WORKSHEET FOR PRIMARY VS.
SECONDARY SOURCES ON THE TEJEROS CONVENTION (1897)
Name:
Author’s Background
When was the account written?
(Context)
Mention of Date/s
Primary Source: Santiago Alvarez’
Memoirs of a General
Santiago Alvarez was a revolutionary
general. Son of another Filipino
famous general, Mariano Alvarez.
Born July 25, 1872 in Imus, Cavite
and died October 30, 1930 in San
Pablo, Laguna. Member of the
Katipunan secret society
(Magdiwang), at the outbreak of the
revolution of the independence. He
was branded as the “hero of
Dalahican” after preventing the
Spanish reinforcements to reconquer
the province of Cavite.
The context was set on the time of the
assembly of the two factions. It was
written years after the Assembly of
Tejeros by one of the personalities
that experienced the happenings on
the said assembly which is Santiago
Alvarez. It was set to retell the story of
an event in a factual state.
March 25, 1897 – Assembly was January 1897 – San Francisco de
convened at Tejeros Malabon Town Fiesta
Secondary Source: Teodoro
Agoncillo’s Revolt of the Masses
Teodoro Agoncillo, a renowned
Filipino historian and national
scientist. Born on November 9, 1912
in Lemery, Batangas and died on
January 14, 1985. Agoncillo is one of
the most prominent Filipino Historians
during the 20th century. He started
writing history frome the so-called
Filipino point of view along with the
other historians.
The account was written in the
author’s present at that time (1947). It
views the various perspective of
happenings in the Assembly of
Tejeros and the election, it was set to
relive the past into the present based
on what did the author searched or
known about the event.
 March 26, 1897 – Another meeting January 2, 1897 – Bonifacio wrote a
initiated by Magdalo President letter to his uncle-in-law, Mariano
Baldomero Aguinaldo, but only Alvarez
Magdiwang leaders have attended
March 22, 1897 – Aguinaldo’s
March 27, 1897 – Eyewitness Birthday, Assembly convened at
revealed that a meeting had taken Tejeros
place at the Tanza parish house
April 1897 – Spaniards captured the
town of Malabon

Mention of Place/s Friar estate house in Tejeros – Talisay, Batangas – where Magdalo
venue of the meetings leaders reside

Santa Cruz de Malabon (Parish

House of the Catholic Church) Nasugbu, Tuwi, Look – where
Magdiwang leaders reside
Parish House in Tanza – where it is
rumored that the oath-taking Imus, Cavite – where Magdalo and
ceremony was held here Magdiwang decided to have an
assembly
San Francisco de Malabon

Noveleta – town where Andres

Bonifacio stayed and later conquered
 by Spanish forces
Estate House of Tejeros – where the
assembly was held

Cavite – where the Katipunan comes

at 2 factions; Magdalo and
Magdiwang

San Francisco de Malabon

Santa Cruz de Malabon/Town of

Tanza

Mountains of Montalban and

Mariquina

Zapote – where Emilio Aguinaldo,

Candido Tirona, and Edilberto
Evangelista will meet Andres
Bonifacio

Key Personalities Magdiwang  General Blanco

 Andres Bonifacio – Supreme
 Secretary Jacinto
Head of Katipunan
Lumbreras of the Magdiwang
 Jacinto Lumbreras – acting
Council
president of the Magdiwang
 Supremo Andres Bonifacio
 Mariano Alvarez – President
Messrs.
of the Magdiwang council
 Mariano Alvarez
 Pascual Alvarez – Executive
 Pascual Alvarez
  Ariston Villanueva –
Secretary of War of
Magdiwang
 Mariano Trias
 Diego Mojica
 Emiliano de Dios
 Santiago Alvarez (General
Apoy)
 Artemio Ricarte (General
Vibora)
 Santos Nocon
 Luciano San Miguel
 Pablo Mojica
 Severino de las Alas
 Santiago Rillo
Magdalo
 Baldomero Aguinaldo –
President of the Magdalo
council
 Emilio Aguinaldo
 Daniel Tirona
 Antonio Montenegro
----------------------------
 Fr. Cenon Villafranca
secretary of Magdiwang
 Emilio Riego de Dios –
Minister of the Interior of
Magdiwang
 Mariano Trias – Minister of
Grace and Justice of
Magdiwang
 Ariston Villanueva – Minister
of War of Magdiwang
 Santiago Alvarez –
Commander-in-Chief of
Magdiwang
 Diego Moxica – Minister of
Finance of Magdiwang
 Artemio Ricarte & Mariano
Riego de Dios – Military
Commanders of Magdiwang
 Severino de las Alas -
 Baldomero Aguinaldo –
President of the Magdalo
council
 Candido Tirona – Minister of
War of Magdalo
 Cayetano Topacio – Minister
of Finance of Magdalo
 Emilio Aguinaldo –
Commander-in-Chief of
Magdalo
  Edilberto Evangelista –
Lieutenant General of Magdalo
 Vito Belarmino & Crispulo
Aguinaldo – Military
Commanders of Magdalo
 Antonio Montenegro
 Ciriaco Bonifacio – older
brother of Andres Bonifacio
 Procopio Bonifacio – younger
brother of Andres Bonifacio
 Vicente Fernandez
 Polavieja
 Captain Mariano San Gabriel
 Arsenio Salvador – Occupant
of the former estate house
 Emilio Jacinto – a Filipino
General, Andres Bonifacio’s
friend

