Pío del Pilar | |
|---|---|
 del Pilar in 1898 | |
| Member of theMalolos Congress fromNegros Oriental | |
| In office September 15, 1898 – November 13, 1899 Serving with Luciano San Miguel and Mariano Oirola | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Pío Isidro y Castañeda (1860-07-11)July 11, 1860 |
| Died | June 21, 1931(1931-06-21) (aged 70) |
| Resting place | Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución,Manila North Cemetery,Santa Cruz,Manila, Philippines |
| Spouse | Juliana Valeriano |
| Parents |
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| Nickname | "Pang-Una" |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  First Philippine Republic Republic of Biak-na-Bato Katipunan (Matagumpay) |
| Branch/service | .svg) Philippine Revolutionary Army |
| Years of service | 1896–1901 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | Philippine Revolution
|
Pío del Pilar (bornPío Isidro y Castañeda; July 11, 1860 – June 21, 1931) was aFilipinorevolutionary general. He was one of the lead figures in thePhilippine Revolution, and fought major battles inManila andCavite.
To safeguard his family and prevent them from harassment, he changed his surname from Isidro to del Pilar.
del Pilar was born Pío Isidro y Castañeda in Barrio Culi-culi (now Pio del Pilar),San Pedro de Macati (present-day Makati) on July 11, 1860, to Isaac del Pilar, a farmer fromPasay, and Antonia Castaňeda, an embroider fromSan Felipe Neri (present-day Mandaluyong).[1] As a child, his parents had him study for two years in the school of Pascual Rodriguez, and for four months under Ramon Renaldo, until he was forced to stop to work in the family farm.[1] Typical of other Filipinos at the time, del Pilar knew little or no Spanish, but was fluent in Tagalog.[2]
del Pilar married his childhood friend, Juliana Valeriano, at the age of 17. He was barely married for a year before he was drafted in the Spanish Army. He was assigned in Mindanao for a year,[1] however his service was cut short to four months due to the intervention of a family friend.[2]
In 1890, del Pilar was appointedcabeza de barangay and later on, becameteniente del barrio in San Pedro de Macati.[1] During this time, he had a chance meeting withJose Rizal, and was inspired to distribute copies of his novel,Noli Me Tangere.[2]
In May 1896, del Pilar joined theKatipunan and formed a chapter calledMatagumpay (Triumphant), taking the symbolic namePang-una (lit. 'First, Leader'). His chapter also adopted a flag, a white triangle with a K at each corner, at the hoist of a red field, in the center of which was a mountain with a rising sun on it. This flag was known as theBandila ng Matagumpay (Flag of the Triumphant) and was del Pilar's personal standard during the revolution.[1]
At the outbreak of thePhilippine Revolution, del Pilar was arrested by Spanish authorities for suspected membership in the Katipunan. Although tortured, he did not reveal any secrets about the group until he was released. Del Pilar participated in his first battle in San Felipe Neri (present-day Mandaluyong) on August 29, 1896. He also led a group of rebels in theBattle of Binakayan on November 9, 1896, capturing the town from Spanish authorities.[1]
On February 16, 1897, bearing the rank of colonel, del Pilar defendedBacoor andLas Piñas. Subsequently, he was promoted to brigadier-general.
Del Pilar was present in theTejeros Convention on March 22, 1897, which marked the split between theMagdiwang andMagdalo factions of the Katipunan. Because of the events of the Convention, he aligned himself withAndres Bonifacio, eventually signing the Naic Military Agreement declaring the results of the convention to be null and void.[3]: 180 In time, however, he switched sides, aligning himself with the Magdalo faction and becoming one ofEmilio Aguinaldo's trusted generals. It was del Pilar (along with Gen.Mariano Noriel) that advised Aguinaldo to change the commutation (banishment) to execution of Andres and Procopio Bonifacio.[3]: 180–181
His last battle was with the Americans, in the town ofMorong. He fought bravely but he and his men were defeated and captured. Del Pilar was exiled toGuam along withApolinario Mabini,Artemio Ricarte, and other patriots, referred to asIrreconcilables by the Americans. He returned to the Philippines after GovernorWilliam Howard Taft extended pardons to the revolutionaries. He continued to fight for the cause of the Filipino people by supporting theJones Bill for Filipinos' preparation for self governance.[1]
He died on June 21, 1931, at the age of 70 due to lingering illness, almost three weeks shy of his 71st birthday.
A barangay, originally known as Culi-Culi where he was born, four schools inMakati, and an elementary school inSanta Mesa,Manila, are named in his honor. Additionally, a bronze statue dedicated to him is located at the intersection ofMakati Avenue andPaseo de Roxas in theMakati Central Business District.
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