READINGS IN PHILIPPINE

HISTORY MODULE NO. 2

CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED
PRIMARY SOURCES IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. To familiarize oneself with the primary documents in different historical periods of the
Philippines;
2. To learn history through primary sources; and
3. To properly interpret primary sources through looking at the content and context of the
document.

CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN

THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY; HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
- Historical interpretation is the process by which we describe, analyze, evaluate, and create an
explanation of past events. By basing our interpretation on primary and secondary sources, we
analyze the evidence, contexts, points of view, and frames of reference.
- Interpretation might explore causality (what made something happen), processes (revolutions,
economic depressions), conflicts (social class, race, gender), historical outcomes (effects of past
events), or other topics (creative thinking).
- Historical interpretation requires synthesizing (combining) a variety of evidence, primary and
secondary sources (critical thinking).
- Historical thinking involves the ability to arrive at meaningful and persuasive understandings of the
past by applying all the other historical thinking skills, by drawing appropriately on ideas from
different fields of inquiry or disciplines and by creatively fusing disparate, relevant (and perhaps
contradictory) evidence from primary and secondary sources. Additionally, synthesis may involve
applying insights about the past to other historical contexts or circumstances, including the
present. These insights may come from social science theories and perspectives and/or writings
of other historians (historiography).
- Interpretations are in essence thoughtful efforts to represent and explain past events and it has
three (3) vital elements:
o It must have a purpose – interpretations must be deemed as conscious reflections on the
past, not simply irrational spur-of-the-moment opinions. One should apply logic and
organization to the explanation of the past – not only to react to the evidence.
o It must serve as representations – interpretations must be seen as efforts to provide the
audience an image or description of the historical event/issue. Although the
interpretation cannot recreate the past perfectly, it can represent faithfully how the
events transpired on the basis of the historical evidence.
o These are past events – interpretations serve as reflections of those studying the past,
not of the participants in those events since we refer to the collection done by historians.

CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES IN

THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY; CONTEXT ANALYSIS
- Context analysis considers the time and place the historical document was written, including the
situation or the circumstances during the time.
- Works pertaining to events in the past are analyzed by also taking into account the author of the
document, his/her biographical background, role in the event, and the intent for writing the
documents.
- The two other questions to consider when doing a context analysis are as follows: o
How authoritative is the account/source?
o How is it relevant today?
- Historical sources are written by various authors with different perspectives. o Perspective refers
to the point of view of the said writer who was a witness to the event. o Historians are
careful in using these sources as the writer may be biased or prejudiced on the subject
he/she is discussing.
o For example, missionary chronicles or narratives that were written by the religious
missionaries who came to the Philippines to spread Christianity in the islands. They
usually referred to the early Filipinos as barbarians or uncivilized. This, of course, is not
true as it is known that Filipinos already had a form of civilization and had contact with
Asian neighbors before the Spaniards arrived.
- Different participants who also wrote their accounts can also give varied opinions and statements
about a single event. For example, the Philippine Revolution of 1896 can be read from the point
of view of the Filipinos and from the side of the Spaniards. The same event can be viewed from
the lens of foreigners who were in the Philippines at that time and were just passive observers. In
any case, reading a historical event from the points of view of all sides will enable us to form our
own studies about the said event.

ANTONIO PIGAFETTA, FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

- Antonio Pigafetta (1491-1534) was born around 1490 in the
town of Vicenza, Italy. He was the eldest son of Giovanni Pigafetta
to second wife Angela Zoga.
- He studied astronomy, geography, and cartography. During his
younger years, he worked in the ships owned by the Knights of
Rhodes.
- His biographers describe him as a well-educated young man
possessing an avid curiosity of the world around him. He joined the
delegation of Monsignor Francesco Chieregati when the latter was
assigned as Papal Nuncio to Spain in 1519. It was during this time
when Pigafetta became acquainted with lucrative spice trade and
heard the news of the voyage to be undertaken by Ferdinand
Magellan.
- After getting the approval of the Spanish sovereign, he left Barcelona and went to Seville. He
presented his credentials to Magellan and to the Casa de La Contratacion, the office in charge of
voyages to the New World.
- He was admitted as one of the sobresalientes (supernumeraries), or men coming from prominent
families who will join the trip for the love of adventure and for the advancement of military
service.
- Pigafetta survived the challenges and catastrophes that the expedition encountered along the way,
including being wounded in the Battle of Mactan. He was among the 18 survivors who returned
to Spain on September 6, 1522 aboard the Victoria with Juan Sebastian Elcano.
 - From Seville, Pigafetta reported to his Majesty King Carlos V and gave him a handwritten account of
what happened to them during the journey before returning to his native Italy. Very little is
known as to what happened to him during the later part of his life except on some accounts that
he joined the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in its battle against the Turks. He died sometime in
1534.

