Dagohoy Rebellion
Encyclopedia
The famous Dagohoy Rebellion, also known as Dagohoy Revolution or Dagohoy Revolt, is considered as the longest rebellion in Philippine history. Led by Francisco Dagohoy
, also known as Francisco Sendrijas, this rebellion took place in the island of Bohol
from 1744 to 1829, roughly 85 years.
It was one of two significant revolts that occurred in Bohol
, Philippines
during the Spanish Era. The other one was the Tamblot Uprising
in 1621 led by Tamblot
, a babaylan or native priest from Bohol which was basically a religious conflict.
Unlike the Tamblot revolt, the Dagohoy rebellion was not a religious conflict. Rather, it was like most of the early revolts which were ignited by forced labor, Spanish oppression, bandala, excessive tax collection and payment of tributes. On top of these injustices of the Jesuit priests, what triggered Dagohoy most was the refusal of the Jesuit priest to give a Christian burial to his brother who died in service while chasing a fugitive who went against Christianity
. This provided the impetus for Dagohoy to call upon his fellow Boholanos to raise arms against the oppressors. The rebellion outlasted several Spanish Governors General and several missions.
Initially, Dagohoy was infuriated by the refusal of Father Gaspar Morales to give a Christian burial to his brother who died in service while chasing a fugitive who went against Christianity
. Because of the said injustice, Dagohoy called upon his fellow Boholanos to raise arms against the oppressors. The rebellion outlasted several Spanish Governors General and several missions.
In 1744, Bohol
was ready for another serious insurrection against Spain
. In that year, Father Gaspar Morales, the Jesuit curate of Inabanga, ordered Sagarino, a constable, to capture a man who had abandoned his Christian religion. The brave constable pursued the fugitive, but the latter resisted and killed him. His corpse was brought to town. Morales refused to give the constable Christian burial because he had died in a duel and this was banned by the Church.
Francisco Dagohoy
, a cabeza de barangay, was the brother of the now deceased constable named Sagarino. When Dagohoy learned about his brother's death, he searched for his brother's body. He found it and brought the remains to Inabanga for a Christian burial. Morales, however, did not agree saying the Sagarino died in a duel. Also, Sagarino did not receive the last rites or the sacrament of extreme unction. Hence, giving him a Christian burial was contrary to religious practices at that time. What complicated the situation was the order of the priest to expose the rotting corpse for about three days in front of Inabanga Church. It is also possible, however, that since the priest refused to grant the request, Dagohoy decided to place the corpse there to force the priest to change his mind. Dagohoy eventually buried his brother without the benefit of a Catholic burial.
These strings of events led Dagohoy to make a vow to correct the wrong done to his brother. In the process, he stopped paying tribute to the Spaniards and refused to render the required "forced" labor. He also called upon his relatives, friends and the other residents to do the same and fight for their freedom.
Being so infuriated with the priest, he instigated the people to rise in arms. The signal of the uprising was the killing of Father Giuseppe Lamberti, Italian
Jesuit curate of Jagna on January 24, 1744. Shortly afterwards, Morales was killed by Dagohoy. The rebellion rolled over the whole island like
a tropical typhoon. Bishop Miguel Lino de Espeleta of Cebu
, who exercised ecclesiastical authority over Bohol
, tried vainly to mollify the rebellious Boholanos.
The ground was fertile for Dagohoy's call. Around 3,000 Boholanos rallied to his call and joined him in a revolt against Spanish injustice and tyranny. Together with other leading members of the Tagbilaran
, Baclayon and Dauis principalia, Dagohoy proclaimed the "Independence of Bohol" in the mountains of Talibon and Inabanga. The concept of independence, however, might not be applicable at that time. What is most likely is that the revolutionaries stopped submitting themselves to the dictates of the Spanish authorities and decided to move to the mountains where they can live on their own in peace.
Dagohoy
defeated the Spanish forces sent against him. He established a free government in the mountains, and had 3,000 followers, which subsequently increased to 20,000. The patriots remained unsubdued in their mountains stronghold, and, even after Dagohoy's death, continued to defy Spanish power.
Up there in the mountains, the revolutionaries established their headquarters, which they fortified with trenches of big rocks, just like the way some upland farmers pile up big rocks on top of one another in their farms. They also built dwellings for their families and cleared up some of the forest areas so that they can plant crops for their subsistence. Since Dagohoy has experience in leading a community being a cabeza de barangay, it is safe to assume that he set some rules and norms to maintain peace and order in the new community. When the other Boholanos heard about the revolt, they expressed their sympathy by joining the revolutionaries or by supplying them with arms and money.
