June 1898 was a time of Filipino chivalry

Recently discovered Spanish military memoirs reveal that after Filipino revolutionary troops defeated the Spanish colonial army in 1898, the Filipinos treated their prisoners of war with honor.

According to the newly translated and published memoirs of Spanish military doctor Dr. Santos Rubiano, they were detained in the homes of wealthy Filipinos in Batangas, fed well and freed a little more than a year later.

The revealing memoirs were recently found and translated by a young historian, Renz Katigbak, a Filipino immigrant to the US who learned Spanish so he could research obscure texts in the archives of Spain.

Howie Severino talks to Renz about what the Spanish account adds to our knowledge of the period and how he stumbled on the Rubiano memoirs, which have never been mentioned in history books.

HOWIE: Magandang araw, podmates, at happy Philippine Independence Day. Si Howie Severino muli na nagpapaalala na nakakatalino ang mahabang attention span. Tuwing Hunyo ginugunita natin ang kasaysayan lalo na ang mga kaganapan noong Hunyo 1898 nang magtagumpay ang mga Pilipinong rebolusyonaryo laban sa mga Kastila sa maraming bahagi ng bansa.

Kadalasan si Hen. Emilio Aguinaldo ang usapin dahil sa pagdeklara niya ng kalayaan ng Pilipinas noong June 12, 1898 sa Kawit, Cavite. Ngunit lingid sa kaalaman ng marami, matindi ang laban sa Batangas at iba pang probinsya. Guest natin ngayon ay isang batang historyador, si Renz Katigbak na nagsasaliksik tungkol sa kasaysayan ng kaniyang bayan ng Lipa, Batangas.

May isinulat siyang libro na lalabas na sa buwang ito tungkol sa tagumpay ng mga Pilipino sa Lipa ayon sa memoirs ng isang doktor sa hukbo ng mga Kastila. Nag-aral pa si Renz ng Espanyol upang mabasa ang mga dokumento noong panahong iyon.

Kasama niya sa pagbuo ng libro ay si Dr. Manuel Pajarillo, tanyag na researcher at La Salle brother, ang dating presidente ng La Salle Lipa.

Thirty-four-anyos lang si Renz at isang empleyado sa San Francisco, California. Renz, welcome to my podcast and congratulations sa iyong bagong libro, Memoirs of a Prisoner of the Tagalogs.

RENZ: Magandang araw din po, sir Howie.

HOWIE: Una, Renz, nais kong tanungin, paano binago ang iyong pananaw sa ating kasaysayan ng pagsulat ng librong ito?

RENZ: For me po, it really changed my perspective about the Philippine Revolution. Kasi nga, akala ko nga rin it was a failure. But it actually, para sa akin, siya 'yung nagsimula nu'ng pagkakaroon ng nasyonalismo nating mga Filipino.

HOWIE: Why do you say that? Bakit siya 'yung nagsimula ng nasyonalismo ng Pilipinas in 1898?

RENZ: Dito po kasi natin parang unang tinawag 'yung sarili natin na mga Filipino kasi. Kasi noon muna parang mayroong mga racial classification lalo na nung gumagawa pa ako ng family trees noon. So nagre-research ako noon. Tapos nababasa ko roon sa mga entry na lagi mayroong racial classification 'yung mga Filipino as Indios. E tapos nu'ng nagkaroon na ng revolution, we called ourselves as Filipinos na.

HOWIE: Okay. The event that is the focus of the book has been called the Lipa Siege. It's rarely mentioned in history books. And 'pag binabanggit 'yan ay pahapyaw lang. But we know that it was more than a siege. It was also gunfights in the streets, house-to-house combat, may casualties. It was actually a bloody event. It was dramatic. It was a dramatic episode in our history. Almost cinematic. How much of this did you know about before you found this book? And what did it add to our knowledge about this historical event?

RENZ: Actually 'yung pong Siege of Lipa, I already read it sa isang article ni Tita Praxi Villa roon sa libro niya na Peaks and Valleys, The Story of Lipa. But it wasn't elaborately detailed 'yung significance ng mga event na 'yun. And nalaman ko rin po na 'yung mga dating pangalan ng kalye sa Lipa, one of the principal streets were called Calle 7 de Junio and then Calle 18 de Junio, which were the dates of the first day of the siege, which was 7 de Junio, and then 'yung 18 de Junio was the day of surrender.

I was curious to know more about these events. Nabasa ko rin po 'yung about the siege doon sa Aide-de-Camp to Freedom ni Teodoro M. Kalaw. 'Yung autobiography niya. 'Yun pa lang po 'yung mga source ko about the siege of Lipa until I discovered itong kay Dr. Santos Rubiano sometime in late 2018 or early 2019.

