READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

CHAPTER 1
The Meaning and Relevance of History
Introduction and photographs. Colonial records such as government
reports and legal documents form a significant part of
What is history and how is it written? The word our collection of documents here and abroad,
history means differently to various people including particularly in Spain and the United States. In the 20th
among scholars and historians themselves. In all century and up to now, memoirs or personal accounts
definitions, however, it is said that history relies on written by important historical personages constitute
evidence which is the backbone upon which history another type of documents. Philippine Presidents such
stands. as Emilio Aguinaldo, Manuel Quezon, and Diosdado
History rests on the diligent research and by Macapagal wrote their memoirs to highlight their roles
careful inquiry, historians could reconstruct the past and as nation-builders.
write them down in some form, so that we today can On the other hand, archaeological records refer to
read their accounts, and at least know how these events preserved remains of human beings, their activities, and
appeared to men of the time (Barrows, 1905). the environment where they lived. In the Philippines, the
Indeed, facts constitute the “heart” of every most significant excavated human remains include the
historical writing. They are collected from various Callao Man’s toe bone (dated 67 000 BCE) and the
sources and carefully investigated and written by a Tabon Man’s skullcap (22 000 BCE).
historian. The scientific investigation of these facts Aside from human remains, other archaeological
proves that history is not merely a collection of “dead” records are generally categorized as fossils and artifacts.
facts or data from events but an intellectually rigorous Fossils are remains of animals, plants, and other
activity for searching for truth about the past. organisms from the distant past, while artifacts are
History deals with the study of past events. remnants of material culture developed by human
Individuals who write about history are called beings. These include clothing, farm implements,
historians. They seek to understand the present by jewelry, pottery and stone tools.
examining what went before. They undertake arduous Oral and video accounts form the third kind of
historical research to come up with a meaningful and historical source. These are audio-visual documentation
organized reconstruction of the past. of people, events, and places. These are usually
The practice of historical writing is called recorded in video and audio cassettes, and compact
historiography. Traditional method in doing historical discs. Aside from scholars, media people also use oral
research focuses on gathering of documents from and video accounts as part of their news and public
different libraries and archives to form a pool of affairs work.
evidence needed in making a descriptive or analytical
narrative. Primary and Secondary Sources
However, modern historical writing does not only
include examination of documents but also the use of There are two general kinds of historical sources:
research methods from related areas study such as primary and secondary. Primary Sources refer to
archaeology and geography. documents, physical objects, and oral/video accounts
made by an individual or a group present at the time and
Sources of History place being described. These materials provide facts
from people who actually witnessed the event.
Basic to historical research is utilization of Secondary sources, on the other hand, are materials
sources. There are diverse sources of history including made by people long after the events being described
documentary sources or documents, archaeological had taken place.
records, and oral and video accounts. Most historical narratives today are so reliant on
To date, most of our historical sources are documentary sources due to the plethora of written
documents. These refer to handwritten, printed, drawn, records and the lack of archaeological records and
designed, and other composed materials. These include oral/video memoirs. Although having several documents
books, newspapers, magazines, journals, maps, about an event allows for easier counterchecking of
architectural perspectives, paintings, advertisements, facts history researchers are confronted with one basic

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challenge with regard primary sources- their ability to Agoncillo’s two-phase scheme by asserting that the war
read and understand texts in foreign languages. of independence continued even without Aguinaldo’s
Many of our untapped archival documents here presence in the country.
and abroad are written in Spanish. A good knowledge of Aside from the issue on Philippine Revolution,
Spanish is a huge advantage. But this skill is unusual there are other contending issues in Philippine history
among today’s historians who prefer to read translations such as the venue of the first Christian mass in the
of Spanish texts such as the 55-volume The Philippine country and the question of who deserves to be named
Islands, 1493- 1898 (1903-1909) edited by Emma Blair national hero. By and large, interpretations serve as tools
and James Robertson, which is the most cited collection of discernment for readers of historical sources, but they
of primary sources about the Philippines before the should be cautious of frames of analysis used for biased,
advent of the American colonial regime. The collection discriminatory, and self-serving ends.
