Jose Alejandrino. Important propagandist in revolution, and a participant
in the Constitutional Convention in Malolos (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Benigno Aquino Sr. - (Sept. 9, l894, Concepcion, Tarlac -
Dec. 20, l947} Representative, Philippine National Assembly, l9l9; senator
l928; served in the Japanese puppet government under Pres. Laurel. ( ref.;
Carlos Quirino)
(by Ernie Turla).
Eugenio Blanco. A full-blooded Spanish, he was born in Spain and
raised in Macabebe. Commander of the Guardia Civil, the soldiers'
loyalty was actually to him rather than his superior. He pledged to guard
the Spanish; a pledge made easier by the death of his brother at the hands
of the revolutionaries in Batangas. According to Macabebe residents, he
convinced them it was too early for a war with Spain, and that the common
people would be the victims of a very small elite (ilustrados) if a victory
was achieved. Blanco himself was a neo-ilustrado and after the war
became mayor of Macabebe when he threw big parties comparable to those
in Sulipan, Apalit. (Pol Kekai Manansala and Alvin Sunga).
Dionisio Capolo. Datu of Candaba, he also joined Magat Salamat's
revolt (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Manuel Carreon (June l7, l899 San Fernando, Pampanga - Sept.l3,
l964) Educator, psychologist. Finished his A.B. with honors at U.P.; and
his M.A. and Ph.D. at the Univ. of Minn. in l923. Professor at U,P.; author
of several books including Philippine Studies In Mental Measurement. Appointed
Director of Private Schools in l946. Listed in Who's Who in American Education.
(ref.: Carlos Quirino)( by Ernie Turla).
Agapito Conchu (Aug. l8, l860 Guagua, Pampanga - Sept. l2, l896)
An accomplished musician, he played the organ at the Binondo Church and
taught music as well. Established a studio as a photographer. Received
a medal for his photographic works in an exposition. He was suspected of
being a rebel and was executed along with twelve others that formed the
l3 Martyrs of Cavite. (ref. Carlos Quirino) (by Ernie Turla).
Jose Gutierrez David. Poet, judge and delegate to Malolos Convention.
From impoverished background (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Andres Duenas. Commander of the "tercio de Pampanga," a unit of
1,200 Kapampangans permanently stationed in Manila during the most of the
Spanish period. He was appointed as head of the newly-built Royal College
of San Felipe in 1641, and told to select candidates for enrollment among
the stuffy Kapampangan and Spanish youth (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Pedro Gamboa. When the Dutch invaded Abucay and Samal in the mid-1600s,
the Spanish officials quickly surrendered. It was up to Pedro Gamboa, a
retired Pampango master-of-camp to become the hero of the day. (Pol Kekai
Manansala).
Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez. Pampanga Representative to the Malolos Congress
and first rector of Universidad Cientifico Literaria de Filipinas, the
forerunner of the University of the Philippines. Dr. Gonzalez had the distinction
of being one of the two Filipino medical associates of trhe famous Dr.
Weeker of Germany. The other medical associate was Dr. Jose Rizal (Andro
Camiling).
Ramon Henson. Revolutionary. Participated in the session of Congress
held at Tarlac after the outbreak of the Philippine-American War (Pol Kekai
Manansala).
Tiburcio Hilario. Revolutionary against Spain. Provincial governor
under Aguinaldo's government. Elected as a vice president of the Congress
in July 1899 (Pol Kekai Manansala).
General Maximo Hizon. A commander of rebel troops in the liberation
of Pampanga. Ordered execution of Spanish parish priests of San Fernando
and Mexico (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Jose Infante. Philippine revoluntionary and participant in constitutional
convention at Malolos (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Ceferino Joven. Revolutionary against the Spanish, he was able to
make the transition during the American period becoming the governor of
Pampanga (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Leonor de Leon y Hizon. Female revolutionary imprisoned until 1901,
and co-founder of "Universal Democratic Filipino Movement," an underground
movement formed after the Filipino-American War with the idea of carrying
on the revolution. The Philippine Constabulary eventually uncovered the
movement and most of its members who did not flee the country were imprisoned
(Pol Kekai Manansala).
