THE PHILIIPPINES: The Past Revisited by Renato Constantino

Those spanning ancient periods and early history of the Philippines archipelago and its
inhabitants, who are the forebears of today's Filipinos, are included in the pre-pioneer
Philippines' social achievements. These early Filipinos had a culture and creativity that were
among the greatest in the world, especially given the events of science's history during the time
when it was thriving. During the Spaniards' 300-year colonial reign, colonial scholars contributed
significantly to the heavy legacy of clerical scholarship that the Spaniards left behind. The
Spanish frailocracy was exhibited and reversed by these researchers by rectifying some
assumptions left over from the Spaniards' dominion, and it was reviewed by American
colonialists who lavished undue praise on it. This critique paper is a tribute to this great Filipino
thinker, a celebration of his life and works through a look at his accomplishments and impact on
Philippine nationalist history. He will be recognized as one of the most influential Filipino writers
of the twentieth century, with his pamphlets, essays, and novels affecting several generations of
Filipinos. His advice, commentaries, historical publications, and articles have substantially
affected the contemporary nationalist movement from the late 1960s to the present. No Filipino
writer has done as much to the promotion of the Philippine nationalist cause in the twentieth
century as Constantino, both in terms of content and amount of publications. No other Filipino
writer in the twentieth century has come near to Constantino's contribution to the Philippine
nationalist movement in terms of material and number of writings. Constantino continues the
endeavor he began in his early works by taking a fresh look at the entire Filipino past prior to
WWII in his new novel, The Philippines: A History Revisited. Historical conceptions of the
Philippines are being rejected by both great countries and Filipinos. Renato Constantino was a
Filipino historian and scholar who encouraged us to analyze, correct, and learn from our colonial
past. He wanted Filipinos to have a lasting knowledge of their history to aid them in their quest
for true nationhood. Many times, we were taught about Philippine history, and it made me
wonder how this information is passed down from generation to generation. While reading
Renato Constantino's work, it occurred to me that the past that has been recounted to us is not
what it looks, and it is viewed from a fixed perspective. It shifted my perspective when I saw how
readily history can be skewed. As Filipino historians gained a better knowledge of foreign
sources, they recognized that most of them were biased and illiberal in their approach. During
this time, there has been an uptick in attempts to discover national identity, explore the past, and
begin constructing the foundations for Philippine history.
 Constantino has cemented his place in Philippine history by emulating several of the
major events that led to the country's independence. Following a time of lucrative trading with a
diverse range of cultures and civilizations, the region was colonized for more than 300 years,
first by Spain and then by the United States, before being temporarily occupied by the Japanese
during World War II. The Philippines, as Asia's oldest democracy, has a long history of
resistance to social and colonial tyranny, as typified by Jose Rizal (1861-1896), whose anti-
Spanish novels and essays inspired Filipinos' quest for freedom and rights. In our country, Rizal,
a journalist, psychiatrist, educator, and Atenean, is now revered as a national hero. In this book,
he attacks the "manufactured" culture and identity of Filipino society, which are shaped by the
country's long colonial history. Civil enslavement and factors have worsened this, turning the
world into an American imperialist neocolonial. He felt optimistic about the possibility of
transformative change. He emphasized the importance of nationalism as the Filipino people's
major weapon in the face of nationalist movements. He also stated that anti-imperialist
nationalism is the most effective strategy to create a counter-consciousness for the sake of
social emancipation. The Philippines has been emancipated or liberated four times in history.
The Spaniards were the first to bring Christianity to the Philippines, liberating us from "demon
servitude." The Americans, on the other hand, were the ones who liberated us from the tyranny
of the Spaniards. As a result of the Japanese, who reigned with an iron fist, we were practically
emancipated from American imperialism, and Americans returned to rescue us from the
Japanese. Narrating history is both a great privilege and a huge responsibility. In certain
circumstances, the conclusions offered will be an incomplete portrayal of history as seen
through the eyes of particular men, lacking the dynamic and realistic nature of society as a
whole. These people made history not because they were extraordinary, but because they had
the support of others to carry out their convictions and do deeds that would be remembered.
