MODULE 1

“MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY”

INTRODUCTION
History deals with the study of past events. Individuals who write about history are called historians. They
seek to understand the present by examining what went before. They undertake arduous historical research
to come up with a meaningful and organized reconstruction of the past. The practice of historical writing is
called historiography. Traditional method in doing historical research focuses on gathering of documents
from different libraries and archives to form a pool of evidence needed in making a descriptive or analytical
narrative. However, modern historical writing does not only include examination of documents but also the
use of research methods from related areas study such as archaeology and geography.

SOURCE OF HISTORY
Basic to historical research is utilization of sources. There are diverse sources of history including
documentary sources or documents, archaeological records, and oral and video accounts. To date, most of our
historical sources are documents. These refer to handwritten, printed, drawn, designed, and other composed
materials. These include books, newspapers, magazines, journals, maps, architectural perspectives, paintings,
advertisements, and photographs. Colonial records such as government reports and legal documents form a
significant part of our collection of documents here and abroad, particularly in Spain and the United States. In
the 20th century and up to now, memoirs or personal accounts written by important historical personages
constitute another type of documents. Philippine presidents such as Emilio Aguinaldo, Manuel Quezon, and
Diosdado Macapagal wrote their memoirs to highlight their roles as nation-builders. Archaeological records
refer to preserved remains of human beings, their activities, and the environment where they lived. In the
Philippines, the most significant excavated human remains include the Callao Man’s toe bone (dated 67 000
BCE) and the Tabon Man’s skullcap (22 000 BCE). Aside from human remains, other archaeological records are
generally categorized as fossils and artifacts. Fossils are remains of animals, plants, and other organisms from
the distant past, while artifacts are remnants of material culture developed by human beings. These include
clothing, farm implements, jewelry, pottery, and stone tools. Oral and video accounts form the third kind of
historical source. These are audio-visual documentation of people, events, and places. These are usually
recorded in video and audio cassettes, and compact discs. Aside from scholars, media people also use oral and
video accounts as part of their news and public affairs work.

SIGNIFICANCE OF HISTORY
Studying history is important especially in the Philippine setting. These are the reasons why we need to study:

1. We could determine and understand the contribution of our ancestor in the foundation of our humanity,
origin, and inherent culture. History gives picture to our humanity and to our society.
2. We could understand the task present and future if we study the history. The events in the past has relation
to our present and future. It gives meaning in different things and events in our society.
3. History used to examine and forecast the things in the environment and society. We’ve learned to
appreciate the culture, love, respect other people in the world.
4. History can give us deeper understanding in different problems in solutions in our present and future. In the
study of the past events we discover new ways in studying in solving problems in the present and future.
5. History is an eye opener to understand our culture, language, and society. History aroused patriotic,
humanitarian and universally.
6. History develop our knowledge about different race of people, culture, place, and time.
7. The stories of past about people and things in the world we live provide valuable lessons to us.
8. In studying history we’ve learned different ways of studying and researching in social sciences. It helps us to
learn different ways of discovering new knowledge.

STUDYING HISTORY
 Once upon a time, the history or story of a society or group of people is rooted from their myth, epic,
folklore, and rituals. It has been transferred from generation to generation. Over hundred years ago,
study of history is based on different data's like document, coins, seal, picture, and sculptures and
carved statue.
 In early times, recording history is important to the rulers of government to justify their works. During
that time the laws and agreement became a n important basis.
 Lately, the basis of data's is not only through written documents but also the things that has to do with
the lives of people. Some of these things are their materials, corpse, settlement, plants, picture,
computer text files and environment
 Because of numerous resources of data's, it is a difficult task for the historian to scrutinized and
properly choose which of these are valid. This is the reason why they need to clarify properly.
 In studying history, we need to document, examine the framework properly, it should consider the
relation of document and events due to multifaceted past events. The important data should be
connected and understandable to become more relevant and realistic from its interpretation.
 The study of history as discipline or science has its advancement during 1900. During those years,
scientists forcedly separated the good data from the document from its interpretation.
 Today, Scientist believes that it is impossible to do because the description of the past events used by
the historian comes from his/her own understanding and imagination that is scrutinized and connected
to the different data collected.
 The experts who studied the different branches of social sciences greatly helps to prove that the data
are genuine. It enlightens and guides us to examine, give meaning and interpretation from the
collected data.

