Battle of Pulang Lupa Day in Marinduque Date in the current year: September 13, 2024

The Philippine-American War almost immediately followed the conclusion of the Philippine Revolution and the Spanish-American War, when Spain transferred control over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States according to the 1898 Treaty of Paris. Tensions between the United States and the First Philippine Republic escalated until a full-scale war broke out on February 4, 1899.

After several months of traditional warfare, where Filipino forces suffered heavy losses from the better equipped and trained Americans, General Emilio Aguinaldo realized that he needed to change his approach and switch to guerrilla warfare, surprising the Americans with ambushes and raids. The Battle of Pulang Lupa occurred during the guerrilla phase of the Philippine-American War.

On September 11, 1900, U.S. Captain Devereux Shields led an infantry detachment into the mountains near Torrijos, Marinduque to combat a guerrilla force led by Colonel Maximo Abad. The Americans experienced little success, only dispersing a small group of Filipino guerrillas, which made the guerrillas aware of their presence and gave them time to prepare an attack.

Abad assembled his entire force, which consisted of 180-250 rifleman and 1,000-2,000 bolomen, and positioned his men along a steep ridge that Shields and his men were planning to cross. The Americans had little real combat experience and were easily ambushed. Abad’s rifleman engaged Shields’s column in a firefight while his bolomen began maneuvering to surround the enemy.

Upon noticing that his column was almost completely surrounded, Shields ordered a withdrawal. Abad’s guerrillas pursued the Americans for nearly four miles and eventually cornered them in a small rice field and opened fire again. After being wounded, Shields realized he could not win this battle and surrendered. Four of Shields’s men were killed, and the rest were taken hostage.

The Battle of Pulang Lupa resulted in one of the worst defeats that the Americans suffered during the Philippino-American War, especially given its proximity to the upcoming presidential election in the United States, the outcome of which was thought to have a significant effect on the war. The Americans got their revenge on the guerrillas by harassing the civilian population in Marinduque, which eventually caused Abad and his men to surrender.

Even though the Philippines eventually lost the war, the Battle of Pulang Lupa is considered a symbol of Filipino resistance against American colonization and widely regarded as one of the most important events in the history of the Philippines. September 13 was designated as Battle of Pulang Lupa Day in the province of Marinduque to commemorate this important victory and honor the bravery and sacrifice of Filipino revolutionaries who fought against American forces.