Novaliches residents mark Bonifacio’s 156th birth anniversary

BONIFACIO DAY IN NOVALICHES. The residents of Novaliches commemorated on Saturday the 156th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio at the old Novaliches Plaza. (PNA photo by Severino C. Samonte)

MANILA — Residents of the former town of Novaliches, now divided between Quezon City and Caloocan City, joined the rest of the country in commemorating the 156th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, considered as the father of the 1896 Revolution against the Spanish rule in the Philippines, on Saturday.

The commemorative activities were held at the Bonifacio monument at the old Novaliches Plaza along Quirino Highway, under the joint sponsorship of the officers and members of the various assemblies and councils of the Knights of Columbus (KofC), Ferdinand Magellan Province, Philippines’ District 4, National Capital Region-North, and descendants of the Bonifacio family in Novaliches.

The features of the celebration, themed “Si Gat Andres Bonifacio, Ang Supremo, Tunay na Bayaning Filipino” (Andres Bonifacio: the Supreme Leader, True Filipino Hero), included floral offerings and reading of the “Kartilya” or Decalogue of the KKK (Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation) by the past faithful navigators of the KofC Assemblies of Emilio Jacinto, Novaliches, St. Maximillian Ma. Kolbe, Tandang Sora, Fr. George Willman, Fr. Walter De Vilder, San Pedro Calungsod, Melchora Aquino, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Kristong Hari.

Those who sent flowers included the Bonifacio family descendants represented by Patricia P. Bonifacio, Quezon City 5th District Rep. Alfred Vargas, Councilors P.M. Vargas, and Jose Visaya, and Barangay Novaliches Proper Chairwoman Asuncion Visaya.

History shows that Bonifacio and his co-founders of the Katipunan led the uprising against Spain by tearing their “cedula” or residence certificate on Aug. 23, 1896, in Pugad Lawin, near the residence of the revolutionary heroine Melchora Aquino, better known as Tandang Sora.

On several occasions, Bonifacio visited Novaliches before and after the start of the initial phase of the revolution, conferring with his friends from Novaliches who included Katipunero leaders Tomas Geronimo and Canuto Dumalay, among others.

It was in Barrio Pasong Putik, Novaliches, where Tandang Sora was arrested by the Spanish authorities prior to her incarceration at the old Bilibid prisons in Manila and eventual exile to the Marianas Islands.

On Nov. 18-19, 1896, a group of Katipuneros led by Gen. Luis Malinis attacked the Novaliches church convent being used as headquarters by the Spanish civil guards. The Spaniards were defeated but Gen. Luis, a close aide of Bonifacio, was killed in that battle.

To commemorate the role of Novaliches in the 1896 Revolution, an ancient duhat tree at the present compound of the Metro Manila College (formerly Novaliches Academy) in Barangay Kaligayahan has been renamed Katipunan Tree

On the other hand, the old Novaliches-Polo Road has been renamed in honor of Gen. Luis Malinis.

Two streets at the front and back of the 163-year-old Our Lady of Mercy Shrine in Novaliches were named after Dumalay and Geronimo.