Candido Mata Tirona (b. August 29,1862-d. November 10,1896) was a revolutionary general, secretary of war in Magdalo Council, and hero of the Battle of Binakayan. He was the brother of Daniel Tirona who was a revolutionary general.
Candido was the son of Don Estanislao Tirona and Juana Mata, who was a known landowners in Cavite. He achieved his early education from a private tutor, alter was enrolled in a private school in Manila. But the unexpected death of his father forced him to stop his studies, he returned to his hometown and put up his own fishpond and opened a sari-sari store. He married Macaria Majaba Geronimo in 1885.
He joined the religious movement called the masonry and was later recruited to the Katipunan. He was under the Magdalo faction of the revolution, which was headed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Baldomero Aguinaldo. In July 1896, he accopanied Andres Bonifacio in tour of Cavite. He started the uprising in the province by disarming three civil guards in town. Tirona and the Kawit rebels and bolo men of Imus under the leadership of Jose Tagle launched an attack on the Spanish barracks and the friars estate house, which led to the captures of the Spaniards in the town. On November 10, 1896, early morning, the Spaniards retaliated. Tirona's men was faced with the enemies. Tirona, fell in a bayonet charge by a Spanish soldier and died immediately on the battle ground.
- Quirino, Carlos. Who's Who in Philippine History. Manila: Tahanan Books, 1995.