Sequencing of Events  Meeting at the Long  Factions of Katipunan,

Presidential Table in Magdalo and Magdiwang set
Assembly of Tejeros to unite for an election of
supreme council.
 Discussion on the kind of
government to implement
 Attempt was made by both
factions to wear the same
 Exchange of arguments uniform. However, both
 factions don’t have the
between General Apoy and means to buy the uniform.
Mr. Montenegro about the
establishment of  Silent conflict led to a contest
government of better faction that is fitted
to rule their territory.
 Convention resumed but
 A delegate was sent out to
Supremo Andres Bonifacio
invite and inform Andres
presides the meeting
Bonifacio in the mountains of
instead of Sec. Jacinto
Montalban and Mariquina for
Lumbreras
the purpose of mediating the
two factions.
 Election began for
President, Vice-President,
 Andres Bonafacio was
Minister for finance, welfare,
brought by the rebel leaders
justice, as well as captain-
at Imus. He orders to be
general.
obeyed by all. At this time, he
wrote a letter to his uncle-in-
 Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed
law about what happened in
as the President after the
the Magdalo area.
elections. Mariano Trias as
Vice-President, General
 Andres Bonifacio was invited
Vibora as Captain General,
to the demonstration of the
Emiliano de Dios as
Magdiwang rebels in
Secretary of War, Supremo
Noveleta and a parade took
Andres Bonifacio as
place.
Secretary of the Interior.
 Polavieja’s counter-offensive
 Mr. Daniel Tirona’s
led to the fall of several
questioned and contested
towns that was previously
the election of Andres
held by the rebels, due to
Bonifacio as Secretary of
this, both fractions believe
the Interior. In result,
 Bonifacio got insulted and
demanded an apology which
Mr. Tirona did not agree.
 Supremo Andres Bonifacio
declared that the meeting
and election was null and
void then he left quickly.
 The Magdalo President, Mr.
Baldomero Aguinaldo did
not leave to convince the
Magdiwang leaders to
reconvene the disrupted
meeting on the next day in
the same friar estate house
in Tejeros.
 Only the Magdiwang leaders
along with Supremo Andres
Bonifacio had attended the
meeting. There was no
Magdalo leaders that
attended even Magdalo
president that initiated the
meeting.
 Eyewitnesses revealed that
the rumor about the
Magdalo leaders holding a
different meeting at the
Tanza parish house was
sought to be true.
that they should come
together.
 The assembly was opened
with Andres Bonifacio seating
at the head of the table,
assuming presidency.
Insisting that there was no
need for a new government
and objecting the elections
which the Magdalo leaders
would refuse.
 Town fiesta was held on on
the town of Noveleta, where
the rebels was disturbed by a
series of rifle shots.
 On March 22, 1897,
Magdiwang held a
convention at the estate
house of Tejeros for both
factions but not all of
Magdalo leaders were able to
attend due to battles raging
the locality.
 Jacinto Lumbreras opened
the convention and took the
chair. Firstly, tackling the kind
of the government to set up
for the country. Where Mr. de
las Alas and Andres

 Even though the election
was declared to be null and
void, they held a secret
oath-taking ceremony at the
Tanza parish without inviting
Supremo Andres Bonifacio
that was elected to office.
Bonifacio had an argument
about the “K” in the
Katipunan flag in relation to
the government they will
have.
 Emotions ran high as the
meeting was going nowhere.
Santiago Alvarez was pricked
to anger as Mr. Montenegro
supported the suggestions of
Mr. de las Alas regarding on
the “K” on the Katipunan flag
 Moreover, the election was
continued. Emilio Aguinaldo
won in absentia over Andres
Bonifacio. Then, Severino de
las Alas suggested the
election of Andres Bonifacio
for the Vice President since
he got the second largest
vote, which no one approved
or disapproved it.
 Andres Bonifacio eventually
decided to resume the
election. The results of
election came and the
election of Bonifacio nearly
ended in a bloody way with
Daniel Tirona insisting that
Bonifacio should not be

DIFFERENCES between the two
accounts
elected because of his
educational attainment.
 As Andres Bonifacio is
insulted on what happened,
he declares the elections null
and void.
 Andres Bonifacio then wrote
letter to Mariano Alvarez,
Emilio Jacinto, giving the
background of what
happened in the convention.
 It was said that the Tejeros  Contrary to the primary source,
Convention happened on March it was said that the Tejeros
25, 1897. Convention occurred on March
 The story revolves more on the 22, 1897, which was
election that was made in the Aguinaldo’s Birthday.
Tejeros convention and the  The source of Teodoro
aftermath of the Magdalo- Agoncillo tells about the
Magdiwang factions. purpose of why they had a
 Trining (Trinidad Rizal, sister of convention.
Jose Rizal) and Josephine  Alvarez’s bodyguards stayed
Bracken was present. near the stairs.
 Alvarez’s bodyguards are  Did not mention Trinidad Rizal
outside the estate house. and Josephine Bracken.
 Narrated straightforwardly by  Widely narrated by a historian
Alvarez, who is present at the with evidences of the
same story. convention.
YOUR OWN ANALYSIS of the
differences between the two accounts
The primary source was more of a
focus on the election and explained
what was happened in the convention
of Tejeros. Two accounts have the
same tone although some parts have
a difference from the secondary
source which is the evidence. Even
though it lacks evidences, Santiago
Alvarez, the author alone can be a
solid proof that the events in the
estate house of Tejeros are
believable.
It has the same story as the primary
source but the secondary source was
more of a backstory of the election.
Dealing on why was the election
needed to happen. There was even a
sketch of the estate house which
supports the events that happened
there. Providing evidences are more
convincing for the readers to believe
the story.