HOWIE: Okay. I'm gonna ask you how you discovered the memoirs in a Spanish language. So you had to learn Spanish before you could read it.

RENZ: Opo.

HOWIE: Yeah. But before I ask you about how you discovered it, I wanna ask you more about this particular event. Kasi nga itong mga nabanggit mo ng mga account like TM Kalaw and this coffee table book that was produced at Lipa. Of course, these were from the point of view of the Filipinos.

What makes this different, this memoir that you translated, these are the memoirs of Spaniard who was a doctor in the Spanish army and was among the forces that were besieged in the Cathedral, in Convento ng Lipa, si Dr. Santos Rubiano Herrera. I read the book even earlier than your draft. May initial translation nito. And it's really a dramatic account and he's actually a pretty good writer din, 'no?

Very lyrical, he's quite reflective. But at the same time, he describes the events and what he did as a doctor with a lot of surgical precision. So ano 'yung significance ng actual event na 'to? Why is it important to know more about the siege of Lipa?

RENZ: Para sa akin po, 'yung significance niya nga kasi is ito po 'yung nagbigay daan sa pagpapalaya ng iba pang mga town going further south ng Lipa. And even 'yung other towns in Southern Luzon. So 'yung mga weapon po na na-surrender ng mga Espanyol dito sa Lipa were used in those other towns. 'Yung mga other expedition in those towns. Philippine Revolutionary Expedition doon sa mga lugar na 'yun.

HOWIE: So itong si Dr. Santos Rubiano Herrera, you found out na kakilala niya pala mga ninuno mo, 'no? Tell us about that. That's an interesting personal discovery on your part na may personal connection ka pala rito sa taong ito. Nakalkal mo 'yung memoirs niya roon sa archives ng Spain tapos mayroon kang natuklasan na personal connections sa kaniya.

RENZ: Actually opo. Before pa po siya napunta sa Lipa, naging interino medico-titular ng Bulacan. My grandmother po kasi, Luz Tiongson, was from Malolos. So 'yung grandfather niya, si Don Ponciano na juez de paz ng Malolos in 1894 to 1896, naging kaibigan po pala niya si Dr. Rubiano when he was assigned to the—

HOWIE: Sorry. Dr. Rubiano, you mentioned his title but the equivalent today would be like something a municipal doctor—

RENZ: Sorry.That would be a provincial health officer.

HOWIE: Provincial health officer, okay.

RENZ: Of Bulacan. Yes, of Bulacan, sorry. 'Yung pong interino medico-titular is interim provincial health officer. 'Yun po 'yung translation niya into English. So na-assign po siya sa Bulacan sometime in 1895. So naging kaibigan po niya 'yung aking great-great-grandfather na si Don Ponciano Tiongson.

Tapos nakita ko po roon sa baptismal record nu'ng isa po roon sa mga great-granduncle ko, na kapatid ng great-grandfather ko, na naging ninong niya po si Dr. Santos Rubiano. Pati 'yung mother ni Dr. Santos kasama din doon sa baptismal register ni Lolo Federico.

HOWIE: In other words, mga Kastila ito. They were with the colonial authorities, he was a medical officer in the Spanish colonial government but he had close friends, 'no? I mean, naging ninong pa siya ng iyong ninuno na native ng Bulacan, 'no?

So itong mga Kastila na ito na naging kalaban ng mga Pilipino, hindi ito basta mga dayo na biglang dumating sa Pilipinas katulad ng mga Amerikano o Hapon na nakipagpatayan sa mga Pilipino. Si Dr. Rubiano had close personal relationships with native Filipinos. And in fact, 'yun nga, it's an indication of their respect and regard for him that one of your ancestors was named after him, 'no? 'Yung Santos doon sa kaniyang pangalan.

RENZ: Opo. Federico Santos.

HOWIE: Oo, pangalan ng... Oo. So named after Dr. Rubiano.

RENZ: Actually, kasi 'yun nga po nabanggit niyo na naging close siya sa mga native kasi dito po siya nag-aral sa Pilipinas, si Dr. Santos Rubiano. Dito po niya na-obtain 'yung kaniyang MD, 'yung doctor degree niya po in medicine and surgery.

HOWIE: So he was educated here, he spent his career as a young physician here. Because we have to remember, in 1898, he was still in his 20s, right? Late 20s?

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: 27, 28, 'no nu'ng naganap 'yung Lipa Siege. So he was a young doctor, 'no?

RENZ: Young doctor.

