Battle of Kakarong de Sili

The Battle of Kakarong de Sili was fought on January 1, 1897 near Pandi, Bulacan, in the Philippines. The Kakarong Republic, based in the little fort in Pandi, was attacked by a force of Spaniards that massacred the Katipuneros there. At the end of the battle, General Eusebio Roque (also known as Maestrong Sebio and Dimabungo) was captured by the Spaniards. The Kakarong republic was considered the first republic formed in Bulacan and in the Philippines.

Background
When the revolution began at Balintawak, Katipuneros to the north of Manila, in the central plains aimed to join in the fight, but after an unsuccessful battle with Spanish forces and Bonifacio, the central luzon Katipuneros lost heart and postponed most of their revolts. However, in Pandi, Bulacan and San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, the revolution had heated up. The Katipuneros in Bulacan established the Kakarong republic and build a fort in the Real de Kakarong area. Sources say that it was like a miniature city, according the biography of Gregorio del Pilar, entitled "Life and Death of a Boy General" written by Teodoro Kalaw, a fort was constructed at 'Kakarong de Sili' that was like a miniature city. It had streets, an independent police force, a musical band, a factory of falconets, bolos and repair shops for rifles and cartridges. The 'Kakarong Republic' had a complete set of officials with Canuto Villanueva as Supreme Chief and 'Maestrong Sebio'- Eusebio Roque as Brigadaire General of the Army.

Battle
On January 1, 1897, a massive force of fresh Spanish "Cazadores" marching in 6 columns, arrived at the fort, led by the Commandant José Olaguer Feliú. They besieged the fort for a number of hours, fighting the fierce forces of General Eusebio Roque and Gregorio del Pilar. Finally, the walls and the men defending them gave in and Maestrong Sebio's forces were forced to retreat further into the fort. After breaching the walls, they started burning down the settlements, arms repairs and shop houses. The remaining Katipuneros there were massacred by the oncoming force. Gregorio del Pilar, just a lieutenant at that time was wounded and he and the rest of his men retreated to the nearby Barangay Manatal. Canuto Villanueva managed to escape and retreat to other place, but Maestrong Sebio and the rest of his men were captured and imprisoned by the Spaniards, Serbio was executed along with his men, on February 16, 1897. Eventually, Bulacan became a center of rebellion and guerilla tactics began being used by rebels there.

The commandant Olaguer Feliú captured six fortifications, 7 guns, an ammunition factory and a large number of firearms. The Spanish troops had only one officer and 23 soldiers dead. The injured were 1 officer and 75 soldiers.

Aftermath
Though a victory for the Spaniards, they did not manage to completely pacify the province from the rebels, as some who escaped during the impending battle already retreated to nearby towns and villages and waged guerrilla rebellion there. The Spanish also did not have enough men to completely crush rebel resistance there as most of its men are fighting the rebels in Manila, Morong, Cavite and Laguna provinces.

Legacy
The battle was considered Del Pilar's first "baptism of fire" as a revolutionary general. The Kakarong republic, though hardly recognized or even remembered by historians today, was considered the first organized republic of the Philippine Revolution. The Kakarong Lodge No. 168 of the 'Legionarios del Trabajo' in memory of the 1,200 Katipuneros who perished in the battle erected a monument of the Inang Filipina Shrine - Mother Philippines Shrine in 1924 in the barrio of Kakarong of Pandi, Bulacan. The actual site of the 'Battle of Kakarong de Sili' is now a part of the barangay of 'Real de Kakarong'. None other than one of the greatest generals in the Philippines' history, General Emilio Aguinaldo who became the first Philippine president to visit this sacred ground in the late fifties.