MODULE WEEK NO.

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VALENCIA COLLEGES (BUKIDNON)
INCORPORATED
Hagkol Valencia City Bukidnon

University
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College of Criminology
COURSE CODE: GE2: The Reading of Philippine History
Semester of A.Y. 2020-2021

Introduction

The present being the result of the past, it can be said that the Philippines and the
Filipinos are what they are today because of what happened in time past. The nature
and the extent of contemporary problems in the country can best be understood in
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the light of their historical roots. Knowing the past will enhance the understanding of
present.

Events and developments in the future may be envisioned using lessons of history as
bases. Circumstances in the past have been observe to contribute to the unfolding of
a significant events, taking stock of similarities or parallels between the past and the
present also leads to consideration of likely possibilities of scenario in the future.
History allows us to speculate intelligently about the future. Present and future
intelligent actions spring from sound knowledge of the past.

Rationale

The chapter one of this subject focused in giving reasons for interpreting Philippine History
from a Filipino Point of View and to Justify the History as a tool of understanding.
While answering also “What was in the past that brought about this mentality?” History, in a
sense, deals with the cause and effect relationships of things.
Intended Learning Outcomes
A. Defined History
B. Describe the Uses or Importance of History
C. Identify Sources of History
D. Point out the Problems and difficulties in the writing and study of History
E. Explain the Major view or philosophies in the study of history

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Activity

Compare and Contrast the following:

Traditional Definitions Modern Definition

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Discussion

Traditional Definition
1. History id the record of the past
2. History is a record of the Human past from the time written records began to appear.
a. The above definitions are week because they view history as based merely on
written records.
b. According to Gottschalk (1964), history is actuality: hence it must study the past as
it happened: this demands that the historian abandon the present. The practical
value of studying and using the past to understand the present is lost. History is
studied, written, and taught for its own sake.
c. Interview or oral history and oral traditions, and cultural artifacts are not considered.
d. This notion of “no written records, no history” has confined history to the literate and
articulate and has resulted in the production of historiographies from the upper-
class male perspectives.
Modern Definition
1. History is the reconstruction of the past based on available written records, oral history,

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cultural artifacts, and folk traditions.
2. It is the study of events and development concerning people in the past.
3. It basically involves collection, analysis, and synthesis of limited available materials.
4. The mere presentation of facts does not constitute history but a chronicle.
5. Thus, a historian should do two other important tasks:
a. Interpret and recreate facts in an ordinary and intelligible manner: and
b. Discover pattern and trends, which govern the behavior of people and nations, and
to make generalizations out of these.
6. Therefore, history is the interpretative and imaginative study of surviving records of the
past, either written or unwritten, in order to determine the meaning and scope of
human existence.
Uses or Importance of History
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a. Bridging the Gap Between the Present and the Past

The present being result of the past, it can be said that the Philippines and the
Filipinos are what they are today because of what happened in times past. The nature
and the extent of contemporary problems in the country can best be understood in the
light of their historical roots thus knowing the past enhance the understanding of the
present.
b. Explaining the causes of things and events.
No other discipline can provide explanations for causes of events or
developments than history. For example, there is no way to explain why the “state-side
mentality” among Filipinos is very strong without delving back in time. The question is
“what was in the past that brought about this mentality?’ History, in a sense, deals with
the cause and effect relationships of things.
c. Projecting the Future
Events and developments in the future may be envisioned using lessons of
history as bases. Circumstances in the past have been observed to contribute to the
unfolding of a significant event. Taking stock of similarities or parallels between the
past and the present also leads to consideration of likely possibilities or scenario in the
future. History allows us to speculate intelligently about the future, present and future
intelligent action spring from knowledge of the past.
d. Interpreting Conditions of a Given Space and Time

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History is the only branch of knowledge that can provide information and
corresponding interpretation of periods of history. The coming of United States in the
Philippines may be explained by going back to the events long before 1898 and finding
out what factors contributed to the rise of the United States as an imperialist power.
e. Promoting Nationalism and Patriotism
History is the best area of human knowledge that can help in promoting
nationalism and patriotism. It inspires and develops sense of national pride and sense
of devotion to country by recording the exploits and struggles of forefather to win
freedom and independence. History affirms the fact that Filipinos possess many
positive traits and a very rich culture brought about by both their pre-colonial and
colonial experience.
Source of History
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A. Written or Inscribed Sources

1. Birth and death certificates 9. Census report
2. Marriage certificates 10. Title deeds
3. Directories 11. Surveyor’s notes
4. Church records 12. School records
5. Letters and diaries 13. Government records
6. Local newspaper 14. Business records
7. Police records 15. Souvenir programs
8. Books, journals and magazines 16. Hospital records
17. Inscription

B. Graphic/Visual Materials and Artifacts

4. Tools, weapons and utensils
1. Photographs 5. Old structures and landmarks
2. Heirlooms and keepsakes 6. Buried artifacts
3. Arts and crafts 7. Skeletal remains with funerary
furniture and paraphernalia
C. Folklore/Oral Literature
D. Oral History
1. Letting people tell what they know of certain events or letting them narrate their

