Awakening the Spirit of Nationalism through Andres Bonifacio’s “Pag-ibig sa

Tinubuang Lupa”

Andres Bonifacio was a Philippine Patriot born on November 30, 1863 in Manila. He was a

former member of La Liga Filipina and the founder and leader of KKK or the nationalist Katipunan

society, who initiated the revolt against the Spaniards on August 1896 and later died on May 10,

1897.

“Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan” or KKK was founded

by Bonifacio on July 7, 1892 in a house in Tondo, Manila. The Katipunan had performed the solemn

rite of sanduguan or blood compact wherein each member signed his name with his own blood, as

a symbol of the member‟s loyalty. The recruit of more people have been done using the „triangle

system‟ of enlistment, where each original member will recruit two new member who are not

related to each other, and they would do the same solemn rite as the original members did.

Katipuneros were also asked to contribute money each month to raise funds in the association. The

Katipunan had the following objectives: 1) to separate Philippines from Spain after declaring the

country‟s independence, 2) to teach Filipinos good manners, cleanliness, hygiene, fine morals, and

how to defend their selves from religious fanaticism and 3) to finally encourage Filipinos to help

themselves and defend the oppressed.

„Love of Country‟ or Pagibig sa Tinubuang Lupa was written by him and this was used to

persuade the Filipinos to be patriotic of their country, the Philippines. Despite being a better fighter

than a writer, Bonifacio wrote the poem as evidence of his love for his country. Andres wrote the

poem before the revolution was at peak and it was was used as an instrument to strengthen and

widen the organization.

In the time of March 1896, the first issue of the newspaper of the Katipunan called Kalayaan

was published. Among the contents of the paper was the poem of Andres Bonifacio “Pagibig sa

Tinubuang Lupa” above was his initals “A. I. B.” along with his other poem “Ang dapat mabatid ng
mga Tagalog”, a persuasion to the Filipinos to join the crusade for Philippine Independence. The

familiar text of “Pagibig” that was first published by Jose P. Santos in the year 1935 was

transcribed from a handwritten draft. The manuscript copy of the “Pagibig sa Tinubuang Lupa”

showed an ongoing process and several amendment which reflected and not reflected in the text of

Santos‟ publication.

Unfortunately, no printed copy of Kalayaan has yet been located, and perhaps none has

survived. Jose P. Santos might have had just some pages of the actual newspaper, but it is much

more likely that he had just some of the individual contributions, probably in the form of

handwritten manuscripts on loose sheets of paper. There is no way of knowing for sure whether

this was the final draft prior to the poem being set in type, or whether there were later

amendments. No photograph of the document that he copied has ever been placed in the public

domain, and possibly it has been lost.

A manuscript copy of “Pagibig sa

Tinubuang Bayan” has survived,

however, in the military archives in

Madrid. This too is a draft, and it is

almost certainly an earlier draft than

the text published by Santos. In his

work on Bonifacio, Santos noted that he

had been obliged to insert question

marks in his transcription of the poem

at points where the original text was

illegible, which again suggests he was

working with a handwritten rather than

a typeset copy.
 The two texts of “Pagibig” – the later, Santos version and the earlier, Madrid version – are

transcribed below, and the discrepancies between them, large and small, are highlighted in the

Madrid version. The significant discrepancies are confined to just a handful of the poem‟s 28

stanzas where per stanza consists of 4 lines with 12 meter and a rhyme.

Text reproduced in José P. Santos, Si Manuscript draft in the Archivo General

Andres Bonifacio at ang Himagsikan Militar de Madrid, Caja 5677, leg. 1.94.
(Manila: n.pub, 1935), 8-10.

Pagibig Sa Tinubuang Bayan Pagibig sa tinubuang Bayan

Panaho’y matamis sa tinubuang Bayan

at pawang panglugod ang balang
matanauan[?],
ang simoy sa parang ay panghatid buhay,
tapat ang pagirog, sulit ang mamatay.

J. Rizal

1. 1.