History Data’s in Our:

WRITTEN
 Laws
 Treaty
 Biography
 Documents
 News
NOT WRITTEN
 Corpec
 Materials
 Settlement
 Environment
 Customs

SOAOLOGY ▪ the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships; the systematic study of the
development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings
SOCIAL SOENCE ▪ a branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society and
with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society; a science (such as economics or
political science) dealing with a particular phase or aspect of human society
ARCHAEOLOGY ▪ the scientific study of material remains (such as tools, pottery, jewel, stone walls, and
monuments) of past human life and activities
CARTOGRAPHY ▪ the science or art of making maps
ANTHROPOLOGY ▪ the study of the human race, its culture and society. and its physical development; the
science of human beings; especially the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space
and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture
PSYCHOLOGY ▪ the science of the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group; the study of
mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity.
ECONOMICS ▪ a so ci al science concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production, distribution,
and consumption of goods and services
GEOGRAPHY ▪ a science that deals with the deception, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical,
biological, and cultural features of the earth's surface; the study of the feature’s and systems of the earth's
surface, including continents, mountains, seas, weather, and plant life, and of the ways in which countries and
people organize life within an area.
LINGUISTICS ▪ the study of human speech including the units, nature, structure, and modification of language.
CHEMISTRY and BIOLOGY ▪ could also help us to study about our history. It would be a great help in studying
the history of validation if the fragments are in humans and not animals. Their DNA analysis will be performed.
The Carbon Dating is a process where the age of one thing to proven as also very important in history.

MODULE 2
“HISTORICAL SOURCES”

Primary and Secondary Sources

There are two general kinds of historical sources: primary and secondary. Primary Sources refer to
documents, physical objects, and oral/video accounts made by an individual or a group present at the time
and place being described. These materials provide facts from people who actually witnessed the event .
Secondary sources, on the other hand, are materials made by people long after the events being described
had taken place.

Many of our untapped archival documents here and abroad are written in Spanish. This skill is unusual among
today’s historians who prefer to read translations of Spanish texts such as the 55-volume. The Philippine
Islands, 14931898 (1903- 1909) edited by Emma Blair and James Robertson, which is the most cited
collection of primary sources about the Philippines before the advent of the American colonial regime. The
collection includes translations of portions of 16th - century chronicles such as Antonio Pigafetta’s Primo
Viaggio intorno al mundo (1524), Miguel Loarca’s Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas (1582), and Juan de
Plasencia’s Relacion de las Islas Pilipinas (1592). Filipino historians, such as the father-daughter tandem of
Gregorio Zaide and Sonio Zaide, have also compiled and translated colonial documents. They published the
10- volume Documentary Sources of Philippine History (1994). Derogatory terms used to Label Filipinos such
as “pagan,” “uncivilized,” “wild,” and “savage” abound in these colonial documents. If the key function of
primary source documents is to give facts, secondary source documents, on the other hand, provide valuable
interpretations of historical events. The works of eminent historians such as Teodoro Agoncillo and Renato
Constantino are good examples of secondary sources. In his interpretation of the Philippine Revolution,
Agoncillo divided the revolution into two phases: the first phase covers the years from the start of the
revolution in August 1896 to the flight of Emilio Aguinaldo and company to Hong Kong as a result of the Pact
of Biak-na-Bato, while the second phase spans from Aguinaldo’s return to Manila from Hong Kong until his
surrender to the Americans in March 1901.
Constantino refuted Agoncillo’s leader-centric scheme of dividing the revolution into two phases by stressing
that Agoncillo’s viewpoint implied that the revolution came to a halt when Aguinaldo left the country.
Constantino disputed the soundness of Agoncillo’s two-phase scheme by asserting that the war of
independence continued even without Aguinaldo’s presence in the country.

Primary Sources:
The primary sources can be classified into the following categories:

