Museo ng Katipunan (Katipunan Museum) is located in Pinaglabanan Shrine, San Juan City, half a kilometer away from the new San Juan City Hall. This place is solely dedicated to the life and achievements of Andres Bonifacio, the Supremo of Katipunan, and the katipuneros. Museo ng Katipunan is a two-storey building that boasts of historical artifacts, paintings, interactive activities for kids and history buffs and an E-Learning room big enough to accommodate 30 visitors at a time.
For those who are unfamiliar with Katipunan, it is another name of Samahang Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Supreme and Most Honorable Society of the Children of the Nation), a revolutionary group with anti-Spanish sentiments. Founded in 1982, it was an almost anti-thesis of the Reform Movement led by the ilustrados. Andres Bonifacio and the katipuneros wanted freedom from Spain through armed struggle.
For related entries, please read Dekalogo ng Katipunan, Anting – Anting (Philippine Amulet) Collection of Museo ng Katipunan, Pinaglabanan Shrine (San Juan City), Ang Tondo ni Bonifacio (Bonifacio’s Tondo), Pagdakila kay Andres Bonifacio, The Katipuneros, Part I, and The Katipuneros, Part II.
Logo of National Historical Commission of the Philippines located near the main door of Museo ng Katipunan
Bust of Andres Bonifacio found on the first floor of Museo ng Katipunan. Bonifacio is known as the Supremo ng Katipunan. He and his bolo (blade) were inseparable.
Bust of Gregoria de Jesus, or Oryang, found on the first floor of Museo ng Katipunan. Oryang was the wife of Andres Bonifacio. She was the first woman member of Katipunan and was known as the Lakambini ng Katipunan (Princess of Katipunan).
Bust of Emilio Jacinto found on the first floor of Museo ng Katipunan. Jacinto was tagged as the Brains of the Katipunan as he wrote the Kartilya that served as the Bible of Katipunan.
Opposite the signage is this dedication. In English it says, “This Museum is dedicated to the heroes of the Supreme and Most Honorable (Society) of the Children of the Nation”.
Ang Tondo ni Bonifacio (Bonifacio’s Tondo) shows the places in Tondo and environs connected with Bonifacio. Some of the places are Calle Azcarraga, Iglesia Católica del Niño Jesús, Meisic and Estación Central.
Women in Katipunan. Women members were wives, sisters or daughters of existing katipuneros. They were tasked to keep important documents and to pretend to provide the entertainment in every Katipunan gathering. They sang and danced while meetings were happening to show to the guardia civil that they were only having a party.
The four steps that new recruits experienced before they became full-fledged members of Katipunan. Initiation rites were necessary to test the loyalty and bravery of the interested applicants.
Sanduguan or pacto de sangre or blood compact is the last step in the initation of katipuneros. The skull and bolo on a table were constant presence in the room where initiation occurred.
Unang Sigaw (First Cry/Cry of Balintawak), the event when katipuneros tore their cédula or tax receipts to signal the start of revolution
Class 9 Cédula Personal. This is a specimen of tax receipt torn by katipuneros. For the economic year 1896-97, the owner of the tax receipt had to pay 2 pesetas 50 céntimos.
Katipunero’s weapon: the bolo (blade) has carabao horn handle, carabao head design loop and leather scabbard and belt
The katipuneros, who might have thought that their bolos were not enough to ward off the Spaniards or it might be due to unrelenting belief in paganism, wore anting-anting (amulets). This one is a hand painted cloth vest with all-seeing eye designs among other things.
Katipunero’s anting-anting (amulet): The one on the left is a white cotton handkerchief with the all-seeing eye surrounded by Latin prayers. The one on the right is white cotton handkerchief with Jesus Christ’s image.
Katipunero’s anting-anting (amulet) in counterclockwise direction: bronze fleur-de-lis cross, string necklace with turquoise blue pouch, hollowed wood mounted on bronze, copper scalloped with loop with inverted triangle on both sides to represent “Deus” and bronze, triangular shaped with loop with all-seeing eye.
Maybe the anting-anting worked because there medals given to the katipuneros. From left to right: Ceremonial Sword medal, Katipunan Bolo medal and Open Book Pierced by a Book Medal
Katipunan medals from left to right: Medal of a Sun with a Man’s Face and Eight Rays (worn by Supremo Andres Bonifacio), Quarter Moon Medal (worn by Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Fiscal and Physician) and Crossed Key Medal (worn by Councilor Enrique Enchico)
Busts of Emilio Jacinto, Andres Bonifacio and Pio Valenzuela found near the exit of Museo ng Katipunan. Aside from writing the Kartilya, Emilio Jacinto was Bonifacio’s first adviser, the editor of Kalayaan (Freedom), the official newspaper of Katipunan, and was handy with weapons of war. Andres Bonifacio was the first writer to translate Jose Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios in Tagalog. Together with Bonifacio and Jacinto, Dr. Pio Valenzuela was the third of the big three of Katipunan. He was the surgeon-general of Katipunan.
For more information about Andres Bonifacio and Katipunan, please read Anting-anting (Philippine Amulet) Collection of Katipunan Museum and Pinaglabanan Shrine - San Juan City.
Where: Pinaglabanan Shrine, San Juan City, Philippines
When: The Museo ng Katipunan is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 12pm and from 1pm to 4pm.
How much: No entrance fee but visitors can donate cash.
How: From the Cubao MRT station, ride a jeepney bound to San Juan. Alight the vehicle at the corner of N. Domingo and B. Serrano, walk towards the new San Juan City Hall for 5 minutes. Museo ng Katipunan is near the city hall.
From J. Ruiz LRT Station, ride a tricycle and tell the driver to drop you off to the Museo ng Katipunan. Fare is P30.00 (US $0.68).
Hello I am a student From the The National Teachers college and we were conducting a research and said to do a Video Presentation can we take a videos there at Katipunan museum? And I would like to ask if we can Interview a Historian because we needed a Reference for our Projects. Thank you
Hi, Maha.
Yes, you can take photos and videos inside the museum. As for a historian, I do not know.
Good luck!
Hi. We are planning to visit the museum this sat for the school project documentary film. But my classmate said that I have to send a letter of permission through email about taking videos and pictures. How and to it will be addressed? Tnx
Hi, Joan. It was okay to take photos inside the Museo ng Katipunan. I did not have written permission to do it, but I asked the person-in-charge if I could take photos the day before I went there. I am not sure about video recording though. However, when I visited the museum, there were grade schoolers and their guardians who took photos and videos. I hope this helps.
Hi Roselee, thank you very much for your permit. I will credit it: Wanderingbakya.com.
Regards Heinz J.
Hi Wandering Babkya,
I’ld like to ask you for permit to use one pic (Bust of Gregoria de Jesus) for a publication on Philippine History. I had been there in Pinaglabanan, San Juan City myself last year but unfortunately failed to visit the museo ng katipunan. I am looking forward to your reply. Regards and best wishes, Heinz/Germany.
Hi, Heinz. I am giving you permission to use that particular photo for the purpose you mentioned above. In relation to this, can you cite my blog for photographer’s credit? If you have any other concern, you can email me at roseleeaqua@gmail.com. Thank you.
It was regrettable that you were not able to visit Katipunan Museum as it is the only museum dedicated to the revolutionary group and it has interesting historical artefacts related to (most especially) Andres Bonifacio and to some extent Gregoria de Jesus. All the best for your publication.
Roselee