I.

BACKGROUND The Supreme Council in August 1896, prior to the outbreak

of the Philippine Revolution, was led by Bonifacio as the
On July 7, 1892, upon learning that Dr. Jose P. Rizal was to Supremo, with Jacinto as Secretary of State, Teodoro Plata
be deported and that his works were to be banned in the as Secretary of War, Briccio Pantas as Secretary of Justice,
country, a secret council was convened in No. 72 Azcarraga Aguedo del Rosario as Secretary of Interior, and Enrique
Street. In attendance were Andres Bonifacio, Deodato Pacheco as Secretary of Finance.
Arellano, Valentin Diaz, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa,
Jose Dizon, and a few others, all members of La Liga
Filipina, a progressive organization founded by Rizal. The
men assembled came to the agreement that a revolutionary I. TIMELINE
secret society must be founded, and thus the Kataastaasang  JULY 7, 1982 – Jose Rizal was caught and the
Kagalang-Kagalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan was Katipunan was founded
born.  FEBRUARY 1, 1893 – Deodato Arellano was
deposed and Roman Basa became Supremo
The objectives of the Katipunan, as the brotherhood was  JANUARY 5, 1894 – Bonifacio became Supremo
popularly known, were threefold: political, moral, and and Emilio Jacinto is the Fiscal
civic. They advocated for freedom from the yoke of Spain, 
to be achieved through armed struggle. They also saw it as
their personal responsibility to help the poor and the II. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
oppressed, and to teach them good manners, hygiene, and
morality. 1. DETERMINE WHY THE ARTICLE WAS
WRITTEN
New recruits to the secret society underwent a rigorous
initiation process, and were asked numerous questions. The ● The Start of Katipunan
final rites involved the neophyte signing the oath of
membership in his own blood, usually drawn from a cut On the night that Jose Rizal was caught and thrown at
made by a scalpel to the left forearm (sanduguan). Dapitan, Andres Bonifacio founded the Katipunan in a
house at Tondo, Manila. It was a secret organization under
the name, Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan
ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Bayan. It has the following purpose:

- To build a strong alliance among the Katipuneros

- To unite the Filipino people to have a strong

country

- To claim the freedom and identity of the

Philippines through a revolution
The organizational structure of the Katipunan entailed three
ranks of membership, with new members starting out as - To establish a republic after the revolution
“katipon,” then moving up to “kawal” and eventually to
“bayani.” Members were to pay an entrance fee of one ● Emilio Jacinto in The Katipunan
real fuerte, a unit of currency equal to 1/8 of a silver real
peso, as well as monthly dues and other fees paid He joined in 1894 and wrote the Katipunan Code of Ethics.
exclusively to the Benefit Fund and collected at every He was regarded as “Utak ng Katipunan (The Mind That
session or meeting. Guided the Revolution)”

Contrary to popular belief, Andres Bonifacio—though ● Kartilla ng Katipunan

undoubtedly one of the more prominent founders of the
The word kartilya was coined from the Spanish word
Katipunan—was not its first Supremo or the President of
cartilla which is a booklet that students read before they
the Supreme Council. On July 15, 1892, the members of the
start going to school. Similarly, Jacinto’s code of ethics
Supreme Council were Deodato Arellano (Supremo),
served the same purpose – It states the moral codes which
Bonifacio (Comptroller), Ladislao Diwa (Fiscal), Teodoro
would guide the actions of the revolutionaries. Andres
Plata (Secretary), and Valentin Diaz (Treasurer).
Bonifacio previously made the Decalogue but chose the
Unsatisfied with Arellano’s performance as Supremo, Kartilya as the official teachings of the Katipunan.
Bonifacio later had him deposed, and supported the election
2. IDENTIFY THE AUTHOR
of Roman Basa as Supremo on February 1, 1893. The
Supreme Council was then composed of Basa, Jose Turiano Author: Emilio Jacinto
Santiago (Secretary), Bonifacio (Fiscal), and Vicente
Molina (Treasurer). Born: December 15, 1875 at Tondo, Manila
Bonifacio would only become Supremo on January 5, Mother: Josefa Dizon
1894, with Santiago (Secretary), Emilio Jacinto (Fiscal),
and Molina (Treasurer). Further reorganization in 1896 led Father: Mariano Jacinto
to Jacinto becoming Secretary, and Pio Valenzuela
becoming Fiscal. Spouse: Catalina de Jesus

College:
San Juan de Letran − Their efforts to gain their independence from
Spain was not enough in relation to having many factions
University of Sto. Tomas and not operating the same way. To conclude, Emilio
refused to join these factions, under the leadership of
Known as:
Emilio Aguinaldo.
“Pingkian”
− Emilio Jacinto lived in Laguna and also joined
“Utak ng Katipunan” the militia in fighting the Spaniards.