ANTONIO PIGAFETTA, FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD; HISTORICAL

CONTEXT
- One of the benefits that the Europeans gained from the Crusades was the discovery of some
products that were not available in their home country. These included porcelain, silk, incense,
herbs, perfumes, fabrics, carpets, spices, and other oriental products. Of all these Asian
products, spices, became the most expensive and in-demand commodity among Europeans
because of their numerous uses such as food preservation, flavor enhancement, and even
medicine. Since spices were a very lucrative commodity, many merchants aspired to monopolize
their supply and distribution in the European markets.
- Asian goods reached Europe either via the Silk
Road or The Arabian-Italian trade route. Both
routes were expensive and oftentimes
disrupted
by wars, natural calamities, and bandits. The
closing of the land route of the Spice trade
with the
conquest by the Ottom, an Empire of
Constantinople (present-day Turkey and the
“gateway to the West” then), in 1453 forced
European kingdoms to look for ways to
explore the
oceans to look for a way to the famed Spice Islands.
- Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal put up a
maritime school that trained sailors who would
later discover an eastern sea route going to the Spice Islands (the modern-day Moluccas Islands)
and other islands in Southeast Asia via the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. This route
enabled them to trade directly with the producers of spices and other Oriental goods. The
numerous economic benefits it gave to Portugal made other monarchs envious and prompted
them to search for a new trade route to Asia. This led to the discovery of many territories
previously unknown to the Europeans, though inhabited already and known to other races. - The
marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (1469) coupled with the victory
of the Catholic monarchs over the Moors in the Battle of Granada (1492) resulted in the rise of Spain
as a world power. With the domestic problems already under control, Spain started to explore their
economic options outside the Iberian Peninsula. Inspired by the success of Portugal, they aspired to
have a fair share in spice trade. They
financed the trans-Atlantic voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492 to
1502) which resulted in the discovery of the territories on the other
side of the Atlantic Ocean.
- Decades later, the Spanish monarch also supported the plan of
Ferdinand Magellan to go to the East by sailing westward, a proposal
that Portugal refused to finance.
- The Magellan expedition left the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda
 in Seville on August 20, 1519 with around 270 men of different
nationalities. One of its main objectives was to search for a new
maritime path to the Spice Islands that would not violate Spain’s
treaty with Portugal. Along the way, the expedition suffered natural and man-made challenges
and out of the five ships that left Spain only three reached the Philippines.
- The first couple of weeks of their stay in the Philippines were marked with hospitality and cordial
exchange of goods. The local inhabitants traded with them and some were even converted to
Christianity. Lapu-lapu, the chieftain of Mactan, refused to trade with the Spaniards and when
Magellan learned this, he waged war with him.
- Despite the superiority in terms of arms and training, the Spaniards lost the battle and one of the
casualties was Magellan himself. When the survivors returned to Cebu, they were also
treacherously attacked by their former allies. This prompted them to leave the island. By that
time, their number was just enough to man two ships, the Victoria (now under the command of
Juan Sebastian Elcano) and the Trinidad. The expedition finally reached the Spice Islands and
managed to purchase a large amount of spices before leaving. Unfortunately, the Trinidad and
her crew were captured by the Portuguese on their journey back.
- On September 7, 1522, Elcano and 17 survivors arrived in Spain aboard the ship Victoria. One of
them was Antonio Pigafetta, the assistant of Magellan who kept a journal that became the main
source of what we know about the first encounter of the Spaniards and the Filipinos.

