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Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869 – February 6, 1964) was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role in Philippine independence during the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War that resisted American occupation. He eventually pledged his allegiance to the US government.
In the Philippines, Aguinaldo is considered to be the country’s first and the youngest Philippine President.
The seventh of eight children of Crispulo Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy, he was born into a Filipino family on March 22, 1869 in Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit), Cavite province. His father was gobernadorcillo (town head), and, as members of the Chinese Tagalog mestizo minority, they enjoyed relative wealth and power.
As a young boy he received education from his great-aunt and later attended the town’s elementary school. In 1880, he took up his secondary course education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which he quit on his third year to return home instead to help his widowed mother manage their farm.
At the age of 28, Emilio was elected cabeza de barangay of Binakayan, the most progressive barrio of Cavite El Viejo. He held this position serving for his town-mates for eight years. He also engaged in inter-island shipping, travelling as far south as the Sulu Archipelago.
In 1893, the Maura Law was passed to reorganize town governments with the aim of making them more effective and autonomous, changing the designation of town head from gobernadorcillo to capitan municipal effective 1895. On January 1, 1895, Aguinaldo was elected town head, becoming the first person to hold the title of capitan municipal of Cavite El Viejo.
His first marriage was in 1896 with Hilaria Del Rosario (1877-1921). They had five children (Miguel, Carmen, Emilio Jr., Maria and Cristina). His second wife was Maria Agoncillo (1882-1963).
Several of Aguinaldo’s descendants became prominent political figures in their own right. A grandnephew, Cesar Virata, served as Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981 to 1986. Aguinaldo’s granddaughter, Ameurfina Herrera, served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1979 until 1992.
Other Information
- Born : March 22, 1869
- Birthplace : Cavite El Viejo (Kawit), Cavite
- Died : February 6, 1964 (aged 94), Quezon City, Metro Manila
- Birth name : Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy
- Father : Crispulo Aguinaldo
- Mother : Trinidad Famy
- Nationality : Filipino
- Schoolos Attended :
- Secondary course education, Colegio de San Juan de Letran (1880)
- Political party : Magdalo faction of the Katipunan, National Socialist Party
- Spouse(s) :
- Hilaria del Rosario
- Maria Agoncillo
- Children:
- Miguel
- Carmen
- Emilio Jr.
- Maria and Cristina
- Profession : Military
- Religion : Roman Catholic
Positions held
- Cabeza de Barangay of Binakayan
- Philippine President ( 1899–1901)
Notable Events
- Philippine Revolution (1895)
- Pact of Biak-na-Bato (December 14, 1897)
- Philippine-American War (1899)
Dominador Jalosjos