(1) Contemporary Records: These types of primary sources are in the form of the instruction documents,
stenographic and phonographic records. The business and legal paper and autobiographies, etc. The
instruction documents may be in the form of an appointment notification, and direction from a foreign
office to the ambassador, etc. Generally, such documents have very little chance of error, but it is
essential to ascertain their authenticity. The Business and legal letters consist of the bills, journals,
leases, wills, tax records which gives an insight into the working of the firms as well as the persons. The
autobiographies are a credible source of history because they are very close to the events with which
they deal and written by a person himself. These are non-prejudicial.
(2) Confidential Reports: The confidential reports are not intended for a general audience and are less
reliable than the contemporary sources. These types of reports are generally in the forms of military
and diplomatic dispatches, Journals, diaries or memoirs, and personal letters.
(3) Public Reports: The public reports are meant for the general public and less reliable. There are three
types of public reports and each possesses a different degree of reliability, such as— Newspaper
reports and dispatches are more reliable which depends upon the agency from which it originated and
the newspaper in which it is published; Memoirs and autobiographies are another public reports which
are written for the public at the close of the life when the memoirs of author is fading and are,
therefore, not very reliable and the official histories of the activities of government or business house
are also an important kind of public reports. They possess incriminating material and less reliable.
(4) Government Documents: Numerous government documents are compiled which are also a source of
vital importance to historians such as statistics about the fiscal, census and vital matters which can be
made use of by the historians. All these reports have first-hand importance but require proper
evaluation before the use.
(5) Public Opinion: The public opinion as expressed in editorials, speeches, pamphlets, letter to the editor
is another important source available to the historian, but the authenticity of this must be collaborated
by other evidence because public opinion may not be always reliable.
(6) Folklores and Proverbs: The folklores which reveal the stories of legendary heroes are also an
important source of history. They tell us about the aspirations, superstitions, and customs of the
people among whom- the stories developed, e.g. “Alla-Uddal” the hero Rajputana. To make the use of
these folklores the historian should not only possess a thorough knowledge of the history of the period
but also able to distinguish between the legendary and authentic elements. Similarly, proverbs can give
us an idea, but scholars must have a thorough knowledge of the customs and traditions.

Secondary Sources:
It is the duty of the historian to doubt every statement until it has been critically tested. This criticism can be
of two types, i.e. External and Internal.

Historical Criticism
Many documents have primary and secondary segments. For instance, examining a newspaper as a historical
source entails a discerning mind to identify its primary and secondary components. A news item written by a
witness of an event is considered as a primary source, while a feature article is usually considered as a
secondary material. Similarly, a book published a long time ago does not necessarily render it as a primary
source. It requires a meticulous reading of the document to know its origin. To ascertain the authenticity and
reliability of primary sources to be used in crafting a narrative, a historian needs to employ two levels of
historical criticism, namely, external criticism and internal criticism. External criticism answers concern and
questions pertinent to the authenticity of a historical source by identifying that composed the historical
material, locating when and where the historical material was produced, and establishing the material’s
evidential value. Internal criticism, on the other hand, deals with the credibility and reliability of the content
of a given historical source. This kind of criticism focuses on understanding the substance and message that
the historical materials wants to convey by examining how the author frame the intent and meaning of a
composed material.

Locating Primary Sources

The National Library has complete microfilm copies of the Philippine Revolutionary Records (1896-1901), a
compilation of captured documents of Emilio Aguinaldo’s revolutionary government, and Historical Data
Papers (1952-1953), a collection of “history and cultural life” of all towns in the country spearheaded by public
school teachers during President Elpidio Quirino’s term. The Manuscript’s Section of the National Library’s
Filipiniana Division contains the presidential papers of different administrations from Manuel Quezon to
Joseph Ejercito. Search aids such as the “Checklist of Rare Filipiniana Serials (1811-1914),” “Filipiniana Serials
in Microfilm,” and several registers of Philippine presidential papers are provided for faster and easier way to
look for historical materials. The National Archives, on the other hand, holds a substantial collection of
catalogued and uncatalogued Spanish documents about the Philippines composed from 1552 to 1900. For
local historians, valuable materials from the National Archives include Cabezas de Barangay (Heads of
Barangay), Ereccion de los Pueblos (Establishment of Towns), Guia Oficial (Official Guide), and Memorias
(Official Reports of Provincial Governors. Privately owned museums and archives, such as the Ayala Museum
in Makati and Lopez Museum in Pasig City, have also considerable historical resources. The bulk of Spanish
documents are found at the Archivo General de Indias in Sevilla,Spain

Colonial Historiography
Philippine historiography has changed significantly since the 20th century. Spanish colonizers presented our
history in two parts: a period of darkness or backwardness before they arrived and a consequent period of
advancement or enlightenment when they came. Spanish chroniclers wrote a lot about the Philippines but
their historical accounts emphasized the primacy of colonization to liberate Filipinos from their backward
“barbaric” life ways In the same manner, American colonial writers also shared the same worldview of their
predecessors by rationalizing their colonization of Filipinos as a way to teach the natives of the “civilized
lifestyle” which they said the Spaniards forgot to impart including personal hygiene and public administration,
In 1890, Jose Rizal came out with an annotation of Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Events
in the Philippine Islands), a book originally published in 1609. He used de Morga’s book, a rare Spanish
publication that positively viewed precolonial Filipino culture, as a retort to the arrogant Spaniards . These
colonial instruments were so ingrained among Filipinos that they perceived their colonial past in two ways:
initially maltreated by “wicked Spain” but later rescued by “benevolent America.” This kind of historical
consciousness has effectively erased from the memories of Filipino generations the bloody Philippine-
American War as exemplified by the Balangiga Massacre in Eastern Samar and the Battle of Bud Bagsak in
Sulu. Consequently, such perception breathes new life to the two-part view of history: a period of darkness
before the advent of the United States and an era of enlightenment during the American colonial
administration. This view has resonated with Filipino scholars even after the Americans granted our
independence in 1946.

