MABINI’S BRAIN:
Guiding Ideology to the Philippine
Revolution
Divergent from the opinion of Dr. Jose Rizal that the Philippines during the
last years of the 19th century was not ready for a revolution, Apolinario
Mabini believed that the time was ripe and the act was absolutely necessary.
Indeed for this simple man who grew up tilling the soil and taking care of farm
animals, the Philippines needed a change – a revolution – much like the new
sprouts of palay on the field.
What is it in Mabini’s mind that made him stands out among his peers? To be
called such sobriquets as “The Sublime Paralytic” and “The Brains of the
Revolution” is as extraordinary as the pages of history written by his
philosophy and thoughts.
The Hunger for
Education
 |
| A rare very old photograph of Mabini (c. 1890s). |
Like many who aspire to do great things, the young Mabini or “Pule” to his
family and friends, was hungry to learn. Born on July 23, 1864 in Barangay Talaga
in Tanauan, Batangas, he was the second of eight children of Dionisia Maranan,
a schoolteacher who sell vegetables on the side in the Tanauan market, and
Inocencio Mabini, an unlettered peasant. It was his mother who taught him to
read, write and do simple arithmetic. Later, he would often secretly bring home
whatever books he could find and spent an entire afternoon inside their hut
reading them. One day, his father scolded and called him lazy for not giving
bath to their carabao. Pule’s maternal grandfather defended him and explained
that “the young boy is not lazy, but just more interested in reading books.”
The old man became his informal teacher. Next, he was enrolled to a regular
school owned by Simplicio Avelino, where he worked as a houseboy, and also took
odd jobs from a local tailor – all in exchange for free board and lodging. He
later transferred to a school conducted by Valerio Malabanan, whose fame as an
educator merited a mention in Rizal's novel El Filibusterismo.
Mabini’s secondary education was interrupted several times because his parents
could not afford to support him. He begged his parents to allow him to go to
Manila to continue his education, promising to support himself by finding a job
and working hard. He became a scholar at the San Juan de Letran and later took
up Law at the University of Santo Tomas, while doing tutoring jobs to support
himself. He earned a grade of “Excellent” in most of his subjects and in 1894,
he was admitted to the Bar.
A Change of Mind
Despite his intelligence, Mabini confined himself to notarial works, which
puzzled his friends. He refused to accept legal cases and shunned publicity.
This he did so that he could secretly help the cause of the Reform Movement.
Mabini collected money for the La Solidaridad, a newspaper advocating
reforms for the Philippines.
At first Mabini believed with reservation that the Reform Movement still has a
chance of succeeding. He joined Rizal’s La Liga Filipina wherein the members
advocated to write instead of revolt and would rather be a colony of Spain
rather than take up revolution for their freedom. When Rizal was executed,
however, he changed his mind and gave the revolution his wholehearted support.
Convince by the futility of asking for reforms, he espoused the need to take up
armed struggle, “when the cries for reforms are no longer heard, then it is
time for the people to free themselves from the oppressive rule. The time is
ripe for a revolution!”
Paralyzed But
Prominent
In 1896, Mabini contracted polio that led to his paralysis. This, however, did
not deter him from his cause.
Mabini became General Emilio Aguinaldo’s chief adviser. He drafted decrees and
formulated the first ever constitution in Asia (for the First Philippine
Republic), including the framework of the revolutionary government which was implemented
in Malolos in 1899.
 |
Three 1964 Philippine
stamps
(6-centavo,
10-centavo, and 30-centavo)
showing the seated
Mabini.
|
The
mestizos in Aguinaldo’s midst were envious of Mabini’s prominence, so they
concocted lies about his paralysis, saying it was caused by syphilis. But not
even this could stop Mabini’s rise. Mabini served first as a legal and constitutional adviser to the Revolutionary
Government, and then as the first Prime Minister of the Philippines as well as foreign affairs
minister of the newly formed dictatorial government of Aguinaldo on January 2,
1899.
Two of his
works, El Verdadero Decalogo (The True Decalogue, June 24, 1898),
and Programa Constitucional dela Republica Filipina (The
Constitutional Program of the Philippine Republic, 1898) became the guiding
inspiration in the drafting of the Malolos Constitution (ratified on January
21, 1899).
Eventually, the government declared the First Philippine Republic with
appropriate ceremonies on January 23, 1899. But as history had written, after
the near downfall of the Spanish colonizers came another, the Americans.
When the Philippine-American war broke out, he was captured and exiled to Guam.
Brigadier General Arthur MacArthur Jr was made to explain by the US Senate why
Mabini, a paralytic, had to be deported, to which the general answered: “Mabini
is a most active agitator; persistently and defiantly refusing amnesty, and
maintaining correspondence with insurgents in the field while living in
Manila..... He has a classical education, a very flexible, imaginative mind,
and Mabini’s views were more comprehensive than any of the Filipinos that I
have met..... He is a dreamy man, but a very firm character and of very high
accomplishments. As said, unfortunately, he is paralyzed. He is a young man,
and would undoubtedly be of great use in the future of those islands if it were
not for his affliction.”
Legacy of Mabini’s
Philosophy
Mabini died shortly after returning from exile in May 13, 1903, a victim of the
cholera outbreak in Manila, at a very young age of 38.
Mabini stressed in his writings that a revolution should not only consist of
taking up arms against the oppressors. He emphasized the need for the people to
change their attitudes, priorities, ways of thinking, and relations with one
another as a united people. “An internal and moral revolution must take place
in the hearts and minds of the people to ensure the birth of a new social
order.” Eight decades later, this same guiding principle was incorporated by
former President Ferdinand E. Marcos in his “New Society” ideology.
 |
| Apolinario Mabini on a Marcos Era 10-peso bill. |
Quite a lasting thought that Mabini left us to ponder upon is how he describe
his cabinet, which our present politicians should learn to adhere: “.....it
belongs to no party, nor does it desire to form one; it stands for nothing save
the interest of the fatherland.”
The “Gawad Mabini” was instituted by President Marcos through Presidential
Decree No. 490 in July 1974, and is awarded to Filipinos for distinguished
foreign service, or promoting the interests and prestige of the Philippines
abroad. The award was established in Mabini’s honor since he was the first
Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the First Philippine Republic. There is also the “Apolinario Mabini Awards” given
to outstanding persons with disabilities. It
was launched by the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation
of the Disabled, Inc. (PFRD) in 1974 on the
occasion of its Silver Anniversary. Since then, it has been a major
biennial program of the PFRD. The Awards was named
after one of the country’s foremost heroes, Apolinario Mabini, the “Sublime Paralytic,” whose disability was not a hindrance to his creative
genius that provided inspiration to the Philippine revolution.