The foundations and characters commemorated in history should be the true results of individual
labor. The challenge at hand is to write a history of the Philippines from the perspective of a
Filipino. On the other hand, the genuine history of the Filipinos can be derived from the
anonymous masses of Filipinos and the causes and effects of their collective lives and
struggles. When individuals talk about history, they almost always refer to a particular person
rather than society as a whole. There can be no past without civilization, and no civilizations
without people. Individuals who shaped history may also have done so without the assistance of
the general public. Individuals who are incoherent cannot have their activities preserved in
history; nonetheless, because of its historical relevance, the collective effort behind it should be
recorded or told. Concerning the first liberation, which was accomplished by the Spaniards. The
first impression is that Spain was predominantly feudal, and as a result, feudalism's basic
qualities were transported to the Philippines. While Spanish culture had feudal features during
Magellan's expedition to the Philippines, it was no longer entirely feudal in terms of economics,
since the capitalist trend has diversified the nation's configurations while the ancient feudal
systems have mostly stayed untouched. The towns developed into modern financial
powerhouses and commercial hubs. To put it another way, the middle class supported the
working class against the aristocracy and clergy. Mercantilism was capitalism's physical
manifestation. The mercantilists believed that a country's influence was influenced, among other
things, by the type of money it accumulated. This made moving metal around the world illegal,
encouraging individuals to purchase gold and silver. Spain seized the Philippines, which was a
wealthy region with no working government at the time, because the colonies were gold and
silver sources. Spanish colonization was an external power that threatened and misdirected
indigenous peoples' progress. It's easy to picture how excited these European settlers were to
discover such a diverse and flourishing society. The Philippines today contains one of the
world's largest gold mines, with mining traces reaching back to 1000 BC. When the Spanish
colonizers came on Philippine soil, the islands had built a prosperous culture that traded in gold,
and many wore gold to display their status. Many Spaniards were motivated by Magellan's
journey to the East Indies to embark on their own exploration and conquest expeditions. The
rulers of Spain desired to expand their empire and defend their claimed domains in the East
from the Portuguese. They were also interested in bringing treasure and spices back to Mexico
and Spain from the Isles of the West, or Las Islas del Poniente, the Spanish term for the East
Indies, which spanned the Philippines to New Guinea. When King Philip of Spain chose to fund
an expedition to the East Indies, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. As a result of
the Spanish invasion, the lives of the indigenous people were irrevocably transformed. The
Spaniards brought a new faith and customs with them. From their past colonial experiences in
Latin America, they brought new habits and institutions with them. Despite their desire to
preserve certain local social institutions in order to achieve colonial objectives, their use for
purposes that were alien to native culture fundamentally affected them. The Spanish empire was
devoted to "all Majesties," including God and the king. This proposition, according to de la
Costa, paved the way for the merging of Church and State into a single institution that might be
considered as either a civilizing Church or a missionary State. The monarch's control over the
Spanish Church was established by the patronato real, in which the pope granted the king the
right to nominate candidates for the majority of bishoprics and abbacies in Spain and her
dominions. Philippine culture, like that of every other post-colonial country, is a mash-up of all of
the country's colonial rulers, with roots in the country's lengthy indigenous history. Because it is
so diverse, it is difficult to describe; Western influences may appear to be dominant at first
glance, but they are only a thin veneer on top of a throbbing archipelagic civilization. The
Philippines' several languages reflect the country's different history, with each language
designating its own geographical location. Even among the inhabitants, English has become the
official language of the country. A Baranganic Society belongs to that generation. The lack of
individual land ownership was a defining characteristic of baranganic civilization. The
Philippines' people were dispersed across numerous islands. Inter-island trade was the key
impetus for bringing these disparate towns together, so they met each other via sailing between
the islands. The nature of the colonizing Philippine civilization, as well as the circumstances of
the colony, influenced the form of tyranny. We must analyze the socioeconomic standing of
foreign invaders when they took over since the character and motives of each nation that has
invaded the Philippines are extremely important. The nature of colonialism, as well as whether
marginalized individuals were neutral, objective, or subjective at each given time and location,
determine the scope and outcome of any struggle. The essence of the colonial civilization, as
well as the circumstances of the colony, determined the form of repression used. Most of the
previous community lands were turned into private property when Spain exploited the
indigenous style of social organization to make it part of the exploitative system. Spaniards
encountered cultures at varied stages of development and borrowed the more established
societies' standards, traditions, and frameworks to use in the absorption of other
underdeveloped indigenous people. The diffusion effort was helped by Spanish peace
movements and continued for the length of the occupation. Mexico's lack of confidence in its
ability to strengthen its economy was exacerbated by the galleon trade between China and
Mexico. Only Spaniards based in Manila's capital took part in the trade, which lasted over two
centuries and ended in 1815. Early plans to leave the Philippines were made as a result of the
Spaniards deciding financial and economic aims. Regardless, a compromise was achieved. The
galleon trade contributed to Manila's expansion and wealth as the country's single capital.
Manila was able to construct its stable buildings and houses thanks to the proceeds from this
trade. According to historians, the Philippines had three distinct economic structures under
Spanish rule: Western, Native, and Chinese economies. The major goal of the Western or
Spanish economy was to carry galleons to Mexico and silver to China via Chinese luxury items.
