Location: Church of San Luis Obispo Parish, Baler, Aurora (Region III)
Category: Sites/Events
Type: Event
Status: Level II – Historical marker
Marker dates: 1939
Installed by: Philippines Historical Committee (PHC)
Marker text:
SIEGE OF THE CHURCH OF BALER
A SPANISH GARRISON OF FOUR OFFICERS AND FIFTY MEN WAS BESIEGED IN THIS CHURCH BY FILIPINO INSURGENTS FROM JUNE 27, 1898, TO JUNE 2, 1899. OFFERS OF PEACE AND DEMANDS FOR SURRENDER WERE REFUSED ON FIVE OCCASIONS. FROM NEWSPAPERS DROPPED INTO THE COURT BY AN EMISSARY OF GENERAL RIOS ON MAY 29, THE GARRISON LEARNED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT THE PHILIPPINES HAD BEEN LOST TO SPAIN AND THAT FOR MANY MONTHS THERE HAD BEEN NO SPANISH FLAG IN LUZON, EXCEPT THE ONE WAVING OVER BALER CHURCH. BROKEN BY STARVATION AND TROPICAL DISEASES, THE DEPLETED COMMAND ARRANGED A TRUCE WITH THE INSURGENTS AND MARCHED OUT OF THIS CHURCH ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TO MANILA ON JUNE 2, 1899. OF THE ORIGINAL GARRISON, TWO OFFICERS, THE PRIEST AND TWELVE MEN HAD DIED FROM DISEASE; TWO MEN HAD BEEN KILLED BY INSURGENT BULLETS; TWO MEN HAD BEEN EXECUTED; TWO OFFICERS AND FOURTEEN MEN HAD BEEN WOUNDED; SIX MEN HAD DESERTED. THE FORTITUDE OF THE GARRISON WAS PRAISED BY GENERAL AGUINALDO IN A PUBLIC DOCUMENT ISSUED AT TARLAC ON JUNE 20, 1899. UPON THEIR RETURN TO SPAIN THE SURVIVORS WERE REWARDED BY THE QUEEN REGENT IN THE NAME OF ALFONSO XIII AND THE SPANISH NATION.
