Gregorio del Pilar y Sempio was one of the youngest generals in the Philippine
Revolutionary Forces during the Philippine Revolution and the
Philippine–American War. He is most known for his successful assault on the
Spanish barracks of Cazadores in the municipality of Paombong and his last
stand at the Battle of Tirad Pass. Because of his youth, he became known as
the "Boy General." Early life and education
Born on November 14, 1875 to Fernando H. del Pilar and Felipa Sempio of Bulacan,
Bulacan, the fifth among six siblings. He was the nephew of propagandist
Marcelo H. del Pilar and Toribio H. del Pilar, who was exiled in Guam for his
involvement in the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. "Goyong", as he was casually known,
studied at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, where he received his bachelor's
degree in 1896, at the age of 20. When the Philippine Revolution against
Spanish rule broke out in August under the leadership of Andres Bonifacio, del
Pilar joined the insurgency. He distinguished himself as a field
commander while fighting Spanish garrisons in Bulacan.
Military career On December 28, 1896, he participated in
an attack in Kakarong de Sili—Pandi, Bulacan on a town inimical to the
Katipunan. On January 1, 1897, he was among the defenders when a Spanish
counterattack retook the town, receiving a slight wound when a bullet grazed his
forehead. His courage and bravery in that action won him recognition and a
promotion to the rank of Lieutenant. In August 1897, then a Captain, he met with
Emilio Aguinaldo in his Biak-na-bato headquarters and proposed an attack on a
Spanish garrison in Paombong, Bulacan. Aguinaldo approved his plan and the
attack was successfully carried out with the capture of 14 Mauser rifles. Shortly
thereafter, Aguinaldo raised him to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After the
Pact of Biak-na-Bato, he went into exile in Hong Kong with Aguinaldo and other
revolutionary leaders. After Americans defeated the Spanish in
the Battle of Manila Bay during Spanish–American War, Aguinaldo, del
Pilar, and other exiled leaders returned to the Philippines. Aguinaldo named del
Pilar Dictator of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija provinces.
On June 24, 1898, he accepted the Spanish surrender of his home town of
Bulacan. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier
General. When the Philippine-American War broke
out in February 1899, following the cession of the Philippines by Spain to
the United States in the Treaty of Paris of 1898, del Pilar led his troops to a
victory over Major Franklin Bell in the first phase of the Battle of Quingua on
April 23, 1899. During the battle, his forces repelled a cavalry charge and
killed the highly respected Colonel John M. Stotsenburg, after whom Clark Air
Base was originally named. Death
On December 2, 1899, del Pilar led 60 Filipino soldiers of Aguinaldo's rear
guard in the Battle of Tirad Pass against the "Texas Regiment", the 33rd
Infantry Regiment of the United States led by Peyton C. March. A delaying
action to cover Aguinaldo's retreat, the five-hour standoff resulted in Del
Pilar's death from a shot to the neck, either at the height or at end of the
fighting, depending on eyewitness accounts. Del Pilar's body was later
despoiled and robbed by the victorious American soldiers. Del Pilar's body lay
unburied for days, exposed to the elements. While retracing the trail, an
American officer, Lt. Dennis P. Quinlan, gave the body a traditional U.S.
military burial. Upon del Pilar's tombstone, Quinlan inscribed, "An
Officer and a Gentleman". In 1930, del Pilar's body was exhumed
and was identified by the gold tooth and braces he had installed while in exile
in Hong Kong. Memorials
Fort Del Pilar, home of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio, is named
after him. In 1944, the Japanese-sponsored
Philippine republic of President Jose P. Laurel issued the Tirad Pass Medal
commemorating the battle and del Pilar's sacrifice. A bust of General del Pilar
occupies the center of the obverse side of the medal. The Tirad Pass Medal was
the only award issued to recognize service to the Laurel government during
the Japanese occupation. In 1955, the municipality of Concepcion
in Ilocos Sur was renamed in his honor. In 2011, the newest member of the
Philippine Navy, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, was named after him. The ship is a
patrol frigate. In popular culture
His life was shown in the Philippine TV news show Case Unclosed as its 13th
episode. Portrayed by Romnick Sarmenta in the
1997 film, Tirad Pass: The Story of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar.
Portrayed by Felix Roco in the 2012 film, El Presidente.
Portrayed by Paulo Avelino in the 2015 film, Heneral Luna.
See also Gregorio del Pilar class frigate,
Philippine Navy BRP Gregorio del Pilar, Philippine Navy
frigate References
= Notes= = Citations=
Kalaw, Teodoro Manguiat. An Acceptable Holocaust: Life and Death of a
Boy-General. National Historical Commission.
= Further reading= Zaide, Gregorio F.. Philippine History
and Government. National Bookstore Printing Press.
External links General Gregorio Del Pilar - Philippine
Military Academy General Goyo: The Gregorio del Pilar
Story 1 - GMA News Philippines on YouTube
General Goyo: The Gregorio del Pilar Story 2 - GMA News Philippines on
YouTube Tirad Pass: The Story of Gen. Gregorio
del Pilar at the Internet Movie Database