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Fray Francis Musni/Convento de San Agustin
in one of the side altars of
the church; it is said that after
praying, the ropes
loosen and he manages to
flee to the nearby sugarcane
field.
1898
As the revolution against
Spain escalates, more than
300 Cazadores, members of
the Guardia Civil, and
Voluntarios de Macabebe,
rescue the last Spanish parish
priest of Angeles, Fray
Baltazar Gamarra, OSA and
bring him to safety in San
Fernando. The town’s first
theatre opens on the property
of Don Modesto
Quiason along Miranda
Street. Among the first
stage productions are
comedia (Guagua’s Don Mar- Gen. Aquino
tin Gonzalez Bravo in the
role of Gonzalo de Cordoba), zarzuela (featuring
10-voice ventriloquist Pregolini and
local thespians Petra Pili and Monico
Resurreccion) and circo (operated by the
Antonieta Circus Co.).
1899
News of the occupation of Manila by another
country called America throws the
town in panic; some families in Angeles,
in fact, prefer to remain
under the Spaniards rather
than the new occupiers.
From February
5 until August 9,
42
Gen. Makabulos
the townspeople of Angeles leave
their houses en masse. Filipino
parish priest Padre Vicente
Lapus evacuates to Sapangbato,
staying in the house of Don
Segundo Tayag, who builds a
makeshift chapel where evacuees
can hear Mass and celebrate
La Naval and Fiestang Apu. Don
Segundo offers his house also to
transient soldiers of the revolutionary
army, himself often
sleeping on a bench on the damp
floor, thus contracting lung infection
which will later take his life.
On May 7, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
arrives from Factoria, Nueva
Ecija and makes Angeles the
capital of his revolutionary government
until July when he
transfers the capital again to
Tarlac. On June 12, the first anniversary
of Philippine Independence
is held in Angeles with a
field Mass officiated by Fr. Vicente Lapus
for the assembled revolutionary forces under
Gen. Aguinaldo, Gen. Marcelo H. Del
Pilar, Laguna Morales and a battalion from
Zambales.
On August 16, after fierce battle, the
Americans enter the
town, occupying the
church until December
1900
and the adjoiningcon-
vent until October 1, 1902, as military hospital
and later, as troop barracks. They
are led by their officers Maj. Gen. Arthur
MacArthur, Col. Richmond and Provost
Marshal G. A Densmore. The revolutionaries,
numbering 15,000, retreat to the
Balibago side of the Abacan River; they
are led by Gen. Maximino Hizon, Gen.
Servillano Akino (Aquino), Gen. Pio del
Pilar, Gen. Venancio Concepcion, Gen.
Tomas Mascardo and Col. Alberto San
Miguel, with subsequent reinforcements
from Gen. Francisco Makabulos.
On November 5, after three months of
heavy fighting, American cavalrymen begin
their offensive against Filipinos in various
battles around the vicinity, from 9 P.M.
until dawn. The most significant battles
are those in Señora and Mitla in Porac town
(where the young Manuel L. Quezon
fought), and in Sapang Biabas in Mabalacat
and Magalang. Two days later, the Americans
put up a machine gun atop one of the
church towers.
1900
On New Year’s Day, the first US-sponsored
civil government is established in Angeles,
with Don Mariano Vicente Henson as first
town mayor. Later, he is placed under
house arrest by US Commander General
When the Americans occupied Angeles, they used the parish church as military hospital and headquarters.
Photo shows horse-driven ambulances for wounded US soldiers