Monument of Candido Iban, Francisco del Castillo's best friend, co-worker and closed-in command of Aklan's Katipunan Chapter, the first Katipunan chapter in the Visayas, ctto
The monument and mausoleum of General Francisco del Castillo and the Nineteen (19) Martyrs of Aklan called Aklan Freedom Shrine and the Historical Marker by the NHCP, ctto
Francisco del Castillo
Katipunan Revolutionary Leader of Aklan
(? - March 17, 1897)
Francisco del Castillo who was also known as Francisco Castillo is one of the leaders of the Katipunan in the Visayas. He was with the 19 Martyrs of Aklan, the first group of heroes of the province (which was then under the province of Capiz) during the Philippine revolutionary period who were slain in the town of Kalibo on March 23, 1897.
Early Years and Previous Occupation Before Katipunan
The date and place of Castillo's birth is not known but he worked as a pearl diver in Australia. It is at this work as pearl diver where he met Candido Iban who will eventually be his fellow Katipunero.
In Australia, Castillo and Iban won the lottery (in some sources only Iban won). They sailed back to Manila in 1893, who felt deeply the conditions of the Filipinos under the cruelty of the Spanish regime.
Life as Katipunero
They settled in Tondo where they met and befriended Procopio Bonifacio, the younger brother of Andres Bonifacio. Del Castillo and Iban were sponsored by Procopio to become members of Katipunan and initiated by Andres himself in the caves of Montalban. They were part of Bonifacio's group which explored Montalban mountains on April 12, 1895. In Pamitinan Cave, the group declared the intention to fight for Philippine Independence where they wrote "Viva la Independencia Filipina" (Mabuhay ang Kalayaan ng Pilipinas) on the walls of the cave. This event is considered as the First Cry of the Revolution. They donated a part of their lottery winnings to the Katipunan movement and to purchase a small printing press to be used for the publication of Kalayaan, the official newspaper of the Katipunan movement. The first issue was released in March 1896.
In January 1897, Bonifacio sent the two newly sworn Katipuneros to Aklan to establish the first chapter of Katipunan in the Visayas and to recruit new members. At the time, people of Visayas were mere spectators of the uprisings and revolution that began in Luzon through the leadership of Andres Bonifacio.
The two friends put together what was left of their savings and bought a fishing boat which they named "Santisima Trinidad" and used it to sail from Manila to Aklan. Running against time, they gathered weapons and recruited more men. They patiently went to every household and teach about the Katipunan and its objectives.
Soon Katipunan in the Visayas grew in numbers. Francisco and Candido plotted out its organizational structure. Del Castillo was elected the general of the Katipunan revolutionary forces in Aklan while Iban became the second-in-command to Castillo as colonel.
They established two headquarters in Aklan. Castillo headed the headquarters in Barangay Mabilo, Kalibo while Iban led the headquarters of Barangay Lilioan in Malinao town. Easily new recruits in the Visayas numbered to as many as a thousand.
Foiled Revolution and Capture
In 1897, believing that the time was ripe to start the revolution, Iban, coming from the West, led the 82 Katipuneros to march to province capital of Kalibo and persuaded the local authorities to join the revolution. On the other hand, Francisco would lead from the South to merge with the contingent of Candido. Unfortunately, the uprising failed. A Filipino was paid to spy on the Katipuneros, and their planned attack was tipped off to Captain Lucas de Manuel, the capitan municipal of Liloan. Iban was captured by his fellow Akeanons serving for the Spaniards as guardia civil.
Death
A hundred troops of Katipuneros under the leadership of Francisco del Castillo who is riding a white horse marched towards Kalibo and stopped in front of the mansion of Capitan Municipal Juan Azcarraga which was the stronghold of the town's officials and the guardia civil. Francisco del Castillo was left with his regiments to continue, and he gathered the remaining Katipuneros, however, what might could bolos, bows and arrows do with the endless volleys of bullets fired at them. After Castillo persuaded Azcarraga to come out, del Castillo was shot by Moises Elicito, an Akeanon Filipino soldier paid by Spaniards as guardia civil on March 17, 1897.
