HEROES build the nation. One of them who laid the foundations of our nation is Doña Gabriela Silang. She was born on March 19, 1731, in Barrio Caniogan, Santa, Ilocos Sur. Spanish power, at the time of her birth, reigned supreme in the country. The inhabitants were oppressed with many colonial obligations. Like those who preceded her who attempted to end the people’s sufferings, Doña Gabriela also yearned to end their miseries.
Doña Gabriela’s marriage to Diego Silang strengthened her belief in the need to end colonial dominance in the Philippines. Diego Silang was a born leader. He was a fierce lover of independence. The couple nurtured in their hearts their determination to fight for freedom.
The British occupation of Manila in October, 1762, exposed the weaknesses of Spanish power in the Philippines. The people saw that the vaunted Spanish invincibility was a myth. The British conquest of Manila created an opportunity for Diego and Gabriela Silang to carry out their vision for their countrymen. Diego Silang communicated with the British commanders, General Draper and Admiral Cornish. With the latter’s aid, Diego Silang launched the Ilocos Rebellion in November, 1762. He proclaimed the Ilocos Republic and rallied the other native leaders of Pangasinan, Cagayan, Abra, and neighboring places. Their support led to the overthrow of Spanish rule in Northern Luzon. The Spaniards, however, succeeded in getting to two trusted friends of Diego Silang. With promises of material rewards and honors, the two assassinated Diego Silang on May 28, 1763.
Silang’s assassination did not end the Ilocos rebellion. Doña Gabriela assumed the leadership and carried on the Ilocanos’ struggle. Military superiority and the British withdrawal of support ended the rebellion. She and many of her followers were publicly hanged on September 20, 1763.
The Silang rebellion was a significant chapter in the Filipino people’s struggle for freedom. It was an attempt to recover the people’s lost freedom. Abolition of colonial obligations, religious freedom, election to public position on the basis of concern for the good of the people, independence, were among the features of the Silang Rebellion that predated European liberalism.
Diego and Gabriela Silang were the precursors of Filipino nationalism. "Joan of Arc of Ilocandia" is a fitting title for Doña Gabriela Silang. She demonstrated that the women of the Philippines substantially contributed to the Filipino struggle for independence.
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