includes translations of portions of 16th- century
chronicles such as Antonio Pigafetta’s Primo Viaggio Historical Criticism
intorno al mundo (1524), Miguel Loarca’s Relacion de
las Yslas Filipinas (1582), and Juan de Plasencia’s Many documents have primary and secondary
Relacion de las Islas Pilipinas (1592). segments. For instance, examining a newspaper as a
Filipino historians, such as the father-daughter historical source entails a discerning mind to identify its
tandem of Gregorio Zaide and Sonio Zaide, have also primary and secondary components. A news item
compiled and translated colonial documents. They written by a witness of an event is considered as a
published the 10- volume Documentary Sources of primary source, while a feature article is usually
Philippine History (1994). considered as a secondary material. Similarly, a book
Aside from reading the Spanish originals published a long time ago does not necessarily render it
documents or translated words, anotherdaunting task for as a primary source. It requires a meticulous reading of
Filipino historians is to discern the cultural context and the document to know its origin.
historical value of primary sources because most of To ascertain the authenticity and reliability of
these primary documents were written by colonialists primary sources to be used in crafting a narrative, a
and reflected Western cultural frames. For examples, historian needs to employ two levels of historical
derogatory terms used to Label Filipinos such as criticism, namely, external criticism and internal
“pagan,” “uncivilized,” “wild,” and “savage” abound in criticism.
these colonial documents. Uncovering myths and External criticism answers concern and questions
misconceptions about Filipino cultural identity pertinent to the authenticity of a historical source by
propagated by the Spanish and American colonizers is identifying that composed the historical material,
extra challenging for contemporary Filipino scholars. locating when and where the historical material was
If the key function of primary source documents is produced, and establishing the material’s evidential
to give facts, secondary source documents, on the other value.
hand, provide valuable interpretations of historical Internal criticism, on the other hand, deals with
events. The works of eminent historians such as the credibility and reliability of the content of a given
Teodoro Agoncillo and Renato Constantino are good historical source. This kind of criticism focuses on
examples of secondary sources. In his interpretation of understanding the substance and message that the
the Philippine Revolution, Agoncillo divided the historical materials wants to convey by examining how
revolution into two phases: the first phase covers the the author frame the intent and meaning of a composed
years from the start of the revolution in August 1896 to material.
the flight of Emilio Aguinaldo and company to Hong
Kong as a result of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, while the Locating Primary Sources
second phase spans from Aguinaldo’s return to Manila
from Hong Kong until his surrender to the Americans in There are substantial primary sources about the
March 1901. Philippines here and abroad. In the country, government
However, Constantino refuted Agoncillo’s leader- institutions such as the National Library and the
centric scheme of dividing the revolution into two phases National Archives are major repositories of
by stressing that Agoncillo’s viewpoint implied that the documentary sources.
revolution came to a halt when Aguinaldo left the The National Library has complete microfilm
country. Constantino disputed the soundness of copies of the Philippine Revolutionary Records (1896-
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1901), a compilation of captured documents of Emilio Historical Collection that consists of vital documents
Aguinaldo’s revolutionary government, and Historical relevant to the American experience such as the Reports
Data Papers (1952-1953), a collection of “history and of the Philippine Commission (1901-1909), Annual
cultural life” of all towns in the country spearheaded by Reports of the Governors-General of the Philippine
public school teachers during President Elpidio Islands (1916-1935), and records of the Philippine
Quirino’s term. The Manuscript’s Section of the legislature from 1907 to 1934.
