ALDERSGATE COLLEGE READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION BENJAMIN C DULATRE

MODULE 3 PHILIPPINE HISTORY: SPACES FOR CONFLICT AND CONTROVERSIES

OVERVIEW

In this module, we will analyze four historiographical problems in Philippine history in an attempt to
apply what we have learned thus far in the work of a historian and the process of historical inquiry. Earlier,
we have been introduced to history as a discipline, the historical method, and the content and context
analysis of primary sources. Two key concepts that need to be defined before proceeding to the historical
analysis of problems in history are interpretation and multiperspectivity.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, the student should be able to

1. To interpret historical events using primary sources.
2. To recognize the multiplicity of interpretation than can be read from a historical text.
3. To identify the advantages and disadvantages of employing critical tools in interpreting historical
events through primary sources.
4. To demonstrate ability to argue for or against a particular issue using primary sources.

PRETEST

I. TRUE OR FALSE. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it is incorrect.
1. Historical interpretation is based on the historian’s judgement on how the past should be
seen.
2. We make sense of the past through historical interpretation.
3. Multiperspectivity is a quality of historical writing attributed to a variety of lenses that may
be used to view the past.
4. There is only one account of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines.
5. The significance of the martyrdom of the GOMBURZA is questioned by historians.
6. The Cavite Mutiny is an event that led to the execution of the GOMBURZA.
7. Jose Rizal’s essays go against the Catholic faith.
8. There is no doubt that Rizal retracted his writings to be able to marry Josephine Bracken.
9. The Cry of the Rebellion happened in present-day Quezon City.
10. The site of the monument of the Heroes of 1896 was chosen because this is the actual
place where the Cry of the Rebellion happened.

LEARNING FOCUS

Lesson 1: Making Sense of the Past: Historical Interpretation

History
 study of the past
 According to Geoffrey Barraclough defines history as “the attempt to discover, on the basis of
fragmentary evidence, the significant things about the past.”

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 He also notes “the history we read, though based on facts, is strictly speaking, not factual at all, but
a series of accepted judgements.”

The Code of Kalantiaw

 Mythical legal code in the epic history Maragtas
 Before it was revealed as a hoax, it was a source of pride for the people of Aklan.
 In fact, a historical marker was installed in the town of Batan, Aklan in 1956, with the following
text:
“CODE OF KALANTIAW. Datu Bendehara Kalantiaw, third chief of
Panay,born in Aklan, established his government in the peninsula of Batang,
Aklan Sakup.
Considered the First Filipino Lawgiver, he promulgated in about 1433 a penal code
now known as Code of Kalantiaw containing 18 articles. Don Marcelino Orilla of
Zaragoza, Spain, obtained the original manuscript from an old chief of Panay
which was later translated into Spanish by Rafael Murviedo Yzamaney.”
 1968- it was proved a hoax
 William Henry Scott (doctoral candidate at the University of Santo Tomas, defended his
research on pre-Hispanic sources in Philippine history.)
 He attributed the code to a historical fiction written in 1913 by Jose E. Marco titled Las
Antiguas de las Islas de Negros.
 Marco attributed the code itself to a priest named Jose Maria Pavon.
 Prominent Filipino historians did not dissent to Scott’s findings, but there are still some who
would like to believe that the code is a legitimate document.

 Historians utilize facts collected from primary sources of history and then draw their own
reading so that their intended audience may understand the historical event, a process that in
essence, “makes sense of the past”.
 The premise is that not all primary sources are accessible to a general audience, and without
proper training and background, a non-historian interpreting a primary source may do more
harm than good-a primary source may even cause misunderstandings; sometimes, even
resulting in more problems.
 Interpretations of the past, therefore, vary according to who reads the primary source, when it
was read, and how it was read.
 As a students of history, we must be well equipped to recognize different types of
interpretations, why this differ from each other, and how critically sift these interpretations
through historical evaluation.
 Interpretations of historical events change over time; thus, it is an important skill for a student
of history to track these changes in an attempt to understand the past.

“Sa Aking Mga Kabata”

 Poem written by Jose Rizal when he was 8 years old and probably as one his prominent works.
 There is no manuscript of the poem handwritten by Rizal

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 The poem was first published in 1906, in a book by Hermenegildo Cruz.

