THE STORY OF MARCELO H. DEL PILAR
The Great Propagandist of Philippine Reform
In a province rich with fertile lands and proud traditions, on August 30, 1850, a child was born who would one day become known as "The Great Propagandist" and help shape the destiny of a nation. Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán entered the world in Sitio Cupang, Barrio San Nicolas, Bulacan, Bulacan, to parents who belonged to the respected principalía class - the Filipino nobility during Spanish colonial times.
Marcelo's parents, Julian Hilario del Pilar and Blasa Gatmaitán, were no ordinary
couple. His father was a distinguished writer, poet, and orator who served three times as gobernadorcillo (little
governor) of Bulacan - the highest position a Filipino could hold in government
at that time. His mother descended from the ancient noble Gatmaitán family,
whose surname itself came from Filipino nobility.
The del Pilar family was wealthy and
influential, owning vast tracts of
agricultural lands including rice and sugarcane farms, fish ponds, and an
animal-powered mill. Despite their privilege, they would raise a son who
would dedicate his life to fighting for the rights of all Filipinos, regardless
of social class.
From childhood, Marcelo showed
exceptional talents. He learned to play
the violin, piano, and flute with remarkable skill. More importantly, his
mother became his first teacher, instilling in him the values that would guide
his revolutionary spirit.
Marcelo's education followed a path
similar to other privileged Filipino youths of his era. He first studied under Mrs. Hermenigilda Flores, then entered
the Colegio de San José, and later
the prestigious University of Santo
Tomas, where he finished his law degree in 1880.
However, his university years were
marked by an incident that would foreshadow his lifelong battle against
clerical abuse. In 1869, del Pilar was
suspended from the University of Santo Tomas and imprisoned after he quarreled
with the parish priest over exorbitant baptismal fees. This experience
opened his eyes to the corruption and greed of the Spanish friars, planting the
seeds of his future activism.
After graduating from law school in
1880, Marcelo worked as a clerk and later as "Oficial de Mesa" in Quiapo. Though he became a licensed
lawyer in 1881, he rarely practiced law
for profit, instead using every opportunity to defend the cause of the weak and
oppressed, either in court or in the press.
In
February 1878, Marcelo married his second cousin, Marciana H. del Pilar, and they settled in Tondo. They would have seven children together - six daughters and one son - though
tragically, only two daughters, Sofía and Anita, would survive to adulthood.
Despite his family responsibilities,
Marcelo dedicated himself to awakening Filipino consciousness. He mixed with the humblest people, giving
them advice and enlightening them about their country's condition. Through declamatory jousts like the dupluhan and dalitan during town fiestas,
he would satirize corrupt officials and friars, using these traditional
Filipino poetic forms to spread his revolutionary message.
His eloquence in Tagalog was extraordinary. He told the women of Bulacan to pursue education, saying: "An enlightened intelligence is a sanctuary where the kindness and magnificence of its Creator are better seen". He understood that "The education of women stimulates and elevates that of men... because of their influence in the family as daughter, sister, wife or mother".
In
1882, Marcelo del Pilar became a founding member of the first bilingual
newspaper in Philippine history - the Diariong
Tagalog. While the publisher was ostensibly
Francisco Calvo y Muñoz, a wealthy Spanish liberal, del Pilar was the real driving force behind the paper, serving as
editor of the Tagalog section.
The Diariong Tagalog was groundbreaking in every sense. It was the first newspaper to publish
articles urging government reform and denouncing the abuse of Spanish friars.
The newspaper was funded by traders from
Malolos, Bulacan, where del Pilar had formed a group of relatives and
associates who shared his nationalist vision.
One
of the most significant contributions of the Diariong Tagalog was the publication of José Rizal's essay "El
Amor Patrio" (Love of Country), which del Pilar translated into eloquent
Tagalog as "Ang Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupà". This collaboration between del Pilar and Rizal would become a
cornerstone of Filipino nationalist literature.
Though the newspaper lasted only five months, from July to December 1882,
its impact was profound. It was through
the Diariong Tagalog that Rizal himself
learned the words "kalayaan" (freedom) and "malaya" (free),
words that would become central to the Philippine independence movement.
Using his pen name "Plaridel," Marcelo became
famous for his satirical writings that exposed the corruption and hypocrisy of
Spanish colonial rule. His most notable
satirical works included "Dasalan at Toksuhan" (Prayer and
Temptations) and "Kaiingat Kayo" (Be Careful).
These satirical pamphlets were
devastating in their effectiveness. Through humor and wit, del Pilar made the abuses of the friars and corrupt officials visible
to ordinary Filipinos who could understand his simple but powerful Tagalog.