ANTONIO PIGAFETTA, FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD; ABOUT THE BOOK -
Pigafetta kept a detailed journal of what happened to them from the time they left Seville in 1519
until they returned to Spain three years after. When he returned to Italy, many of his associates
asked him to write a formal account of the Magellan expedition and have it published. He followed
their advice and, after doing it, he presented his draft to Pope Clement VII, Philippe de Villiers
L’Isle-Adam (grandmaster of the Knights of Rhodes) and to Louis of Savoy (mother of King Francis I of
France), hoping that they would help him finance its publication.
- Unfortunately, he was unable to find a financier who would pay the deposit required by the printer
because by that time, the accounts of Maximilianus Transylvanus and Peter Martyr were already
out and interest on Magellan expedition had died down.
- Sometime in 1536, a condensed version of his manuscript was published in Venice by Jacques
Fabre.
- The original journal of Pigafetta did not survive time. What was handed down to us are copies of
the manuscript that were never printed in his lifetime. Three of them were in French and two are
kept in the Bibliiotheque Nationale in Paris. The third one was originally owned by British
collector Sir Thomas Phillipps. Later, Beinecke Rare Book bought it and it is now kept in the
Manuscript Library of Yale University in New Haven. The fourth copy was written in mixed Italian,
Spanish, and Venetian languages and could be found in the Ambrosian Library in Milan.
- In 1800, Carlo Amoretti published an Italian version and the following year a French version came
out in Paris.
- An English version was published in 1819. James Alexander Robertson made his own English
version of the Ambrosian copy and it appeared in The Philippine Islands opus (Volume 33) as
well as in a separate edition.
- Of the four known primary sources that dealt with the Magellan expedition, Pigafetta’s account is
the longest and most comprehensive. It recounted the individual fates of the five ships (Trinidad,
San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago, and Victoria) that gallantly survived the unforeseen
problems and challenges, such as shortage of food, various types of diseases, the crew’s lack of
confidence in Magellan’s leadership, and the hostile attitude of the people they encountered
 during the journey.
- Pigafetta’s account also included maps, glossaries of native words, and geographic information and
descriptions of the flora and fauna of the places they visited.
- Pigafetta’s travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine historiography. It is
one of the most cited documents by historians who wished to study the precolonial Philippines. - As
one of the earliest written accounts, Pigafetta was seen as a credible source for a period, which was
prior unchronicled and undocumented. His writing provided us a glimpse of the political, economic,
and social conditions of the islands in the Visayan region during the 16th century. - He described
vividly the physical appearance, social life, religious beliefs, and cultural practices of the people they
encountered in the islands of Samar, Leyte, and Cebu. His account also contains data about the
economic activities of the local folks and the goods they offered for trade. He got all this information
through the help of Magellan’s slave/interpreter, Enrique de Malacca. - Pigafetta likewise gave us an
eyewitness account of the death of Magellan in the Battle of Mactan. - The report of Pigafetta is quite
long and is not presented here in its entirety. The excerpts are limited to the narration of what
happened to the expedition upon reaching the Philippines – from the time they landed on
Homonhon up to the Battle of Mactan. Since Pigafetta and Enrique de Malacca were not natives of
the Visayan region, there were inaccuracies in the information about and the spelling of the names
and places they visited. Thus, the correct equivalent and translation are provided to make the
excerpts understandable to contemporary students.

ANTONIO PIGAFETTA, FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE

WORLD; SUMMARY - In Pigafetta’s account, their fleet reached
what he called the
LANDRONES ISLANDS or the “Islands of the Thieves.”
o He recounted:
▪ “These people have no arms, but use sticks, which
have a fish bone at the end. They are poor, but
ingenious, and great thieves, and for the sake of that
we call these three islands the Landrones
Islands.”
- The Landrones Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands.
- Pigafetta reported that they have reached Ladrones Islands, and what
he called the Isle of Zamal, now Samar but Magellan decides to land in
another uninhabited island for greater security where they could rest
for a few days.
- On 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. - Pigafetta
detailed in amazement and fascination the palm tree which bore fruits called cochos and wine.
- He characterized the people as “very familiar and friendly” who willingly showed them different
islands and the names of these islands. The fleet went to Humunu Island (Homonhon) and there
they found what he referred to as the “Watering Place of Good Signs.” For it is in this place that
they found the first signs of gold in the island. They named the island together with a nearby
island
as the archipelago of St. Lazarus.
- On March 25, Pigafetta recounted that they saw two balanghai (balangay), a long boat full of people
in Mazzava/Mazaus. The leader whom he referred to the king became closely bonded with
Magellan as they both exchanged gifts to one another.
- After a few days, Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother who was also a king of another
 island where Pigafetta reported that they saw mines of gold. The gold was abundant that parts of
the ship and the house of the king were made of gold. The king was named Raia Calambu, king of
Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua), and the first king was Raia Siagu.
- On March 31 (Easter Sunday), Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore. The
king heard about this plan and sent two dead pigs and attended the Mass with the other king.
Pigafetta then wrote:
o “…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.”
- This was the first mass in the Philippines, and the cross
would be famed Magellan’s Cross which isstill preserved
at present day. This was the same cross which Magellan
explained to the kings as a sign of his emperor who
ordered him to plan it in the places where he would reach and further explained that once other
Spaniards saw this cross, then they would know that they had been in this island and would not
cause them troubles.
- By April 7, Magellan and his men reached the port of Zzubu (Cebu) with the help of Raia Calambu
who offered to pilot them in going to the island. The kind of Cebu demanded that they pay
tribute as it was customary but Magellan refused. 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.
- On April 14, Magellan spoke to the kind 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 Christian. After
8 days, all of the island’s inhabitants were already baptized.
- When the queen came to the mass one day, Magellan gave her an image of the Infant Jesus made
by Pigafetta himself.
- On April 26, 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 name Silapulapu
(Lapulapu). Magellan offered 3 boats instead and went to Mactan to fight the said chief. - They were
numbered 49 in total and the
islanders of Mactan were estimated to 1,500. Magellan
died in battle. He was pierced with a poison arrow in his
right leg. The king of Cebu who was baptized offered help
but Magellan refused so that he could see how they
fought.
- The kind also offered the people of Mactan gifts
of any value and amount in exchange of Magellan’s body
but the chief refused and wanted to keep Magellan’s
body as a memento of their victory.
- Magellan’s men then elected Duarte Barbosa as the new captain.
- Pigafetta also accounted how Magellan’s slave and interpreter named Henry betrayed them and
 told the king of Cebu 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 left on board the ship on board the ship and was not able to join the 24 men who
went to the gathering because he was nursing his battle wounds.
- The natives had slain all the men except the interpreter and Juan Serrano who shouted at the men
on this ship to pay ransom so that he would be spared but he was left on the island for they
refused to go back to shore.
- The fleet abandoned Serrano and departed. They left Cebu and continued their journey around the
world.

