Apolinario Mabini (A · PO · li · nár · yo Ma · bí · ni) is often referred to as the “Brain of the Filipino Revolution” and “Great Lump” for his writings and was an important role during the Philippine Revolution.
He was born on July 23, 1864, in Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas. He was the second of eight children to Inocencio Mabini, a poor man, and Dionisia Maranan, a shopkeeper. He entered the scholarly profession at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in 1881 and graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in 1894. He joined La Liga Filipina and was active in the Propaganda Movement. When the Katipunan was established, he did not join it. He became ill and became paralyzed after two years. At the outbreak of the Revolution in 1896, he was suspected of being a Spanish lieutenant and arrested. Because of his illness, he was not taken into custody but sent to San Juan de Dios hospital and remained there until amnesty was granted. He later saw the significance of the Katipunan's intention to overthrow the Spanish government.
General Emilio Aguinaldo heard of his hatred for the law as he was appointed prime minister of the revolutionary Congress of Malolos. He wrote the decree, manifesto, and other writings for Aguinaldo which he considered to be the "Brain of the Filipino Revolution." During the Spanish-American War, he immediately thought of the impact it had had on the Philippines and predicted that the Americas would conquer us.
During the Filipino-American War, even a cripple did not give up. Even in 1899, he was not forced to swear by the United States flag and instead continued writing against the American presence in the Philippines. He was again captured and taken to Guam. There he completed La Revolucion Filipina, a review of the origins and history of the Philippine Revolution. He was allowed to return to the country after almost two years. When he arrived in Manila in 1903, he turned down a job offer to the American civilian government. He died of cholera on May 13, 1903, in Manila.