Philippine E-Journals

The First and True Structure of the Katipunan

Angelito S. Nunag

 

Abstract:

The story of Andres Bonifacio, the Katipunan and the Revolution have always been surrounded with issues that affect our understanding and appreciation of our national hero and his as well as the revolutionists’ initiative for national emancipation. As such, the value of Bonifacio, the Katipunan, and their longing for independence is diminished vis-à-vis the initiatives of the ilustrado heroes which had always overshadowed that of the former’s. This paper aims to aid in our deeper understanding and appreciation of Bonifacio and the Katipunan by shedding light on some of these issues. In this regard, it zeroes in on the first and true organizational and governmental structures of the Katipunan. It is a bold attempt not only because it contains new knowledge about Bonifacio and the Katipunan but also because it goes against the assertions and conclusions of traditional scholarship. It argues that the framing of these structures was rooted in Bonifacio and the revolutionists’ distinct understanding, perception and interpretation of their plight and of their own world, which were born out of their peculiar experiences as “anak ng bayan” (roughly translated as The First and True Structure of the Katipunan “sons of the people”). Further, it brings to the fore the idea that the Katipunan had already been framed in January 1892, long before it was established in July of the same year. Moreover, it contends that the Katipunan was conceived and intended from the very beginning as a national government for the “anak ng bayan.”