The Francisco Dagohoy Cave in the town of Danao
was the headquarters of Dagohoy. One of the many crystal-studded passages within Dagohoy's cave has an underwater route leading to dry land, and it is said that every time Spaniards would search the cave, Dagohoy would swim underwater through this passage to hide in the breathing space.
From time to time, the revolutionaries would raid the coastal towns, assault the Spanish garrisons, loot churches and kill Spaniards. In one of these raids, they killed the cura of Jagna, an Italian Jesuit priest, and Father Morales. Dagohoy fulfilled the promise he made over the grave of his brother and continued to lead the revolt until his death. It is unknown when and how he died. It is probable that he died of old age or sickness a little before or after the 19th century. What is certain is that the revolution did not end with his death.
The Spaniards were not happy with the Dagohoy-led revolt. In fact, there were several attempts to suppress it. The historian Gregorio Zaide has this to say:
The nationalist historian Renato Constantino
also narrated Spanish efforts to quell the revolt. He said:
The revolt continued. By 1770, five years before the waging of the American War for Independence against Great Britain, there were already about 30,000 revolutionaries in Bohol.
Twenty Spanish governors-general, from Gasper de la Torre (1739–45) to Juan Antonio Martínez
(1822–25), tried to quell the rebellion and failed. In 1825, General Mariano Ricafort Palacin
(1825–30), a kind and able administrator, became governor-general of the Philippines. Upon his order, Alcade-mayor Jose Lazaro Cairo, at the head of 2,200 Filipino-Spanish troops and several batteries, invaded Bohol on May 7, 1827. The brave Boholanos resisted fiercely. Alcade-mayor Cairo won several engagements, but failed to crush the rebellion. In April 1828, another Spanish expedition under Captain Manuel Sanz landed in Bohol. After more than a year of hard campaign, he finally subdued the patriots. By August 31, 1829, the rebellion had ceased. Governor Ricafort, with chivalric magnanimity, pardoned 19,420 survivors and permitted them to live in new villages at the lowlands. These villages are now the towns of Batuan
, Cabulao, Catigbian, and Bilar
.
It was only in April 1828, three years after the arrival of Governor-General Mariano Ricafort, that the Spaniards sent its strongest expedition to Bohol. This is understandable because Spain experienced problems in its other colonies in the 19th century. For instance, the Spanish American colonies revolted in 1810 until 1826, thus severing the link between Acapulco and Manila. It was, therefore, a hard time for Spain
. It was no longer a world superpower as it was in the 16th century. And it could not quell the Dagohoy revolution in Bohol.
Probably to help save its face after its defeats from the forces of Dagohoy and its loss of colonies, Spain decided to put an end to the revolt using Spanish and native (like Cebuanos) troops. According to Zaide:
The revolt ended formally on August 31, 1829. Manuel Sanz, commander of the Spanish forces, officially reported that 3,000 Boholanos escaped to other islands, 19,420 surrendered, 395 died in battle, 98 were exiled and around ten thousand revolutionaries were resettled in the areas of Balilihan, Batuan
, Bilar
, Cabulao and Catigbian. These figures all point to the fact that the revolt was widespread in the province. Being the insurrection's indtigator, Dagohoy continued to be a source of inspiration to his comrades even after his death.
The Dagohoy rebellion features in the Bohol provincial flag as one of the two bolos or native swords with handle and hand-guards on top. These two bolos, which are reclining respectively towards the left and right, depict the Dagohoy and Tamblot revolts, symbolizing that "a true Boholano
will rise and fight if supervening factors embroil them into something beyond reason or tolerance."
Dagohoy
will always live in the pages of Philippine history, not only as a good brother and a heroic man, but also as a leader of the longest Filipino insurrection on record. His revolt lasted 85 years (1744–1829).
The town of Dagohoy, Bohol
is named in his honor. It was Vice President Carlos P. Garcia
who proposed the name "Dagohoy" in honor of the greatest Boholano hero, Francisco Sendrijas alias Dagohoy. The name Dagohoy is a concatenation of the Bisayan phrase, Dagon sa huyuhoy or talisman of the breeze in English.
The Dagohoy Memorial National High School in Dagohoy, Bohol
is also named in his honor and memory.