Alin pag ibig pa ang hihigit kaya Aling pagibig pa ang hihigit kaya
sa pagka dalisay at pagkadakila sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
gaya ng pag ibig sa tinubuang lupa? gaya ng pagibig sa tinubuang lupa?
alin pag ibig pa? wala na nga, wala. ¿alin pagibig pa? wala na nga; wala.

2. 2.

Ulitulitin mang basahin ng isip Ulitulitin mang basahin ng isip

at isa isahing talastasing pilit at isa-isahing talastasing pilit
ang salitat buhay na limbag at titik ang salita’t buhay na limbag at titik
ng sang katauhan itoy namamasid. ng sangtinakpan ito ang mababatid.

3. 3.

¡Banal na pag ibig! pag ikaw ang nukal ¡Banal na pagibig! pagikaw ang nukal
sa tapat na puso ng sino't alin man sa tapat na puso ng sino't alin man ,
imbit taong gubat maralitat mang mang imbi’t taong gubat maralita’t mangmang
naguiguing dakila at iguinagalang. nagiging dakila at iginagalang.

4. 4.

Pagpupuring lubos ang palaguing hangad Pagpupuring lubos ang palaging gawad
sa bayan ng taong may dangal na ingat ng taong mahal sa Bayan niyang liyag
umawit tumula kumathat sumulat umawit, tumula, kumatha’t sumulat
kalakhan din nia'y isinisiwalat. kalakhan din niya'y isinisiwalat.

5. 5.
Walang mahalagang hindi inihandog Walang mahalagang hindi inihandog
ng mga pusong mahal sa Bayang ng may pusong mahal sa Bayan niyang irog
nagkupkup dugo, yaman, dunong, katiisa’t pagod,
dugo yaman dunong katiisat pagod buhay ma’y abuting magkalagot-lagot.
buhay may abuting magkalagot lagot.

6. 6.

Bakit? alin ito na sakdal ng laki ¿Bakit? ¿alin ito na sakdal ng laki,
na hinahandugan ng boong pag kasi na hinahandugan ng buong pagkasi,
na sa lalung mahal na kapangyayari na sa lalung mahal nakapangyayari
at guinugugulan ng buhay na iwi. at ginugugulan ng buhay na iwi?

7. 7.

¡Ay! itoy ang Ynang Bayang tinubuan ¡Ah! ito’y ang inang Bayang tinubuan
siya'y inat tangi na kinamulatan na siyang una’t tangi na kinamulatan
ng kawiliwiling liwanag ng araw ng kawiliwiling liwanag ng araw
na nagbigay init sa lunong katawan. na nagbigay init sa lunong katawan.

8. 8.

Sa kania'y utang ang unang pagtangap Sa kaniya ay utang ang unang paglangap
ng simuy ng hanging nagbibigay lunas ng simoy ng hanging nagbibigay lunas
sa inis na puso na sisingapsingap sa inis na puso na sisingap-singap
sa balong malalim ng siphayo't hirap. ng pinakadustang kanyang mga anak.

9. 9.

Kalakip din nitoy pag ibig sa Bayan Kalakip din nitong pagibig sa Bayan
ang lahat ng lalung sa gunitay mahal lahat ng lalung mahal
mula sa masaya't gasong kasangulan mula sa tuat aliw ng kasangulan
hangang sa kataway mapa sa libingan. hangang sa katawa’y mapasa libingan.

10. 10.

Ang nanga karaang panahun ng aliw Ang nangakaraang panahun ng aliw

ang inaasahang araw na darating ang inaasahang araw na darating
ng pagkatimawa ng mga alipin ng pagkatimawa ng mga alipin
liban pa sa bayan saan tatanghalin? liban pa sa Bayan, ¿saan tatanghalin?

11. 11.

At ang balang kahuy at ang balang sanga At ang balang kahuy at ang balang sanga
na parang nia't gubat na kaaya aya ng parang niya't gubat na kaaya-aya
sukat ang makitat sa sa ala ala kung makita’y susagi sa alaala
ang inat ang guiliw lumipas na saya. ang ina’t ang giliw, lumipas na saya.

