Commemorating General Miguel Malvar: 159 years of Filipino valor

The 13 months that transpired between the capture of Aguinaldo and the surrender of Miguel Malvar are, without question, the most celebrated period in Batangas’ history. Long after most of the Philippines had been pacified, the Batangueño guerrillas held out, sustained by a substantial sector of the non-combatant population. During this time, the province of Batangas came to symbolize Filipino resistance, and the name Miguel Malvar became synonymous with Filipino defiance. However, as is always the case with lost causes, the price to be paid for such valor was high. To quash the resisters of the southern Tagalog region, the US Army ultimately resorted to extreme measures. Had the Batangueños been less dogged, they would have suffered less.

— Glenn Anthony May, author, Battle of Batangas #ProjectLarawan. Profiles of the Filipino.

One portrait at a time.

Project Larawan is an initiative of Gabriel “Gabby” Malvar, a documentary filmmaker, writer and photographer, whose narratives are nuanced with unique, inventive perspectives to provoke an inquisitive look at his favorite subject, the Philippines. Become a part of Filipino identity every other Saturday on the DAILY TRIBUNE.