 Cruz said he received the poem from Gabriel Beato Francisco; who claimed to have received it in
1884 from Rizal’s close friend, Saturnino Raselis.
 Rizal never mentioned writing this poem anywhere in his writings, and more importantl, he never
mentioned of having a close friend by the person of Raselis.
 The poem was written in Tagalog ad referred to the word “kalayaan”.
 But it was documented in Rizal’s letters that he first encountered the word through a Marcelo H. del
Pilar’s translation of Rizal’ essay “El Amor Patrio”, where it was spelled as “kalayahan.”
 While Rizal’s native tongue was Tagalog, he was educated in Spanish, starting from his mother,
Teodora Alonso.
 Later on, he would express disappointment in his difficulty in expressing himself in his tongue.
 The poem’s spelling is also suspect – the use of letters “k” and “w” to replace “c” and “u”,
respectively was suggested by Rizal as an adult.
 If the poem was indeed written during his time, it should use the original Spanish orthography that
was prevalent in his time.

 Many of the things we accept as “true” about the past might not be the case anymore; just
because these were taught to us as “facts” when we were younger does not mean that it is set
in stone – history is, after all, a construct.
 And as a construct, it is open for interpretation.
 There might be conflicting and competing accounts of the past that need one’s attention, and
can impact the way we view our country’s history and identity.
 It is important, therefore, to subject to evaluation not only the primary source, but also the
historical interpretation of the same, to ensure that the current interpretation is reliable to
support our acceptance of the events of the past.

Lesson 2
Multiperspectivity
 Defined as a way of looking at historical events, personalities, developments, cultures, and
societies from different perspectives.
 There is a multitude of ways by which we can view the world, and each could be equally valid, and
at the same time, equally partial as well.

Historical writing
 Biased, partial and contains preconceptions.

Historian may….
 decides on what sources to use, what interpretation to make more apparent, depending on what
his end is.
 misinterpret evidence, attending to those that suggest that a certain event happened, and then
ignore the rest that goes against the evidence.
 omit significant facts about their subject, which makes the interpretation unbalanced.

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 impose a certain ideology to their subject, which may not be appropriate to the period the subject
was from.
 also provide a single cause for an event without considering other possible causal explanations of
said event.
 fail in his historical inference, description, and interpretation.

 With multiperspectivity as an approach in history, we must understand that historical interpretations

contain discrepancies, contradictions, ambiguities, and are often the focus of dissent.
 Exploring multiple perspective in history requires incorporating source materials that reflect
different views of an event in history, because singular historical narratives do not provide for
space to inquire and investigate.
 Different sources that counter each other way create space for more investigation and research,
while providing more evidence for those truths that these sources agree on.
 Different kind of sources also provide different historical truths – an official document may note
different aspects of the past than, say, a memoir of an ordinary person on the same event.
 Different historical agents create different historical truths, and while this may be burdensome work
for the historian, it also renders more validity to the historical scholarship.

Lesson 3
Case Study 1: Where Did the First Catholic Mass Take Place in the Philippines?
It must be noted that there are only two primary sources that historians refer to in identifying the site of the
first Mass.
1. FRANCISCO ALBO,
 A pilot of one of Magellan’s ship, Trinidad
 He was one of the 18 survivors who returned with Sebastian Elcano on the ship Victoria
after they circumnavigated the world.
2. ANTONIO PIGAFETTA,
 Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage Around the World)
 He was a member of the Magellan expedition and an eyewitness of the events, particularly
of the first Mass.

Primary Source: Albo’s Log

1. On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly course from Landrones, they saw land
towards the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they did not approach it. They found later
its name as YUNAGAN.
2. They went instead that same day southwards to another small island named Suluan, and there
they anchored. They they saw some canoes but these fled at the Spaniards’ approach. This island
was at 9 and two-thirds degrees North latitude.
3. Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited island of “Gada” where
they took in a supply of wood and water. The sea around that island was free from shallows.
(Albo does not give the latitude of this island, but from Pigafetta’s testimony, this seems to be the
“Acquada” or Homonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.)
4. From that island they sailed wetwards towards a large island names Seilani that was inhabited and
was known to have gold.