12. 12.

Tubig niyang malinaw na anaki'y bubog Tubig niyang malinaw na anaki'y bubog
bukal sa batisang nagkalat sa bundok bukal sa batisang nagkalat sa bundok
malambut na huni ng matuling ayos malambot na huni ng matuling agus
na naka a aliw sa pusong may lungkot. nakaaaliw din sa pusung may lungkot.

13. 13.

Sa aba ng abang mawalay sa Bayan! ¡Sa aba ng mawalay sa tinubuang Bayan

gunita may laguing sakbibi ng lumbay gunita niya’y laging sakbibi ng lumbay
walang alaalat inaasam asam walang alaala’t inaasam-asam,
kung di ang makita'y lupang tinubuan. kung di ang makita'y ang lupa niyang
mahal.

14. 14.

Pati ng magdusat sampung kamatayan Pati ng magdusa't sampung kamatayan

wari ay masarap kung dahil sa Bayan wari ay masarap kung dahil sa Bayan;
At lalung maghirap ¡oh! himalang bagay at lalung maghirap, ¡oh! himalang bagay!
Lalung pag irog pa ang sa kaniay alay. lalung pagirog pa ang sa kaniya'y alay.

15. 15.

Kung ang bayang ito'y nasasa panganib Kung ang Bayang ito'y nasasapanganib
at sia ay dapat na ipagtangkilik at kinakailangang siya’y ipagtankilik
ang anak, asawa, magulang kapatid ang anak, asawa, magulang, kapatid
isang tawag niay tatalikdang pilit. sa isang tawag niya’y tatalikdang pilit.

16. 16.

Dapuat kung ang bayan ng katagalugan Dapua’t kung ang Baya’y ang Katagalugan
ay linalapastangan at niyuyurakan na nilapastangan at niyuyurakan
katuiran puri niyat kamahalan katuiran niya’t puri ng tagaibang Bayan,
ng sama ng lilong taga ibang bayan. ng tunay na bangis ng hayop sa parang,

17. 17.

Di gaano kaya ang paghihinagpis ¿Di gaano kaya ang paghihinagpis

ng pusong tagalog sa puring na lait? ng pusung tagalog sa puring na lait?
at alin kalooban na lalong tahimik at ¿aling kalooban na lalung tahimik
ang di pupukawin sa panghihimagsik? ang di pupukawin sa panghihimagsik?

18. 18.

Saan magbubuhat ang paghihinay [???] ¿Saan magbubuhat ang panghihinayang

sa paghihigantit gumugol ng buhay sa paghihiganti’t gumugol ng buhay,
kung wala ding iba na kasasadlakan kung wala ding iba na kasasadlakan ,
kung di ang lugami sa kaalipinan? kung di ang lumagi sa kaalipinan?

19. 19.

Kung ang pagka baun niya't pagka ¿Kung ang pagkabaun niya’t pagkalugmok
busabos sa lusak ng daya’t tunay na pagayop,
sa lusak ng dayat tunay na pag ayop supil ng panghampas tanikalang gapos,
supil ang pang hampas tanikalang gapos at luha na lamang ang pinaaagos?
at luha na lamang ang pina a agos.

20. 20.

Sa kaniang anyo'y sino ang tutunghay Sa anyo niyang ito’y ¿sino ang tutungha’y
na di aakain sa gawang magdamdam na di aakayin sa gawang magdamdam?
pusong naglilipak sa pakasukaban pusong naglilipak sa pagkasukaban
na hindi gumugugol ng dugo at buhay. ang hindi gumugol ng dugo at buhay.

21. 21.

Mangyayari kaya na itoy malangap ¿Mangyayari kaya, na ito’y malangap,

ng mga tagalog at hindi lumingap at hindi lingapin ng tunay na anak,
sa naghihingalong Ynang na sa yapak kung sa inang liig ay nasasayapak
na kasuklamsuklam sa kastilang hamak. ng mga kastilang gumanti ng hirap ?

