Siege of Masbate

The Siege of Masbate was fought on August 19, 1898 on Masbate island in the Visayas as a part of the Philippine Revolution. The revolt sparked the beginning of the revolutionary government's involvement in the Visayas. It is also one of the most overlooked conflicts in the Revolution.

Background
After the resumption of the revolution in Luzon, various Visayan provinces had already been in revolt, The Pulajanes became a major threat to Spanish authority at the time. On July 22, 1898, Aguinaldo, in the hopes of establishing the Revolutionary government in Visayas sent Gen. Riego de Dios and Justo Lukban to assist in the revolts. Only to find the town of Masbate in ruin. With the commander in chief, Pedro Quipte, a Pulajan general and his men.

The Battle
As early as August 1, The governor of Masbate, Don Luis Cubero y Rojas, planned to leave the island following increased threats of a Pulajanes attack. The Pulajanes movement itself was said to have been established in Malobago, Cataingan, Masbate. Considered as illiterate fanatics by the educated class of Masbate, the Pulajanes failed to get their support and they besieged the main town on the island and laid waste to it, many locals joined the rebellion, however, the Pulajanes treated the Educated class as enemies much like the Spaniards. Don Luis Cubero and the remnants of his 1,000 strong army fled the capital on August 19, 1898, soon afterwards, the Pulajanes burned the town to the ground and looted each house before later returning to their bases in Uson. Riego de Dios arrived at the ruined town and met up with Quipte, he convinced Quipte to disband the Pulajan movement for he deemed it unnecessary to maintain such a large army.

Naval Engagement and establishment of revolutionary government
In the bay of the Masbate, the revolutionary forces had a brief encounter with the Spanish squadron consisting of five gunboats and a brigantine that resulted to the sinking of the Filipino ship Bulusan. Pedro Quipte, the leader of the pulahan, did not return to Masbate after Riego de Dios commissioned him to deliver the instruction to the captain of Isabe who was in Cataingan to hide the ship from the enemies. Meanwhile, local governments were set up in the towns along the coast up to Cataingan. The representatives from the revolutionary government were well received in all towns of Masbate, the people showed their willingness and cooperation to establish a new government under the revolutionaries government. The provinces of Masbate and Sorsogon were placed under the auspice of Gen. Diokno who arrived at the end of September in San Pascual, Burias Island. A historic event was witnessed by the local people with the proclamation of the revolutionary government in the town and unfurling of the Filipino flag in the plaza.