ESTRADA, ANGELA YSABELLE C.

30 Points: 2) Discuss and compare the aims, approaches, and results of the reform
movements and the revolutionary movement (Katipunan). Can we say the reform
movement is a prerequisite to the Philippine Revolution? Explain.

The Reform Movement is actually the Propaganda Movement which is the “reform
and national consciousness movement that arose among young Filipino expatriates in the
late 19th century.” (Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.) It was Jose Rizal, Marcelo H.
Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce and many others spearheaded the
reformist movements in the country, mostly through their writing as these people were
exiled to Spain. With better consciousness in the ‘mother country’ they were able to
propose reforms & ideologies that could invoke a sense of Nationalism in Filipinos. This is
especially true given ‘Noli Me Tangere’ in 1886 which was written to the Spanish
Government. “Jose Rizal made two allegorical novels about the conditions of the
Philippines, the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which were aimed to awaken the
Spanish authorities on the conditions of the Philippines.” (de Viana, 2012) His novel
exposed the grave corruption in Manila Spanish Society & simulated the movement for its
independence, which was actually to convert the colony into a province of Spain. The
general aim of the reform movement was to make gradual changes in society using a
pacifist approach, mostly through one’s writing, and to advocate unity between Filipinoes
under perceived oppression. Rizal, as the leading propagandist, actually established the
La Liga Filipina in which Andres Bonifacio was one of the first members. La Liga Filipina
had its publication in the Philippines, La Solidaridad, edited by Lopez Jaena & Marcelo del
Pilar. The publication generally published the Filipinoes rights & reforms that they intend
to happen. The result of La Liga was shortsighted, however, due to internal division with
Jaena and Rizal’s arrest 4 days after it was established. (de Viana, 2012)
We can say that the reform movement is a prerequisite to the Philippine
Revolution because even though it was short lived, it was enough to open the
consciousness of the Filipinoes under Spanish oppression. Rizal’s & many other writings
made its way to the Filipino people against the wishes of the Spaniards which made them
feel threatened in the first place & led to Rizal’s arrest and the manhunt for its members
under subversive allegations because the Filipinos had already been inspired & truly
aware, and wanted independence from Spanish oppression.
It was through Rizal’s arrest that Bonifacio immediately established the KKK or
the Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan that very same
day. This was truly the revolutionary movement as members of the Katipunan would
demonstrate that they truly had enough & no reform would now suffice to the freedom
they desired. From then on, it was no longer provincia but independencia. This is
especially manifested in Bonifacio’s “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” which meant “Love for
One’s Country”, and expressed his plights to die for the country & urge Filipinoes to fight
against foreign tyranny. Where La Solidaridad published about rights & reforms,
Kalayaan, Katipunan’s publication, had a much more non-pacifist approach to urge
Filipinos by exposing the deep oppression Filipinoes are experiencing to anger fellow
Filipinos & gain more members.
With the Katipunan, masonic movements transpired as hostilities arised & the
Spaniards reign of terror against the now more than 30,000 members of the Katipunan.
“In 1892 Filipinos interested in the overthrow of Spanish rule founded an organization
following Masonic rites and principles to organize armed resistance and terrorist
assassinations within a context of total secrecy.” (Library of Congress, 2011) With a
complete President & cabinet, a temporary truce in Biak-na-Bato was conducted with the
Spaniards & Aguinaldo but neither party really wanted to cease hostilities, thus, the
revolutionary movement continued until the Spanish had to cede the Philippines to the
United States. (University of Perpetual Help DALTA, 2020-2021)

15 Points: 4) Discuss the significance of the two types of historical sources in the study of
history. Which of the following historical sources must scholars first examine? Why?

According to the University of Australia, “A primary source is a document or

record which contains first-hand information or original data on a topic. Primary sources
are often created at the time of an event, but can also be recorded at a later time (e.g.
memoirs or interviews). Primary sources provide insights into how people view their
world at a particular time. It is important to evaluate primary sources for accuracy,
authenticity, bias and usefulness. …[Whilst,]A secondary source usually describes,
summarizes, analyses, evaluates, interprets or reviews primary source materials.”
(University of South Australia, n.d.) Primary sources are first-hand accounts of what
happened including eyewitness & documents by the participants. It is significant
because it records the exact happenings from a participant’s perspective which can
therefore be used as raw evidence. Secondary sources are relevant because these are
accounts that interpret the primary sources, thus assessing its credibility & validity of
event & phenomena to explain it in a better light.
In history, scholars must first examine the primary source to have their own idea
of what transpired during an event or phenomena before consulting a secondary source
to determine its accuracy. Since primary sources can tell you exactly what happened, it
can be cross-referenced with other primary sources of the participants of the event to
determine what is the truth in that history. Historians may use the secondary sources to
validate, understand the event better or to even persuade readers to support their
arguments about an event and its meaning. (University of North Carolina Wilmington,
2021)

15 Points: 5) Discuss why the United States was prepared to recognize Philippine
Independence under the Tydings-Mcduffie Act? Was it freedom?

The US was prepared to recognize Philippine independence after a 10-year

transition period for under the Tydings-Mcduffie Act, it agreed upon that the US would
withdraw its sovereignty over the islands provided that Philippine Commonwealth with
the US government would be able to solve major problems; among them national defense,
social justice, economic development and etc. “The High Commissioner would report on
the progress of the Philippine experiment, and the US government had oversight
functions over legislative, executive, and judicial actions of the Commonwealth.
Furthermore, the US government held on to foreign affairs and currency matters. In case
the experiment failed, the transition could be scrapped and it would be back to square
one. Neither Quezon nor Roosevelt wanted this, so despite much power granted him,
Quezon held back where he could.” (Jose, 2021) However, after the war, the Philippines
was in a worse state than it was before & still heavily reliant on the US. It seemed like
even in a worse condition, the United States was ready to recognize the Philippines’
independence because they’ve somehow built up a partnership with the Philippine
Republic in which the Tydings Mcduffie Act was tied to the Bell Trade Act. Aside from
that, they were still granted their American Military Bases in the region, so even though
they granted the country freedom, they still had somewhat control over certain aspects
but basically already got what they only wanted.

References
de Viana, A. V. (2012, September 6). The Saga of the Philippine Reform Movement from provincia to independencia.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from
https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-saga-of-the-philippine-reform-movement-from-provincia-to-independencia/
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Propaganda Movement | Facts, Definition, & History | Britannica.
Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Propaganda-Movement
Jose, R. T. (2021, July 2). July 4, 1946: The Philippines Gained Independence from the United States. The National WWII
Museum. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/july-4-1946-philippines-independence
Library of Congress. (2011, June 22). Katipunan - The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War (Hispanic Division.
Library of Congress. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/katipunan.html
University of North Carolina Wilmington. (2021, November 30). Primary Sources for Historical Research | Subject and
Course Guides. Randall Library. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from
https://library.uncw.edu/guides/finding_primary_sources
University of Perpetual Help DALTA. (2020-2021). Reform Movement and Katipunan - REFORM MOVEMENT AND
KATIPUNAN Discuss the teachings of the KKK. StuDocu. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/university-of-perpetual-help-system-dalta/readings-in-philippine-history/
reform-movement-and-katipunan/18499905
University of South Australia. (n.d.). Guides: History and Cultural Studies: Primary vs secondary sources. Guides.
Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://guides.library.unisa.edu.au/historycultural/sourcetypes