SSC 001 Readings in Philippine History USI Vincentian Learning Module

Lesson 1: Introduction: Definition, Subject Matter,

Questions and Issues

Overview

The study of History is always known as the study of the past. Many students of the past and
the present always have a notion that history is simply a study that memorizes past events, people
and places. But one should understand that we cannot change the events, the people and places
where such a past occurred. We cannot change history. In the study of history, we try to explore the
relevance of the past to our present lives. We try to look back and trace the past to find solutions and
understanding the present concerns that we are facing now. There are a lot of varied concerns and
different issues in our lives and looking back in the past might provide answers not only to our
queries but solutions to current problems.

Learning Outcomes

1. Differentiate history and historiography.

2. Identify the relevance of studying history.
3. Identify the factors and issues that affect the study of history.

Learning Content
Why study History?
It is important for us leaners to have knowledge of who we are as a country as a people as a
culture and until we have not known this, we will not know what shaped us of who we are today.
We have to understand the fun side of studying history because this involves real people, great
leaders, heroes of our country and how they struggled and fought for our country. It recounts real
love stories, betrayal, conquest and loyalty to one’s own country. These are true stories that give us
an idea, an insight and a perspective of our present times. It inspires us to know where we are headed
in the future. Without studying history, we will never know what direction we will want to take and
move forward. What changes we would like to use in our present lives as a people.

As Filipinos, we are faced with so many issues in the present times that were reflective of our
past like our Filipinos youth behavior, our attitudes, our language and many other cultural aspects
and perspectives. We can see that the issues of today are issues of the past too. We are looking at
social experiences that are no longer new. Therefore, in studying history we become aware of our
society as a Filipino people. We become aware of traditions that exist, we recognize our being a
Filipino, a citizen who pledges allegiance to our Philippine Flag, A flag that fought so many colonial
battles to raise it. We struggled in the past to become who we are today - a proud Filipino.

By studying our history, we encounter issues that we have to handle in our society, our
government and many of our social institutions. We are presented with choices on how to deal with
these issues. We are presented with choices on how to go about it, just like the choices that were

Adapted from the module of Ms. Maridi Palma, MAEd

SSC 001 Readings in Philippine History USI Vincentian Learning Module

given in the past but our generation and the past generation have different ways on how to deal with
it. But then many of the insights can be lifted from the past, shaping us, honing us to find ways on
how to face it now.

Our history can provide us with important awareness on how to deal with current issues at
hand. As the saying goes, history repeats itself, but we do not repeat the mistakes of the past by
learning from the past. People who don’t get to learn from the past get to repeat the mistakes of the
past. In the same manner, those people who do not get to study the past also don’t get the chance to
repeat it, we have to study our history so that we can get to learn not only our mistakes but also the
good and positive experiences that will aid and guide us in our becoming as a nation.

History, as a study, travels back in time. It has originated from the Greek word “historia” which
means “knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation”. It has existed for 2,400 years. It
became known as an account of the past of a person or a group of people through written documents
and historical evidence. The early parts of the twentieth century have still the consciousness of the
definition and deriving from it emerge an academic discipline of prominence. It is noted that the focus
of history before is writing about what happened in the past, like “break-throughs, wars and
revolutions”. This implies that written documents can attest to a particular occurrence in history. Old
historians believed that if there are “no documents there is no history (Candelaria and Alphora 2018).

Adapted from the module of Ms. Maridi Palma, MAEd

SSC 001 Readings in Philippine History USI Vincentian Learning Module

It can be a boring experience for a student to read through history. But it is an important fact
to consider how history always changes, what happened in the past may show interesting truths
about it. Truths that occurred in the past may find relevance to our present system of ideas, beliefs
and way of life. As history changes and as it takes different forms throughout life it can be interesting
to know how these truths are recorded, written and interpreted.