ANTONIO PIGAFETTA, FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD; RELEVANCE OF THE

BOOK
- Pigafetta’s chronicle contributed immensely to European historiography as it preserved and
popularized the achievements of the Magellan expedition. If Pigafetta did not survive the
journey, we would have very little knowledge of Magellan’s numerous contributions in the fields
of geography, navigation, history, and other related areas.
- First, credit must be given to Magellan expedition for proving that the earth is not flat but an oblate
sphere. Moreover, they demolished the myth that there is boiling water at the Equator. - Second,
Magellan and his men completed the first circumnavigation of the world. - Third, they confirmed
that the Portuguese route is not the only way to the Spice Islands. They proved the theory that one
can go to the east by sailing west.
- Fourth, they brought to the attention of the Europeans that on the other side of the American
continent exists a large body of water which the named Pacific Ocean (Mar Pacifico). All of these
discoveries altered the European map of the world and resulted in the inclusion of new
territories in their world view.
- The account of Pigafetta also enriched Philippine historiography because it contains important
details about the conditions of the Visayan Islands in the 16th century. Some of the prominent
leaders during that time, their economic activities, social and cultural practices, and religious
beliefs were identified.
- Moreover, local textbook writers use his book as their source of historical information about the
beginning of Christianity in the Philippines. The accounts about the First Mass in the Philippines,
the conversion of Rajah Humabon and his wife, and the story of the image of the Sto. Niño were
mostly takes from Pigafetta’s book.
- Finally, Pigafetta has numerous accounts about the reaction of the Filipinos when they met the
Spaniards. Some Filipinos were easily befriended by the Spaniards while others refused to
interact and trade with them. Lapu-lapu is the most prominent character in Pigafetta’s narrative.
He was the first Filipino who led the resistance movement against Spanish rule and successfully
thwarted the first attempt of the Spaniards to take control of the Philippines.

ACTIVITY NO. 2
I. Prepare a detailed timeline of Pigafetta’s accounts.
II. Why is it important to take into account Pigafetta’s background in studying his journal? Explain.
III. It was said that, “Magellan discovered the Philippines.” Do you agree that the term “discovery” is
appropriate to describe Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines? Why or why not? IV. How did Pigafetta
 describe the early Filipinos? Are these traits still evident in the present? How do these traits affect us
as a nation? Explain your answer.

REFERENCES:

Torrentira, Moises. (2020). Torrentira, Readings in Philippine History Course Module. Pigafetta, Antonio.
1519-1522. The First Voyage Around the World: An Account of Magellan’s Expedition. Ed. Theodore J.
Cachey, Jr. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
History of Micronesia: A Collection of Source Documents. Ed. Rodrigue Levesque. Vol. 1: European
Discovery, 1521-1560. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1994.
Candelaria, John Lee P., Alporha, Veronica C: Reading in Philippine History; Sampaloc Manila: Rex Book
Store, Inc.