The Sleepy Town of Pandi Bulacan

Pandi is a 3rd class urban municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 60,637 inhabitants (48,088 people in 9,817 households in census 2000).

Pandi is historically known for the Real de Kakarong de Sili Shrine, the site where the bloodiest revolution in Bulacan took place, where more than 3,000 Katipunero revolutionaries died. Likewise, it is on this site where the Republic of Real de Kakarong de Sili of 1896, one of the first Philippine revolutionary republics, was established.

Pandi is the youngest town in Bulacan. During the Spanish days it formed part of the vast Santa Maria de Pandi Estate, which included the towns of Santa Maria and Balagtas and parts of Angat and Bustos. The present site of the Municipal building was then enclosed with high and massive walls similar to the famous Walls of Intramuros, which served as the center of power and activities of the Spanish friars who owned and administered the haciendas. Politically, however, Pandi was then a part of the town Balagtas (then Bigaa until its formal separation and independence on April 17, 1946.

According to available records including the biography of General Gregorio del Pilar entitled "Life and Death of a Boy General" written by Teodoro Kalaw, former director of the National Library, a fort was constructed at Kakarong de Sili that was like a miniature city. It had streets, an independent police force, a musical band, a factory of falconets, bolos and repair shops for rifles and cartridges.

The "Kakarong Republic" had a complete set of officials with Canuto Villanueva as Supreme Chief and "Maestrong Sebio" as Captain-General of the Army. The fort was attacked and totally destroyed on January 1, 1897 by a large Spanish force headed by General Olaguer-Feliu. Gen. Del Pilar was only a lieutenant at that time and the Battle of Kakarong de Sili was his first "baptism of fire".

The actual site of the "Battle of Kakarong de Sili" is now a part of the Barangay of Real de Kakarong where the Kakarong Lodge No. 168 of the Legionarios del Trabajo in memory of the 1,200 Katipuneros who perished in the battle erected a monument of the "Inang Pilipina" in 1924. No less than one of the greatest generals in the Philippine history, General Emilio Aguinaldo, visited this sacred ground in the late fifties.

Photos of Poblacion Pandi :

  





Pls see also my other postings about Pandi :

Villa Concepcion Resort at Pandi Bulacan
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2007/08/villa-concepcion-resort-at-pandi_04.html

Pandi Bulacan Photo Journal
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2007/06/pandi-bulacan-photo-journal.html

History and Photos of Kakarong Republic - Pandi Bulacan
http://jibrael.blogspot.com/2007/05/history-and-photos-of-kakarong-republic.html


Youtube Videos of Pandi :

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