Orders came from the group about Aguinaldo, and the people accepted a dictator and a republic as they accepted a president and a republic, without knowing, and probably without caring very much, what it all meant, except that they hoped that taxes would cease with the departure of the friars.

A determined and well-organized minority had succeeded in imposing its will upon an unorganized, heterogeneous, and leaderless majority.
As soon as a province was occupied by the Insurgents it was divided into territorial zones within which command was exerted by military officers.

On July 20, 1898, Cavite had been divided into four zones, and next day Brigadier-General Artemio Ricarte was placed in command of the province and the first zone.
By July 7 Bulacan Province had been divided into six zones, and Nueva Ecija into four zones, with a separate commander for each zone.

These men established the government prescribed by Aguinaldo's decrees of the middle of June.

Probably by the end of July Aguinaldo's municipal governments had been established in the greater part of the towns of Luzon.