Pact of Biak-na-Bato: Difference between revisions

Pact of Biak-na-Bato
	Filipino revolutionaries exiled to Hong Kong. Sitting on Emilio Aguinaldo's right is Lt. Col. Miguel Primo de Rivera, nephew and aide-de-camp of Fernando Primo de Rivera and father of José Antonio Primo de Rivera, who was held hostage until Aguinaldo's indemnity was paid. Standing behind Aguinaldo is Col. Gregorio del Pilar. Standing behind Miguel and to his right is Pedro Paterno.
Type	Peace treaty, General Amnesty
Signed	December 14, 1897
Location	San Miguel, Bulacan in Luzon Island, Philippines
Signatories	Spain; Biak-na-Bato Republic;
Languages	Spanish, Tagalog

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 14:25, 4 January 2024

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 14, 1897,^[3]^[4] created a truce between Spanish colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries were given amnesty and monetary indemnity by the Spanish Government, in return for which the revolutionary government would go into exile in Hong Kong. Aguinaldo had decided to use the money to purchase advance firearms and ammunition later on return to the archipelago.^[5]^: 49^[6]^: 232

The pact was signed in San Miguel, Bulacan, in the house of Pablo Tecson, a Philippine revolutionary captain who served as brigadier general in the 'Brigada Del Pilar' (military troop) of General Gregorio del Pilar during the Revolution.

A hand-drawn Spanish military map of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's headquarters at Biak-na-bato (ca. 1897)

Provisions

According to General Emilio Aguinaldo, writing in 1899, the principal conditions of the Pact of biak-na-bato were:^[4]

That I would, and any of my associates who desired to go with me, be free to live in any foreign country. Having fixed upon Hong Kong as my place of residence, it was agreed that payment of the indemnity of $MXN800,000^[a] should be made in three installments, namely, $MXN400,000^[a] when all the arms in Biak-na-bató were delivered to the Spanish authorities; $MXN200,000^[a] when the arms surrendered amounted to eight hundred stand; the final payment to be made when one thousand stand of arms shall have been handed over to the authorities and the Te Deum sung in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace. The latter part of February was fixed as the limit of time wherein the surrender of arms should be completed.
The whole of the money was to be paid to me personally, leaving the disposal of the money to my discretion and knowledge of the understanding with my associates and other insurgents.
Prior to evacuating Biak-na-bató the remainder of the insurgent forces under Captain-General Primo de Rivera should send to Biak-na-bató two General of the Spanish Army to be held as hostages by my associates who remained there until I and a few of my compatriots arrived in Hong Kong and the first installment of the money payment (namely, four hundred thousand dollars) was paid to me.

It was also agreed that the religious corporations in the Philippines be expelled and an autonomous system of government, political and administrative, be established, though by special request of General Primo de Rivera these conditions were not insisted on in the drawing up of the Treaty, the General contending that such concessions would subject the Spanish Government to severe criticism and even ridicule.

According to historian Teodoro Agoncillo, the pact was made up of three documents which together came to be known as the Truce of Biak-na-Bató and which provided, among other things:^[8]

That Aguinaldo and his companions would go into voluntary exile abroad.^[4]^[8]
That Governor-General Primo de Rivera would pay the sum of $MXN800,000^[a] to the rebels in three installments:

$MXN400,000^[a] to Aguinaldo upon his departure from Biak-na-Bató,^[4]^[8]
$MXN200,000^[a] when the arms surrendered by the revolutionists amounted to 800 stand,^[4] and
the remaining $MXN200,000^[a] when the arms surrendered amounted to 1,000 stand, Te Deum in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace.^[4]

That Primo de Rivera would pay the additional sum of $MXN900,000^[a] to the families of the non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the armed conflict.^[8]

According to historian Sonia M. Zaide, the agreement consisted of three parts:

