GE 109 - Module 2

CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
PONTEVEDRA CAMPUS
Bailan, Pontevedra , Capiz
MODULE 2
GE 109 - Readings in Philippine History
Photo by: Quora (https://www.quora.com/Who-really-killed-Magellan)
Prepared by:
VINCENT F. FRANCISQUITE, MM, MA

Course Facilitator
Contact #: 09773850283
FB/Messenger: Vincent F. Francisquite
Email Address: vfrancisquite10@gmail.com
Readings in Philippine History (GE 109) 1
I. Module Title: Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in the
Philippine History
II. Course Title: Readings in Philippine History
III. Course Number: GE 109
IV. Course Description: The course analyses Philippine history from multiple perspective
through the lens of selected primary sources coming from various disciplines and of different
genres. Students are given opportunities to analyse the authors backgrounds and main
arguments, compare different point 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, cultural, social, scientific and religious history. Priority is given to primary materials
that could help students develop their analytical and communications skills. The end goals 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.
pursuant
V. Total Learning Time: 3 hours/week/54 hours/semester
VI. Overview:
In the preceding chapter, we have discussed the importance of familiarizing oneself

about the different kinds of historical sources. The historian's primary tool of understanding
and interpreting the past is the historical sources. Historical sources ascertain historical facts.
Such facts are then analyzed and interpreted by the historian to weave historical narrative.
Specifically, historians who study certain historical subjects and events need to make use of
various primary sources in order to weave the narrative. Primary sources, as discussed in the
preceding chapter, consist of documents, memoir, accounts, and other materials that were
produced at the period of the event or subject being studied.
Using primary sources in historical research entails two kinds of criticism. The first one
is the external criticism, and the second one is the internal criticism. External criticism
examines the authenticity of the document or the evidence being used. This is important in
ensuring that the primary source is not fabricated. On the other hand, internal criticism
examines the truthfulness of the content of the evidence. However, this criticism requires not
just the act establishing truthfulness and/or accuracy but also the examination of the primary
sources in terms of the context of its production. For example, a historian would have to situate
the document in the period of its production, or in the background of its authors. In other words,
Module 2. Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Phil. History V. F. Francisquite
it should be recognized that facts are neither existing in a vacuum nor produced from a blank
slate. These are products of the time and of the people.
In this chapter, we are going to look at a number of primary sources from different
historical periods and evaluate these documents' content in terms of historical value, and
examine the context of their production. The primary sources that we are going to examine are
Antonio Pigafetta's First Voyage around the World, Emilio Jacinto's "Kartilya ng Katipunan.
the 1898 Declaration of Philippine Independence, Political Cartoon's Alfred 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.
VII. Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module you must have
1.1. Learn history through primary sources
1.2. Familiarize oneself with the primary documents in the different historical periods
of the Philippines
1.3. Properly interpret primary sources through examining the content and context of
the document
VIII. Topics/Content
1.1. Internal and External Criticisms
1.2. A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by Magellan by Pigafetta
1.3. Analysis of Pigafetta’s Chronicle
1.4. The KKK and the “Kartilya ng Katipunan”
1.5. Analysis of the “Kartilya ng Katipunan”
1.6. Reading the “Proclamation of the Philippine Independence
1.7. Analysis of the “Proclamation of the Philippine Independence”
1.8. A Glance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in Alfred McCoy’s Philippine
Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941)
1.9 Revisiting Corazon Aquino’ Speech Before the U.S. Congress
1.10. Analysis of Cory Aquino’s Speech
IX. Discussion
Internal and External Criticisms
History as an academic discipline follows the very rigid tradition set by logical
positivism. This tradition gives weight on the use of documents and other tangible artifacts as
a basis of historical fact.
As a science, it should remain faithful to the tradition of producing knowledge based

on scientific methodology which is highly objective. At this juncture, is imperative to all
students of history to understand internal and external criticism.
What is internal criticism? Why is it important to understand internal criticism? Internal

