READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY John Lee P. Candelaria Veronica C. Alporha pce: prio Socvme gem EOD wareyinA) Gur: Seyenann fie Fadi 5G) Bacrgncmnunsy he would name him Don Charles (Carlos), as the emperor his sovereign was named; and he named the prince Don Fernand (Fernando), after the brother of the emperor, and the King of | Mazavva, Jehan: to the Moor he gave the name of Chris: topher, and to the others each a name of his fancy.” \ After eight days, Pigafetta counted that all of the island's inhabitast were already baptized. He admitted that they burned a village down ft obeying neither the king nor Magellan. The Mass was conducted by tht shore every day. When the queen came to the Mass one day, Magellan gave her an image of the Infant Jesus made by Pigafetta himself. ‘The kingd Cebu swore that he would always be faithful to Magellan. When Magell® reiterated that all of the newly baptized Christians need to burn their idd& but the natives gave excuses telling Magellan that they needed the idols# heal a sick man who was a relative to the king. Magellan insisted that the should instead put their faith in Jesus Christ, ‘They went to the sick ™ i Readings in Philippine Historypagal. she goth of April, Zula, a principal man trom 7 the ila iene eesat'to see Magellan and asked him for q nd of Nig ee fight the chief named S; pola fl of mén oie S re ule, refused to obey the king and was al TPalaP). Suchet qari fa gellan offered three bosts instead and expr sti hin fo tobe a himself to fight the said chief. Magellan's foroge meri tite ts ap whlecpt. They numbered 49 in total and the island of Mactan in dali» number 1,500. The battle began, Pignfates recount Were «When we reached land we found the islanders fifteen hundred t in number, drawn up in three squadrons; they came down upon us with terrible shouts, two squadrons attacking us on the flanks, and the third in front. The captain then divided his men in two bands. Our musketeers and crossbow-men fired for half an hour from a distance, but did nothing, since cea bullets and arrows, though they passed through the: made of thin wood, and perhaps wounded their arms, yet dia not stop them. The captain shouted not to fire, but he wan not listened to. The islanders seeing that the shois of o.. guns did them little or no harm would not retire, but shouited nnore loudly, and springing from one side to the other to avoid our shots, they at the same time drew nearer to us, throwing arrows, javelins, spears hardened in fire, stones, and even mud, 60 that we could hardly defend ourselves, Some of them cast lances pointed with iron at the captain-general,” ir shields Magellan died in that battle. The natives, perceiving that the bodies of the enemies were protected with armors, aimed for their legs instead Magellan was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg. A few of their nen charged at the natives and tried to intimidate them by burning an entire vilage but this only enraged the natives further. Magellan was specifically targeted because the natives knew that he was the captain general. Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. Magellan retaliated and pierced the same ‘ative with his lence in the breast and tried to draw his sword but could tat lif it because of his wounded arm, Seeing that the captain has already (eleriorated, more natives came to attack him. One native with a great Sword delivered a blow in Magellan's left Jeg, brought him face down and the ‘ative ceaselesely attacked Magellan with lances, swords, and even with ‘heir bare hands. Pigafetta recounted the last moments of Magellan: ‘Whilét the Indians were thus overpowering him, several : {mes he turned round towards us to see if we were all in 9 ‘err? | Cones and Comte nas of Sete Primary SoucsinPilpte SOY‘bétinate ‘fight had no other object then tunity for the retreat of his men. king of Cebu who was baptized op lan leccane not to join the battle ang stays he would s¢e how. they. fought. The king offered the : thy i gifts of any value and amount in exchange of Magellan's ne | n ee . They wanted to keep Magellan's body as meme’ vb re ot gellan’s men elected Duarte Barbosa as the new r 's i d Her id how Magellan's slave and interpreter name: aie of Cebu that they intended to leave as Pigafetta alleged that the slave told the king that if he captain, pp ary betrayed it aUickly ag Poesia | followed gir °ssib, jewels that he would send for the King of Spain, Pi, win the twenty-four men who attended because he wounds. It was only a short time when they heard Present gafetta { Was not, able 4, was nursing hig bat, cries and lamentation’ S. AS one of the dible source for a uld recognize certain binses accompanyint the author and his identity, loyalties, and the circumstances that he wasit’_ and how it aff the text that he Produced. In the case of Pigafetta, 4 i Teader needs to understand that he was a chronicler commissioned by tH 2 —Fe - sp accompany and document a voyage in; erewas also of noble descent who ca; tended to . : = came from a rich ¢ Fag attributes influenced his narrative, his selection pis Samilyin Tee athe text his characterization of the people and of fia tobe in and his interpretation and retelling of the one hy and geography, Pigafetta was able to pine a oer of vd climate of the places that their voyage had x eaten om ._ Pigafetta’s description of the people, one has. hs In 1 tom a sixteenth century European eines der might notice how Pigafetta, whether implicitly or is ea the “ the indigenous belief systems ‘and way of life ag tifoier tp a regarded | ity and of the Europeans. He would always remark on ie of Cor, of the natives or how he was fascinated by their exotic ontdnes OF otionbly emphasized tho natives’ amazement and ilitea ihe European. artillery, merchandise, and other goods, in the same ay a Pigefetta repeatedly mentioned the abundance of spices like ginger, ad of precious metals like gold. His observations and assessments of the ‘i s cultures employed the European standards. Hence, when they saw the indigenous attires of the natives, Pigafetta saw them as being naked jecause from the European standpoint, they were wearing fewer clothes indeed. Pigafetta’s perspective was too narrow to realize that such attire was aly appropriate to the tropical climate of the islands. The same was true for materials that the natives used for their houses like palm and bamboo. ~ ‘Those materials would let more air come through the house and compensate {or the hot climate in the islands. It should be understood that such observations were rooted from the context of Pigafetta and of his era. Europe, for example, was dominated by the Holy Roman Empire, whose loyalty and purpose was the domination of the Catholic Chureh all over the world. Hence, other belief systems different from that of Christianity were perceived to be blasphemous and barbaric, even demonic. Aside from this, the sixteenth century European economy was nereantilist, Such system measures the wealth of kingdoms based on their seeumulation of bullions or precious metals like gold and silver. It was not surprising therefore that Pigafetta would always mention the abundance of e0ldin the islands as shown in his description of leaders wearing gold rings am daggers, and of the rich gold mines. An empire like that of the a Would indeed search for new lands where they could acquire more gold es lth tobe on top ofall the European nations. The obsession with spices ' he odd for Filipinos because of its ordinariness in the Philippines, but ‘ht 2| Contec and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Piping Hitryundetstantiing the context would reveal that spices were scarce in E andherice were seen as prestige goods. In that era, Spain and P ‘ coveted the control of Spice Islands because it would have led to a certain | increase in wealth, influence; and power. These contexts should be used ang understood in order to have a more qualified reading'of Pigafetta’s accotmt, The KKK and the “Kartilya ng Katipunan” ‘The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng | Bayan (KKK) or Katipunan is arguably the most important organization formed in the Philippine history. While anti-colonial movements, efforts, and organizations had already been established centuries prior to the. foundation of the Katipunan, it was only this organization that envisioned (@)-a united Filipino nation that would revolt against the Spaniards for @, the total independence of the country from Spain. Previous armed revolta; had already occurred before the foundation of the Katipunan, but none them envisioned a unified Filipino nation revolting against the color For example, Diego Silang was known as an Ilocano who took up his and led one of the longest running revolts in the country. Silang, how was mainly concerned about his locality and referred to himself as El Rey. Tlocos (The King of Tocos). The imagination of the nation was largely abs in the aspirations of the local revolts before Katipunan. On the other hand, the propaganda movements led by the ilustrados like Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lépez Jaena, and Jose Rizal did not envision a total separation of 7 the Philippines from Spain, but only demanded equal rights, representation, | and protection from the abuses of the friars. 4 In the conduct of their struggle, Katipunan created a complex structure anda defined value system that would guide the organization as a collective | aspiring for a single goal. One of the most important Katipunan documents was the Kartilya ng Katipunan. The original title of the document was "Manga [sic] Aral Nang [sic] Katipunan ng mga A.N.B." or “Lessons of the Organization of the Sons of Country.” The document was written by Emilio Jacinto in the 1896. Jacinto was only 18 years old when he joined | the movement. He was a law student at the Universidad de Santo Toma; Despite his youth, Bonifacio recognized the value and intellect of Jacint? that upon seeing that Jacinto's Kartilya wa’ much better than the Decalogv® | he wrote, he willingly favored that the Kartilya be distributed to their fello Katipuneros. Jacinto became the secretary of the organization and took: charge of the short-lived printing press of the Katipunan. On 15 April 189 2 Readings n Philippine History22. years'obd. He di ; 4h te ect NG alona, Lapa oe Sedat Malaria a anaung sen _ The Kartilya.can-be tréated.aa the Katipunan’s code of conduct"Tt contains fourteen rules that instruct the way a Katipunsro should behave, and which specific values should he, uphold, Generally, the rules stated in the Kartilya can be classified into two, The frst group contains the rules that ‘will make the member an upright individual and the second group contains the rules that will guide the way he treats his fellow men. Below is the translated version of the rules in Kartilya: L The life that is not consetrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without a shade, if not a poisonous weed. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue. TL. It is rational to be charitable and Jove one’s fellow creature, and to adjust one’s conduct, acts and words to what is in itself reasonable, IV. Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in knowledge, wealth and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by nature. V. The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor. VI. To the honorable man, his word is sacred. VII. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost. VIII. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field. IX. The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets. X.- On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and the children, and if the guide leads to the precipice, those whom he guides will also go there. XI. Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful companion who will share with thee the penalties CChapeer 2| Content nd Comlertual Ansys of Seacied Priory Sources in Phitppise History 23.of life; her (physical) weakness will increase thy her and she will remind thee of the mother who borg: a reared thee. thes What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife go. brothers and sisters, that do not unto the wife, brothers and sisters of thy neighbor. Chik, XII. Man is not worth more because he is a king, because hi, is aquiline, and his color white, not because he is g a servant of God, nor because of the high prerogative the he enjoys upon earth, but he is worth most who is a man proven and real value, who does good, keeps his wor, worthy and honest; he who does not oppress nor consent iy being oppressed, he who loves and cherishes his fatherlang, though he be born in the wilderness and know no tongue byj: his own. . 4 XIV. When these rules of conduct shall be known to all, the longed: for sun of Liberty shall rise brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe and its rays shall diffuse everlasting joy among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the * of those who have gone before, the fatigues and the well-p sufferings will remain. If he who desires to enter has informed 9 himself of all this and believes he will be able to perform what ” will be his duties, he may fill out the application for admission. As the primary governing document, which determines the rules conduct in the Katipunan, properly understanding the Kartilya will thes iy help in understanding the values, ideals, aspirations, and even the ideolos!.| of the organization. 3 Analysis of the “Kartilya ng Katipunan” Simgllar to what we have done to the accounts of Pigafetta, this prim#”! source so needs to be analyzed in: terms of content and contest. A? document written for a fraternity whose main purpose is to ove! colonial regime, we can explain the content and provisions of the Kartilvo® a ae ea sponse ap certain value systems that they found despicabt Present state of things that they struggled agai: ith. For exa™P the fourth and the thirteenth rules in the Coase ind invocation of inherent equality between and among men regardless of race, occupa Se >- ss ‘Readings in Philippine Historyor status. In the context of the Spanish colonial era where the indios were treated as the inferior of the white Europeans, the Katipunan saw to it that the alternative order that they wished to promulgate through their revolution necessarily destroyed this kind of unjust hierarchy. Moreover, one can analyze the values upheld in the document as consistent with the burgeoning rational and liberal ideals in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, Equality, tolerance, freedom, and liberty were values that first emerged in the eighteenth century French Revolution; which spread throughout Europe and reached the educated class of the colonies. Jacinto, an ilustrado himself, certainly got an understanding of these values. Aside from the liberal values that can be dissected in the document, we can also decipher certain Victorian and chivalrous values in the text. For example, various provisions in the Kartilya repeatedly emphasized the importance of honor in words and in action. The teaching of the Katipunan on how women should be treated with honor and respect, while positive in many respects and certainly a significant stride from the practice of raping and physically abusing women, can still be telling of the Katipunan’s secondary’ regard for women in relation to men. For example, in the tenth rule, the document specifically stated that mon should be the guide of women and children, and that he should set a good example, otherwise the women and the children would be guided in the path of evil. Nevertheless, the same document stated that women should be treated as companions by men and not as playthings that can be exploited for their pleasure. In the contemporary eyes, the Katipunan can be criticized beéatse of these provisions. However, one must not forget the context where the organization was born: Not even in Europe or-in the whole of the West at that juncture recognized the problem of gender inequality. Indeed, it can be argued that Katipunan’s recognition of women as important partners in the struggle, as reflected not just in Kartilya but also in the organizational structure of the fratersiity where a°Wwomen’s unit was established, is an endeavor advanced for its time. Aside from Rizal’s known Letter to the Women of Malolos, no same effort by the supposed cosmopolitan Propaganda Movement was achieved until the movement's eventual disintegration in the latter part of the 