Kartilya NG Katipunan

Readings in Philippine History
 Lesson 2 
KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN
Introduction
The Colonial Period was a harsh phenomenon that compelled an opportunity for the
Filipinos to act in solidarity towards sovereignty. It was the regime which caused Andres
Bonifacio to organize the Katipunan on July 7, 1892. Obliged by the defunct of Rizal’s La Liga
Filipina and the absence of hope on the Reform Movement, Bonifacio had to make options in
order to achieve the freedom dreamed by the whole nation.
With the hope of instilling order and respect among its members, the Katipunan
introduced a set of guiding principles and teachings. To its author, Emilio Jacinto, what was
important for its members was the cognizance of katwiran and kaliwanagan. The existence
of the Kartilya proved the correctitude and adherence of the Filipinos to established principles
and their merit for the regard of humanity.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
5. Explain the need of the Kartilya for the members of the Katipunan.
6. Recognize the relevance of the Kartilya as an ethical-moral guide to the Filipinos
then and now.
The Author and His Background
Eversince, the authorship of the Kartilya has been ascribed to Emilio Jacinto, the
young adviser of Andres Bonifacio and the so-called Brain of the Katipunan. Due to his
brilliance, he rose from the position of fisal to the rank of general in the underground
movement. Under the leadership of the Supremo, he served as intelligence director in the
assault made in San Juan del Monte on August 30, 1896 in order to seize a Spanish garrison
in the area. His friendship with Bonifacio allowed him to naturally provide the latter with
weapons and ammunitions, money, printing materials and artistic creations (NHI, 1995).
In spite of his failure to finish a university degree, Emilio Jacinto was a man of intellect,
refinement and literary indulgence. He wrote Liwanag at Dilim which contained some essays
about his political and social philosophies. Included in this collection are the essays Sa Anak
ng Bayan, Ang Ningning at ang Liwanag, Kalayaan, Ang Tao’y Magkiakapantay, Ang Bayan
at ang mga Pinuno and Ang Maling Pagsampalataya (NCCA, n.d.). In the hills of Majayjay,
Laguna where he set up his secret headquarters, he contracted malaria which became the
cause of his death on April 6, 1899 at the age of 24 (NHI, 1995).
48
Figure 5. Photo of Emilio

Jacinto courtesy of
Ambeth Ocampo.
(Retrieved from https://
filipiknow.net/philippine-
history-creepiest-photos/).
The Kartilya ng Katipunan and its Background
The Kartilya is a primary source which contains the oaths and orders that the
katipuneros had to follow. According to the British scholar Jim Richardson (2013), the Kartilya
was sold for four kualta per copy although it was not clear whether the members were
responsible for the payment or their respective chapters. Richardson suspects that the
Kartilya was still used at the time of the revolution against the United States as evidenced by
its version in the Philippine Insurgent Records, bearing the seal used by General Artemio
Ricarte in 1899. Richardson also relates the story that Emilio Jacinto’s Kartilya was seen as
superior by Andres Bonifacio who had intended of his Decalogue to be published and
distributed to the new members. The two documents, he posits however, are different from
one another because Jacinto’s Kartilya expounded aspirations and moral values while that of
Bonifacio enumerated the duties of the katipuneros.
Richardson also claims that the Kartilya took influence from the declaration used by
the masonic lodges in Manila. Following a declaration which is believed to have been written
in Spain, it resembled certain parts or aspects. The statement of purpose of the Kartilya, for
instance, can be identified as an imitation from the other, including the ideal on the equality of
men and women.
The Kartilya resonated the teaching of discipline, virtue and morals to individuals who
wished to join the secret society. It established a foundation that would govern the affairs of
the Katipunan and its members. Anyone who violated the teachings would be punished in
accordance with the gradation of the offense.
Below is the copy of the Kartilya (pp. 131-134) taken from Jim Richardson’s The Light
of Liberty: Documents and Studies on the Katipunan, 1892-1897 published by the Ateneo de
Manila University Press in 2013.
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Readings in Philippine History

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

The Author and His Background

Figure 5. Photo of Emilio

The Kartilya ng Katipunan and its Background

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