Honoring the Leaders of the Cebuano Revolt in 1898

(Part 1)

The study of Philippine History has been distorted for decades, most especially on the subject of heroes and the gallant men of the past. In our schools, public and private, what had been and is being taught are the lives and stories of the heroes of Manila and Luzon.

The Battle of Tres de Abril is named after the events that happened on April 3, 1898. Cebu honors the triumphant day by naming a street that passes through the barangays of Greater Labangon (composed of Labangon, Tisa, and Punta Princesa), it is called Tres de Abril Street. On the other end of the looping street is Katipunan Street. Many of us, and even of those ahead of us, think that naming the street Katipunan is to honor the likes of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, and other nationally known heroes of the Philippine-Spanish Revolt led by an organization called the KKK, more known as the Katipunan.

Cebu, just like other places in the country, honors its great men and women by street naming. It is believed as the most appropriate and practical means of immortalizing heroes and leaders. During the Spanish Regime the streets of Cebu were named by the Spanish Governor just like how the names of the towns were done by the Spanish scribes and officers.

Some of those names were later changed by the Americans when they arrived in 1899, these were done through the democratically elected leaders of the towns and provinces. Cebu City records, however, were destroyed during World War II and what we have are the ordinances enacted in 1946 and thereafter.

In past articles, CEBUpedia has written about some of the 15 leaders of the KKK Cebu (enumerated in the book "Ang Kagubot sa Sugbo 1898" by Manuel Enriquez dela Calzada). These 15 men, heroes of the revolution, should be known to our children, as the perverted sense of history of acknowledging the heroes of Luzon fail to mention that in Cebu our forefathers also rose against Spain, and thousands of lives were offered on the altar of freedom in the street known as Los Martires Street (the street of martyrs) now known as M.J. Cuenco.

1.) Candido Padilla

A street in Mambaling is named after him. His complete name is Candido Zabala Padilla, he was born in 1846. He was Capitan Municipal of San Nicolas (at that time San Nicolas was a town, it was only later when the districts were merged and became part of what is now known as Cebu City). He was also Justice of Peace of San Nicolas years before the 1898 revolt. He was one of the leaders who opposed the parish priest of San Nicolas, Fr. J. Romanillos.

He was arrested and executed upon orders of the Spanish Governor of Cebu, General Montero. The other members of the Padilla Clan in Cebu that contributed in the revolt: Daniel Enriquez Padilla, Especioso Padilla, Gavino Padilla, Gervasio Enriquez Padilla, Gregorio Enriquez Padilla, Paulina Lopez Padilla, and Severo Enriquez Padilla.

(To be continued)