A document called "Program", generally as described by Agoncillo.
A document called "Act of Agreement" which reiterated parts of the "Program" document and hinted at the desire of the Filipinos for reforms but contained no definite agreement by Spain to grant such reforms.
A third document which discussed the question of indemnity, specifying that Spain would pay a total of $1,700,000— $MXN800,000^[a] as above plus $MXN900,000^[a] to be distributed among the civilian population as compensation for the ravages of war.^[9]

Results

In accordance with the first part of the pact, Aguinaldo and twenty five other top officials of the revolution were banished to Hong Kong with $MXN400,000^[a] in their possession.^[10] The rest of the men received $MXN200,000,^[a] but the third installment was never received. General amnesty was never declared and sporadic skirmishes continued.^[11]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l The Mexican dollar at the time was worth about 50 US cents, equivalent to about $18.31 today.^[7] The peso fuerte and the Mexican dollar were interchangeable at par.

References

^ Harper's Pictorial History of the War with Spain, 1899, Vol. 2, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers
^ Nofi, A.A., 1996, The Spanish–American War, 1898, Pennsylvania: Combined Books, ISBN 0-938289-57-8
^ ^a ^b Spencer Tucker (2009). The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. pp. 58-59. ISBN 978-1-85109-951-1.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Aguinaldo 1899
^ Mabini, A., 1969, The Philippine Revolution, Republic of the Philippines dept. of Education, National Historical Commission
^ Alvarez, S.V., 1992, Recalling the Revolution, Madison: Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, ISBN 1-881261-05-0
^ Halstead 1898, p. 126.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Agoncillo 1990, p. 184
^ Zaide 1999, pp. 252–253.
^ "The World Of 1898". Library of Congress. Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
^ Zaide 1999, p. 253.

Bibliography

Agoncillo, Teodoro (1990) [1960], History of the Filipino People (Eighth ed.), R.P. Garcia Publishing Company, ISBN 971-10-2415-2
Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (23 September 1899), "Chapter II. The Treaty of Biak-na-bató", True Version of the Philippine Revolution, Authorama: Public Domain Books, retrieved 23 September 2008
Halstead, Murat (1898), "XII. The American Army in Manila", The Story of the Philippines and Our New Possessions
Zaide, Sonia M. (1999), The Philippines: a unique nation, All-Nations Publishing, ISBN 978-971-642-071-5

[mex-us-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l The Mexican dollar at the time was worth about 50 US cents, equivalent to about $18.31 today.^[7] The peso fuerte and the Mexican dollar were interchangeable at par.

[1] Harper's Pictorial History of the War with Spain, 1899, Vol. 2, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers

[2] Nofi, A.A., 1996, The Spanish–American War, 1898, Pennsylvania: Combined Books, ISBN 0-938289-57-8

[spencer2009pp58-59-3] Spencer Tucker (2009). The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. pp. 58-59. ISBN 978-1-85109-951-1.

[Aguinaldo1899ch2-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Aguinaldo 1899

[5] Mabini, A., 1969, The Philippine Revolution, Republic of the Philippines dept. of Education, National Historical Commission

[Alvarez-6] Alvarez, S.V., 1992, Recalling the Revolution, Madison: Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, ISBN 1-881261-05-0

[7] Halstead 1898, p. 126.

[agoncillo1990p184-9] Agoncillo 1990, p. 184

[10] Zaide 1999, pp. 252–253.

[11] "The World Of 1898". Library of Congress. Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress. Retrieved 11 April 2014.