His writing style was so effective that Governor-General
Ramon Blanco called him "the most dreadful of the Filipino politicians,
the true voice of the separatists, very superior to Rizal".
By 1888, the Spanish authorities had
had enough of del Pilar's activism. Facing
arrest and imprisonment, he was forced to flee to Spain, leaving his beloved
family behind. This exile would prove to be both a tremendous personal
sacrifice and his greatest contribution to Philippine independence.
In Barcelona, del Pilar joined other Filipino expatriates including José Rizal,
Graciano López Jaena, Mariano Ponce, and the Luna brothers, Juan and Antonio.
Together, they formed the core of the Propaganda
Movement, working to convince Spanish legislators to support reforms in the
Philippines.
On
December 15, 1889, del Pilar succeeded Graciano López Jaena as editor of La Solidaridad, the official newspaper of the Propaganda Movement. Under his
leadership, the aims of the newspaper
expanded to include removal of the friars, secularization of parishes, Filipino
participation in government affairs, freedom of speech and press, equality
before the law, and representation in the Spanish Cortes.
In
1890, a significant rivalry developed between del Pilar and José Rizal, primarily due to differences in their editorial policies and
political beliefs. The Filipino community in Madrid was divided into two camps:
the Pilaristas
and the Rizalistas.
When elections were held for the
position of Responsable (leader), Rizal initially won but graciously declined
the position and transferred it to del Pilar, recognizing that many Pilaristas disagreed with his more
moderate approach. After this, Rizal
stopped contributing articles to La
Solidaridad and eventually returned to the Philippines.
This transfer of leadership marked
del Pilar's emergence as the undisputed
leader of the Filipino reform movement in Europe. His approach was more
radical than Rizal's, focusing on direct confrontation with Spanish colonial
policies.
While del Pilar publicly advocated
for peaceful reforms, many historians believe he was secretly the true mastermind behind the Katipunan,
the secret revolutionary organization that would launch the Philippine
Revolution. According to historian
Renato Constantino, the Katipunan's ordinance was submitted by Andrés Bonifacio
to del Pilar for validation.
Bonifacio
used letters he received from del Pilar to recruit new members for the
Katipunan. The organization's official
newspaper, Kalayaan (Liberty), carried del Pilar's pseudonym
"Plaridel" as editor-in-chief. According to León María Guerrero, del Pilar's letters were viewed by
Bonifacio as necessary documents of the Philippine Revolution and guides for
the Katipunan's activities.
Del Pilar's years in exile were
marked by tremendous hardship. He lived
in extreme poverty, often missing meals, while dedicating all his resources to
the cause of Philippine reform. The
publication of La Solidaridad stopped in
November 1895 due to lack of funds, and with it ended the formal
Propaganda Movement.
By
this time, del Pilar had lost hope in peaceful reforms and began favoring armed
revolution against Spain. He decided to return to the
Philippines to personally lead a revolution, but fate had other plans.
The
years of poverty, stress, and separation from his family had taken their toll
on del Pilar's health. He contracted tuberculosis, the disease that would claim
his life. On July 4, 1896, at the age of 45, Marcelo H. del Pilar died in a
public hospital in Barcelona, Spain. He
was buried in a pauper's grave, far from the homeland he had sacrificed
everything to free.
Tragically, del Pilar died just months before the Philippine Revolution began in
August 1896 - the very revolution that many believe he had helped architect
from afar. He never lived to see his dreams of Filipino freedom become reality.
Though Marcelo H. del Pilar died in
poverty and exile, his remains were
eventually returned to the Philippines on December 3, 1920, and are currently
buried in his birthplace in Bulakan, Bulacan. On November 15, 1995, the National Heroes Committee recommended del
Pilar as one of the national heroes of the Philippines, though no formal
action has been taken.
Del
Pilar's contributions to Philippine independence were immense and multifaceted. He was the founder of Filipino journalism, the master of
political satire, the leader of the Propaganda Movement, and quite possibly the
secret architect of the Philippine Revolution. His ability to communicate with both the educated ilustrados and the common people in their native Tagalog made him
uniquely effective as a propagandist.
His legacy continues to inspire
Filipino journalists and political activists today. The Samahang Plaridel, the national organization of Filipino
journalists, takes its name from del Pilar's pen name, recognizing him as
the father of Philippine journalism.
From a privileged child in Bulacan to the "Great Propagandist" whose words helped ignite a revolution, Marcelo H. del Pilar's life story reminds us that true heroism often requires the ultimate sacrifice. Though he died far from home, his vision of a free Philippines would eventually become reality, making his sacrifice worthwhile and his legacy eternal.
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