Valenzuela City marks 150 birth anniversary of 'Dr. Pio'
Published Jul 10, 2019 04:45 pm
By Joseph Almer Pedrajas
The Valenzuela City government will be marking a milestone July 11 as it celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Pio Valenzuela, one of the city’s homegrown nationalists.
Born in 1869 in the former Polo town of Bulacan (now Valenzuela), Dr. Pio joined the revolutionary group Katipunan at age 23.
Dr. Pio Valenzuela (Photo via Joseph Almer Pedrajas / MANILA BULLETIN)
Jonathan Balsamo, city museum curator, said that Valenzuela was a medical student at the University of Santo Tomas when he decided to become a revolutionist after he learned of Dr. Jose Rizal’s arrest in 1892.
Some accounts say that Dr. Pio, as Valenzuela was called, was able to enter the Katipunan through one of its members, Pantaleon Torres.
“He was courting Barbara Torres (Pantaleon’s daughter) to be able to get closer to Pantaleon,” Balsamo said in Filipino.
As one of the few educated members of the revolutionary group, Dr. Pio easily won the trust of its founder, Andres Bonifacio.
Balsamo said Dr. Pio was actually once elected to become the Supremo, Katipunan’s leader, but he declined, believing that there was someone who could lead the group better than him.
Eventually, Dr. Pio became part of the triumvirate—along with Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto—who formed the “Sangguniang Lihim” or the Katipunan’s secret chamber which reportedly punished their members, including death, who would betray its by-laws.
However, Balsamo said, there was still no evidence until now that a member was punished with death.
Also, under a pen name Madlang Awa, Dr. Pio headed the ‘Ang Kalayaan,’ the revolutionaries’ official publication.
“In his memoirs, he said that he was the one who suggested the formation of the Ang Kalayaan,” Balsamo said.
“They’re saying that its formation led to the increase of the group’s members from 300 to 30,000. But of course, it was just an estimate. Perhaps, what it just means is that they’ve increased in number because their ideology has spread. The paper was their means to have a point of discussion,” he added.
Dr. Pio was also the one entrusted to go to Rizal, who was then an exile in Dapitan in the northern part Mindanao, to talk about revolution.
However, the revolutionaries’—from different parts of the country—eventual attempt to simultaneously attack the Intramuros, the former seat of Spanish power, did not succeed as Dr. Pio allegedly betrayed the Katipunan.
Some say that he surrendered to the authorities in Malacañang and revealed the group’s members. This led to his arrest and imprisonment.
But, Balsamo said, Dr. Pio was only prompted to surrender when he noticed that he was already being followed after he came to Laguna as he talked with other revolutionaries, while he was on his way to Binondo.
“He was left without choice. He could no longer go to Binondo nor to his home in Polo. The group’s members and his family would be put at risk,” Balsamo said.
While it might be true that Dr. Pio “named names,” Balsamo explained that Dr. Pio only revealed those members, including Bonifacio, who were already known revolutionaries.
“Bonifacio was already known by the Spanish,” Balsamo said.
“Dr. Pio was not a traitor. In fact, when he was asked about Rizal, he said that Rizal did not support the revolution and was against it,” he added.
Dr. Pio was eventually released from imprisonment in Melilla, North Africa.
Following the Treaty of Paris where the United States bought the Philippines from the Spanish, American colonizers allowed Filipinos to elect their local officials “to win their trust.” As the residents of Polo chose Dr. Pio, he was elected in absentia, which eventually allowed his release.
Dr. Pio then served terms as Polo town mayor and Bulacan provincial governor; but later decided to quit politics due to various reasons, including the Cholera outbreak.
Balsamo believes that Dr. Pio might have rather chosen to serve his people as doctor than as politician. Or he might have just wanted to stay away from politics.
Eventually, an elementary school was named after him. The former Polo town of Bulacan also became the now Valenzuela to honor his nationalism.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will give honors and lead for the first time the event dedicated to Dr. Pio as the city will be celebrating his 150th birth anniversary.
The NHCP, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Interior and Local Government, Mayor Rex Gatchalian and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian will also head the ceremonies.
The city mayor, in a recent interview with Manila Bulletin, said that a new Polo Park will soon rise to give the city residents a “sense of identity.”