22. 22.

Nasaan ang dangal ng mga tagalog ¿Nasaan ang dangal ng mga tagalog?
nasaan ang dugung dapat na ibuhos? ¿nasaan ang dugong dapat na ibuhos?
baya'y inaapi bakit di kumilos? Baya'y inaapi, ¿bakit di kumilos,
at natitilihang itoy mapanood. at natitilihang ito’y mapanood?

23. 23.

Hayo na nga kayo, kayong nanga buhay Hayo na nga, kayo, kayong nangabuhay
sa pag asang lubos na kaguinhawahan sa pagasang lubos ng kaginhawahan,
at walang tinamo kundi kapaitan at walang tinamo kung di kapaitan ,
hayo nat ibiguin ang naabang bayan. hayo na’t ibigin ang naabang Bayan.

24. 24.

Kayong natuyan na sa kapapasakit Kayong natuyan na, sa kapapasakit

ng dakilang hangad sa batis ng dibdib ng dakilang hangad sa batis ng dibdib ,
muling pabalungit tunay na pag-ibig muling pabalungin, tunay na pagibig
kusang ibulalas sa bayang piniit. kusang ibulalas sa Bayang piniit.

25. 25.

Kayong nalagasan ng bungat bulaklak Kayong nalagasan ng bunga’t bulaklak,

kahuy niaring buhay na nilantat sukat kahuy na sariwa, na nilanta’t sukat
ng balabalakit makapal na hirap ng balabalaki’t makapal na hirap
muling manariwat sa baya'y lumiyag. muling manariwa’t sa Baya'y lumiyag.

26. 26.

Kayong mga pusong kusang [???] Kayo mga pusong pilit inihapay
ng daya at bagsik ng ganid na asal ng daya at bagsik ng ganid na asal,
ngayon ay magbanguit baya'y itangkakal ngayon ay magbangu’t nariyan ang Bayan,
aagawin sa kuko ng mga sukaban. nariya’t humihibik, mga anak siya’y antay.

27. 27.

Kayong mga dukhang walang tanging Kayong mga dukhang walang tanging
[???] palad,
kundi ang mabuhay sa dalitat hirap kung di ang mabuhay sa dalita’t hirap,
ampunin ang bayan kung nasa ay lunas ampunin ang Bayan, kung nasa ay lunas,
pagkat ang guinhawa niya ay sa lahat. pagka’t ginhawa niya’y ginhawa ng lahat.

28. 28.

Ipahandog handog ang boong pag-ibig Datapua’t ibigin ng lubos na lubos

hangang sa mga dugo'y ubusing itiguis sa lahat ng bagay itangi sa loob
kung sa pagtatangol buhay ay [???] at sa kalakhan niya’y dapat na iubos
itoy kapalaran at tunay na langit. ng malaking puso ang malaking linkod.

A.B.

Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa generally describes why and how to love one‟s motherland. In

this poem, Bonifacio clearly exerts that there is no greater love than one‟s love for his country (1-

2), and this love makes him honorable and dignified (3). He shall always celebrate and

commemorate his motherland in anything he does, sacrifice and shield her from any harm (4-7).

He shall walk away from his family and suffer for her sake; and despite of this, his love for her will

continue to prosper (14-15). He who has in his heart the sense of gratitude towards his motherland

(8-10) shall have no shame in vengeance for his country that was oppressed and shackled (16-19).

He shall stand on his feet and act (21-28), in high hopes that freedom will be attained.

Analysis of Bonifacio’s Legacy

Many texts had been written during the Spanish colonization. From novels down to poems,

print or manuscript, these mediums were Filipinos' art of war. KKK, one of the most prominent

drivers of revolution against the Spaniards and also known for its violent way of pushing for

independence, even had its own printing press---the Kalayaan. Although a second issue never

followed because the Spanish authorities discovered about the veiled newspaper and raided the

place where the paper was being printed, one of the best known works included in the first press

was the poem "Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa" (Love of Country) by Andres Bonifacio. This homage to
patriotism calls upon the people to rise up and rescue the unhappy motherland from her torment.

