Nicolas Capistrano

Nicolás Capistrano y Fernández (January 7, 1864 – unknown) was a Filipino lawyer, politician and revolutionary general who fought against the Americans from 1899 to 1901 during the Philippine-American War and was later elected as a congressman and senator of the Philippines.

Early life and education Nicolás Capistrano y Fernández was born on January 7, 1864, in Angat, province of Bulacan in Luzon, to Francisco Capistrano, a gobernadorcillo of that town, and Juana Fernandez. He was the third among 11 siblings. After his studies at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Santo Tomas. In 1893, he successfully completed a bachelor's degree in law at the same educational institution. In 1894, Capistrano became a member of the Philippine Bar. From 1890 to 1896, he was principal of a private school in Manila. Capistrano was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1916 as one of the representatives of the eleventh senatorial district. Because he got fewer votes than Jose Clarin in the said district, he served a three-year term from 1916 to 1919.

Relocation of poor Filipinos to Mindanao Direct challenges to the Philippine Commission's authority regarding Mindanao continued without pause in the Philippine Assembly beginning in the late 1900s to the early 1910s. In 1910, Assembly Bill 181, aiming to promote migration to the island, was co-authored by Capistrano and Deogracias Reyes. This bill targeted the poor with property valued under 500 pesos, intending to enhance their welfare, specifically directing migration to Mindanao. The Committee on Affairs related to the Moro Province rejected the bill, noting it infringed on their jurisdiction. Despite this, Capistrano, a Misamis native and chair of the Committee for Mindanao Affairs, persisted in defending the bill, even questioning the Philippine Organic Act of 1902.

Personal life Capistrano married Cecilia Trinidad of Santa Cruz, Manila in 1895 He resided at a seaside hacienda in Gusa, Cagayan de Oro.