FORGOTTEN FILIPINO HEROES: Gen. Francisco S. Makabulos
by Antonio C. Antonio
November 2, 2014
When Filipinos talk about heroes, we seem to automatically
refer to the following illustrious names: Dr. Jose Protacio Realonda
Mercado-Rizal; Andres de Castro Bonifacio; Apolinario Maranan Mabini; Gen.
Emilio Famy Aguinaldo, etc. Our history
books, more often than not, often refer to these names as Philippine heroes…
leaving the impression that they are the only ones. However, there really is a long line of heroes
that accompany this patriotic group.
They are often referred to as the forgotten Filipino heroes. Here is one of them.
“Francisco Soliman Makabulos (September 17, 1871 – April 30,
1922) was a Filipino patriot who led the Katipunan revolutionary forces during
the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1896.
He was born in La Paz, Tarlac to Alejandro Makabulos of
Lubao, Pampanga and Gregoria Soliman. He
organized the first Katipunan group there after he was inducted into the secret
society by Ladislao Diwa in 1896. When
the revolution broke out in 1896, he liberated Tarlac and established town
councils in areas he liberated.
Makabulos refused to honor the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which
called for a truce with the Spanish colonial government, and continued
operations in Cetral Luzon. But on
January 4, 1898, he disbanded his troops and accepted amnesty after receiving
PhP 14,000 as part of Spanish reparations to Filipino revolutionaries. Makabulos distributed the money to his men.
However, he resumed operations against the Spanish and on
April 17, 1898, an assembly of citizens representing the town councils
Makabulos established, calling themselves representatives of Central Luzon, met
and drafted a provisional constitution.
They created a government that was to exist until a revolutionary
government is established. Makabulos’
government was headed by a general executive committee, consisting of a
president, vie president, secretary of interior, secretary of war and a
secretary of the treasury.
Makabulos dissolved his government after the First
Philippine Republic was created by the Malolos Constitution, which he also
signed. He also led his men to free
nearby provinces like Pangasinan where he led revolutionists in the Battle of
Dagupan.” (Wikipedia)
After Gen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo was captured, Makabulos
continued fighting the Americans and framed his own constitution called the
Constitution of Makabulos. He realized
that further fighting would be futile, and so, in June 1900, he surrendered to
the Americans. Later, he became mayor of
La Paz, Tarlac, and after his term in public office, he returned to farming
until his death at the age of 51.
Reading literature about our heroes should rekindle our
nationalist spirit aside from learning from the life and time of these
forgotten Filipino heroes.
Just my little thoughts…
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