READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Academic Year 2021-2022

APPLYING MULTIPERSPECTIVITY IN HISTORY

1. What are the various events in history that consist of controversies and conflicting views?
Choose at least one historical event and discuss its controversies and conflicting views.

The first catholic mass in the Philippines, Rizal's Retraction, the Cry of Balintawak, Cavite
Municipality, we already had an excellent public school system before the Americans came, the
Americans used pigs' blood and body parts on moro insurgents, Gregorio del Pilar was
Aguinaldo's assassin, and Miguel Malvar, not Manuel Quezon, should be the second Philippine
president. These occurrences provoke arguments among people due to disparities and ambiguity,
which allow space for inquiry and research, ultimately guiding us to the truth.
The first catholic mass in the Philippines is one of the historical events that sparked
debate and disagreement. In 1998, the national historical institution recognized Limasawa Island
as the first Catholic mass in the Philippines; however, there were other reports that Butuan was
also the site of the first Catholic mass, which happened somewhere on Masao Island in Butuan.
One of the historians named Gregorio Zaide, identified Masao in Butuan as the location of the
first mass. He bases his allegations on Antonio Pigafetta's diary, which is a chronicle of
Magellan's voyage. On the other hand, several historians, like Jaime de Veyra and Pablo Pastells,
believe that the first mass was held in Limasawa. Pastells claims in a footnote to Francisco
Colin's Labor Evangelica that Magellan traveled from Limasawa to Cebu rather than Butuan.
Furthermore, Francisco Albo, the pilot of Magellan's flagship, does not mention the first mass,
but he does write that they built across a peak that overlooked three islands to the west and
southwest.

,
2. Why do we need to use primary sources in interpreting controversies and conflicting
views in Philippine history?

We must employ primary sources to evaluate disputes and opposing viewpoints in Philippine
history because primary sources provide a more comprehensive account of significant events.
These sources will teach us to be critical of every detail and see how a point of view and a
READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Academic Year 2021-2022

prejudice impact evidence. In primary sources, the history of varied evidence and opposing
viewpoints is involved, but we should examine to arrive at academic truth.

Finally, primary sources are essential since they investigate several points of view. It is used
to conduct in-depth investigations, which are then cross-checked against evidence and accounted
for in judgments and findings.