About Andrés Bonifacio

Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro
(November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897) 
was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary. 
He was a founder and later the supreme leader of the 
Katipunan movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution. 
He is considered a de facto national hero of the Philippines. 
Bonifacio is also considered by some Filipino historians to be the first 
President of the Philippines, but he is not officially recognized as such.

Many Filipino nationalists think Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution, is a greater national hero than the intellectual, physician, poet, essayist and novelist Jose Rizal. An auto-didact, Bonifacio founded the Katipunan and was its Supremo. He started the revolution against Spain, against the advice of Rizal who wanted the revolutionaries to be better trained and armed.

Bonifacio launched a nationwide revolution anyway. He called for mobilization and simultaneous raids on Spanish installations. He declared the transformation of the Katipunan into a revolutionary government, with himself as president and commander in chief of the army. He formed a Cabinet. He appointed the Katipunan military leaders as generals.

Bonifacio won battles and lost some. Until the point when there were three major centers of revolt.

Cavite was under the upper-class, educated Katipunero, Emilio Aguinaldo. Bulacan was under Mariano Llanera of the skull flag. And Morong was under Andres Bonifacio.

Morong consisted of the present Rizal province and most of the present Metro Manila (except the Walled City and the present city of Manila).

To the careless observer, the revolt appeared to be most successful in Cavite, because the province had virtually fallen under the control of Aguinaldo’s forces. But this happened only because the colonial government had withdrawn the Spanish soldiers from Cavite and other provinces to defend Manila from Bonifacio and his mostly bolo-wielding Katipunan army. Still, the Cavite revolutionaries looked like better soldiers led by better commanders.

All the provinces, including Cavite, accepted Bonifacio as the supreme leader. But every time he lost a battle, Bonifacio’s reputation fell and Aguinaldo’s star rose

Death Date: May 10, 1897
Political party: Katipunan
Political party: La Liga Filipina
Birth Date: November 30, 1863
Name: Andrés Bonifacio
Birthplace: Tondo, Manila, Philippines
Known for: Philippine Revolution
Cause of Death: Execution
Place of Death: Maragondon, Cavite, Philippines
Nationality: Filipino
Spouse: Gregoria de Jesús
Name: Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro
Succeeded By: Emilio Aguinaldo
End Date: March 22, 1897
Office: Unofficial President of the Philippines
Start: August 24, 1896
Also Known As: Maypagasa