Philippine Historiography after World War II

In the 1950s, Teodoro Agoncillo pioneered nationalist historiography in the country by highlighting the role of
the Filipino reformists and revolutionaries from 1872, the year that saw the execution of the Gomburza
priests, to the end of the Philippine Revolution as the focal point of the country’s nation-building narrative.
Two of his most celebrated books focus on the impact of the Philippine Revolution: The Revolt of the Masses:
The story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan (1956) and Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic (1960). His writings
veered away from emphasizing Spanish colonial period and regarded events before 1872 as part of the
country’s “lost history.” Constantino advanced the idea of a “people’s history” – a study of the past that
sought to analyze society by searching out people’s voices from colonial historical materials that typically
rendered Filipinos as decadent, inept and vile. Three other Filipino historians set new directions in redefining
Philippine historiography in the last 30 years of the 20th century. The first is Zeus Salazar who conceptualized
“Pantayong Pananaw” as an approach to understanding the past from our own cultural frame and language .
Reynaldo Ileto who wrote about his “history from below” treatise in his groundbreaking work, Pasyon and
Revolution: Popular. Samuel Tan, another prolific historian who is remembered for mainstreaming the role
and relevance of Filipino Muslims in the country’s national history. His definitive work, The Filipino Muslim
Armed Struggle, 1900-1972 (1978), sougth to examine the struggle of Filipino Muslims in the context of 20th –
century nation-building dynamics during the American colonial regime and subsequent postcolonial Filipino
administrations. His book, A History of the Philippines (1987)

Political Narratives
Most of our national histories today favor narratives that deal with the political aspects of nation-building such
as the legacies of political leaders and establishment of different government. Focal points in these narratives.
Who was the first Spanish governor-general vital in Zeus Salazar Samuel implementing the encomienda policy?
Who was the governor-general responsible for the massive employment of Filipinos in the American colonial
bureaucracy? Who served as the last president of the Philippine Commonwealth and the inaugural chief
executive of the Third Republic? Who was the Philippine president responsible for the declaration of martial
law? The challenge for present-day historians is to present a more holistic history that goes beyond politics by
means of integrating other aspects of nation-building such as its economic and cultural aspects.

Colonial Histories in Historical Narratives

Constantino and Ileto reiterated the importance of a “people’s history” and “history from below,”. Another
weakness of most national histories is the importance given to colonial histories. Up to now, some social
studies textbooks misrepresent ancient Filipinos as savages or barbarians by portraying colonizers, especially
the Spaniards and American, as liberators of the Filipinos from cultural backwardness. The key to uncover such
cultural prejudices is to examine available historical sources and to write about our past by understanding the
myths and misconceptions that characterized the Filipino culture for centuries. Elite-centric Perspective in
Historical Narratives. Some historical narratives focus on the contributions of the elite in nation-building such
as what the Illustrados (educated Filipinos) fought for in the 19th century or how the local politicians
negotiated with their American counterparts to obtain an independence law during the first half of the 20th
century.

Patriarchal Orientation in Historical Narratives

Most of the country’s historical narratives highlight the heroism of men in different ways: leading revolts and
liberation wars against colonizers, championing the cause of independence, and spearheading political and
economic development. Women, on the other hand, are viewed by several historians as merely support to
men. Let us take for example the women leaders such as Gabriela Silang, Tandang Sora, and Corazon Aquino.
Silang assumed the leadership of the Ilocos revolt after her husband was murdered in May 1763 . Tandang
Sora’s decision to offer her barn and farm to revolutionaries in August 1896 was linked to her son’s
involvement in the Katipunan. Aquino rose to prominence as a martyr’s widow who led a movement to
depose a dictatorship in February 1986.

Emphasis on Lowland Christianized Filipinos

National histories tend to show partially toward lowland Christianized Filipinos at the expense of other cultural
communities such as Muslim Filipinos and other indigenous peoples such as the Manobos of Mindanao, Ibalois
of Cordillera, and Mangyans of Mindoro. Celebrated figures of our past are all lowlander Christians and
predominantly Tagalogs including Jose Rizal, the leading propagandist; Andres Bonifacio, the Katipunan
founder; Emilio Aguinaldo, the revolutionary leader who declared independence; and Manuel Quezon, the
first president of the Philippine Commonwealth. Non-Christians and highlanders remain unrecognized in
historical narratives. Muslim Filipinos are depicted as brutal, cruel, ferocious, and vicious as exemplified by
their attacks of Christian towns. Because of the need to reassess our national histories, many local stories-
narratives about origins and development of a barangay, town, city, province, or an ethnolinguistic community
– have been written in the last three decades.

