READINGS IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY

General Description:

Philippine History viewed from the lens of selected primary sources in different facets of Philippine history
through the lens of eyewitnesses. Rather than rely on secondary materials such as textbooks, which is the usual
approach in teaching Philippine history, different types of primary sources will be used- written (qualitative and
quantitative), oral, visual, audio-visual, digital- covering various aspects of Philippine life (political, economic, social,
cultural). Students are expected to analyze the selected readings contextually and in terms of content (stated and
implied) The end goal is to enable students to understand and appreciate our rich past by deriving insights from
those who are actually present at time of the event.

Context analysis considers the following: (i) the historical context of the source (time and place it was written
and the situation at the time), (ii) the author’s background, intent (to the extent discernable), and authority on the
subject; and (iii) the source’s relevance and meaning today.

Content analysis, on the other hand, applies appropriate techniques depending on the type of source
(written, oral, visual). In the process students will be asked, for example, to identify the author’s main argument or
thesis, compare points of view, identify biases, and evaluate the author’s claim based on the evidences presented or
other available evidence at the time. The course will guide the students through their reading and analysis of the
texts and require them to write reaction essays of varied length and present their ideas in other ways (debate
format, power point presentation, letter to the editor of the source, etc).

The instructor may arrange the readings chronologically or thematically, and start with the present (more
familiar) and go back to the earlier periods or vice-versa. (CMO No.20, series of 2013)

Course Description:

The course analyzes Philippine history from multiple perspectives through the lens of selected primary
sources coming from various disciplines and of different genres. Students are given opportunities to analyze the
author’s background and main arguments, compare different points of view, identify biases and examine the
evidences presented in the document. The discussions will tackle traditional topics in history and other
interdisciplinary themes that will deepen and broaden their understanding of Philippine political, economic, cultural,
social, scientific and religious history. Priority is given to primary materials that could help students develop their
analytical and communication skills. The end goal is to develop the historical and critical consciousness of the
students so that they will become versatile, articulate, broadminded, morally upright and responsible citizens.

This course includes mandatory topics on the Philippine Constitution, agrarian reform, and taxation.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity, and provenance.

2. Analyze the context, content, and perspective of different kinds of primary sources.
3. Determine the contribution of different kinds of primary sources in understanding Philippine history.
4. Develop critical and analytical skills with exposure to primary sources.
5. Demonstrate the ability to use primary sources to argue in favor or against a particular issue.
6. Effectively communicate, using various techniques and genres, their historical analysis of a particular event
or issues that could help others understand the chosen topic.
7. Propose recommendations/solutions to present-day problems based on their understanding of root causes
and their anticipation of future scenarios.
8. Display the ability to work in a team and contribute to a group project.
9. Manifest interest in local history and concern in promoting and preserving our country’s national patrimony
and cultural heritage.
Chapter l Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology

Learning Objectives:

1. To understand the meaning of history as an academic discipline and to be familiar with the underlying
philosophy and methodology of the discipline.
2. To apply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and analyzing existing
historical narratives.
3. To examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences and sources.
4. 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 and Subject Matter

History has always been known as the study of the past. Students of general education often dread the
subject for its notoriety in requiring them to memorize dates, places, names, and events from distant 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 was derived from the Greek word historia which means "knowledge acquired through inquiry or
investigation." History as a discipline existed for around 2,400 years and is as old as mathematics and philosophy.
This term was then adapted to classical Latin where it acquired a new definition. Historia became known as the
account of the past of a person or of a group of people through written documents and historical evidences That
meaning stuck until the early parts of the twentieth century. History became an important academic discipline. It
became the historian's duty to write about the lives of important individuals like monarchs, heroes, saints, and
nobilities. History was also focused on writing about wars, revolutions, and other important breakthroughs. It is
thus important to ask: What counts as history? Traditional historians lived with the mantra of "no document, no
history." It means that unless a written document can prove a certain historical event, then it cannot be
considered as a historical fact.

But as any other academic disciplines, history progressed and opened up to the possibility of valid historical
sources, which were not limited to written documents, like government records, chroniclers accounts, or
personal letters. Giving premium to written documents essentially invalidates the history of other civilizations
that do not keep written records. Some were keener on passing their history by word of mouth. Others got their
historical documents burned or destroyed in the events of war or colonization. Restricting historical evidence as
exclusively written is also discrimination against other social classes who were not recorded in paper. Nobilities,
monarchs, the elite, and even the middle class would have their birth, education, marriage, and death as matters
of government and historical record. But what of peasant families or indigenous groups who were not given
much thought about being registered to government records Does the absence of written documents about
them mean that they were people of no history or past? Did they even exist?

This loophole was recognized by historians who started using other kinds of historical sources, which may
not be in written form but were just as valid. A few of these examples are oral traditions in forms of epics and
song artifacts, architecture, and memory. History thus became more inclusive and started collaborating with
other disciplines as its auxiliary disciplines. With the aid of archaeologists, historians can use artifacts from a
bygone era to study ancient civilizations that were formerly ignored in history because of lack of documents.
Linguists can also be helpful in tracing historical evolutions, past connections among different groups, and flow
of cultural influence by studying language and the changes that it has undergone. Even scientists like biologists
and biochemists can help with the study of the past through analyzing genetic and DNA patterns of human
societies.

