Reading in Philippine History, Lecture notes of History

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Content

Introduction………………………………………………………..

Chapter 1: Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and

Methodology

Definition and Subject Matter

Questions and Issues in History

History and the Historian

Historical Sources

Chapter 2: Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources

in Philippine History..

A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the ... 14

World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta

Analysis of Pigafetta's Chronicle

The KKK and the "Kartilya ng Katipunan"

Analysis of the "Kartilya ng Katipunan"

Reading the "Proclamation of the Philippine Independence"

Analysis of the "Proclamation of the Philippine

Independence

A Glance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in Alfred

Mc Coy's Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the

American Era (1900-1941)

Analysis of the Political Caricatures during the American

Period..

Revisiting Corazon Aquino's Speech Before the U.S.

Congress

Analysis of Cory Aquino's Speech...

Chapter 3: Philippine History: Spaces for Conflict and Controversies

Making Senae of the Past: Historical Interpretation.

Evolution of Philippine Taxation

Taxation in Spanish Philippines...

Taxation under the Americans.

Taxation during the Commonwealth Period

Fiscal Policy from 1946 to Present

Chapter 5: Doing History: A Guide for Students

Doing Historical Research Online

Doing Historical Research in

Libraries and Archives

Doing Life Histories and Biographical Research

Doing Local and Oral History

Interacting with History through Historical Shrines and

Museums

Introduction

Reforms to the basic education system of the Philippines have resulted

into the introduction of the K to 12 program, a much needed development

since the Philippines has been the last country in Asia with a 10-year pre-

university cycle. Globally, the accepted span of basic education is 12 years, and

it is recognized as the standard for students and professionals.

With the lengthening of basic education, there is a need for higher

education institutions to respond with the same enthusiasm in reformin8 their

respective course offerings and programs. The Commission on Higher

Education (CHED) approved the New General Education (GE) Program, which

aims to restructure the old GE program in higher education institutions to

respond to the challenges of the times. It is geared toward the holistic

development of the person in overlapping realms of the individual, the Filipino

community, and the global community.

It is in these realities that the General Education course Readings in

Philippine History is situated, with the course description "Philippine history

viewed from the lens of selected primary sources in different periods, analysis,

and interpretations." The focus of the course is to develop historiographical

skills connected to context and content analysis, applying both analytical

strategies in themes and topics across the Philippine past. Primary sources will

be the ultimate bridge between the past and the present, allowing spaces for

students to simply not parrot facts about the past but to gain knowledge that

can be used in proposing solutions to the problems of today.

The use of primary sources in studying about the past connects the

history learner to the text producers themselves, allowing for a richer

experience of understanding and appreciation. However, the use of primary

sources for those who lack the sufficient training and knowledge could also be

disastrous, and may be a source of misunderstanding and alienation to ever of

the past. This book is crafted to provide a strategy on how to study Philippine

history through primary sources, in hopes that the teacher student would have

the best opportunity to learn and study about the past while taking great care

in watching the steps they take in their attempt to utilize primary sources in

history.

Organization of the Book

This book is divided into five chapters:

Chapter 1 - - Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and

Methodology is a general appraisal of history as a discipline and as a narrative.

This chapter aims to introduce the students to history as a theoretical field, as

well as discuss the historiographical method of the evaluation of primary

sources.

For the students, it is high time you do away with the misconception that

history is a boring field of study. You may have been victims of the stereotypes

appropriated to history as it has been taught in the classroom for centuries.

Realize that by studying history, we situate ourselves in the story of the nation,

a necessary endeavor to be able to know more about our 1dentity and find out

how we can help solve the problems of today and move forward to the future.

Chapter 1

Introduction to History:

Definition, Issue, Sources and Methodology

Learning Objectives:

 To understand the meaning of history as an academic discipline and to be familiar with the underlying philosophy and methodology of the discipline.  To apply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and analyzing existing historical narratives.

