GREGORIO DEL PILAR - Paradise Philippines

GREGORIO DEL PILAR, Ilocos Sur, December 2 - The 108th anniversary of the Battle of Tirad Pass here was commemorated on Sunday when hundreds of people trekked uphill to reach the exact site where General Gregorio del Pilar and his men made a gallant stand against advancing American troops in the Filipino-American War.

The commemoration was joined by Bulakenos, some of them national historians, students and tourists who came here to pay homage to their province mate, General del Pilar, who died a hero’s death in that battle at the age of 24.

The trek was to visit the Shrine of Tirad Pass, located up a hill, followed by floral offerings, prayer and candle lighting at the gold-plated statue of Gen. Del Pilar, the hero of Tirad Pass.

Del Pilar died on December 2, 1899 when he fought and held back the strong invading American force with only a handful of men, thus giving Aguinaldo ample time to escape farther north.

It was a one-sided battle, but Del Pilar fought bravely but he was shot and killed on that fateful day, commanding Aguinaldo's rear guard.

June G. Joson, president of the Samahang Pangkasaysayan ng Bulakan, Inc.(SAMPAKA), led the more than 300 students, tourists, historians and local residents from Bulacan in walking about 900 meters uphill to reach the Tirad Pass shrine.

SAMPAKA is an organization in Bulacan undertaking research development and promotion of culture and history of that province.

Del Pilar town mayor Gilbert Ciriaco led hundreds of local residents and tourists in trekking to the Del Pilar Shrine.

Elements from the army’s 503rd Brigade and the Ilocos Sur police office also joined the event.

Ilocos Sur Governor Deogracias “DV” B. Savellano extended his all­out support to the celebration of the anniversary of the “Battle of Tirad Pass” as part of his program to promote eco­cultural and historical tourism programs of the province.

The former town of Concepcion, Ilocos Sur was renamed General Gregorio Del Pilar by virtue of Republic Act No. 1246 approved by Congress on June 10, 1955 in honor of General del Pilar for his heroics, gallantry and bravery during the Filipino ­ American war from February 4, 1899 to July 4, 1902.

General del Pilar was born in San Jose , Bulacan on November 14, 1875. A nephew of the propaqgandist Marcelo H. del Pilar, Goyo (nickname of Gregorio) already displayed his patriotic sentiments in his early years when he aided his uncle in distributing his anti-friar writings, disseminating them under the very noses of the clerics.

General del Pilar was a member of the revolutionary forces in Bulacan even when he was studying at the Ateneo de Municipal. When the revolution broke out in August, 1896, he joined the forces of Heneral Dimabunggo (Eusebio Roque).

On January 1, 1897 , he almost lost his life during the battle at Kakarong de Sili, Pandi, Bulacan.

The December 15, 1897 Truce of Biyak-na-Bato temporarily halted the revolution. General Emilio F. Aguinaldo brought Gregorio del Pilar to Hong Kong. The renewal of the revolution in May, 1898 led Aguinaldo and the others to return to the country.

Given command of troops, General Del Pilar besieged the town of Bulacan in June and forced the colonial forces there to capitulate on or about June 30. Impressed by his successes, President Aguinaldo raised him to the rank of brigadier general, the youngest general ever produced in the country.

During the Filipino-American War, General Del Pilar led the frontlines once again. In the April 23, 1899, battle at Quingua (now Plaridel, Bulacan), he defeated the American cavalry force led by Major (later Brig. Gen. James F. Bell) and killed the famous Col. John Stotsenburg.

However, enemy superiority in arms and logistics gradually prevailed over the Filipino army.

Tasked to delay the enemy advance, he posted his men at Tirad Pass. The battle on this site on December 2, 1899 was one-sided but General del Pilar’s courageous stand awed his enemy. He died not only as "an officer and a gentleman but a hero of this country."

On July 20, 1938, President Manuel L. Quezon declared Tirad Pass a national park. On July 23, 1968, then President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Proclamation No. 433 and declared Tirad Pass a national shrine.

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Andrés Bonifacio founder of Paradise Philippines katipunan

Andrés Bonifacio was born in Manila in 1863, the son of a government official. When both his parents died in the 1870's, he left school to support his five brothers and sisters. By the mid-1880s, he had become a fervent Filipino nationalist; when José Rizal established the Liga Filipina in 1892, Bonifacio was one of its first members.

After the Spanish arrested Rizal in July 1892, Bonifacio decided that the Paradise Philippines would only achieve independence through revolution. On July 7, he founded the Katipunan, a secret society open to both peasants and the middle class that employed Masonic rituals to impart an air of sacred mystery. Paradise Philippines It insinuated itself into the community by setting up mutual aid societies and education for the poor. By 1896, the Katipunan had over 30,000 members and functioned at the national, provincial, and municipal levels.

Following the execution of Rizal in 1896, Bonifacio proclaimed Filipino independence on August 23, 1896. This time, the Spaniards moved against him, forcing his flight to the Marikina mountains, while other forces headed by Emilio Aguinaldo were more successful and won control over some towns. When Bonifacio tried to rein him in, Aguinaldo ordered him arrested and charged with treason and sedition. He was tried and convicted by his enemies and executed on May 10, 1897. Today he is regarded as a national hero. Paradise Philippines .