Contributions: − At the age of 24, Emilio Jacinto died on April 16,

1899. His cause of death was malaria, which he contracted
Member of the Katipunan while living in Majayjay, Laguna. His wife was pregnant at
the time of his death.
Wrote "Kalayaan"
− Remains of his body were initially buried in Sta.
Writing Guidebooks Cruz, Laguna then transferred to Manila North Cemetery.
Death: April 16, 1899 (age 24) at Santa Cruz, Laguna 3. LOOK AT THE TITLE. WHAT DOES IT
TELL YOU ABOUT THE ARGUMENT THE
Cause of Death: Malaria AUTHOR WILL BE DEVELOPING IN THE
MEMOIR ARTICLE?

− Emilio was born on December 15, 1875 at The word Kartilya was borrowed from the Spanish word
Tondo, Manila. cartilla that means primer, first reader or booklet; it
originated from the Latin word charta which means paper
− Josefa Dizon is Emilio's mother while his father's —this text, which is called the Primer of Katipunan in
name is Mariano Jacinto. English, was made by Emilio Jacinto because he intended it
for be the first text that newly inducted Katipuneros will
− After his father's death shortly after he was born, read.
he was forced by his mother to live with his uncle, named
Don Jose' Dizon. Being named as the primer of Katipunan, Jacinto wrote
about human morality, ethics, equality, and justice; specific
− He became a college student at San Juan de parts of the text (12th stanza) also took inspiration from the
Letran College then transferred to University of Sto. Tomas Bible, namely the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12). The
to study law. Kartilya ng Katipunan serves as the very foundation of
what constitutes being a part of the Katipunan, and states
− He stopped schooling and joined the Katipunan at what the leaders expected to see out of their members and
the start of the Philippine revolution that happened in 1896. establishes the code of ethics that the members of
Katipunan must abide by.
− Emilio was only 19 when he joined the
Katipunan. He was known as the brains of the Katipunan 4. LOOK OVER THE FORMAT. ARE THERE
when it comes to military matters. SUBDIVISIONS THAT MIGHT GIVE YOU SOME
IDEA OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE ARGUMENT?
− At the age of 20, Emilio Jacinto joined the secret
revolutionary society, also known as “Katipunan"; It was written in such a way that it enumerates the set of
relinquishing his study to conquer Philippine independence rules and principles that the members should follow. The
from Spain, he became the secretary of the organization Kartilya comprises 14 moral codes, each can be read
and the chief advisor on fiscal matters concerning the secret independently or may be interconnected in meaning with
society. another.
− Emilio Jacinto helped to lead the fight for 5. IS IT A PRIMARY SOURCE OR A
Filipino independence from Spain. SECONDARY SOURCE?
− Being perspicacious has earned him the epithet We used a secondary source because it was an excerpt from
"Utak ng Katipunan" which was given by the Katipuneros. Teodoro Agoncillo’s Revolt of the Masses
− He used "Pingkian '' as his pseudonym during the 6. SUMMARIZE THE MAIN CLAIM
Katipunan epoch.
Emilio Jacinto’s Kartilya ng Katipunan aims to encourage
− He was notable for writing the newspaper called and make the Katipuneros uphold a moral code even during
"Kalayaan", wherein "Dimasilaw" was his pen name. In times of strife. It also asserts that it was the internal
addition to that, he also wrote the guidebook "Kartilya ng qualifications and not the external qualifications that make
Katipunan", which serves as a reference for the new human greatness. It is also intended to appreciate the
members of the organization (e. g the group's rules and essence of its original Tagalog form within the context of
principles). the social and political environment of the colonial era,
amid local traditions, spiritual beliefs, family concepts and
− After the leader of the Katipunan passed away,
ethnic diversity. The vision of the Katipunan is to have an
Emilio continued to carry out the wishes of Bonifacio.
egalitarian Filipino nation and to show the importance of
ideas of Right and Light (Katwiran at Kaliwanagan). It is “Life which is not consecrated to a lofty and sacred
also indicated that the members of cause is like a tree without a shadow, if not a
poisonous weed.”
Katipunan are not only the inheritors of the Age of
Enlightenment, but intellectual and moral revolutionaries. Here, Emilio Jacinto emphasized that a life is
The early Katipuneros understood that following certain considered useless like a tree without shadow or even
moral codes is important for the betterment of the a poisonous weed of it is not dedicated for a sacred
Philippines. It was to educate their organization to be fair and meaningful cause. The value of doing good and
and just and to incorporate compassion to each enemy they sacred makes a once life powerful. Considering that
might encounter. To live their life without stepping on one Katipunero has to have their own reason why they
anyone and at the same time, withhold a strong sense of desire to be one of the Katipuneros.
nationalism within them.
“A good deed that springs from a desire for personal
7. DETERMINE UNDERLYING profit and not a desire to do good is not kindness”
ASSUMPTIONS THE AUTHOR MIGHT HAVE. ARE
THESE ASSUMPTIONS VALID? The second line suggests eradicating selfishness.
Jacinto said that doing something good while thinking
The underlying assumptions in the Kartilya ng Katipunan is about the personal benefits you’ll receive could not be
that those Filipinos/katipuneros who are willing to join the called kindness. Being boastful for an individual profit
group read the code of conduct. It is assumed that those will not take you any longer being a Katipunero
who read it are people who value brotherhood and do not because the reason behind these claims is to build the
take anyone for granted. It is dealt primarily with one’s Filipino nation as one not as an individual.
duties to God, country, family, neighbor, the Katipunan and
himself. It spoke of honor, charity and self-sacrifice but “True greatness consists in being charitable, in loving
warned of penalty to the traitor and disobedient. one’s fellow men and in adjusting every movement,
deed and word to true reason.”
8. IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE THE
REASONS THE AUTHOR GIVES YOU FOR Finding one’s inner peace takes time for one
MAKING THE MAIN CLAIM. ARE THEY GOOD individual to find it’s very most reasonable claim.
REASONS? ARE THEY RELEVANT TO THE MAIN Leaving yourself at the very least priority yet by
CLAIM? involving other people’s lives into yours. A lesson that
we can learn from this line is to serve truly from your
During these times, it was not easy to form a secret heart and not just because it will be beneficial for you.
organization. It is also harder to find loyal men who will This line educates the Katipuneros to be charitable and
serve the country. We think that one of the reasons why to show love for one another in each of their actions.
Jacinto wanted to encourage the Katipuneros is to give
them comfort that they are united all throughout the “All men are equal, be the color of their skin black or
revolution. Aside from that, since they were doing a white. One may be superior to another in knowledge,
dangerous job of fighting for the Filipinos’ freedom, he wealth, and beauty but cannot be superior in being.”
wanted to instil good values to the members because you
There are no people who are identical but we are
cannot honor your country without knowing what is
created equally thus differentiating one human being
morally right.
within his capabilities are the talent that a human can
III. SUMMARY excel on. Because we all can improve on something
that we ought to strive on. Furthermore, this line talks
The KKK (Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang about inner beauty and equality. It states that we are
Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng bayan) was founded by all equal despite our skin color and our personality is
Andres Bonifacio. He created this secret group what matters most.
because became convinced that the only way the
Philippines could gain independence was through a “He who is noble prefers honor to personal gains; he
revolution. It was founded on July 7, 1892 in a house who is mean prefers personal profit to honor.”
on Azcarraga street (now Claro M. Recto), Tondo
There are people whose greed to think of their growth
Manila. Emilio Jacinto joined the KKK after dropping
for themselves yet some choose honor rather than self-
out of college. Jacinto became the secretary, directly
profit. Because there will be nothing better than
reporting to the leader of the Katipunan. He also
attaining an honorable and a meaningful life rather
became the chief advisor on fiscal matters concerning
than living a self-centered individual who attains only
this secret society. In addition to these duties, Emilio
for thyself. A Katipunero should prefer honor rather
also wrote the society's newspaper, the Kalayaan. He
than personal gain and not vice versa.
was named as an “Utak ng Katipunan”. Jacinto was
also placed in charge of writing the guidebook for new “To a man with a sense of shame, his word is
members and current members of the Katipunan, inviolate.”
which was called Kartilya ng Katipunan.
A Katipunero must always mean what he says
KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN according to the sixth line. He shall be a man of his
INTERPRETATION words. Those people who have respect for themselves
and have the will to live by their beliefs and sayings
are actually the people who deserve to be respected
that no matter what condition may occur he will
always choose his own will.