Francisco Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy, was a Boholano who holds the distinction of having led the longest revolt in Philippine history, the Dagohoy Rebellion. This rebellion against the Spanish colonial government took place in the island of Bohol from 1744 to 1829, roughly 85 years.-About Dagohoy:Little is known of...
, also known as Francisco Sendrijas, this rebellion took place in the island of Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
from 1744 to 1829, roughly 85 years.
It was one of two significant revolts that occurred in Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the Spanish Era. The other one was the Tamblot Uprising
Tamblot Uprising
The Tamblot Uprising of 1621, also known as the Tamblot Revolution or Tamblot Revolt, was led by Tamblot, a babaylan or native priest from the island of Bohol in the Philippines. It was basically a religious conflict...
in 1621 led by Tamblot
Tamblot
Tamblot was a babaylan or native priest from Bohol, Philippines who led the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 to 1622 during the Spanish era. He opposed the new religion spread by the Spaniards and fought against the subsequent conversion of the Boholanos to the Catholic faith. According to Legend, he...
, a babaylan or native priest from Bohol which was basically a religious conflict.
Unlike the Tamblot revolt, the Dagohoy rebellion was not a religious conflict. Rather, it was like most of the early revolts which were ignited by forced labor, Spanish oppression, bandala, excessive tax collection and payment of tributes. On top of these injustices of the Jesuit priests, what triggered Dagohoy most was the refusal of the Jesuit priest to give a Christian burial to his brother who died in service while chasing a fugitive who went against Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. This provided the impetus for Dagohoy to call upon his fellow Boholanos to raise arms against the oppressors. The rebellion outlasted several Spanish Governors General and several missions.
The Dagohoy Rebellion (1744–1829)
Francisco Dagohoy led the longest revolt against the Spaniards in Philippine history. The revolt took the Spaniards 85 years (1744–1829) to quell. Forced labor was one of the causes of the revolt. But what triggered the decision to rise up in arms against the Spanish authorities in Bohol was the refusal of a Jesuit priest to give a Christian burial to Dagohoy's brother.Initially, Dagohoy was infuriated by the refusal of Father Gaspar Morales to give a Christian burial to his brother who died in service while chasing a fugitive who went against Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Because of the said injustice, Dagohoy called upon his fellow Boholanos to raise arms against the oppressors. The rebellion outlasted several Spanish Governors General and several missions.
In 1744, Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
was ready for another serious insurrection against Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In that year, Father Gaspar Morales, the Jesuit curate of Inabanga, ordered Sagarino, a constable, to capture a man who had abandoned his Christian religion. The brave constable pursued the fugitive, but the latter resisted and killed him. His corpse was brought to town. Morales refused to give the constable Christian burial because he had died in a duel and this was banned by the Church.
Francisco Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy, was a Boholano who holds the distinction of having led the longest revolt in Philippine history, the Dagohoy Rebellion. This rebellion against the Spanish colonial government took place in the island of Bohol from 1744 to 1829, roughly 85 years.-About Dagohoy:Little is known of...
, a cabeza de barangay, was the brother of the now deceased constable named Sagarino. When Dagohoy learned about his brother's death, he searched for his brother's body. He found it and brought the remains to Inabanga for a Christian burial. Morales, however, did not agree saying the Sagarino died in a duel. Also, Sagarino did not receive the last rites or the sacrament of extreme unction. Hence, giving him a Christian burial was contrary to religious practices at that time. What complicated the situation was the order of the priest to expose the rotting corpse for about three days in front of Inabanga Church. It is also possible, however, that since the priest refused to grant the request, Dagohoy decided to place the corpse there to force the priest to change his mind. Dagohoy eventually buried his brother without the benefit of a Catholic burial.
These strings of events led Dagohoy to make a vow to correct the wrong done to his brother. In the process, he stopped paying tribute to the Spaniards and refused to render the required "forced" labor. He also called upon his relatives, friends and the other residents to do the same and fight for their freedom.
Being so infuriated with the priest, he instigated the people to rise in arms. The signal of the uprising was the killing of Father Giuseppe Lamberti, Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
Jesuit curate of Jagna on January 24, 1744. Shortly afterwards, Morales was killed by Dagohoy. The rebellion rolled over the whole island like
a tropical typhoon. Bishop Miguel Lino de Espeleta of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, who exercised ecclesiastical authority over Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
, tried vainly to mollify the rebellious Boholanos.
