126th Anniversary of Philippine-American War
Forgotten Conflicts of the Philippine-American War 1899
UNVEILING OF NATIONAL MARKER FOR ANGELES (PAMINTUAN MANSION) AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR IN PAMPANGA
The Pamintuan Mansion, which houses the Philippine Museum on Social History, is a favorite venue of mine since I conducted several lectures on WWII, Philippines-American War and the Aeta Mag-Antsi history in the past years.
The Mansion is an important structure not only in the history of Angeles but in the Nation’s struggle for Independence and freedom, especially during the Second Phase of the Philippine Revolution, or the Philippine-American War 1899. It was the Philippine Government Headquarters, most notably, of General Antonio Luna, who moved the HQ of the Philippine Division after the intense fights at Sto. Tomas, where he was wounded on May 4, 1899.
After General Luna moved further north in Tarlac, and later at Bayambang, it was General Venancio Concepcion, who occupied the HQ of the Filipino forces in front of General MacArthur’s 2nd Division then located at the town of San Fernando.
With the movement of General Aguinaldo from Cabanatuan to Bamban starting on June 5, 1899 where he established Headquarters and the Office of the President and that of the Captain-General with the killing of General Luna, the Pamintuan Mansion became his home, until the permanent transfer of the Headquarters and capital to Tarlac, Tarlac on July 17, 1899.
The fighting at Angeles was inevitable, as the Americans under General MacArthur advance along the railroad and wagon road, after 3 months of stall, begun on August 9, 1899, with fighting at Sindalan, Calulut and finally at Angeles on August 16, 1899. No less than General Luciano San Miguel and his brigade fought valiantly first at Calulut, and then at Angeles, until forced to retreat at the Abacan Line.
But it was not General MacArthur and his 2nd Division who would occupy the Pamintuan Mansion, since he decided to moved back into the rear where the Mascardo Brigade was harassing the San Fernando base and the southwest flank of the Americans by the Filipino forces based primarily at Porac, Bacolor and Sta. Rita. It was the 12th Infantry under Colonel Jacob Smith that engaged General Luciano San Miguel at Angeles, and occupied the Pamintuan Mansion that became his HQ.
General MacArthur joined the 36th U.S. Infantry, based Bacolor and then at the Barrio of San Antonio, while the 9th U.S. Infantry, with the command of the 1st Brigade under General Joseph Wheeler was based at the nearby town of Sta. Rita. The two major American forces in the area was meant to engage the main Filipino force of the Mascardo Brigade, holed in the town of Porac which was to the left of Angeles.
On September 28, 1899, the two converging American forces with General MacArthur’s command of the HQ of the 2nd Division made the decisive attack on General Mascardo, at the First Battle of Porac. Having retreated at the rear of Porac, on the base of the Zambales Mountain, General MacArthur, with General Wheeler, Colonel Liscum (9th U.S. Infantry) and Colonel Bell (36th U.S. Infantry – Volunteers) made the march and entered Angeles on September 29, 1899 and stayed at the Pamintuan Mansion which became the HQ of the American division, until November 8, 1899.
Thus, the role of the Pamintuan Mansion is established in our history, during the Philippine-American War in the province of Pampanga. One of the highlights of the content of the historical marker is the role of Bamban, specified as General Aguinaldo’s HQ while he stayed at the Pamintuan Mansion. The rationale behind this is because the front line established in the early June 1899 was between Angeles and San Fernando, with the Philippine Division under General Concepcion HQ at the Pamintuan Mansion. In fact, on June 16, 1899, General Aguinaldo led a concentrated attack on General MacArthur’s division at San Fernando.
As an historian from Bamban, it is a must that we attend this important ceremony with other dignitaries and guests like Carminda R. Arevalo (Executive Director) of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines), Honorable Maria Vicenta L. Vega-Cabigting Vice Mayor of Angeles City, Lincoln Baluyut; President of Kuliat Foundation, Inc., and other colleagues in history and culture in the province.
Congratulation to Bettina Arriola, the Senior Shrine Curator of the Museum of Philippine Social History.
Sources:
(1) MacArthur, Arthur (Major-General). Report of Operations of the Second Division, Eight Army Corps, Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 1900. Report of the Lieutenant General Commanding The Army. Washington.
(2) Taylor, John R.M. The Philippine Insurrection Against the United States Volume IV.
Photos:
Except the photographs taken at the Pamintuan Mansion during the ceremony, the other photos are from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines NHCP and the others are: (1) portrait of General Emilio Aguinaldo (2) photo of General Luciano San Miguel who was in charge for the defense of Angeles (3) photo of American Generals MacArthur and Wheaton (2nd Brigade, 2nd Division) during field inspection in Angeles, probably October 1899.
