Pugad Lawin or Balintawak?
On August 1896, a meeting led by Andres Bonifacio took place to ignite thousands of Katipunan members as they will going to revolt against the Spanish government. They tore up the cedulas, which signifies the Spanish authority, as a sign of determination and eagerness to attain freedom and independence from the colonizers. This significant event marks the beginning of the national revolution.
In 1950, through President Elpidio Quirino was a Proclamation N0. 200 which declares August 26, 1950 as a special public holiday to commemorate the First Cry of Balintawak on August 26, 1896. People were celebrating August 26 not until a Proclamation No. 129 through President Diosdado Macapagal declaring August 23, 1963 as a special public holiday in Quezon city in celebration of the 67th anniversary of the Cry of Pugad Lawin.
These shifting of dates and places became a controversy in Philippine History.
Dr. Pio Valenzuela’s account (Memoirs of Dr. Pio Valenzuela) is an accepted evidence with the controversy. Through his account was a memoir that the Cry took place in August 23, 1896 at the house of Juan Ramos at Pugad Lawin. This claim was after Valenzuela and the research team of the Philippine Historical Committee in 1940 identified the spot of Pugad Lawin. But before this claim, was Valenzuela’s memoir that it was in August 24 at the house of Tandang Sora through a photograph published in 1928 and 1930.
Since it was declared that it was on August 23 at Pugad Lawin, the 1911 monument in Balintawak was removed. Later on, Teodoro Agoncillo, a renowned Filipino historian and national scientist, with the UP Student Council putted a marker in Pugad Lawin site in 1962.
Dr. Soledad Borromeo-Buehler, a granddaughter of Guillermo Masangkay, a childhood friend of Bonifacio and also an eyewitness, is the author of The Cry in Balintawak. She accepted Mansangkay’s story and that is on the nights of 24 and 25 of August, a group of malhechores (evildoers) attacked Chinese drygoods stores in Balintawak, which preceded the clash between the civil guards and the Katipuneros. On Masangkay’s account was an entry that around 5 o’clock in the afternoon, during the celebration to the official start of the uprising, the guards positioned up in trees, gave a warning that the opponents are coming. The Katipuneros led by Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto then prepared for the attack.
And so, it made me believe into the conclusion that the first cry took place in Balintawak on August 26, 1896 due to the instability of Valenzuela’s account and to the apprehending account of Masangkay.