03/09/2026
Today, we commemorate the Battle of Imus of 1896, one of the victories of the Philippine Revolution in Cavite.
Among the historical objects associated with this battle is the saber known as the Aguirre Sword, a command saber associated with a commanding general. The surviving artifact bears the inscription โDe Toledo, 1869,โ indicating it was manufactured in Toledo, Spain, in 1869.
The saber belonged to Brigadier General Ernesto de Aguirre, the Spanish commander who led the reinforcement sent against the Filipino revolutionary forces in Imus. On 3 September 1896, Aguirreโs forces confronted the revolutionaries under Emilio Aguinaldo and Jose Tagle at Imus. The Spanish force was defeated, and it was during this battle that Aguirreโs Sable de Mando fell and was taken by the revolutionaries. Gen Aguinaldo took this saber as his own, becoming his Sable de Mando.
Today, this saber is more than an old weapon. It is a tangible reminder of a moment when the balance of power shifted on the battlefield of Imus โ and of the courage, strategy, and determination of the Filipino revolutionaries who fought for freedom.
We remember the Battle of Imus and the people who made this victory part of our national history.