National Library’s Filipiniana Division contains the Privately owned museums and archives, such as
presidential papers of different administrations from the Ayala Museum in Makati and Lopez Museum in
Manuel Quezon to Joseph Ejercito. Search aids such as Pasig City, have also considerable historical resources.
the “Checklist of Rare Filipiniana Serials (1811-1914),” Religious congregations such as the Augustinians,
“Filipiniana Serials in Microfilm,” and several registers Dominicans, Jesuits, and Recollects also have extensive
of Philippine presidential papers are provided for faster archival holdings that remain untapped.
and easier way to look for historical materials. Outside the Philippines, there are several
The National Archives, on the other hand, holds a documents about the country found in Spain and the
substantial collection of catalogued and uncatalogued United States. The bulk of Spanish documents are
Spanish documents about the Philippines composed found at the Archivo General de Indias in Sevilla,
from 1552 to 1900. These consist of 432 document Spain. Important American sources are available at the
categories such as Administration Central de Rentas y Manuscript Division of the United States Library of
Propiedades (Central Administration of Rentals and Congress, Harvard University’s Houghton Library,
Properties), Administration de Hacienda Publica United States National Archives, and the University of
(Administration of Public Finance), Aduana de Manila Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library.
(Customs Office of Manila), Almacenes Generales In this age of the Internet, there are open access
(General Stores), Asuntos Criminales (Criminal online archives on Filipino history and culture, such as
matters), Ayuntamiento de Manila (Town Council of the extensive digital Filipiniana collection of the
Manila), Colera (Cholera), Padron General de Chinos University of Michigan, which consists of manuscripts
(General register of Chinese), and Presos (Prisoners). and photographs of the early part of 20th century
For local historians, valuable materials from the Philippines. Another rich online source of primary
National Archives include Cabezas de Barangay documents is the University of Illinois at Chicago Field
(Heads of Barangay), Ereccion de los Pueblos Museum. It houses the extensive photographic
(Establishment of Towns), Guia Oficial (Official collection of Dean Worcester, the secretary of Interior
Guide), and Memorias (Official Reports of Provincial of the American colonial government in the country
Governors), Aside from Spanish sources, the National from 1901 to 1913.
Archives is also the repository of 20th-century
documents such as civil records, notarial documents, Colonial Historiography
and Japanese wartime crime records. There are also
some sources written in Tagalog such as the documents Philippine historiography has changed
pertinent to Apolinario de la Cruz, the leader of the significantly since the 20th century. For a long time,
Coonfradia de San Jose in the 19th century. Spanish colonizers presented our history in two parts: a
Academic institutions such as the University of period of darkness or backwardness before they arrived
the Philippines in Diliman, Ateneo de Manila and a consequent period of advancement or
University in Quezon City, University of Santos Tomas enlightenment when they came. Spanish chroniclers
in Manila, Silliman University in Dumaguete City, and wrote a lot about the Philippines but their historical
University of San Carlos in Cebu City have also accounts emphasized the primacy of colonization to
substantial library and archival holdings. The Media liberate Filipinos from their backward “barbaric” life
Services Section of the UP Main Library has microfilm ways In the same manner, American colonial writers
copies of Philippine Radical Papers, a compilation of also shared the same worldview of their predecessors by
documents relevant to the Partido Komunista ng rationalizing their colonization of Filipinos as a way to
Pilipinas (PKP) and its allied organizations as well a teach the natives of the “civilized lifestyle” which they
People’s Court Proceedings, a collection of court said the Spaniards forgot to impart including personal
proceedings against Filipino leaders who corporate with hygiene and public administration. Colonial narratives
the Japanese during their short-lived occupation. The have portrayed Filipinos as a people bereft of an
Ateneo de Manila’s Rizal Library houses the American advanced culture and a respectable history. This
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perception challenged Filipino intellectuals beginning Republic (1960). His writings veered away from
in the 1800s to rectify such cultural bias or prejudice. In emphasizing Spanish colonial period and regarded
1890, Jose Rizal came out with an annotation of events before 1872 as part of the country’s “lost
Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas history.” This discourse of “lost history” was not
(Events in the Philippine Islands), a book originally accepted by another known scholar, Renato
published in 1609. He used de Morga’s book, a rare Constantino, whose published work entitled “The
Spanish publication that positively viewed precolonial Miseducation of the Filipino” became a staple reading
Filipino culture, as a retort to the arrogant Spaniards. for academics and activists beginning in the
However, cultural bias against Filipino culture late1960s. Constantino advanced the idea of a
continued even after Rizal’s death and the end of “people’s history” – a study of the past that sought to
Spanish colonialism. analyze society by searching out people’s voices from
Learning from the fate of its colonial predecessor, colonial historical materials that typically rendered
the United States did not only use brute force but also Filipinos as decadent, inept and vile. Following this
affected ingenious ways of pacification such as the use mode of historical inquiry, he authored The Philippines:
of education as a tool to control their subjects and A Past Revisited (1975), a college textbook that offered
increase political and economic power of the elite few. a more critical reading of Philippine history compared
These colonial instruments were so ingrained among to Agoncillo’s History of the Filipino People (1973).