HOWIE: Just a few years out of medical school. And he knew a lot of Filipinos already. So that by itself already changes, influences our view of the Spanish who were fighting the Filipinos. Akala natin talagang mga mortal enemy lang 'yan. But we have to recall that, you know, the Spaniards were here already for, you know, almost 400 years when the revolution broke out.

So there are all kinds of personal connections and relationships. At hindi lang naman lahat ay masasama, 'no? Kasi baka iniisip ng maraming Pilipino na halimbawa lahat ng Kastila noon parang si Padre Damaso, 'di ba, na kontrabida, 'no? But there were also people like Dr. Rubiano who served the public, the Filipino public. Hindi lang naman ng mga Kastila siya nagdo-doktor, 'no? I mean, doktor siya ng madla, right?

RENZ: Yes. Kaya po siya naging provincial health officer po ng Malolos, Bulacan.

HOWIE: The siege of Lipa became a major revolutionary victory. What was Lipa in those days, 1898? It was a significant place in the Philippines.

RENZ: Yes, because it was, 'yun nga po, dating coffee-producing town. It was considered the richest town in the Philippines during the late 19th century because of the coffee boom. Pero nga short-lived lang 'yung coffee boom kasi by 1889, it started to collapse, 'yung coffee industry. But still, Lipa maintained its prestige as a rich town despite the challenges of that period.

After the coffee blight they shifted to abaca production and sugar. Hindi madali pero naka-recover naman sila sa coffee blight.

HOWIE: So basically and culturally, Lipa was a very enterprising town. Very business-minded people tulad niyan. I mean, naka-shift doon sa ibang produkto para tuluy-tuloy pa rin 'yung kanilang enterprises. From coffee to abaca and sugar. But 'yung isang outcome nitong yaman nila is nakapagpaaral sila, 'yung mga pamilya riyan sa Lipa ng—

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: Sa Maynila, sa Europa, naging mga malalapit na kaibigan ni Jose Rizal, kasama sa mga founding father, nakapagtatag ng mga diyaryo, naging mga professional ang mga Lipenyo. So it was an intellectual center.

RENZ: Mga ilustrado nga po 'yung nabanggit niyo.

HOWIE: Yes, ilustrados. And 'yung ilustrados na kilala natin sa kazaysayan, they were also revolutionaries. And they were thinkers. They were enlightenment thinkers who were thinking about concepts like freedom and sovereignty and individual rights and separation of church and state and women's rights and women's suffrage. And all of that. These concepts that we take for granted today, noon, they were considered radical ideas.

And then, they were able to learn these ideas because nakapag-aral sila. At nakapag-aral sila dahil yumaman ang Lipa dahil sa kaniyang mga produkto.

Obviously, Lipa was a strategic center. Hindi lang dahil mayaman sila but it's also because of its location. So itong mga Kastila, they made Lipa a major detachment.

RENZ: As headquarters.

HOWIE: Pero... Yeah, headquarters. So ano 'yung mga naganap? Bakit ba nagkaroon ng siege sa Lipa?

RENZ: Nu’ng 1898, ito 'yung headquarters ni Coronel Juan Rodriguez Navas. So siya po 'yung parang highest Spanish authority in the Southern Tagalog Command.

HOWIE: Based on what I read in the memoirs of Dr. Rubiano, naghihimagsik na 'yung mga Pilipino. And part of the context of this is the Spanish-American War, may digmaan na sa pagitan ng Spain at saka Amerika, which was a rising power in the world at that time. This is 1898.

And by June, nu'ng naganap itong Lipa siege, June 1898, nangyari na 'yung Battle of Manila Bay kung saan napalubog o pinalubog 'yung halos buong armada ng Spanish warships sa Manila Bay ng mga Amerikano. So kumbaga, ano na, medyo nagre-retreat na 'yung mga Kastila, 'no? And lumakas ang loob ng mga Pilipino kaya nag-uwian galing sa Hong Kong and biglang lumaban na ulit 'yung mga rebolusyonaryo sa maraming bahagi ng Pilipinas.

'Yung mga Kastila sa Lipa, as mentioned in the book, they were trying to figure out what to do, 'no? So itong grupo nila, Dr. Rubiano, they attended a war council in Santo Tomas and they decided to go back to head towards Batangas City.

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: Pero daraan muna ng Lipa, 'di ba? Daraan muna 'yung puwersa ng Lipa. It was actually a large number of Spanish soldiers that were marching to Batangas City but they stopped in Lipa to rest, 'no? Mga ilang sundalo 'yun, 'yung tumigil sa Lipa?

RENZ: May mga account po kasi... Wala pong specific pero ang account po ni Comandante Francisco Varadere, siya po 'yung second in command to Coronel Navas, about 400 soldiers 'yun pong nag-concentrate sa Lipa.

