Candido Tirona

August 29, 1862 (age 34)

Kawit, Cavite, Philippines

Candido Tirona went into business at the beginning of his career and established a sari-sari store, the first of its kind in the town, where he worked. Tirona joined masonry in Cavite. Subsequently, he was initiated into the Katipunan, becoming an active propagator thereafter. When the Revolution became a fact, Cavite province became a hotbed for launching hostilities. In three different towns on August 31, 1896, simultaneous action almost took place: a group of revolutionists, headed by Artemio Ricarte, Mariano Trias and Diego Mojica, seized the town hall and the quarters of the civil guards in San Francisco de Malabon in the morning of that day. Another party of stalwarts, composed of Mariano, Pascual and Santiago Alvarez, started to take possession of Noveleta at noon. And, upon hearing the news, Emilio Aguinaldo, then municipal captain, Candido Tirona and Santiago Daño, councilors, took the initiative in Kawit, the first two forthwith disarming the three civil guards of the town. On September 1, the Kawit leaders joined the Imus bolomen under Jose Tagle in attacking the estate house of the friars and the barracks of the civil guards in Imus, which were both taken. One by one the towns of the province fell until by the first days of September the revolutionists were in possession of all the province with the exception of the provincial capital and its suburbs. Meanwhile, E. Aguinaldo gave up his position as municipal captain of Kawit, stating, that the office was a vestige of Spanish sovereignty, which had ceased. On the other hand, C. Tirona was pushed up and chosen by popular acclamation to succeed Aguinaldo under revolutionary conditions. Due to the peculiar circumstances of the times and the fact, that the Katipunan organization outlined the framework of provincial groups, leadership in the province became divided. At least two revolutionary councils were formed and came to be recognized. And when the revolution became well spread, the reorganization of the groups strengthened the position of local leaders. Upon the reorganization of the Magdiwang Council, headed by Mariano Alvarez in Noveleta, the revolutionists in Kawit also followed suit by forming the Magdalo Council with Baldomero Aguinaldo as president. It was in the latter group, that Tirona naturally found himself in sympathy and was elected Secretary of War. There were a rough definition and distribution of powers and functions amongst the men, constituting the council. Much depended upon individual initiative and personality, but everyone cooperated in his own way. War Secretary's important functions fell upon Tirona's shoulders to execute: first, the enlistment or recruitment of men, secondly and thirdly, the greater and more serious duty of arming and feeding them. He had to requisition rice first from his own stock. Then, Tirona rationed the contents of his store. Others followed and contributed to the supply of food and other materials. A local maestranza was established under Angel Jani Jorge, a former municipal captain, but could only manufacture spears, bolos and daggers. Poorly armed and scarcely provided with ammunition, Tirona managed and directed the gathering of unexploded shells, used the powder in manufacturing bullets and other missiles. Telegraph poles were saved and cane sugarmill parts were improvised into lantacas and other firearms. The revolutionists had to use their ingenuity in every way. Thus, each fighting man was armed with a bolo and a dagger and sometimes a spear, the few captured arms being distributed among the ranking officers. Later, a larger arms shop was operated by the Magdalo Council under the management of Jose Ignacio Paua, a Chinese foundryman. Outnumbered, badly driven out of their scattered positions in the different towns, captured or killed, the Spanish officers, soldiers and sympathizers, who escaped the bloody encounters, joined the Spanish force in the provincial capital for safety and to await reinforcements, which did arrive in November. Northern Cavite, being the center of operations of the revolutionists, two points along the northern coast began to be the objectives of the Spanish attack: one was Dalahikan, a point, held by Santiago Alvarez, Mariano Riego de Dios, Artemio Ricarte and other men of the Magdiwang group, and Binaknyan, a point, defended by the Magdalo men. The towns of Bacoor, Kawit and Noveleta received the brunt of Spanish offensive, these areas being first subjected to intensive shelling by the Spanish gunboats in the bay, and after this softening troops were landed ashore. Sastron gave 1612 men as the number of the Spanish force under General Ramon Blanco himself and two colonels in direct command. At Dalahikan, S. Alvarez counted only twenty-three armed men defending. Although there is no known figure for Binakayan, the number of armed defenders at that point cannot go much beyond, that at Dalahikan. After fierce fighting and struggle, which lasted for several hours, one of the two batteries at Binakayan was taken by a strong Spanish contingent in the morning of November 9 during the absence of E. Aguinaldo and C. Tirona, who were on a mission to Talisay, Batangas. Before this happened, Baldomero Aguinaldo had sent for the two leaders, and, upon their return in the afternoon of that day, plans were made by the Magdalo men to regain the first battery, the second battery being still held by Crispulo Aguinaldo and Silvestre Legaspi. Three columns were thus formed, consisting of 600 men, as the assaulting force, the right column being commanded by Pio del Pilar, the left toward the sea by C. Tirona and the center by E. Aguinaldo. During the night trenches were dug. Early in the morning of November 10, the Spaniards commenced their attack from the seashore side, thus placing Tirona's column in immediate battle array. Tirona's position, therefore, received the hardest blow of the onslaught. It was in this action, that Tirona fell, after receiving a bayonet charge on the forehead, which caused his death.

Candido Tirona

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military Revolutionary

Background

Candido Tirona was born on August 29, 1862 in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines. He was the elder of two sons of Estanislao T. Tirona and his second wife, Juana Mata.

Education

Candido Tirona studied at the town school and later at a private school in Manila. He did not finish his schooling, however, and after the death of his father, he returned home to devote himself to the fishpond business.

Career

Candido Tirona went into business at the beginning of his career and established a sari-sari store, the first of its kind in the town, where he worked.

