Rare copy of Graciano Lopez Jaena’s last newspaper found, now in Iloilo

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The copy of the more than a century-old newspaper is now housed at the University of the Philippines Visayas in Iloilo City

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – A rare surviving copy of El Látigo Nacional, the final newspaper directed by prominent Ilonggo journalist and hero Graciano López Jaena, has resurfaced more than a century after its last known circulation.

The century-old newspaper is now housed at the Center for West Visayan Studies at University of the Philippines Visayas in Iloilo City.

The rediscovery of the reformist newspaper was made by Spanish scholar Robert Sanchis Álvarez during archival research in Barcelona, Spain.

LEGACY. A rare copy of El Látigo Nacional, the final newspaper edited by national hero Graciano López Jaena, is now on display at UP Visayas in Iloilo City. courtesy of Robert Sanchis Álvarez/Facebook

Álvarez, during the public launch and archival turnover of the copy at the UP Visayas on Wednesday, May 7, said the paper – long thought lost – was found in fragile but legible condition at a flea market in late 2023.

He recalled discovering a carted stack of Republican journals, typically published by Spanish authors, where the newspaper was folded and had some tears inside the envelope.

“At first, I didn’t fully register that this was El Látigo Nacional. What sparked my interest was the name Graciano – I had some memories of that […] What struck me wasn’t just the content, but the conditions of its revival,” he said.

Álvarez said El Látigo Nacional, originally printed in Spanish, was published in 1893 in Spain during a politically volatile period marked by general elections under the Spanish Restoration system.

At the time, Jaena was an active member of the Filipino-Spanish association known as Asociación Hispano-Filipina.

The election, he added, heightened tensions between Spain and the Philippines due to the introduction of the “model law,” a reform aimed at reorganizing local governments and land administration in the Philippines.

“While it was presented as a modernization step, it was met with ambivalence and resistance on the ground – particularly by most of the propagandists,” he said.

Álvarez said Jaena launched El Látigo Nacional independently after distancing himself from La Solidaridad, a propagandist newspaper he also founded in Barcelona in 1888.

“What makes El Látigo Nacional remarkable is not only that it existed, but how it existed. Unlike earlier writings from Jaena, he speaks collectively, sometimes anonymously, echoing the joking-serious tone of contemporary satirical print culture in Spain,” he added.

The Spanish scholar described Jaena’s tone in the publication as “more performative,” adopting a satirical and critical voice, engaging with Spanish radical networks while critiquing politics and power.

“El Látigo Nacional stands as a singular intervention – a publication not simply written by a Filipino, but directed, edited, and shaped from within. It marks a moment when Jaena refused both political silence and dependency, even while in dialogue with fellow colleagues,” he added.

Álvarez noted that although the newspaper’s text remains legible, its fragile state requires careful attention.

ECHOES OF REFORM. More than a century after its last issue, Graciano López Jaena’s El Látigo Nacional surfaces. courtesy of Robert Sanchis Álvarez/Facebook

The conservation and stabilization work was led by the Special Collections team at Ateneo de Manila University. The team used acid-free paper, archival tape, and a custom plastic enclosure to ensure its preservation.

Álvarez noted that although the newspaper had a short lifespan, it was part of the broader propaganda movement, which sought equal treatment for Filipinos, representation in the Spanish Cortes, and reforms in government and church affairs.

Jaena was born on December 18, 1856, in Jaro, Iloilo, and died of tuberculosis in Spain on January 20, 1896, at the age of 39.

Republic Act No. 9070, approved on April 8, 2001, declares December 18 of every year as a special working public holiday throughout the country, known as Graciano López Jaena Day, to commemorate his birth anniversary.

In the province and city of Iloilo, December 18 is an official public holiday, during which government work and classes in public schools are suspended to honor his legacy. – Rappler.com