Pío del Pilar

Who was Pío del Pilar?

Pío del Pilar was a revolutionary general of the Philippines. He was born as Pío Isidro y Castañeda. To safeguard his family and prevent them from harassment, he changed his surname to del Pilar. He was born in Barrio Culi-culi, San Pedro de Macati on 11 July 1860.

In May 1896, he joined the Katipunan and formed a chapter called Matagumpay, taking the symbolic name Pang-una. He was, however, arrested by the Spanish authorities who tried to force him to reveal the roster of the Katipunan.

He designed a war flag for his chapter, a blood-red flag with a white triangle with the letter "K" in each angle, and in the middle, a half sun with seven rays.

He led a group of rebels in the Battle of Binakayan on November 9, 1896, capturing the town from Spanish authorities.

His last battle was with the Americans, in the town of Morong. He fought bravely but he and his men were defeated and captured.

He died on 21 June 1931 at the age of 65 due to lingering illness.