The "Te Deum" of January 23, 1898


"Te Deum" such as this?


January 23, 1898 - A "Te Deum Laudamus" was sang at the Manila Cathedral, it signaled the end of what the Spanish colonial regime labeled that time as "Insurreccion". The singing of the Te Deum was part of an agreement between Aguinaldo and the Spanish government known as "The Pact of Biak-na-Bato".

 Among the points agreed for a truce are the following:

(1) that Aguinaldo and his companion would go into voluntary exile abroad;

(2) that Governor Geneneral Fernando Primo de Rivera would pay the sum of 800,000 Pesos to the rebels in three instalments: (a) 400,000 Pesos to Aguinaldo upon his departure from Biak na Bato, (b) 200,000 Pesos when the arms surrendered by the revolutionists exceeded 700, and (c) the remaining 200,000 Pesos when "Te Deum" was sung and general amnesty proclaimed by the governor;

3) that Primo de Rivera would pay the additional sum of 900,000 Pesos to the families of the non combatant Filipinos who suffered during that armed conflict.

By the time the "Te Deum" was sung,  Aguinaldo was already in Hong Kong.  With part of the payment?



Aguinaldo with some of his men at Biak na Bato 1897, his right hand resting on the shoulder of  Spanish Colonel  Miguel  Primo de Rivera,  future Prime Minister and dictator of Spain.



Aguinaldo and his men in Dagupan train station. On their way to exile in Hong Kong.






Delusions of an attention seeker

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato would not come to existence if not for the eccentric and  delusional characther of Pedro Paterno. Many of his peers took him as a true blooded "papansin", who fashioned himself in Spain as a Tagalog nobleman (maginoo), Paterno was able to convinced Governor General Fernando Primo de Rivera that he had enough contacts to seek a armistice with the rebel revolutionaries and somehow find a way for peace. After months of shuttling from Manila to the rebels lair, convincing the Aguinaldo group and even at the point of bribing, Paterno was able to bring both rebel and Spain to sign what he termed as a formula for lasting peace; "the Pact Biak-na Bato"




Pedro Paterno


Time would then reveal the flaws of the said pact,  as both Spanish colonial government and the Aguinaldo group later accused each other of non fulfillment of the terms written and agreed upon.




Sing A Different Tune

In the end the "Te Deum" sang on the 23rd of January 1898 at the Manila Cathedral turned out to be the swan song of the Spanish power in Asia,  Months later, Uncle Sam would arrive in Manila Bay and take the position of the Iberians. Filipinos would then sing a different tune.


~ Pasig City





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