Finding Aid for the Villa (Simeon A.) Flight and wanderings of Emilio Aguinaldo: from his abandonment of Bayambong until his
capture in Palahan, 1899-1901
Cataloged by Jonathan Naito, with assistance from Jain Fletcher and Laurel McPhee, August 2004; machine-readable finding aid
created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
UCLA Library Special Collections staff
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
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The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Villa (Simeon A.)
Flight and wanderings of Emilio Aguinaldo: from his abandonment of Bayambong until his capture in Palahan
Date (inclusive): 1899-1901
Collection number: 170/103
Creator:
Villa, Simeon A., 18??-1945
Extent:
129 leaves : paper ; 200 x 303 mm. bound to 201 x 335 mm.
Abstract: Typewritten English translation of Colonel Simeon A. Villa's diary, which records the flight of the Philippine revolutionary
leader Emilio Aguinaldo from American forces from 1899 to 1901. While most of the diary consists of observations on the hardships
experienced by the party, attention is also given to Igorot culture, interactions between various Philippine ethnic groups,
and American and Philippine politics.
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Processing Note
Cataloged by Jonathan Naito, with assistance from Jain Fletcher and Laurel McPhee, August 2004,in the Center For Primary Research
and Training (CFPRT).
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Villa (Simeon A.)
Flight and wanderings of Emilio Aguinaldo: from his abandonment of Bayambong until his capture in Palahan (Collection 170/103). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Simeon A. Villa was born in Beata, Pandacan. He studied medicine at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines and ophthalmology
in Japan before becoming involved in revolutionary activities. He served under General Daniel Tirona in 1898, and was accused
of committing atrocities against the Spaniards, accusations he did little to deny. During the next year, he was on the personal
staff of Lieutenant-General Antonio Luna. During Aguinaldo's flight from U.S. forces, Villa was part of the revolutionary
leader's inner circle. After the capture of Aguinaldo, Villa fled to Japan to avoid imprisonment; he returned to the Philippines
in 1902. Villa died in 1945. [Source: Aguinaldo's Odyssey; as told in the diaries of Col. Simeon Villa and Dr. Santiago Barcelona
Manila: Publications of the Bureau of Public Libraries, 1963.]
Emilio Aguinaldo was born in Kawit, Cavite in 1869. He first came to national prominence by playing a central role in the
1896 Philippine uprising against Spain. After a short exile to Hong Kong in 1897, Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines, leading
a Philippine insurrection that worked in concert with American forces during the Spanish-American War. During this time, he
established the first Philippine Republic with its capital at Malolos and was elected president. At the conclusion of the
Spanish-American War, Aguinaldo led a rebellion against the American occupying forces. The American pursuit in response to
these actions is the cause of the flight described in Villa's diary. After his capture in 1901, Aguinaldo signed an oath of
allegiance to the United States and served a short prison term. Aguinaldo died in 1964. (Source: Artemio R. Guillermo and
May Kyi Win.
Historical Dictionary of the Philippines. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1997).
Nothing is known about the translator of the diary, identified only as J.C.H.
Scope and Content
This typewritten manuscript is a carbon copy of an English translation of the diary of Simeon A. Villa, one of the men who
accompanied the Philippine revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo as he attempted to flee from American soldiers in 1899-1901.
Aguinaldo and his allies find themselves on the move almost constantly, as they travel from the western coast to the eastern
coast of Northern Luzon. Much of the diary focuses on the climate, the topography, the lack of food, and rumors about American
forces or hostile natives; however, Villa also discusses the dynamics of the Philippine Revolutionary Government and Igorot
culture, with particular attention to the kañao. It also includes a short biography of Aguinaldo and many references to Villa,
Tanio, and other key figures in the revolutionary movement. The diary includes a discussion of the Philippine understanding
of American politics, especially as they concern President McKinley. The translator, "J.C.H." has added a number of explanatory
notes that seem directed to those unfamiliar with the history and culture of the Philippines, as well as commentary on the
original manuscript. The diary ends on March 22, 1901, the day before Aguinaldo, Villa, and the rest of their party were captured
by American forces in Palanan.
A certificate has been bound with the typescript. This document, written in both Tagalog and Spanish, appears to be an official
document produced by the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines (Gobierno Revolucionario de Filipinas) that confers upon
Mr. Canuto Aritao the rank of First Lieutenant of the Infantry Reserve. It is dated December 13, 1898, eleven months before
Villa's diary begins. The name "Canuto Aritao" does not appear in Villa's diary. The certificate appears in front of the typescript.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Genres and Forms of Material
Manuscripts.
Related Material
A different English-language translation of Villa's diary was published in Aguinaldo's
Odyssey; As Told in the Diaries of Col. Simeon Villa and Dr. Santiago Barcelona (Manila: Publications of the Bureau of Public Libraries, 1963).
Note
Layout: According to the translator's notes, the original was written in three volumes; the typescript includes all three
with a short note indicating the transition from one volume to the next (51r, 94r).
Script: Typescript
Binding: Library binding.
ff. 1r: portion of this leaf missing
ff. 5r: Villa's work in service of the president
ff. 9r-10r: description of the "Kanio" (i.e., kañao) or head-dance and Igorrote [Igorot] culture
ff. 21r-22r: list of those accompanying the president
ff. 23r-25r: trouble with Igorots
ff. 29r-30r: encounter with the Americans
ff. 32r-33r: description of the Kanio, continued; translator's note
ff. 35r-6r: political scandal involving General Tirona
ff. 68r-72r: biography of Aguinaldo on the occasion of his birthday; discussion of his
involvement with the Masons and Katipunan Society
ff. 72r-74r: account of Aguinaldo's birthday celebration, including a menu with translator's note
ff. 77r-82r: problems with spies and deserters
ff. 83r: diplomatic activity involving the United States and the Philippines
ff. 129r: discussion of McKinley's attempt to get Aguinaldo to surrender.