Apolinario Mabini y Maranan is Born

Today in Masonic History Apolinario Mabini y Maranan is born in 1864.

Apolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino revolutionary.

Mabini was born on July 23, 1864 in Barangay Talaga, Philippines. Because his family was poor he started his education informally. Mabini exhibited extraordinary intelligence and was sent to a regular school where he worked for his education by taking odd jobs.

In 1881, Mabini received a scholarship to Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila. An anecdote from his education at the school was a professor, seeing his shabby clothes, saw him as poor. When the professor started to pick on Mabini he was able to answer a series of questions from the professor with ease. Mabini went in and out of school due to a chronic lack of funds. He earned money by teaching younger students. Mabini earned the title of Professor of Latin from Letran.

Mabini went on to the University of Santo Tomas where he received his law degree in 1894. Mabini never went practiced law. He put his education to work for the Philippine Revolution and later the Filipino-American war.

In 1893, Mabini joined La Liga Filipino which was founded by José Rizal. The group was created to get the Filipino people involved in the reform of their country. It was the first explicitly patriotic group Mabini joined. Before long some of the more radical members of Liga thought reform needed aggressive tactics. Liga split into two groups the moderate Cuerpo de Compromisarios and Katipunan. Mabini went with the more moderate Cuerpo de Compromisarios. After Rizal was executed in December the same year, Mabini changed his mind and gave the revolution his wholehearted support.

In 1895 Mabini was struck with Polio and in January of 1896 lost the use of both of his legs. Also in 1896, Mabini as well as 13 other members of Katipunan were arrested. The 13 members of La Liga Filipina who were arrested with Mabini were all executed, they were known as the "Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite". Mabini was spared, since he was already crippled by Polio he was seen as no real threat to the Spanish.

Mabini was hospitalized in poor health until 1898 when he came to the attention of Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the Filipino Revolution. Aguinaldo put Mabini to work having him help to write decrees in the beginnings of the new Republic of the Philippines. In January of 1899, Aguinaldo appointed Mabini as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

As Foreign Minister Mabini with negotiate with the Americans. Mabini negotiated for a peaceful end the contentious and sometimes violent conflict between the Philippines and the United States. When the negotiations failed, Mabini backed the call for war.

On December 10th, 1899, Mabini was exiled. He didn't return to the Philippines until February 1903.

On May 13th, 1903, Mabini passed away from Cholera in Manila.

Mabini was a member of Logia Balgatas No. 149.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.