HOWIE: Yeah. And 400 soldiers and they were mostly in the convento and the cathedral, 'no? So nakisiksik sila roon. But may mga nag-occupy rin ng mga surrounding house, 'di ba?

RENZ: So there was a house-to-house combat po na nangyari. So hindi lang po sa church plaza na nagkaroon ng parang 'yung... tawag dito? Hostilities. But also in the houses in Lipa. So they occupied the side where the church is po. 'Yung mga bahay na nandoon sa hilera po ng simbahan.

HOWIE: Okay, I wanna ask though, itong estimated 400 troops ng mga Kastila, lahat ba ito ay Spanish people? Alam ko there were native soldiers in the Spanish army. They were  considered part of the militia. They were members of the militia na binigyan din ang armas para depensahan ang Spanish interests in the Philippines. Doon sa 400 na 'yan, may mga native Filipino roon?

RENZ: Possible po meron, may mga loyalist pa rin na Filipino militia soldiers na nandu'n nakikipaglaban against the Filipino revolutionaries.

HOWIE: Pero ang pagkaalam natin dahil nga, 'yun nga, medyo natatalo na 'yung Spain at saka nandiyan na 'yung mga Amerikano, maraming natibong sundalo, mga native soldier sa Spanish Militia ang bumaliktad. 'Di ba?

RENZ: They defected po, opo.

HOWIE: Oo, they defected. Dala-dala nila 'yung mga armas nila at sumama roon sa puwersa nila Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. But there's an important person who was part of the Filipino forces in Lipa and this is Gen. Paciano Rizal, who was the kuya of Jose Rizal who was dead by this time. Of course, Jose Rizal was executed in December 1896. This is June 1898.

Pero medyo sariwa pa 'yung pagkamatay ni Jose Rizal dito. Alam ko, he was an inspiration for many of the revolutionaries and of course, his kuya Gen. Paciano Rizal. Si Paciano Rizal was not a native of Lipa. Paano siya napasama dito sa siege of Lipa?

RENZ: Siya po kasi 'yung nag-initiate nu'ng atake sa mga Espanyol on June 7.

HOWIE: He initiated. So 'yung atake it happened in the streets, right? So in other words, nakapuwesto na si Dr. Paciano Rizal sa Lipa.

RENZ: Opo. Siya 'yung nag-impede sa mga Spanish force marching their way to Batangas.

HOWIE: And ano naman 'yung papel ni General Paciano? At this time, he was a general in the Philippine Army. Hindi na ito Katipunan, right? Just to clarify. Natapos na 'yung katipunan nu'ng 1897 dahil nga nagkaroon ng ceasefire, et cetera, and dapat nga may disarmament pa, 'di ba? And then, nu'ng bumalik, ano na ito, Philippine Army na. Kasi nagdeklara na ng independence si Aguinaldo. So this is the Philippine Army.

RENZ: To be exact, ang tawag po sa kanila is Filipino Liberating Army na po ito. Hindi nga revolutionary. Sa mga nakita akong documents po, 'yung sa archival documents, ang nakalagay po is Filipino Liberating Army. Ejército Libertador. 'Yung na po 'yung nakalagay sa mga stamp, sa mga document, sa mga seal. Hindi revolucionario, e.

HOWIE: Yes. Okay. So si Gen. Paciano Rizal, the Rizals were originally from Calamba. Alam ko na na-evict sila roon, ano, nu'ng early 1890s. Or maybe even earlier. But he was, he became a general in the Katipunan. And then, pero hindi siya sumama kay Emilio Aguinaldo sa Hong Kong in exile. He stayed. He was in-charge of a what? A batallion? Ano bang papel niya noon?

RENZ: So general po, so that means siya po 'yung commander-in-chief ng mga puwersa ng 'yung liberating army na 'yun within that region.

HOWIE: So essentially, the Spanish troops were on their way to Batangas City and then, kumbaga na-ambush sila ng mga puwersa ni Gen. Paciano Rizal sa Lipa. So nag-retreat itong mga Kastila sa loob ng simbahan ng katedral, which is still standing today.

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: And the convento, which is still standing today. Kasi ang dami nila, 400. Isipin mo, may mga wounded pa sila, 'no? May mga wounded. At kasama dito si Dr. Santos Rubiano, who was their doctor. Yeah. And nandu'n sa memoirs ni Dr. Rubiano so he would describe in very graphic detail 'yung hardship nila sa loob, the fear, the desperation, the bloodshed.

Kasi 'yung kanilang commander, si Colonel Navas, the overall commander of the Spanish troops there, whom you mentioned, he was looking out of the window of the church tower, nu'ng tinamaan siya ng sniper ng Pilipino, 'di ba? Tinamaan siya ng sniper. So he was wounded.