criticism deals with the analysis of the content of the documents. This means that the historian
should evaluate the relevance of the content of the documents to the time and place of the
phenomenon. These past few years, the famous poem of Dr. Jose Rizal, Sa Aking mga Kabata
became the subject of scrutiny of some scholars. To some scholars of Philippine history, it is
impossible that Rizal wrote the poem when he was just eight years old. The argument is Rizal
did not know the word Kalayaan at the time this poem was said to have been written. As a
proof, Rizal's letter to his brother Paciano stated that he had difficulties in finding the
appropriate word that would fit to the German concept of Freiheit. Rizal could not simply
equate the term to Tagalog word of Kaligtasan. It is argued that Rizal encountered the term
Kalayaan from Del Pilar's translation of his essay Amor Patrio.
Some scholars pointed out that the poem was written during the Filipino-American
War, and it is attributed to Germinigildo Cruz or Gabriel Beato Francisco (Ocampo, 1993).
On the other hand, external criticism deals with the analysis on the form of the
documents. This criticism allows the historian to evaluate the authenticity of the documents by
giving importance to the author of the document and the time when the document was written.
To sum up, internal and external criticisms are not only very important tools in
establishing the validity of historical writing but also in establishing the validity of the
discipline of history as an academic discipline.
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 account was also a major referent to the events leading to Magellan's arrival in the
Philippines, 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 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 tor the sake of that we called
these three islands the Ladrones lslands.”
The Ladrones lslands is presently known as the Marianas lslands. 'These islands are
located south-southeast of Japan, west-southwest of Hawan, 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), figs, 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 fruits 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
there about: its first husk is green, and two fingers in thickness, in it 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 m 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 Mazzava/ 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 shin 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 31st, which
happened to be Easter Sunday. Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore.
The king heard of this plan and sent two dead pigs and attended the Mass with the other king.
Pigafetta reported that both kings participated in the mass. He wrote:
“…when the offertory of the mass came, the two kings, went to kiss the cross like
us, but they offered nothing, and at the elevation of the body of our Lord they
were kneeling like us, and adored our Lord with joined hands."
After the Mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be brought with nails and crown in
place. Magellan explained that the cross, the nail, and the crown were the signs of his emperor
and that he was ordered to plant it in the places that he would reach. Magellan further explained
that the cross would be beneficial for their people because once other Spaniards saw this cross,
then they would know that they had been in this land and would not cause them troubles, and
any person who might be held captives by them would be released. The king concurred and
allowed for the cross to be planted. This Mass would go down in history as the first Mass in
the Philippines, and the cross would be the famed Magellan's Cross still preserved at present
day.
After seven days, Magellan and his men decided to move and look for islands where
they could acquire more supplies and provisions. They learned of the islands of Ceylon Leyte),
Bohol, and Zzubu (Cebu) and intended to go there. Raja Calambu offered to pilot them in going
to Cebu, the largest and the richest of the islands. By April 7th of the same year, Magellan and
his men reached the port of Cebu. The king of Cebu, through Magellan's interpreter, demanded
that they pay tribute as it was customary, butt Magellan refused. Magellan said that he was a
captain of a king himself and thus would not pay tribute to other kings. Magellan's interpreter
explained to the king of Cebu that Magellan's king was the emperor of a great empire and that
it would do them better to make friends with them than to forge enmity. The king of Cebu
consulted his council. By the next day, Magellan's men and the king of Cebu, together with
other principal men of Cebu, met in an open space. There, the king offered a bit of his blood
and demanded that Magellan do the same. Pigafetta recounts:
“Then the king said that he was content, and as a greater sign of affection he sent
him a little of his blood from his right arm, and wished he should do the like. Our
people answered that he would do it. Besides that, he said that all the captains
who came to his country had been accustomed to make a present to him, and he
to them, and therefore they should ask their captain if he would observe the
custom. Our people answered that he would; but as the king wished to keep up
the custom, let him begin and make a present, and then the captain would do his
duty.”
The following day, Magellan spoke before the people of Cebu about peace and God.
Pigafetta reported that the people took pleasure in Magellan’s speech. Magellan then asked the
people who would succeed the king after his reign and the people responded that the eldest
child of the king, who happened to be a daughter, would be the next in line. Pigafetta also
related how the people talked about, how at old age, parents were no longer taken into account
and had to follow the orders of their children as the new leaders of the land. Magellan responded
to this by saying that his faith entailed children to render honor and obedience to their parents.
Magellan preached about their faith further and people were reportedly convinced. Pigafetta
wrote that their men were overjoyed seeing that the people wished to become Christians
through their free will and not because they were forced or intimidated.
On the 14th of April, the people gathered with the king and other principal men of the
islands. Magellan spoke to the king and encouraged him to be a good Christian by burning all
of the idols and worship the cross instead. The king of Cebu was then baptized as a Christian.
Pigafetta wrote:
“To that the king and all his people answered that thy would obey the commands of the
captain and do all that he told them. The captain took the king by the hand, and they walked
about on the scaffolding, and when he was baptized he said that he would name him Don
Charles (Carlos), as the emperor his. sovereign was named; and he named the prince Don
Fernand (Fernando), after the brother of the emperor, and the King of Mazavva, Jehan: to
the Moor he gave the name of Christopher, and to the others each a name of his fancy.”
After eight days, Pigafetta counted that all of the island's inhabitant were already
baptized. He admitted that they burned a village down for obeying neither the king nor
Magellan. The Mass was conducted by the shore every day. When the queen came to the Mass
one day, Magellan gave her an image of the Infant Jesus made by Pigafetta himself. The king
of Cebu swore that he would always be faithful to Magellan. When Magellan reiterated that all
of the newly baptized Christians need to burn their idols, but the natives gave excuses telling
Magellan that they needed the idols to heal a sick man who was a relative to the king. Magellan
insisted that they should instead put their faith in Jesus Christ. They went to the sick man and
baptized him. After the baptismal, Pigafetta recorded that the man was able to speak again. He
called this a miracle.
On the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan) went to
see Magellan and asked him for a boat full of men so that he would be able to fight the chief
named Silapulapu (Lapulapu). Such chief, according to Zula, refused to obey the king and was
also preventing him from doing so. Magellan offered three boats instead and expressed his
desire to go to Mactan himself to fight the said chief. Magellan's forces arrived in Mactan in
daylight. They numbered 49 in total and the islanders of Mactan were estimated to number
1,500. The battle began. Pigafetta recounted:
"When we reached land we found the islanders fifteen hundred in number, drawn
up in three squadrons; they came down upon us with terrible shouts, two
squadrons attacking us on the flanks, and the third in front. The captain then
divided his men in two bands. Our musketeers and crossbow-men fired for half an
hour from a distance, but did nothing, since the bullets and arrows, though they
passed through their shields made of thin wood, and perhaps wounded their arms,
yet did not stop them. The captain shouted not to fire, but he was not listened to.
The 1slanders seeing that the shots of our guns did them little or no harm would
not retire, but shouted more loudly, and springing from one side to the other to
avoid our shots, they at the same time drew nearer to us, throw in arrows, javelins,
spears hardened in fire, stones, and even mud, so that we could hardly defend
ourselves. Some of them cast lances pointed with iron at the captain-general.”
Magellan died in that battle. The natives, perceiving that the bodies of the enemies were
protected with armors, aimed for their legs instead. Magellan was pierced with a poisoned
arrow in his right leg. A few of their men charged at the natives and tried to intimidate them by
burning an entire village but this only enraged the natives further. Magellan was specifically
targeted because the natives knew that he was the captain general. Magellan was hit with a
lance in the face. Magellan retaliated and pierced the same native with his lance in the breast
and tried to draw his sword but could not lift it because of his wounded arm. Seeing that the
captain has already deteriorated, more natives came to attack him. One native with a great
sword delivered a blow in Magellan's left leg, brought him face down and the natives
ceaselessly attacked Magellan with lances, swords, and even with their bare hands. Pigafetta
recounted the last moments of Magellan:
"Whilst the Indians were thus overpowering him, several times he turned round
towards us to see if we were all in safety, as though his obstinate fight had no other
object than to give an opportunity for the retreat of his men.”
Pigafetta also said that the king of Cebu who was baptized could have sent help but
Magellan instructed him not to join the battle and stay in the balangay so that he would see
how they fought. The king offered the people of Mactan gifts of any value and amount in
exchange of Magellan's body but the chief refused. They wanted to keep Magellan's body as a
memento of their victory.
Magellan's men elected Duarte Barbosa as the new captain. Pigafetta also told how Magellan's
slave and interpreter named Henry betrayed them and told the king of Cebu that they intended
to leave as quickly as possible. Pigafetta alleged that the slave told the king that if he followed
the slave's advice, then the king could acquire the ships and the goods of Magellan's fleet. The
two conspired and betrayed what was left of Magellan's men. The king invited these men to a
gathering where he said he would present the jewels that he would send for the King of Spain.
Pigafetta was not able to join the twenty-four men who attended because he was nursing his
battle wounds. It was only a short time when they heard cries and lamentations. The natives
had slain all of the men except the interpreter and Juan Serrano who was already wounded.
Serrano was presented and shouted at the men in the ship asking them to pay ransom so he
would be spared. However, they refused and would not allow anyone to go to the shore. The
fleet departed and abandoned Serrano. They left Cebu and continued their journey around the
world.
Analysis of Pigafetta's Chronicle
The chronicle of Pigafetta was one of the most cited documents by historians who
wished to study the precolonial Philippines. As one of the best written accounts, Pigafetta was
seen as a credible source for period, which was prior unchronicled and undocumented.
Moreover, being the earliest detailed documentation, it was believed that Pigafetta's writings
account for the "purest" precolonial society. Indeed, Pigafetta's work is of great importance in
the study and writing of Philippine history. Nevertheless, there needs to have a more nuanced
reading of the source within a contextual backdrop. A student of history should recognize
certain biases accompanying the author and his identity, loyalties, and the circumstances that
he was in; and how it affected the text that he produced. In the case of Pigafetta, the reader
needs to understand that he was a chronicler commissioned by the King of Spain to accompany
and document a voyage intended to expand the Spanish empire. He was also of noble descent
who came from a rich family in Italy. These attributes influenced his narrative, his selection of
details to be included in the text, his characterization of the people and of the species that he
encountered, and his interpretation and retelling of the events. Being a scholar of cartography
and geography, Pigafetta was able to give details on geography and climate of the places that
their voyage had reached.
In reading Pigafetta's description of the people, one has to keep in mind that he was
coming from a sixteenth century European perspective. Hence, the reader might notice how
Pigafetta, whether implicitly or explicitly, regarded the indigenous belief systems and way of
life as inferior to that of Christianity and of the Europeans. He would always remark on the
nakedness of the natives or how he was fascinated by their exotic culture. Pigafetta also
noticeably emphasized the natives' amazement and illiteracy to the European artillery,
merchandise, and other goods, in the same way that Pigafetta repeatedly mentioned the
abundance of spices like ginger, and of precious metals like gold. His observations and
assessments of the indigenous cultures employed the European standards. Hence, when they
saw the indigenous attires of the natives, Pigafetta saw them as being naked because from the
European standpoint, they were wearing fewer clothes indeed. Pigafetta's perspective was to0
narrow to realize that such attire was only appropriate to the tropical climate of the islands. The
same was true for materials that the natives used for their houses like palm and bamboo. These
materials would let more air come through the house and compensate for the hot climate in the
islands.
It should be understood that such observations were rooted from the context of Pigafetta
and of his era. Europe, for example, was dominated by the Holy Roman Empire, whose loyalty
and purpose was the domination of the Catholic Church all over the world. Hence, other belief
systems different from that of Christianity were perceived to be blasphemous and barbaric,
even demonic. Aside from this, the sixteenth century European economy was mercantilist.
Such system measures the wealth of kingdoms based on their accumulation of bullions or
precious metals like gold and silver. It was not surprising therefore that Pigafetta would always
mention the abundance of gold in the islands as shown in his description of leaders wearing
gold rings and golden daggers, and of the rich gold mines. An empire like that of the Spain
would indeed search for new lands where they could acquire more gold and wealth to be on
top of all the European nations. The obsession with spices might be odd for Filipinos because
of its ordinariness in the Philippines, but understanding the context would reveal that spices
were scarce in Europe and hence were seen as prestige goods. In that era, Spain and Portugal
coveted the control of Spice Islands because it would have led to a certain increase in wealth,
influence, and power. These contexts should be used and understood in order to have a more
qualified reading of Pigafetta's account.
The KKK and the "Kartilya ng Katipunan
The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KAK) or

