Emilio Aguinaldo

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy(March 22, 1869 – February 6, 1964) was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War that resisted American occupation.

Aguinaldo became the Philippines' first President. He was also the youngest (at age 29) to have become the country's president, and the longest-lived (having survived to age 94).

Early life

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869 – February 6, 1964) was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War that resisted American occupation. Aguinaldo became the Philippines' first President. He was also the youngest (at age 29) to have become the country's president, and the longest-lived (having survived to age 94). His marriage was in 1896 with Hilaria Del Rosario (1877–1921). They had five children (Miguel, Carmen, Emilio Jr., María and Cristina) Hilaria Aguinaldo died because of leprosy. His second wife was María Agoncillo (1882–1963).

Family

The seventh of eight children of Carlos Aguinaldo y Jamir and Trinidad Famy y Valero (1820–1916), Emilio Aguinaldo was born on March 23, 1869 in Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit), Cavite province. His father was gobernadorcillo (town head), and, as members of the Chinese-Tagalog mestizo minority, they enjoyed relative wealth and power. As a young boy he received education from his great-aunt and later attended the town's elementary school. In 1880, he took up his secondary course education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which he quit on his third year to return home instead to help his widowed mother manage their farm. At the age of 28, Miong, as he was popularly called, was elected cabeza de barangay of Binakayan, the most progressive barrio of Cavite El Viejo. He held this position serving for his town-mates for eight years. He also engaged in inter-island shipping, travelling as far south as the Sulu Archipelago. In 1893, the Maura Law was passed to reorganize town governments with the aim of making them more effective and autonomous, changing the designation of town head from gobernadorcillo to capitan municipal effective 1895.

Descendants

Several of Aguinaldo's descendants became prominent political figures in their own right:

Baldomero Aguinaldo, first cousin and leader of the Philippine Revolution.

Cesar Virata, a grandnephew and served as Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981 to 1986.

Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera, a granddaughter served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1979 to 1992.

Miguel Aguinaldo, eldest son and Councilor of Imus, Cavite.

Consuelo Aguinaldo, Gen. Aguinaldo's granddaughter and Emilio Aguinaldo, Jr.'s daughter.

Emilio Aguinaldo, Jr., Gen. Aguinaldo's son.

Emilio Aguinaldo III, Gen. Aguinaldo's grandson.

Emilio "Orange" Aguinaldo IV, great-grandson and served as Vice Mayor of Kawit, Cavite.

Emilio Aguinaldo V, Gen. Aguinaldo's great-great-grandson and grandson of Miguel Aguinaldo. Served as municipal councilor in Imus, Cavite.

Lito Aguinaldo, father of Emilio Aguinaldo V and former councilor of Imus, Cavite.

Reynaldo Aguinaldo, Mayor of Kawit, Cavite, Gen. Aguinaldo's grandson, son of Emilio Aguinaldo, Jr. and uncle of Emilio Aguinaldo IV.

Federico Poblete, Gen. Aguinaldo's grandson and served as Mayor of Kawit, Cavite.

Joseph Emilio Abaya, Gen. Aguinaldo's great grandson and Representative of 1st District of Cavite.

Peter Abaya, Gen. Aguinaldo's great grandson and president of Alternative Fuels Corp., an attached agency of the Philippine National Oil Corporation.

Sandra Aguinaldo, Gen. Aguinaldo's great-granddaughter and TV reporter.

Angelo Aguinaldo, Gen. Aguinaldo's great-grandson and curator.

Delfin Aguinaldo, Gen. Aguinaldo's son.

Eduardo Aguinaldo Dizon, Gen. Aguinaldo's great-grand-nephew, First Filipino Police Officer in Toronto, Canada. His son, Eduardo Dizon, Jr., also went on to become a police officer in Toronto, Canada

Ryo Aguinaldo, Gen. Aguinaldo's great-grandson.

His Great Grandchildren are elusive to the public eye and continue to support Aguinaldo's traditions. Such as the awarding of the Philippine Military Academy Aguinaldo Saber Award. The youngest, Emiliana, currently continues to confer the award.

Biak-na-Bato

Main article: Pact of Biak-na-Bato

Spanish pressure intensified, eventually forcing Aguinaldo's forces to retreat to the mountains. Emilio Aguinaldo signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Under the pact, Aguinaldo effectively agreed to end hostilities and dissolve his government in exchange for amnesty and "$800,000 (Mexican)" (Aguinaldo's description of the amount) as an indemnity. The documents were signed on December 14 and 15, 1887. On December 23, Aguinaldo and other Katipunan officials departed for Hong Kong to enter voluntary exile. $400,000, representing the first installment of the indemnity, was deposited into Hong Kong banks. While in exile, Aguinaldo reorganized his revolutionary government into the "Supreme Council of the Nation".

