Siege of Santa Cruz
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(2 months, 6 days)
changes Filipino revolutionaries liberate Laguna
| Siege of Santa Cruz | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Philippine Revolution | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Dictatorial Government of the Philippines |
 Spanish Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Paciano Rizal Severino Taiño Jacinto Talcon |
Mariano Albertí Don Antonio del Rio | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 10,000 men[1]: 430 |
700 cazadores infantry 2 gunboats[1]: 430 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown, heavy |
Entire force surrendered 2 gunboats surrendered[1]: 430 | ||||||||
The siege of Santa Cruz was launched by Filipino forces led by General Paciano Rizal, brother of political activist and writer Jose Rizal against a Spanish garrison in Santa Cruz, Laguna, Philippines. The siege took place until the garrison finally surrendered to the besieging Filipino force. It took place between 24 June and 30 August 1898, during the waning days of the Philippine Revolution.
When Filipino forces led by Emilio Aguinaldo liberated all of Cavite from Spanish control by the end of May 1898, the nearby provinces including Laguna were set to be next. Accordingly, starting June, Laguneño insurgents who joined the war of liberation in Cavite returned after its liberation, and as they returned to their home province their numbers were subsequently increased as huge numbers of local Laguneños rose up in rebellion.
Just a year before, disgusted and disillusioned with the death of his brother, Paciano Rizal joined the revolutionary movement and was subsequently appointed by Aguinaldo as brigadier general and was elected Secretary of Finance in the Departmental Government of Central Luzon.[2] As the war once again intensified concurrently, he would use his position as the provincial revolutionary chief commander to organize an army to liberate Laguna. His efforts paid off when he captured his hometown Calamba with his army, and with reinforcements forthcoming he soon set his sights on the provincial capital of Santa Cruz, the last town in Laguna still remaining in Spanish control.