[12] Zaide 1999, p. 253.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[a]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|1897 truce during the Philippine Revolution}}
 {{Infobox treaty
 | name                = Pact of Biak-na-Bato
@@ Line 7: / Line 8: @@
 | type                = [[Peace treaty]], [[Amnesty|General Amnesty]]
 | date_drafted        =
-| date_signed         = December 15, 1897<ref name=spencer2009pp58-59>{{cite book|author=Spencer Tucker|title=The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8V3vZxOmHssC|year=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-951-1|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8V3vZxOmHssC&pg=PA58 58-59]}}</ref>
+| date_signed         = December 14, 1897<ref name=spencer2009pp58-59>{{cite book|author=Spencer Tucker|title=The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8V3vZxOmHssC|year=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-951-1|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8V3vZxOmHssC&pg=PA58 58-59]}}</ref>
 | location_signed     = San Miguel, [[Bulacan]] in [[Luzon|Luzon Island]], [[Philippines]]
 | date_sealed         =
@@ Line 13: / Line 14: @@
 | condition_effective =
 | date_expiration     =
-| signatories         = {{flagdeco|Spain|1785}} [[Restoration (Spain)|Spain]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of the Tagalog people.svg}} [[Republic of Biak-na-Bato|Biak-na-Bato]]
+| signatories         =
+* {{flagdeco|Spain|1785}} [[Restoration (Spain)|Spain]]
+* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Biak-na-Bato.svg}} [[Republic of Biak-na-Bato|Biak-na-Bato Republic]]
 | depositor           =
 | languages           = [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]
@@ Line 19: / Line 22: @@
 }}
 [[File:Pact of Biak-na-Bato Filipino negotiators.JPG|thumb|The Filipino negotiators for the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Seated from left to right: [[Pedro Paterno]] and Emilio Aguinaldo with five companions]]
-The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 15, 1897,<ref name=spencer2009pp58-59 /><ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2>{{Harvnb|Aguinaldo|1899}}</ref> created a truce between Spanish colonial [[Governor-General of the Philippines|Governor-General]] [[Fernando Primo de Rivera]] and the revolutionary leader [[Emilio Aguinaldo]] to end the [[Philippine Revolution]]. Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries were given amnesty and monetary indemnity by the Spanish Government, in return for which the revolutionary government would go into exile in [[Hong Kong]]. Aguinaldo had decided to use the money to purchase advance firearms and ammunition later on return to the archipelago.<ref>Mabini, A., 1969, The Philippine Revolution, Republic of the Philippines dept. of Education, National Historical Commission</ref>{{rp|49}}<ref name="Alvarez">Alvarez, S.V., 1992, Recalling the Revolution, Madison: Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, {{ISBN|1-881261-05-0}}</ref>{{rp|232}}
+The '''Pact of Biak-na-Bato''', signed on December 14, 1897,<ref name=spencer2009pp58-59 /><ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2>{{Harvnb|Aguinaldo|1899}}</ref> created a truce between Spanish colonial [[Governor-General of the Philippines|Governor-General]] [[Fernando Primo de Rivera]] and the revolutionary leader [[Emilio Aguinaldo]] to end the [[Philippine Revolution]]. Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries were given amnesty and monetary indemnity by the Spanish Government, in return for which the revolutionary government would go into exile in [[Hong Kong]]. Aguinaldo had decided to use the money to purchase advance firearms and ammunition later on return to the archipelago.<ref>Mabini, A., 1969, The Philippine Revolution, Republic of the Philippines dept. of Education, National Historical Commission</ref>{{rp|49}}<ref name="Alvarez">Alvarez, S.V., 1992, Recalling the Revolution, Madison: Center for Southeast Asia Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, {{ISBN|1-881261-05-0}}</ref>{{rp|232}}
-The pact was signed in [[San Miguel, Bulacan]], in the house of [[Pablo Tecson]], a Philippine revolutionary captain who served as Brigadier General in the 'Brigada Del Pilar' (military troop) of General [[Gregorio del Pilar]] during the Revolution.
+The pact was signed in [[San Miguel, Bulacan]], in the house of [[Pablo Tecson]], a Philippine revolutionary captain who served as brigadier general in the 'Brigada Del Pilar' (military troop) of General [[Gregorio del Pilar]] during the Revolution.
