Monument to the Heroes of 1896

The Monument to the Heroes of 1896 (Filipino: Monumento sa mga Bayani ng 1896, Spanish: El Grito de la Revolución) is a sculpture created in 1911 dedicated to the Philippine Revolution.[1]

Monument to the Heroes of 1896
Filipino: Monumento sa mga Bayani ng 1896, Spanish: El Grito de la Revolución
ArtistRamón Martínez y Lázaro
Year1911
SubjectKatipunero
LocationUniversity of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City
Historical marker

History

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The Monument to the Heroes of 1896 was a privately funded venture and was inaugurated on September 3, 1911.[2][3] It initially was installed at the site where the Balintawak Cloverleaf currently stands. Every August 26 until 1961, the Cry of Balintawak, which is widely regarded as the start of the Philippine Revolution, was commemorated at the site. In 1962, the observance's name was officially changed to "Cry of Pugad Lawin" and its date moved to August 23.[4]

 
Historical markers in Vinzons Hall

The monument was dismantled in 1968 by the Bureau of Public Highways (BPH; now the Department of Public Works and Highways), to give way for the extension of the Manila North Diversion Road (MNDR; now the North Luzon Expressway) and the construction of the Balintawak Cloverleaf. The sculpture was stored along with garbage at a field office of the BPH.[4] As a response various student groups campaigned to preserve the monument.[3]

The National Historical Commission (NHC) under its Chairman Carmen Guerrero Nakpil coordinated with University of the Philippines President Carlos P. Romulo for the relocation of the statue to the university's Diliman campus. The monument was inaugurated again on November 29, 1968, in front of the UP Vinzons Hall.[4]

Sculpture

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The Monument to the Heroes of 1896 was created by Ramón Martínez y Lázaro.[5] The sculpture depicts a generic Katipunan member – although it is widely believed to depict Andrés Bonifacio.[3] The sculpture portrays a yelling male figure raising his hands; his left holding a Katipunan flag and the other a bolo knife.[6]

Historians believe that the monument was the first memorial dedicated to Andrés Bonifacio and his revolutionaries preceding the 1933 Bonifacio Monument. The monument is dedicated to the Philippine Revolution, particularly the Cry of Pugadlawin.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Monumento Sa Mga Bayani Ng 1896" (in English and Tagalog). National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "Monumento". Bonifacio Sesquicentennial. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c de Villa, Kathleen (November 25, 2017). "A hero's monument". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Samonte, Severino (August 23, 2021). "Relocation of 'First Cry' monument from Balintawak to UP recalled". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  5. ^ Monument sa mga Bayani ng 1896 (Marker on pedestal). Front side of the Monument to the Heroes of 1896's pedestal: National Historical Commission. 2011. Itinayo sa Balintawak, Noo'y Sakop ng Kalookan, 27 Agosto 1911, bilang pag-alaala sa mga Bayani ng Himagsikang Filipino ng 1896, Nilikha ni Ramon Martinez y Lazaro. Pinasinayaan, 3 Setyembre 1911. Inilipat sa Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon, 29 Nobyembre 1968{{cite sign}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. ^ "Art During the American Regime up to the Japanese Occupation". Art: Perception & Appreciation. Goodwill Trading Co., Inc. p. 294. ISBN 9711109336. The single figure had upraised arms, The left hand held the Katipunan flag and the right hand a bolo. Movement was portrayed in the figure, a defiant attitude in the act of shouting. This was the 'cry,' the call to arms
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