147. 123RD ANNIV 1ST SHOT PHIL-AM WAR

 

123RD ANNIV 1ST SHOT PHIL-AM WAR

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano, LPT

4 February 2022

During my younger years, I regularly visited my maternal relatives by affinity in the Municipality of San Juan, now a city, particularly at A. Bonifacio Street, Barangay Kabayanan near the Sanctuario del Santo Cristo Parish, also known as the Church of San Juan del Monte. During those numerous trips, a marker at the center of the San Juan Bridge at the boundary of the capital-city of Manila and San Juan, always caught my attention. Being very curious on what was written on the old metal tablet, I intentionally descended the jeepney one fateful day and walked my way towards the middle of the bridge crossing the San Juan River. The marker which was installed by the Philippine Historical Committee (PHC) in 1941 reads: “FIRST SHOT IN THE FILIPINO-AMERICAN WAR. HERE AT 9:00 O’CLOCK IN THE EVENING OF FERBUARY 4TH 1899, PRIVATE WILLIAM GRAYSON OF THE FIRST NEBRASKA VOLUNTEERS FIRED THE SHOT THAT STARTED THE FILIPINO-AMERICAN WAR.” The marker immortalized the infamous incident which transpired on this day, February 4, 123 years ago.

In 1994, the National Historical Institute installed another marker alongside the 1941 marker. The new marker is now in Filipino and it reads: “UNANG PUTOK SA DIGMAANG FILIPINO-AMERIKANO. DITO NOONG GANAP NA 9:00 SA GABI NG 4 PEBRERO 1899, NAGPAPUTOK SI PRIVATE WILLIAM GRAYSON NG FIRST NEBRASKA VOLUNTEERS, PUTOK NA NAGPASIKLAB SA DIGMAANG FILIPINO-AMERIKANO.”

After over a hundred years after the first shot, researches were made particularly by historian, Dr. Benito Justo Legarda, Jr. which changed the site of the tragic first shot. Legarda’s book entitled “The Hills of Sampaloc: The Opening Actions of the Philippine-American War, February 4-5, 1899” (2001) became the basis of the National Historical Institute (NHI) headed by historian Ambeth Ocampo to formally change the location from the bridge to somewhere between Blockhouse 7 within Manila’s boundary and Barrio Santol in Quezon City connecting the road that is now Sociego. Dr. Legarda submitted a paper on his findings supported by memoirs of military officials in the line of command of the Filipino and American forces. “Opinions giving San Juan Bridge as the site come from parties who were not on the scene and who relied on hearsay reports,” Dr. Legarda said.

In 2003, the markers which had stood on the San Juan Bridge was ordered moved to Santa Mesa by NHI Chairman Ocampo. In 2005, for the very first time, the annual anniversary did not take place at the foot of the San Juan Bridge, also known as Pinaglabanan Bridge and Balsahan Bridge, in San Juan and Manila but at the corner of Sociego and Silencio Streets in Santa Mesa, Manila.

On February 5, 2009, the NHI installed a historical marker on San Juan River Bridge commemorating its role to the start of the Battle of Manila and to restore the old glory of the century old bridge. The marker reads: “TULAY NG SAN JUAN. SA TULAY NA ITO, NOONG 29 ENERO 1899, NAGTAGPO SINA KOL. LUCIANO SAN MIGUEL, FILIPINONG KOMANDATE SA POOK NA IYON AT COL. JOHN STOTSENGURG, COMMANDER FIRST NEBRASKA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, U.S. ARMY, UPANG ILATAG ANG HANGGANANG SAKOP NG MGA PUWERSANG FILIPINO AT AMERIKANO. PAGAKARAANG SUMIKLAB AND DIGMAANG FILIPINO-AMERIKANO SA PANULUKAN NG SOCIEGO AT SILENCIO, SANTA MESA, MANILA NOONG 4 PEBRERO 1899, NAGLABANAN ANG DALAWANG PUWERSA SA TULAY NA ITO, 5 PEBRERO 1899.”

On February 14, 2015, I visited the twin markers and posed for posterity. However, after seven years, the marker which was in Filipino located at the right side of the intersection was removed and during the 123rd Anniversary of the 1st shot, a new marker was unveiled by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), formerly PHC and NHI, at the pedestal of the detached marker. The newly installed historical sign reads: "ANG PAGSIKLAB NG DIGMAAN LABAN SA ESTADOS UNIDOS. DITO UNANG NAGSAGUPA ANG HUKBO NG REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS AT MGA SUNDALONG AMERIKANO, GABI NG 4 PEBRERO 1899. NAGSIMULA ANG UNANG BALA SA PANIG NG 1ST NEBRASKA INFANTRY REGIMENT, NA AGAD SINUNDAN NG IKA-2 AT IKA-3 SONANG MILITAR NG HUKBONG REPUBLIKANONG NAKAHIMPIL SA MAYNILA AT SAN JUAN DEL MONTE. ITO ANG NAGPASIKLAB SA DIGMAANG PILIPINO-AMERIKANO NA TUMAGAL HANGGANG 15 HUNYO 1913."

The 123rd anniversary celebration this morning was spearheaded by the NHCP and the City Government of Manila and to commemorate the event, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11304 declaring February 4 of every year as the Philippine-American War Memorial Day to honor the sacrifices and bravery of the Filipinos who fought and died during the war.

Quoting historian Joseph Scalice, “Today, February 4, is the 123rd anniversary of a great crime. On February 4, 1899, American forces launched a bloody war of conquest in the Philippines crushing the fledgling democratic republic built out of a revolution against Spanish colonialism.

The Filipino forces, many barefoot and poorly armed, fought with immense courage. Motivated by political ideals and the desire to be free, they cited the American declaration of independence — that all men are created equal — and they were shot down by US troops.

It was a lopsided struggle. US forces were armed with Krag bolt-action rifle, Filipino troops often only with bolos. The trenches of the Filipino forces were scenes of slaughter…

… The Filipino forces turned to guerrilla struggle and the Americans to the counter-insurgency tools of torture, the reconcentration of large populations, and the execution of prisoners…

Today is the anniversary of the launching of this crime. But it is also a day to honor the courageous men and women who defended their freedom in the face of overwhelming odds.”

The Province of Isabela also played an important role in the Philippine-American War for it was in the coastal town of Palanan facing the Pacific Ocean where President Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964) was deceived and captured on March 23, 1901 ending the First Philippine Republic. Isabeleños defended the towns of Naguilian, Angadanan, Echague, Carig (now Santiago City) and Cordon but were in vain. Aguinaldo arrived in the town of Oscariz (now a barangay of Ramon town) on January 8, 1900 after retreating from the mountains of the Cordilleras. By May of the same year, the general’s group trekked Tierra Virgen in Naguilian and reached Palanan on September 6 where he held on until his treacherous downfall.

It was also in our beloved province of Isabela where resistance from American colonial rule continued together with General Miguel Malvar of Southern Luzon and General Macario Sakay of Manila. Revolutionary Colonel Manuel Lintao Tomines of Naguilian and his men engaged with the American forces in Naguilian, Echague and Carig until he was captured on March 27, 1904 and executed on April 11 of the following year.

For the past decades, I have been researching extensively on local histories and also found erroneous dates and scenes which I openly posted on Facebook to be discussed by fellow researchers and the public. I believe it is my social obligation to make the necessary rectifications and I quote, “We should not be afraid to recognize errors in the history books, wrestle with unresolved issues and make the corrections. Controversies in the past 100 years need to be revisited and addressed in the spirit of truth and self-assessment.”