Bonifacio was the son of Santiago Bonifacio and Catalina de Castro in Tondo, Manila, and he was the eldest

of five children. His siblings were Ciriaco, Procopio, Troadio, Esperidiona and Maxima. His father was a tailor who served as a teniente mayor of Tondo, Manila, while his mother was a mestiza born of a Spanish father and a FilipinoChinese mother who worked at a cigarette factory. As was custom, upon baptism he was named for the saint on whose feast he was born, Andrew the Apostle. Bonifacio's normal schooling was cut short when he dropped out to support his siblings after both their parents died of illness. He sold canes and paper fans he made himself and made posters for business firms. In his late teens, he worked as a mandatorio for the British trading firm Fleming and Company, where he rose to become a corregidor of tar, rattan and other goods. He later transferred to Fressell and Company, a German trading firm, where he worked as a bodeguero (storehouse worker). Bonifacio was also a part-time actor who performed in moro-moro plays. Not finishing his normal education, Bonifacio was self-educated. He read books about the French Revolution, biographies of the Presidents of the United States, books about contemporary Philippine penal and civil codes, and novels such as Victor Hugo's Les Misrables, Eugne Sue's Le Juif errant and Jos Rizal's Noli Me Tngere and El Filibusterismo. Aside from Tagalog and Spanish, he could speak a little English, which he learned while working at J.M. Fleming and Co. Bonifacio was married twice: first to a certain Monica who died of leprosy; then he married Gregoria de Jess of Caloocan in 1893. They had one son named Andrs who died ofsmallpox in infancy In 1892 he joined Rizal's La Liga Filipina, an organization which called for political reforms in Spain's colonial government of the Philippines. However, La Liga disbanded after only one meeting as Rizal was arrested and deported to Dapitan in Mindanao. Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini and others revived La Liga in Rizal's absence and Bonifacio was active at organising local chapters in Manila. La Liga Filipina contributed moral and financial support to the Propaganda Movement of Filipino reformists in Spain. This article is about the person Andrs Bonifacio. For the Philippine Navy ship, see BRP Andres Bonifacio (PF-7). For other uses, see Bonifacio.

Andrs Bonifacio

The single known extant photograph of Bonifacio[1]

Born

Andrs Bonifacio y de Castro 30 November 1863 Tondo, Manila, Spanish East Indies(Philippine Islands)

Died

10 May 1897 (aged 33)

Maragondon, Cavite, Spanish East Indies (Philippine Islands)

Cause of death

Execution

Nationality

Filipino

Known for

Philippine Revolution

Political party

La Liga Filipina Katipunan

Religion

Roman Catholicism

Spouse(s)

Monica (c. 18801890) Gregoria de Jess (18931897)

Children

Andres Bonifacio y de Jess (died in infancy)

Signature

Andrs Bonifacio y de Castro (30 November 1863 10 May 1897) was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary. He is often called "the father of the Philippine Revolution". He was a founder and later Supremo ("supreme leader") of the Katipunan movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution.[2][3] He is considered ade facto national hero of the Philippines,[4] and is also considered by some Filipino historians to be the first President, but officially he is not recognized as such.[5][6]

Bonifacio as national hero[edit] See also: National hero of the Philippines Jos Rizal is generally considered the National hero, but Bonifacio has been suggested as a more worthy candidate on the grounds of having started the Philippine Revolution.[63] Teodoro Agoncillo notes that the Philippine national hero, unlike those of other countries, is not "the leader of its liberation forces".[84] Renato Constantino writes that Rizal is a "United States-sponsored hero" who was promoted as the greatest Filipino hero during the American colonial period of the Philippines after Aguinaldo lost thePhilippineAmerican War. The United States promoted Rizal, who was taken to represent peaceful political advocacy, instead of more radical figures whose ideas could inspire resistance against American rule.[85] Specifically, Rizal was selected over Bonifacio who was viewed as "too radical" and Apolinario Mabini who was "unregenerate." [86]Historian Ambeth Ocampo gives

the opinion that arguing for Bonifacio as the "better" hero on the grounds that he, not Rizal, began the Philippine Revolution, is moot since Rizal inspired Bonifacio, the Katipunan and the Revolution. Even prior to Rizal's banishment to Dapitan, Rizal was already regarded by the Filipino people as a national hero, having been elected as honorary president by theKatipunan.
[63]