The process of how history is written and created can be an interesting subject matter. The
way historians outline their ideas and interpret a particular historical occurrence can be impressive
and fascinating as it makes us think and analyze a particular event.

https://www.getrealphilippines.com/2017/11/mainstream-media-screams-fake-news-because-it-remains-unprepared-to-compete-on-the-internet/

This process can arouse our interest and question the validity of the story. Historians will have
to interpret the evidence that is left of us, interpret such evidence with skills and capability rendering
a valid and effective historical past. However, prejudices on certain historical contexts can take place
and other historians can debate on it. It makes people question and investigate. These debates lead
to a “Community of Arguments.” Historians would say, that an “absence of evidence is not evidence
of absence” which entirely means that because there is no evidence it doesn’t mean that the story did
not occur (Jenner, 2015).

https://filipiknow.net/significant-events-in-philippine-history-that-changed-the-world/

Adapted from the module of Ms. Maridi Palma, MAEd

SSC 001 Readings in Philippine History USI Vincentian Learning Module

As students of Readings in Philippine History, you must be fully aware that past occurrences
can only be understood by our historians if they have the ‘historical sources’ and the ‘evidence’. The
historians are not simply limited to the pieces of evidence they gathered but the interpretation of
such experience is a must. These pieces of historical evidences are facts that must be interpreted. As
students of this course, you must recognize the fact that to make a concrete account of the past, a
historian has to make a thorough study of it.

As the historians gather and collate all these facts of history, he interprets them by giving
meaning to them, organizes them according to dates of occurrences, establishes the causes then
writes it. The scientific process is now in motion. It is through the scientific process of research that
the story of the past takes its form.

However, we cannot discount the fact that these historians may be subject to biases or
prejudices as we have said before. The historian’s circumstances and orientation, his perceptions,
beliefs system, education, environment, his family neighborhood and childhood can all influence his
interpretation of the historical facts. This subjectivity of the historian poses a big problem in his
undertaking as a historical researcher. The facts that he selects and his methodology, his manner of
writing and most especially his interpretation might cloud his judgments.

It is at this point historical research will need a scientific approach. Employing a scientific
method can lessen the subjectivity of the historian instead. This is called Historical Methodology
which compromises certain techniques and rules that historians follow in order to properly utilize
sources and pieces of historical evidence in writing history. Certain rules apply in cases of conflicting
accounts in different sources, and on how to properly treat eyewitness accounts and oral sources as
valid historical evidence.

Citing an example past endeavor in the study of history we will take a look at this school of thought
in that is called the Annales School of History. This is a school of history born in France that
challenged the canons of history. A school of thought that did not use the common historical subjects
that are associated with the behavior of the state and the monarchs.
Here are some of the Annales scholars: Lucien Febvre, Marc Bloch, Fernand Braduel, Jacques
Le Goff, studied other subjects in a historical manner. They were concerned with social history and
studied longer historical periods. They advocated that the people and classes who were not reflected

Adapted from the module of Ms. Maridi Palma, MAEd

SSC 001 Readings in Philippine History USI Vincentian Learning Module

in the history of the society in a grand manner be provided with space in the records of mankind.
Annales thinkers combined history with other disciplines like geography.
We can now conclude that the study of history and its historian require a thorough
investigation of the events of the past. The historian’s way of verifying the facts lies in his meticulous
analysis, the authenticity of records is substantiated by a continuous search for references and
appropriate methodologies. One fact may be validated from another historical account. Oral or
Written documents must be constantly studied verified and subjected to comparative analysis and
interpretation. It is through this process that we can capture authentic accounts of history. It may not
be perfected as we cannot bring back the past but it can lead us to a better if not the best narrative
that is produced of an experience.

Historiography, Questions and Issues in History

History has developed into an academic discipline that explored different points of views.
Investigating the truth behind every historical fact, searches deeper for its validity, inquiries that will
enlighten the circumstance of such historical occurrence. History as a discipline becomes persistent
to discover reliable truths. Its dynamism has manifested diversified points of view, raising questions
as to its nature: what is history? its purpose: why study history? and its audience: For whom do we
study it for?

We now then acknowledge a branch of study called historiography. Historiography is the

history of history. We have to be aware that history and historiography are disciplines that are
independent of each other but are totally connected. To better distinguish the two terminologies, we
shall take a look at this definition:

History is the substance of what historians create. History is a

narrative analyzing and explaining events that happened in the past,
based on records from the pertinent era or later, or based upon the
recollections of people still living at the time they were interviewed to
preserve those recollections (“oral history”). It is the “what” of history,
the work product put out by historians.

