The Prewar Intramuros

If youre a history junky chances are you've already seen this video by an American journalist taken before the war.

I need not say more... precioso!



Another video called, "Manila - Castillian Memories"

[youtube=http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOI6rc38Qic&feature=channel]

Remember Heneral Cailles!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The great Heneral Cailles"][/caption]

One of the greatest commander in Aguinaldo's army, Juan Cailles the great field general in Tayabas and Laguna is all but forgotten now. Unpopular to our history text, unfamiliar to most of us, the Nasugbu born, half French half Indian Cailles, got his early education in the Jesuit run Escuela Normal in Manila and became a maestro in Cavite towns. He taught in Spanish and would be regarded even later in his life as ‘El Maestro', a fitting moniker for he was a brilliant strategist in battle and in public administration.

At the outbreak of the war against mother Spain, he enlisted and held an officer rank under revolution heroes Evangelista, Tria Tirona and Noriel. Due in part to the deaths of his battle masters, the colonel rose from obscurity to become head master himself, he was commissioned heneral by Aguinaldo in the years that followed. And this adopted son of Laguna would not disappoint.

He was with Noriel when the General was itching to capture the walled city, American historian Benjamin Beede in his book "The War of 1898", "assigned to the primera zona, Cailles warned of a US troop build up and defied US forces' attempt to persuade him to retreat. His daring won him praise from Aguinaldo."

But Aguinaldo, cowed by that American might, later conned by its sales pitch, never took the city. Much to the disappointment of his field commanders, Noriel and men like Cailles, so close but it must have felt like light years for the brave Filipino warriors. No, Intramuros, Manila belongs to the new American lords, not to Aguinaldo's revolutionary state. The American stole what could have been the greatest victory of the revolution, Americans became new conquerors, It completed the vicious cycle from one master to another. The cry for freedom, remained a cry for it never materialized, no one was liberated. It snapped before it could fulfill its promise. Foreign domination looms as the future of the Filipino state.

The Tagalog warrior would continue fighting for his el Presidente. The most skillful commander in Aguinaldo's army was only in his mid 30's; he was young, brilliant and fearless. He was battle tested, he gained invaluable experience fighting the most powerful military force then, and now. The white men he saw  Manila bay, the same men who stole Intramuros from his hands is already inland and there is nothing more he could ask for. The war is now in the Tagalog heartland.

"War, War, is what we want!", he told Aguinaldo. The size of the American contingent is nothing to him, he was a confident fighter.

The same year he was appointed by Aguinaldo's revolutionary government as military Governor of Laguna. He would employ guerilla warfare, it was his antidote to the overly large American army. Hit and not be hit. He was so successful in his campaigns that it was told then that the confident General proclaimed himself successor to Aguinaldo. The self appointed heir apparent was the shimmer man of the Luzon battlegrounds.

He was ruthless; he commanded deaths for Filipino collaborators. He used terror to his advantage. The New York Times on April 29, 1901 reported about a unit in Cailles army called Mando-Ducats, this men conducted assassinations for American collaborators. In that paper, it was reported that the group was also involve in burying men alive, an act intended to strike fear among the population. He went after the Federalistas, tagged them as traitors and executed them in public. He was branded; warlord by some, Aguinaldo never restrained his actions, communication between the leader and follower even reflected a common stand. He would not be held responsible for the alleged war crimes even during the peaceful years of Quezon's commonwealth nation. He smoothly transitioned from warrior to public servant.

The American so hated him that they would employ their entire arsenal chasing the Lagunense's army, much to their disadvantage. He was fighting small, they were fighting big, and it was a classic elephant versus tiger confrontation. So effective that he dealt a major blow to the Americans when he defeated them in their invasion of Mabitac.

The Americans in their desperation to capture the mustached hero circulated 16 blown up photographs and suggested rewards leading to his capture.

Americans portrayed him barbaric and murderous but he would surprised everyone, even his men and his adversary Col. Cheetham when the morning after the battle he allowed Cheetham to retrieve his dead soldiers in the fields of Mabitac, making sure that wounded and dead would be brought to their camps, a sharp contrast to the American propaganda against the brave Heneral.

His military genius would be put to use as Governor when he suppressed the Sakdalan rebellion.