Francisco Lacsamana - he was the greatest Filipino hero during the
numerous Chinese Revolts of the l600's. For his valor and leadership, he
was honored by the governor-general by appointing him commander of Fort
Santiago for 24 hours-- the greatest military honor ever given by the Spaniards
to an Indio, as Filipinos were called then. He was saluted by all Spanish
soldiers and friars and of course his fellow mercenaries. The year was
l662 -- two years after the successful revolt of another Pampangan, Francisco
Maniago. (Ernie Turla)
Francisco Macabulos y Soliman. Aptly named after two of the datus
who first resisted the invasion of the Spanish. He organized resistance
in every Pampangan town during the Philippine revolution.
Datu Macabulos. Along with the datus of Macabebe and Betis, Datu
Macabulos of Baba offered fierce resistance to the invading Spanish, and
he was the only one of them that had to be pacified (rather than conquered)
in the end.
Bambalito,Datu of Macabebe- He was the Pampangan leader
of the warriors from Macabebe and Hagonoy that fought against Martin de
Goiti and his men in the Battle of Bankusay in l571 when Rajah Soliman
had no choice but to give up his city to the Spaniards through a truce.
Bambalito and his men fought hard but were defeated due to the superiority
of arms of the Spaniards. He is sometimes referred to in history as Bangko
for whom Bankusay was named, and in Kapampangan literature as Tarik Soliman
and for which he is confused with the rajah himself. (Ernie Turla) .
Lazaro Makapagal. He had the somewhat dubious distinction of being
the one to execute Andres Bonifacio under the orders of General Aguinaldo.
Curiously, Aguinaldo himself was captured by Kapampangan soldiers. The
execution of the commoner, Bonifacio, turned the revolution into an elitist-run
affair (Pol Kekai Manansala).
The Great Manalastas the Fearless - A Pampangan leader who led his
troops in the fight to save Manila from the British in l762. Though
unsuccessful, it showed the loyalty of Filipinos to the Spaniards and which
gave rise to the term
"dugong aso". Before that, Manalastas had fought many a battle
including against the Dutch in the Moluccas. It was his brave followers
that helped Simon de Anda move the capital of the Philippines for two years
to Bacolor which was also then the capital of Pampanga (Ernie
Turla).
Francisco Maniago. The master-of-camp of the forces in Spanish service,
from the town of Mexico, he led one of the most serious revolts (1660)
of the Spanish period. Unfortunately, the main reason for this revolt was
the conditions had become so intolerable that independence was the only
alternative. A Kapampangan loyal to Spain, Don Juan Macapagal, who had
also distinguished himself in putting down the Chinese pirate, Koxinga,
was used in a ploy to undermine the rebellion. Without any ideological
foundation, most of the rebels allowed themselves to be bought off with
payments and amnesty. Some of the rebels, however, went on to join the
revolts that immediately followed in Pangasinan and Ilokos.
Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda and Dona Rosalia de Jesus. Founded
the City of Angeles in 1796. Don Angel was the Capitan (equivalent to Municipal
Mayor) of San Fernando and started clearing Culiat, then the remotest barrio
of San Fernando. Culiat was named after the coarse woody vine (Gnetum indicum
[Lour.] Merr. (Gnetaceae) that abounded in the place at that time. Culiat
was inaugurated into a town on December 8, 1829 and it was given the beautiful
name of "Pueblo de Los Santos Angeles Custodios" in honor of the Christian
name of the founder and the Holy Guardian Angels, the titular patron of
the town.(Armando Regala).
Gaspar Molina - Kapampangan shipbuilder. He built the "El Triumfo
dela Cruz" - a 60-foot galleon in l720 with the help of other Filipino,
as well as, Mexican workers. It was the first ship ever built in
Spanish California. - (Ref.: Rodel Rodis) (Ernie Turla).