Historiography is the method used by historians to do what they do. It

is a step-by-step, rational and evidence-based empirical process, closely
akin to “the scientific method,” teaching the appropriate ways to collect,
sort, analyze, compare, understand, and write about historical materials.
It is the “how” of writing history.

(Jacobs 2019)

These points of view of history allow us to understand how certain historical material is
produced through historiography. It makes us asks questions like Who wrote the material? Who is its

Adapted from the module of Ms. Maridi Palma, MAEd

SSC 001 Readings in Philippine History USI Vincentian Learning Module

author? How is it written? What historical method was used? Where did the author base it? And what
was the context of its publication? Through historiography.

Through this method, we are allowed to understand different historical contexts. It helps us see
the historical material in the eyes of the author, what were his points of view, what made him used a
particular theory which was his lens through the creation of a particular material. All of these
questions will be included in the analysis of the historical event.

In the same manner, students in history who employ historiography will learn how to be critical
of historical accounts being studied. They will be made aware of the particular audience for which the
historical event is intended. They can learn how to be reflective of the past, and identify the mistakes
of the past as well as its good points and help them move forward.

Adapted from the module of Ms. Maridi Palma, MAEd

SSC 001 Readings in Philippine History USI Vincentian Learning Module

References:
Agoncillo, T. & Mangahas, F. (2010). Philippine history (Expanded and Updated Edition). Quezon City,
Philippines: C&E Publishing, Inc.
Asuncion, N. M., & Cruz, G. R. C. (2019). Readings in Philippine history: Outcome-based module. (B. C. Ofalia,
Ed.). Quezon City, Philippines: C & E Publishing, Inc.
Caday, M. A. & Pangilinan, M. (2015). History of the Philippines. Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc.
Calilung, F.C. & Jaime, V.G. (2013). Kamalayan: Kultura’t Kasaysayan. A college textbook in Philippine history.
Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Books Atbp. Publishing
Corp.
Candelaria, J.L. & Alporha, V. (2018).Readings in Philippine history.Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc.
Garcia, C. & Agdon, F. (2009). The Filipinos and their struggles for freedom and survival: A textbook in
Philippine history for college students. Mandaluyong
City, Philippines: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.
Halili, M.C. (2004). Philippine history. Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store Inc.

Websites

Ma, A. (n.d.). Naga City: City Profile. Retrieved from http://www.naga.gov.ph/cityprofile/

Stearns, P. (1998). Why study history? Retrieved from https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-
membership/aha-history-and-archives/archives/why-study-history-(1998)

Filipiknow. (2020). 8 Amazing Facts From Philippine History You Never Learned in School
https://filipiknow.net/philippine-history-facts/

History of the Philippines explained in 8 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D01xKvBbRgA

THE HABAGATCENTRAL (2018). “THE FILIPINO SPIRIT IS "RESILIENT" OR IS IT AN EXCUSE FOR

MEDIOCRITY?”
https://www.thehabagatcentral.com/2018/08/the-filipino-spirit-is-resilient-or-is.html

Jacobs, Michael. (2019). History and Historiography Differencehttps://www.quora.com/What-are-the-

differences-between-history-and
historiography#:~:text=History%20is%20the%20study%20of,the%20theoretical%20methods%20of%20hi
story.&text=IMO%2C%20history%20is%20what%20actually%20happened%20in%20the%20past

Jenner, Greg. 2015. On history and Historians

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dauxQKyIN4Ma
L a r e n a, P e n n.(2018) Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources And Methodology. Published on
Jul 1, 2018

https://www.slideshare.net/PennVillanueva/introduction-to-history-definitionissuessources-and-
methodology?from_m_app=android

Oxillo, Mark Jhon. (2018) Readings in Philippine History: Introduction to Philippine History. ACES Polytechnic
College. Published on Oct 11, 2018.
https://www.slideshare.net/markjhonoxillo/introduction-to-philippine-history-119056759

Pursuit of History. (2016). Why study history?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAADLQU3Kl4

What is history?
https://youtu.be/LPggfw7vnLA

Adapted from the module of Ms. Maridi Palma, MAEd