GROUP 3

THE KARTILYA OF
THE KATIPUNAN
Historical Context
July 7,1892 – The first move towards
independence, when the Katipunan was
established by Andres Bonifacio. This was
the result of the failure of the Reform
Movement in Spain in which Filipinos
attempted to demand reforms for the
Philippines from the Spanish Government.
Andres Bonifacio
- Saw the futility of the efforts
of the Filipino propagandists
and organized an
underground movement
against Spain.
The Kataastaasang Kagalang-
galangang Katipunan ng mga
Anak ng Bayan
- Was a revolutionary society that
espoused independence and
freedom for the Philippines
through force of arms.
• Was a separation of the Philippines from
Spain and, at the same time, the
development of the Filipinos as citizens of
their own nation once independence
was achieved. The latter was done
through the written works by Bonifacio
and fellow Katipunero, Emilio Jacinto,
who wrote a number of poems and
essays for the society member.
La Liga Filipina- The recruitment
process of the Katipunan
followed the Masonic initiation
rites while its structure was said
to be based on Rizal’s aborted
reformist organization.
As listed in the constitution Rizal
prepared, the Liga's aims were:
• To unite the whole archipelago
into one compact, vigorous,
and homogenous body;
• Mutual protection in every want
and necessity;
• Defense against all violence
and injustice
• Encouragement of instruction,
agriculture, and commerce
• Study and application of
reforms.
Emilio Jacinto
• Was born on December 15,1875 in
the district if Trozo in Tondo,
Manila
• He was the son of Mariano
Jacinto, a bookkeeper and
Josefa Dizon
• Finished his elementary
education in a private school
• Secondary Education at the Colegio de
San Juan de Letran
• Studied law at the University of Santo
Tomas
• Developed a love of reading and
improved his skills in Spanish
• In 1896 he had to stop his studies when
the Philippines Revolution began.
About the Katipunan
• He joined the katipunan in 1894 at the
age of 18
• He took the symbolic name ‘Pingkian’
• During this time he developed his
nationalistic ideals
• Through his enthusiasm and ideas,
Jacinto became a guiding light to the
members of the society.
After the death of Bonifacio in 1897
• Jacinto continued the fight against the Spaniards even
after the truce following the Pact of Biak-na-Bato.
• Jacinto was released after he managed to convince
the Spanish soldiers he was a spy in their service when
he showed them a military pass issued to a man he
killed several months ago.
• Jacinto quickly went into hiding in Manila.
• He established his headquarters in the town of
Majayjay where he, unfortunately. Contracted malaria.
He died on April 6, 1899.
About the text (Kartilya)
• In his study of the Katipunan history and its documents,
Jim Richardson said that, “ The Kartilya is the best
known of all Katipunan texts’
• He said that it is the only document of any length set in
print by the Katipunan prior to August 1896 that is known
to be still entrant.
• It was printed as a small pamphlet that was distributed
to the members of the Katipunan.
• Its term was derived from the Spanish cartilla which was
the primer used for grade schools during the Spanish
Period.
• The Kartilya presents not only the teachings for
the neophyte Katipunero but also the guiding
principles of the society.
• These teachings are expected from the
members even after the attainment of freedom
from the colonizers.
• The Kartilya ends with a document of
affirmation by the member to the society’s
teachings.
• The Kartilya was not just a document for the
Katipunan.
Relevance
• The current relevance of the Kartilya lies in the facts
that is established not only the rules for the member of
the organization but the principles for the citizens of a
nation once independence had been achieved.
• Though written in the 19th century, the Kartilya lies in the
fact that is established not only the rules for the
members of the organization but the principles for the
citizens of a nation once independence had been
achieved.
Teachings of the Katipunan of The Sons of the
People

• A life that is not dedicated to a great and

sacred cause is like a tree without a shade,
or a poisonous weed.
• A good deed lacks virtue if it springs from a
desire for personal profit and not from a
sincere desire to do good.
• True charity resides in acts of compassion,
in love for one’s fellow man, and in making
true reason the measure of every move,
deed and word.
• Be their skin dark or pale, all men are
equal. One can be superior to another in
knowledge, wealth, and beauty… but not in
being.
Teachings of the Katipunan of The Sons of the
People

• A person with a noble character values

honor above self interest, while a person with
an ignoble character value self interest
above honor.

• An honorable man’s word is his bond.

• Don’t waste time; lost wealth may be

recovered, but time lost is lost forever.

• Defend the oppressed and fight oppressor.

• An intelligent man is he who takes care in

everything he says and keeps quiet about
what must be kept secret.
Teachings of the Katipunan of The Sons of the
People
• Along the thorny path of life, the man leads
the way and his wife and children follow. If
the leader goes the way of perdition then so
do those who are led.

• Do not regard a woman as a mere plaything,

but as a helpmate and partner in the
hardships of this existence. Have due regard
to her weakness, and remember the mother
who brought you into this world and nurtured
you in your infancy.

