The document summarizes Emilio Aguinaldo's memoirs titled "Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan" which chronicled his experiences during the Philippine Revolution against Spain from 1896-1898. The memoirs are based on Aguinaldo's diary, documents he saved, and stories from his elders. It provides key details on Aguinaldo's early life and leadership of the revolution, including battles he led that resulted in victories against the Spanish in Cavite. While the full second volume has not been proven to exist, the first volume in the memoirs is an important primary source that gives insights into the revolution from Aguinaldo's perspective.

1. Lesson 5: Emilio
Aguinaldo,
Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan
- MEMOIRS

2. • Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was born on March 22, 1869 in Kawit, Cavite.
His parents were Carlos Aguinaldo y Jamir and Trinidad Famy-
Aguinaldo.
• His family was one of the wealthy and influential family as his father
become gobernadorcilio many times.
• Aguinaldo studied at Colegio De San Juan de Letran but he wasn't able to
finished his studies due to his fathers death.
• At the age of 17, he become “Cabeza de Barangay” in binakayan.
• He become the Cavite el Viejo's 1st “Gobernadorcilio Capitan Municipal”
in 1894 at the age of 25.
• Aguinaldo become a Freemason during this year, joining Pilar lodge No.
203, Imus, Cavite with the codename “Colon,” he also joined the
Katipunan and used the nom de guerrre “Magdalo” in honor of Mary
Magdalene.

3. • By becoming President of the First Philippine Republic, Aguinaldo would become the
country’s first and youngest President. He was chosen President of pamahalaang pang-
Himagsikan in Bario Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon, on March 22, 1897.
• He was the one who proclaim Independence Day on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite.
• He led Philippine forces against Spain during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898)
and the ninth Spanish-American War (1898), and then against the US durimg the
Philippine-Amaerican War (1899-1901).
• He attempted to re-enter politics by running against Manuel L. Quezon in the 1935
Presidential Election. He ran for President in 1935, but lost, forcing him to step off
from public life. Despite this, Aguinaldo remained politically active in the goverment
under consecutive regimes, in 1950, President Elpidio Quirino appointed him to the
Philippine Council of state.
• On February 6, 1964, Emilio Aguinaldo died of coronary thrombosis. He was 94 years
old when he died. In his words, During his lifetime, he was able to observe the
administration of the Philippine’s succeeding President Diosdado Macapagal’s term.

4. Historical Background
Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan
• Emilio Aguinaldo wrote the first volume of his memoirs in Longhand between 1928 and 1946,
titled “Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan (1964)”, which Sulpicio Guevara translated from the original
tagalog as “Memoirs of Revolution” (1964) .
• The memoirs, according to Aguinaldo's introduction, are based on a diary he kept, documents he
saved, and family lore obtained from his elders.
• Amberth Ocampo believes mga Gunita ng Himagsikan was formally distributed to the public in
1967.
• The second volume would be focused to the Philippine’s Resumption Revolution against Spain and
the Philippine-American war.
• Aguinaldo wanted to correct history by making reference to the historian’s confused accounts on
the beginning of the revolution.
• This event occured in Balintawak, according to Aguinaldo, however the late historian, Teodoro
Agoncilio took Pio Valenzuela's word for it and argued for Pugadlawin. Aside from this two places,
there's Kangkong, Bahay Toro, PasongTamo, Pacpac Lawin, and, if you believe in komiks, pugad
baboy.

5. • Due to lack of reliable references, not all sources were documented.
• It may add to our historical confusion, perhaps there are still hidden
journal and other papers tucked away in the Aguinaldo Shrine that can
lead us to volume 2 of the memoirs.
• Aguinaldo donated his kawit mansion and all of its contents to the
government a year before his death. It is known as the Emilio
Aguinaldo Shrine and is cared for the Philippine National Historical
Commission.
• The famous “Independence Balcony” maybe found in the original
wooden house.

6. Content Presentation and Analysis of the
important historical information found in the
document
• Emilio Aguinaldo's book, mga Gunita ng Himagsikan, based on a diary he kept, many
documents he saved, and family legend the gathered from his elders.
• The Memoirs include information of the two Sangguniang Bayan, especially; the
Magdalo and the Magdiwang whom took a key role in training the victory of
independence for the lalawigan of Cavite against Spain.
• He led numerous attacks and won victories against the Spaniards in the Cavite
province. After the death of Bonifacio, he assumed total leadership of the revolution.
• Later, Aguinaldo forcibly set up a provisional dictatorship in the country, declared
Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, and sworn in as the first President of the
new, Self-Governed Philippine Republic.
• Believed to be of two volumes, Aguinaldo's memoirs include accounts beginning
from his birth, his early life, and his participation in the revolution. However, the first
volume ends the memoir only with the details of the Treaty in the Biak-na-Bato.

7. • although its excistence is still not proven, the second volume is assumed to
continue with the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-
American war. The provided excerpts begin which led to the confrontation of
the three Filipino civil guards patrolling their teritory.
• this is followed by a narrative of the Siege of Imus, where they have been
cheated at first yet was able to make a successful attack after regrouping and
changing tactics. The last of the three excerpts is the longest and tackles several
events in the revolution.
• it ended with the account of the battle of pateros which initially was a victory
after they caused te retreat of the Spanish troops by the Pasig River but then
was forced to go back to Cavite when a bigger army of Spaniards from Laguna
came to attack the province. Produced in long hand and written in tagalog
between 1928 and 1946, it gave us essential information to visualized how
Filipino Revolutionaries engaged in batltle with the Spaniards which were
important events in the Philippine History.

8. • it chronicled the revolution which showed us how united and
persistent the Filipinos were to end the Spanish occupation. This
allows us to grasp how great their struggles were during the
Colonial era to the point that what they desired was nothing more
than independence.
• other than that, the documents highlights the experiences and
aspirations of Emilio Aguinaldo. The understanding we give to his
personal becomes relevant in knowing what kind of a Filipino
leader he was. We were able to view history through the eyes of
Aguinaldo, which leads us to a better appreciation of his heroism
and efforts important to the freedom we enjoy today.

9. Contribution and Relevance of the document in
understanding of grand narrative of Philippine
History
• The revolution memoirs provided us with crucial information that we
needed to know during the foreign colonization. Providing a quick
overview of significant events in Philippine History to its readers.
• The events in our brains kept building up and as we progressed, we
discover that they were all connected. We don't know what happen
before we read the multiple accounts in that Tejeros assembly since we
read them first.
• As a result, before the assembly, he was able to win the battle of
pasong santol and the contra-ataque in Silang and Escribano, driving
the Spanish out and forcing Captain General Polavieja to resign. As a
result, Aguinaldo possessed the qualities that a revolutionary President
should have.

10. Reporter: GROUP 5
Jenica Lee T. Tagala
Kyla Mamuad
Yna Kezziah S. Ibana
Ej Almazan
Jules Cedrick Fernandez
Justine Edra
BSHM 1-N