(1869-1919)
A
distinguished scholar, parliamentarian, journalist, and "Father of
Manila's City Charter," Macario Adriatico was born in Calapan, Mindoro on March
10, 1869. His father was Luciano Adriatico, a Caviteņo who worked as Clerk of
the Court of First Instance of Mindoro. His mother was Natalia Gonzales.
He went to Manila in 1882 for further studies.
He tried to enter the Ateneo Municipal, but was rejected because he had come
too late for registration. He, therefore, attended the private school of
Hipolito Magsalin, where he improved his knowledge of Spanish and Latin. Later,
he enrolled at the "Institute Burgos" of Enrique Mendiola, and
afterwards went to San Juan de Letran where he completed his Bachelor of Arts
in 1889 with the highest honors.
At the University of Santo Tomas, he first
took up medicine but then shifted to law and philosophy and letters. After
passing the bar examinations in 1902, he began to practice law. He also went
into journalism. He began writing for La Moda La Filipina and later became
editor of the Diario de Filipinas and of La Independencia in 1907. An indefatigable
writer, he also found time to contribute articles to El Renacimienlo, La
Cultura Filipina, El ideal and others. He used the pen-names C. Amaori, Felipe
Malayo, Gat Rombiason, Maquiavello, Francachella and McYoer. Among his
outstanding works were Scientific Liberty and articles published in Domus
Aurea.
Although Filipinos were not allowed to form
literary societies or found newspapers, Adriatico decided to form a secret
society of more than 50 members. He called it the "Academy ot Spanish
Language and Literature."
Adriatico participated actively in the
second stage of the Philippine Revolution. On July 21, 1898, he helped the
revolutionary forces from Batangas sent by General Aguinaldo to capture the
remaining Spanish troops in Calapan. After the liberation of Mindoro, he
organized an expeditionary force that liberated Romblon from the Spaniards.
After the establishment of the First
Philippine Republic, he continued his military activities. From the start of
the Filipino-American War on Februry 4, 1899 until 1901, he was Comandante de
Estado Mayor (Major in the General Staff) of the Filipino Army in Panay.
Like Rizal, Adriatico studied stenography in
order to save time in note-taking. He found this knowledge useful when he had
to interview people for his paper.
As a politician, he organized the
Conservative Party whose chief aims were to preserve the Hispanic heritage of
the Filipino people and to work for the independence of the Philippines. The
party failed to gain popularity, however, and so he helped form the Partido
Independencia Inmediatista (Immediate Independence Party). He was elected party
secretary and served in that capacity until a merger was effected with the
Nationalist Union. The merger became the Nacionalista Party.
When the first Philippine Assembly was
organized in 1907, he became a delegate for Mindoro and served for three
consecutive terms. In 1908, he authored Act No. 176, the original Manila City
Charter. He also sponsored a bill creating two political districts in Manila.
As
majority floor leader and chairman of the powerful committee on appropriations,
he participated in deliberations on the reorganization of various government
bureaus. He also participated in the debates on divorce and capital punishment,
issues which threatened to divide the Assembly into two opposing factions. It
is said that, by his sheer eloquence, he was once able to convince striking
workers and capitalists to assemble in a mammoth meeting at the Manila Grand
Opera House to settle their differences.
In
recognition of his brilliant literary talents and mastery of the Castilian
language, Adriatico won severalacadernic laurels, including a much-coveted
membership in the Royal Academy of Madrid. The Philippine government rewarded
him for his distinguished scholarship and parliamentary leadership by
appointing him the first Filipino director of the Philippine Library and Museum
(now separated into the National Library, the National Museum and the National
Archives.) It was a position he held from 1917 to 1919.
He
died in Manila on April 14, 1919, at the age of 50, survived by his wife, Paula
Lazaro of Bocaue, and ten children (eight daugthers and two sons).
In
1964, the Manila City Council changed the name of Dakota Street to Macario Adriatico in his honor.