RENZ: Wounded po, opo. Heavily wounded.

HOWIE: Yeah, and Dr. Rubiano described in his memoirs how he had to amputate the arm of his commander, si Dr. Navas.

RENZ: Opo.

HOWIE: Wow, that's a pretty harrowing kind of war story. I mean, it's gosh, it's horrifying to imagine it, 'no? In the middle of a battle like that, you know, the life of your commander is in your hands and you have to amputate his arm without the benefit of an operating room and nurses. And may anesthesia ba sila noon? I mean, grabe, grabe. Basta nilagari na lang 'yung arm.

Obviously, nabuhay si Colonel Navas. And it was not the only amputation done by Dr. Rubiano at that time. There was a previous amputation that he did of a leg of one of the wounded soldiers. But what do you know about how Dr. Rubiano treated his patients? There was, you know, they turned the cathedral into like a hospital or infirmary at that time, right?

RENZ: Siguro may mga experience na po siya kasi siya dahil isa nga siyang surgeon. And then, I think before they re-concentrated, they already had medical supplies. And at the same time, nanguha pa rin sila before they marched to Batangas, e, sa mga store sa Lipa ng mga medical supply din po. And their food as well.

HOWIE: Okay. So they went through all of that and eventually, they realized that they were isolated, they were running out of food.

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: I'm sure they were running out of water. Ang dami nilang wounded. May mga namatay. They didn't expect reinforcement soon so they decided they had to surrender.

RENZ: Yes. And it was also raining at the same time so marami pong nagkakasakit na mga sundalo. So that also diminished the numbers of people who were battling against the revolutionaries.

HOWIE: Terrible, terrible conditions. So okay. But during this time... so it was an 11-day siege, anong ginagawa ng mga Pilipino naman, ang mga taga-Lipa?

RENZ: So 'yung iba po nagtago sa ano nila, sa mga... syempre 'yung mga elite, they had their farms. So du'n po mostly nagtago 'yung mga taga-Lipa. Mayroon lang po ako na-research na isang prominent na Lipenyo, si Pastor Mayo who was also in the battlefield. And Don Valerio Kalaw who was there during the first siege. And he was wounded.

He was the... He was the last mayor, capitan municipal during the Spanish era.

HOWIE: During the Spanish period, 'no? Valerio Kalaw, of course, is the father of Teodoro M. Kalaw, who was more famous. And he was alive at that time, si TM Kalaw. You know, everyone knows TM Kalaw Street sa may Luneta, sa Manila, 'no? And there are other Kalaw streets in other parts of the Philippines.

Pero ang tatay ni TM Kalaw was a revolutionary hero, si Valerio Kalaw. Sabi mo nga, the last mayor of Lipa during the Spanish regime, 'no? But at the same time, he was a frontline combatant, 'no? He was wounded. I remember reading a biography of TM Kalaw by TM Kalaw's daughter.

You actually gave me that copy. And it described Valerio Kalaw as, you know, going home to his family in the evening but then during the day, he would leave and fight, 'no? He would fight. He would leave on his horse. So he was actually leading local troops.

So hindi lang itong mga dayo katulad ni Gen. Paciano Rizal and his troops who came from perhaps other parts of the province or Southern Tagalog, pero may mga local na taga-Lipa na lumaban din at may mga nagbuwis ng buhay.

RENZ: Yes po. And there was also itong si Gregorio Aguilera Solis who was with Rizal in Spain. He also wanted to join 'yung mga revolutionary pero parang pinigilan siya nu'ng asawa niya, e. So isa po 'yun sa mga account na nabasa ko.

HOWIE: You know, the first time I read about this incident, itong Lipa siege was in the book Battle for Batangas by the historian Glenn May.

Pero pahapyaw lang, maiksi lang. Pero ang source niya roon 'yung libro ni TM Kalaw, 'Yung Aide to Freedom—

RENZ: Aide-de-Camp to Freedom.

HOWIE: na memoirs ni TM Kalaw. So there's more of it there. Pero 'yung mga account nila seem to be parang a bit romanticized.

RENZ: Romanticized. Opo.

HOWIE: Yeah. Yeah, kasi parang ang naalala ko, 'yung description nila was it was like a bloodless revolution na naglabasan 'yang mga civilian para suportahan ang mga sundalo na Pilipino, et cetera. And, you know, there was a happy ending. But you didn't really read about, you know, how bloody it was, itong mga amputation.

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: Oo. 'Yung house-to-house combat. Walang ganu'ng binanggit.