The ground was fertile for Dagohoy's call. Around 3,000 Boholanos rallied to his call and joined him in a revolt against Spanish injustice and tyranny. Together with other leading members of the Tagbilaran
Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City is a 2nd class component city in the island province of Bohol, Philippines and serves as its capital. Tagbilaran lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km², with about 13 km of coastline...
, Baclayon and Dauis principalia, Dagohoy proclaimed the "Independence of Bohol" in the mountains of Talibon and Inabanga. The concept of independence, however, might not be applicable at that time. What is most likely is that the revolutionaries stopped submitting themselves to the dictates of the Spanish authorities and decided to move to the mountains where they can live on their own in peace.
Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy, was a Boholano who holds the distinction of having led the longest revolt in Philippine history, the Dagohoy Rebellion. This rebellion against the Spanish colonial government took place in the island of Bohol from 1744 to 1829, roughly 85 years.-About Dagohoy:Little is known of...
defeated the Spanish forces sent against him. He established a free government in the mountains, and had 3,000 followers, which subsequently increased to 20,000. The patriots remained unsubdued in their mountains stronghold, and, even after Dagohoy's death, continued to defy Spanish power.
Up there in the mountains, the revolutionaries established their headquarters, which they fortified with trenches of big rocks, just like the way some upland farmers pile up big rocks on top of one another in their farms. They also built dwellings for their families and cleared up some of the forest areas so that they can plant crops for their subsistence. Since Dagohoy has experience in leading a community being a cabeza de barangay, it is safe to assume that he set some rules and norms to maintain peace and order in the new community. When the other Boholanos heard about the revolt, they expressed their sympathy by joining the revolutionaries or by supplying them with arms and money.
The Francisco Dagohoy Cave in the town of Danao
Danao
Danao may refer to:* Danao City, in the province of Cebu, Philippines* Danao, Bohol, a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines* Danao, Danao, an inactive volcano in the barangay of Danao, Ormoc City, in the province of Leyte, Philippines...
was the headquarters of Dagohoy. One of the many crystal-studded passages within Dagohoy's cave has an underwater route leading to dry land, and it is said that every time Spaniards would search the cave, Dagohoy would swim underwater through this passage to hide in the breathing space.
From time to time, the revolutionaries would raid the coastal towns, assault the Spanish garrisons, loot churches and kill Spaniards. In one of these raids, they killed the cura of Jagna, an Italian Jesuit priest, and Father Morales. Dagohoy fulfilled the promise he made over the grave of his brother and continued to lead the revolt until his death. It is unknown when and how he died. It is probable that he died of old age or sickness a little before or after the 19th century. What is certain is that the revolution did not end with his death.
The Spaniards were not happy with the Dagohoy-led revolt. In fact, there were several attempts to suppress it. The historian Gregorio Zaide has this to say:
The nationalist historian Renato Constantino
Renato Constantino
Renato Constantino was an influential Filipino historian. He was a known leftist historian of the Philippines. He is the father-in-law of political commentator Randy David.-Works:*The Philippines: A Past Revisited...
also narrated Spanish efforts to quell the revolt. He said:
The revolt continued. By 1770, five years before the waging of the American War for Independence against Great Britain, there were already about 30,000 revolutionaries in Bohol.
Twenty Spanish governors-general, from Gasper de la Torre (1739–45) to Juan Antonio Martínez
Juan Antonio Martínez
Juan Antonio Martínez was interim President of Guatemala from 16 August 1848—28 November 1848. Martinez was elected due to the resignation of President José Rafael Carrera Turcios on August 15, 1848....
(1822–25), tried to quell the rebellion and failed. In 1825, General Mariano Ricafort Palacin
Mariano Ricafort Palacin y Abarca
Mariano Ricafort Palacin y Abarca was Governor of Cuba, Intendant of La Paz, part of Rio de la Plata, and the 61st Governor-General of the Philippines...
(1825–30), a kind and able administrator, became governor-general of the Philippines. Upon his order, Alcade-mayor Jose Lazaro Cairo, at the head of 2,200 Filipino-Spanish troops and several batteries, invaded Bohol on May 7, 1827. The brave Boholanos resisted fiercely. Alcade-mayor Cairo won several engagements, but failed to crush the rebellion. In April 1828, another Spanish expedition under Captain Manuel Sanz landed in Bohol. After more than a year of hard campaign, he finally subdued the patriots. By August 31, 1829, the rebellion had ceased. Governor Ricafort, with chivalric magnanimity, pardoned 19,420 survivors and permitted them to live in new villages at the lowlands. These villages are now the towns of Batuan
Batuan
Batuan could mean:* Batuan, Bali, a village in Indonesia famous for paintings* Batuan, Bohol, a municipality in Bohol province, Philippines* Batuan, Masbate, a municipality in Masbate province, Philippines...
