and inaccurate portrayals have left us picturing famous
events just a way bit off-tangent.

Also Read: 5 Historic Lies You Were Taught In School

For the benefit of enlightenment then, let us look at some of the famous events from
Philippine history we’ve been picturing incorrectly and see them for what they really are
—warts and all.

11. The First Shot of the Philippine-American War Did Not Happen On A Bridge.

San Juan Bridge. Source: Arnaldo Dumindin via philippineamericanwar.webs.com

What You’re Picturing: The first shot of the Philippine-American War was fired on the
San Juan Bridge.
The Reality: As taught to us so many times during our history class, the first shot which
started the Philippine-American War was supposed to have taken place on San Juan
Bridge. However, it actually happened on Sociego Street in Sta. Mesa. In fact, the
marker has since been moved by the National Historical Institute to a corner of Sociego
and Silencio streets.

LEFT: Pvt. William W. Grayson in 1899. RIGHT: Grayson in firing position on the spot where he fired the first shot of

the Fil-Am War. Source: Arnaldo Dumindin via philippineamericanwar.webs.com

Related Article: 8 Dark Chapters of Filipino-American History We Rarely Talk

About
Also, it is interesting to note that the entire war was started by an Englishman. Yes,
Private William Grayson—the man who fired the first shot—was a full-blooded Anglo
who later immigrated to Nebraska with his parents when he was still a child.
 

10. Those Who Attended The Tejeros Convention Were Magdiwang, Not Magdalo.

Source: Tejeros Convention Center, Rosario, Cavite.

What You’re Picturing: The Tejeros Convention of 1897 was dominated by members

of the Magdalo faction led by Emilio Aguinaldo, leading to the latter being elected as the
President.
The Reality: While it was true that Andres Bonifacio had the odds stacked against him
at the Tejeros Convention, we’d just like to point out that majority of those present
belonged to the Magdiwang faction of which Bonifacio himself was associated with.
Mariano Trias of Magdiwang winning as Vice President during the Tejeros Convention, with Andres Bonifacio sitting

on his left. Photo Credit: Prof. Xiao Chua. Painting displayed at Tejeros Hall, Armed Forces of the Philippines

Commissioned Officers’ Club.

In fact, other than Aguinaldo, the rest who won positions in the new government
(Mariano Trias, Artemio Ricarte, Emiliano Riege de Dios) were all Magdiwang. Also of
note was that Magdiwang controlled a more-powerful army and larger territory than
Magdalo.

So, what gives? Why was Bonifacio still defeated? Did both factions band together for
the common good, or did they fall prey to regionalism? Can we trust the accounts of
those who attended the said convention? Inevitably, however, the infamous Tejeros
Convention will have to remain as one of the raging controversies of Philippine
history.
 

9. Jose Rizal Was A Naughty Boy In The Famous “Moth And Lamp” Story.
“The Moth and the Flame,” Charcoal on paper by Ben Cabrera. Found on angelas-collections.blogspot.com

What You’re Picturing: Little Jose Rizal was an obedient child who listened attentively
as her mother told him the “moth and lamp” story.
The Reality: Perhaps no other story sums up Rizal’s childhood so succinctly as his
famous story about the lamp and the moth. And despite what you may think, little Rizal
was actually being naughty.

Rizal being told the story of the moth and the lamp. Painting by Joseph P. Curada. Found on

paperburps.wordpress.com

Instead of reading a Spanish children’s book diligently given to him by his mother
Teodora, he was instead doodling caricatures on its pages. Even after being scolded,
he did not pay much attention to the book, instead focusing his gaze on some moths
that were flying around a coconut oil lamp.

READ: 25 Amazing Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Jose Rizal
To get his attention, Lolay (Rizal’s mom’s nickname) decided to finally tell a story about
moths in Tagalog. Sure enough, little Jose attentively listened but never loosened his
gaze on the flying moths. And contrary to popular belief, one of the moths met its doom
by falling and drowning into the coconut oil after its wings got burned, but not by the fire
itself.

Still, Rizal would never forget the moths, which he in his grown-up years described
as “no longer insignificant to him” after that fateful episode.
 

