Juan Cailles

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Juan Cailles
Governor of Laguna
In office 1945–1945
Preceded by	Marcelo Zorilla
Succeeded by	Augusto de Castro
In office 1932–1938
Preceded by	Tomas Dizon
Succeeded by	Arsenio Bonifacio
In office 1916–1925
Preceded by	Marcos Paulino
Succeeded by	Feliciano Gomez
In office 1902–1910
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Potenciano Malvar
In office 1899–1901
Appointed by	Emilio Aguinaldo
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Himself
Member of the House of Representatives from Mountain Province's at-large district
In office October 1925 – June 2, 1931
Appointed by	Leonard Wood (1925) Henry L. Stimson (1928)
Preceded by	Miguel Cornejo
Succeeded by	Juan Gaerlan
Personal details
Born	Juan Cailles y Kauppama (1871-11-10)November 10, 1871 Nasugbu, Batangas, Captaincy General of the Philippines
Died	June 28, 1951(1951-06-28) (aged 79) Ermita, Manila, Philippines
Resting place	Libingan ng mga Bayani
Political party	Democratic Alliance (1945)
Other political affiliations	Nacionalista (1935–1945) Democrata (1917–1935) Progresista (1907–1917) Federalista (1900–1907) Independent (1899–1900)
Spouse	Emilia Trinidad Prudente
Domestic partners	Jacinta Vallejo Zaera Pelagia Vallejo María Ballesteros Zosima Mariano Paz Pagkatipunan Cornelia Manongsong María Consolacion Sunga
Children	12
Military service
Allegiance	First Philippine Republic Republic of Biak-na-Bato Katipunan (Magdiwang)
Branch/service	Philippine Revolutionary Army
Years of service	1896–1901
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	Philippine Revolution Battle of Alapan Philippine–American War Battle of Mabitac

Juan Cailles y Kauppama (November 10, 1871 – June 28, 1951) was a Filipino general and politician. A member of the revolutionary movement Katipunan,^[1] he was a commanding officer of the Philippine Revolutionary Army who served during the Philippine Revolution and Philippine–American War. He later served as a provincial governor of Laguna and a representative from Mountain Province.

Cailles was born in Nasugbu, Batangas, to Hippolyte Auguste Cailliez (Spanish: Hipólito Agosto Cailles y Michelot), who was born on November 5, 1837 in Valmondois, France,^[2] and Maria Kauppama (Spanish: María Caupama) of Srirangapatna in what was then British India. He was the fifth of seven children together with siblings León, Julia, Isidoro, Julio, Victoria and Cecilia.^[3]

His early education was at the house of Olvidio Caballero and he graduated from the Jesuit-run Escuela Normal in Manila (now Ateneo de Manila University).^[4]

He became a teacher and taught for five years in the public schools of Amaya, Tanza and Rosario, Cavite.^[4]

When the premature discovery of the Katipunan in Manila forced its Supremo, Andrés Bonifacio to start the Philippine Revolution, Cailles organized a force composed of his pupils' fathers. To them, he remained Maestrong Cailles despite his successive promotions in military rank.

He took part in many encounters with the Spaniards, particularly in engagements resulting in the deaths of his superior officers, such General Candido Tria Tirona, Edilberto Evangelista, and Crispulo Aguinaldo, which caused his rapid promotion. With the Pact of Biak-na-Bato in 1897, hostilities ceased.

At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, American forces arrived in the Philippines, defeating the Spanish at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, subsequently seizing the capital during the Battle of Manila of 1898. The Philippine–American War broke out in February 1899 with the 1899 Battle of Manila.^[4]

Cailles succeeded General Paciano Rizal as Laguna's military commander in July 1900 at the height of incisive attacks by the American forces.^[5] Cailles formed six military columns led by Lt. Col. Regino Diaz Relova (Pila, Bay, Calauan and Los Baños), General Severino Taino (San Pedro, Biñan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao and Calamba), Lt. Canuto Aritao (Lumbang, Longos, San Antonio, Paete, Pakil and Pangil), Major Roman Dimayuga/Lt. Col. Pedro Caballes (Santa Cruz, Pagsanjan, Cavinti, Luisiana and Majayjay), Col. Julio Infante (Magdalena, Liliw, Rizal, Nagcarlan and San Pablo), and Lt. Col. Fidel Angeles (who died in the Battle of Mabitac) in Siniloan, Mabitac and Santa Maria.

On September 17, 1900, Cailles' troops outmaneuvered and routed a strong American contingent led by a Colonel Cheetham during the Battle of Mabitac in Laguna Province. Magnanimous in victory, Cailles allowed Cheetham to recover the bodies of eight slain Americans from the field, together with all their personal belongings.

After serving as acting chief of operations in the first zone of Manila during the War, Cailles was appointed by Emilio Aguinaldo as military governor of Laguna and half of Tayabas (now Quezon Province). Aguinaldo's capture in Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1901, convinced Cailles that the war was lost, leading to his own surrender to American troops on June 20.

Cailles then directed his efforts toward rebuilding the country. He served as governor of Laguna^[6]: 507 from 1901 to 1910 and again from 1916 to 1925. After his second term, he was appointed representative of the Mountain Province in the Philippine Legislature in 1925 and reappointed in 1928. In 1931, Cailles was again selected governor of Laguna and reelected in 1934.^[7]

It was during his term as governor that the Sakdal uprising flared up on May 2, 1935, in Santa Rosa and Cabuyao, Laguna. The revolt was suppressed in record time, thanks to Cailles’ firm administration and revolutionary experience. Cailles had also a hand in the capture of Teodoro Asedillo, the "Terror of the Sierra".

Cailles died on June 28, 1951, from a Congestive heart failure at Philippine General Hospital in Ermita, Manila. His body was interred at the Old Cemetery of Santa Cruz, Laguna. On January 11, 2014, his remains were transferred to Libingan ng mga Bayani.

• 
  2013 historical marker installed at Cailles' monument at the Old Laguna Provincial Capital
• 
  Bust of Hon. Juan Cailles in Laguna Provincial Capitol
• 
  Juan Cailles statue at Gen. J. Cailles Memorial District Hospital in Pakil, Laguna

• Gleeck, Lewis, Jr. Laguna in American Times: Coconuts and Revolucionarios. Manila: Historical Conservation Society, 1981, pp. 1–12.
• National Historical Institute; Historical Markers: Regions I–IV and CAR. Manila: National Historical Institute, 1993.

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