, Cabulao, Catigbian, and Bilar
Bilär
Bilär was a medieval city in Volga Bulgaria and its second capital before the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria. It was located on the left bank of the Small Cheremshan River in modern-day Alexeyevsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan.The city was founded by the indigenous Bilyar tribe of the...
.
It was only in April 1828, three years after the arrival of Governor-General Mariano Ricafort, that the Spaniards sent its strongest expedition to Bohol. This is understandable because Spain experienced problems in its other colonies in the 19th century. For instance, the Spanish American colonies revolted in 1810 until 1826, thus severing the link between Acapulco and Manila. It was, therefore, a hard time for Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was no longer a world superpower as it was in the 16th century. And it could not quell the Dagohoy revolution in Bohol.
Probably to help save its face after its defeats from the forces of Dagohoy and its loss of colonies, Spain decided to put an end to the revolt using Spanish and native (like Cebuanos) troops. According to Zaide:
The revolt ended formally on August 31, 1829. Manuel Sanz, commander of the Spanish forces, officially reported that 3,000 Boholanos escaped to other islands, 19,420 surrendered, 395 died in battle, 98 were exiled and around ten thousand revolutionaries were resettled in the areas of Balilihan, Batuan
Batuan
Batuan could mean:* Batuan, Bali, a village in Indonesia famous for paintings* Batuan, Bohol, a municipality in Bohol province, Philippines* Batuan, Masbate, a municipality in Masbate province, Philippines...
, Bilar
Bilär
Bilär was a medieval city in Volga Bulgaria and its second capital before the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria. It was located on the left bank of the Small Cheremshan River in modern-day Alexeyevsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan.The city was founded by the indigenous Bilyar tribe of the...
, Cabulao and Catigbian. These figures all point to the fact that the revolt was widespread in the province. Being the insurrection's indtigator, Dagohoy continued to be a source of inspiration to his comrades even after his death.
Dagohoy's Legacy
Boholano people
The Boholano people, also called Bol-anon, refers to the people who live in the island province of Bohol. They are part of the wider Visayans ethnolinguistic group, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group.-Language:...
will rise and fight if supervening factors embroil them into something beyond reason or tolerance."
Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy, was a Boholano who holds the distinction of having led the longest revolt in Philippine history, the Dagohoy Rebellion. This rebellion against the Spanish colonial government took place in the island of Bohol from 1744 to 1829, roughly 85 years.-About Dagohoy:Little is known of...
will always live in the pages of Philippine history, not only as a good brother and a heroic man, but also as a leader of the longest Filipino insurrection on record. His revolt lasted 85 years (1744–1829).
The town of Dagohoy, Bohol
Dagohoy, Bohol
Dagohoy is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 18,311 people.-History:...
is named in his honor. It was Vice President Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos Polistico García was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist and guerrilla leader...
who proposed the name "Dagohoy" in honor of the greatest Boholano hero, Francisco Sendrijas alias Dagohoy. The name Dagohoy is a concatenation of the Bisayan phrase, Dagon sa huyuhoy or talisman of the breeze in English.
The Dagohoy Memorial National High School in Dagohoy, Bohol
Dagohoy, Bohol
Dagohoy is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 18,311 people.-History:...
is also named in his honor and memory.
Related Literature
- Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People. GAROTECH Publishing, 1990 (8th Edition).
- Arcila, Jose S. Rizal and the Emergence of the Philippine Nation. 2001 revised edition.
- Constantino, Renato. The Philippines: A Past Revisited. Tala Publishing Series, 1975.
- Corpuz, Onofre D. The Roots of the Filipino Nation. 1989.
- Scott, William Henry. Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society. AdMU: 1994.
- Zaide, Gregorio F. Great Filipinos in History: An Epic of Filipino Greatness in War and Peace. Verde Bookstore, 1970.
- Zaide, Gregorio. Dagohoy: Champion of Philippine Freedom. Manila: Enriquez, Alduan and Co., 1941.
External links
- Pugay, Chris Antonette P.The Revolts before the Revolution www.nhi.gov.ph