Juan Cailles
Encyclopedia
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
and Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
. He later served as a provincial politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Early life
Juan Cailles was born in Nasugbu, BatangasNasugbu, Batangas
Nasugbu is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 113,926 people in 19,615 households....
to Hippolyte Cailles, a Frenchman and María Kauppama, a woman of Indian descent to a Maharaja and a Maharani. He was the sixth child among a brood of seven. His siblings were as follows: Leon Cailles, Julia Cailles-Zialcita, Isidoro Cailles, Victoria Cailles-Molina, Julio Cailles and Cecilia Cailles-Cruz. His early education was at the house of Ovidio Caballero. He graduated from the Escuela Normal run by Jesuits in Manila. Afterwards, he became a schoolteacher in two towns in Cavite. He taught for five years in the public schools of Amaya, Tanza, and in Rosario, Cavite.
Philippine Revolution
When the premature discovery of the KatipunanKatipunan
The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from Spain through revolution. The society was initiated by Filipino patriots Andrés Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and others on the night...
in Manila forced Andres Bonifacio
Andres Bonifacio
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary. He was a founder and later Supremo of the Katipunan movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution...
to take to the field of Balintawak and raise the flag of revolt, Cailles organized a force of the fathers of his own pupils. To them, he remained Maestrong Cailles, despite his successive promotions in military rank. He took part in many encounters with the Spaniards, particularly in engagements resulting in the deaths of his superior officers, such General Candido Tria Tirona, Edilberto Evangelista, and Crispulo Aguinaldo, which facilitated his rapid promotion.
Philippine-American War
In the Battle of MabitacBattle of Mabitac
The Battle of Mabitac was an engagement in the Philippine-American War, when on September 17, 1900, Filipinos under General Juan Cailles defeated an American force commanded by Colonel Benjamin F. Cheatham, Jr....
, in Laguna Province
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...
, on September 17, 1900, Cailles’ troops outmaneuvered and routed a strong American contingent led by Colonel Cheetham. Magnanimous
Magnanimous
Magnanimous is:*an adjective referring Magnanimity*hence an epithet, used for various rulers*the music label Magnanimous Records...
in victory, Cailles allowed Cheetham to recover from the field the bodies of eight slain American soldiers, together with all their personal belongings. This treatment provided a sharp contrast to the American despoliation of General Gregorio del Pilar
Gregorio del Pilar
Gregorio del Pilar y Sempio was one of the youngest generals in the Philippine Revolutionary Forces during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War. He is most known for his role and death at the Battle of Tirad Pass...
’s corpse in the Battle of Tirad Pass
Battle of Tirad Pass
The Battle of Tirad Pass, sometimes referred to as the "Philippine Thermopylae", was a battle in the Philippine-American War fought on December 2, 1899, in northern Luzon in the Philippines, in which a 60-man Filipino rearguard commanded by Brigadier General Gregorio del Pilar succumbed to 500...
on December 2, 1899.
After serving as acting chief of operations in the first zone of Manila during the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
, Cailles was appointed by Aguinaldo as military governor of Laguna and half of Tayabas (now Quezon) province. The capture of Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela, on March 23, 1901, convinced Cailles that the war was lost, and so he surrendered to the Americans on June 20.
Postwar
Cailles then directed his efforts toward rebuilding the country. He served as governor of Laguna from 1901 to 1910, and again from 1916 to 1925. After his second gubernatorial term, he was appointed representative of the Mountain Province in the Philippine Legislature in 1925 and reappointed in 1928. In 1931, Cailles was again selected governor of Laguna, and reelected in 1934.It was during his term as governor that the Sakdal uprising flared up on May 2, 1935, in Santa Rosa and Cabuyao, Laguna. The revolt was suppressed in record time, thanks to Cailles’ firm administration and revolutionary experience. Cailles had also a hand in the capture of Teodoro Asedillo, the "Terror of the Sierra".
Cailles died on June 28, 1951, a victim of heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.