Martín Teófilo Delgado

Martín Teófilo Delgado
General Martin Teofilo Delgado ca. 1901
Born	November 11, 1858 Santa Barbara, Iloilo, Captaincy General of the Philippines
Died	November 12, 1918(1918-11-12) (aged 60) Culion, Palawan, Philippine Islands
Nationality	Filipino
Occupation	revolutionary, patriot

Martín Teófilo Delgado (November 11, 1858 – November 12, 1918), was a Filipino military leader during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, and was the first civilian governor of Iloilo Province during the American period, first appointed and then winning election in his own right.

Martín Delgado was born on November 11, 1858 in Santa Barbara, Iloilo, Philippines to a rich and aristocratic Spanish mestizo family. His parents were Don Jacinto Delgado and Gabriella Bermejo. He went to school at the Santa Barbara Parochial School and later at the St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary, then known as Seminario de San Vicente Ferrer, in Jaro and Ateneo Municipal in Manila.

At the age of 25, he was appointed teniente mayor of his hometown and capitan municipal; positions under the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines. During this period, he was conferring in secret with other Visayan revolutionaries, in preparation for the liberation of the Philippines from Spanish rule.

On 28 October 1898, Delgado marched into Santa Barbara and took control of the municipal building. On that same day, simultaneously uprisings took place in towns across Iloilo. On 17 November 1898, Delgado was promoted to Lieutenant general. On 24 December 1898, the Spanish forces under the command of General Diego de los Rios evacuated Iloilo and the Filipino flag was raised on Christmas Day. On 28 December 1898, General Marcus P. Miller leading an American force arrived to conquer Panay. Assisted by warships from Admiral George Dewey's command, they lowered the Filipino flag and hoisted the American Stars & Stripes, signifying American control.