"NAGSABADO SA PASIG" 1896

"Nagsabado sa Pasig" is the term being used to describe and glorify the Katipunan action in Pasig on August 29, 1896-Saturday. In the early weeks leading to that fateful day in August, the commander of the Spanish detachment in Pasig, the then Lt. Manuel B. Sityar had been noticing uncommon gatherings of men in the wee hours of the night in the areas of Pasig and Mandaluyong. But the rainy season had prevented him from investigating and learning  more of these gatherings. In fact, one of the most important Katipunan meetings the "Asamblea Magna",  happened in May of the same year in Pasig.

Pasig town center in the late 1890s.  Seen here is the church and also the waterway, the famous "Bitukang Manok"

When news that the Katipunan was finally revealed,  local Katipunan leader in Pasig, Gen. Valentin Cruz started sending secret feelers to the Katipuneros from different "visitas" or "barrios" around Pasig that uprising could happen soon. Andres Bonifacio and some members of the Katipunan council at that time had sought refuge in the Morong area (Rizal Province) protected by the local Katipunan chapters of area. The arrest of suspected Katipunan members in Manila had already started after the discovery

On Aug. 28, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto went to Mandaluyong to confer with Katipunan leaders of Morong. The next morning, he told his men that it was now time to begin the uprising. There was also this tearing of the cedulas symbolizing the break with Spain. After that, General Cruz and other Katipunan leaders travelled back to their respective towns and areas to alert their troops.

In the light of the dusk of August 29, 1896, while Bonifacio was preparing his men in the attack of Mandaluyong the sons of Pasig led by Valentin Cruz were attacking the Spanish detachment in Pasig. Pasig historian Dean Carlos Tech described the events as follows:

  

"Nightfall of Aug. 29, the men from the Pasig barrios of Pineda, Bagong Ilog and Ugong crossed the San Mateo River to Maybunga, where they joined the forces from Santolan, Rosario, Maybunga, Palatiw, Sagad, Poblacion, Pinagbuhatan, Bambang, Kalawaan, Buting and other barrios of Pasig. After some final battle instructions, the gallant sons of Pasig, armed with scythes, bolos, spears, a few guns, and their determination to fight for freedom under the leadership of General Cruz, marched to attack the town. The townsfolk, who were in a fiesta mood, lined the streets, cheering their heroes on. (It was a precursor of the fiesta mood of the Edsa uprising 100 years later.) There were almost 2,000 of them, representing almost every family of Pasig, from all levels of society, in a show of unity against tyranny. At Plaza de Paz, now Plaza Rizal, a sniper in the church tower hit a man from Bagong Ilog who thus became the first Pasigueño to offer his life on the altar of freedom. The revolutionaries attacked the Tribunal and the Guardia Civil headquarters, in what is now the Guanio residence, capturing 17 de piston rifles and three Remingtons. Manuel Sityar, the Guardia Civil commander, hid in the church tower. It was a glorious night for Pasig and the whole town rejoiced in that first victory of the revolution which the old folk remembers as ''Nagsabado.''

General Valentin Cruz, this studio shot was done in a later year.

Lt. Manuel B. Sityar- Like other mestizos in the Spanish army, Sityar would later be recruited by General Antonio Luna in the revolutionary forces in the Philippine-American War. General  Luna would also name him superintendent of the "Academia Militar"- the first military academy in the Philippines.

Lt. Manuel B. Sityar, the Pasig commander of the Guardia Civil during the events of Nagsabado, provides a different account in his published memoir titled Memorias Íntimas. The morning of August 29, 1896, a Saturday, was uncommon for Sityar. It was supposed to be "tiangge" day, but as he stood by his detachment, he saw the market across the street was half-empty. From the church down to the plaza, it was silent—strangely silent.

Although Sityar had some knowledge and morbid apprehension about certain gatherings of men in the early hours months before in his designated area, he was clueless about what was about to transpire. By dusk, it had become apparent: the Pasig Katipuneros were attacking the Spanish detachment.

On the church tower, where he and five of his men from the Guardia Civil sought refuge, Sityar described the attack as both spirited and sporadic. From his vantage point, he could hear shouting and the barking of dogs from the different barrios surrounding the town. He mentioned the Pasig Katipuneros, numbering in the thousands, crossing and crowding the bridge over the Bitukang Manok. The bridge was so full that some fighters had to wade into the water and cross the river. Sityar’s first command was not to shoot and to wait for his signal. As the Katipuneros neared the church grounds, Sityar aimed his gun at the leader of a group, making him the first casualty of the attack. He then moved to a higher level of the tower, where he could hear the gun battle in Pateros— the town was also under attack by the local Katipunan.

As the evening wore on, the bulk of the Pasig Katipuneros left for Santolan, crossing the San Mateo (Marikina) River to join the Supremo’s forces near San Juan. Before departing, they seized 17 firearms from the Pasig cuartel. Sityar managed to evade capture and escaped to Pateros, where he surveyed the aftermath. The Katipunan revolt in Pateros proved to be both bolder and bloodier than in Pasig.

What happened in the following days when the Guardia Civil reinforcements arrived in Pasig? If it was a victory, it was indeed short-lived. Valentin Cruz and his men joined Bonifacio's group but were eventually routed at Pinaglabanan. Cruz was arrested in Pasig and tortured. He was tied to a rope and submerged headfirst into the Bitukang Manok river. Despite the brutal torture, he endured and was later exiled to the Marianas.

In an open forum/lecture in the late 1990"s about the events of "Nagsabado", Pasig historian Carlos Tech was asked how many Guardia Civil was with Sityar that time, he answered, only four. When asked how many casualties were there on the side of the Pasig Katipunan, there was only one.

"Nagsabado" perhaps needs a new interpretation.