Tirona joined masonry in Cavite. Subsequently, he was initiated into the Katipunan, becoming an active propagator thereafter. When the Revolution became a fact, Cavite province became a hotbed for launching hostilities. In three different towns on August 31, 1896, simultaneous action almost took place: a group of revolutionists, headed by Artemio Ricarte, Mariano Trias and Diego Mojica, seized the town hall and the quarters of the civil guards in San Francisco de Malabon in the morning of that day. Another party of stalwarts, composed of Mariano, Pascual and Santiago Alvarez, started to take possession of Noveleta at noon. And, upon hearing the news, Emilio Aguinaldo, then municipal captain, Candido Tirona and Santiago Daño, councilors, took the initiative in Kawit, the first two forthwith disarming the three civil guards of the town. On September 1, the Kawit leaders joined the Imus bolomen under Jose Tagle in attacking the estate house of the friars and the barracks of the civil guards in Imus, which were both taken. One by one the towns of the province fell until by the first days of September the revolutionists were in possession of all the province with the exception of the provincial capital and its suburbs.

Meanwhile, E. Aguinaldo gave up his position as municipal captain of Kawit, stating, that the office was a vestige of Spanish sovereignty, which had ceased. On the other hand, C. Tirona was pushed up and chosen by popular acclamation to succeed Aguinaldo under revolutionary conditions. Due to the peculiar circumstances of the times and the fact, that the Katipunan organization outlined the framework of provincial groups, leadership in the province became divided. At least two revolutionary councils were formed and came to be recognized. And when the revolution became well spread, the reorganization of the groups strengthened the position of local leaders. Upon the reorganization of the Magdiwang Council, headed by Mariano Alvarez in Noveleta, the revolutionists in Kawit also followed suit by forming the Magdalo Council with Baldomero Aguinaldo as president. It was in the latter group, that Tirona naturally found himself in sympathy and was elected Secretary of War.

There were a rough definition and distribution of powers and functions amongst the men, constituting the council. Much depended upon individual initiative and personality, but everyone cooperated in his own way. War Secretary's important functions fell upon Tirona's shoulders to execute: first, the enlistment or recruitment of men, secondly and thirdly, the greater and more serious duty of arming and feeding them. He had to requisition rice first from his own stock.

Then, Tirona rationed the contents of his store. Others followed and contributed to the supply of food and other materials. A local maestranza was established under Angel Jani Jorge, a former municipal captain, but could only manufacture spears, bolos and daggers. Poorly armed and scarcely provided with ammunition, Tirona managed and directed the gathering of unexploded shells, used the powder in manufacturing bullets and other missiles. Telegraph poles were saved and cane sugarmill parts were improvised into lantacas and other firearms. The revolutionists had to use their ingenuity in every way. Thus, each fighting man was armed with a bolo and a dagger and sometimes a spear, the few captured arms being distributed among the ranking officers. Later, a larger arms shop was operated by the Magdalo Council under the management of Jose Ignacio Paua, a Chinese foundryman.

Outnumbered, badly driven out of their scattered positions in the different towns, captured or killed, the Spanish officers, soldiers and sympathizers, who escaped the bloody encounters, joined the Spanish force in the provincial capital for safety and to await reinforcements, which did arrive in November. Northern Cavite, being the center of operations of the revolutionists, two points along the northern coast began to be the objectives of the Spanish attack: one was Dalahikan, a point, held by Santiago Alvarez, Mariano Riego de Dios, Artemio Ricarte and other men of the Magdiwang group, and Binaknyan, a point, defended by the Magdalo men.

The towns of Bacoor, Kawit and Noveleta received the brunt of Spanish offensive, these areas being first subjected to intensive shelling by the Spanish gunboats in the bay, and after this softening troops were landed ashore. Sastron gave 1612 men as the number of the Spanish force under General Ramon Blanco himself and two colonels in direct command. At Dalahikan, S. Alvarez counted only twenty-three armed men defending. Although there is no known figure for Binakayan, the number of armed defenders at that point cannot go much beyond, that at Dalahikan.

After fierce fighting and struggle, which lasted for several hours, one of the two batteries at Binakayan was taken by a strong Spanish contingent in the morning of November 9 during the absence of E. Aguinaldo and C. Tirona, who were on a mission to Talisay, Batangas. Before this happened, Baldomero Aguinaldo had sent for the two leaders, and, upon their return in the afternoon of that day, plans were made by the Magdalo men to regain the first battery, the second battery being still held by Crispulo Aguinaldo and Silvestre Legaspi.

Three columns were thus formed, consisting of 600 men, as the assaulting force, the right column being commanded by Pio del Pilar, the left toward the sea by C. Tirona and the center by E. Aguinaldo. During the night trenches were dug. Early in the morning of November 10, the Spaniards commenced their attack from the seashore side, thus placing Tirona's column in immediate battle array. Tirona's position, therefore, received the hardest blow of the onslaught. It was in this action, that Tirona fell, after receiving a bayonet charge on the forehead, which caused his death.

Achievements

Candido Tirona was particularly known as the first Revolutionary Captain General in the Philippines. He is also remembered as the one, who acted in the Battle of Binakayan. Candido was the right hand of Commanding General Emilio Aguinaldo.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

"Tirona belongs to that breed of men, who leave an indelible mark in history - men, whose deeds illumine the dark past of a nation with their brilliant records and whose lives are a beacon light, that guides not only the present, but the generations still unborn." - Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino revolutionary, politician and military leader

Connections

On April 27, 1885, Candido Tirona married Macaria Majaba Germino. Their five children grew to maturity.

Father:: Estanislao T. Tirona
Mother:: Juana Mata
Wife:: Macaria Majaba Germino
colleague:: Emilio Aguinaldo

References

Dictionary of Philippine Biography A book by E. Arsenio Manuel.
1970

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colleague: Emilio Aguinaldo

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Candido Tirona

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