Katipunan is arguably the most important organization formed in the Philippine history. While
anti-colonial movements, efforts and organizations had already been established centuries prior
to the foundation of the Katipunan, it was only this organization that envisioned (1) a united
Filipino nation that would revolt against the Spaniards for (2) the total independence of the
country from Spain. Previous armed revolts had already occurred before the foundation of the
Katipunan, but none of them envisioned a unified Filipino nation revolting against the
colonizers. For example, Diego Silang was known as an Ilocano who took up his arms and led
one of the longest running revolts in the country. Silang, however, was mainly concerned about
his locality and referred to himself as El Rey de Ilocos (The King of Ilocos). The imagination
of the nation was largely absent in the aspirations of the local revolts before Katipunan. On the
other hand, the propaganda movements led by the ilustrados like Marcelo H. del Pilar Graciano
López Jaena, and Jose Rizal did not envision a total separation of the Philippines from Spain,
but only demanded equal rights, representation, and protection from the abuses of the friars.
In the conduct of their struggle, Katipunan created a complex structure and a defined
value system that would guide the organization as a collective aspiring for a single goal. One
of the most important Katipunan documents was the Kartilya ng Katipunan. The original title
of the document was "Manga [Isic] Aral Nang [sie] Katipunan ng mga A.N.B." or "Lessons of
the Organization of the Sons of Country." The document was written by Emilio Jacinto in
the 1896. Jacinto was only 18 years old when he joined the movement. He was a law student
at the Universidad de Santo Tomas. Despite his youth, Bonifacio recognized the value and
intellect of Jacinto that upon seeing that Jacinto's Kartilya was much better than the Decalogue
he wrote, he willingly favored that the Kartilya be distributed to their fellow Katipuneros.
Jacinto became the secretary of the organization and took charge of the short-lived printing
press of the Katipunan. On 15 April 1897, Bonifacio appointed Jacinto as a commander of the
Katipunan in Northern Luzon. Jacinto was 22 years old. He died of Malaria at a young age of
24 n the town of Magdalena, Laguna.
The Kartilya can be treated as the Katipunan's code of conduct. It contains fourteen
rules that instruct the way a Katipunero should behave, and which specific values should he
uphold. Generally, the rules stated in the Kartilya can be classified into two. The first group
contains the rules will make the member an upright individual and the second group contain
the rules that will guide the way he treats his fellow men.
Below is the translated version of the rules in Kartilya
I. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without
a shade, if not a poisonous weed.
II. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue.
III. It is rational to be charitable and love one's fellow creature, and to adjust one's
conduct, acts and words to what is in itself reasonable.
IV. Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in
knowledge, wealth and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by
nature.
V. The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor.
VI. To the honorable man, his word is sacred.
VII. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost.
VIII. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the 1aw or in the field.
The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.
IX. On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and the children, and if
the guide leads to the precipice, those whom he guides will also go there
X. Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful
companion who will share with thee the penalties of life; her (physical)
weakness will increase thy interest in her and she will remind thee of the mother
who bore thee and reared thee.
XI. What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers and sisters, that
do not unto the wife, children, brothers and sisters of thy neighbor.
XII. Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is aquiline, and
his color white, not because he is a priest, a servant of God, nor because of the
high prerogative that he enjoys upon earth, but he is worth most who is a man
or proven and real value, who does good, keeps his words, is worthy and honest;
he who does not oppress nor consent to being oppressed, he who loves and
cherishes his fatherland, though he be born in the wilderness and know no
tongue but his own.
XIII. When these rules of conduct shall be known to al, the longed for sun of Liberty
shall rise brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe and its rays shall
diffuse everlasting joy among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the
lives of those who have gone before, the fatigues and the well-paid sufferings
will remain. If he who desires to enter has informed himself of all this and
believes he will be able to perform what will be his duties, he may fill out the
application for admission.
As the primary governing document, which determines the rules of conduct in the
Katipunan, properly understanding the Kartilya will thus help in understanding the values,
ideals, aspirations, and even the ideology of the organization.
Analysis of the "Kartilya ng Katipunan
Similar to what we have done to the accounts of Pigafetta, this primary source also
needs to be analyzed in terms of content and context. As a document written for a fraternity
whose main purpose is to overthrow a colonial regime, we can explain the content and
provisions of the Kartilya as a reaction and response to certain value systems that they found
despicable in the present state of things that they struggled against with. For example, the fourth
and the thirteenth rules in the Kartilya are an invocation of the inherent equality between and
among men regardless of race, occupation, or status. In the context of the Spanish colonial era
where the indios were treated as the inferior of the white Europeans, the Katipunan saw to that
the alternative order that they wished to promulgate through their revolution necessarily
destroyed this kind of unjust hierarchy.
Moreover, one can analyze the values upheld in the document as consistent with the
burgeoning rational and liberal ideals in the eighteenth tenth century. Equality, tolerance,
freedom, and liberty were value that hat emerged in the eighteenth century French Revolution,
which spread throughout Europe and reached the educated class of the colonies. Jacinto, an
ilustrado himself, certainly got an understanding of these values. Aside from the liberal values
that can be dissected in the document, we can also decipher certain Victorian and chivalrous
values in the text. For example, various provisions in the Kartilya repeatedly emphasized the
importance or honor in words and in action. The teaching of the Katipunan on how won should
be treated with honor and respect, while positive in many respects and certainly a significant
stride from the practice of raping and physically abusing women, can still be telling of the
Katipunan's secondary regard for women in relation to men. For example, in the tenth rule, the
document specifically stated that men should be the guide of women and children, and that he
should set a good example, otherwise the women and the children would be guided in the path
of evil. Nevertheless, the same document stated that women should be treated as companions
by men and not as playthings that can be exploited for their pleasure.
In the contemporary eyes, the Katipunan can be criticized because of these provisions.
However, one must not forget the context where the organization was born. Not even in Europe
or in the whole of the West at that juncture recognized the problem of gender inequality. Indeed,
it can be argued that Katipunan s recognition of women as important partners in the struggle,
as reflected not just in Kartilya but also in the organizational structure of the fraternity where
a women's unit was established, is an endeavor advanced for its time. Aside from Rizal’s known
Letter to the Women of Malolos, no same effort by the supposed cosmopolitan Propaganda
Movement was achieved until the movement’s eventual disintegration in the latter part of the
1860s.
Aside from this, the Kartilya was instructive not just of the Katipunan's conduct toward
other people, but also for the members’ development as individuals in their own rights.
Generally speaking, the rules in the Kartilya can be classified as ether directed to how one
should treat his neighbor or to how one should develop and conduct one’s self. Both are
essential to the success and fulfillment of the Katipunan's ideals. For example teachings on
honoring one's word and not wasting time are teachings directed toward self-development,
while the rules on treating the neighbors, wife, children, and brothers the way that you want
yours to be treated is an instruction on how Katipuneros should treat and regard their neighbors.
All in all, proper reading of the Kartilya will reveal a more understanding of the
Katipunan and the significant role that it played the revolution and in the unfolding of the
Philippine history, as we know it.
Reading the "Proclamation of the Philippine Independence
Every year, the country commemorates the anniversary of the Philippine Independence
proclaimed on 12 June 1898, in the province of Cavite. Indeed, such event 18 a significant
turning point in the history of the country because it signaled the end of the 333 years of Spanish
colonization. There have been numerous studies done on the events leading to the
independence of the country but very few students had the chance to read the actual document
of the declaration. This is in spite of the historical importance of the document and the details
that the document reveals on the rationale and circumstances of that historical day in Cavite.
Interestingly, reading the details of the said document in hindsight is telling of the kind of
government that was created under Aguinaldo, and the forthcoming hand of the United States
of America in the next few years of the newly created republic. The declaration was a short
2,000-word document, which summarized the reason behind the revolution against Spain, the
war for independence, and the future of the new republic under Emilio Aguinaldo.
The proclamation commenced with a characterization of the conditions in the

Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. The document specifically mentioned abuses
and inequalities in the colony. The declaration says:
“…taking into consideration, that their inhabitants being already weary of bearing
the ominous yoke of Spanish domination, on account of the arbitrary arrests and
harsh treatment practiced by the Civil Guard to the extent of causing death with
the connivance and even with the express orders of their commanders, who
sometimes went to the extreme of ordering the shooting of prisoners under the
pretext that they were attempting to escape, in violation of the provisions of the
Regulations of their Corps, which abuses were unpunished and on account of the
unjust deportations, especially those decreed by General Blanco, of eminent
personages and of high social position, at the instigation of the Archbishop and
friars interested in keeping them out of the way for their own selfish and avaricious
purpose, deportations which are quickly brought about by a method of procedure
more execrable than that of the Inquisition and which every civilized nation rejects
on account of a decision being rendered without a hearing of the persons
accused."
The above passage demonstrates the justifications behind the revolution against Spain.
Specifically cited are the abuse by the Civil Guards and the unlawful shooting of prisoners
whom they alleged as attempting to escape. The passage also condemns the unequal protection
of the law between the Filipino people and the "eminent personages. Moreover, the line
mentions
the avarice and greed of the clergy like the friars and the Archbishop himself. Lastly, the
passage also condemns what they saw as the unjust deportation and rendering of other decision
without proper hearing, expected of any civilized nation.
From here, the proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview of the Spanish
occupation since Magellan's arrival in Visayas until the Philippine Revolution, with specific
details about the latter, especially after the Pact of Biak-na-Bato had collapsed. The document
narrates the spread of the movement "like an electric spark" through different towns and
provinces like Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, and the quick
decline of Spanish forces in the same provinces. The revolt also reached Visayas; thus, the
independence of the country was ensured. The document also mentions Rizal's execution,
calling it unjust. The execution, as written in the document, was done to "please the greedy
body of friars in their insatiable desire to seek revenge upon and exterminate all those who are
opposed to their Machiavellian purposes, which tramples upon the penal code prescribed for
these islands. The document also narrates the Cavite Mutiny of January 1872 that caused the
infamous execution of the martyred native priests Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto
Zamora, "whose innocent blood was shed through the intrigues of those so-called religious
orders" that incited the three secular priests in the said mutiny.
The proclamation of independence also invokes that the established republic would be
led under the dictatorship of Emilio Aguinaldo. The first mention was at the very beginning
of the proclamation. It stated:
"In the town of Cavite Viejo, in this province of Cavite, on the twelfth day of June
eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, before me, Don Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista,
Auditor of War and Special Commissioner appointed to proclaim and solemnize
this act by the Dictatorial Government of these Philippine Islands for the purposes
and by virtue of the circular addressed by the Eminent Dictator of the same Don
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy."
The same was repeated toward the last part of the proclamation. It states:
“We acknowledge. approve and confirm together with the orders that have been
issued therefrom, the Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo, whom we
honor as the Supreme Chief of this Nation, which this day commences to have a
life of its own, in the belief that he is the instrument selected by God, in spite of
his humble origin, to effect the redemption of this unfortunate people, as foretold
by Doctor Jose Rizal in the magnificent verses which he composed when he was
preparing to be shot, liberating them from the yoke of Spanish domination in
punishment of the impunity with which their Government allowed the commission
of abuses by its subordinates.”
Another detail in the proclamation that is worth looking at is its explanation on the Philippine
flag that was first waved on the same day. The document explained:
"And finally, it was unanimously resolved that this Nation, independent from this
day, must use the same flag used heretofore, whose design and colors and
described in the accompanying drawing, with design representing in natural colors
the three arms referred to. The white triangle represents the distinctive emblem
of the famous Katipunan Society, which by means of its compact of blood urged
on the masses ofthe people to insurrection; the three stars represent the three
principal Islands of this Archipelago, Luzon, Mindanao and Panay, in which this
insurrectionary movement broke out; the sun represents the gigantic strides that
have been made by the sons of this land on the road of progress and civilization,
its eight rays symbolizing the eight provinces of Manila, Cavite, Bulacan,
Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna and Batangas, which were declared in a
state of war almost as soon as the first insurrectionary movement was initiated;
and the colors blue, red and white, commemorate those of the flag of the United
States of North America, in manifestation of our profound gratitude towards that

