Blood on Fecund Soil

Blood tainted the scenic green landscape of Laguna many times. Chinese immigrants rose to revolt against the Spanish rule twice. The first was in 1603. The Chinese made their last stand in the mountains of San Pablo. The second uprising involved the towns of Calamba, Biñan and San Pedro. The bloody rebellion began on November 19, 1639. Tempers erupted when Governor Hurtado Corcuera forced thousands of Chinese to dig irrigation canals for Calamba. Many Chinese workers died due to their unsanitary quarters and inhuman treatment of Laguna’s Alcalde Mayor Don Luis Arias de Mora. In anger, the Chinese revolted, killed the Alcalde mayor, and then burned the church and many houses in Calamba. Inspired by their victory, the Chinese marched towards Manila and plundered the towns of Biñan and San Pedro. Eventually, Filipino-Spanish troops stopped the rebels in Makati. They retreated to the mountains of the district of Morong. Chinese from Parian, a Chinese community outside of the Walled City in Intramuros joined them there.

Governor Corcuera personally led the Filipino-Spanish militia in fighting the insurgents. Corcuera crashed the Chinese rebels in Antipolo. As Filipino-Spanish troops chased them from town to town, the Chinese looted and burned the towns of Baras, San Mateo, Binangonan, Pililia, Sta. Maria, Siniloan, Pangil, Majayjay, and Cavinti. At the end, 8,000 insurgent Chinese surrendered in Pagsanjan after Corcuera promised amnesty to the rebels on February 24, 1640.

Lagunenses’ loyalty to the Spanish crown and their love of the province rallied thousands of Filipinos once more in defense of Laguna. This was when a detachment of British troops led by Captain Thomas Blackhouse crossed the threshold of the province in search of a silver cargo of the Galleon Filipino in 1762-1764. Blackhouse plundered the town of Pagsanjan, then the capital of Laguna and burned the newly reconstructed church. Francisco San Juan of Pagsanjan led a band of volunteers. San Juan succeeded in running away with the precious hoard to Pampanga. The cache bolstered the defense effort of the Spanish Governor Simon de Anda.

For Francisco de San Juan’s great courage, the colonial government made him brigade commander and Alcalde Mayor of the Province of Tayabas (now Quezon).

Filipino loyalty to the Spanish crown gradually degenerated. Both State and Church perpetrated such grave abuses that the resentment of Filipios stir up into a rising flood of nationalism, Religious tolerance in 1840 led the people of Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Bay, and Biñan to join the revolt of Apolinario de la Cruz a.k.a. “Hermano Fule” and “King of the Tagalogs,” an eloquent lay preacher.

Before the revolt, Hermano Fule attempted to enter the Dominican Order, but his being an Indio denied him the option. This induced the birth of a brotherhood called Cofradia de San Jose. From the leader’s town, Lucban in Tayabas, the brotherhood spread to Majayjay and to other towns in Tayabas, Laguna, and Batangas. In Barrio Ilayang-Isabang, Tayabas, on October 10, 1841, Spanish troops led by Governor Joaquin Ortega of Tayabas fired at a gathering of the brotherhood. Many were wounded and a battle ensued, resulting to the death of the governor. After many pitched battles, the Cofradia lost to the troops sent from Manila under Lieutenant Colonel Joaquin Huet. Hermano Fule was able to escape from the bloody battle of Alitao. However, Spanish troops captured him later and executed him immediately.