Battle of San Juan del Monte

Part of the Philippine Revolution

Date

August 30, 1896

Location

San Juan del Monte, Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines

Result

Decisive Spanish victory

Start of the Revolution in Luzon.

Belligerents

Katipunan

Spanish Empire

Commanders and leaders

Andrés Bonifacio

Emilio Jacinto

Sancho Valenzuela

Bernardo Echaluce

Strength

800

about 100 combined infantrymen and artillerymen

Casualties and losses

153 deaths
about 200 captured

2 deaths

Decisive Spanish victory

The Battle of San Juan del Monte, took place on 30 August 1896. It is considered the first real battle of the Philippine revolution, which sought Philippine independence from Spain. The first battle cry of the Katipunan coincided with the pealing of the church bell at nine on the night of August 29, 1896.

At 5 pm on the 29th, The Supremo Andres Bonifacio and 800 Katipuneros met up with Katipunero Felix Sanchez, chairman of the Sapa chapter, at Hagdang Bato in San Felipe Neri. By 7 pm, with a thousand men, including the local police force, they attacked the civil guards, who surrendered immediately. However, the Tala chapter chairman, Katipunero Buenaventura Domingo, allowed the parish priest to escape. Troops under General Ramon Bernardo then took the town hall of Pandacan and by 11 pm, were dispatched to Santa Mesa. Troops under Santiago V. Alvarez, Artemio Ricarte and Mariano Closas Trias, were deployed in Noveleta and San Francisco de Malabon in Cavite. Bonifacio, along with Genaro de los Reyes and Vicente Leyba, proceeded to San Juan del Monte.

After the discovery of Katipunan on 19 August 1896, Andrés Bonifacio became aware of the Spanish government's plans for military action. On 25 August, Bonifacio deployed several of his men around the Pasong Tamo bridge when he heard infantrymen and Spanish guardia civil coming to raid communities around the bridge.

On the evening of 29 August, Bonifacio, with his aide Emilio Jacinto, led a group of Katipuneros towards El Polvorin, a Spanish powder magazine situated in San Juan del Monte. Spanish infantry and artillerymen, armed with German Mauser rifles, guarded Polvorin; the Katipuneros were generally armed with bolo knives, a few assorted guns, bamboo spears and anting-antings.

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Wikipedia