 To examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences and sources.  To appreciate the importance of history in the social and national life of the Philippines. This chapter introduces history as a discipline and as a narrative. It presents the definition of the history, which transcends the common definition of history as the study of the past. This chapter also discusses several issues in history that consequently opens up for the theoretical aspects of the discipline. The distinction between primary and secondary sources is also discussed in relation to the historical subject matter being studied and the historical methodology employed by the historian. Ultimately, this chapter also tackles the task of the historian as the arbiter of facts and evidences in making his interpretation and forming historical narrative. Definition of History History has always been known as the study of the past. General education students often dread (afraid) of the subject for its notoriety (bad reputation) in requiring them to memorize dates, places, names and events from distant (far) eras. This low appreciation of the discipline may be rooted from the shallow understanding of history’s relevance to their lives and to their respective contexts. While the popular definition of history as the study of the past is not wrong, it does not give justice to the complexity of the subject and its importance to human civilization. History is the study of the past – specifically the people, societies, events and problems of the past – as well as our attempts to understand them. It is a pursuit common to all human societies. The origin of the word History is associated with the Greek word ‘Historia’ which means ‘information’ or a knowledge acquired through inquiry (an act of asking for information) or investigation (the action of investigating something or someone through formal or systematic examination or research).

historiography lets the students have a better understanding of history. They do not only get to learn historical facts, but they are also provided with the understanding of the facts' and the historian's contexts. The methods employed by the historian and the theory and perspective, which guided him, will also be analyzed, Historiography i s important for someone who studies history because it teaches the student to be critical in the lessons of history presented to him. History has played various roles in the past. States use history to unite a nation. It can be used as a tool to legitimize regimes and forge a sense of collective identity through collective memory. Lessons from the past can be used to make sense of the present. Learning of past mistakes can help people to not repeat them. Being reminded of a great past can inspire people to keep their good practices to move forward. Positivism is the school of thought that emerged between the eighteenth and nineteenth century. This thought requires empirical and observable evidence before one can claim that a particular knowledge is true Positivism also entails an objective means of arriving at a conclusion. In the discipline of history, the mantra “no document, no history" stems from this very same truth, where historians were required to show written primary documents in order to write a particular historical narrative. Positivist historians are also expected to be objective and impartial not just in their arguments but also on their conduct of historical research. As a narrative, any history that has been taught and written is always intended for a certain group of audience. When the ilustrados, like Jose Rizal. Isabelo de los Reyes, and Pedro Paterno wrote history, they intended it for the Spaniards so that they would realize that Filipinos are people of their own intellect and culture. When American historians depicted the Filipino people as uncivilized in their publications, they intended that narrative for their Fellow Americans to justify their colonization of the islands. They wanted the colonization to appear not as a means of undermining the Philippines' sovereignty, but as a civilizing mission to fulfill what they called as the white man's burden." The same is true for nations which prescribe official one of their history like North Korea, the Nazi Germany during the war period, and Thailand. The same was attempted by Marcos in the Philippines during the 1970s. Postcolonialism is a school of thought that emerged in the early twentieth century when formerly colonized nations grappled with sides of creating their identities and understanding their societies sprint the shadows of their colonial past. Postcolonial history looks at songs in writing history: first is to tell the history of their nation that will highlight their identity free from that of colonial discourse and knowledge, second is to criticize the methods, effects, and idea of colonialism. Postcolonial history is therefore a reaction and an alternative to the colonial history that colonial powers created and taught to their subjects. One of the problems confronted by history is the accusation that the history is always written by victors. This connotes that the narrative of the past is always written from the bias of the powerful and the more dominant player. For instance, the history of the Second World War in the Philippines always depicts the United States as the hero and the

Imperial Japanese Army as the oppressors. Filipinos who collaborated with the Japanese were lumped in the category of traitors or collaborators. However, a more thorough historical investigation will reveal a more nuanced account of the history of that period instead of a simplified narrative as a story of hero versus villain. History and the Historian If history is written with agenda or is heavily influenced by the historian, is it possible to come up with an absolute historical truth? Is history an objective discipline? If it is not, is it still worthwhile to study history? "These questions have haunted historians for many generations. Indeed, an exact and accurate account of the past is impossible for the very simple reason that we cannot go back to the past. We cannot access the past directly as our subject matter. Historians only get to access representation of the past through historical sources and evidences. Therefore, it is the historian's job not just to seek historical evidences and facts but also to interpret these facts. "Facts cannot speak for themselves." It is the job of the historian to give meaning to these facts and organize them into a timeline, establish causes, and write history. Meanwhile, the historian is not a blank paper who mechanically interprets and analyzes present historical fact. He is a person of his own who is influenced by his own context, environment, ideology, education, and influences, among others. In that sense, his interpretation of the historical fact is affected by his context and circumstances. His subjectivity will inevitably influence the process of his historical research: the methodology that he will use, the facts that he shall select and deem relevant, his interpretation, and even the form of his writings. Thus, in one way or another, history is always subjective. If that so, can history still be considered as an academic and scientific inquiry? Historical research requires rigor. Despite the fact that historians not ascertain absolute objectivity, the study of history remains scientific a use of the rigor of research and methodology that historians employ. Historical methodology comprises certain techniques and rules that historians follow in order to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing history. Certain rules apply in cases of conflicting accounts in different sources, and on how to properly treat eyewitness accounts and oral sources as valid historical evidence. In doing so, historical claims done by historians and the arguments that they forward in their historical writings, while may be influenced by the historian's inclinations, can still be validated by using reliable evidences and employing correct and meticulous historical methodology. The Annales School of History is a school of history born in France that challenged the canons of history. This school of thought did away with the common historical subjects that were almost always related to the conduct of states and monarchs. Annales scholars like Lucien Febvre, Marc Bloch, Fernand Braudel, and Jacques Le Goff studied other subjects in a historical manner. They were concerned with social history and studied longer historical periods. For example, Annales scholars studied the history of peasantry, the history of medicine, or even the history of environment. The history from below was pioneered by the same scholars. They advocated that the people and classes who were not reflected in the history of the society in the grand manner be provided with space in the records of

