02/04/2026
📝 𝗗𝗢𝗦 𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗟: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲
𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮, 𝟭𝟴𝟵𝟴 | 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘆, 𝗖𝗲𝗯𝘂, 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀
On the night of April 2, 1898, the people of Talisay launched one of the most daring acts of resistance against Spanish colonial rule in Cebu's history. Led by 𝗗𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗼 "𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻" 𝗔𝗹𝗶ñ𝗼 𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗮, three armed columns (polotong) struck simultaneously across the town.
✅𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩:
📌𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻 𝟭 — Estanislao Larrua of San Isidro and Castor Larosa of Tabunok attacked the parish church and El Pardo convent. They detained the despised cura párroco, 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝗺á𝘀 𝗝𝗶𝗺é𝗻𝗲𝘇, 𝗢𝗦𝗔— who later died in Tabunok.
📌𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝘀 𝟮 & 𝟯 — From the Mananga River in Dumlog, revolutionaries swept into Poblacion, targeting the Casa Guardia Civil, Casa Tribunal, and the Casa of Uldog. A smaller group also neutralized a Guardia Civil detachment guarding the road to San Isidro.
✅𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱.
The next day, April 3, more Talisaynons joined forces with revolutionaries from San Nicolás — among them Silvestre Caneda, Simeon Caneda, Daniel Canedo, and Estanislao Larrua.
✅𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲:
General Montero dispatched Cazadores troops. The gunboat Paragua shelled Talisay's shores. Soldiers burned homes from Tabunok through San Isidro, Dumlog, and Poblacion. Only the church façade was damaged by the shelling.
✅ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆:
The Dos de Abril ignited the Tres de Abril — and ultimately led to the Spanish capitulation in Cebu. Fifty-seven revolutionaries paid with their lives, executed at the beachside of Poblacion — the very ground where Talisay City College now stands. Fr. Pablo Hermosa, coadjutor, administered last rites to every one of them.
🔥𝘞𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦.🔥
📚 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀:
Bascon Marben, Kagubut: Talisay during the 1898 Dos de Abril Revolution (unpublished ms.); Pedro G. Galende, OSA, The Angel's Stone, Ateneo Press; Narciso Canton, Bag-ong Kusog, August 1934; Historical Data Papers, National Library of the Philippines; Guia Oficial de Filipinas, 1898.
#1898