RENZ: Mostly puro ano, 'yun nga... it's really romanticized. Walang... it wasn't given much detail.

HOWIE: Yeah. So sa tingin ko, this is a significance of what you did, 'yung translating the Spanish language memoirs of an insider, of a participant in the siege on the other side, on the losing side of the Spanish army. And the memoirs are in such granular detail, you know, down to like medical descriptions of the wounds of some of the casualties, 'no?

HOWIE: It was... Because he's a doctor, 'no? So this is part of his—

RENZ: Very descriptive.

HOWIE: Very descriptive. And some of it seemed like a medical report, 'no? Which is valuable for history, for researchers. Kasi—

RENZ: Kumbaga it's very meaty.

HOWIE: Yes. Ang daming substance. At the same time, he could be quite lyrical, itong si Dr. Rubiano. He would describe, you know, what he was imagining, his fears. You know, he was, he could also be emotional. 'Di ba? May pagkaromantiko rin itong si Dr. Rubiano, e. 'Di ba? About the honor of soldiers and all of that, 'no?

Which brings me to a point na itong mga Filipino account and there aren't too many. We just mentioned two na 'yung kay TM Kalaw and then, of course, 'yung kay Glenn May who quotes TM Kalaw mostly, 'no? They're from the Filipino side but very superficial, 'no?

Wala bang memoirs 'yung mga Pilipinong participant dito to give it more balance, to add to what we know, aside from what this book, your book, has already, is already presenting?

RENZ: May nakita po ako na other sources pero isa po 'yun sa mga nasunog na mga document... 'yung private library ni Teodoro M. Kalaw in Manila. So isa po yun sa nawala during the Second World War. Mostly mga accounts of Lipenyos on the Siege of Lipa.

HOWIE: I want to move on, 'no? And ask you about one of the more significant aspects of this historical episode, which is also described in the book,
which is the chivalry and honor that Dr. Rubiano described and which both sides seem to show, 'no?

Kasi nagpapatayan 'tong dalawang panig but at the same time, there was a kind of chivalry and honor between enemies, 'no? Parang, you know, there were no, there was no account of torture or mistreatment of prisoners. Kasi nung nag-surrender itong mga Kastila noong June 18, 1898, pinayagan sila magmartsa palabas in formation. Of course, kinuha 'yung mga bala but—

RENZ: Pero mayroon pa rin silang mga weapon na dala pero ano na siya, parang wala ng bala. Tapos tinanggal na 'yung mga blade du'n sa weapon nila.

HOWIE: The bayonets. Oo, in other words, they were allowed to surrender and exit the convento and church with their heads high, with honor. In other words, nirespeto sila ng winning side, 'yung mga Pilipino revolutionary na hindi sila pinagbabato, hindi sila 'yung... 'di ba, walang, walang... At saka may orders na

RENZ: No violence. Wala pong violence na nangyayari.

HOWIE: Oo, may orders na tratuhin nang mabuti, na huwag apihin itong mga Kastila, et cetera. At the same time, I noticed that there was a line in the book where Dr. Rubiano was talking about how Colonel Navas was never tempted to do really brutal tactics because of what he called a medieval chivalry.

Kasi halimbawa, it was mentioned there by Dr. Rubiano na hindi ginawa nila 'yung mga ginawa ng Amerikano just a few years later, 'di ba, na, na scorched earth tactics sa Bulacan. Kasi sabi ni Dr. Rubiano, kaya nilang sunugin 'yung Lipa, 'di ba? They could have razed, they could have burned all the houses around the church para hindi na makalapit halimbawa 'yung mga rebolusyunaryo, puwede nilang patayin 'yung mga sibilyan, et cetera.

But hindi nila ginawa out of a sense of chivalry. Anong thoughts mo roon? Anong take mo roon? Tama ba 'yung sinasabi ko?

RENZ: Tama po. My thoughts there is 'yun nga there's honor in their work. Mayroon silang military honor na sinusunod po kasi. So they respected both parties in that sense.

HOWIE: Yeah, I noticed that, I noted that in your footnotes, which you and Dr. Pajarillo, your co-author wrote, parang you had extensive annotations in this book. You developed that point about the Spaniards in Lipa not employing US style, ruthless tactics.

And compared it to what the US did in places like, well, Samar, where there was, you know, the Howling Wilderness where US troops in retaliation for an ambush by Filipinos killed so many children and civilians. And what the US did in Batangas itself when the US was trying to pacify the Filipinos, 'no?

Parang pati mga kalabaw pinatay para hindi na makasaka para magkaroon ng starvation, 'no.

RENZ: Opo. Pinatay nila 'yung agricultural ano ng Batangas po, e. Sinira nila.