Both primary and secondary sources are useful in writing and learning history. However, historians and students of history need to thorough Scrutinize these historical sources to avoid deception and to come up with the historical truth. The historian should be able to conduct an external and internal criticism of the source, especially primary sources which can age in centuries. External criticism is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining its physical characteristics; consistency with the historical characteristic of the time when it was produced; and the materials used for the evidence. Examples of the things that will be examined when conducting external criticism of a document include the quality of the paper, the type of the ink, and the language and words used in the material, among others. Internal criticism, on the other hand, is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the source and examines the circumstance of its production. Internal criticism looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the author of the source, its context, the agenda behind its creation, the knowledge which informed it, and its intended purpose, among others. For example, Japanese reports and declarations during the period of the war should not be taken as a historical fact hastily. Internal criticism entails that the historian acknowledge and analyze how such reports can be manipulated to be used as war propaganda. Validating historical sources is important because the use of unverified, falsified, and untruthful historical sources can lead to equally false conclusions. Without thorough criticisms of historical evidences, historical deception and lies will be highly probable. One of the most scandalous cases of deception in Philippine history is the hoax Code of Kalantiaw. The code was a set of rules contained in an epic, Maragtas, which was allegedly written by a certain Datu Kalantiaw. The document was sold to the National Library and was regarded as an important precolonial document until 1968, when American historian William Henry Scott debunked the authenticity of the code due to anachronism and lack of evidence to prove that the code existed in the precolonial Philippine society. Ferdinand Marcos also claimed that he was a decorated World War II soldier who led a guerilla unit called Ang Maharlika. This was widely believed by students of history and Marcos had war medals to show. This claim, however, was disproven when historians counterchecked Marcos's claims with the war records of the United States. These cases prove how deceptions can propagate without rigorous historical research. The task of the historian is to look at the available historical sources and select the most relevant and meaningful for history and for the subject matter that he is studying. History, like other academic discipline, has come a long way but still has a lot of remaining tasks to do. It does not claim to render absolute and exact judgment because as long as questions are continuously asked, and as long as time unfolds, the study of history can never be complete. The task of the historian is to organize the past that is being created so that it can offer lessons for nations, societies, and civilization. It is the historian's job to seek for the meaning of recovering the past to let the people see the continuing relevance of provenance, memory, remembering, and historical understanding for both the present and the future.

Philippine historiography underwent several changes since the precolonial period until the present. Ancient Filipinos narrated their history through communal songs and epics that they passed orally from a generation to another. When the Spaniards came, their chroniclers started recording their observations through written accounts. The perspective of historical writing and inquiry also shifted. The Spanish colonizers narrated the history of their colony in a bipartite view. They saw the age before colonization as a dark period in the history of the islands, until they brought light through Western thought and Christianity. Early nationalists refuted this perspective and argued the tripartite view. They saw the precolonial society as a luminous age that ended with darkness when the colonizers captured their freedom. They believed that the light would come again once the colonizers were evicted from the Philippines. Filipino historian Zeus Salazar introduced the new guiding philosophy for writing and teaching history: pantayong pananaw (for us-from us perspective). This perspective highlights the importance of facilitating an internal conversation and discourse among Filipinos about our own history, using the language that is understood by everyone. Primary sources were either created during the time period being studied or were created at a later date by a participant in the events being studied (as in the case of memoirs). They reflect the individual viewpoint of a participant or observer. Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event or time period A secondary source is a work that interprets or analyzes an historical event or phenomenon. It is generally at least one step removed from the event is often based on primary sources. Examples include: scholarly or popular books and articles, reference books, and textbooks. What is a Primary Source? Primary sources are the historical documents used by historians as evidence. Examples of primary sources include diaries, personal journals, government records, court records, property records, newspaper articles, military reports, military rosters, and many other things. In contrast, a secondary source is the typical history book which may discuss a person, event or other historical topic. A good secondary source uses primary sources as evidence. The key to determining whether an item may be considered to be a primary source is to ask how soon after the event was the information recorded. This can be a problem with an autobiography, memoir, reminiscence, etc. if the author is working several years with only the memory of what happened. Your history professor will disallow most or all of these as primary sources.

