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Apolinario Mabini Facts & Worksheets

Apolinario Mabini was a Filipino revolutionary hero who made great contributions for his country.

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Apolinario Mabini, a Filipino revolutionary hero, made great contributions for his country. He may not have been able to fight on the battlefield, but he used his wisdom and pen and paper to motivate the people to fight for independence. He was known as the “Brains of the Revolution” and the “Sublime Paralytic”.

See the fact file below for more information on Apolinario Mabini or alternatively, you can download our 28-page Apolinario Mabini worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Early Life

  • Apolinario Mabini was born in Tanauan, Batangas on July 23, 1864.
  • His father, Inocencio Leon Mabini, was an illiterate peasant while his mother, Dionisia Maranan Magpantay, was a vendor at the Tanauan market. 
  • They had 8 children together and Apolinario Mabini was the second of them. 
  • Rather than his parents paying for his education, Apolinario Mabini was able to study due to his academic standing and capabilities. 
  • He attended a historical school in Lipa which was headed by Father Valerio Malabanan. 
  • In 1881, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, a college located in Manila, gave him a scholarship. 
  • His mother originally wanted him to be a priest, but priesthood was not for him. 
  • He studied law because of his desire to help and defend the poor. 
  • After he graduated with his undergraduate bachelor’s degree with high honors and received recognition as a Professor of Latin, he entered the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to pursue law. 
  • Apolinario Mabini faced discrimination from his classmates and professors due to his shabby clothing that showed he was poor. 
  • He was once picked by his professor but amazed him when he showed his brilliance after a series of difficult questions were thrown at him and he answered them easily. 
  • It took him a long time to earn his degree as he was also working while studying to provide for his needs. 
  • He finally completed his degree in law in 1894.
  • In the next year, he was admitted to the bar.
  • After his graduation, he joined the Guild of lawyers and worked at the notary public office. 
  • Apolinario Mabini’s contributions to  Philippine history mostly involved the law. 

Organizations

  • In 1892, Apolinario Mabini became a member of a lodge of the Philippine Masonry. 
  • He went by the nickname “Katabay” and was the Regional Grand Council’s Grand Orator.
  • The next year, he joined La Liga Filipina which was revived after Jose Rizal, the founder, was arrested in 1892. 
  • He was appointed as its secretary.  
  • La Liga Filipina was split into two when the revolutionary members came into different opinions. 
  • The Cuerpo de Compromisarios, which consisted of the conservatives, aimed to continue supporting La Solidaridad while a new and secret organization called Katipunan, which was led by Andres Bonifacio, aimed to gain independence through revolution.
  • Apolinario Mabini was under Cuerpo de Compromisarios, but he had a change in mind when Jose Rizal was executed. 
  • He gave his full support to the revolution.
  • In 1895, Apolinario Mabini suffered from polio which led to him becoming paralyzed in January 1896. 

Revolution

  • Apolinario Mabini was arrested together with several members of La Liga Filipina when the Spanish authorities discovered the plans of the Katipunan. 
  • At this time, the first phase of the 1896 Revolution had begun too.
  • Jose Rizal and the thirteen patriots, who were called “Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite”, were executed, but Apolinario Mabini was released when the Spanish authorities saw that he was paralyzed. 
  • After the arrest, he was sent to hospital but was still in bad shape for quite some time. 
  • In 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo asked him to serve as an adviser to the revolution. 
  • He arranged for Apolinario Mabini to be brought in Kawit Cavite from Los Baños, Laguna where he tried to search for the medicinal properties of hot springs.
  • On his way, he was carried in a hammock by several men.
  • After the Philippines gained independence from Spain on June 12,  1898, Apolinario Mabini continued to serve as Emilio Aguinaldo’s chief adviser. 
  • He edited the First Philippine Republic constitution, which included the framework of the revolutionary government, and also drafted decrees. 
  • Emilio Aguinaldo returned in May 1898 to the Philippines from his exile in Hong Kong and asked Apolinario Mabini to help him establish a government. 
  • Apolinario Mabini made the decree that established the Dictatorial Government of the Philippines. 
  • He also made a decree which formalized the change from a Dictatorial Government to a Revolutionary government. 
  • His persuasion of the president earned him the nicknames “Dark Chamber of the President” from his critics, and “the Sublime Paralytic” from his supporters. 
  • Apolinario Mabini’s enemies’ jealousy led them to slander him by starting a rumor that his paralysis was caused by syphilis and not polio. 
  • Despite this, Apolinario Mabini continued working hard.
  • After the promulgation on January 21, 1899 of the Malolos Constitution which was the constitution of the First Philippine Republic, he became the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
  • During this time, the Philippines almost had another war.
  • On March 6, 1899, Apolinario Mabini started negotiating with the Americans. 
  • He tried negotiating for the autonomy of the country and ceasefire but the US refused. 
  • He tried to negotiate with an armistice this time, but still failed. 
  • Apolinario Mabini was frustrated and thought the Americans were not actually trying to negotiate. 
  • He supported the war and, on May 7, 1899, resigned from the government. 
  • Emilio Aguinaldo declared war on June 2, 1899. 
  • Apolinario Mabini fled to Nueva Ecija when war was declared, but on December 10, 1899, he was captured by the Americans and became their prisoner in Manila until September 1900.
  • In January 5, 1901, he was released, and just after, he published a newspaper article entitled “El Simil de Alejandro”, or “The Resemblance of Alejandro”. He wrote:

“Man, whether or not he wishes, will work and strive for those rights with which Nature has endowed him, because these rights are the only ones which can satisfy the demands of his own being. To tell a man to be quiet when a necessity not fulfilled is shaking all the fibers of his being is tantamount to asking a hungry man to be filled while taking the food which he needs.”

Death

  • Apolinario Mabini caught cholera which was rampant at the time and died at 38 years old on May 13, 1903. 
  • Even before this, Apolinario Mabini remained patriotic to his country.
  • In his remaining months, he continued showing his support by speaking and writing for Philippine independence.

Tributes

  • To honor Apolinario Mabini, shrines, museums, and monuments have been made for him.
  • Municipalities, schools, roads, a bridge, a naval vessel, and even a reef have been named after him.
  • Apolinario Mabini’s face is also reflected in the Philippine ten-peso bill which has now been turned into a coin.
  • The Gawad Mabini is awarded to Filipinos for foreign service and promotion of the Philippines abroad.
  • This was established and made in honor of Mabini since he was the First Philippine Republic’s first Secretary of Foreign Affairs. 
  • Every year, the Apolinario Mabini Award is given to outstanding Filipinos with disabilities.

Apolinario Mabini Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Apolinario Mabini across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Apolinario Mabini was known as the “Brains of the Revolution” and the “Sublime Paralytic”.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Apolinario Mabini Facts
  • Show Me the Emoji
  • Play Money
  • X Truth and X Lie
  • “Yearbook”
  • Daily News
  • Profile
  • Poem
  • Awards Night
  • Patriotism
  • Quotes

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Link will appear as Apolinario Mabini Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 8, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.