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(Seilani – or, as Pigafetta calls it, “Ceylon” – was the island of Leyte.)
5. Sailing southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small
island called “Mazava”. That island is also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.
6. The people of that island of Mazava were very good. There the Spaniards planted a cross upon a
mountain-top, and from there they were shown three islands to the west and southwest, where
they were told there was much gold. “They showed us how the gold was gathered, which came in a
small piece like peas and lentils.”
7. From Mazava they sailed northwards again towards Seilani. They followed the coast of Seilani in a
northwesterly direction, ascending up to 10 degrees of latitude where they saw three small islands.
8. From there they sailed westwards some ten leagues, and there they saw three islets, where they
dropped anchor for the night. In the morning they sailed southwest some 12 leagues, down to
latitude of 10 and one-third degree. There they entered a channel between two islands, one of
which was called “Matan” and the other “Subu”
9. They sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at the town (la villa) of
Subu where they stayed many days and obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact with
the local king.
10. The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the islands of Suluan and Mazava. But
between Mazava and Subu, there were so many shallows that the boats could not go westward
directly but has to go (as they did) in a round-about way.

 It must be noted that in Albo’s account, the location of Mazava fits the location of the island of
Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54’N.
 Also, Albo does not mention the first Mass, but only the planting of the cross upon a mountain-
top from which could be seen three islands to the west southwest, which also fits the southern
end of Limasawa.

Primary Source: Pigafetta’s Testimony on the Route of Magellan’s Expedition

1. Saturday, March 16, 1521

 Magellan’s expedition sighted a “high land” named “Zamal” which some 300 leagues
westward of Landrones (now the Marianas) Islands.
2. Sunday, March 17, 1521
 After sighting Zamal Island, they landed on “another island which was uninhabited”
and which lay “to the right” of the above-mentioned island of “Zamal.”
(To the “right” here would mean on their starboard going south or southwest.)
 There they set up two tents for the sick members of the crew and had a sow killed for
them.
 The name of this island was “Humunu” (Homonhon). This island was located at 10
degrees North latitude.
3. March 17, 1521
 Magellan named the entire archipelago the “Islands of Saint Lazarus”.
 The reason being that it was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned
for the Mass and the liturgical Office was the eleventh chapter of St. John, which tells
of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
4. Monday, March 18, 1521
 In the afternoon, they saw a boat coming towards them with nine men in it.

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 An exchange of gifts was effected.

 Magellan asked for food supplies, and the men went away, promising to rice and other
supplies in “four days.”
5. There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon.
 Also they saw there some indications that there were was gold in these islands.
Consequently, Magellan renamed the island and called it the “Watering Place of Good
Omen” (Acquada la di bouni segnialli).
6. Friday, March 22, 1521
 At noon the natives returned.
 This time they were in two boats, and they brought food supplies.
7. Magellan’s expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday of
the following week, March 25.
8. Monday, March 25
 In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of Homonhon.
 In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day (March 25) was the feast-day of the Incarnation,
also called the feast of the Annunciation and therefore “Our Lady’s Day.”
 On this day, as they were about to weigh anchor, an accident happened to Pigafetta:
he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributed his narrow escape from death as
grace obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast-day.
9. The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was “toward the west southwest,
between four islands:
a. Hiunanghan
b. Ibusson
c. Albarien
 Very probably “Cenalo” is a misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta in
his map calls “Ceilon” and Albo calls “Seilani”: namely the island of Leyte.
 “Hiunanghan” (a misspelling of Hinunangan) seemed to Pigafetta to be a separate
island, but is actually on the mainland of Leyte.
 On the other hand, Hibuson (Pigafetta’s Ibusson) is an island east of Leyte’s southern
tip.
 They left Homonhon sailing westward towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast
soutward, passing between the island of Hibuson on their portside and Hiunangan Bay
on their starboard, and then continued soutward, then turning westward to “Mazaua”.
10. Thursday, March 28, 1521
 They anchored off an island where the previous night they had seen a light or a
bonfire.
 That island “lies in a latitude of nine and two-thirds towards the Artic Pole and in
longitude of one hundred and sixty-two degrees from the line of demarcation.
 It is twenty-five leagues from the Acquada, and is called Mazaua.
11. They remained seven days on Mazaua Island.
12. Thursday, April 4, 1521
 They left Mazaua, bound for Cebu.
 They were guided thither by the king of Mazaua who sailed in his own boat.
 Their route took them past five “islands” namely: “Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai,
and Gatighan.”