KEY POINTS:

Secondary sources- It is the materials made by people long after the events being described had taken place.
Public reports-It is a type of primary sources that meant for the general public and less reliable.
Contemporary records- It is a type of primary sources that are in the form of the instruction documents,
stenographic and phonographic records.
External criticism- It is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining its physical
characteristics; consistency with the historical characteristics of the time when it was produced; and the
materials used for the evidence.
Internal criticism- It is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the
source and examines the circumstance of its production.
Confidential reports- It is a type of primary sources that are not intended for a general audience and are less
reliable than the contemporary sources.
Folklores- It is a type of primary resources which reveal the stories of legendary heroes are also an important
source of history.
Government documents- It is a type of primary sources that are compiled which are also a source of vital
importance to historians such as statistics about the fiscal, census and vital matters which can be made use of
by the historians.
Public opinion- It is a type of primary sources that are expressed in editorials, speeches, pamphlets, letter to
the editor is another important source available to the historian, but the authenticity of this must be
collaborated by other evidence because public opinion may not be always reliable.
Primary sources- It refers to documents, physical objects, and oral/video accounts made by an individual or a
group present at the time and place being described. These materials provide facts from people who actually
witnessed the event.
Internal criticism- It deals with the credibility and reliability of the content of a given historical source. This
kind of criticism focuses on understanding the substance and message that the historical materials wants to
convey by examining how the author frame the intent and meaning of a composed material.
External criticism- It answers concern and questions pertinent to the authenticity of a historical source by
identifying that composed the historical material, locating when and where the historical material was
produced, and establishing the material’s evidential value.
 MODULE 3
Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in the Philippine History
“THE MANUNGGUL JAR”

The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site in Manunggul cave of Tabon
Caves at Lipuun Point at Palawan dating from 890–710 B.C. The two prominent figures at the top handle of its
cover represent the journey of the soul to the afterlife. The Manunggul Jar is widely acknowledged to be one
of the finest Philippine pre-colonial artworks ever produced and is a considered a masterpiece. It is denoted a
national treasure and it is designated as item 64-MO-74 by the National Museum of the Philippines. It is now
housed at the Museum of the Filipino People and is one of the most popular exhibits there. It is made from
clay with some sand soil.

 The cultural treasure found in the early 1960’s in Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point, Palawan is a
secondary burial jar. The upper portion of the jar, as well as the cover is incised with curvilinear scroll
designs and painted with natural iron or hematite. On top of the jar cover or lid is a boat with two
human figures representing two souls on a voyage to the afterlife. The boatman is seated behind a
figure whose hands are crossed on the chest. The position of the hands is a traditional Filipino practice
observed when arranging the corpse.
 The burial jar which is unrivaled in Southeast Asia and considered as the work of a master potter,
signifies the belief of early Filipinos in life after death. It is dated to the late Neolithic Period, about
890-710 B.C.
 Discovery of the Jar, the Manunggul Jar was found by Dr. Robert B. Fox and Miguel Antonio in 1962. It
was found alongside the discovery of the remains of Tabon Man. It was recovered by Dr. Fox in
Chamber A of Manunggul Cave in Southwestern Palawan. Manunggul Cave is one of the Tabon Caves
in Lipuun Point.
 In the expansion, the Tabon Caves is known to be a site of jar burials with artefacts dating a range from
4250-2000 BP. Chamber A dates as a Late Neolithic burial site (890-710 BC). Seventy-eight jars and
earthenwares, including the Manunggul Jar, was discovered on the subsurface and surface of Chamber
A. Each artifact varied in design and form but was evidently types of funerary pottery.

First Excavation and Response to Discovery

As mentioned earlier, the first ever excavation that gave way to the discovery of this burial jar is on the year
1964 by Dr. Robert Fox. During that time, he and his team were excavating the Tabon Cave Complex,
specifically in the Lipuun Point. In Fox’s excavation, it is yet the most unusual in all angles. The inside of the jar
contains human bones which are covered in red paint. Like the Egyptian burial practice, the jar was also found
to be equipped with numerous bracelets. “... is perhaps unrivaled in Southeast Asia, the work of an artist and a
master potter.” — These words were said by Robert Fox when asked as to how he would describe the jar’s
origin, based on its appearance.