 [[File:Biakmap.tiff|thumb|A hand-drawn Spanish military map of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's headquarters at Biak-na-bato (ca. 1897)]]
 ==Provisions==
-According to Aguinaldo, writing in 1899, the principal conditions of the pact were:<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/><!-- The following is a close paraphrase, not a direct quotation -->
+According to  General Emilio Aguinaldo, writing in 1899, the principal conditions of the Pact of biak-na-bato were:<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/><!-- The following is a close paraphrase, not a direct quotation -->
-# That I would, and any of my associates who desired to go with me, be free to live in any foreign country. Having fixed upon Hong Kong as my place of residence, it was agreed that payment of the indemnity of $800,000 (Mexican) should be made in three installments, namely, $400,000 when all the arms in Biak-na-bató were delivered to the Spanish authorities; $200,000 when the arms surrendered amounted to eight hundred stand; the final payment to be made when one thousand stand of arms shall have been handed over to the authorities and the Te Deum sung in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace. The latter part of February was fixed as the limit of time wherein the surrender of arms should be completed.
+# That I would, and any of my associates who desired to go with me, be free to live in any foreign country. Having fixed upon Hong Kong as my place of residence, it was agreed that payment of the indemnity of $[[Mexican peso#First peso|MXN]]800,000{{efn|name=mex-us|1=The Mexican dollar at the time was worth about 50 US cents, equivalent to about ${{#expr:{{inflation|US|1|1897|r=2}}/2 round 2}} today.<ref>{{Harvnb|Halstead|1898|p= 126}}.</ref> The ''[[Philippine peso fuerte|peso fuerte]]'' and the Mexican dollar were interchangeable at par.}} should be made in three installments, namely, $MXN400,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} when all the arms in Biak-na-bató were delivered to the Spanish authorities; $MXN200,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} when the arms surrendered amounted to eight hundred stand; the final payment to be made when one thousand stand of arms shall have been handed over to the authorities and the Te Deum sung in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace. The latter part of February was fixed as the limit of time wherein the surrender of arms should be completed.
 # The whole of the money was to be paid to me personally, leaving the disposal of the money to my discretion and knowledge of the understanding with my associates and other insurgents.
 # Prior to evacuating Biak-na-bató the remainder of the insurgent forces under Captain-General Primo de Rivera should send to Biak-na-bató two General of the Spanish Army to be held as hostages by my associates who remained there until I and a few of my compatriots arrived in Hong Kong and the first installment of the money payment (namely, four hundred thousand dollars) was paid to me.
@@ Line 34: / Line 37: @@
 According to historian [[Teodoro Agoncillo]], the pact was made up of three documents which together came to be known as the ''Truce of Biak-na-Bató'' and which provided, among other things:<ref name=agoncillo1990p184>{{Harvnb|Agoncillo|1990|p=184}}</ref>
 *That Aguinaldo and his companions would go into voluntary exile abroad.<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/><ref name=agoncillo1990p184/>
-*That Governor-General Primo de Rivera would pay the sum of P800,000 to the rebels in three installments:
+*That Governor-General Primo de Rivera would pay the sum of $MXN800,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} to the rebels in three installments:
-:#$400,000 (Mexican) to Aguinaldo upon his departure from Biak-na-Bató,<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/><ref name=agoncillo1990p184/>
+:#$MXN400,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} to Aguinaldo upon his departure from Biak-na-Bató,<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/><ref name=agoncillo1990p184/>
-:#$200,000 (Mexican) when the arms surrendered by the revolutionists amounted to 800 stand,<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/> and
+:#$MXN200,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} when the arms surrendered by the revolutionists amounted to 800 stand,<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/> and
-:#the remaining $200,000 (Mexican) when the arms surrendered amounted to 1,000 stand, ''Te Deum'' in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace.<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/>