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experience through the use of a tape recorder.
2. Choice of reliable informants
3. Requires confirmation of data by other informants
E. Interview
1. Use of an interview guide with specific question
2. Choice of reliable informants
Problems and Difficulties in the writing and study of History
a. Scarcity of written materials, especially in the local level
1. Most of the materials for the Spanish and American periods are kept in manila and
it is expensive for one to do research there.
2. Filipinos, in general, do not have a historical sense. They tend to discard
documents and old objects after some time.
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3. A substantial amount of the country’s record had been destroyed as a result of the
wars in the Philippines.
b. Problems of translation with regard to documents written in Spanish and other
foreign language.
c. Biases and prejudice on the part of foreign writers
1. The country’s colonizers judged the Filipino civilization with their own civilization as
the yardstick.
2. The perspective of the colonizers in writing about Filipinos was the master-slave
relationships.
d. The lack representative materials for the whole country
1. The lack of research materials on the history of the province and towns in the
Philippines has brought about the so-called Manila-centric od Luzon-centric writing
of Philippine History.
2. Some Filipino ethnic groups do not have a written traditional therefore are
oftentimes left out in history books.
e. Lack of trained Historians
1. Few young people are taking up history as their major discipline
2. The older historian had been trained in the orientation “No document, no history,”
i.e. if there is nothing written, then one cannot write history.
Major views or Philosophies in the study of History

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Views or philosophies of history are ways of interpreting and explaining historical
developments and the interplay of personages, places, time, and events. It is a way of
understanding how history unfolds.
a. Cyclical repeats itself
1. History repeats itself
2. All human events occurs in cycles
3. Its famous exponents were Herodutos and Spengler.
4. This view was popular from the time of Herodotus (5 th century B.C).
b. Providential View
1. History is determined by God, he being the author of everything. History therefore,
is of God’s grand design.
2. It consists of recording the death struggle between good and evil.
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3. Man is relegated to the role of a pawn in a game of high stakes.

4. No interpretation is needed because everything is willed by God.
5. The providential view became widespread during the middle ages (about 10 th to
13th century) and its foremost exponent was St. Augustine. it also reflected the
official stand of the catholic church in explaining events and developments.
c. Progressive View of Linear View (Collingwood, 1966; Gottschalk, 1964)
1. This view regards mankind as responsible for the advancement of civilization. It
place complete faith in human intelligence and abilities rather that in divine
intervention.
2. Mankind is getting better and better through the ages
3. Bousset, Vico, Leibnitz, and Marx were the leading exponents.
4. This view holds that each new generation should build upon the achievements of
the preceding; the present must be better because it has more with which to start
(Leibnitz’s law of continuity).
d. The Marxist or Leftish-Socialist View
1. Using analysis, the advocates stress that history is a scene, capable of being
controlled, influence, and predicted.
2. The view is a universalistic extension of the class conflict theme and it regards
history as the history of economic classes, their rise, fall, dominance, and
exploitation.

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e. Relativist View (Gagnon, 1982 ch.1: hunt,1989 ch.1)
1. History classifies and groups together facts about the past in terms of current needs
or contemporary concern. According to febvre, “History creates its own subject.”
2. Dumont, on his states that “Each new situation implies a reinterpretation of the
past- thus; relationships to the past are in a constant state of changes.” This implies
the subjective nature of historical knowledge.
3. History does not deal with causal analysis “cause and effect relation-ship” but ion
discourse (Foucault’s Deconstruction). This view states that one does not have a
fixed theory or fixed position against which historical data could be measured.
Reasons for Interpreting Philippine History from a nationalist Filipino point of view
a. Foreign interpretation is biased and prejudiced
1. The judgment of Philippine history takes into account the colonial master’s interest
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and point of view.

2. Filipino culture and historical development are judged on the basis of the foreigners
own cultural developments and history.
3. Although objectivity cannot really be achieved in the writing of history, in all
consideration, a Filipino’s view of his/her history is better than that of the colonial
masters.
b. Filipinos have Greater familiarity with and understanding of their own culture
and history
1. It can be argued that Filipinos know their history, culture, and identity better than
foreign historians do.
2. Filipinos are more familiar with the historian roots of their problems.
3. Filipino scholars continuously go through a process of introspection and reflection
to understand more their culture and history, which is not the case with foreigners.
c. The Filipino point of view can help promote nationalism and patriotism
1. Only a Filipino can truly express his/her love for the Philippines and would desire
for the unity of the people.
2. The Filipino point of view would be more inclined to highlight the positive traits of
the people that the negative ones, thereby contributing to a certain degree of
national pride.
History as a tool in understanding national identity

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a. It helps in tracing the roots of the Filipino people and the struggle they underwent to
attain unity and independence.
b. It serves as a tool in identifying commonalities in their culture and experiences.
c. It points out the need for nationalism in nation-building.
Exercise
Essay:
1. Explain why knowledge of History is important?
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2. Analyse and criticize this definition of history “A study of the written records of the
past.” How would you improve this definition?
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3. Give and briefly explain four major views or philosophies of history. Think of concrete
events or developments that could illustrate the four.
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4. Explain why there is a need to interpret Philippine History from a Filipino point of view.
How would this approach help on understanding one’s National identity?
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5. In the absence of documents, point out other sources of historical information that can
be tapped.
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Write the sources of History
Written/Inscribed Sources Graphic/Visual Material and Folklore/ Oral
Artifacts Literature
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Assessment

Based on the exercise above, choose one sources of history, then discuss the use of
artefacts in extracting historical information.
Reflection
The students must provide explanation for the cause of events and the developments of
history.
Resources and Additional Resources

 Collongwood, Robin G. The Idea of History. London: Oxford University Press

1966, Sec1.
 Elton, G.R. The practice of History. London: Fontana Press. 1967, ch2.
Additional Resources:

 Gottschalk, Louis. Understanding History, Berkeley: University of California Press,

1989, ch1.

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