8. The Cry of Balintawak (or Cry of Pugadlawin, Etc.) Was A Series Of Meetings.

“FIRST Cry of Balintawak,” by Jorge Pineda. Source: Inquirer.net

What You’re Picturing: The Cry of Balintawak (or whatever other historians call it) is
synonymous to the tearing of cedulas (community tax certificates) by members of the
Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio.
The Reality: To simplify this monumental event as one where Bonifacio and his
followers cried for a revolution outside someone’s yard and tore apart
their cedulas would do it injustice. In fact, Bonifacio and other top-ranking members of
the Katipunan would repeatedly meet and discuss behind closed doors during those
fateful days when the Spanish authorities discovered their existence.
A highly stylized rendition of Katipuneros meeting by

“gasera” led by Andres Bonifacio. Art by Ray Vidal. Found on manilastandardtoday.com

Also, not all leaders of the Katipunan were in favor of the uprising (three of them being
Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas and Pio Valenzuela). It was only after Bonifacio managed
to implead the majority that the revolution finally got underway; the tearing of
the cedulaswas a mere afterthought (which could be the reason why there are so many
differing accounts of the “Cry”).
Also Read: 10 Little-Known Facts About The Katipunan
Again, to sum it up, there was a series of hotly-debated meetings, a plea for patriotism,
and finally an overwhelming decision to finally rise up against the Spanish. Real history
is sometimes much more badass than the legend itself.

7. Blood Compacts Were Made By Drawing Blood On The Chest, Not Arms.

Photo from www.bohol.gov.ph

What You’re Picturing: In 1565, Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi entered
into a blood compact (sandugo) with Bohol’s Datu Sikatuna. The ritual was done by
drawing blood from their arms, mixing it with wine, and drinking the said mixture from a
cup.
The Reality: Contrary to popular belief, those famous blood compacts which signified a
peace treaty between the Spaniards and the natives were not done by drawing blood on
the arms, but on the chest.

El Pacto de Sangre by Juan Luna

The incision was usually made below the breast which was to signify how far the
participants would be willing to defend each other’s lives. It also manifested the great
trust both parties placed on each other (imagine having a blade so near the heart).

Did you know? The blood compact between Miguel López de Legazpi and Rajah

Sikatuna was not the first in the country.
As for the misconception that drawing blood was done on the arms, the mix-up could be
attributed to the Katipunan members’ practice of drawing blood on the arms and using it
to sign their oath of membership. In time, the blood compacts also came to be wrongly
associated with the Katipunan method.

6. Gregorio del Pilar Died Early Due To His Own Carelessness.

Gregorio del Pilar and his troops in 1898. Source: Arnold Dumindin via philippineamericanwar.webs.com

What You’re Picturing: Gregorio del Pilar was the last man to die at the Battle of Tirad
Pass, desperately charging into battle with his white horse whilst clutching a saber
before falling to the superior firearms of the Americans.
READ: 11 Things You Never Knew About Gregorio Del Pilar
The Reality: As fate would have it, del Pilar actually died early in the battle—and it was
due to his own carelessness. According to his lieutenant Telesforo Carrasco, del Pilar
himself decided to participate in combat after finding out the Americans were being
pushed back early on. A few minutes into the battle, he raised his head because of the
tall cogon grass and ordered his men to stop firing because he wanted to see the
American position.
Battle of Tirad Pass Diorama

at Padre Burgos National Museum, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Photo Credit: eazytraveler via Flickr

Carrasco warned the boy general that he should crouch down because he was being
targeted. Unfortunately, no sooner than he said that, an American bullet found its mark
and shot through del Pilar’s neck, killing him instantly.

READ: 10 Most Infamous Traitors in Philippine History

Ironically, American general Henry Ware Lawton also met his end earlier in the same
way—shot in the chest after standing carelessly exposed in a heated battle.

5. Ferdinand Marcos Wasn’t The First To Proclaim Martial Law.

What You’re Picturing: President Ferdinand Marcos was the first and only person who
proclaimed martial law in 1972.
Also Read: Martial Law was communism’s biggest recruiter
The Reality: We may have the image of a strong-faced Marcos pointedly telling us why
he declared martial law on television. However, credit for the first declaration belongs to
his Minister of Public Information Francisco “Kit” Tatad who delivered the proclamation
on air at 3 PM of September 23, 1972. Marcos himself would go on air much later, at
7:15 PM of the same evening.
 