Design of the Jar

The fine lines and complex design of the Manunggul Jar reflect the artistry of the early Filipinos. The upper
part of the Manunggul jar, as well as the cover, is carved with curvilinear scroll designs which are painted
with hematite. The depiction of sea-waves on the lid places this Manunggul jar in the Sa Huỳnh culture pottery
tradition. These are people that migrated in an East to West migration from the Borneo-Palawan area to
Southern Vietnam. The two human figures in a boat represent a voyage to the afterlife. The boatman is
holding a steering paddle while the one on his front shows’ hands crossed on his chest. The steersman's oar is
missing its paddle, as is the mast in the center of the boat, against which the steersman would have braced his
feet. The manner in which the hands of the front figure are folded across the chest is a widespread practice in
the Philippines when arranging the corpse. The Manunggul Jar shows that the Filipinos' maritime culture is
paramount that it reflected its ancestors' religious beliefs. Many epics around the Philippines would tell how
souls go to the next life, aboard boats, pass through the rivers and seas. This belief is connected with the
Austronesian belief of the anito. The Manunggul Jar tells us of our connections with our Southeast Asian
neighbors. The design is a proof of our common heritage from our Austronesian-speaking ancestors despite
the diversity of the cultures of the Philippine peoples. Our ancestors believed that man is composed of the
body, the life force called the ‘ginhawa’, and the ‘kaluluwa’. The kaluluwa, after death, can return to earth to
exist in nature to guide their descendants. This explains why the design of the cover of the Manunggul Jar
features three faces, those of the soul, of the boat driver, and of the boat itself. For them, even things from
nature have souls, have lives of their own. That’s why our ancestors respected nature more than those who
thought that it can be used for the ends of man. According to Peter Bellwood, the Southeast Asians first
developed a sophisticated maritime culture which made possible the spread of the Austronesian-speaking
peoples to the Pacific Islands as far Madagascar in Africa and Easter Island near South America. Our ships—the
balanghay, the paraw, the caracoa, and the like— were considered marvelous technological advances by our
neighbors including the imperial Chinese.

MODULE 4
Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in the Philippine History “First
Voyage Around the World by Ferdinand Magellan – by Antonio Pigafetta”

The historian’s primary tool of understanding and interpreting the past is the historical sources. Historical
sources ascertain historical facts. Such facts are then analyzed and interpreted by the historian to weave
historical narrative. Using primary sources in historical research entails two kinds of criticism. The first one is
EXTERNAL CRITICISM and the second is INTERNAL CRITICISM. EXTERNAL CRITICISM examines the authenticity
of the document or the evidence being used while INTERNAL CRITICISM examines the truthfulness of the
content of the evidence.

Who is Antonio Pigafetta?

Famous Italian traveler born in Vicenza around 1490 and died in the same city in 1534, who is also known by
the name of Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta. Initially linked to the order of Rhodes, which
was Knight, went to Spain in 1519, accompanied by Monsignor Francisco Chiericato, and was made available
from Carlos V to promote the company initiated by the Catholic Monarchs in the Atlantic. Soon he became a
great friendship with Magallanes, who accompanied, together with Juan Sebastián Elcano, in the famous
expedition to the Moluccas begun in August of 1519 and finished in September 1522. He was wounded at the
battle of the island of Cebu (Philippines) in which Magellan found death. The output of Seville made it aboard
of the Trinity; the return, along with a handful of survivors (17 of the 239 who left this adventure), in victory,
ship that entered in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz) on September 6, the designated year. In the last years of
his life, he traveled by land from France to finally return to Italy in 1523. He wrote the relation of that trip,
which was the first around the world, Italian and with the title of Relazioni in lathe to the primo viaggio di
circumnavigation. Notizia del Mondo Nuovo with figure you dei paesi scoperti, which was published
posthumously, in 1536. The account of Pigafetta is the single most important source about the voyage of
circumnavigation, despite its tendency to include fabulous details. He took notes daily, as he mentioned when
he realizes his surprise at Spain and see that he had lost a day (due to its driving direction). Includes
descriptions of numerous animals, including sharks, the Storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus), the pink
spoonbill (Ajaja ajaja) and the Phyllium orthoptera, an insect similar to a sheet. Pigafetta captured a copy of
the latter near Borneo and kept it in a box, believing a moving blade who lived in the air. His report is rich in
ethnographic details. He practiced as an interpreter and came to develop, at least in two Indonesian dialects.
Pigafetta’s work instantly became a classic that prominent literary men in the West like WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE, MICHEL de MONTAIGNE, and GIAMBATTISTA VICO referred to the book in their interpretation
of the New World. Pigafetta’s travelogue is one of the most important primary sources in the study of the
precolonial Philippines. In Pigafetta’s account, their fleet reached what he called the LADRONES ISLANDS or
the “Islands of the Thieves.” He recounted: “These people have no arms, but use sticks, which have a fish
bone at the end. They are poor, but ingenious, and great thieves, and for the sake of that we call these three
islands the Ladrones Islands.”

