Readings in Philippine History

GenEd 2 August 17 - 22, 2020

Module 1 Analysis
Background of the Philippine History
Introduction 1. What is meant by saying that “history matters”
This chapter introduces history as a discipline and as a Explain well.
narrative. It presents the definition of the history, which 2. History is not only useful, it is essential. Give your
transcends the common definition of history as the study of reaction.
the past. This course critically analyzes Philippine history 3. “History is like a bridge that connects the past with
from multiple perspectives through the lens of selected the present and pointing the road to the future”.
primary sources.  Priority will be given to primary sources What does it mean?
that describe the important turning points in Philippine
history from prehistoric times up to the contemporary period
and articulate various perspectives.  Abstraction
 
The approach, though historical, will deal with
History: Its Meaning, Importance and
interdisciplinary subjects so as to broaden and deepen the Relevance
student’s understanding of Philippine political, economic, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History
social and cultural history and equip the learner with the
competencies necessary to analyze and evaluate different What is History?
types of information: print, visual and audio-visual, and
quantitative.   The end goal is to develop the historical and To make sense of history, it is necessary to first understand
critical consciousness of the students so that they will what it is all about. Many people think that history is merely
become versatile, broad-minded, morally upright and list of names, dates, places, and “important” events.
responsible citizens.  However, history or the study of history is more than just
knowing and memorizing facts.
The study of history, therefore,
is the study of the beliefs and
Learning Outcomes desires, practices, and
institutions of human beings.
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. determine the meaning of history; With this definition, history
2. explain the importance, and relevance of history becomes an active factor in the
study of Philippine society. It
also includes a look into the
development of Philippine
Activity culture through time especially
with the influences of the
Study the picture below and answer the following questions. colonial period that would
eventually shape the present Philippine identity.

The word history is derived from the Greek term “historia”

which means “inquiry or research”. Thus, the term history
refers to accounts or inquiries of events that happened in the
past and are narrated in a chronological order.

According to Aristotle,
regarded as the father of logic,
history is a systematic account
of a set of natural phenomena
which are arranged in their
chronological order. The great
historians Thucydides and
Herodotus (Father of
History) defined history as
learning inquiry about the past
What does the picture show? of mankind. E.H Carr
Who are these people? Can you identify them? likewise defines history as
Why are they called heroes? never – ending dialogue of
Enumerate at least three significant events shown in the events between the past and the present. Will Durant stated
picture. that history is a narrative of events of what civilized men
Which of these events that you are greatly affected? Why? have thought and done in the past.

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 In the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, the theme of history inescapable”, according to Penelope J. Carfield. The saying
should be that of man’s growth from barbarism to “all people are living histories – which is why history
civilization. matters” is true in this case. It is not a “dead” subject, as
some believed. History connects things through time and the
Importance of History students are encouraged to take long view of such
connections. An example is the legacies of the past are
It is said that history is to human race whereas memory is to connected to the present so as to determine what comes in
each man. It does not only shed the light of the past upon the the future.
present time. It also:
To understand the linkage between the past and the present is
1. helps every person to draw to have a better group of the condition of being human. All
conclusion from the past events human beings are living histories. For example, the human
helping the person to species speak languages that are inherited from the past.
understand himself by being They used technologies that they have not themselves
acquainted with other people. invested. Thus, an individual is born of an inherited “genetic
2. helps the person or the template” which has evolved during his lifespan. Thus, the
government avoid the pitfalls of study of Philippine history is not only relevant; it is also
the present by knowing the rise useful and essential.
and fall of the rulers,
government and empires.
3. makes a person’s life richer Application
and fuller by giving meaning to
the books he reads (especially
history books, the cities and metropolis he visits and the  Research on why Herodotus considered as the
cultural performances he hears and listens to) “Father of History”? Describe his life, works, and
4. broaden the person’s outlook in life by learning and achievements. Then post his photo inside the box.
understanding the various races, cultures, idiosyncrasies, a. His life and achievements:
habits, rituals, ceremonies, etc. of the making of _________________________________________________
contemporary society out of the diverse forces of the past. _________________________________________________
5. enable a person to grasp his relationship with the past, b. His life works and photo:
such as to who ordered the killing of Ninoy Aquino or why ________________________________________________________
China insists on occupying territories claimed by the ___________________________________________________
Philippines – and because of the events, one has to turn to
history for a complete answer.
6. helps social and political scientists or researchers
engaged in research as for example a political researcher
doing a research on federal form of government has to draw Herodotus
his data from the materials of history and finally,
7. history preserves the cultural values of a nation because it
guides society in confronting various crisis. As Allen Nerins
puts it, history is like a bridge that connects the past with the Test Your Understanding
present and “pointing the road to the future”.
1. Why study history?
An examination of the past can tell us a great deal about how 2. What role does history take in the study of
we came to be who we are. It means looking at the roots of Philippine society, culture and evolution?
modern institutions, ideas, values, and problems.

Relevance of Studying Philippine History

References
Some students enrolled in  Reading in the Philippine History by Dr. MARIANO M.
Philippine History subject often ARIOLA
asked the question: What is the
 BATIS: Sources in Philippine History by JOSE VICTOR
use or relevance of studying
Z.TORRES
Philippine History? It is just an
additional payment for an
additional 3 – unit core subject.

Why are we concerned about CLARIZA O. LUCIDO

what happened a long time ago? Instructor
The answer to their unending
questions is that “history is 0926-5192-722

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[email protected]