Bonifacio marker in San Juan revised 2 years after inaccuracies found

Pinaglabanan shrine in 2023. Photo courtesy of Joel Sarmenta

MANILA, Philippines — The marker of Andres Bonifacio in Pinaglabanan Shrine in San Juan City which stated what an expert deemed historically inaccurate facts was revised in August, about two years after it was first flagged.

The new marker was unveiled during the Pinaglabanan Day celebration last Aug. 30, according to Joel Sarmenta, a Philippine history professor, who made the update in time for the Bonifacio Day commemoration on Nov. 30.

The Battle of San Juan del Monte, considered to be the first major battle of Katipunan, occurred on Aug. 30, 1896, in the city.

New marker of Pinaglabanan shrine. Photo courtesy of Joel Sarmenta

“It’s been a very pleasant surprise,” Sarmenta told INQUIRER.net over the phone on Friday.

Sarmenta, who shed light on this in 2022, noted that the new marker is very vague but nonetheless better than the old one which he said was riddled with “questionable facts.”

READ: Historian slams inaccurate Bonifacio marker in San Juan 

“In a way, it is now less detailed,” he said. “It sounds like more of a mission statement.”

The old marker of Pinaglabanan shrine. Photo courtesy of Joel Sarmenta

This is now the entire content of the marker, translated from Tagalog:

“The Spirit of 1896 monument depicts a tribute to the courage and determination of the Filipinos, who, on August 30, 1896, dared to fight for the independence and sovereignty of the Motherland. This historical place witnessed important moments of the revolution led by Gat Andres Bonifacio and General Emilio Jacinto. The Katipuneros sacrificed their lives in their desire to claim the Almacen de Polvora and the El Deposito in order to completely defeat the foreign invaders.

“This monument serves as a symbol of the sacrifices made by our forefathers who dared to dream of a free country that reflects the Spirit of 1896. It is a reminder of countless commitments to justice, equal rights, and the focus of a future free from colonial oppression.

“May this monument serve as an eternal inspiration for generations to come; this is a sign of the unyielding spirit that built our country. let this be a call to action, regardless of one’s state in life, to encourage all to embrace and defend the freedoms we enjoy in unity.”

Close-up of the new marker unveiled on August 30, 2024. Photo courtesy of Joel Sarmenta

The previous marker stated facts that made Bonifacio sound like a “bungling fool” and the Filipino revolutionaries “inutile,” according to Sarmenta.

British historian Jim Richardson was quoted by Sarmenta as saying that the old marker made “13 mistakes in just 17 lines.”

Among the mistakes Richardson noted on the old marker were the vast underestimation of the number of belligerents, the dubiously high number of fatalities among Katipunan fighters, and its claim that Bonifacio was the only one armed with a gun while the rest of the Filipino revolutionaries were unarmed.