HOWIE: The Spaniards naman, as I mentioned earlier, hindi naman mga dayo 'yan, e, 'no? They were already here. Tulad ng sinabi mo, si Dr. Rubiano was educated as a doctor in the Philippines, served as a doctor to Filipino civilians as opposed to the US who just sent soldiers here to pacify people they did not know.

Itong mga Kastila, sila Colonel Navas, et cetera, I mean, they knew Filipinos well, there were Filipinos who were their friends. They were Filipinos who served in their army, et cetera. So it was probably a lot harder for them to mistreat Filipinos or to act in a barbaric way or a savage way to people whom they had known for a long time.

RENZ: So 'yun nga po tulad ng sabi n'yo, they had connection with the Filipino people kasi. May nabasa ako roon sa statement ni Colonel Navas na kaya naman daw nag-rebelde ang mga Filipino noon is because they wanted to break free from the tyrannical rule of the friars. So hindi naman lahat po talaga ng mga Kastila noon talagang masama. I mean, they were friends with the natives as well.

HOWIE: So nag-surrender itong mga Spanish troops, they came out. So hiniwalay sila ng mga Pilipino kasi naging prisoners of war na 'to, 'no? Si Dr. Rubiano stayed in Lipa for a while, 'no? At saka he talks about being treated quite well. Parang tumira pa siya sa... I mean, house arrest ito pero tumira pa siya... Oo, tumira siya sa bahay ng mayaman.

RENZ: One of the nicest houses in Lipa.

HOWIE: Exactly. So he was under house arrest but he was living in... kumbaga luxurious Airbnb, 'no? Parang ganu'n.

RENZ: Comfortable pa rin naman.

HOWIE: So the memoirs that you translated did not just cover the siege of Lipa, which only lasted for 11 days. You know, it started before the siege and then, lasted for, you know, covered for months, even years, 'no? After the siege, 'no? Kasi it covered his experiences as a prisoner of war and then, pinalaya siya after less than two years, 'di ba? He was under house arrest for something like what, 15 months?

RENZ: 15 months.

HOWIE: 15 months, okay. And then, it describes his journey back to Spain, but through, you know, he walked through Batangas, through Balete, I think he crossed Taal Lake, 'no?

RENZ: Taal Lake. 'Yung Taal Lake to—

HOWIE: Taal Lake to get to the other side and then walk up to Silang. You know, I mean, you know, reading all of this, Renz, made me quite sentimental and made me relate so much to the story because all of these places are very familiar to me and to you.

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: So this story is very much alive, 'no? You know, these places that were mentioned in the book are still named that. Banay-Banay—

RENZ: Isluban.

HOWIE: Yeah, all these places are still known by those names.

RENZ: Macario.

HOWIE: Yeah, yeah. And so that also makes me sad that this is not studied. All of this is barely known to Filipinos. This is not studied. I can understand if it's not studied as part of our national history but it's not even studied in local history in Batangas or Lipa, despite its significance, despite the heroism, despite the honor and chivalry that it showed in the ancestors of people in Batangas, et cetera.

It should be something that they should be proud of, that should be taught so that the youth of Lipa and Batangas have role models, 'di ba, are aware of this heritage of heroism and honor.

RENZ: It's inspirational po. It's inspiring. 'Yun po 'yung ano ko. Parang in one word, I can describe it. It's an inspiring account and very interesting.

HOWIE: Yeah. And at the same time, you cannot say that it's romanticized.

RENZ: Yes.

HOWIE: Katulad ng nabanggit natin kanina—

RENZ: Tulad ng Kalaw accounts.

HOWIE: At the same time, you know, we can forgive TM Kalaw because he was not a combatant. He was not a participant.

RENZ: He was still young that time.

HOWIE: He was a teenager, 'no? Very young. I know that he was still in school. Of course, he became a very important figure in Philippine history. But later on, at this time, he was an eyewitness. But hindi siya insider tulad ng kaniyang ama, si Valerio.

So si Dr. Rubiano does not sugarcoat, you know, the brutality of war kasi nagbabarilan 'yung dalawang puwersa. But at the same time, he was saying nirespeto 'yung boundaries of war. Wala silang pinatay na civilians. And then, nu'ng naging prisoner of war sila, prisoners of war ay nirespeto sila. And nu'ng naging preso siya ng mga Pilipino sa Lipa ay pinatira pa siya sa mansyon, 'no?

RENZ: Opo, sa mga mansyon. Actually, mayroon akong nakita pong parang news article dito. It's a Spanish, tawag dito? It's a Spanish newspaper. It's called Correo de Madrid, dated August 16, 1899. Nakalagay po rito sa article na 'yung mga majority of the prisoner of war in Batangas are found in the town of Lipa.