“Don’t waste away time; lost riches may be recovered,

but time last will never come again.”

Time is more valuable than anything in this world, we

can attain everything with possibility through time.
Riches are only temporary as long as you have time
you have the chance to get those material riches but
when your time stamp has already ended those riches
can never be brought with you, only it’s going to be
circulating again to those people whom you left
behind. Therefore, the Katipuneros should not waste
their time and start to eliminate their bad deeds and
follow the code of ethics.

“Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor.”

The main reason to attain Filipino National as a

Katipunero is to fight hard for the country and for the
fellow citizens. Defending its land against those who
tend to conquer our land. A Katipunero must also fight
the oppressor and to serve his fellow Filipinos truly,
not spying on his brothers.

“An intelligent man is he who is cautious in speech

and knows how to keep the secrets that must be
guarded.”

That to be trusted to carry on the valuable information

that needed to be kept no matter what. Emilio Jacinto
expressed that a wise man shall be careful with his
words and know how to keep secrets and what secrets
to keep.

The tenth to twelfth are correlated and talks about men

as a leader of a family. Jacinto encourages men,
especially fathers, to always choose the right path and
be a good leader and an example for his wife and
children. He also said that husbands shall respect their
wives and never think of them as an object. Moreover,
Jacinto suggest to do not do to the wife, daughter,
sister of another what you do not want done to your
wife, daughter and sister. Second to the last line comes
back to the thought of equality. It summarizes the
other guidelines discussed earlier. It tackled that being
noble is all about our inner values and it does not have
nothing to do with our physical appearance or even
with our position. A noble man is someone who has
dignity and honor; who is honest and true to his
words; who defends the oppressed and fights the
oppressors; and lastly, someone who has love for his
fellow countrymen as well as for his country. On the
last line, Jacinto wrote that all sacrifices, including
lives and pain are all worth it once this code of ethics
are spread and exhibited by his brothers, the Filipinos.