Questions and Issues in History

Indeed, history as a discipline has already turned into a complex and dynamic inquiry. This dynamism
inevitably produced various perspectives on the discipline regarding different questions like: What is history?
Why study history? And history for whom? These questions can be answered by historiography. In simple terms,
historiography is the history of history. History and historiography should not be confused with each other. The
former's object of study is the past, the events that happened in the past, and the causes of such events. The
latter's object of study, on the other hand, is history itself (i.e., How was a certain historical text written? Who
wrote it? What was the context of its publication? What particular historical method was employed? What were
the sources used?). Thus, 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 is 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. Tt 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 versions 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 the idea of creating their identities and understanding their societies against the shadows
of their colonial past. Postcolonial history looks at two things 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, and 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 acount 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 is so, can history still be considered as an academic and scientific inquiry?

Historical research requires rigor. Despite the fact that historians cannot ascertain absolute objectivity, the
study of history remains scientific because 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 different
sources, and on how to properly treat eyewitness accounts and oral in ss 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 mankind. In doing this, Annales thinkers married history with other disciplines like
geography, anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.

For example, if a historian chooses to use an oral account as his data in studying the ethnic history of the
Ifugaos in the Cordilleras during the American Occupation, he needs to validate the claims of his informant
through comparing and corroborating it with written sources. Therefore, while bias is inevitable, the historian
can balance this out by relying to evidences that back up his claim. In this sense, the historian need not let his
bias blind his judgment and such bias is only acceptable if he maintains his rigor as a researcher.

Historical Sources

With the past as history's subject matter, the historian's most important research tools are historical
sources. In general, historical sources can be classified between primary and secondary sources. The
classification o sources between these two categories depends on the historical subject being studied. Primary
sources are those sources produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being studied. For
example, if a historian wishes to study the Commonwealth Constitution Convention of 1935, his primary sources
can include the minutes of the convention, newspaper clippings, Philippine Commission reports of the U.S.
Commissioners, records of the convention, the draft of the Constitution, and even photographs of the event.
Eyewitness accounts of convention delegates and their memoirs can also be used as primary sources. The same
goes with other subjects of historical study. Archival documents, artifacts, memorabilia, letters, census, and
government records, among others are the most common examples of primary sources.
 On the other hand, secondary sources are those sources, which were produced by an author who used
primary sources to produce the material. In other words, secondary sources are historical sources, which studied
a certain historical subject. For example, on the subject of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, students can read
Teodoro Agoncillo's Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan published originally in 1956.
The Philippine Revolution happened in the last years of the nineteenth century while Agoncillo published his
work in 1956, which makes the Revolt of the Masses a secondary source. More than this, in writing the book,
Agoncillo used primary sources with his research like documents of the Katipunan, interview with the veterans of
the Revolution, and correspondence between and among Katipuneros.

However, a student should not be confused about what counts as a primary or a secondary source. As
mentioned above, the classification of sources between primary and secondary depends not on the period when
the source was produced or the type of the source but on the subject of the historical research. For example, a
textbook is usually classified as a secondary source, a tertiary source even. However, this classification is usual
but not automatic. If a historian chooses to write the history of education in the 1980s, he can utilize textbooks
used in that period as a primary source. If a historian wishes to study the historiography of the Filipino-American
War for example, he can use works of different authors on the topic as his primary source as well.

Both primary and secondary sources are useful in writing and learning history. However, historians and
students of history need to thoroughly 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 material 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 deceptions 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 sol1: who led a guerilla unit called Ang Maharlika. This was widely
believe by the students of history and Marcos had war medals to show. This claimed however, was disproven
when historians counterchecked Marco’s claims with the war records of the United States. These cases prove
how deception 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.

Somethings to be done!!!! No.1

A. True or False. Write true if the statement is true. Otherwise, write false in the apace provided.

1. History is the study of the past.

2. Historical sources that were not written should not be used in writing history.

3. The subject of historiography is history itself.

4. History has no use for the present, thus, the saying "past is past" is true.

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.

10. 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 a piece of paper.

1. 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?

2. 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.

ls the book a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source?

 3. 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?

4. Manuel visited the United States for a few months to see his relatives who have lived there for decades. His
uncle brought him on tours around Ilinois. 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 Golden Tara."
It originated from Agusan del Sur and was bought by the museum in 1922. It was believed to be made prior to
the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines.

ls the sculpture a primary, secondary, or tertiary source?

5. Gregoria loved to travel around the country. She liked bringing with 5 her a travel brochure that informs her
of the different sites worth visiting in the area. Her travel brochure wax 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 primary source.

Somethings to be done!!! Output No. 2

1. Provide a list of Filipino Historians together with their personal information and their edge with other
Filipino historians. (at least 5 Historians)

2. “One of the problems confronted by history is the accusation that the history is always written by victors”.
What is your views about this statement.

3. Write an article about the issue of Apo Wang-od Vs Nas Daily.

4. Conduct a research about the two most scandalous case of deception in Philippine history, the hoax Code of
Kalantiaw and Ferdinand Marcos claimed that he was a decorated World War II soldier who led a guerilla
unit called Ang Maharlika. Make your own analysis regarding the case. You can also interview some person
about it to know their views and opinion about the issue.

References

Carr, E. (1991). What Is History. London, United Kingdon: 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 Directions in the Study of Modern History (Revised
3rd Ed.). London, United Kingdom: Pearson Education Ltd.