And the treatment they received here is unbeatable. Tapos 'yung mga mayroon may profession, 'yung mga soldier na may profession, they were able to utilize their, you know, skills. Tapos 'yung pang mga, 'yung mga wala, they even stayed at the best houses in Lipa.

So they were given mga job, like siguro maglinis. And then, they were even given... parang mayroon pa po sa account ni Dr. Santos na 'yung ibang soldiers, they stayed at the house, at the farm of Doña Marcelina and they received wages for, you know... Kasi parang naging ano sila, parang naging siguro boy, nagtrabaho sa fields ni Doña Marcelina.

HOWIE: Well, all the more reason why this episode should be studied closely, 'di ba, Renz? Because we know how present day people behave, right? 'Pag may nahuli kang kalaban, mabuti kung mabubuhay 'yung kalaban na 'yun. Kung buhay ay madalas, tino-torture, 'di ba? 'Pag pinepreso, hindi nirerespeto, et cetera, 'no?

Ganyan ang kalakaran ngayon, 'no? Ganu'n ang ugali ng marami in this day and age.

RENZ: Parang naghihiganti.

HOWIE: Oo. That's a lot that we can learn. I mean, we're talking about all sides. And we're not just talking about the Philippines, 'di ba? We're talking about what's happening in the Middle East. We're talking about what's happening in Ukraine. We're talking about, you know, and here in the Philippines as well, 'di ba?

'Yung mga narinig nating mga kuwento ng torture, ng beheadings, 'yung execution, et cetera, et cetera. Extrajudicial killing, mga ganyan, 'no? Parang, you know, the honor that these people showed in 1898 ay parang hindi na natin nakikita ngayon, 'no? So all the more reason we should study history.

But anyway, I want to ask you now, anong future ng librong ito, 'no? This is going to be launched soon.

RENZ: The launching is scheduled on June 18 po.

HOWIE: June 18 which is?

RENZ: The 126th anniversary of the surrender of the Spanish forces to the Filipino revolutionaries in Lipa.

HOWIE: On June 18 aside from your book launch, there will also be a commemoration in Lipa City of the event. So, you know, there are efforts to revive interest in this historical episode. And hopefully, you know, your book will be used as a reference material for schools for the study of history, to study of sibika, for anyone interested in heritage and history, you know?

But back to what you mentioned earlier, because Lipa, Lipenyos in those days truly appreciated and valued what happened on June 18, 1898, ipinangalan nila 'yung main street. 'Yung Calle Real ay naging

RENZ: Calle 18

HOWIE: Calle 18 de Junio. 'Di ba?

RENZ: Opo.

HOWIE: Na ngayon CM Recto na. So, you know, you name streets so that you remember certain things, 'di ba? Of course, we want to remember Claro M. Recto as well. But 'yung Calle 18 de Junio na pangalan ay nabura na.

RENZ: Nabura na po.

HOWIE: And there's no street now named after any part of that history in Lipa.

RENZ: Wala na po. Wala po. Pati 'yung 7 de Junio naging MK Lee na street na po siya.

HOWIE: So those were the bookend dates of this event, 'no? 'Yung 7 de Junio and 18 de Junio, parehong nabura na sa mga pangalan ng kalsada at napalitan ng mga mas bagong... ng mga pangalan ng mga mas modernong Pilipino. So maybe part of the effort can be bringing back those names somehow or bringing back those dates para maalala ng karaniwang Pilipino, Lipenyo, Batangueño 'yung mga event na 'yun.

So two related questions, Renz. How can people access the book? How can they buy it? In what kind of formats are going to be available?

RENZ: On June 18, it will be launched. La Salle will be taking pre-orders of the book that they—

HOWIE: Hard copy lang? Physical?

RENZ: Hard copy po. And then, PUP Center for Philippine Studies will have it available in their website called Sudlanan where they will publish the book, the e-copy of the book for free.

HOWIE: Okay. So it's going to be online.

RENZ: May parang suggestion din po for us to translate the book naman into Filipino.

HOWIE: Dapat.

RENZ: When we did the research paper, one of the evaluators suggested that we also translate the book into Filipino.

HOWIE: Okay. So we will also be looking forward to that. So we want to thank you, Renz, for doing this book and this major contribution to Philippine and Batangas studies. Congratulations to you and your co-author, Manuel Pajarillo. Mabuhay kayo and Happy Independence Day, Renz Katigbak, author and translator of Memoirs of a Prisoner of the Tagalogs by Dr. Santos Rubiano Herrera.

RENZ: Maraming salamat po. And hoping for your support in this book project. Thank you.