Great Nation for the disinterested protection she is extending to us and will
continue to extend to us."
This often overlooked detail reveals much about the historically accurate meaning
behind the most widely known national symbol in the Philippines. It is not known by many for
example, that the white triangle was derived from the symbol of the Katipunan. The red and
blue colors of the flag are often associated with courage and peace, respectively. Our basic
education omits the fact that those colors were taken from the flag of the United States. While
it can always be argued that symbolic meaning can always change and be reinterpreted, the
original symbolic meaning of something presents us several historical truths that can explain
the subsequent events, which unfolded after the declaration of independence on the 12th day
of June 1898.
Analysis of the "Proclamation of the Philippine Independence"
As mentioned earlier, a re-examination of the document on the declaration of

independence can reveal some often overlooked historical truths about this important event in
Philippine history. Aside from this, the document reflects the general revolutionary sentiment
of that period. For example, the abuses specifically mentioned in the proclamation like friar
abuse, racial discrimination, and inequality before the law reflect the most compelling
sentiments represented by the revolutionary leadership. However, no mention was made about
the more serious problem that affected the masses more profoundly (i.e., the land and agrarian
crisis felt by the numerous Filipino peasants in the nineteenth century). This is ironic especially
when renowned Philippine Revolution historian, Teodoro Agoncillo, stated that the Philippine
Revolution was an agrarian revolution. The common revolutionary soldiers fought in the
revolution for the hope of owning the lands that they were tilling once the friar estates in
different provinces like Batangas and Laguna dissolve, if and when the revolution succeeded.
Such aspects and realities of the revolutionary struggle were either unfamiliar to the middle
class revolutionary leaders like Emilio Aguinaldo, Ambrosio Rianzares- Bautista, and Felipe
Buencamino, or were intentionally left out because they were landholders themselves.
The Treaty of Paris was an agreement signed between Spain and the United States of America
regarding the ownership of the Philippine Islands and other Spanish colonies in South America.
The agreement ended the short-lived Spanish-American War. The Treaty was signed on 10
December 1898, six months after the revolutionary government declared the Philippine
Independence. The Philippines was sold to the United States at $20 million and effectively
undermined the sovereignty of the Filipinos after their revolutionary victory. The Americans
occupied the Philippines immediately which resulted in the Philippine-American War that lasted
until the earliest years of the twentieth century.
The proclamation also gives us the impression on how the victorious

revolutionary government of Aguinaldo historicized the struggle for independence. There were
mentions of past events that were seen as important turning points of the movement against
Spain. The execution of the GOMBURZA, for example, and the failed Cavite Mutiny of 1872
was narrated in detail. This shows that they saw this event as a significant awakening of the
Filipinos in the real conditions of the nation under Spain. Jose Rizal's legacy and martyrdom
was also mentioned in the document. However, the Katipunan as the pioneer of the
revolutionary movement was only mentioned once toward the end of the document. There was
no mention
of the Katipunan's foundation. Bonifacio and his co-founders were also left out. It can be
argued, thus, that the way of historical narration found in the document also reflects the politics
of the victors. The enmity between Aguinaldo's Magdalo and Bonifacio's Magdiwang in the
Katipunan is no secret in the pages of our history. On the contrary, the war led by Aguinaldo's
men with the forces of the United States were discussed in detail.
The point is, even official records and documents like the proclamation of
independence, while truthful most of the time, still exude the politics and biases of whoever is
in power. This manifests in the selectiveness of information that can be found in these records.
It is the task of the historian, thus, to analyze the content of these documents in relation to the
dominant politics and the contexts of people and institutions surrounding it. This tells us a
lesson on taking primary sources like official government records within the circumstance of
this production. Studying one historical subject, thus, entails looking at multiple primary
sources and pieces of historical evidences in order to have a more nuanced and contextual
analysis of our past.
A Glance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in Alfred McCoy's Philippine

Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941)
Political cartoons and caricature are a rather recent art form, which veered away from
the classical art by exaggerating human features and poking fun at its subjects. Such art genre
and technique became a part of the print media as a form of social and political commentary,
which usually targets persons of power and authority. Cartoons became an effective tool of
publicizing opinions through heavy use of symbolism, which is different from a verbose written
editorial and opinion pieces. The unique way that a caricature represents opinion and captures
the audience's imagination is reason enough for historians to examine these political cartoons.
Commentaries in mass media inevitably shape public opinion and such kind of opinion is
worthy of historical examination.
In his book Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1990-1941),
Alfred McCoy, together with Alfredo Roces, compiled political cartoons published in
newspaper dailies and periodicals in the aforementioned time period. For this part, we are going
to look at selected cartoons and explain the context of each one.
The first example shown above was published in The Independent on May 20, 1916.
The cartoon shows a politician from Tondo, named Dr. Santos passing his crown to his
brother- in-law, Dr. Barcelona. A Filipino guy (as depicted wearing salakot and barong tagalog)
was trying to stop Santos telling the latter to stop giving Barcelona the crown because it is not
his to begin with.
The second cartoon was also published by The Independent on 16 June 1917. This was
drawn by Fernando Amorsolo and was aimed as a commentary to the workings of Manila
Police at that period. Here, a Filipino child who stole a skinny chicken because he had nothing
eat. The police officer was relentlessly pursuing the said child. A man wearing a salakot,
labeled Juan de la Cruz was grabbing the officer, telling him to leave the small-time
pickpockets and thieves and to turn to at the great thieves instead. He was pointing to huge
warehouses containing bulks of rice, milk and grocery products.
The third cartoon was commentary on the unprecedented cases of colorum automobiles
in the city streets. The Philippine Free Press published this commentary when fatal accidents
involving colorum vehicles and taxis occurred too often clearly.
This fourth cartoon deoicts a cinema. A blown up police offficer was at the screen
saying that couples are not allowed to neck and make love in theater. Two youngters looked
horrified while an older couple seemed assumed.
The next cartoon was published by The Independent on 2 November 1915. Here, we
see the caricature of Uncle Sam riding a chariot pulled by Filipinos wearing school uniforms.
The Filipino boys were carrying American objects like baseball bats, whiskey, and boxing
gloves. McCoy, in his caption to the said cartoon, says that this cartoon was based on an even
in 1907 when William Howard Taft was brought to the Manila pier riding a chariot pulled by
students of Liceo de Manila. Such was condemned by the nationalists at that time.
The last cartoon was published by Lipang Kalabaw on 24 August 1907. In the picture,
we can see Uncle Sam rationing porridge to the politicians and members of the Progresista
Party (sometimes known as the Federalista Party) while members of the Nacionalista Party
look on and wait for their turn. This cartoon depicts the patronage of the United States being
coveted by politicians from either of the party.
Analysis of the Political Caricatures during the American Period
The transition from the Spanish Colonial period to the American Occupation period
demonstrated different strands of changes and shifts in culture, society, and politics. The
Americans drastically introduced democracy to the nascent nation and the consequences were
far from ideal Aside from this, it was also during the American period that Filipinos were
introduced to different manifestations of modernity like healthcare, modern transportation, and
media. This ushered in a more open and freer press. The post-independence and the post-
Filipino-American period in the Philippines experienced differently by Filipinos coming from
different classes. The upper principalia class experienced economic prosperity with the opening
up of the Philippine economy to the United States but the majority of the poor Filipino remained
poor, desperate, and victims of state repression.
The selected cartoons illustrate not only the opinion of certain media outfits about the
Philippine society during the American period but also paint a broad image of society and
politics under the United States, In the arena of politics, for example, we see the price that
Filipinos paid for the democracy modeled after the Americans. First, it seemed that the Filipino
politicians at that time did not understand well enough the essence of democracy and the
accompanying democratic institutions and processes. This can be seen in the rising dynastic
politics in Tondo as depicted in the cartoon published by The Independent. Patronage also
became influential and powerful, not only between clients and patrons but also between the
newly formed political parties composed of the elite and the United States. This was depicted
in the cartoon where the United States, represented by Uncle Sam, provided dole outs for
members of the Federalista while the Nacionalista politicians looked on and waited for their
turn. Thus, the essence of competing political parties to enforce choices among the voters was
cancelled out. The problem continues up to the present where politicians transfer from one
party to another depending on which party was powerful in specific periods of time.
The transition from a Catholic-centered, Spanish-Filipino society to an imperial

American-assimilated one, and its complications, were also depicted in the cartoons. One
example is the unprecedented increase of motorized vehicles in the city. Automobiles became
a popular mode of transportation in the city and led to the emergence of taxis. However, the
laws and policy implementation was mediocre. This reulted in the increasing colorum and
unlicensed vehicles transporting people around the city. The rules governing the issuance of
driver's license was loose and traffic police could not be bothered by rampant violations of
traffic rules. This is a direct consequence of the drastic urbanization of the Philippine society.
Another example is what McCoy called the "sexual revolution that occurred in the 1930s.
Young people, as early as that nperiod, disturbed the conservative Filipino mindset by engaging
in daring sexual activities in public spaces like cinemas. Here, we can see how that period was
the meeting point between the conservative past and the liberated future of the Philippines.
Lastly, the cartoons also illustrated the conditions of poor Filipinos in the Philippines
now governed by the United States. From the looks of it, nothing much has changed. For
example, a cartoon depicted how police authorities oppress petty Filipino criminals while
turning a blind eye on hoarders who monopolize goods in their huge warehouses (presumably
Chinese merchants). The other cartoon depicts how Americans controlled Filipinos through
seemingly harmless American objects. By controlling their consciousness and mentality,
Americans got to control and subjugate Filipinos.
Revisiting Corazon Aquino's Speech before the U.S. Congress
Corazon "Cory" Cojuangeo Aquino functioned as the symbol of the restoration ot

