LOCAL HISTORY

INTRODUCTION: The discussions will give focus on the importance of local history to
address the limited backgrounds of their own history, especially local history, which has a
stronger approach to the people’s identity, their ancestry and who they really are. Given
emphasis is the utmost significance in the writing of the local history to the creation of a
national history.

OBJECTIVES: at the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1.describe the significance of the writing of local history in the creation of national history.

2.discuss the need to come up with local history in the awareness of the divergent and insufficient nature of the Philippine
history.

3.explain how Philippine history in general is efficiently presented because of local history.

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITIES: Think about this!

.How do you think national history becomes wholely comprehensible because of some events presented and articulated in
your local history? ----Share your thoughts on this in our synch session.

ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE: LESSON PRESENTATION

 THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL HISTORY
It is sad to think that only few Filipinos know their own history, while others have little
to none recollection of their own heritage. This due to the feeling of incompetence and how
their mindset is focused more on others history than theirs. This creates limited background
of their own history, especially local history, which has a stronger approach to the people’s
identity, their ancestry and who they really are. These could also be attributed to the
teachings of history that are done inside the classrooms since teachers have also limited
understanding and background of the approach of teaching the subject.
The utmost significance in the writing of the local history in relation to the creation of a
national history cannot just be scorned upon. The understanding and writing of the great
events that happened cannot just be set aside. The need to come up with local history is
the awareness of the divergent and insufficient nature of Philippine history. The general
history of the Filipinos is considered fundamentally focused in the history of the Northern
part of the country where the concentrations of development can also be seen. Though
there are other essential events and developments happening in Visayas and Mindanao
are quoted in, but they are still forgotten and left out. The rare characteristics of the cultural
and historical numerous ethnic groups all across the country, are also ignored, these led to
the distortion and misinterpretation of the writing of events of Philippine history.
 The condemnation of how the Philippine history is being written down should not
solely be put on the historians alone. The problem is that for a time being, criteria in writing
was tied up to the restrain of western standards. There is a call that all forms of historical
writings have to be established upon written origin. It should be that only those written
documents and primary sources are the ones to be considered dependable. It can be seen
in the writing of Philippine history that there is the absence of written sources done by
individuals and historians from the perspectives of local backgrounds. This had hindered
the tasks of national historians to write a complete history of the country. It is also observed
that the data gathered in Philippine history is borrowed from foreign sources which manifest
biases. This also restricted the national historians from coming up with real history of the
country. It also gives them a harder time for it opens up a small window of information and
effort for individuals whose endeavors and origin is located in their spoken literature.
As the mechanic would only understand the entire appliance if he knew the unified
parts, so with the national history. It becomes wholly comprehensible from the context of
local history. One must realize that every single nation composed of regions, provinces,
cities and communities. The nation’s history must be the epitome of every single histories
of its component. No town or province exists independently of the country and vice versa.
Simply put the crucial importance is the realization that interest in the study and
understanding of Philippine history mainly depends on an individual’s understanding of
local origin.
 Local history should be taken as the primary concern of many of us for it brings us
closer to our hometown. We become conscious of our own uniqueness, practices and
desires. One may never achieve a fuller understanding of the Filipinos and the Philippines if
he failed to study history of his town, city, province or region. One may achieve this by
knowing the historical contributions of his own local place to regional advancements that
also led to the national development. It is through recreating the past about our locality,
embracing its political, social, economic and cultural life that would enable us to achieve
real progress for the country. This includes the development of the institutions in the
geographical unit and the successes and failures of its people. From there, we may be able
to understand and consequently, appreciate Philippine history.
The solution to the incomplete national history is to come up with a more accurate
writing of the Philippine history by allowing the collections and participation of the local
historians.

ASSIGNMENT: How is local history a solution to the incomplete national history?

ASSESSMENT: to be uploaded in the quiz option of this course.