Cailles failure to make progress in Tayabas and in light of Aguinaldo's capture led him to accept terms for his surrender in Santa Cruz, ending his legendary war career that goes back to his gallant stand with Noriel in the gates of Manila. Together with 650 of his men they laid down their arms. In a ceremony, he tendered his sword to Gen. Summer. The General would return the sword and revolutionary flag to the local hero. Cailles would present these items to Gen. MacArthur, marking the end of his resistance.

He served Laguna as its Governor in 1901 - 1910 and again 1916 - 1925. Later on he was appointed, representative of Mountain Province in the national legislature in 1925, until 1931. He then again became Laguna governor in 1934. He was Laguna's first Filipino governor.

During his term he built the capitolyo, regional hospital and other important provincial service buildings. He donated years of his salary to a school, being a schoolteacher he understood the importance of educacion, this would later became  the Cailles Fund. His adversaries hated him but during his years as public servant, his people loved him.

Aside from the jueteng allegations that Quezon administration raised as a concern, the president said it was more of his wife's doing - "brave as he is", the Mestizo leader said, "like all men he's afraid of his wife", he would later recognize and call on Cailles as the greatest provincial governor the nation ever had. He lived a peaceful and honest life after he swore allegiance to the new government. He died in 1951 of heart attack.

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I dedicate this incomplete history of General  Cailles to his great grandchildren, who now tries to learn more about the heroism of their great lolo.

Remember Cailles.

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My thoughts on the paralytic hero

I took this Picture at A Mabini Corner Quirino, it was an odd place for the monument. Homeless people occasionally do their thing near it or on it. Good thing it was made of bronze not iron for if it was, it won't last!



August is famous for the simultaneous commemoration of Ninoy's heroism in EDSA chapel and in the other parts of our country bearing relation to the slain solon; his dedication towards bringing the nation back to democracy is truly inspiring. Even knowing well in advance that his life was in peril, he knew that his death would only fortify his fight and this in the end, would strengthen the nations resolve to move against the dictatorship.



Amidst the solemn dedications, televised mass offerings and media publicity, I was unsure why I kept on thinking about this other hero, this Mabini person - it could be because I have been reading books about him lately, his biography by Majul and his letters that were compiled by TM Kalaw, now published by NHI. This books were great resource if one is to understand what Mabini was like. I'm sure he was the serious kinda guy type unlike Rizal and his buddies. In Mabini's letter you would feel his tone, his formality and his admirable courtesy.



I read that there were two events held in Manila in his honor, celebrating his birthday this year, one was in A. Mabini (Manila), where the former Mayor of Manila erected a handsome looking ‘Paralitico' in bronze, I barely recognized the image, I thought at first it was the great Mayor Lacson! Mayor Lim led the commemoration with some students, government employees and bystanders. The other celebration was in PUP grounds, where his small house was moved from its former location in Nagtahan. I could not understand why it was transferred but there it is, in a school campus waiting to be harmed by vandalizing souls.



In all honesty, I never really admired Mabini with the same esteem I've had with the other giants of our history, I've read about him, for one it would be difficult to avoid his name, much his role. His presence is consistent in all of our history texts. I failed to recognize how this man, with his paralysis and loneliness conducted himself during the endless battles of the first government. How he, at some critical moments orchestrated the governments operation, leading the battered republic with Aguinaldo.



In a undated letter circa 1899, Mabini, with no military experience other than witnessing real battle and assisting in planning battle positions with the other commanders, provided a seasoned warrior in Aguinaldo how ‘to seize Manila', his ‘pointers' were that of a fighting general, minus the distinguished uniform. This only goes to show how this man, deserves his title as the ‘brains of the revolution'.



In all his letters to Aguinaldo, although always respectful, one could sense that he had always doubted the Generals capacity to lead the nation. His criticism were sharp, his objections, direct to the point. In one of his letter he acknowledged his being ‘troublesome' to the presidents busy schedule but still insisted that he be heard. His observation that living the treasury in the hands of the ‘rich people of Manila' would mean trouble for the people. How it was ‘set up' would place the government ‘under its power' according to him - how brilliant is this man that he understood even the minds of soon to be grafters.



