Andrés Bonifacio Monument

Introduction
The Andrés Bonifacio Monument, commonly known simply as Bonifacio
Monument or Monumento, is a memorial monument in Caloocan, Philippines which
was designed by the National Artist Guillermo Tolentino to commemorate
Philippine revolutionary Andrés Bonifacio, the founder and Supremo of the
Katipunan. Andrés Bonifacio fought for independence from the politically and
socially ruthless colonial rule by Spain. The monument 45 feet (14 m) in height with
symbolic images and other features known as the "Cry of Balintawak" is acclaimed
as one of the best monuments in the world.

The monument is located in South Caloocan at a roundabout crossing of four roads,

namely Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), MacArthur Highway, Samson Road
and Avenida Rizal, the old road leading to Manila.
The Bonifacio Monument recalls the Philippine Revolution which was spearheaded
by Andrés Bonifacio who had urged his men to raise against the colonial rule of
Spain. His call to take arms against the Spanish rule was given on 23 August 1896,
which is widely known as "Cry of Pugad Lawin.

The cornerstone was formally laid by Aurora Quezon, the wife of Filipino Senate
President and later President Manuel L. Quezon. The monument, which was created
under the orders of American Governor-General Frank Murphy, was inaugurated on
23 October 1933. It was inaugurated by the Speaker of the House, with much fanfare
in a colourful function led by three women from Luzon (of the Women’s College),
Visayas (of the Institute of Women), and Mindanao (of the Centro Escolar de
Señoritas/Center for Women) with other women representing the eight provinces of
Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Laguna
which had participated in the revolution of 1896.
Landmarks, such as the Bonifacio Monument, are reminders of our past that made
us what we are today. Landmarks do not feed us physically for sure. But man doesn’t
live by bread alone, for he has a soul that searches for identity and belonging. The
monument is a proud reminder of the greatness of our bloodline we all belong to,
and of the victorious revolution we waged in 1896-1898. To neglect these national
treasures is like forgetting our own personal past and genesis—amnesia—and
forgetting the heroes of 1896 is like forgetting the sacrifices of our own parents. If
we would lose the landmarks of our past, how would we ever know where we are,
and where we are going as a nation?
As we gaze upon the Supremo and the men and women around that obelisk, let us
think about the sacrifices of those before us who did not sleep in the dark of night,
those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their children—for us. They want
us to carry on with what they had fought for, not by the bolo in a time of revolution,
but simply by being productive and vigilant citizens, just like the Supremo more than
a hundred years ago. As if we can hear him call on us from those bronze figures once
again with his words from the Dekalogo ng Katipunan: "Ang pagsusumikap at
pagpipilit na kumita ng ikabubuhay ay nagpapahayag ng tunay na pagmamahal sa
sarili, sa asawa, anak, kapatid, at kababayan." (Diligence in the work that gives
sustenance to thee is the true basis of love -- love for thine own self, for thine wife
and children, for thine brothers and countrymen.) Personally, I see the monument as
a reminder of how a working class hero made a difference, and how we can too.
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro

Digital Restoration and manipulation of Carlo Caacbay

Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897), a Filipino revolutionary hero, founded the