5. History is limited to the story of a hero versus a villain.
6. Only primary sources may be used in writing history.
7. There are three types of sources: primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.
8. External criticism is done by examining the physical characteristics of a source. 9 Internal criticism is done by looking at a source's quality of paper and type of ink, among others.
9. The historians are the only source of history. B. What Source? Read the following scenarios and classify the sources discovered as primary, secondary, or tertiary sources. Write your answer in the space provided.
10. Jose was exploring the library in his new school in Manila. He wanted to study the history of Calamba, Laguna during the nineteenth century. In one of the books, he saw an old photograph of a woman standing in front of an old church, clipped among the pages. At the back of the photo was a fine inscription that says: "Kalamba, 19 de Junio 1861." Is the photograph a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source?
11. It was Lean's first day in his first year of college in a big university. His excitement made him come to class unusually early and he found their classroom empty. He explored the classroom and sat at the teacher's table. He looked at the table drawer and saw a book entitled U.G. An Underground Tale: The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter Storm Generation. He started reading the book and realized that it was a biography of a student leader turned political activist during the time of Ferdinand Marcos. The author used interviews with friends and family of Jopson, and other primary documents related to his works and life. Is the book a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source?
12. Lorena was a new teacher of Araling Panlipunan in a small elementary school in Mauban, Quezon. Her colleagues gave her the new textbook that she ought to use in class. Before the class started, Lorena studied the textbook carefully. She noted that the authors used works by other known historians in writing the textbook. She saw that the bibliography included Teodoro Agoncillo's The Revolt of the Masses and The Fateful Years: Japan's Adventure in the Philippines, 1941-45. She also saw that the authors used Ma. Luisa Camagay's Working Women of Manila During the 19th^ Century and many others. Is the textbook a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source?
13. Manuel visited the United States for a few months to see his relatives who have lived there for decades. His uncle brought in on tours around lllinois. Manuel visited the Field Museum of Natural History where a golden image of a woman caught his eye. Manuel looked closer and read that the image was called "The Colden Tara." It originated from Agusan del Sur and was bought h the museum in 1922. It was believed to be made prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines. Is the sculpture a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source?
14. Gregoria loved to travel around the country. She liked bringing with her a travel brochure that informs her of the different sites worth visiting in the area. Her travel brochure was usually produced by the tourism department of the province. It shows pictures of destinations visited by tourists and a

few basic information about the place like the origin of the name, the historical significance of the place, and some other information acquired by the office's researchers and writers. Is the travel brochure a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source? C. My Primary Source. Using the examples of a primary source in this chapter, bring a primary source that can be used in the writing of your life history, Present this in class and discuss how it qualifies as a primary source. References Carr, E. (1991). What Is History. London, United Kingdom: Penguin. Lemon, M. (1995). The Discipline of History and the History of Thought. New York, United States of America: Routledge. Tosh, J. (2002). The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Direction.s in the Study of Modern History (Revised 3rd Ed.). London, United Kingdom: Pearson Education Ltd.

Chapter 2

Content and Contextual

Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History

Learning Objectives:

 To familiarize oneself with the primary documents in different historical periods of the Philippines.  To learn history through primary sources.

