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 General
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was born on March 26,1869 in
Kawit, Cavite. He was the seventh child of Carlos
Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy. He had six siblings. His
first wife was Hilaria del Rosario. Maria Agoncillo was
his second wife. Aguinaldo came from a wealthy family of
sugar planters.
He studied at Cavite and at Colegio de San Juan de
Letran in Manila.
At 17 he served as Cabeza de Bgrangay of their town. At
26 he was Capitan Municipal, a position equivalent to
Gobernadorcillo at that time.
He joined the Katipunan founded by Andres Bonifacio when
the revolution erupted; He led Magdalo group, another
faction of the Katipunan in Cavite and because of his
excellent leadership they were able to subdue the
Spaniards in the towns of Kawit, Imus and Binakayan.
On March 11, 1887, an election was held at the Tejeros
Convention. He was elected its president. Later
on, the Spaniards decided to make peace with Aguinaldo.
Pedro Paterno, who represented the Philippines and
Governor Primo de Rivera, who represented Spain signed
the 'Pact of Biak-na-Bato' on December 14, 1897. The
peace agreement stipulated the promise of the Spanish
authorities that there will be reform in the government
and that they would send the friars and
abusive,officials back to Spain.
Aguinaldo thought the Spaniards were sincere so he went
on self-exile at Hongkong with some of his loyal
followers. The Spanish authority gave him P400,000 as
war compensation. Little did he know that it was just a
ploy to suppress the growing support of the people to
the rebellion.
Two years later, the Spanish-American War erupted. The
Americans assaulted the different countries colonized by
Spain. Aguinaldo decided to return to the Philippines.
He brought with him the armaments and weapons he bought
from the war compensation he received from the
Spaniards. He was back in the country on May 19, 1898. |
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He made a deal with Commodore George Dewey and U.S.
Consul Pratt to let the American and the Filipino
soldiers join forces against the Spaniards. They easily
triumphed over the enemies in Luzon except Manila.
Aguinaldo proclaimed the Philippine independence at his
Kawit home on June 12,1898. He headed the Revolutionary
Government after convening the Malolos Congress that
formally approved its independence and constitution on
January 21,1899.
As head of the Philippine provisional government,
Aguinaldo resisted American occupation. He continued to
lead the struggle against the United States forces until
March 23, 1901 when General Frederick Funston and his
men captured him
at Palanan, Isabela.
In April 1901 he took an oath of allegiance to the
United States and retired to private life.
Aguinaldo was taken into custody in 1945, during World
War II, by invading American troops and held on
suspicion of collaboration with the enemy during the
Japanese occupation. He was later acquitted.
Aguinaldo died of heart attack on February 6,1964 in
Quezon City. He was 95. |