Aftermath
After the death of del Castillo, the mutineers withdrew to the mountains. Colonel Ricardo Carnicero Monet, head of the Spanish force, immediately announced that he would pardon the revolutionaries if they surrendered. Fifty rebels hiding in the mountains surrendered from March 19-22, 1897. But Monet did not keep his promise.
These Nineteen Men, weak from hunger and thirst and racked with rain, were bound together and forced into a black hole of a stone cell on Amadeo Street (now Nineteen Martyrs Street) in Kalibo. Here their hands were manacled, and a long bamboo pole was passed through their locked arms across their mangled backs. Then they were strung high up against the wall of the cell, with their backs to the firing line, and during the first hours of March 23, they were shot to death. The few who did not die instantly were bayoneted. When all bullets have been fired, their tattered bodies were all piled up on a wagon and paraded around the town to serve as warning to any Filipino who dare challenge the Spanish authorities. After the parade, the nineteen bodies of our heroes were thrown in one grave. That was a day of darkness and terror in Kalibo. The town awoke to hear the sharply ringing rifle shots and the cries and groans of farewell of these Nineteen Martyrs of Aklan.
The brutal death of these nineteen martyr heroes awakened more men not just in Aklan, but all over the Visayas that was once a laidback province-tamed compliant and hushed! Such martyrdom moved countless of Filipinos to answer the call of the motherland.
The entire carnage did not serve its purpose of suppressing the revolution. Instead, it flared up anew as rage and hatred of the Spanish misrule swept the region.
The Nineteen (19) Martyrs of Aklan consists of natives of the modern-day Aklan province; eleven hailed from Kalibo, three from Malinao, five from Lagatik (now New Washington). They were as follows:
1. Roman Aguirre
2. Tomas Briones
3. Domingo de la Cruz
4. Valeriano Dalida
5. Claro Delgado
6. Angelo Fernandez
7. Benito Iban
8. Candido Iban
9. Simon Inocencio
10. Isidoro Jimenez
11. Catalino Mangat
12. Lamberto Mangat
13. Valeriano Masinda
14. Maximo Mationg
15. Simplicio Reyes
16. Canuto Segovia
17. Gabino Sukgang
18. Francisco Villorente
19. Gabino Yonsal
Legacy
A monument dedicated to the brave Akeanon revolutionary leader was erected in the exact location where General Francisco del Castillo fell in Kalibo. A historical marker for Francisco del Castillo was put up in 1952 in Pastrana Park, the town's main public park and plaza.
On the other hand, the nineteen martyrs are commemorated annually every March in the Kalibo in the modern-day province of Aklan. The Aklan Freedom Shrine which also has a little mausoleum was built in the town in their honor. Furthermore, the exact same street in Kalibo where the nineteen martyrs were held, tortured and executed to death was named in their honor.
The martyrs were subject of a 2019 full-length documentary film titled Daan Patungong Tawaya (lit. 'Road to Paradise'). In the film, the martyrs were portrayed as having been empowered by anting-anting.
Sources:
Advocates for Heritage Preservation (AHP) Facebook Group - FRANCISCO DEL CASTILLO & CANDIDO IBAN: Team for a dream.. https://www.facebook.com/groups/advocatesforheritagepreservationphilippines/posts/645704508925261/
Wikipedia - Nineteen Martyrs of Aklan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Martyrs_of_Aklan
The Kahimyang Project - Francisco del Castillo and the 19 Martyrs of Aklan: https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1712/francisco-del-castillo-and-the-19-martyrs-of-aklan
CulturED Philippines, Sagisag Kultura - Francisco del Castillo: https://philippineculturaleducation.com.ph/del-castillo-francisco/
Topical Philippines - Francisco del Castillo: http://topicalphilippines.com/People_Individuals/page196.html
Unsung Heroes of the Philippines Revolution, Western Visayas - Francisco del Castillo: http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/hero/wv/page2.html