The Ladrones Islands

The Ladrones Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands. Tendays after they have reached Ladrones
Islands, Pigafetta reported that they have what he called the Isle of Zamal, now Samar but Magellan decided
to land in another uninhabited island for greater security where they could rest for a few days . On MARCH 18,
nine men came to them and showed joy and eagerness in seeing them. Magellan realized that the men were
reasonable and welcomed them with food, drinks and gifts. Pigafetta detailed in amazement and fascination
the palm tree which bore fruits called cochos and wine. He characterized the people as “very familiar and
friendly” and willingly showed them different islands and the names of these islands. The fleet went to
Humunu Island (Homonhon) and there they found what he referred to as the “Watering Place of Good
Signs.” for it is in this place that they found the first signs of gold in the island. They named the island together
with a nearby island as the archipelago of St. Lazarus. On March 25th, Pigafetta recounted that they saw two
balanghai (balangay), a long boat full of people in Mazzava/Mazaus. The leader whom he referred to the king
became closely bonded with Magellan as they both exchanged gifts to one another. After a few days, Magellan
was introduced to the king’s brother who was also a king of another island where Pigafetta reported that they
saw mines of gold. The gold was abundant that parts of the ship and of the house of the king were made of
gold. This king was named Raia Calambu, king of Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua), and the first king
was Raia Siagu. On March 31st (Easter Sunday), Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the
shore. By April 7th, Magellan and his men reached the port of Zzubu (Cebu) with the help of Raia Calambu
who offered to pilot them in going to the island. On April 14, Magellan spoke to the kind and encouraged him
to be a good Christian by burning all of the idols and worship the cross instead. The king of Cebu was then
baptized as a Christian. After 8 days, all of the island’s inhabitant were already baptized. On 26th of April,
Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan) went to see Magellan and asked him for a boat full of
men so that he would be able to fight the chief name Silapulapu (Lapulapu). Magellan offered 3 boats instead
and went to Mactan to fight the said chief. They numbered 49 in total and the islanders of Mactan were
estimated to number 1,500. Magellan died in battle. He was pierced with a poison arrow in his right leg. The
king of Cebu who was baptized offered help, but Magellan refused so that he could see how they fought. The
chief (Lapu-lapu) refused and wanted to keep Magellan’s body as a memento of their victory . Magellan’s men
then elected Duarte Barbosa as the new captian. Pigafetta also accounted how Magellan’s slave and
interpreter named Henry betrayed them and told the king of Cebu that they intended to leave as soon as
possible. Pigafetta was left on board the ship and was not able to join the 24 men who went to the gathering
because he was nursing his battle wounds. The natives had slain all the men except the interpreter and Juan
Serrano who shouted at the men on this ship to pay ransom so that he would be spared but he was left on the
island for they refused to go back to shore. The fleet abandoned Serrano and departed. They left Cebu and
continued their journey around the world.
KEY POINTS:
What were the dates of Ferdinand Magellan voyage? On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain in
an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. In command of five ships and 270
men, Magellan sailed to West Africa and then to Brazil, where he searched the South American coast for a
strait that would take him to the Pacific.

Who wrote the first voyage around the world? Antonio Pigafetta
What is the contribution of Antonio Pigafetta? Antonio Pigafetta was a young Venetian, likely in his 20s when
he arrived in the Philippines as part of Magellan's crew on March 17, 1521. The geographer and scribe of the
group, he recorded not only names of places and the vocabulary of the natives, but their food, attire, customs,
and traditions, too.
Where was the first Catholic mass held in the Philippines? Limasawa
When did Magellan arrived in Cebu? A thriving port occupied the site when Ferdinand Magellan, the
Portuguese navigator and explorer, landed there on April 7, 1521. He sealed a blood compact with Humabon,
the chief of Cebu, but was killed later by Chief Lapulapu of nearby Mactan Island.
What is the significance of the cross that Magellan wants to plant on the island of Mactan? Magellan
planted a cross to signify this important event about the propagation of the Roman Catholic faith in what is
now Cebu, in central Philippines. The original cross is reputedly encased in another wooden cross for
protection, as people started chipping it away in the belief that it had miraculous healing powers.

