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Andres Bonifacio (attrib.)

“Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog”

 

Source: Josι P. Santos, Si Andres Bonifacio at ang Himagsikan (Manila: n.pub, 1935), pp.6-7.

 

 

 

Introduction

 

This famous patriotic rallying call was published under the nom de plume Agapito Bagumbayan in the sole issue of Kalayaan, the Katipunan newspaper, which came out in March 1896. A separate posting in the “Studies” section of this website confirms beyond reasonable doubt that the Tagalog text transcribed here is authentic, but acknowledges some uncertainty as to whether it was authored by Bonifacio or Jacinto (or both) and whether it is exactly the same as the version actually published in Kalayaan or a pre-publication draft.  

 

An English translation is appended beneath the Tagalog text.

 

 

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ANG DAPAT MABATID NG MGA TAGALOG

 

            Ytong Katagalugan na pinamamahalaan ng unang panahon ng ating tunay na mga kababayan niyaong hindi pa tumutungtong sa mga lupaing ito ang mga kastila ay nabubuhay sa lubos na kasaganaan, at kaguinhawahan.  Kasundo niya ang mga kapit bayan at lalung lalo na ang mga taga Japon sila'y kabilihan at kapalitan ng mga kalakal malabis ang pag yabong ng lahat ng pinagkakakitaan, kaya't dahil dito'y mayaman mahal ang kaasalan ng lahat, bata't matanda at sampung mga babae ay marunong bumasa at sumulat ng talagang pagsulat nating mga tagalog.  Dumating ang mga kastila at dumulog na nakipagkaibigan.  Sa mabuti nilang hikayat na di umano, tayo'y aakain sa lalung kagalingan at lalung imumulat ang ating kaisipan, ang nasabing nagsisipamahala ay ng yaring nalamuyot sa tamis ng kanilang dila sa paghibo.  Gayon man sila'y ipinailalim sa talagang kaugalian ng mga tagalog na sinaksihan at pinapagtibay ang kanilang pinagkayarian sa pamamaguitan ng isang panunumpa na kumuha ng kaunting dugo sa kanikanilang mga ugat, at yao'y inihalu't ininom nila kapua tanda ng tunay at lubos na pagtatapat na di mag tataksil sa pinagkayarian.  Ytoy siang tinatawag na "Pacto de Sangre" ng haring Sikatuna at ni Legaspi na pinaka katawan ng hari sa Espaρa.

 

            Buhat ng ito'y mangyari ay bumibilang na ngayon sa tatlong daang taon mahiguit na ang lahi ni Legaspi ay ating binubuhay sa lubos na kasaganaan, ating pinagtatamasa at binubusog, kahit abutin natin ang kasalatan at kadayukdukan; iguinugugol natin ang yaman dugo at sampu ng buhay sa pagtatangol sa kanila; kinakahamok natin sampu ng tunay na mga kababayan na aayaw pumayag na sa kanilay pasakop, at gayon din naman nakipagbaka tayo sa mga Ynsik at taga Holanda na nagbalang umagaw sa kanila nitong Katagalugan.

 

            Ngayon sa lahat ng ito'y ano ang sa mga guinawa nating paggugugol nakikitang kaguinhawahang ibinigay sa ating Bayan?  Ano ang nakikita nating pagtupad sa kanilang kapangakuan na siang naging dahil ng ating pag gugugol!  Wala kung di pawang kataksilan ang ganti sa ating mga pagpapala at mga pagtupad sa kanilang ipinangakung tayo'y lalung guiguisingin sa kagalingan ay bagkus tayong binulag, inihawa tayo sa kanilang hamak na asal, pinilit na sinira ang mahal at magandang ugali ng ating Bayan; Yminulat tayo sa isang maling pagsampalataya at isinadlak sa lubak ng kasamaan ang kapurihan ng ating Bayan; at kung tayo 'y mangahas humingi ng kahit gabahid na lingap, ang naguiguing kasagutan ay ang tayo'y itapon at ilayo sa piling ng ating minamahal na anak, asawa at matandang magulang.  Ang bawat isang himutok na pumulas sa ating dibdib ay itinuturing na isang malaking pagkakasala at karakarakang nilalapatan ng sa hayop na kabangisan.

 

            Ngayon wala ng maituturing na kapanatagan sa ating pamamayan; ngayon lagui ng guinagambala ang ating katahimikan ng umaalingawngaw na daing at pananambitan bunton hininga at hinagpis ng makapal na ulila, bao't mga magulang ng mga kababayang ipinanganyaya ng mga manlulupig na kastila; ngayon tayo'y malunod na sa nagbabahang luha ng Yna na nakitil na buhay ng anak sa pananangis ng sanggol na pinangulila ng kalupitan na ang bawat patak ay katulad ng isang kumukulong tinga, na sumasalang sa mahapding sugat ng ating pusong nagdaramdam; ngayon lalut lalu tayong na bibilibiran ng tanikala ng pagkaalipin, tanikalang nakalalait sa bawat lalaking may iniingatang kapurihan.  Ano ang nararapat nating gawin?  Ang araw ng katuiran na sumisikat sa Silanganan, ay malinaw na itinuturo sa ating mga matang malaong nabulagan ang landas na dapat nating tunguhin, ang liwanag niya'y tanaw sa ating mga mata, ang kukong nag akma ng kamatayang alay sa ating ng mga ganid na asal.  Ytinuturo ng katuiran, na wala tayong iba pang maaantay kundi lalut lalung kahirapan, lalut lalung kataksilan, lalut lalung kaalipustaan at lalut lalung kaalipinan.  Ytinuturo ng katuiran, na huag nating sayangin ang panahon sa pagasa sa ipinangakong kaguinhawahan na hindi darating at hindi mangyayari.  Ytinuturo ng katuiran ang tayo'y umasa sa ating sarili at huag antain sa iba ang ating kabuhayan.  Ytinuturo ng katuiran ang tayo'y mag kaisang loob magka isang isip at akala at ng tayo'y magkalakas na maihanap ang naghaharing kasamaan sa ating Bayan.

