Chapter 2: Content and Contextual

Analysis of selected Primary Sources

• “First Voyage Around the World” by Antonio Pigafetta

• “Customs of the Tagalogs” by Fray Juan de Plasencia

• “Kartilya ng Katipunan” by Emilio Jacinto

• “Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan” by Emilio Aguinaldo

• “Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del

Pueblo Filipino” by Ambrosio Bautista

• “Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the

American Era” by Alfred McCoy and Alfredo

Roces

• “Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood” by

Commission on Independence

• “President Corazon Aquino’s Speech Before the

U.S. Congress (September 18, 1986)”

• “Raiders of the Sulu Sea (Film)”

• “Works of Luna and Amorsolo (paintings)”

1. Content Analysis

• Identification of the historical importance of

the text

Title of

Primary

Source

Background/Biog

raphy of Author/s
Reason/s of

writing this

Primary Source

Highlights of its

Content

2. Contextual Analysis

• Examination of author’s main argument or

point of view

Title of

Primary Source

Main Argument Bias Importance in

Understanding

Philippine History

“First Voyage Around the

World”

(“Primer Viaje en Torno del Globo”)

SPAIN PORTUGAL

Historical background

• Written by Antonio Pigafetta

in one of the five ships that

• It covers the time when

Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet

“Armada de Molucca” started

the voyage (1519) until it was

successfully went back to Spain

• The copies of this account was presented by Pigafetta to

Pope Clement VII, King Francis I’s mother, etc.

• His original diary was lost and

not known in what language

it was written

• Survived in 4 manuscript

versions; 1 Italian

(Carlo Amoretti) and

3 French

MARCH 17, 1521 (originally March 16)

• Arrival in “Zamal” (Samar) particularly in the

island of “Humunu” (Homonhon)

• Magellan called it “Acquada da li buoni

Segnialli” (Watering place of God Signs)

• The district was called “Las Islas de San Lazaro”

(Islands of Saint Lazarus)

MARCH 18, 1521 (originally March 17)

• Magellan and his men landed in Humunu and

saw by native boatmen from Suluan Island who

gave them foods.

interpreter, “Enrique” (of Malacca)

MARCH 22, 1521 (originally March 21)

• The boatmen return to Magellan’s location and

gave two boats of foods

Magellan at Malacca

(1505)

Magellan went back to

Portugal with Enrique (1511)

MARCH 30 (originally March 29)

“Umangkla ang barko namin sa isla ng Mazaua, malapit sa bahay ng

Rajah nito (Rajah Siagu) at umakyat ng barko ang Rajah at sila

Magellan kung saan sila’y nagpalitan ng regalo.

Nag-almusal at ipinasyal ni Magellan ang Rajah sa paligid ng

kanyang barko at ipinakita ang kanyang mga armas. Gayundin ako

at isang kasama ay sumama sa Rajah at sa Balanghai, kami ay

pinakain ng baboy, pinainom ng alak at pinakita ng hari ang

kanilang palasyo at nagpakain pa.”

MARCH 31 (originally March 30)

“Bumalik kami sa aming mga barko kasama ang kapatid ng Rajah

ng Mazaua, ang Rajah ng Butuan-Calagan na si Colambu, ang

pinakamaayos na lalaking nakita namin.”

APRIL 1, 1521 (originally March 31)

• First mass in the Philippines was happened in

• Attended by Magellan, Rajah Kolambu, Rajah

Siagu (Siaui) and local islanders

APRIL 8, 1521

• Magellan went to Zubu (Cebu) and met Rajah

Humabon

• The rajah wanted Magellan and his men to pay

tribute to them but told his translator Enrique

that they are working for King of Spain and

threatened him a war

APRIL 15, 1521 (original April 14)

• Held a mass on Humabon’s place where

attended by 800 local members

• Magellan gave Hara Humamay an image of Sto.

Niño

• Humabon became “Carlos” and Humamay

became “Juana”

APRIL 27, 1521 (originally April 26)

• Rajah Zula told Magellan that Matan’s (Mactan)

chieftain Cilapulapu (Lapulapu) refused to obey

the King of Spain

• Zula requested Magellan to send him only one

boatload of men to fight Cilapulapu but Magellan

APRIL 28, 1521 (originally April 27)

• 60 of Magellan’s men set out armed with

loaded by Rajah Humabon’s men went to

Matan to attack Cilapulapu

• The local islanders had lances of bamboo and

stakes hardened with fire

• “Battle of Mactan”

happened

“Organisado ang paglusob ng mga tiga-Mactan habang nagsisigawan. Isang

grupo kada tagiliran ng mga Espanyol at isa sa harap na tila tatsulok. Nang

magpaputok ng mga kanyon at riple ang mga Espanyol, nakahanda na ang mga

kalasag ng mga ito. Gayundin, kanya-kanyang tago ang mga mandirigma upang

makaiwas, malinaw na malinaw na sila’y handa sa atake. Hindi nakayanan ng

mga Europeo ang mga pana, sibat, putik at bato na dumapo sa kanila.

At matapos nito’y iniutos ni Magellan na magsunog ng mga bahay ng mga taga-

Mactan na siyang lalong ikinagalit ng mga ito. At natutunan ng mga

mandirigmang taga-Mactan na puntiryahin sa paa ang mga kalabang

nakabaluti.

Tinamaan si Magellan ng panang may lason sa kanang binti, pero sinabi nitong

bumalik na sa mga barko. Sa katapusan ng laban si Magellan ay tinamaan ng

sibat sa mukha ngunit nakalaban pa, nasugatan pa braso at nakampilan pa sa

kaliwang binti. Sa kanyang pagbagsak, pinagtulungan na siya ng mga tiga-

Mactan. At nang makita ng mga kasama na patay na si Magellan, sila’y

nagsiatrasan, dala-dala ang iba pang mga sugatan.”

• Lifestyle of early Filipinos in Visayas

• First vocabulary of Visayan words ever penned by a

European

• Description of early Visayan music

• Evidence that the world is round

• Re-discovery of Pacific Ocean

“Redencion presupone

virtud, virtud sacrificio,

sacrificio amor!”

(Redemption presupposes virtue; virtue sacrifice,

sacrifice, love!)

-Padre Florentino (El Filibusterismo, 1891)

Thank you!

Yosef Eric C. Hipolito, LPT, MA

Historian, Philippine Historical Association

[email protected]