Katipunan, a secret society which spearheaded the uprising against the Spanish and
laid the groundwork for the first Philippine Republic.
Andres Bonifacio was born in Tondo, Manila, on Nov. 30, 1863. He grew up in the
slums and knew from practical experience the actual conditions of the class
struggle in his society. Orphaned early, he interrupted his primary schooling in
order to earn a living as a craftsman and then as clerk-messenger and agent of
foreign commercial firms in Manila. Absorbing the teachings of classic rationalism
from the works of José Rizal, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Eugène Sue's The
Wandering Jew, books on the French Revolution, and the lives of the presidents of
the United States, Bonifacio acquired an understanding of the dynamics of the
sociohistorical process. This led him to join the Liga Filipina, which Rizal
organized in 1892 for the purpose of uniting and intensifying the nationalist
movement for reforms.
When the Liga was dissolved upon the arrest and banishment of Rizal, Bonifacio
formed the Katipunan in 1892 and thus provided the rallying point for the people's
agitation for freedom, independence, and equality. The Katipunan patterned its
initiation rites after the Masonry, but its ideological principles derived from the
French Revolution and can be judged radical in its materialistic-historical
orientation. The Katipunan exalted work as the source of all value. It directed
attention to the unjust class structure of the colonial system, the increased
exploitation of the indigenous population, and consequently the need to affirm the
collective strength of the working masses in order to destroy the iniquitous system.
When the society was discovered on Aug. 19, 1896, it had about 10,000 members.
On August 23 Bonifacio and his followers assembled at Balintawak and agreed to
begin the armed struggle. Two days later the first skirmish took place and a reign
of terror by the Spaniards soon followed.
Conflict split the rebels into the two groups of Magdiwang and Magdalo in Cavite,
on Luzon. Bonifacio was invited to mediate, only to be rebuffed by the clannish
middle class of Cavite. Judging Bonifacio's plans as divisive and harmful to unity,
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the elected president of the provisional revolutionary
government, ordered the arrest, trial, and execution for "treason and sedition" of
Bonifacio and his brothers. On May 10, 1897, Bonifacio was executed.
Contrary to the popular view, the cause of Bonifacio's tragic death at the hands of
other Filipino rebels cannot be solely attributed to his own personal pride. Rather,
the correlation of class forces and the adventurist tendency of Bonifacio's group led
to his isolation and subsequently to Aguinaldo's compromises with the American
military invaders.
Building Representation

Guillermo Tolentino, National Artist in Sculpture

The Bonifacio Monument, which was sculpted by Guillermo Tolentino in

1933, an obelisk, rises to a height of 45 feet (14 m); the obelisk is made up of five
parts representing five aspects of the society, "Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang na
Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Highest and Most Venerable Association of the
Sons of the Nation)". It is crowned by a figure with wings representing triumph.
Below the vertical pylon 20 figures cast in bronze have been molded over an
octagonal shaped plinth, plus one angel of peace at the top.

The octagon represents the eight provinces who fought against Spain and also
represents eight rays of the Katipunan flag. The plinth is raised in three steps, each
step representing the three centuries of Spanish rule. These figures are a
representation of the people of Philippines, who faced inequality, agony and
suppression under the colonial rule which eventually ended in an armed revolution
in 1896. The main central image of the monument holds a bolo, a machete, in the
right hand and a gun in the other hand. At the back of the central figure a flag of
Katipunan in an unfurled state is depicted. A remarkable feature of the molded
images of the human figures is the classic style with detailing marked by realistic
expressions reflecting the revolutionary spirit with an "upright head and body" and
with arms spread on the sides. The central obelisk is surrounded by pools of water.
he monument has become Caloocan City's most famous landmark. To get you
started, here is a brief synopsis of how the historical landmark created.
Bonifacio Monument
The monument has become Caloocan City's most famous landmark.
Andres Bonifacio Monument is a mural commemorate to the lifework of Gat. Andres Bonifacio.
It was created by Guillermo E. Tolentino, one of the National Artists of the Philippines. The
construction of national monument for Andres Bonifacio was led by former Katipuneros,
particularly Bonifacio’s friend and comrade, Guillermo Masangkay. On February 23, 1918, Act
No. 2760 was passed by the Philippine Legislature approving the erection of a national monument
in memory of Andres Bonifacio. Eight years later, on 29 August 1930, a jury created to select the
best design for a monument to honor the Great Plebeian convened. It was headed by Architect
Andres Luna de San Pedro and was composed of sculptor Vicente Francisco and Architect Tomas
Mapua. Painter and Director of the UP College of Fine Arts Fabian dela Rosa was supposed to
preside in the deliberation but later declined to ensure fairness when he learned that one of his
colleagues from his college was one of the competitors.

History
A Great Plebeian
Before the 1930s, there was no monument impressive enough to honor the Great Plebeian, as
Bonifacio was called. Though Bonifacio had been long recognized as one of the greatest heroes of
the Philippines, it was only in 1921 when he was given formal recognition. On February 9 of that
year, the Philippine legislature enacted Act No. 2946 proclaiming November 30 of each year as
Araw ni Bonifacio (Bonifacio Day) and observing it as a national holiday.

Where does the monument stand?

Caloocan city's most celebrated landmark is the monument of Katipunan Supremo Andres
Bonifacio, which is located at the northern terminal point of the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
(EDSA) where it meets Rizal Avenue forming an area that is popularly called “Monumento area”.