One revolutionary general who remained in the Philippines, Francisco Makabulos, established a Central Executive Committee to serve as a provisional revolutionary government "until a general government of the Republic in these islands shall again be established." Meanwhile, Spanish officials continued to arrest and imprison Filipinos suspected of having been involved in the rebellion. The consequence of this disregard of the pact by both sides was the resurgence of the revolution.

In April 1898, war broke out between Spain and the United States. In the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, the American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron, and blockaded Manila.Dewey provided transport to return Aguinaldo to the Philippines. Aguinaldo promptly resumed command of revolutionary forces and besieged Manila.

Presidency

Main article: First Philippine Republic

The insurgent First Philippine Republic was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution on January 21, 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan and endured until the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo by the American forces on March 23, 1901 in Palanan, Isabela, which effectively dissolved the First Republic.

Aguinaldo appointed two premiers in his tenure. These were Apolinario Mabini and Pedro Paterno.

Administration and Cabinet

President Aguinaldo had two cabinets in the year 1899. Thereafter, the war situation resulted in his ruling by decree.

OFFICE NAME TERM

President Emilio Aguinaldo 1897–1901

Vice-President Mariano Trías 1897

Prime Minister Apolinario Mabini January 21 - May 7, 1899

Pedro Paterno May 7 - November 13, 1899

Minister of Finance Mariano Trías January 21 - May 7, 1899

Hugo Ilagan May 7 - November 13, 1899

Minister of the Interior Teodoro Sandico January 21 - May 7, 1899

Severino de las Alas May 7 - November 13, 1899

Minister of War Baldomero Aguinaldo January 21 - May 7, 1899

Mariano Trias May 7 - November 13, 1899

Minister of Welfare Gracio Gonzaga January 21 - May 7, 1899

Minister of Foreign Affairs Apolinario Mabini January 21 - May 7, 1899

Felipe Buencamino May 7 - November 13, 1899

Minister of Public Instruction Aguedo Velarde 1899

Minister of Public Works and Communications Máximo Paterno 1899

Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce León María Guerrero May 7 - November 13, 1899

Fiscal Reform

Opening of the Malolos Congress at the Barasoain Church, Malolos, Bulacan on September 15, 1898.

The Malolos Congress continued its sessions and accomplished certain positive tasks. The Spanish fiscal system was provisionally retained. The same was done with the existing taxes, save those upon cockfighting and other amusements. War taxes were levied and voluntary contributions were solicited. Customs duties were established. A national loan was launched.

[edit]Education Initiative

President Aguinaldo ordered schools open. Elementary education was made compulsory and free. The Filipino educator, Enrique Mendiola, founded the "Instituto de Burgos" and were appointed by the Director of Public Instruction. It offered courses in agriculture, surveying, and commerce, as well as a complete A.B course.

On October 1898, a government decree fixed the opening date of the "Universidad Literia". Couses offered were Medicine, Surgery, Pharmacy, and Notary Public. The President of the Philippines appointed the professors thereof. They, in turn, chose the University rector. The first to occupy this position was Joaquín Gonzales. Later, he was succeeded by León María Guererro.

Local government reorganization

Acceding to Apolinario Mabini's advice, President Aguinaldo first issued two decreed, dated 18th and 20th June, reorganizing the provincial and municipal governments. In these documents, Aguinaldo made it clear that although was circumstances had forced him to become a dictator, his constant desire was to surround himself with the most representative men of every province and who, by theri conduct, should merit the confidence in their province-mates, in order that, knowing, through them, the needs of every one of these places, he might adopt the best measures to attend ti them

Constitutional Amendments

Realizing the unpopularity, as well as the inconvenience, occasioned by Article Five of the Malolos Constitution providing the separation of Church and State, Prime Minister Apolinario Mabini, statesmanlike, proposed an amendment, temporary in character, providing for the suspension of said article until a regular constitutional assembly shall have been convened. In the mean time the municipalities that might need the spiritual ministry of a Filipino priest, were to provide funds for his necessary support. The proposal was accented on 23rd December and became Transitory Article No. 100 of the national constitution.

[Visayan Federation

Emphasizing the solid unity of the new Republic, Raymundo Melliza was appointed as President of the Visayan Federation for two years, after having sworn allegiance to the Philippine Republic and recognizing Aguinaldo as the nation's President