Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Andres de Castro Bonifacio was a Filipino patriot and revolutionary, considered the “Father of the Philippine Revolution” against Spanish colonialism in the Philippines. Recognized as the leader of the first revolution in Asia and the first independent government of the Philippines, he is regarded as a national hero and his birthday is commemorated as a national holiday known as Bonifacio Day. Bonifacio was the oldest of six children born to a lower-middle-class family in Tondo, Manila, on November 30, 1863. His parents, Santiago Bonifacio of Tondo and Catalina de Castro of Zambales, were both devout Catholics. He had three brothers and two sisters who all became part of the Filipino revolutionary movement. He first studied under his aunt, who taught him the alphabet and Catholic prayers, before his father sent him to study under a private tutor, who taught him arithmetic, Spanish, and Tagalog. Orphaned at an early age, Bonifacio was forced to give up his studies to support his brothers and sisters. With the help of his siblings, he made canes and paper fans and sold them in the streets of Manila. Making the most of his interest in calligraphy and penmanship, Bonifacio also made posters for commercial establishments. Eventually, he found a job as a clerk-messenger and was later promoted as an agent of Fleming and Company, a British trading company, where he learned English. Not ... log in or subscribe to read full text