It also aims to honor Dr. Pio, Balsamo added.
Balsamo also said that they are already working on the renovation of Dr. Pio’s house in Pariancillo Villa.
Dr. Pio Valenzuela (Photo via Joseph Almer Pedrajas / MANILA BULLETIN)
Jonathan Balsamo, city museum curator, said that Valenzuela was a medical student at the University of Santo Tomas when he decided to become a revolutionist after he learned of Dr. Jose Rizal’s arrest in 1892.
Some accounts say that Dr. Pio, as Valenzuela was called, was able to enter the Katipunan through one of its members, Pantaleon Torres.
“He was courting Barbara Torres (Pantaleon’s daughter) to be able to get closer to Pantaleon,” Balsamo said in Filipino.
As one of the few educated members of the revolutionary group, Dr. Pio easily won the trust of its founder, Andres Bonifacio.
Balsamo said Dr. Pio was actually once elected to become the Supremo, Katipunan’s leader, but he declined, believing that there was someone who could lead the group better than him.
Eventually, Dr. Pio became part of the triumvirate—along with Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto—who formed the “Sangguniang Lihim” or the Katipunan’s secret chamber which reportedly punished their members, including death, who would betray its by-laws.
However, Balsamo said, there was still no evidence until now that a member was punished with death.
Also, under a pen name Madlang Awa, Dr. Pio headed the ‘Ang Kalayaan,’ the revolutionaries’ official publication.
“In his memoirs, he said that he was the one who suggested the formation of the Ang Kalayaan,” Balsamo said.
“They’re saying that its formation led to the increase of the group’s members from 300 to 30,000. But of course, it was just an estimate. Perhaps, what it just means is that they’ve increased in number because their ideology has spread. The paper was their means to have a point of discussion,” he added.
Dr. Pio was also the one entrusted to go to Rizal, who was then an exile in Dapitan in the northern part Mindanao, to talk about revolution.
However, the revolutionaries’—from different parts of the country—eventual attempt to simultaneously attack the Intramuros, the former seat of Spanish power, did not succeed as Dr. Pio allegedly betrayed the Katipunan.
Some say that he surrendered to the authorities in Malacañang and revealed the group’s members. This led to his arrest and imprisonment.
But, Balsamo said, Dr. Pio was only prompted to surrender when he noticed that he was already being followed after he came to Laguna as he talked with other revolutionaries, while he was on his way to Binondo.
“He was left without choice. He could no longer go to Binondo nor to his home in Polo. The group’s members and his family would be put at risk,” Balsamo said.
While it might be true that Dr. Pio “named names,” Balsamo explained that Dr. Pio only revealed those members, including Bonifacio, who were already known revolutionaries.
“Bonifacio was already known by the Spanish,” Balsamo said.
“Dr. Pio was not a traitor. In fact, when he was asked about Rizal, he said that Rizal did not support the revolution and was against it,” he added.
Dr. Pio was eventually released from imprisonment in Melilla, North Africa.
Following the Treaty of Paris where the United States bought the Philippines from the Spanish, American colonizers allowed Filipinos to elect their local officials “to win their trust.” As the residents of Polo chose Dr. Pio, he was elected in absentia, which eventually allowed his release.
Dr. Pio then served terms as Polo town mayor and Bulacan provincial governor; but later decided to quit politics due to various reasons, including the Cholera outbreak.
Balsamo believes that Dr. Pio might have rather chosen to serve his people as doctor than as politician. Or he might have just wanted to stay away from politics.
Eventually, an elementary school was named after him. The former Polo town of Bulacan also became the now Valenzuela to honor his nationalism.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will give honors and lead for the first time the event dedicated to Dr. Pio as the city will be celebrating his 150th birth anniversary.
The NHCP, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Interior and Local Government, Mayor Rex Gatchalian and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian will also head the ceremonies.
The city mayor, in a recent interview with Manila Bulletin, said that a new Polo Park will soon rise to give the city residents a “sense of identity.”
It also aims to honor Dr. Pio, Balsamo added.
Balsamo also said that they are already working on the renovation of Dr. Pio’s house in Pariancillo Villa.