READHIS | ASSIGNMENT NO.

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription and the Process of Its Authentication

[Regine Ann G. Garcia - FODAR3]

1. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (henceforth LCI) is one of the few local items to
undergo very rigid external criticism. Explain the reasons why there is no reason to doubt
that the material copperplate was really an ancient document from the 900’s (10 th
century) and not a hoax.

Aside from the fact that ancient Filipinos clearly placed a high value on their
labor and trade, they also didn't fail to ensure that their records are kept and preserved
through various types of written documents during their time. There is no doubt that the
Laguna Copperplate Inscription was an early and old record, as there were limited
resource materials available during the prehistoric period, including the lack of paper
materials to write on. Besides, the authenticity of the LCI is considered reliable for the
reason that documents that were deemed to be official and lasting were written on
resources that would last for a long time such as metal and stone materials. Thus, the thin
copperplate as a medium may have been the most practical object for the ancient
Filipinos to obtain and carve records to which seems to have been a common medium in
the south of Asia, particularly in Indonesia, wherein documents that were written for
the kings or monarchs, mostly functions for writings such as inscriptions, orders, or
perhaps deals, agreements, and negotiation. Furthermore, most copperplate inscriptions
from the same era were produced by heating the plates until they were soft, then writing
the characters with a stylus in smooth and continuous strokes. However, the manner in
such a way that the LCI was inscribed were described by hammering the letters onto the
plate using a sharp instrument without heating it which then proves how it was intricately
and uniquely made among the other copperplate inscriptions from that time. Moreover,
by observing the manner of how the specific script style was written in the LCI, we can
conclude that it is strangely written in a nearly unrecognizable script that doesn’t even
resemble the “baybayin” and “alibata” style of writing and instead, the style that was
used was the Kavi (Kawi) writing which is defined as an extinct Javanese script style.
Therefore, this explains how this document were dated back to the ancient times, since
having such knowledge of the Filipino ancient script would require a large amount of
skill, which does not only require the ability of reading it, but also a great deal of skill in
understanding a writing meticulously.

2. When the LCI was first “internally-critiqued”, experts like Antoon Postma believed that
the document was from ancient Java (Indonesia)—especially since it was written in a
Javanese script (Kawi). However, these experts changed their minds and eventually
declared that the LCI text was written by an ancient “Filipino”. What are the findings that
 convinced these experts that this is indeed a Filipino document—and not a trade item
from ancient Indonesia.

It is fairly obvious that when dealing with ancient writings, doubts and
uncertainties are bound to arise, as these include several important records and
documentations that might potentially reveal answers and information that had previously
been questioned. Looking back, the place where the Laguna copperplate was discovered
is one of the major reasons as to why it is considered as a Filipino document. First and
foremost, the rolled-up piece of metal was believed to have been discovered on the sand
coasts of the Lumbang River's peak, where it flowed down into the Laguna de Bay which
simply proves how it was discovered in the Philippines. Second, the copperplate script
was identified to contain more of the Filipino-related texts rather than the writings with
foreign influences. Additionally, the placenames that was mentioned in the LCI proves its
Philippine connection as the names are still evidently recognizable today even though the
document was issued about eleven centuries ago. Furthermore, it is clearly noticeable
how Antoon Postma's translation was full of unexpected outcomes and surprises. The fact
that it provides highly precise dates based on the Sanskrit calendar proves its relevance
on many other copperplate records as it corresponds accordingly to the year 900 A.D. in
our system. It also isn’t just comprised of the names of places that were still
currently used in Manila today, but it is also built with a fascinating list of the chiefs of
the various locales mentioned which in turn concludes how it is evidently proven that the
LCI is indeed a Filipino document as it is comprised of strong evidence that depicts the
Philippine connection that it has.

3. The text of the LCI is incomplete. Some people argue that since it is incomplete, it is
possibly a hoax. Some people believe however, that the very fact that the text is
incomplete proves that it is an authentic document. What is your opinion regarding this
debate? Kindly explain your answer.

If we were going to observe, many ancient documents have not been taken cared
of or preserved immediately. Some scholars didn’t take the opportunity to have an extra
mile and just passed up the chance to evaluate and scrutinize some artifacts due to it
being not recognizable at first. Perhaps one reason and cause for this was their loss of
interest or they may have been intimidated by the thought of working on something they
were unfamiliar with. Many records or artifacts can be observed to have been often
discarded in the shorelines or landfills as it is simply pertained to as with no value.
Moreover, old texts were also removed and discarded, and the materials on which they
were written were possibly reworked for new publications. This then proves that having
an incomplete document does not imply or indicate that it is a hoax but rather, the lack of
interest or lost and unidentified artifacts are some of the reasons that causes for most
ancient documents to be not given a chance to be preserved and evaluated immediately.
Thus, the possibility of the LCI’s lost pieces proves that there are other copperplate
pieces that have been lost and have yet to be located which could be of help to
 correspond or to add to what was indicated in the discovered Laguna copperplate.
Furthermore, some of the other components may have decayed to the point where they
were considered as waste metal just like how the LCI was initially found. Therefore, the
fact that the LCI is incomplete doesn’t equate to it as an authentic document, rather for
some reasons, the LCI might have lost some of its important pieces and were just being
regarded by the people without them knowing that they have already seen or bypassed the
lost pieces of the copperplate.

4. How did the LCI change your own understanding of ancient Filipino culture prior to the
arrival of the Spaniards? Kindly explain your answer

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription was in fact, the first pre-Hispanic artifact
found in the Philippines that has an intricate writing on a copper metal. With this,
everything is still uncertain and a conjecture as of the moment. Many more questions will
be raised, addressed, and disputed as we go on. Still, we are grateful as with the small
piece of metal retrieved from the coast, we shall gradually learn more about the
Philippines before the Spaniards arrived. Having to discover the LCI was indeed a wealth
that should be treasured as it didn’t just provide us with new learnings, but also it
widened out our knowledge about the treasures of the past and what had really happened
beyond the arrival of the Spaniards. It made me realize how culture and the histories of
the past can be unpredictable. With the finest details of the past, we have yet to learn and
discover. Having to acquire this new understanding and knowledge indeed drives me to
seek new learnings on what and how did the Philippine culture brought itself before the
Spaniards arrived as I believe that the Philippines has its own value and isn’t defined and
dependent solely on the Spaniards as they arrived and has colonized the country.