McCoy's Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941), and Corazon Aquino's speech before the U.S. Congress. These primary sources range from chronicles, official documents, speeches, and cartoons to visual arts. Needless to say, different types of sources necessitate different kinds of analysis and contain different levels of importance. We are going to explore that in this chapter. A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta This book was taken from the chronicles of contemporary voyagers and navigators of the sixteenth century. One of them was Italian nobleman Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan in his fateful circumnavigation of the world. Pigafetta's work instantly became a classic that prominent literary men in the West like William Shakespeare, Michel de Montaigne, and Giambattista Vico referred to the book in their interpretation of the New World. Pigafetta's travelogue is one of the most important primary sources in the study of the precolonial Philippines. His accouny s Y5terent to the events leading to Magellan's arrival he Filppines, his encounter with local leaders, his death in the hands of Lapulapu's forces in the Battle of Mactan, and in the departure of what was left of Magellan's fleet from the islands. Examining the document reveals several insights not just in the character of the Philippines during the precolonial period, but also on how the fresh eyes of the Europeans regard a deeply unfamiliar terrain, environment, people, and culture. Locating Pigafetta's account in the context of its writing warrants a familiarity on the dominant frame of mind in the age of exploration, which pervaded Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Students of history need to realize that primary sources used in the subsequent written histories depart from certain perspectives. Thus, Pigafetta's account was also written from the perspective of Pigafetta himself and was a product of the context of its production. The First Voyage Around the World by Magellan was published after Pigafetta returned to Italy for this chapter, we will focus on the chronicles of Antonio Pigafetta as he wrote his firsthand observation and general impression of the Far East including their experiences in the Visayas. In Pigafetta's account, their fleet reached what he called the Ladrones Islands or the "Islands of the Thieves." He recounted: "These people have no arms, but use sticks, which have a fish bone at the end. They are poor, but ingenious, and great thieves, and for the sake of that we called these three islands the Ladrones Islands." The Ladrones Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands. These islands are located south-southeast of Japan, west-southwest of Hawaii. north of New Guinea, and east of Philippines. Ten days after they reached Ladrones Islands, Pigafetta reported that they

reached what Pigafetta called the isle of Zamal, now Samar but Magellan decided to land in another uninhabited island for greater security where they could rest for a few days. Pigafetta recounted that after two days, March 18, nine men came to them and showed joy and eagerness in seeing them. Magellan realized that the men were reasonable and welcomed them with food, drinks, and gifts, In turn. the natives gave them fish, palm Wine (uraca), fig, and two cochos. The natives also gave them rice (umai), cocos, and other food supplies. Pigafetta detailed in amazement and fascination the palm tree which bore Ceuits Called cocho, and wine. He also described what seemed like a coconut. His description reads: “This palm produces a fruit named cocho, which is as large as the head, or thereabouts: its first husk is green, and two fingers in thickness, in its they find certain threads, with which they make the cords for fastening their boats. Under this husk there is another very hard, and thicker than that of a walnut They burn this second rind, and make with it a powder which is useful to them. Under this rind there is a white marrow of a finger's thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish, as we do bread, and it has the taste of an almond, and if anyone dried it he might make bread of it (p. 72)." Pigafetta characterized the people as "very familiar and friendly" and willingly showed them different islands and the names of these islands. The fleet went to Humunu Island (Homonhon) and there they found what Pigafetta referred to as the "Watering Place of Good Signs." It is in this place where Pigafetta wrote that they found the first signs of gold in the island. They named the island with the nearby islands as the archipelago of St. Lazarus. They left the island, then on March 25th, Pigafetta recounted that they saw two ballanghai (balangay), a long boat full of people in Mazzaval Mazaua. The leader, who Pigafetta referred to as the king of the ballanghai (balangay), sent his men to the ship of Magellan. The Europeans entertained these men and gave them gifts. When the king of the balangay offered to give Magellan a bar of gold and a chest of ginger, Magellan declined. Magellan sent the interpreter to the king and asked for money for the needs of his ships and expressed that he came into the islands as a friend and not as an enemy. The king responded by giving Magellan the needed provisions of food in chinaware. Magellan exchanged gifts of robes in Turkish fashion, red cap, and gave the people knives and mirrors. The two then expressed their desire to become brothers. Magellan also boasted of his men in armor who could not be struck with swords and daggers. The king was fascinated and remarked that men in such armor could be worth one hundred of his men. Magellan further showed the king his other weapons, helmets, and artilleries. Magellan also shared with the king his charts and maps and shared how they found the islands. After a few days, Magellan was introduced to the king's brother who was also a king of another island. They went to this island and Pigafetta reported that they saw mines of gold. The gold was abundant that parts of the ship and of the house of the second king were made of gold. Pigafetta described this king as the most handsome of all the men that he saw in this place. He was also adorned with silk and gold accessories like a golden dagger, which he carried with him in a wooden polished sheath. This king was named Raia Calambu, king of Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua), and the first king was Raia Siagu On March