BALDOMERO B. AGUINALDO
(1869-1915)
Patriot and great revolutionary leader,
General Baldomero Aguinaldo y Baloy was born on February 27, 1869 in Binakayan,
Kawit, Cavite, the fourth of the eight children of Don Cipriano Aguinaldo and
Silveria Baloy, both natives of Kawit.
He acquired his early education at a school
in his hometown. A few years later, he attended a private school owned by Sr.
Jose Basa in San Rogue, Cavite. There he took up his secondary course (segundo
enseņanza). He later went to Manila and enrolled at Ateneo Municipal. Subsequently, he transferred to the University
of Santo Tomas to take up law. He was still a law student when the Philippine
Revolution broke out. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws but failed to take the
bar examinations. Unable to practice law, he engaged in farming instead.
Before the outbreak of the Philippine
Revolution in August, 1896,
"Capitan Berong"' as he was known, successively held a number of
offices: as town executive (directorcillo), as register of deeds (registrador
de titulos) and finally as justice of the peace of Kawit.
Shortly
after the outbreak of the Revolution he organized, together with his first
cousin Emilio and the Tirona brothers, Candido and Daniel, the Magdalo faction
of the Katipunan in Kawit. Capitan Berong became the president of this Council.
During
the early days of the hostilities, he always stayed by General Emilio Aguinaldo's side. As a
general, he figured in the bloody battles at Binakayan, Dalahican and Noveleta
on November 9-10, 1896; in Zapote on February 17, 1897; in Salitran on March 7
of the same year; and in Alapan, Imus on May 28, 1898. It was in the battle of
Alapan that the reorganized Filipino revolutonary troops led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo won their first
victory. It was also in Alapan that the
first recorded hoisting of the Filipino flag was made.
His
knowledge of law and administrative procedures made him very valuable to the
revolutionary government. In view of his qualifications, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
appointed him to various cabinet positions.
At
the assembly of revolutionary leaders held in Naic, Cavite in April, 1897,
Baldomero was appointed Director of Finance. He retained this position even
after a cabinet reshuffle in November of the same year.
As
a member of the revolutionary cabinet, he was one of the signers of two
historic documents: the Biak-na-bato Constitution, on November 1, 1897, and the
Pact of Biak-na-Bato, on December 14-15 of the same year. He also helped draft
this Constitution and served as secretary of the Treasury of the Biak-na-bato
Republic. Together with some members
the cabinet, he accompanied General Emilio Aguinaldo to Hongkong, as a
voluntary exile, on December 27, 1897.
In
July of 1898, in the Cabinet formed in Bacoor, Cavite, Baldomero was appointed
Secretary of War and Public Works. He also served in the same capacity under
the Mabini Cabinet which lasted from
January 2 to May 7, 1899.
He
served as Judge Advocate General (Auditor de Guerra) in the court-martial of the Bonifacio brothers
Andres, Ciriaco and Procopio. He
reviewed the decision of the Council of War headed by General Mariano Noriol and
forthwith transmitted the papers including his recommendation to General Emilio
Aguinaldo on May 8, 1897.
During
the Filipino-American War, Baldomero fought anew. He was made the commanding general of the revolutionary forces in
the southern Luzon provinces. When General Emilio Aguinaldo had established his
headquarters in Palanan, Isabela, he issued an order to Baldomero to relieve
Colonel Lazaro Makapagal who was then in command of the province of Isabela.
After
the cessation of hostilities, the general retired to private
life
and devoted his time to farm work, particularly the supervision of his coconut plantation in Silang, Cavite
which he acquired years after his
marriage. In his residence in Silang he was frequently visited by friends and
the townspeople asking for advice and, in some instances, recommendations for
those seeking employment.
When the Association of the Veterans of the
Philippine Revolution (Asociacion de Veteranos de la Revolucion) was organized
in 1912, Baldomero became its first president and remained so until his death on February 4, 1915.
He
died in. Malate, Manila at the age of 46, a victim of heart failure and
rheumatism. His remains were buried at the Mausoleum of the Veterans of the Philippine Revolution at the
Manila North Cemetery. A big crowd
that included high government officials, attended his funeral
At the time of his death, Baldomero was
survived by his widow, Doņa Petrona Reyes and their two children, Leonor and
Aureliano, married to Dr. Enrique Virata and Liwanag Virata respectively.