READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION – HISTORICAL METHOD

Learning Objectives: 2. It is a melting pot of races and cultures

3. It is the bridge that links the oriental and occidental
- To understand the meaning of history as an
worlds
academic discipline and to be familiar with the
4. It is at the crossroads of Asia’s air and sea routes
underlying philosophy, and methodology of the
discipline. 5. It is the bastion of democracy in Asia
- To apply the knowledge in historical National Territory of the Philippines
methodology and philosophy in assessing and  Islands
analyzing existing historical narratives.  Adjacent seas
- To examine and assess critically the value of  Submarine areas
historical evidences and sources.  Air space above
- To appreciate the importance of history in social
and national life of the Philippines. SHAPE AND SIZE:

IMPORTANT PARTS ABOUT KNOWING HISTORY DEFINITION OF HISTORY

1. GOD – Psalm 33:12 • History was derived from the Greek word “historia”
 Only Christian Nation in Asia which means “knowledge acquired through inquiry
2. PEOPLE or investigation.”
 Most knowledge of God’s word • As discipline it existed for around 2,400 years and is
 Rich and unique cultural heritage as old as mathematics and philosophy.
3. LAND
VARIOUS HISTORIANS
 Philippines is rich of natural resources
• “History is the record of what one age finds worthy
THE OTHER NAMES BEFORE “PHILIPPINES” of note in another.” – Burckhardt
1. Ma-yi – land of gold • “History, in its broadest sense, is everything that
2. Maniolas – Greek mapmaker named by Claudius ever happened.” – Henry Johnson
Ptolemy • “The value & interest of history depend largely on
3. Archipelago of St. Lazarus – Ferdinand Marcos the degree in which the present is illuminated by the
named this island “Las Islas Filipinas” past.” – V.S Smith
4. Felipinas – named by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in • “History is the story of man’s struggle through the
honor of Crown Prince Felipe “Las Felipinas” ages against Nature and the elements; against wild
5. Philippine Islands beasts and the jungle and some of his own kind who
6. Republic of the Philippines have tried to keep him down and to exploit him for
their own benefit.” – Jawakaral Nehru
PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS
HISTORY – provides us significant records of events of the
- The most popular nickname of the Phiippine past, a meaningful story of mankind depiciting of what
- Father Juan del Gado – he gave as nickname (1751) happened to man and why it happened.
- Jose Rizal – approved romantically the nickname
- August 4, 1996 – Republic of the Philippines NATURE OF HISTORY

LOCATION 1. History is a study of the present in the light of the

past
• Y’ami – northermost island 2. History is the study of man
• Saluag – southermost island 3. History is concerned with man in time
• Balabac Island – westernmost island 4. History is concerned with man in space
• Pusan Pt. – easternmost island 5. History provides an objective record of happenings
6. History is multisided
PHILIPPINE LOCATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE: 7. History is a dialogue between the events of the past
1. It is the only Christian nation in the Non-Christian and progressively emerging future ends
Asian World 8. History is not only narration but it is also an analysis

KTH | MT 2-YA-8
9. Continuity and coherence are the necessary • a journal/magazine article which interprets or
prerequisites of history reviews previous findings conference proceedings
10. History is relevant • literary criticism
11. History is comprehensive • book reviews
1 • research sources
RELEVANCE & FUNCTIONS OF HISTORY
REPOSITORIES OF PRIMARY SOURCES
1. History helps us understand people and societies
2. History contributes to moral understanding • National Archives of the Philippines
3. History provides identity • National Library of the Philippines
4. Studying history is essential for good citizenship • National Historical Commission of the Philippines
5. History is useful in the world of work • National Museum of the Philippines
• Library of Congress
HISTORIAL SOURCES • National Archives and Records Administration
- An object from the past or testimony concerning the • Lopez Memorial Museum / Ayala Museum
past which historian’s use to create their own
HISTORIAL CRITICISMS
depiction of the past.
1. WRITTEN SOURCES – are published materials 1. EXTERNAL CRITICISM – deals with the problem of
(books, journals, etc.) and manuscript (handwritten authenticity: to spot hoaxes, fakes, forgeries and
and unprinted like archival materials and memoirs). fabrications
2. NON-WRITTEN SOURCES – oral history, artifacts,
Tests of Authenticity are:
fossils, etc.
 Determine the date if it is Anachronistic: a
PRIMARY SOURCES
material, skill or culture does not exist at that
• Testimony of an eyewitness time
• It must have been produced by a contemporary of  Determine the author in the uniqueness of his
that is narrated. handwriting or signature
• It is a document or physical object written or created  Determine the provenance or custody
during the time under study. genuineness
• These sources were present during an experience or  Determine the Semantics, meaning of a text or
time period and offer an inside view of a particular word
event,  Determine the Hermeneutics, the ambiguities
(the branch of knowledge that deals with
SECONDARY SOURCES interpretation)
2. INTERNAL CRITICISM – it deals with the problem of
• Interpret and analyze primary sources
credibility.
• They are one or more steps removed from the
event. Ex: printed textbooks Tests of Credibility are:

KINDS OF PRIMARY SOURCES  Determine the Character of the Author, his

reliability, and his ability and willingness to tell
• a historical record
the truth
• records of social observations
 Determine the Corroboration, historical facts
• chronicles / maps / memoirs
rest upon the testimony of two or more reliable
• human fossils / artifacts
witnesses
• newspapers and magazines
• royal decrees / laws / legislative journals / court HISTORICAL METHOD - the process of critically examining
records and analyzing the records and survivals of the past.
• official receipts
• personal accounts  The historian is many times removed from the
events under investigation
SECONDARY SOURCES  They rely on surviving records
 History is reconstruction
• books with endnotes and footnotes  Only a part of what was observed was
• biographies remembered, only part of what was
• reprints of artwork

KTH | MT 2-YA-8
 remembered was recorded, only a part of what
survived came to the historian’s attention
 Only part of what is credible has been grasped,
only a part of what has been grasped can be
expounded and narrated by the historian