Some of these events were held in the Philippines to fulfill the demands of the local Spanish
population. Thanks to the earnings of this transaction, Manila was able to develop its stable
buildings and dwellings. Under Spanish administration, the Philippines had three distinct
economic systems: Western, Native, and Chinese economies, according to historians. The
Western or Spanish economy's primary purpose was to convey galleons to Mexico and silver to
China via Chinese luxury items. These events were all held in the Philippines to meet the
requirements of the local Spanish community. The Propaganda Movement began as a reform
and national consciousness movement among young Filipino expatriates in the late 1800s. The
organization was severely suppressed by Spanish authorities, who murdered José Rizal, the
organization's most powerful founder, despite the fact that its adherents vowed allegiance to the
Spanish colonial government. One of the goals of the Propaganda Movement was to make their
social class tight and definite. To the primarily farmer-indio class in Philippine society,
assimilation, democracy, civil and political rights, and parliamentary representation were
unimportant. The demands of the indios would have been more plain, emphasizing their
profound need for independence and release from injustice and agony. After a period of
integration and nationalist development, propagandistas like Rizal, del Pilar, and Antonio Luna
strove for future independence. ls However, the ilustrado's understanding of liberty was vastly
different from that of the broader public at the time. Because it did not achieve the integrationist
changes it intended, the Propaganda Movement should be judged a failure. The effort, on the
other hand, was not wholly ineffective. Instead, it "succeeded more profoundly in creating a
sense of solidarity and national awareness among Filipinos" and "damaged the prestige of the
friars in particular and of Spaniards in general among the Filipinos." Luzon was the epicenter of
anti-foreign and anti-colonial feeling, as well as a developing Filipino sense of belonging to a
single country. Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto, leaders of the Katipunan, the clandestine,
mass-based movement that ignited the Philippine Revolution of 1896, were influenced by the
views of Rizal, del Pilar, and other Propagandistas. In their struggle to colonial persecution,
Filipinos were unified. Rebellion was employed as a means of resistance in some cases. Other
Filipinos, including Rizal, began extensive protests and opposition to religious practices and
values, as Constantino explains. As a result, a secret past emerges, one that is as authentic to
common history and hence worthy of recognition. The public perception of Philippine history
emphasizes major events such as the emergence of the ilustrado, or middle class, or the
formation of the Propaganda Movement. Meanwhile, it's easy to overlook the reality that on the
underbelly [or downstream], Philippine society is marked by the persistence of mass uprisings.
Common movements have been classified as fanatical, millenarian, and outlier movements.
Renato Constantino's indigenous interpretation has provided an alternative view of Tagalog
cultural movements in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Constantino always puts Jose
Rizal in the spotlight because he is the heart and spirit of the Philippine Revolution. Writer José
Rizal, the Philippines' national hero, was Southeast Asia's first thinker to think systematically
about social and political issues. Rizal's thoughts about the nature of Filipino colonial culture are
credited with helping to establish a distinct Southeast Asian colonial sociology. His works on the
Philippines can be categorized into three groups. The first is a rebuttal to conquerors' views of
the Philippines. Second, he has views on imperial society's existence and surroundings. Finally,
Rizal discusses the meaning of liberation and how it is defined. For Constantino and other
Filipinos, it functioned as a stepping stone. Rizal's literary, political, and polemic works did not
suffice to rouse and encourage his fellow men in the fight for their rights. In order to attain his
goals, he looked into ancient literature, works by prior explorers, and writings by old Spanish
government figures. He attempted to persuade the reader that the people of the Philippines had
a high level of culture and morality prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, that they possessed
mastery of a unique handicraft art (possibly ship construction), that they had a thriving trade,
and that they had good contact with the outside world through a persuasive work. His
countrymen's self-confidence might be boosted by knowledge of their country's history, allowing
them to succeed politically and scientifically. In their history, the Filipino people have had the
misfortune of being "liberated" four times. Spaniards were the first to "liberate" them from the
"devil's enslavement," which was followed by Americans "liberating" them from Spanish tyranny,
Japanese "liberating" them from American imperialism, and Americans "liberating" them from
Japanese fascists. They saw their country occupied by multinational "benefactors" after each
"liberation." Every despot was faced by populist opposition. Despite the fact that each battle
aimed to alter objective conditions, the people were the ones who suffered the most. From the
beginning, the majority of the ilustrados, or elites, opposed the revolution. Some, like Rizal,
argued that the time was not yet opportune to establish an independent nation because the
people lacked the necessary education and political maturity. Many, on the other hand, did so
because they adored their own Spain. When it appeared that the Katipunan was gaining
headway, the elites began to mobilize behind them. Unfortunately, their goals and interests did