Filipinos that they perceived their colonial past in two Undoubtedly, these two nationalist scholars inspired or
ways: initially maltreated by “wicked Spain” but later challenged other historians to reevaluate the country’s
rescued by “benevolent America.” This kind of national history.
historical consciousness has effectively erased from the Three other Filipino historians set new directions
memories of Filipino generations the bloody Philippine- in redefining Philippine historiography in the last 30
American War as exemplified by the Balangiga years of the 20th century. The first of these scholars is
Massacre in Eastern Samar and the Battle of Bud Zeus Salazar who conceptualized “Pantayong
Bagsak in Sulu. Consequently, such perception breathes Pananaw” as an approach to understanding the past
new life to the two-part view of history: a period of from our own cultural frame and language. He
darkness before the advent of the United States and an emphasized the value of our Austronesian roots to
era of enlightenment during the American colonial defining Filipino culture and encouraged other scholars
administration. This view has resonated with Filipino to conduct outstanding historical researches in Filipino
scholars even after the Americans granted our such as the work of Jaime Veneracion’s Kasaysayanng
independence in 1946. Bulacan (1986).
Equally important is the contribution of Reynaldo
Philippine Historiography after World War II Ileto who wrote about his “history from below” treatise
in his ground- breaking work, Pasyon and Revolution:
The stark reality of Filipino historians thinking Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910
like their colonial counterpart’s during the postcolonial (1979). In this work, Ileto endeavored to recognize the
period troubled a small group of professors and cultural way of thinking of ordinary folks by using alternative
workers who were mostly alumni of the University of historical sources such as folk songs and prayers. His
the Philippines. This spurred the emergence of Filipino other works spurred new interpretations of common
scholars who challenged the narrow view of colonial topics such as Jose Rizal, Philippine-American War,
narratives and developed historical writing from the and American colonization.
viewpoint of a nationalist agenda. There is Samuel Tan, another prolific historian
In the 1950s, Teodoro Agoncillo pioneered who is remembered for mainstreaming the role and
nationalist historiography in the country by highlighting relevance of Filipino Muslims in the country’s national
the role of the Filipino reformists and revolutionaries history. His definitive work, The Filipino Muslim
from 1872, the year that saw the execution of the Armed Struggle, 1900-1972 (1978), sougth to examine
Gomburza priests, to the end of the Philippine the struggle of Filipino Muslims in the context of 20th –
Revolution as the focal point of the country’s nation- century nation-building dynamics during the American
building narrative. Two of his most celebrated books colonial regime and subsequent postcolonial Filipino
focus on the impact of the Philippine Revolution: The administrations. In his book, A History of the
Revolt of the Masses: The story of Bonifacio and the Philippines (1987), Tan tempted to write a national
Katipunan (1956) and Malolos: The Crisis of the history reflective of the historical experiences not only
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of lowland Christianized Filipinos but also of the other century or how the local politicians negotiated with their
different cultural communities in the archipelago. American counterparts to obtain an independence law
Since the latter part of the 20th century, there have during the first half of the 20th century. Though eminent
been considerable changes in the way historians historians such as Constantino and Ileto reiterated the
compose our national history. However, contemporary importance of a “people’s history” and “history from
Philippine historiography still continues to be below,” respectively, so much has to be done in terms of
characterized by the dominance of political narratives, writing about the roles played by ordinary people in our
colonial histories, elite-centric perspective, and history.
