Often called the "Brains of the Katipunan". Emilio Jacinto was the young adviser to Andres Bonifacio.

Emilio Jacinto was born on December 15, 1875 in Trozo, Manila; his father was Mariano Jacinto and his mother was Josefa Dizon. He died at the early age of 24 at his secret headquaraters in Majayjay, Laguna, where he got a virulent case of malaria.

Jacinto wrote the Kartilya ng Katipunan (Primer of the Katipunan), the oath of the pledges , "Sa Mga Kababayan" and "Pahayag" and "A La Patria" ) which considered to be the best poem he wrote. He founded and edited the Kalayaan, the newspaper of the Katipunan newspaper

In Agust 30, 1896, the Katipunan launched its first attack on a Spanish garrison at San Juan del Monte. By that time, Rizal had been sentenced to exile in Dapitan and Jacinto was assigned to rescue Rizal who was then confined aboard a Spanish warship to Cuba. Jacinto disguised himself as a Chinese coolie and succeeded in boarding the vessel. Rizal refused to the rescue for reasons that are still the subject of debates.

In February 1898, he was wounded in the thigh during a skirmish with the Spanish cazadores (riflemen) in Maimpis, Laguna and was taken to the Catholic Church of Magdalena. He was taken to the Church of Santa Cruz where a Spanish surgeon kindly ministered to his wound. To avoid capture by the Spanish military authorities, Jacinto used a pass that belonged to a Filipino spy named Florentino Reyes who was captured before the battle in Maimpis.

Heeding the urgent appeal of the Katipuneros in Laguna who asked Jacinto to lead them, he established his secret headquarters in the hills of Majayjay where he died on April 16, 1899.

Emilio Jacinto (December 15, 1875 - April 16, 1899), was a Filipino revolutionary known as the Brains of the Katipunan.

Born in Trozo,Tondo, Manila. Emilio Jacinto was the son of Mariano Jacinto and Josefa Dizon. His father died shortly after Jacinto was born, forcing his mother to send him to his uncle, Don José Dizon, so that he might have a better standard of living.

Jacinto was fluent in both Spanish and Tagalog, but preferred to speak in Spanish. He attended San Juan de Letran College, and later transferred to the University of Santo Tomas. The young Emilio showed his gratitude to his mother by helping her in household chores. He also studied very hard to get himself a good education. He dreamt of becoming a lawyer someday. But at eighteen, he joined the Katipunan and became its youngest member. When his mother learned about his membership in revolutionary society, she pleaded him to leave the organization. "Our country needs young people like myself, mother. I know father would have been proud of me if he were alive today," said Emilio to his mother.

Jacinto became an important member of the secret society. He was elected secretary of the Katipunan's supreme council. Later he became the member of its three-man secret chamber. His intelligence and dedication so impressed Andres Bonifacio that the Katipunan Supremo (supreme leader) took the young Jacinto, who was twelve years his junior, to be his personal adviser.

Jacinto edited the newspaper the Kalayaan, the secret society's mouthpiece, whose publication helped swell the members of the Katipunan from 300 to 30, 000 just before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. He wrote the primer of Katipunan known as the Kartilla. Bonifacio and Jacinto became good friends. In one of their encounters with the Spaniards in Balara, Bonifacio shielded Jacinto from an oncoming bullet. The bullet grazed the collar of the Katipunan supremo was saved from harm.

Jacinto had neither new clothes nor a spotlessly clean pair of shoes during his graduation. But the Philippine history acknowledges him as the Brains of the Katipunan.

After Bonifacio's death, Jacinto continued fighting the Spaniards. Like General Mariano Álvarez, he refused to join the forces of General Emilio Aguinaldo. He contracted malaria and died in Majayjay, Laguna, at the age of 24. His remains were later transferred to the Manila North Cemetery.

Emilio Jacinto
(1875-1899)

Brains of the Katipunan. Born in Trozo, Manila, on December 15, 1875. He joined the Katipunan in 1894 and became Bonifacio's trusted friend and adviser. He wrote the Kartilya ng Katipunan, the primer of the Katipunan which embodied the teachings of the organization. He founded and edited the Katipunan newspaper, Kalayaan, whose first issue came out in January 1896. Died on April 16, 1899. He was one of the heroic figures in Philippine history.