August 30, 1850: Birth of Filipino hero Marcelo H. Del Pilar

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On August 30, 1850, Marcelo H. del Pilar was born in San Nicolas, Bulacan Province, into a financially comfortable family. His father was a gifted poet in the Tagalog language. His brother, Toribio, was a priest who was implicated in the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. Unlike some of the other priests linked to the mutiny, he avoided the death penalty and was instead exiled by Spanish authorities to Guam in the Mariana Islands.

Del Pilar was intellectually gifted. He initially attended the College of San Jose before transferring to the University of Santo Tomas. His graduation from UST was delayed for several years following a major dispute with a priest. He eventually returned to his studies and earned a law degree. He was also musically talented, playing several instruments, and was skilled in fencing and other sports.

Del Pilar married his cousin, Marciana, and the couple had seven children. His growing involvement in public affairs, politics and journalism – first in the Philippines and later in Spain – often kept him away from his family. He devoted much of his adult life to his work and advocacy.

From reformist to revolutionary

Del Pilar became an outspoken critic of Spanish colonial rule and founded a publication in Manila that challenged the colonial government and its policies. He often wrote under the pen name Plaridel. His criticism drew the attention of Spanish authorities, eventually forcing him into exile in Spain.

Spain’s larger and more progressive cities provided a more tolerant environment for Filipino intellectuals, known as ilustrados. There, they were able to publish their writings and openly discuss political and social conditions in the Philippines with greater freedom than they had under colonial rule at home.

Del Pilar became a leading figure in La Solidaridad, the newspaper of the Filipino reform movement in Spain. First published in 1889, the newspaper advocated political and social reforms in the Philippines and sought better treatment and greater rights for Filipinos under Spanish rule. Del Pilar served as its editor, while José Rizal was among its prominent contributors. La Solidaridad became a principal voice of the Propaganda Movement.

While living in Spain, Del Pilar’s health deteriorated, and he developed tuberculosis. He desperately wanted to return to the Philippines to spend his final days with his family, but he never made it home. He died at the Hospital de la Santa Cruz in Barcelona on July 4, 1896, at age 45.

For much of his career, Del Pilar believed that reforms could improve Spanish rule in the Philippines. Toward the end of his life, however, his views became more radical as hopes for meaningful reform faded, and he came to support separation from Spain.

Dennis Edward Flake is the author of three books on Philippine-American history. He is a Public Historian and former park ranger in interpretation for the National Park Service at the Eisenhower National Historic Site.