Mamerto Natividad (born in Bacolor, Pampanga on June 12, 1871).
Youngest revolutionary general. Studied at Ateneo and Colegio San
Juan de Letran. Joined the revolution to avenge his father's death
at the hands of the Spaniards. Put in prison for shooting a Spanish
judge who had slapped his younger brother. Escaped and joined Aguinaldo's
forces. Led troops in San Rafael, Bulacan and attacked Tayug, Pangasinan
successfully. Killed by a sniper in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, November
11, 1897 (ref. Carlos Quirino) (by Ernie Turla).
Francisco Palaot. Received high honors for leading his troops against
the Dutch in the Moluccas in 1606. He was the Pampango master of camp.
(Pol Kekai Manansala).
Tomas Pinpin. Tomas Pinpin was called the "prince of Filipino printers,"
by Retana. His name appeared in books from 1610 to 1639, one of the golden
ages of Filipino printing. (by Pol Kekai Manansala)
Panday Pira. The Vulcan of the Philippines, his metal-working tradition
ruled the islands until modern times. Tradition tells us that Panday Pira
originally came from the South (some historians say Borneo) and was the
armorer of Rajah Soliman. After the arrival of the Spaniards Panday Pira
settled and raised a family in Apalit, Pampanga. This is probably the reason
why Apalit is traditionally a blacksmithing town. (Edwin Camaya)
Carlos Ronquillo. Another Kapampangan writer in Tagalog; from Tarlac.
He wrote the novel "Hiwaga ng Puso" and was editor of the newspaper "Taliba"
for a time. He was a co-signer at Biak-na-Bato and a companion of Aguinaldo
in Hong Kong. (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Phelipe Salonga. Datu of Polo, he joined the revolt of Magat Salamat
against the Spanish. (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Teodoro Sandico. Propagandist, revolutionary general and representative
at constitutional convention (Pol Kekai Manansala).
Martin Sancho. The first Filipino to be admitted to the Society
of Jesus in 1593 as a lay brother. "Sanchez made the voyage to Acapulco
on the San Martin. He was accompanied by Brother Nicolas Gallardo, the
novice Juan Garcia Pacheco, and a ten year old Pampangueno named Martin
Sancho. Young Martin was to have the rare privilege of being the first
Filipino to be admitted to the Society of Jesus. This took place in 1593
at Rome, whither he had accompanied Sanchez. He was attached to the province
of Toledo and spent some time in the college of Murcia, whence he returned
to Mexico in 1599. He sailed for home in the group of Jesuit missionaries
headed by Gregorio Lopez in 1601, but died that same year after setting
foot once more on his native land. He was twenty-five years old at the
time of his death and a Jesuit eight years." (From volume one of Father
Colin's "Labor Evangelica". (by Pol Kekai Manansala)
Rajah Soliman. Many scholars believe that it is either likely or
at least possible that a figure like Rajah Soliman was Kapampangan. Aside
from the controversial Balagtas Will, there are a few Spanish documents
that mention Rajah Soliman being from different parts of Pampanga. Some
also stated he went to the province after the fall of Manila. It is interesting
that of all the major Muslim garrisons the Spanish found in the Philippines,
besides the one in Manila/Tondo, all the rest were along the Pampanga River!
Garrisions with thousands of warriors were found at Lubao, Betis and Macabebe
(Pol Kekai Manansala).
Valentin Ventura. Another supporter of the Propanganda movement
in Spain, he underwrote Rizal's second novel, "El Filibusterismo". (Pol
Kekai Manansala).
Dr. Maximo Viola de Mayumo. From San Miguel de Mayumo (now San Miguel,
Bulacan - San Miguel de Mayumo was a town of Pampanga until transferred
to Bulacan) of Kapampangan parents. He supported the Propaganda movement
and funded Rizal's first novel, "Noli me Tangere". So Rizal's two great
novels were sponsored by Kapampangans.(Pol Kekai Manansala).
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