First Philippine Republic abandons Malolos for San Isidro

Background. The First Philippine Republic, established in Malolos, Bulacan, through the promulgation of the Malolos Constitution on January 23, 1899, faced mounting pressure from American forces. After the failure of the Filipino counterattack to retake Manila on February 23, 1899, the Americans still regarded their position as unsafe, since Filipino forces in Marikina threatened Manila more than the forces in Malolos.

Relocation to San Isidro. On March 29, 1899, General Emilio Aguinaldo arrived in Nueva Ecija and declared San Isidro as the temporary capital of the First Philippine Republic. This decision followed the imminent threat to Malolos, where the government had been headquartered since its inauguration. The move marked a strategic shift in the republic's administrative center as military pressures intensified in the region.

Capture of Malolos. After resting at Guiguinto, Bulacan, from March 29 to 30, 1899, the American division under MacArthur pushed towards the suburbs of Malolos, reaching there by the afternoon of March 30. On March 31, 1899, the Americans captured Malolos. That same day, Aguinaldo ordered General Antonio Luna to set the Malolos Church, including its huge silver altar, on fire as part of a scorched earth policy. In a letter sent by the Philippine Republic to the Filipino Junta in Hong Kong on April 18, 1899, the Republic itself stated that the fall of Malolos did not significantly affect the Filipino forces' ability to wage war.