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13. At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the three islands of the Canotes Group , namely, Poro,
Pasihan and Ponson.
 Here the Spanish ships stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch up with them,
since the Spanish ships were much faster than the native balanghai – a thing that
excited the admiration of the king of Mazaua.
14. From the Camotes Islands they sailed soutwards towards “Zubu”.
15. Sunday, April 7, 1521
 At noon they entered the harbor of “Zubu” (Cebu).
 It had taken three days to negotiate the journey from Mazaua northwards to the
Camotes Islands and then southwards to Cebu.

 It must be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta’s testimonies coincide and corroborate each
other.
 Pigafetta gave more details on what they did during their weeklong stay at Mazaua.

Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua

1. Thursday, March 28
 In the morning they anchored near an island where they had seen a light the night before a
small boat (boloto) came with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some trinkets as
preents.
 The natives paddled away, but two hours later two larger boats (balanghai) came, in one of
which the native king sat under an awning of mats.
 At Magellan invitation some of the natives went up the Spanish ship, but the native king
remained seated in his boat.
 An exchange of gifts was effected.
 In the afternoon that day, the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer to shore,
anchoring near the native king’s village.
 This Thursday was Thursday in Holy Week.
2. Friday, March 29
 Holy Friday
 Magellan sent his slave interpreter ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he could
provide the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they had come as friends and not
as enemies.
 In reply the king himself came in a boat with six or eight men, and this time went up
Magellan’s ship and the two men embraced.
 Another exchange of gifts was made.
 The native king and his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of
Magellan’s expedition as guests for the night. One of the two was Pigafetta.
3. Saturday, March 30
 Pigafetta and his companion had spent the previous evening feasting and drinking with the
native king and his son.
 Pigafetta deplored the fact that, although it was Good Friday, they had to eat meat.

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 The following morning Pigafetta and his companion took leave of their hosts and returned
to the ships.
4. Sunday, March 31
 The last of March and Easter day
 Magellan sent the priest ashore with some men to prepare for the mass.
 Later in the morning, Magellan landed with some fifty men and Mass was celebrated, after
which a cross was venerated.
 Magellan and the Spaniards returned to the ship for the noon-day meal, but in the
afternoon they returned ashore to plant the cross on the summit of highest hill.
 In attendance both at the Mass and at the planting of the cross were the king of Mazaua
and the king of Butuan.
5. Sunday, March 31
 On the same afternoon, while on the summit of the highest hill, Magellan asked the two
kings which ports he should go to in order to obtain more abundant supplies of food than
were available in that island.
 They replied that there were three ports to choose from: Ceylon, Zubu, and Calagan.
 Of the three, Zubu was the port with the most trade.
 Magellan then said that he wished to go to Zubu and to depart the following morning.
 He asked for someone to guide him thither.
 The kings replied that the pilot would be available “any time”.
 But later that evening the king of Mazaua changed his mind and said that he would himself
conduct Magellan to Zubu but that he would first have to bring the harvest in.
 He asked Magellan to send him men to help with the harvest.
6. Monday, April 1
 Magellan sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was done that day
because the two kings were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before.
7. Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3
 Work on the harvest during the “next two days”
8. Thursday, April 4
 They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.

 Using the primary sources available, Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in his work Butuan or
Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Rexamination of Evidence (1981) lays
down the argument that in the Pigafetta account, a crucial aspect of Butuan was not mentioned –
the river.
 Butuan is a riverine settlement, situated on the Agusan river.
 The beach of Masao is in the delta of said river.
 It is a curious omission in the account of the river, which makes part of a distinct characteristics of
Butuan’s geography that seemed to be too important to be missed.
 It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan’s death, the survivors of his expedition went
to Mindanao, and seemingly went to Butuan.
 In this instance, Pigafetta vividly describes a trip in a river.