patriarchal orientation as well as emphasis on lowland
Christianized Filipinos. Patriarchal Orientation in Historical Narratives

Political Narratives Most of the country’s historical narratives

highlight the heroism of men in different ways: leading
Most of our national histories today favor revolts and liberation wars against colonizers,
narratives that deal with the political aspects of nation- championing the cause of independence, and
building such as the legacies of political leaders and spearheading political and economic development.
establishment of different government. Questions such Women, on the other hand, are viewed by several
as the following are focal points in these narratives. historians as merely support to men. Let us take for
Who was the first Spanish governor-general vital in example the women leaders such as Gabriela Silang,
implementing the encomienda policy? Who was the Tandang Sora, and Corazon Aquino.
governor-general responsible for the massive Silang assumed the leadership of the Ilocos revolt
employment of Filipinos in the American colonial after her husband was murdered in May 1763. Tandang
bureaucracy? Who served as the last president of the Sora’s decision to offer her barn and farm to
Philippine Commonwealth and the inaugural chief revolutionaries in August 1896 was linked to her son’s
executive of the Third Republic? Who was the involvement in the Katipunan. Aquino rose to
Philippine president responsible for the declaration of prominence as a martyr’s widow who led a movement
martial law? The challenge for present-day historians is to depose a dictatorship in February 1986.
to present a more holistic history that goes beyond These representations show women’s roles as
politics by means of integrating other aspects of nation- consequences of their connection to the men in their
building such as its economic andcultural aspects. lives. With this bias in mind, it is imperative for
contemporary historians to use gender-sensitive
Colonial Histories in Historical Narratives approaches in understanding history to avoid
typecasting women as dependent, emotional, less
Another weakness of most national histories is the important, passive, submissive, and weak.
importance given to colonial histories. This continues to
breed Filipinos who are more familiar with stories about Emphasis on Lowland Christianized Filipinos
our colonial history rather than stories of our
precolonial past. Up to now, some social studies National histories tend to show partially toward
textbooks misrepresent ancient Filipinos as savages or lowland Christianized Filipinos at the expense of other
barbarians by portraying colonizers, especially the cultural communities such as Muslim Filipinos and other
Spaniards and American, as liberators of the Filipinos indigenous peoples such as the Manobos of Mindanao,
from cultural backwardness. The key to uncover such Ibalois of Cordillera, and Mangyans of Mindoro.
cultural prejudices is to examine available historical Celebrated figures of our past are all lowlander
sources and to write about our past by understanding Christians and predominantly Tagalogs including Jose
the myths and misconceptions that characterized the Rizal, the leading propagandist; Andres Bonifacio, the
Filipino culture for centuries. Katipunan founder; Emilio Aguinaldo, the
revolutionary leader who declared independence; and
Elite-centric Perspective in Historical Narratives Manuel Quezon, the first president of the Philippine
Commonwealth. Non-Christians and highlanders
Some historical narratives focus on the remain unrecognized in historical narratives.
contributions of the elite in nation-building such as what Muslim Filipinos, in particular, have been
the Illustrados (educated Filipinos) fought for in the 19th subjected to negative characterization by lowland
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Christians in published works such as history books.
This is caused by the culture of mistrust that developed
between Christians and Muslims during the colonial
periods. Muslim Filipinos are depicted as brutal, cruel,
ferocious, and vicious as exemplified by their attacks of
Christian towns. This narrow-minded view has to be
reevaluated in order to correct misrepresentations of
Muslim Filipinos in this age of political correctness and
culturalsensitivity.
Because of the need to reassess our national
histories, many local stories- narratives about origins
and development of a barangay, town, city, province, or
an ethnolinguistic community – have been written in the
last three decades. The writing of these stories broadens
the scope of our national history reflective of the roles
played by the country’s cultural communities in nation-
building.

Reference

Gonzalez, M C, Madrigal, C., San Juan, DM, Ramos, DJ

(2014). Chronicles in a changing world: Witnesses
to the history of the Filipino people. Santillan, NM
(Chapter): Diwa Learning Systems Inc: Innovation
in Education, Makati.