4. Jose Rizal Was Finished Off With A Bullet To The Head.

What You’re Picturing: Jose Rizal’s ultimate sacrifice ended with the exclamation point
of him turning his back and facing the sun in one last act of defiance against Spanish
tyranny.
READ: 9 Reasons Why Rizal Was Just As Human As The Rest Of Us
The Reality: While we won’t debate whether his “twist” was deliberate or accidental,
we’d point out Rizal’s execution was completed with the “tiro de gracia” or the mercy
blow to really make sure he was dead. After Rizal fell, a medical officer went up to his
body to feel his pulse (he didn’t declare whether he was still alive or not), and beckoned
for a soldier to shoot Rizal in the head.

A screenshot from the 1998 “Jose Rizal” movie starring Cesar Montano.
The soldier who gave the final blow was in fact the Spanish commander of the firing
squad who, after doing the deed, took out Rizal’s bloodied handkerchief and covered
his face with it. Also of note was the surreal atmosphere surrounding the execution.
While a somber mood dominated the Filipino crowd, the Spanish present (including the
friars) treated the whole event as a virtual fiesta, with makeshift viewing stages set up
around the execution grounds.
 

3. Andres Bonifacio Fought With A Revolver, Not A Bolo.

Painting by Carlos “Botong” Francisco

What You’re Picturing: Andres Bonifacio is usually portrayed in movies and statues as

a rugged camisa de chino-wearing man wielding a revolver and bolo.
The Reality: While undoubtedly badass, Bonifacio in his lifetime preferred to fight with a
revolver and was not known to use a bolo at all. It showed in many instances, such as
during the Battle of San Juan, or during the time when he tried to kill Daniel Tirona at
the Tejeros Convention. In fact, Bonifacio—in his correspondence with other high-
ranking Katipunan members—repeatedly mentioned and emphasized the use of
firearms.

Also Read: 7 Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know About Andres Bonifacio
The perennial image of a bolo-wielding Bonifacio can be attributed to Isabelo de los
Reyes, the founder of the Aglipayan Church and whose accounts characterized the
revolution as a plebeian struggle. His writings inspired sculptor Ramon Martinez to
immortalize Bonifacio in his 1911 Balintawak monument as the bolo-wielding and flag-
holding barefooted peasant who fought for the masses.

2. Emilio Aguinaldo Never Waved The Philippine Flag, Nor Was It Done On A
Balcony.

What You’re Picturing: Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed independence on a balcony of his

mansion while waving the Philippine flag in the early morning of June 12, 1898.
The Reality: Actually, it was Jose Rizal’s distant relative, a lawyer named Ambrosio
Rianzares Bautista, who read the Act of the Declaration of Independence in the late
afternoon in front of an open window. In fact, Aguinaldo added the balcony only
sometime in 1919 to 1921.
LEFT: Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista (Source: Prof. Xiao Chua via It’s Xiao Time!). RIGHT: Aguinaldo mansion where

Philippine independence was proclaimed and the Filipino flag was waved by Bautista (Source: Retrato Filipinas

Photo Collection)

READ: 7 Curious Facts About Emilio Aguinaldo

Also, while it was Aguinaldo who unfurled the flag, it was Bautista who ended up waving
it in front of a jubilant crowd. Lastly, contrary to popular belief, the flag had already flown
twice before its official unfurling—at Cavite Nuevo’s Teatro Caviteño after the Filipino
victory at the Battle of Alapan, and again at the Spanish barracks after another Filipino
win in Binakayan.
 

1. Lapu-Lapu And Magellan Never Actually Duelled.

Battle of Mactan. Painting by Manuel Pañares

What You’re Picturing: Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan in an epic one-on-one

fight.
The Reality: While there was much glory to be had for Lapu-Lapu and his men for
fending off the invaders from Spain, (begrudging) respect should also be given to
Magellan for going down like a true warrior should.

The Death of Magellan, 1521. Found on www.kalisilat.it

While things initially went well for the Spaniards (yes, they were winning the battle early
on with their armor and guns), Magellan and his few dozen men eventually buckled
under the endless assault of more than a thousand natives they were fighting in the
densely-forested inlands of Mactan.
It didn’t help that the Mactanis started targeting their legs and arms after noticing they
were left un-armoured. In the end, it was the heavily injured Magellan (he took a
poisoned arrow to the leg, in addition to several slash and stab wounds in his
extremities and face) who alone faced off against the natives after he stayed behind to
let his men get away, managing to injure and kill a few of them until he was finally
overwhelmed and killed on the beach.