It spoke of love and pride, the need and desire to protect one's country. Through their works,

Bonifacio, along with Jacinto, awakened the people from a long lethargy and immediately swelled

the ranks of the Katipunan. When the two thousand copies of the periodical had been distributed

far and wide, hundreds of people nightly joined the Katipunan in the towns of San Juan del Monte,

San Felipe Neri, Pasig, Pateros, Mariquina, Kalookan, Malabon, and other places. The people

became aware of their rights and duties to their country.

Given that this poem has no actual copy in this modern era, there had been some issues

with regards to real writer of this text. Historians had to dig deeper in order to conclude and

disclose this piece of fact. The Tagalog versions of "Pagibig sa Tinubuang Bayan" which have been

transcribed (with difficulty), appears that the handwriting is not that of Andres Bonifacio - which

whom the piece is most commonly ascribed. A note on the front page of "Pagibig sa Tinubuang

Bayan", which is usually attributed to Andres Bonifacio, indicates that the text is in the handwriting

of Emilio Jacinto which is signed by sometime KKK Supreme Council member Valentin Diaz, the

note reads "Letra de Emilio Jacinto segun manifiesta Aguedo del Rosario" –- Aguedo del Rosario

being another KKK Supreme Council member.

It is unlikely that these versions are either the „original‟ first drafts or the "final" texts that

actually appeared in print. Most probably, in other words, there were earlier drafts, and almost

certainly there were later amendments. What can be said, however, is that the Tagalog version of

the poem does correspond substantially with the Tagalog version first published by José P. Santos

in 1935.

The version of "Pagibig sa Tinubuang Bayan" therefore enables a little more to be said in

response to the questions raised by Glenn May, a professor of history at the University of Oregon,

in his book Inventing a Hero. He claimed that the biographical sources which supported the popular

image of Bonifacio were either unverifiable or based on forged documents. In that book, May
doubted in full seriousness the scholarship of José P. Santos, and specifically questions his source

of "Pagibig sa Tinubuang Bayan", "Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog" and other texts whose

authorship Santos ascribes to Bonifacio. As indicated in the manuscript draft in Archivo General

Militar de Madrid, the text of "Pagibig" transcribed in 16th stanza does not differ substantially from

the Santos version, but there are minor differences in many stanzas, and significant differences in

the 16th stanza, the 21st and the 26th. The final, 28th stanza is completely different in the Santos

version. It is likely that the text transcribed by Santos, if not the final published version, is at least

a later version than the one transcribed in the manuscript draft.

When editing the poem, Jacinto deleted words from the line on the 9th stanza, but in his

haste omitted to substitute other words in their stead, leaving the line conspicuously short and

incomplete. In the version published by José P. Santos in his Si Andres Bonifacio at ang

Himagsikan, the line reads "ang lahat ng lalung sa gunitay mahal". In some publications like The

Writings and Trial of Andres Bonifacio, the 14th stanza is omitted from the Tagalog and English

versions, it is presumably due to a simple error, however, it is included in the Spanish and English

translations that appeared in 1917 – and (in a virtually identical form to here) in the Tagalog

version published by Santos in 1935.

The text published by Santos (and later Agoncillo) includes question marks at three points

which indicates that the words could not be deciphered. Words that are difficult to decipher are

followed by a question mark in square brackets –- [?] –- and round brackets –- (!!) –- are as found

in the originals. Paragraph and verse numbers do not appear in the originals, and have been

inserted simply to facilitate comparison between the Tagalog and English texts of the two articles

and, in the case of "Pagibig sa Tinubuang Bayan", comparison with other versions. The version

transcribed by the two sources enables these gaps to be filled with reasonable certainty – as can

be seen in stanza 18, where the final word of the first line is "paghihinayang", and in stanza 27,

where the final word of the first line is "palad". The other uncertainties (in stanzas 26 and 28)

cannot be resolved because the versions diverge at these two points.

