Anna Rose Gacelos
BSED-ENGLISH I
Prelim Examination in Readings in Philippine History
1.Jose Rizal Disliked Chinese
Rizal wrote a letter for his mother on October 18, 1895 saying:
“I vowed not to buy anymore from them(Chinese)..”
A year later, he wrote to Ferdinand Blumentritt, telling how, while in exile in Dapitan, he created
a farmer's cooperative to empower local traders against Chinese competitors.
"Here I have become half physician, half businessman. I have established a commercial
company here. I have taught the poor Mindanao folk to unite for trading so that they may
become independent and free themselves from the Chinese and thus be less exploited."
It has also been said that Rizal denied his Chinese ancestry.
In addition, Quiroga's character in El Filibusterismo was able to figure out who was behind it.
"Quiroga, the subject of Chapter 16 of the El Filibusterismo, 'The Tribulations of a Chinaman,'
was none other than Carlos Palanca/Tan Guin Lay (who was then the leader of the Chinese
community). Artificial in manner, hypocritical, cunning, a bootlicker of government officials,
engaged in business speculations, intent on nothing but profit—such was Rizal's portrayal of
Quiroga."
However, some argue that there is insufficient evidence that Rizal was anti-Chinese; Rizal is
half-Chinese, and the Chinese government has erected a duplicate of his monument in China.
PERSONAL OPINION:
Rizal, I believe, had no ill feelings toward Chinese people in general. Rizal's mother is Chinese,
hence he is of Chinese ancestry. I believe that, based on his writings against particular Chinese,
he despises those Chinese who are abusive, rather than the Chinese people as a whole.
2. Miguel Malvar as a second president of the Philippines
Miguel Malvar was the Philippines' second president, and he is widely considered to be a
forgotten figure.
General Miguel Malvar, according to Vice President Jejomar Binay, is the genuine second
president of the Philippines.
He also wrote to the National Historical Commission, claiming that Miguel Malvar deserved to be
acknowledged as the Philippines' second President because of all he achieved for the country's
freedom.
According to certain sources, Miguel Malvar is the genuine second President because he
surrendered when American soldiers apprehended them.
PERSONAL OPINION:
I believe he is the second President. There's a chance that only a few things haven't been
written down in history. There may be some issues. Personally, I feel he is the second President
since he is capable and qualified for the position, and he has also contributed to our country.
3. Bonifacio acted like a king in Cavite
Bonifacio, it has been stated, demonstrated that he was not operating the revolutionary
government as a monarchy, but rather as a republic. He also claims that he is merely the
president of the Katipunan and not Cavite's King.
According to another article, some people sang, "Long live the king of the Philippines," which
simply indicates that people regard him as a king because he is the revolutionary's supremo and
is fighting for independence.
According to Aguinaldo's memoirs, Bonifacio irritated him because he acted "as if he were a
king." Perhaps these two persons have issues with one another. I'm not sure. Maybe.
PERSONAL OPINION:
Bonifacio, in my opinion, did not act like a king. Perhaps he was rigorous and forceful because
he is the leader of the katipunan, the revolution's ruling party. Perhaps he acted more like a
katipunan monarch than a Cavite king.
4. We Already Had An Excellent Public School System Before The Americans Came.
Some say that there were already public schools before the Americans came.
PERSONAL OPINION:
This one doesn't hold water for me. Spaniards are nasty to Filipinos and look down on them.
During their reign, I don't believe public schools existed. Only the wealthy can attend classes,
and we all know how cruel Spaniards are, so why would they bother to build public schools for
people they refer to as "indios" to learn?
5. An ancient family owns the entire Philippines
Many people say that it is fraud and the story just began under the reign of Ferdinand Marcos.
PERSONAL OPINION:
The Philippines is a culturally and historically rich country. There are so many fascinating facts
and details about the country that most of us are unaware of. According to some sources, the
royal family, who claim ownership of the country, purchased the Philippines archipelago, or
Maharlika Islands, decades ago.
This, in my opinion, is entirely incorrect. According to numerous websites and stories I've read,
the story began during the Marcos administration, which not only resulted in numerous scams.
I remembered the Tribe of Tasaday, which was similarly a fabrication or a fraud perpetrated by
Marcos' administration in order to profit from it.