Nick Joaquin, in his popular book, ‘Questions of Heroes' noted that Mabinis character always wanted to be ‘blameless' of all the missteps that the government commits. The great national artist has pointed out that Mabini was too critical of the government that he himself help designed. In Malolos, he objected to the point of alienating the rich and ilustrados, when substantial number of this faction retracted their support and went back to Manila accepting America's rule, it made matters even more difficult for the revolutionary government. The ‘blameless' Mabini has antagonized all, the story of his relation with with his old master ends up in a sour note, his allegation against Aguinaldo's misled government and abuses was a show of a complete breakdown. Much to his credit, he swore allegiance to the American only after securing certain rights for the Filipino under the bill of rights of the Yankees, while everyone, all his contemporaries swore to the American flag without any guarantees.



It would be difficult to understand what Mabini desired the most, he was said to be against allowing the rich in power, he saw it as a class issue, that this few should not be allowed to reign - their rise in his mind must be averted, he insisted that the peasantry and the lowly soldiers must have a say and be represented, something that does not really sit well with the men of properties. In all of this, one could not help but think that Mabini led a campaign that disunited the most important elements (the mass, the soldiers and the rich, the ilustrados) that could've increased the chance of the government's survival. The Mabini with the great revolutionary mind was a flawed statesman, unwell in compromising with his fellow Filipino, a luckless diplomat who end up fighting a crucial class, the group that Rizal wanted to be involved in order to win the battle.



I saw in Mabini the intellect that none of his contemporaries could match, he is a perfectionist - he always demands what is ‘right' in his eyes. He always questions, clamoring for answers. He could be the most beautiful mind our revolution ever had, for his time was different one, he was fighting - not physically but mentally. War was in front of him most of the time; his battles were different in so many ways to that of the ‘propagandistas' and the other political thinkers who wanted to liberate the country.



My view of this man is, yes, different from the usual Mabini we think of when we were younger - but reading how he lived made me ask more questions about who he really was. For me, he is a great Filipino - still but I long to know more, that in time, I'm certain would be answered by my lifelong study of our nation's history. No one could deduct what he has already done for his country. In a biography I saw how this Tanauan native rose to prominence because of his intellectual mind, how he valued education and how passionate he was for his fellow Filipinos welfare, which should served as an example for all of us. In his letters and writings, I saw his mind and how accurate were some of his observations, some are still very relevant to our modern times. He was not perfect, but in the end, his story, his role in our history, his achievements, his heroism and yes, his failures deserve to be read and studied by all young Filipino historians.

Rizal in polka dots

I was on my way to the archives in Kalaw when I noticed this statue, almost hidden, close to the Tourism building.

I can't help but smile when I saw this one, a man who look like Rizal riding a carabao wearing a polka dotted polo with red pants, carrying a plow, sleeves rolled up ready for days work in the rice fields!

I'm sure that even Rizal would laugh at this one, he has always projected himself well, he dress like that of a European man -a ‘vanedoso', very sophisticated and refined in his choices of clothing, and now this - a depiction of the fashionable Rizal on top of a carabao, in colorful polka dots!

Rizal monuments always catches my attention, for one, they are a common site in our country, they are everywhere. This one is not Rizal - but was molded in his likeness.

I read about a comment of one of Rizal relatives, even this man believes that we 'over do' monuments with Pepe as a theme, 'kulang na lang pati mga lugar na inihian ni Rizal tayuan ng monumento!' - I for one believe that we should, as a people try to pay homage to other significant contributors in our culture and history. Most monuments are either revolutionaries, propagandist or presidents, Its about time we look at our past, not confined by the revolutionaries and politicians.

This farmer statue reminds me of anatomical drawings I saw that dates back in the early 1900's, the male model had striking resemblance with the national hero; He was the perfect model of Filipino manhood during that time! so if one is to picture a Filipino, the Americans would want you to see Rizal.

The Americans was successful in their drive to make Pepe the national hero, he was the moderate one, the other revolutionaries were, well, a bit too radical.

So even though we are taught in our history books of the brave Bonifacio (contrary to popular belief, not a plebeian but an illustrado) and the Generalisimmo's campaign against mother Spain (Boni and his siblings killed in Maragondon by Aguinaldos men, it was a bloody revolution!) - we were given a propagandist for a national hero. When the other nation's national heroes were all fighters, we got for ourselves a writer.

As a young man I thought it was a simple case of the ‘Pen is mightier than the sword' situation, but as I later found out, his election to the stature of national hero has something to do with his reputation - a reformist and a pacifist. Even in this type of selection, political convenience plays a major role.