Katipunan

The Katipunan - also known as Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or KKK - was a revolutionary society founded in the Philippines by anti-Spanish colonialism Filipinos in 1892. The ultimate goal of the society was to regain independence for the country from Spain.

The group was founded by Filipino patriots Andrés Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa and many others, all of whom fought tirelessly to achieve their goals in secret until the society was discovered by the colonial government in 1896. It was this discovery that resulted in the Philipine Revolution that followed.

While the group remained a secret organisation, all members were subjected to secrecy and strict guidelines that were established by the founders. As such, those who wanted to become part of the society were forced to take part in initiation rites if they wanted to be accepted. Initially, this was a process only offered to male Filipinos, but women were later accepted as the society grew.

The growth of the society meant they needed to spread their word far and wide. This desire to communicate with people across the country led to the creation of the Kalayaan publication, which was first printed in March 1896. The success of the publication meant ideals began to develop and grow and soon some of the society’s most prominent members were even contributing to Filipino literature outside of the group.

The society eventually became known after a member called Teodoro Patiño revealed its existence to his sister. Days later, the Spanish authorities caught wind of the group’s illegal activities and their questioning of the members resulted in the start of the Philippine Revolution.