Colonial Writers of the

Philippine Literature

Marcelo H. del Pilar Son of Don Julián Hilario del Pilar and Doña Blasa

Gatmaitan.

popularly known as Plaridel

leading propagandist for reforms in the Philippines

editor and co-publisher of La Solidaridad

born August 30, 1850 in Cupang, San Nicolas, Bulacan to Julian del Pilar and Blasa Gatmaytan

died July 4, 1896 of tuberculosis, in Barcelona, Spain

He learned his first letters from his paternal uncle Alejo.

In Manila he took a Latin course in the school of  Jose Flores and then transferred at the Colegio de San Jose, where he finished his Bachelor of Arts degree.

He also studied at the Universidad de Santo Tomas, where he obtained his law degree in 1880.

Early life and education

Marcelo H. del Pilar

Marcelo H. del Pilar as a propagandist was already established before an order for his arrest forced him to flee the country in 1880.

- Marcelo H. Del Pilar -

served as editor of the vernacular section of

the Diariong Tagalog (Tagalog

Newspaper).

Publications assailing the Spanish friars

On August 1, 1882, he put out Diariong Tagalog, a nationalist newspaper. Here he publicly denounced Spanish mal-administration of the Philippines. His attacks were mostly directed against the friars whom he considered to be mainly responsible for the oppression of the Filipinos.

La Soberanía Monacal en Filipinas (Monastic Sovereignty in the Philippines) was among the first pamphlets he wrote in Spain.

Wrote Caiingat Cayo, a defense for Rizal’s novel, Noli Me Tangere when the latter was attacked by friars

Escape from clerical prosecution

Del Pilar began his campaign in 1869 writing petitions to the colonial authorities, exposing abusive local civil and religious officials.

He wrote the September 30, 1887, petition of the natives of Binondo Manila, to the governor general.

He also wrote the November 20 and 21, 1887, complaints of the Navotas folk against their friar-curate.

On March 1, 1888, the populace of Manila staged a public demonstration against the friars.

Sought by the religious and civil authorities, he escaped to Spain. 

Before his departure, he organized Caja de Jesus, María y José and Junta de Programa.

Life in Spain

Del Pilar arrived in Spain on January 1, 1889.

Del Pilar headed the political section of the Asociación Hispano-Filipina founded in Madrid by Filipinos and Spanish sympathizers, the purpose of which was to agitate for reforms from Spain.

He succeeded Graciano López Jaena as the editor of the newspaper La Solidaridad on December 15,

1889.

Less than a year after he arrived in Spain, del Pilar realized the futility of the Filipino campaign for reforms.

Later years and death

After years of publication from 1889 to 1895, La Solidaridad had begun to run out of funds.

Its last issue appeared on November 15, 1895.

Months before the revolution, del Pilar circulated in Manila and neighboring provinces his political works entitled La Patria and Ministerio de la Republica Filipina.

 He left with his friend Fernando Canon a message for his daughter, saying that he had received the sacraments of the church before dying.

 López Jaena had died six months earlier in Barcelona in a similar hospital run by the Sisters of Charity, and is said to have retracted masonry and received the sacraments as del Pilar did.

His remains were brought back in 1920 to his final resting place, now known as Dambana ni Plaridel under the National Historical Institute located in San Nicolas, Bulacan, Bulacan.

Marcelo del Pilar was the greatest journalist produced by the purely Filipino race.

We did not consider him an artful filibuster; at times we saw in him the calculating conspirator, the journalist gone astray, who had no real hatred for the sovereign country, through he showed he had it for the state of affairs prevailing in the Philippines.

The Philippines: A Past Revisited. Renato Constantino

~END~