 It is now clear that the Tagalog text of "Pagibig sa Tinubuang Bayan" published by Santos

was not crafted or reconstructed to any significant degree by him or anyone else in the 20th

century. It is, substantially, the text that was published in Kalayaan in 1896. This, it might be

contended, makes it more likely that Santos also had to hand an authentic version of "Ang Dapat

Mabatid ng mga Tagalog" dating from 1896. But in response to these points, for sure, Glenn May

would say that his doubts and questions were legitimate, that other "Bonifacio" documents remain

suspect, and that we still cannot be sure that "Pagibig sa Tinibuang Bayan" and "Ang Dapat

Mabatid ng mga Tagalog" were indeed authored by Bonifacio.

However, the penmanship does not necessarily correspond with the identity of the author,

and at the foot of the poem are inscribed the initials “A.B.,” obviously suggesting that Bonifacio

was the author. We have to remember that Jacinto was appointed as an editor thus it is possible

that Jacinto copied out the text whilst Kalayaan was being prepared for publication.

Another further sliver of evidence indicative of Bonifacio‟s authorship is the orthography of

the text published by José P. Santos. According to some researches, there are several words in the

text in which the letter “g” is followed by the double vowel “ui” – guinhawa, for example, guiliw,

ibiguin and palaguing. These spellings are not “wrong,” or even that rare, but more commonly (at

least from the late 19th century onwards) writers have omitted the “u” and employed the forms

ginawa, giliw and so on. Emilio Jacinto almost invariably omitted the “u”, and the manuscript of

“Pagibig” in his handwriting, as can be seen, renders none of these words with the “ui”

combination. Bonifacio, on the other hand, switched back and forth, sometimes using the “ui”

forms and sometimes not. By this particular measure, at least, the document from which Santos

transcribed the published text thus indeed seem more likely to have been penned by Bonifacio than

by Jacinto.
 REFERENCES

Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People. Retrieved from

https://filipino.biz.ph/history/kalayaan.html?fbclid=IwAR3TRG-
iCNAz_QVpRDxQ4645Z8eylCJC0Et85madkQQRVa6O1kSTpWx-5cU

José P. Santos, Si Andres Bonifacio at ang Himagsikan (Manila: n.pub, 1935), 8–

10; and A.B., “Pagibig sa tinubuang Bayan,” manuscript in Archivo General Militar
de Madrid, Caja 5677, leg. 1.94.

Misa, Romel P. (August 25, 2018). Ang Konsepto ng Pagmamahal at

Kaginhawahan sa Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan ni sa Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan
ni Andres Bonifacio. HIS603M: The Philippine Revolution against Spain and the
United States 1896-1902. De La Salle University.

NHCP. (September 4, 2012). Andres Bonifacio And The Katipunan. Retrieved at

http://nhcp.gov.ph

Richardson, Jim. "Notes on Kalayaan, the Katipunan paper" (November 30, 2005).
Retrieved at https://bonifaciopapers.blogspot.com/
2006/02/Richardsonjim.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR0K4_T2qEGI_KWXZ9IyDiKrlciBx0
mkL7p9JWmVnL4jJibQ-FIfTAbVRuk

Richardson, Jim. “Katipunan: Documents and Studies.” Katipunan: Documents and

Studies. http://www.kasaysayan-kkk.info/

Pio Valenzuela, “Memoirs” [c.1914], translated by Luis Serrano from an

unpublished manuscript in Tagalog and reproduced as Appendix A in Minutes of

theKatipunan (Manila: National Heroes Commission, 1964), 106; Teodoro A.
Agoncillo, The Revolt of the Masses: The story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan
(Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1956), 80; 91–6; 334–5.
Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa
by Andres Bonifacio

Group 1

BSA II – 21

Florido, Mary Grace E.

Jimenez, Emmelyn Mae O.

Lugpatan, Poula Alexis M.

Reformado, Angela Sophia A.

Vivero, Angela Louise D.

Mr. Juanito Teves

Readings in Philippine History