Numeriano Adriano

Background

Numeriano Adriano was born on July 5, 1846, in Manila, Philippines. He was the oldest among seven children of Pioquinto Adriano and Agapita Resurreccion who were rice dealers and operators of a bigasan or rice-mill.

Education

Numeriano Adriano obtained his higher education from the University of Santo Tomas although he is not known to have finished any course.

Career

After studying at the university, Numeriano Adriano obtained an appointment as a clerk of the court in the third branch of the court of the first instance of Intramuros, Manila. After filling this position for twenty years, his long service was rewarded by the Spanish crown, he was authorized by royal appointment to exercise the functions of a notary public. He had his notarial office in the Cortes building which was then located at the corner of Ongpin and Rosario Streets. It was here where Apolinario Mabini, who started as Adriano's assistant in the escribania, continued his fruitful apprenticeship. He soon became a member of the Colegio Notarial, an association of notaries, and later chosen its treasurer.

It was while clerking in the escribania that he became acquainted with that dynamic personality and lawyer, Marcelo H. del Pilar, who was carrying his propaganda activities everywhere he went, even in the courtroom. Adriano was catechized and before del Pilar slipped for the peninsula, he had joined a political group known as La Propaganda, a secret organization that had for its aims the collecting of funds for the support of the propaganda movement abroad. This group was headed by Doroteo Cortes at first and it appears that Timoteo Paez, Deodato Arellano, and Adriano took turns in directing its affairs.

In 1892, he joined freemasonry. As many a mason were also active members of La Propaganda, masonic matters were mixed up with propaganda affairs and after some defalcation was noted, many affiliates ceased to give their fifty-centavo monthly quota to La Propaganda. From that time on this group showed signs of breaking up. Then Domingo Franco resigned the direction of propaganda activities in Manila.

When the news reached Madrid, del Pilar wrote back with a mixed feeling of despair and prodding. Someone must come to stave off the precarious situation. As the firmer stalwarts were of the belief that the work of the propagandists abroad were to suffer, the group was reorganized into the Cuerpo de Compromisarios about the middle of 1894 in order to carry on the campaign in a more effective manner. This renovated body continued to send its support to the propagandists in Spain, and among other things was of much assistance in the continued life of the propaganda organ La Solidaridad. Adriano, a tireless worker that he was, must have been one of the moving spirits of this Cuerpo, for he was chosen its head upon its constitution.

The administrative board of this body was composed of Bonifacio Arevalo as treasurer and A. Mabini as secretary. The Cuerpo lived up to its aims until the following year when in August 1895 the majority of the members became convinced of the futility of peaceful means of obtaining reforms. Some members became critical and after analyzing the situation came to the conclusion that La Solidaridad could not accomplish or be of much assistance in attaining the desired ends. This broke the heart of del Pilar. There were, however, more powerful undercurrents that were taking place.

Although Adriano was a member of the executive board of the Liga Filipina founded by Rizal, by this time this society was practically non-existent even in spite of the noble efforts of Andres Bonifacio to propagate it, as its founder was banished, almost immediately, to Dapitan, and all thoughts of making it live died except when it served the purposes of other leaders in winning adherents to the new organization that was the Katipunan. Even so, Rizal was still the idol of many agitators, and among them was Adriano who headed the popular council of the Liga in Sampalok. Upon the dissolution of the Liga, the members became divided, one faction favoring the leadership of del Pilar in the peninsula, and the others still clinging to the apostleship of Rizal. The latter group tried to raise funds to accomplish a hazardous task which to them was a sine qua non to the success of the movement - that is, liberating Rizal from his banishment in Dapitan. The only course of action left to them was to carry off Rizal to a foreign port.

This, of course, did not materialize for the deportee was not in sympathy with the idea. So the plans of the group were not turned to the idea of enlisting foreign support and smuggling arms into the country by sending agents abroad. Such agents were, in fact, commissioned and among them Jose A. Ramos, Modesto Espanol, and Doroteo Cortes reached their destination. These attempts, however, met with many difficulties and the agents were either stranded abroad making their efforts nil, or they lost contact with the planners in Manila.

This was the state of affairs when the Revolution started. After the Revolution became a fact, Adriano was arrested together with more than twenty others on September 16, 1896. After suffering from untold and prolonged tortures, he underwent a semblance of trial by a council of war as did his companions, and was shot after sunrise on Bagumbayan field together with others.

Achievements

• Numeriano Adriano is particularly known as a notary public, propagandist, reformist and one of the thirteen martyrs of Bagumbayan who directly or indirectly participated in the first phase of the Revolution of 1896. His integrity of character, courage and patriotism were said to have greatly influenced the formative years of Apolinario Mabini.

Politics

Numeriano Adriano was at first a member of a political group known as La Propaganda, a secret organization that had for its aims the collecting of funds for the support of the propaganda movement abroad. In 1894, Adriano and 50 others organized the Cuerpo de Compromisarios.

Membership

Adriano was initiated into masonry early in February 1892, adopting the masonic name Ipil, and together with several others formed the first branch of the masonic mother Lodge Nilad soon thereafter. This branch was named Lodge Balagtas and was established in Sampalok in March 1892, Adriano becoming its venerable master later. As a mason, he took an active part and interest in the organization of the Gran Concejo Regional, and together with Ambrosio Flores and Mabini, was designated to draft its rules and regulations. Subsequently, upon the organization of this central masonic body, he was elected vice-president under the presidency of A. Flores. He attained grade 33.

Connections

Numeriano Adriano was married twice. After the death of his first wife, Lucia Garcia, he was married on May 19, 1888, to Isabel Val, by whom he had four children.

Father:

Pioquinto Adriano

Mother:

Agapita Resurreccion

late wife:

Lucia Garcia

Wife:

Isabel Val

colleague:

Deodato Arellano

Deodato Arellano was a Filipino propagandist. He is particularly known as the first president of the Katipunan, a Philippine revolutionary society.

References

• Dictionary of Philippine Biography
  1970