• What you would not want done to your wife,

daughter and sister, do not do to the wife,
daughter and sister of another.
Teachings of the Katipunan of The Sons of the People

• A man’s worth does not come from him being a

king, or in the height of his nose and the whiteness
of his face, or in him being a priest, a
representative of God, or in his exalted position on
the face of this earth. Pure and truly noble is he
who, though born in the forest and able to speak
only his own tongue, behaves decently, is true to
his word, has dignity and honor, who is not an
oppressor and does not abet oppressors, who
knows how to cherish and look after the land of his
birth.
• When these doctrines have spread and the brilliant
sun of beloved liberty shines on these poor Islands,
and sheds its sweet light upon a united race, a
people in everlasting happiness, then the lives lost,
the struggle and the suffering will have been more
than recompensed.
GUIDE QUESTIONS
1. What was the socio-
political context when the
Kartilya was written? How
crucial was this document in
the 19 century Philippines?
th
• The Kartilya was known as the moral and intellectual foundation
used to guide the actions of the Katipuneros. At this time, and upon
joining the Katipunan, the members were required to read the
Kartilya and adhere to its code of conduct. Changing the way
people thought and acted was the paramount to the early
Katipuneros that day.
• They concluded that the Kartilya was the only to truly change the
Philippines for the better. On the other hand, it is essential as the Play
Acting and referencing the Katipunan without fully understanding
their political and moral context and goal essentially degrades the
breadth if what they were trying to achieve. Also by understanding
the importance of historical and contemporary context maintaining
the level of intellectual rigor, it also allows for disparate ideas to be
held by individuals and organizations. I would argue that our
misunderstanding of the 19th century feeds directly into some of the
public factionalism and fracturing we witness today.
2. How would you describe
the Kartilya in terms of its form
or writing style and content?
What are its main teachings
and how are they presented?
• The Kartilya contains 14 code of conduct that defines how each
Filipino should live their lives in order to be honorable men and
women and realize their worth as a Filipino citizen. Among these code
of conduct, the last part is the most remarkable of all since it declares
that everything that the Kartilya teaches should be in search for the
everlasting joy, and that those who have joined the katipunan should
make sure that their actions will speak of their beliefs and that they
should be able to perform his duties well. The main teaching of the
kartilya is the “The nobility of a man does not consist in being a king,
not the highness of the nose and the whiteness of the skin nor being a
priest representing God, nor the exalted position in this earth, but
pure and truly noble is he who, though born in the earth, but pure and
truly noble is he who, though born in the woods, is possessed of an
upright character who is true to his words; who has dignity and honor;
who does not oppress and does not help those whoppers; who knows
how to look afte and love the land of his birth.”
3. Research on why Andres Bonifacio, who was
then the Supremo or Supreme Leader of The
Katipunan, opted to adopt Emilio Jacinto’s
Teachings of the Katipunan instead of his own
draft of the Dekalogo ng Katipunan (Katipunan
code of conduct). Do you find this decision
sound? How are their perspective different and
alike?
Decalogue of the Duties of the Sons of the People was written by
Andres Bonifacio and was used by the Katipunan; however, upon
reading the Kartilya written by Emilio Jacinto, “Andres Bonifcaio
decided that it was the superior to his dikalogo, and adopted it as the
official primer of the Katipunan”

I think he made the correct decision. The literary and philosophical

style of the Kartilya is more endearing, the subjects matter covered in
the Kartilya is more broad and can more easily be applied to all
members of society regardless of affliation, religion, and cultural
background.

The Dekalogo had a more narrow scope in terms of its audience

which was meant solely for the Katipunan. It focused on duties to God,
country, family, neighbor, and the Katipunan.
4. Why can the Kartilya be
considered timeless and
relevant to the
industrializing and
globalizing present?
Due to Jacinto’s Writing style the Kartilya is relevant today
and will continue to be in the future. It will continue to serve
as the embodiment of the, “moral and nationalistic
principles of a nation that fought for independence. . It Is
timeless and relevant because when you think about it, our
country is rapidly developing industries in a wide scale with
more and more business showing up each year, you might
think that work and businesses would be the center of our
lives but the Kartilya would always remind us that God
should remain in our hearts. But why is it considered timeless
and relevant to the industrialization of our country in our time
today? In order to know this you must also have an idea of
the contents of the oath which are the following
5. As a student, how will you
embody the main teachings
and guiding principles of the
Kartilya? Concretize your
answer and cite specific lines
from the document.
The Kartilya’s teachings are beautifully written
tenants that can be use for self reflection and
guiding principles for living. In order to embody the
teachings, a person needs to live by them.

The first point that is made to live a life dedicated to

a great and sacred cause. Simply living through life
is not enough. A person living as described is
someone who has passion for and enjoy what they
do. It is not a life of subsistence without direction,
but one that engages a persons mental, emotional,
and spiritual self.
REFERENCES
Andres Bonifacio’s Decalogue, and the Kartilya ng Katipunan. (n.d.). Retrieved
October 7, 2019, from http://malacanang.gov.ph/7013-andres-bonifacios-
decalogue-and-the-kartilya-ng-katipunan/.

(n.d). Retrieved October 7, 2019, from http://www.pbs.org/cricible/tl5.html.

Szczepanski, K. (2019, March 6). Profile of Emilio Jacinto of the Philippines.

Retrieved October 6, 2017, from https://www.thoughtco.com/emilio-jacinto-of-
the-philippines-195646.

The Katipunan Ideology. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2019, from

http://www.philippinemasonry.org/the-katipunan-ideology.html.