MODULE 5
Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in the Philippine History “THE
LAGUNA COPPERPLATE”

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription: An Ancient Text That Changed the Perception of the History of the
Philippines
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription is the name of an inscription written on an artifact that has great
significance for the understanding of the history of the Philippines during the 10th century AD – a time when
many scholars believed that the area was isolated from the rest of Southeast Asia.

Political Entities in Southeast Asia in the 10th Century

During the 10th century, a number of political entities were in existence in Southeast Asia. One of the most
famous of these was the Khmer Empire, which dominated much of the Southeast Asian mainland. To its east,
the modern country of Vietnam was divided between the Chinese in the north, and the Kingdom of Champa in
the south. The seas below the Southeast Asian mainland were beyond the reach of the Khmers and were
largely controlled by a maritime empire known as Srivijaya. The maximum extent of the Srivijaya Empire
during the 8th century. (CC BY SA 3.0) However, there is little information on the area in the part of this region
where the modern country of the Philippines is now situated. This lack of information led many scholars to
believe that it was isolated from the rest of the region. Thus, the Laguna Copperplate Inscription is an
important artifact, as it has allowed scholars to reevaluate the situation in this part of Southeast Asia during
the 10th century AD.

Characteristics of the Laguna Copperplate

The Laguna Copperplate is a thin piece of copper sheet measuring about 20 x 20 cm (7.9 x 7.9 inches) , which
was discovered around 1987. It has been reported that this artifact was found during dredging activities with
a mechanical conveyor in the Lumbang River, which is situated in the Province of Laguna. This province is
located to the east of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is interesting to note that the Laguna
Copperplate only came to the attention of scholars in 1990, when it was offered for sale to the National
Museum in Manila, after attempts to sell it in the antiques market had been met with little interest.

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An Incomplete Artifact
Investigations by Antoon Postma, a Dutch anthropologist, have revealed that the inscription on the Laguna
Copperplate is incomplete, and it is highly likely that there was another similar piece of copperplate with
inscriptions on it that has been lost. In an article published in 1992, Postma wrote that: “Moreover, certain
persons, after viewing a photo of the LCI (Laguna Copperplate Inscription), alleged, without being asked, that
they had seen a similar piece of copperplate with inscriptions around the same time (1987). Its importance,
however, was not realized then, and the possible second page of the LCI might have ended up in a local junk
yard and been irretrievably lost to posterity.”

Origins of the Inscription on the Laguna Copperplate

The inscription on the surviving copperplate is intriguing and has provided enough material for scholars to
analyze. For instance, the type of script used in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription has been identified as the
so-called ‘Early Kawi Script,’ a writing system that originated in the Indonesian island of Java, and was used
across much of maritime Southeast Asia during the 10th century AD.

Places mentioned in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. (Hector Santos)

[PICTURE ATTACH]
In fact, this script is said to have been derived from the Pallava script, which has its origins in India. As for the
language of the inscription, it has been found to be heavily influenced linguistically by Sanskrit, Old Malay,
and Old Javanese. Both the type of script, and the language of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, therefore,
shows that this area was not actually isolated from the rest of Southeast Asia, as had been previously
assumed.

The Inscription
The inscription begins by providing a date:
“Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March-April; according to the astronomer: the fourth day of the dark
half of the moon; on Monday.”
The Saka era has its origins in India (supposedly marking the ascension of the Kushan emperor Kanishka), and
the year 822 is said to correspond with the year 900 AD in the Gregorian calendar. The use of this calendrical
system is further evidence that there were cultural links between this area of Southeast Asia and its neighbors,
which at that time, were largely under the cultural influence of India. As for the subject matter of the Laguna
Copperplate Inscription, it has been suggested that the inscription is a “semi-official certificate of acquittal of a
debt incurred by a person in high office, together with his whole family, all relatives and descendants.”

A high-contrast copy of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. (Public Domain)

[PICTURE ATTACH]
This acquittal is also said to be confirmed by other officials/leaders, some of whom have been mentioned by
name, along with their area of jurisdiction. These officials include “His Honor the Leader of Puliran,
Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, representing Ganasakti; (and) His Honor the Leader of
Binwangan, representing Bisruta.” The recording of these names suggests that there was some sort of political
and social organization in the Philippines of the 10th century AD.
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To conclude, the Laguna Copperplate, which would probably not attract instant public attention as gold or
silver artifacts would, is in fact an immensely important object. This seemingly insignificant artifact has
sparked a re-assessment of the history of the Philippines prior to the coming of the Spanish, in particular the
10th century AD, and the archipelago’s relationship with the rest of Southeast Asia.