 

            Panahun na ngayong dapat na lumitaw ang liwanag ng katotohanan; panahon ng dapat nating ipakilala na tayo’y may sariling pagdaramdam, may puri, may hiya at pagdadamayan.  Ngayon panahun ng dapat simulan ang pagsisiwalat ng mga mahal at dakilang aral na magwawasak sa masinsing tabing na bumubulag sa ating kaisipan; panahun na ngayong dapat makilala ng mga tagalog ang pinagbuhatan ng kanilang mga kahirapan.  Araw na itong dapat kilalanin na sa bawat isang hakbang natin ay tumutuntong tayo at nabibingit sa malalim na hukay ng kamatayan na sa ati’y inuumang ng mga kaaway.

 

            Kaya!  oh mga kababayan! ating idilat ang bulag na kaisipan at kusang igugol sa kagalingan ang ating lakas sa tunay at lubos na pag asa na mag tagumpay sa nilalayong kaguinhawahan ng bayang tinubuan.

 

 

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English translation

 

Sources:  This translation is my own, but it draws heavily on two others - Reynaldo Clemeρa Ileto, Pasyon and Revolution: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910 (Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1979), pp.102-6; and The Writings and Trial of Andres Bonifacio, translated by Teodoro A. Agoncillo with the collaboration of S. V. Epistola (Manila: Antonio J. Villegas; Manila Bonifacio Centennial Commission; University of the Philippines, 1963), pp. 2-3.

 

WHAT THE TAGALOGS  SHOULD KNOW

 

            In the early days, when the Spaniards had not yet set foot on our soil, this Katagalugan was governed by our compatriots, and enjoyed a life of great abundance, prosperity and peace.  She maintained good relations with her neighbors, especially with the Japanese, and traded with them in goods of all kinds. As a result, everyone had wealth and behaved with honor.  Young and old, including women, could read and write using our own Tagalog alphabet.  Then the Spaniards came and offered us friendship.  It seemed they would help us better ourselves and awaken our intellects, and our leaders were seduced by the sweetness of their enticing words.  The Spaniards, however, were required to follow the custom of the Tagalogs, and to bind their agreement by means of an oath, which consisted of taking blood from each other's veins, and then mixing and drinking it as a token of their sincere and wholehearted pledge not to betray the agreement.  This was called the "Blood Compact" of King Sikatuna and Legaspi, the representative of the King of Spain.

            Since then, for more than three hundred years, we have supported the race of Legaspi most bountifully; we have allowed them to live lavishly and grow fat, even if we ourselves suffered deprivation and hunger.  We have expended our wealth, blood and even our lives in defending them, even against our fellow countrymen who refused to submit to their rule; and we have fought the Chinese and the Dutch who tried to take Katagalugan from them.

            Now, after all this, after everything we have done, what benefits have we seen bestowed upon our Country?  Do we see them fulfilling their side of the contract which we ourselves fulfilled with sacrifices?  We see nothing but treachery as a reward for our favors.  Instead of keeping their promise to awaken us to a better life, they have only blinded us, contaminated us with their debased customs and forcibly destroyed the good customs of our land.  They have instilled in us a false faith, and have cast the honor of our Country into a mire of corruption.  And if we dare beg for scraps of compassion, they respond by banishing us, by sending us far away from our beloved children, spouses, and aged parents. Every sigh we utter is branded by them as a grave sin, and is instantly punished with brute force.

            Now nothing can be considered stable in our lives; our peace is now always disturbed by the moans and lamentations, by the sighs and plaints of countless orphans, widows and parents of compatriots wronged by the Spanish oppressors; now we are being deluged by the streaming tears of a mother whose son was put to death, by the wails of tender children orphaned by cruelty, and whose every falling tear is a like a drop of molten lead that sears the excruciating wound of our suffering hearts; now we are being bound ever tighter with the chains of slavery, chains that shame every man of honor.  What, then, is to be done?  The sun of reason that shines in the East clearly shows, to our eyes long blind, the way that must be taken; its light enables us to see the claws of those inhuman creatures who bring us death.  Reason shows that we cannot expect anything but more and more suffering, more and more treachery, more and more insults, more and more enslavement.  Reason tells us not to waste our time waiting for the promised prosperity that will never arrive.  Reason tells us that we must rely upon ourselves alone and never entrust our livelihood to anybody else.  Reason tells us to be one in sentiment, one in thought, and one in purpose so that we may have the strength in confronting the evil that reigns in our Country. 


            Now is the time that the light of truth must shine; now is the time for us to make it known that we have our own feelings, have honor, have self-respect and solidarity.  Now is the time to start spreading the noble and great teachings that will rend asunder the thick curtain that obfuscates our minds; now is the time for the Tagalogs to know the sources of their misfortunes.  This day we must realize that every step we take is taking us closer to the brink of the abyss of death that our enemies have dug to ensnare us.

            And so!  Oh compatriots!  Let us dispel the blindness from our intellects; let us resolutely dedicate our strength to the triumph of our true and mighty cause, the prosperity and peace of our native land.