Did you know General Jose Ignacio Paua?
General Jose Ignacio Paua was the only pure-blooded Chinese general who fought against the Spaniards during the Philippine Revolution.
He supported the Katipunan and was a member of the Magdalo faction and backed General Emilio Aguinaldo against the Americans.
General Jose Ignacio Paua was born on April 29, 1872, in Fujian, China.
In 1890, he went to the Philippines with his uncle to seek his fortune and became a blacksmith’s apprentice in Binondo in Manila.
During the Philippine Revolution, he repaired lantakas or native cannons, and other weapons.
General Paua once told his wife and children,
I want to live long enough to see the independence of our beloved country and
to behold the Filipino flag fly proudly and alone in our skies.
Jose Ignacio Paua died of cancer on May 24, 1926, in Manila.
Among the prominent battles in which General Jose Ignacio Paua participated are the following:
- Binakayan battle on November 9 to November 11, 1896, which resulted in a Filipino
victory. - Imus battle on September 3 to September 5, 1896, which resulted in a Filipino
victory. - Zapote Bridge battle on February 17, 1897, which resulted in a Filipino victory.
- Perez Dasmarinas battle on February 15 to March 24, 1897, resulted in a
Spanish victory. - Tres De Abril battle on April 3, 1898, resulted in a Filipino/Cebuano victory.