+:#the remaining $MXN200,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} when the arms surrendered amounted to 1,000 stand, ''Te Deum'' in the Cathedral in Manila as thanksgiving for the restoration of peace.<ref name=Aguinaldo1899ch2/>
-*That Primo de Rivera would pay the additional sum of P900,000 to the families of the non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the armed conflict.<ref name=agoncillo1990p184/>{{efn|1=The Mexican dollar at the time was worth about 50 US cents;<ref>{{Harvnb|Halstead|1898|p=[http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=58428&pageno=126 126]}}.</ref> the ''[[Philippine peso fuerte|peso fuerte]]'' and the Mexican dollar were interchangeable at par}}
+*That Primo de Rivera would pay the additional sum of $MXN900,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} to the families of the non-combatant Filipinos who suffered during the armed conflict.<ref name=agoncillo1990p184/>
 According to historian Sonia M. Zaide, the agreement consisted of three parts:
 # A document called "Program", generally as described by Agoncillo.
 # A document called "Act of Agreement" which reiterated parts of the "Program" document and hinted at the desire of the Filipinos for reforms but contained no definite agreement by Spain to grant such reforms.
-# A third document which discussed the question of indemnity, specifying that Spain would pay a total of $1,700,000&mdash; $800,000 as above plus $900,000 to be distributed among the civilian population as compensation for the ravages of war.<ref>{{Harvnb|Zaide|1999|pp=252–253}}.</ref>
+# A third document which discussed the question of indemnity, specifying that Spain would pay a total of $1,700,000&mdash; $MXN800,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} as above plus $MXN900,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} to be distributed among the civilian population as compensation for the ravages of war.<ref>{{Harvnb|Zaide|1999|pp=252–253}}.</ref>
 ==Results==
-In accordance with the first part of the pact, Aguinaldo and twenty five other top officials of the revolution were banished to Hong Kong with $400,000 (Filipino) in their possession.<ref>{{cite web|title=The World Of 1898|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/chronology.html|work=Library of Congress|publisher=Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress|accessdate=11 April 2014}}</ref> The rest of the men received $200,000 (Mexican), but the third installment was never received. General amnesty was never declared because sporadic skirmishes continued.<ref>{{Harvnb|Zaide|1999|p=253}}.</ref>
+In accordance with the first part of the pact, Aguinaldo and twenty five other top officials of the revolution were [[Hong Kong Junta|banished to Hong Kong]] with $MXN400,000{{efn|name=mex-us}} in their possession.<ref>{{cite web|title=The World Of 1898|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/chronology.html|work=Library of Congress|publisher=Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress|access-date=11 April 2014}}</ref> The rest of the men received $MXN200,000,{{efn|name=mex-us}} but the third installment was never received. General amnesty was never declared and sporadic skirmishes continued.<ref>{{Harvnb|Zaide|1999|p=253}}.</ref>
 ==Notes==
@@ Line 58: / Line 61: @@
 |last=Agoncillo
 |first=Teodoro
-|authorlink=Teodoro Agoncillo
+|author-link=Teodoro Agoncillo
-|title= History of the Filipino People
+|title=History of the Filipino People
 |year=1990
-|edition= Eighth
+|edition=Eighth
-|origyear= 1960
+|orig-year=1960
 |publisher=R.P. Garcia Publishing Company
 |isbn=971-10-2415-2
+|url-access=registration
+|url=https://archive.org/details/historyoffilipin00teod
 }}
 *{{Citation
@@ Line 75: / Line 80: @@
 |publisher=Authorama: Public Domain Books
 |ref={{harvid|Aguinaldo|1899}}
+|access-date=23 September 2008
-|accessdate={{date|2008-09-23}}
 }}
 <!--*{{Citation
@@ Line 87: / Line 92: @@
 |first=Murat
 |title=The Story of the Philippines and Our New Possessions
-|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=58428&pageno=1
+|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12409
 |chapter=XII. The American Army in Manila
-|chapter-url=http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=58428&pageno=122
 |year=1898
-|publication-date={{date|22 May 2004}}
 }}
 *{{Citation
@@ Line 105: / Line 108: @@
 {{Philippine Revolution}}
-[[Category:History of the Philippines (1521–1898)]]
+[[Category:History of the Philippines (1565–1898)]]
 [[Category:History of Bulacan]]