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Membership in the Katipunan

        To keep the Katipunan from being discovered by the Spaniards, new members were
    enlisted through the triangle method. This is how it worked. A recruiter would ask two
    members to join. That recruiter would know the names of the two members, but the
    recruits themselves would not know each other. Thus a member’s knowledge about
    the group was limited and controlled.  But the triangle method was slow. After October
    1892, all Katipuneros could recruit as many members as they could.
 
       Any man who wanted to join 
    the Katipunan had to pass first a 
    number of tests to prove his 
    courage and sincerity. Wearing 
    a black robe, the new recruit 
    was led blindfolded into a 
    darkly lit room. He was told 
    to answer these questions: (1) 
    "In what condition did the 
    Spaniards find the Filipino people 
    when they came?"; (2) "In what 
    condition do they find 
    themselves now?"; and (3) What 
    hope do the Filipino people have 
   for the future?" 
Some Members of the Hospital

                     Some members of the Katipunan

        This was followed by other tests for the would-be-Katipunero. The final test was the
    sandugo or "Blood compact". The recruit was asked to make a small cut on his left forearm
    with a sharp knife. He then signed the Katipunan oat in his own blood. Afterwards, the new
    member chose a symbolic name for himself. For example, Bonifacio was called "Maypag-asa"
    (Hopeful).

        Women who joined the Katipunan were limited to the wives, daughters, or close relatives
    of the Katipuneros. The women’s chapter of the Katipunan was formed in July 1893. Only
    about thirty females were known to have joined this secret society.  The women did not have
    to seal their membership with a blood compact. During Katipunan meetings, they wore green
    masks, and white sashes with green borders. Sometimes they carried revolvers or daggers.
    They usually served as lookouts in the outer sala (living room) while the men held their secret
    meetings in the backroom.