ON OCTOBER 8, 1897, Emilio Jacinto, dubbed in Philippine history as the Brains of the Katipunan, wrote “A La Patria” (To The Fatherland), a patriotic piece inspired by “Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last Farewell) written by Dr. Jose Rizal before his execution at the Bagumbayan field (known today as the Rizal or Luneta Park). Jacinto wrote the poem under the coconut palms of Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
Jacinto, who carried the nom de plume “Dimas Ilaw”, was an equally cerebral and influential writer whose pieces essentially exhorted the Filipino masses to join the revolution against Spain and that every Filipino aspiring for freedom should be ready to make sacrifices for the country.
A foremost revolutionary of the Katipunan, Jacinto wrote the “Kartilla”, the primer of the Katipunan on how Katipuneros should conduct themselves in the fight for freedom against the Spanish colonizers.
The simplicity and ease of comprehension of his writing style to the masses evoked power and admiration among all his readers.