democracy and the overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship 1986. The EDSA People Power,
which installed Cory Aquino in the presidency put the Philippines in the international spotlight
for overthrowing a dictator through peaceful means. Cory was easily a figure of the said
revolution, widow of the slain Marcos oppositionist and former Senator Benigno "Ninoy”
Aquino Jr. Cory was hoisted as the antithesis of the dictator. Her image as a mourning,
widowed housewife who had always been in the shadow of her husband and relatives and had
no experience in politics was juxtaposed against Marcos's statesmanship, eloquence, charisma,
and cunning political skills.
Nevertheless, Cory was able to capture the imagination of the people whose rights and
freedom had long been compromised throughout the Marcos regime. This is despite the fact
that Cory came from a rich haciendero family in Tarlac and owned vast estates of sugar
plantation and whose relatives occupy local and national government positions.
The People Power Revolution of 1986 was widely recognized around the world for its
peaceful character. When former senator Ninoy Aquino was shot at the tarmac of the Manila
International Airport on 21 August 1983 the Marcos regime greatly suffered a crisis of
legitimacy. Protests from different sectors frequented different areas in the country. Marcos's
credibility in the international community also suffered. Paired with the looming economic
crisis, Marcos had to do something to prove to his allies in the United States that he remained
to be the demoeratically anointed leader of the country. He called for a Snap Election in
February 1986, where Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, the widow of the slain senator was
convinced to run against Marcos. The canvassing was rigged to Marcos's favor but the people
expressed their protests against the corrupt and authoritarian government. Leading military
officials of the regime and Martial Law orchestrators themselves, Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel
V. Ramos, plotted to take over the presidency, until civilians heeded the call of then Manila
Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and other civilian leaders gathered in EDSA. The
overwhelming presence of civilians in EDSA successfully turned a coup into a civilian
demonstration. The thousands of people who gathered overthrew Ferdinand Marcos from the
presidency after 21 years.
On 18 September 1986, seven months since Cory became president, she went to the
United States and spoke before the joint session of the U.S. Congress. Cory was welcomed
with long applause as she took the podium and addressed the United States about her
presidency and the challenges faced by the new republic. She began her speech with the story
of her leaving the United States three years prior as a newly widowed wife of Ninoy Aquino.
She then told of Ninoy's character, conviction, and resolve in opposing the
authoritarianism of Marcos. She talked of the three times that they lost Ninoy including his
demise on 23 August 1986. The first time was when the dictatorship detained Ninoy with other
dissenters. Cory related:
“The government sought to break him by indignities and terror. They locked him up
in a tiny, nearly airless cell in a military camp in the north. They stripped him naked
and held a threat of a sudden midnight execution over his head. Ninoy held up
manfuly under all of it. I barely did as well. For forty-three days, the authorities
would not tell me what had happened to him. This was the first time my children
and I felt we had lost him."
Cory continued that when Ninoy survived that first detention, he was then charged of
subversion, murder, and other crimes. He was tried by a military court, whose legitimacy Ninoy
adamantly questioned. To solidify his protest, Ninoy decided to do a hunger strike and fasted
for 40 days. Cory treated this event as the second time that their family lost Ninoy. She said:
"When that didn't work, they put him on trial for subversion, murder and a host of
other crimes before a military commission. Ninoy challenged its authority and
went on a fast. If he survived it, then he felt God intended him for another fate.
We had lost him again,. For nothing would hold him back from his determination
to see his fast through to the end. He stopped only when it dawned on him that
the government would keep his body alive after the fast had destroyed his brain.
And so, with barely any life in his body, he called off the fast on the 40th day.”
Ninoy's death was the third and the last time that Cory and their children lost
Ninoy She continued:
“And then, we last him irrevocably and more painfully than in the past. The news
came to us in Boston. It had to be after the three happiest years of our lives
together. But his death was my country’s resurrection and the courage and faith
by which alone they could be free again. The dictator had called him a nobody. Yet,
two million people threw aside their passivity and fear and escorted him to his
grave.”
Cory attributed the peaceful EDSA Revolution to the martyrdom of Ninoy. She stated
that the death of Ninoy sparked the revolution and the responsibility of "offering the democratic
alternative" had "fallen on (her) shoulders Cory's address introduced us to her democratic
philosophy, which she claimed she also acquired from Ninoy. She argued:
“I held fast to Ninoy's conviction that it must be by the way of democracy. I held
out for participation in the 1984 election the dictatorship called, even if I knew it
would be rigged. I was warned by the lawyers of the opposition, that I ran the grave
risk of legitimizing the foregone results of elections that were clearly going to be
fraudulent. But I was not fighting tor lawyers but for the people in whose
intelligence, I had implicit faith. By the exercise of democracy even in a dictatorship,
they would be prepared for democracy when it came. And then also, it was the only
way I knew by which we could measure our power even in the terms dictated by
the dictatorship. The people vindicated me in an election shamefully marked by
government thuggery and fraud. The opposition swept the elections, garnering a
clear majority of the votes even if they ended up (thanks to a corrupt Commission
on Elections) with barely a third of the seats in Parliament. Now, I knew our power.”
Cory talked about her miraculous victory through the people's struggle and continued
talking about her earliest initiatives as the president of a restored democracy. She stated that
she intended to forge and draw reconciliation after a bloody and polarizing dictatorship. Cory
emphasized the importance of the EDSA Revolution in terms of being a "limited revolution
that respected the life and freedom of every Filipino. She also boasted of the restoration ot a
fully constitutional government whose constitution gave utmost respect to the Bill of Rights.
She reported to the U.S. Congress:
“Again as we restore democracy by the ways of democracy, so are we completing

the constitutional structures of our new democracy under a constitution that
already gives full respect to the Bill of Rights. A jealously independent
constitutional commission is completing its draft which will be submitted later this
year to a popular referendum. When it is approved, there will be elections for both
national and local positions. So, within about a year from a peaceful but national
upheaval that overturned a dictatorship, we shall have returned to full

constitutional government.”
Cory then proceeded on her peace agenda with the existing communist insurgency,
aggravated by the dictatorial and authoritarian measure of Ferdinand Marcos. She asserted:
“My predecessor set aside democracy to save it from communist insurgency that
numbered less than five hundred. Unhampered by respect for human rights he
went at it with hammer and tongs. By the time he fled, that insurgency had grown
to more than sixteen thousand. I think there is a lesson here to be learned about
trying to stifle a thing with a means by which it grows.”
Cory's peace agenda involves political initiatives and re-integration program to