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Lesson 4
Case Study 2: What Happened in the Cavite Mutiny?
 The year 1872 is a historic year of two events: The Cavite Mutiny and the martyrdom of the three
priests: Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, later on immortalized as GOMBURZA.

Spanish Accounts of the Cavite Mutiny

Two accounts of the Cavite Mutiny
1. JOSE MONTERO Y VIDAL
2. GOVERNOR GENERAL RAFAEL IZQUIERDO

Primary Source: Excerpts from Montero’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny

 The abolition of privileges enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite arsenal if exemption from the
tribute was according to some, the cause of the insurrection.
 The Spanish revolution which overthrew a secular throne; the propaganda carried on by an
unbridled press against monarchial principles.
 Attentatory of the most sacred respects towards the dethroned majesty.
 The democratic and republican books and pamphlets.
 The speeches and preaching’s of the apostles of these new ideas in Spain.
 The outbursts of the American publicists and the criminal policy of the senseless Governor whom
the Revolutionary government sent to govern the Philippines
 The one who put into practice these ideas were the determining circumstances which gave rise,
among certain Filipinos, to the idea of attaining their independence.
 At various times but especially in the beginning of year 1872, the authorities received anonymous
communications with the information that a great uprising would break out against the Spaniards
 The minute the fleet at Cavite left for the South, and that all would be assassinated, including the
friars.
 But nobody gave importance to these notices.
 The conspiracy had been going on since the days of La Torre with utmost secrecy.
 At times, the principal leaders met either in the house of Filipino Spaniard, D. Joaquin Pedro de
Tavera, or in that of the native priest, Jacinto Zamora, and these meetings were usually attended
by the curate of Bacoor, the soul of the movement, whose energetic character and immense wealth
enabled him to exercise a strong influence.

Primary Source: Excerpts from the Official Report of Governor Izquierdo on the Cavite Mutiny of 1872
 It is apparent that the accounts underscore the reason for the “revolution”
 The abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of the Cavite arsenal such as exemption
from payment of tribute and being employed in polos y servicios, or force labor.
 They also identified other reasons which seemingly made the issue a lot more serious, which
included the presence of the native clergy, who, out of spite against the Spanish friars, “conspired
and supported” the rebels.
 Izquierdo, in an obviously biased report, highlighted that attempt to overthrow the Spanish
Government in the Philippines to install a new “hari” in the persons of Father Burgos, and Zamora.
 According to him, native clergy attracted supporters by giving them charismatic assurance that
their fight would not fail because they had God’s support, aside from promises of lofty rewards
such as employment, wealth, and ranks in the army.

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 In the Spaniard’s accounts, the event of 1872 was premeditated, and was part of a big conspiracy
among the educated leaders, mestizos, lawyers, and residents of Manila and Cavite.
 The allegedly plan to liquidate high ranking Spanish officers, then kill the friars.
 The signal they identified among these conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the rocket fired from
Intramuros.
 The accounts detail that on 20 January 1872, the district of Sampaloc celebrated the feast of the
Virgin of Loreto, and came with it were some fireworks display.
 The Cavitenos allegedly mistook this as the signal to commence with the attack.
 The 200-men contingent led by Sergeant Lamadrid attacked Spanish officers at sight and seized
the arsenal.
 Izquierdo, upon learning of the attack,ordered reinforcement of the Spanish forces in Cavite to
quell the revolt.
 The “revolution” was easily crushed, when the Manilenos who were expected to aid the Cavitenos
did not arrive.
 Leaders of the plot were killed in the resulting skirmish, while Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora
were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to be executed.
 Others who were implicated such as Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor, Jose and Pio
Basa, and other Filipino lawyers were suspended from the practice of law, arrested and sentenced
to life imprisonment at the Marianas Island.
 Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery and ordered the creation of an artillery force
composed exclusively by Peninsulares.
 On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as a threat to Filipinos never to
attempt to fight the Spaniards again.

