The monument, 13.7 meters (45 ft) in height, contains symbolic images and other features known as the "Cry of Balintawak". It is acclaimed as one of the best monuments in the world.[2][3]
Aerial view of Bonifacio Monument at Caloocan, 1933
The Bonifacio Monument recalls the Philippine Revolution spearheaded by Andrés Bonifacio, who had urged his men to rise against the colonial rule of Spain. His call to take arms against the Spanish rule was given on August 23, 1896, widely known as the "Cry of Pugad Lawin".[4][2]
The cornerstone was formally laid by Aurora Quezon, the wife of Filipino Senate President and future PresidentManuel L. Quezon, on November 30, 1929, Bonifacio's 66th birth anniversary. The monument, which was created under the orders of American Governor-GeneralFrank Murphy, was inaugurated exactly four years later on November 30, 1933. The contract for its construction was reportedly worth ₱125,000 (equivalent to ₱38,986,072 in 2021). It was inaugurated by House Speaker Quintín Paredes, with much fanfare in a colourful function led by three women from Luzon (of the Women's College), Visayas (of the Institute of Women), and Mindanao (of the Centro Escolar de Señoritas/Center for Women) with other women representing the eight provinces of Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Laguna which had participated in the revolution of 1896.[2]
On November 30, 2013, the sesquicentennial of Bonifacio's birth and the 80th anniversary of the monument's unveiling was celebrated.[2]
Features
The Bonifacio Monument, which was sculpted by Guillermo Tolentino in 1933, is an obelisk that rises to a height of 13.7 meters (45 ft); the obelisk is made up of five parts representing five aspects of the society, "Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan" (transl. Highest and Most Venerable Association of the Sons of the Nation). It is crowned by a figure with wings representing triumph. Below the vertical pylon, 20 figures cast in bronze have been molded over an octagonally shaped plinth, plus one angel of peace at the top. The octagon represents the eight provinces that fought against Spain and also the eight rays of the Katipunan flag. The plinth is raised in three steps, with each representing the three centuries of Spanish rule. These figures are a representation of the people of the Philippines, who faced inequality, agony and suppression under colonial rule, which eventually ended in an armed revolution in 1896. The main central image of the monument holds a bolo, a machete in the right hand, and a gun in the other hand. At the back of the central figure, a flag of Katipunan in an unfurled state is depicted. A remarkable feature of the molded images of the human figures is the classic style, with detailing marked by realistic expressions reflecting the revolutionary spirit with an "upright head and body" and arms spread on the sides. The central obelisk is surrounded by pools of water.[2][5]
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