republic · Maritime Southeast Asia

Tagalog Republic

1896 CE – 1897 CE

Revolutionary government of the Katipunan under Andres Bonifacio, the first organised Filipino state against Spanish rule.

Origins

The Katipunan, a secret society founded in Manila in 1892, launched the Philippine Revolution in August 1896. Its supreme leader, Andres Bonifacio, styled the movement a nation, the Haring Bayang Katagalugan, using Tagalog in a broad sense to mean all the native people of the islands.

Rule and society

Government rested on the Katipunan hierarchy, with a supreme council headed by Bonifacio as president and committees in towns. It had its own flag, seals and rituals of initiation, and its ideals of liberty and brotherhood were set out in writings by Emilio Jacinto. Fighting was concentrated in Cavite, Manila and surrounding provinces.

Decline and legacy

Rivalry between Katipunan factions in Cavite came to a head at the Tejeros Convention of March 1897, which elected Emilio Aguinaldo president. Bonifacio rejected the result, was arrested and executed in May 1897. Aguinaldo's forces went on to found the Republic of Biak-na-Bato.

Lineage

Captaincy General of the Philippines 1565 CE – 1898 CETagalog RepublicRepublic of Biak-na-Bato 1897 CE – 1897 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tagalog Republic. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tagalog-republic
MLA
“Tagalog Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tagalog-republic. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Tagalog Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tagalog-republic.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tagalog Republic’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tagalog-republic (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