Differing Accounts of the Events of 1872

Two other primary accounts exist that seem to counter the accounts of Izquierdo and Montero.
 DR. TRINADAD HERMENEGILDO PARDO DE TAVERA
 EDMUND PLAUCHUT

Primary Source: Excerpts from Pardo de Tavera’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny
 According to this account, the incident was merely a mutiny by Filipino soldiers and laborers of the
Cavite arsenal to the dissatisfaction arising from the draconian policies of Izquierdo, such as the
abolition of privileges and the prohibition of the founding of the school of arts and trades for
Filipinos, which the General saw as a smokescreen to creating a political club.
 Tavera is of the opinion that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a way to
address other issues by blowing out of proportion the isolated mutiny attempt.
 During this time, the Central Government in Madrid was planning to deprive the friars of all the
powers of intervention in matters of civil government and direction and management of educational
institutions.
 The friars needed something to justify their continuing dominance in the country, and the mutiny
provided such opportunity.
 However, the Central Spanish Government introduced an educational decree fusing sectarian
schools run by the friars into a school called the Philippine Institute.

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 The decree aimed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring teaching
positions in these schools to be filled by competitive examinations, an improvement welcomed by
most Filipinos.

Primary Source: Excerpts from Plauchut’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny

 General La Torre created a junta composed of high officials including some friars and six Spanish
officials
 At the same time, there was created by the government in Madrid a committee to investigate the
same problems submitted to the Manila committee.
 When the two finished work, it was found that they came to the same conclusions.
 Here is the summary of the reforms they considered necessary to introduce:
1. Changes in tariff rates at customs, and the methods of collection.
2. Removal of surcharges on foreign importations.
3. Reduction of export fees.
4. Permission for foreigners to reside in the Philippines, buy real estate, enjoy freedom of
worship, and operate commercial transports flying the Spanish flag.
5. Establishment of an advisory council to inform the Minister of Overseas Affairs in Madrid
on the necessary reforms to be implemented.
6. Changes in primary and secondary education.
7. Establishment of an Institute of Civil Administration in the Philippines, rendering
unnecessary the sending home of short-term civil officials’ every time there is a change of
ministry.
8. Study of direct-tax system.
9. Abolition of the tobacco monopoly.

 The friars used the incident as a part of larger conspiracy to cement their dominance, which had
started to show cracks because of the discontent of the Filipinos.
 They showcased the mutiny as part of greater conspiracy in the Philippines by Filipinos to
overthrow the Spanish Government.
 Unintentionally, and more so, prophetically, the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 resulted in the martyrdom of
GOMBURZA, and paved the way to the revolution culminating in 1898.

GOMBURZA
 Collective name of the three martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto
Zamora, who were tagged as the masterminds of the Cavite Mutiny.
 They were prominent Filipino priests charged with treason and sedition.
 It is believed that the Spanish clergy connected the priests to the mutiny as part of a
conspiracy to stifle the movement of secular priests who desired to have their own
parishes instead of being merely assistants to the regular friars.
 The GOMBURZA were executed by garrote in public, a scene purportedly witnessed by a
young Jose Rizal.
 Their martyrdom is widely accepted as the dawn of Philippine nationalism in the nineteenth
century, with Rizal dedicating his second novel, EL Filibusterismo.

Lesson 5
Case Study 3: Did Rizal Retract?

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 The great volume of Rizal’s lifework was committed to this end, particularly the more influential
ones, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
 His essays vilify not the Catholic religion, but the friars, the main agents of injustice in the
Philippine society.
 It is understandable, therefore, that any piece of writing from Rizal that recants everything he wrote
against the friars and the Catholic Church in the Philippines could deal heavy damage to his image
as a prominent Filipino revolutionary.
 Such document purportedly exists, allegedly signed by Rizal a few hours before his execution.
 This document, referred to as “The Retraction”, declares Rizal’s belief in the Catholic faith, and
retracts everything he wrote against the Church.

Primary Source: Rizal’s Retraction

Source: Translated from the document found by Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. on 18 May 1935

I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and educated I wish to live and die.

