La Liga Filipina, ‘One Like All’

JULY 3, 2016, was the 124th founding anniversary of La Liga Filipina (The Philippine League), a progressive, non-violent organization formed by National Hero Jose P. Rizal in a house at the corner of Rajah Matanda and Ilaya streets, Tondo, Manila, in 1892, to involve Filipinos in a peaceful struggle against Spain.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) – along with the Department of Education, the Order of Knights of Rizal, and the Boy and Girl Scouts of the Philippines – led the commemorative rites, with wreath-laying at the La Liga Filipina historical marker that NHCP unveiled last year in Tondo and turned over to the City of Manila.

Rizal wrote the La Liga Constitution while in Hong Kong. In his El Filibusterismo, he warned of a Filipino uprising if nothing was done to redress the people’s sufferings. Upon his return to the country, he presented the Constitution during La Liga’s inauguration. It embodied the organizations, objectives: Unite the whole archipelago into one compact, vigorous, and homogenous body; mutual protection in every want and necessity; defense against all violence and injustice; encouragement of instruction, agriculture, and commerce; and study and application of reforms.

La Liga Filipina whose motto was Unas Instar Omnium – “One Like All” – involved the people directly in the reform movement, through mutual aid, self-help, and setting up of cooperatives. It provided Filipinos basic services such as education, health, legal aid, livelihood, financial support, and scholarship grants. It was supported by leaders like Andres Bonifacio and Marcelo H. del Pilar.

Despite efforts to make La Liga a peaceful organization, and preserve Philippines-Spain relations, the Spanish authorities considered it dangerous and on July 6, 1892, Rizal was arrested and deported to Dapitan. After Rizal’s arrest, the organization became inactive, but it was reorganized by Bonifacio, who formed chapters in various parts of Manila. It split into two factions: The conservative Cuerpo de Compromisarios, which pledged moral and financial support to La Solidaridad in Spain, and the secret society Kataas-taasang, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) – the Katipunan, which launched the Philippine revolution in 1896.