not align with those of the Katipuneros. The capitalist class struggled to keep their social and
financial privileges. While the country's foundation movement was undermined once more, and
the collaborationist leadership embraced a more devious and clandestine style of colonial
instruction, the actuality of the people's Revolution was disguised beneath the mask of peace
and harmony. Because the Philippine Revolution incorporates themes of class, racism, and
gender, scholars have recognized the difficulties of analyzing it. Because they were able to
maintain and continue to perpetuate their status before and after the Revolution, the affluent are
considered as the principal victor. Race, in addition to social rank, is a crucial determinant. Since
the Revolution founded the First Philippine Republic, race has played a critical part in the
conceptualizing and development of a modern nation-state. Gender is still a topic worth studying
because women played a key role in the Revolution. However, further research is needed to
evaluate if women's working conditions are improving. In contrast, the Spanish promptly caught
Rizal, exiled him to a secluded island in the south, and finally executed him in 1896. Meanwhile,
in the Philippines, a portion of the people that had been marginalized had acquired a strong
feeling of autonomy. entsious semi-religious uprisings had heightened Spain's long rule over the
Philippines, but none had the necessary cohesion to force the Spaniards out. Regardless, in the
nineteenth century, a well-informed Filipino working class evolved, along with a desire for
Philippine independence. Despite the fact that the people were gaining more resistance
experience and education, and that they were actively participating in the historic movement that
would eventually lead to unity and awareness of national identity, class interests emerged mid-
colonization, jeopardizing the legitimacy of their future movements. When the people's anger
over colonial atrocities boiled over, a chief or another would grab control and establish himself
as the new ruler in lieu of the Spaniards. On the other side, kinship dependency has now been
transformed into exploitative ties. Observing Catholic traditions, on the other hand, did not
prevent them from appropriating or damaging church property during any of the rebellions and
revolts that took place in the midst of Spanish settlements. Some priests were hanged, while
others were imprisoned or excommunicated. Both of these upheavals laid the groundwork for
the Filipinos' eventual series of anti-Spanish uprisings. Another factor that contributed to the
rebels' good morale was the collaboration of their mountain units. The creation of mountain
villages had a variety of advantages. In these mountain villages, old tribal bonds were
resurrected. The revolutionaries were certainly better off than they had been previously, since
they were no longer subject to the threats and demands of repressive officials and priests, and
they were no longer subject to tax and compulsory labor obligations. People's opinions were not
wholly negative, despite the fact that they were frequently manipulated and betrayed by
government officials. Participating in events like these revolts educated kids about their own
strength and the value of defiance. This resulted in the Philippines' economic transformation in
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with new classes emerging and existing ones
changing. Each insurrection was a step further in the people's revolutionary awakening. Each
local uprising aided in the development of national consciousness. The Americans came in the
Philippines in 1945 to free the Filipino people from Japanese oppression. Although the entrance
of the Americans in the archipelago fifty years ago, ostensibly to free the Filipinos from the
Spaniards, was met with intense resistance and even a war, the Americans were now hailed as
liberators in 1945. The Philippines and the United States developed greater ties as a result of
their common combat experiences. Contsantino's work, which reads like a short history of the
Philippines, is one of Asia's most fascinating histories. This is a topic that has an impact on both
individuals and communities. It's also fun and interesting to learn about the Philippines before
and after such events. The historical events in this book must be studied and analyzed, so you
must know and understand what happened in the past in order to understand the country's
future and current state. The Philippines' history is shaped by its people's battles for freedom
and a better life. During anti-colonial efforts against Spaniards, the archipelago's indigenous
population gradually became aware of their existence as a one country. However, because
colonial control emerged early in the people's social development and was only sustained for a
brief reign until the twentieth century, the democratic movement was mostly a reaction to
colonialism rather than progressive movements aiming at accomplishing national goals. The
primary between both civilizations, the governed and the leader, played a crucial influence at
each stage of the battle. The oppressor and oppressed populations must be understood in
connection to every kind of resistance. Before identifying the facts and examining other vital
information, it is critical that we look at the other side of every material we read and lay aside our
prejudices. Following the independence of the Philippines from Spain, the United States
assumes command of the territory. Filipinos were famed for their ingenuity, which they utilized
against the US to demonstrate that, despite pledging independence and modernity to the
country, Americans continue to profit from its money and wealth. The occupation of the
Philippines by the United States sparked a revolt that lasted until July 4, 1946.