I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct has been contrary to my
character as son of the Catholic Church. I believe and I confess whatever she teaches and I submit to
whatever she demands. I abominate Masonry, as the enemy which is of the Church, and as a Society
prohibited by the Church. The Diocesean Prelate may, as the Superior Ecclesiastical Authority, make public
this spontaneous manifestation of mine in order to repair the scandal which my acts may have caused and
so that God and people may pardon me.

Manila 29 December 0f 1896

Jose Rizal

 There are four iterations of the texts of this retraction:

1. La Voz Española and Diaro de Manila on the day of the execution, 30 December 1896.
2. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, in the magazine La Juventud, a few
months after the execution, 14 February 1897, from anonymous writer who was later on
revealed to be Fr. Vicente Balaguer.
 However, the “original” text was only found in the archdiocesan archives on 18 May 1935, after
almost four decades of disappearance.

The Balaguer Testimony

 According to his testimony, Rizal woke up several times, confessed four times, attended a Mass,
received communion, and prayed the rosary, all of which seemed out of character.
 But since it is the only testimony of allegedly a “primary” account the Rizal ever wrote a retraction
document, it has been used to argue the authenticity of the document.
The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia
 Through the research of Professor Rene R. Escalante included a report on the last hours of Rizal,
written by Federico Moreno.
Primary Source: Eyewitness account of the Last Hours of Rizal
 At 7:50 yeaterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Señor
Taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest Vilaclara.

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COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION BENJAMIN C DULATRE

 At the urgings of the former and moments after entering, he was served a light breakfast.
 At approximately 9, the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted anything.
 He replied that at the moment he only wanted a prayer book, which was brought to him shortly by
Father March.
 Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit fathers, March
and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it seems.
 It appears that these two presented him with a prepared retraction on his life and deeds that he
refused to sign.
 They argued about the matter until 12:30 when Rizal ate some poached egg and a little chicken.
 Afterwards he asked to leave to write and wrote for a long time by himself.
 At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him what he had written.
 Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Señor del Fresno and the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor
Maure, were informed.
 They entered death row and together with Rizal signed the document that the accused had written.
 At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison dressed in mourning.
 Only the former entered the chapel, followed by a military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain.
 Donning his formal clothes and aided by a soldier of the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the
woman had been his lover were performed at the point of death.
 After embracing him she left, flooded with tears.

 The retraction of Rizal remains to this day, a controversy; many scholars, however, agree
that the document does not tarnish the heroism of Rizal.
 His relevance remained solidified to Filipinos and pushed them to continue the revolution,
which eventually resulted in independence in 1898.

Rizal’s Connection to the Katipunan

 Rizal founded an organization known as La Liga Filipina with Andres Bonifacio as one of its
members.
 La Liga Filipina was short-lived as the Spaniards exiled Rizal to Dapitan.
 Former members decided to band together to establish the Katipunan a few days after Rizal’s exile
on 7 July 1892.
 Out of the 28 members of the leadership of the Katipunan from 1892-1896, 13 were former
members of La Liga Filipina.
 Katipuneros even used Rizal’s name as password.
 In 1896, the katipuneros decided to inform Rizal of their plans to launch the revolution, and sent
Pio Valenzuela to visit Rizal in dapitan.
 Valenzuela’s accounts of his meeting with Rizal have been greatly doubted by many scholars, but
according to him, rizal objected to the plans, saying that doing so would be tantamount to suicide
since it would be difficult to fight the Spaniards who had the advantage of military resources.
 He added that the leaders of the Katipunan must do everything they could to prevent the spilling of
Filipino blood.
 Valenzuela informed Rizal that the revolution could inevitably break out if the Katipunan were to
discovered by the Spaniards.

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 Rizal advised Valenzuela that the Katipunan should first secure the support of wealthy Filipinos to
strengthen their cause, and suggested that Antonio Luna be recruited to direct the military
movement of the revolution.

