ANNOTATION OF ANTONIO DE MORGA’S
SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS
Introduction
Annotated by Jose Rizal
Sucesos De las Islas Filipinas is translated as “The
Events of the Philippine Islands”
Sucesos/Events, it was written because it is
experienced and observed by Antonio de Morga
Historical Revisionism – we are going to have the
reexamination and reinterpretation of historical
events. Not going to change the raw data but rather
reinterpreting the raw data to gain a new
understanding. It can give us deeper and more
accurate understanding of our past. However, it is
also dangerous because it may give us a historical
distortion. It also means rewrite
Rizal is in favor of rewriting the Philippine History
One of the approaches in revisionism is called
Evidence-Based Approach, in which we are going to
analyze the primary sources and secondary sources
in order to gain a new understanding of a particular
event in our history
Rizal is one of the very first person to give
highlights on who are the indigenous people and
why their tradition and culture is like that as it
came from the understanding of life of our ancestors.
Indigenous People are the one who are able to
preserve the culture of our ancestors.
Antonio de Morga
Spanish lawyer and a government official during
the 17th century
he really understands the social and economic
policy and the political structure that was
implemented at that time
valid source of the history of the Philippines
the value of de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas has long been recognized and it is the
primary source of our history
he was able to write objectively anything he
observed about the Philippine ancestors
the book was published in 1609 in Mexico. It was
around the time that de Morga’s given a chance to
go back on the countries he came from
Sucesos – means the work of an honest observer.
de Morga is a bureaucrat which means he is
familiar with the happening in the Philippine
Government political structure
Las Islas Filipinas – means “The Philippine Island”
and was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain.
Ruy Lopez de Villalobos was the one who gave the
country its name.
After Magellan came from the Philippines, he was
later killed in The Battle of Mactan, so he was not
able to declare the colonization of Spaniards. After
that, multiple expeditions happened where one of
the failed expeditions is with Ruy Lopez, but he was
still able to give the country the name. However,
Villalobos was not able to colonize because the
natives are starting to resist as Portugal also tries
to colonize us.
About the Book
1. it is one of the most important works to describe the
colonization. Detailed information of how Spain
colonized the Philippines
2. explains the political, social and economical aspects
of a colonizer and the colonized country.
3. based on the experiences and observations of
Antonio de Morga
Eight Chapters
1. Of the First Discoveries of the Eastern Islands
story on how Spaniards came to the
Philippines
Magellan’s start voyage that was around
1519 when he leaves Spain together with de
Morga, Sebastian Elcano, Padre Pedro de
Valderama (father who conduct the mass in
Limasawa).
they go through Pacific Ocean, after some
time they thought are hallucinating when
they saw the Philippines, that’s why the
first thing they do is to conduct a mass to
thank for the island they had found
Magellan encountered different Rajahs,
some accept him and some resist as they
thought that he is a big threat.
Filipinos are very hospitable, and others
can speak Spanish
Rajah Humabon is one of the most notable.
He and Magellan had “sandugo”. Rajah
Humabon and his wife, Juana, is the very
first Christian in the Philippines, and the
very first to had gifted a santo which is Sto.
Niño, which became the reason of Filipinos
celebrate the arrival of the Sto. Niño in the
country.
The very first city in the Philippines and the
capital is Cebu City. It was also called the
“Queen City of the South”
After the sandugo, Magellan died under
Lapu-lapu during the Battle of Mactan
it is also told about how Sebastian Elcano
was almost killed by the Filipinos, wherein
they decided to leave the Philippines and go
back to the Europe
After that, Philippines had its first
Governor-General through the expedition of
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, which after he
died, de Sande take over the position.
2. Of the Government of Dr. Francisco de Sande
he was also a lawyer
1575-1583
he faced the internal and external problems
External problems due to the Portuguese
who wants to colonize the Philippines
Internal problems due to the moro people
(mindanao people that are muslims), they
are independent and good in using weapons
Spain never colonized the Mindanao due to
their faith in their religion and in Quran
de Sande and Mindanao have a truce to not
go with each other
he is also notable on his contribution on the
galleon trade
3. Of the Government of don Gonzalo Ronquillo de
Penalosa
1583-1590
he experienced revolt from the Muslim
people
Sangley – Chinese traders or merchants.
