Rafael del Pan was born in the Philippines in 1863 to Spanish parents. He is considered by some to be more Spaniard than Filipino. More accurately, he was a member of the Ilustrado class of Filipinos, the educated elite that included dark-skinned indios, mixed-blood mestizos and pure-blooded insulares.
After his studies in Spain, Rafael del Pan returned to the Philippines to practice law and directed La Oceania Española, the leading liberal journal.