Lesson 6
Case Study 4: Where Did the Cry of Rebellion Happen

 El Grito de Rebelion or Cry of Rebellion mark the start of the revolutionary events, identifying the
places where it happened.
 In the Philippines, this happened in August 1896, northeast of Manila, where they declared
rebellion against the Spanish colonial government.
 These events are important markers in the history of colonies that struggled for their independence
against their colonizers.
 The controversy regarding this event stems from the identification of the date and place where the
Cry happened.
 Prominent Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the event when Bonifacio tore the
cedula or tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also did the same.
 Some writers identified the first military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the Cry, for
which, Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an “Himno de balintawak” to inspire the renewed struggle
after the Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed.
 A monument to the Heroes of 1896 was erected in what is now the intersection of Epifanio de los
Santos (EDSA) Avenue and Andres Bonifacio Drive-North Diversion road, and from then on until
1962, the Cry of Balintawak was celebrated every 26 th of August.
 The site of the monument was chosen for unknown reason.

Different Dates and Places of the Cry

DATES PLACE ACCOUNTS

August 25, 1896 Balintawak Lt. Olegario Diaz
- guardia civil
Last week of August Kangkong, Balintawak Teodoro Kalaw
1896 -Filipino historian
August 24, 1896 Bahay Toro in Quezon City Santiago Alvarez
- a Katipunero
- son of Mariano alvarez
- leader of Magdiwang faction in Cavite
August 23, 1896 Pugad Lawin Pio Valenzuela
- a Katipunero and privy to many events concerning
the Katipunan
August 26, 1896 Balintawak Gregorio Zaide
- a historian
August 23, 1986 Pugad Lawin Teodoro Agoncillo
(according to statements by Pio Valenzuela)
August 24, 1896 Tandang Sora’s barn in Gulod, Barangay Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion, and
Banlat, Quezon City Ramon Villegas

Primary Source: Accounts of the Cry

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 On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of Apolonio Samson, the
cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan.
 Among those who attended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosarion,
Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco
Carreon.
 They were all leaders of the Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization.
 Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and Moring were also present.
 At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with Andres Bonifacio
presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary.
 The purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to take place.
 Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting the revolution too early.
 Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session hall and talked
to the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the leaders.
 He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution early, and appealed
to them in a fiery speech in which he said:
“You remember the fate of our countrymen wo were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we
return now to the towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been discovered
and we are all marked men. If we don’t start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What
then, do you say?”
“Revolt!” the people shouted as one.
 Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He told them that the
sign of slavery of the Filipinos were the cedula tax charged each citizen.
“If it is true that you are ready to revolt… I want to see you destroy your cedulas. It will be a
sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.

Pio Valenzuela
 The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata,
Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there on August 19, and I, on
August 20, 1896.
 The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan met on august 22, 1896, was the house
and yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong.
 Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who were there were Briccio Pantas,
Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only
exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted.
 It was at Pugad Lawin, the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino,
where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate and
discussion on august 23, 1896.
 The discussion was on whether or not the revolution against the Spanish Government should be
started on August 29, 1896… After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their
cedula certificates and shouted “Long live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!”

 From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed marked disagreement among
historical witnesses as to the place and time of the occurrence of the Cry.

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COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION BENJAMIN C DULATRE

 Using primary and secondary sources, four places have been identified: Balintawak,
Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and Bahay Toro, while the dates vary: 23, 24, 25, or 26 August
1896.
 Valenzuela’s account should be read with caution: He once told a Spanish investigator that
the “Cry” happened in Balintawak on Wednesday, 26 August 1896.
 Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs of the Revolution that it happened at Pugad Lawin on
23 August, 1896.
 Such inconsistencies in accounts should always be seen as a red flag when dealing with
primary sources.
 According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all these places are in Balintawak, then
part of Caloocan, now, in Quezon City.
 As for the dates, Bonifacio and his troops may have been movig from one place to another
to avoid being located by the Spanish government, which could explain why there are
several accounts of the Cry.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Activity 1

Movie Analysis on Historical Controversy.

Search the different video clips then choose one. Then write a
reaction paper based on the video clips. Please attach the link of
that movie and other references.

a) The First Catholic Mass

b) Cavite Mutiny
c) Retraction of Jose Rizal
d) The Cry of Rebellion

Activity 2

Analysis on Historical Controversies

Form groups with four to five members. Each group will be

assigned with particular historical controversy discussed in the
module and a corresponding stance (affirmative or negative). The
groups should be able to use primary sources in defending their
side.
The output may be present through a PowerPoint Presentation.

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