persuade insurgents to leave the countryside and return to the mainstream society to participate
in the restoration of democracy. She invoked the path of peace because she believed that it was
the moral path that a moral government must take. Nevertheless, Cory took a step back when
she said that while peace is the priority of her presidency, she "will not waiver when freedom
and democracy are threatened. She said that, similar to Abraham Lincoln, she understands that
"force may be necessary before mercy and while she did not relish the idea, she "will do
whatever it takes to defend the integrity and freedom of (her) country.
Cory then turned to the controversial topic of the Philippine foreign debt amounting to
$26 billion at the time of her speech. This debt had ballooned during the Marcos regime. Cory
expressed her intention to honor those debts despite mentioning that the people did not benefit
from such debts. Thus, she mentioned her protestations about the way the Philippines was
deprived of choices to pay those debts within the capacity of the Filipino people. She lamented:
"Finally may I turn to that other slavery, our twenty-Six billion dollar foreign debt.
I have said that we shall honor it. Yet, the means by which we shall be able to do
so are kept from us. Many of the conditions imposed on the previous government
that stole this debt, continue to be imposed on us who never benefited from it."
She continued that while the country had experienced the calamities drought about by
the corrupt dictatorship of Marcos, no commensurate assistance was yet to be extended to the
Philippines. She even remarked that given the peaceful character of EDSA People Power
Revolution, "ours must have been the cheapest revolution ever." She demonstrated that Filipino
people fulfilled the "most difficult condition of the debt negotiation," which was the
"restoration of democracy and responsible government.
Cory related to the U.S. legislators that wherever she went, she met poor and unemployed
Filipinos willing to offer their lives for democracy. She stated:
“Wherever I went in the campaign, slum area or impoverished Village. They came
to me with one cry, democracy. Not food although they clearly needed it but
democracy. Not work, although they surely wanted it but democracy. Not money,
for they gave what little they had to my campaign. They didn’t expect me to work
a miracle that would instantly put food into their mouths, clothes on their back,
education in their children and give them work that will put dignity in their lives.
But I feel the pressing obligation to respond quickly as the leader of the people so
deserving of all these things."
Cory proceeded in enumerating the challenges of the Filipino people as they tried
building the new democracy. These were the persisting communist insurgency and the
economic deterioration. Cory further lamented that these problems worsened by the crippling
debt because half of the country's export earnings amounting to $2 billion would "go to pay
just the interest on a debt whose benefit the Filipino people never received. Cory then asked a
rather
compelling question to the U.S. Congress:
“Has there been a greater test of national commitment to the ideals you hold dear
than that my people have gone through? You have spent many lives and much
treasure to bring freedom to many lands that were reluctant to receive it. And
here, you have a people who want it by themselves and need only the help to
preserve it.”
Cory ended her speech by thanking America for serving as home to her family for what
she referred to as the "three happiest years of our lives together. She enjoined America in
building the Philippines as a new home for democracy and in turning the country as a "shining
testament of our two nations’ commitment to freedom.
Analysis of Cory Aquino's Speech
Cory Aquino's speech was an important event in the political and diplomatic history of
the country because it has arguably cemented the legitimacy of the EDSA government in the
international arena. The speech talks of her family background, especially her relationship with
her late husband, Ninoy Aquino. It is well known that it was Ninoy who served as the real
leading figure of the opposition at that time. Indeed, Ninoy's eloquence and charisma could
very well compete with that of Marcos. In her speech, Cory talked at length about Ninoy's toil
and suffering at the hands of the dictatorship that he resisted. Even when she proceeded talking
about her new government, she still went back to Ninoy's legacies and lessons. Moreover, her
attribution of the revolution to Ninoy's death demonstrates not only Cory's personal perception
on the revolution, but since she was the president, it also represents what the dominant
discourse was at that point in our history.
The ideology or the principles of the new democratic government can also be seen in
the same speech. Aquino was able to draw the sharp contrast between her government and of
her predecessor by expressing her commitment to a democratic constitution drafted by an
independent commission. She claimed that such constitution upholds and adheres to the rights
and liberty of the Filipino people. Cory also hoisted herself as the reconciliatory agent after
more than two decades of a polarizing authoritarian politics. For example, Cory saw the blown-
up communist insurgency as a product of a repressive and corrupt government. Her response
to this insurgency rooted from her diametric opposition of the dictator (i.e., initiating
reintegration of communist rebels to the mainstream Philippine society). Cory claimed that her
main approach to this problem was through peace and not through the sword of war.
Despite Cory's efforts to hoist herself as the exact opposite of Marcos, her speech still
revealed certain parallelisms between her and the Marcos’s government, this is seen in terms
of continuing the alliance between the Philippines and the United States despite the known
affinity between the said world super power and Marcos. The Aquino regime, as seen in Cory’s
acceptance of the invitation to address the U.S. Congress and to the content of the speech,
decided to build and continue with the alliance between the Philippines and the United States
and effectively implemented an essentially similar foreign policy to that of the dictatorship.
For example, Cory recognized that the large sum of foreign debts incurred by the Marcos
regime never benefitted the Filipino people. Nevertheless, Cory expressed her intention to pay
off those debts. Unknown to many Filipinos was the fact that there was a choice of waiving the
said debt because those were the debt of the dictator and not of the country. Cory's decision is
an indicator of her government's intention to carry on a debt-driven economy.
Reading through Aquino's speech, we can already take cues, not just on Cory's
individual ideas and aspirations, but also the guiding principles and framework of the
government that she represented.
X. Exercises/Drills:
True or False. Write true if the statement is true. Otherwise, write false in the space provided.
_____1. Non-written documents are not useful as primary sources in conducting historical
research.
_____2. The assassination of Ninoy Aquino is an important historical event that fueled people's
anger and condemnation of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
_____3. Apolinario Mabini penned the "Kartilya ng Katipunan.”
_____4. Magellan and his fleet received a warm welcome from all of the chieftains and local
leaders in the Philippine lslands.
_____5. The Americans radically altered the social structure in the Philippines after they took
over from Spain in terms of socioeconomic equality.
_____6. The "Proclamation of Philippine Independence" reflects the social and economic
discontent of the masses about land ownership and other agrarian issues.
_____7. The enmity between Aguinaldo and Bonifacio did not affect how the former's
revolutionary government credited Bonifacio to the beginnings of the Philippine

Revolution.
_____8. Corazon Aquino did not want to forge alliance with the United States because the
latter was a known important ally of Marcos.
_____9.The conservative attitude of the youth toward sexuality did not change since the
Spanish period until the 1930s.
_____10. The forces of Magellan were successful in defeating and conquering Lapulapu.
XI. Assessment Task

Instruction for Reflection Paper:
1. Observe the rubrics in writing your reflection paper.

2. Your work should not be less than 200 words.
3. Your output should be in A4 size document, double spaced, font 11 TNR.
4. Submission shall be within a week in which the lesson is assigned.
Critical Essay
Identify a primary source in Philippines history from the examples provided in this
chapter. Write an essay discussing (1) the importance of the text (2) the background of the
text’s author, (3) the context of the document, and (4) the text’s contribution to understanding
Philippine history.
Rubrics
RUBRIC FOR REFLECTION PAPER

Criteria Highest Possible Score Your Score
1. Reflective thinking 10
 The reflection explains the student’s own thinking and (5)
learning processes.
 The reflection attempts to demonstrate implications for (5)
future learning.
2. Contextual Analysis 6
 The students identify and analyze the problems that the (3)
document wants to address.
 There is a thorough discussion of the value and contribution
discussion of the contents of document in understanding the (3)
issues.
3. Making Connections 4
 The reflection articulates multiple connections between this (4)
learning experience and past learning, life experiences
and/or future goals.
Total 20
Rated by:
XII. Additional Readings

http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6a/entry-3833.html
https://www.esquiremag.ph/the-good-life/pursuits/emilio-aguinaldo-andres-bonifacio-acta-
de-tejeros-a1957-20181128-lfrm
XIII. References:
Candelaria, JL, & Aphora V., (2018) Readings in Philippine History
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CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY

Photo by: Quora (https://www.quora.com/Who-really-killed-Magellan)

VINCENT F. FRANCISQUITE, MM, MA

II. Course Title: Readings in Philippine History

III. Course Number: GE 109

V. Total Learning Time: 3 hours/week/54 hours/semester

In the preceding chapter, we have discussed the importance of familiarizing oneself

VII. Learning Outcomes

Internal and External Criticisms

As a science, it should remain faithful to the tradition of producing knowledge based

What is internal criticism? Why is it important to understand internal criticism? Internal

Analysis of Pigafetta's Chronicle

The KKK and the "Kartilya ng Katipunan

The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KAK) or

Analysis of the "Kartilya ng Katipunan

Reading the "Proclamation of the Philippine Independence

The proclamation commenced with a characterization of the conditions in the

States of North America, in manifestation of our profound gratitude towards that

Analysis of the "Proclamation of the Philippine Independence"

As mentioned earlier, a re-examination of the document on the declaration of

The proclamation also gives us the impression on how the victorious

A Glance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in Alfred McCoy's Philippine

Analysis of the Political Caricatures during the American Period

The transition from a Catholic-centered, Spanish-Filipino society to an imperial

Revisiting Corazon Aquino's Speech before the U.S. Congress

Corazon "Cory" Cojuangeo Aquino functioned as the symbol of the restoration ot

“Again as we restore democracy by the ways of democracy, so are we completing

upheaval that overturned a dictatorship, we shall have returned to full

Cory's peace agenda involves political initiatives and re-integration program to

Analysis of Cory Aquino's Speech

_____3. Apolinario Mabini penned the "Kartilya ng Katipunan.”

revolutionary government credited Bonifacio to the beginnings of the Philippine

XI. Assessment Task

1. Observe the rubrics in writing your reflection paper.

RUBRIC FOR REFLECTION PAPER

XII. Additional Readings

Candelaria, JL, & Aphora V., (2018) Readings in Philippine History

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