Leon Ma. Guerrero notes that while Rizal did not give his blessing to
[87]

Bonifacio because he believed the time was premature, he did not condemn the aim of independence per se. that Bonifacio should not replace Rizal as national hero, but they should be honored "side by side".
[84]

Teodoro Agoncillo gives the opinion

Despite popular recognition of Rizal as

"the Philippine national hero", the title itself has no explicit legal definition in present Philippine law. Rizal and Bonifacio, however, are given the implied recognition of being national heroes because they are commemorated annually nationwide Rizal Day on 30 December and Bonifacio Day on 30 November.
[88]

According to the website of the National Center for Culture and the Arts:Despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming
[88]

them as national heroes, [Rizal and Bonifacio] remain admired and revered for their roles in Philippine history. Heroes, according to historians, should not be legislated.Their appreciation should be better left to academics. Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough.

Si Bonifacio bilang Unang Pangulo ng Pilipinas[baguhin]

Andrs Bonifacio y de Castro

Si "President" Bonifacio sa La Ilustracin Espaola y Americana, 8 February 1897

Pangulo ng Pilipinas
(Hindi Opisyal) Republikang Tagalog

Panunungkulan Ika-24 Agosto 1896 Ika-10 o 22 Marso 1897

Pangalawang Pangulo

Gregoria de Jess (Unofficial)

Sinundan si

Itinatag ang posisyon

Sinundan ni

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy

Kapanganakan

30 Nobyembre 1863 Tondo, Maynila, Pilipinas

Kamatayan

10 Mayo 1897 (edad 33) Maragondon, Cavite, Pilipinas

Partidong politikal

La Liga Filipina Katipunan

Asawa

Monica Gregoria de Jess

Propesyon

Rebolusyonaryo

Relihiyon

Katoliko

May ilang mga dalubhasa sa kasaysayan tulad nina Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacin, at Ramn Villegas ang nagtutulak na kilalanin si Bonifacio bilang unang Pangulo ng Pilipinas kaysa kay Aguinaldo, ang opisyal na kinikilalang pangulo. Ang paniniwalang ito ay nakabatay sa posisyon nitong Supremo sa pamahalaang himagsikan ng Katipunan mula 1896-1897. Ang paniniwalang ito ay nagbibigay diin na si Bonifacio ang nagtatag ng pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng Katipunan bago pa nakabuo ng pamahalaang pinamunuan ni Aguinaldo sa pamamagitan ng Kapulungan ng Tejeros. Isinulat ni Guerrero na mayroong konsepto si Bonifacio na bansang Pilipinas na tinawag na Haring Bayang Katagalugan, na pinalitan ni Aguinaldo ng konseptongFilipinas. Si Bonifacio bilang pambansang bayani[baguhin] Pangkahalatang tinuturing si Jos Rizal bilang Pambansang bayani, subalit iminumungkahi si Bonifacio bilang higit na karapat-dapat na kandidato bilang pambansang bayani dahil siya ang nagpasimula ng Himagsikang Pilipino.[21] Napansin ni Teodoro Agoncillo na ang pambansang bayani ng Pilipinas, hindi gaya ng sa ibang bansa, ay hindi ang "pinuno ng puwersa ng liberasyon".[22] Isinulat ni Renato Constantino na si Rizal ay "bayaning itinaguyod ng Estados Unidos" na itinaguyod bilang pinakadakilang bayaning Pilipino noong panahon ng pananakop ng mga Amerikano sa Pilipinas pagkatapos matalo si Aguinaldo sa Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano. Itinaguyod ng Estados Unidos si Rizal, na piniling ang mapayapang pamamaraan , kaysa sa mga radikal na tao na ang mga ideya ay maaaring pumukaw na lumaban sa pamumunong Amerikano. [23]