Twelve facts about Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan

Things about the Supremo that you may not have known about.

Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan will always be part of our history lessons. But like any Philippine historical information, there are still unknown details about the Supremo and the independence movement that he led. Triviaphiles may find these facts amusing, while historians grappling with historical lessons may find them crucial.

So, here are 12 facts about Bonifacio and the Katipunan:

He wasn’t living in poverty

Despite being called the hero of the masses, Bonifacio was not exactly poor. He and his family’s social standing is considered lower middle class since two of his brothers (Ciriaco and Procopio) worked for the railroad company in Manila. Bonifacio himself was a salesman for a British and, later, a German trading firm in Binondo with a salary that was more than what an average laborer would earn. Their handicraft business, which sold well, supplemented the family’s income by producing paper fans and bamboo canes.

He was not uneducated

Bonifacio was not illiterate and was educated in a private elementary school in Tondo. He finished secondary school until the third level in the same district. He was also home-schooled by an aunt on his mother’s side. He read books with topics like literature, history, religion, and politics. He wrote poetry and essays that became part of the Katipunan literature. Moreover, he had elegant handwriting, as shown in the documents attributed to him that were seized by the Spanish authorities when the Katipunan was discovered in August 1896.

He was a stage actor

Aside from having a love of singing, Bonifacio was also a stage actor, performing moro-moro plays with an amateur drama group called Teatro Porvenir. 

He may have been married twice

Bonifacio was said to have married twice. There is no documentation of his first marriage except that his first wife was a Tondo woman named Monica, who died of leprosy. He sired three children from her, but they seemed to have disappeared from the pages of history and were never mentioned again. In 1894, he met and married Gregoria de Jesus.

He had two sisters

Bonifacio had two sisters, Espiridiona (Nonay) and Maxima. The latter was said to have died at a young age, but other sources said that her family hid her name during the revolution and continued to do so even when the Spaniards left the country. Some of the personal stories about Bonifacio came from Nonay. She was said to have a close resemblance to her brother. In fact, National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino used her features to create the Bonifacio figure on the Bonifacio Monument (Monumento) in Caloocan. She died in 1956, the last of the Bonifacio siblings to die.

His main weapon was a gun, not a bolo

Although artworks depict him with a bolo, Bonifacio preferred to use a gun. Tolentino learned of this piece of information during his research, which is why the Bonifacio figure on the Monumento portrayed the Supremo carrying a revolver.

He had a hopeful nom de guerre.

Bonifacio signed his name with his nom de guerre “Maypagasa,” meaning “There is Hope.”

His own faction was the majority during the 1897 elections

Though there were accusations of cheating during the controversial 1897 elections for the leadership of the revolutionary government in Barrio Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon in Cavite, the majority of the Katipunan leaders who attended were, in fact, members of the Bonifacio’s Magdiwang faction.

The Katipunan was only formalized two years after its founding

Based on the research of history scholar and writer Dr. Jim Richardson, it seemed that the Katipunan name as we know it today—the KKK or Kataastaasang Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Highest and Most Respected Association of the Sons of the People)—was only formalized in 1894, two years after it was founded. It was earlier known as “Kataastaasang Katipunan” (Most High Association).

The Katipunan newspaper was only able to release one issue 

The Katipunan newspaper, Kalayaan, had only one issue that came out in the middle of March, 1896, although the date on its masthead was January 18. A second issue was being printed when the Katipunan was discovered, and the printers had to destroy the copies as well as the printing press. So far, no copy of the Kalayaan has been known to exist today

Only a few artifacts can be traced directly to him

Only a handful of artifacts have a direct connection to Andres Bonifacio. Most of these are letters and some Katipunan documents he wrote. All of these are presently either in private collections or in government libraries and archives.

His remains were never truly identified

Although skeletal remains were exhumed from a grave in Maragondon, Cavite, in 1918, the bones were never really identified and confirmed as those of the Supremo. The bones were later deposited in the National Museum and Library, where they were believed to have been destroyed alongside the library during World War II.

 

 

Beyond the iconic bolo, his legacy is one of intellect, organization, and unwavering hope for Philippine independence.

 

 

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