1890s. BBs, Aside fromi this, the Kartilya was instructive not just of the Katipunan’s conduct toward other people, but also for the members’ development as individuals in their own rights. Generally speaking, the rules in the Kartilya can be classified as either directed to how one should treat his neighbor or to how one should develop and conduct one’s self. Both are essential to the chapter 2| Cootent end Comertoal Analyt Sli Bamtry Sources in Pllppine History 25ki coos and fulfillment of the Katipunan’s ideals. For example, Che Ray 4 teachings on honoring one’s. word and not wasting time ape , tly, directed toward self-development, while the rules on treating the ett wife, children, and brothers the way that you want yours to be treata bors instruction on how Katipuneros should treat and regard their ight All in all, proper reading of the Kartilya will reveal a more understanding of the Katipunan and the significant role that ae se Playa therevolution and in th unfolding ofthe Philippine history, ae woe Reading the “Proclamation of the Philippine Independenc Every year, the country commemorates the anniversary of the Philippine Independence proclaimed on 12 June 1898, in the province of Cavite. such event is a significant turning point in the history of the country becau! it signaled the end of the 333 years of Spanish colonization. There have ben numerous studies done on the events leading to the independence of th country but very few students had the chance to read the actual documentd! the declaration. This is in spite of the historical importance of the docuned| and the details that the document reveals on the rationale and circumstansy of that historical day in Cavite. Interestingly, reading the details of the said document in hindsight is telling of the kind of government that was created under Aguinaldo, and the forthcoming hand of the United States of Ameria in the next few years of the newly created republic. The declaration wa a short 2,000-word document, which summarized the reason behind the) Tevolution against Spain, the war for independence, and the future of thes new republic under Emilio Aguinaldo, sn gene Proclamation commenced with a characterization of the conditiots im the Philippines during .the Spanish colonial period. ‘The documet specifically mentioned abuses and ‘inequalities in the colony, The declaratioa says: ‘Soners under the pretext that they in violation of the provisions of ee 8, which abus punishe’ and on account of the unjust deportations, cepectelly ‘those fecreed by General Blanco, of miner personages and of high social Position, at the instigation of the Archbishop and friars interested in keeping thee out of the way for their ow" endings a Philepine Historyselfish and avaricious purpose, deportations which are quickly brought about by a method of procedure more execrable than that of the Inquisition and which every civilized nation rejects on account of a decision being rendered without a hearing of the persons accused.” ‘The above passage demonstrates the justifications behind the revolution against Spain. Specifically cited are the abuse by the Civil Guards and the unlawful shooting of prisoners whom they alleged as attempting to escape. ‘The passage also condemns the unequal protection of the law between the Filipino people and the “eminent personages.” Moreover, the line mentions the avarice and greed of the clergy like the friars and the Archbishop himself. Lastly, the passage also condemns what they saw as the unjust deportation and rendering of other decision without proper hearing, expected of any civilized nation. From here, the proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview of the Spanish occupation since Magollan’s arrival in Visayas until the Philippine Revolution, with specific details about the latter, especially after the Pact of Biak-na-Bato had collapsed. The document narrates the spread of the movement “like an electric spark” through different towns and provinces like Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, and the quick decline of Spanish forces in the same provinces. The revolt also reached Visayas; thus, the independence of the country was ensured. The document also mentions Rizal’s execution, calling it unjust. The execution, as written in the document, was done to “please the greedy body of friars in their insatiable desire to seek revenge upon and exterminate all those who are opposed to their Machiavellian purposes, which tramples upon the penal code prescribed for these islands.” The document also narrates the Cavite Mutiny of January 1872 that caused the infamous execution of the martyred native priests Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora, “whose innocent blood was shed through the intrigues of those so-called religious orders” that incited the three secular priests in the said mutiny. ‘The proclamation of independence also invokes that thé established republic would be led under the dictatorship of Emilio Aguinaldo. The firat mention was at the very beginning of the proclamation. It stated: “In the town of Cavite Viejo, in this province of Cavite, on the twelfth day of June eighteen hundred and ninety-cight, before me, Don Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Auditor of War and Chapter2| Content and Contextual Asay of Selocpd Primary Sources in Philippine History 27i Saal is proclaim and solernnize Special Camimissioner appointed to ee of tisee Philippina this act by the Dictatorial Governmem or Islands, for the purposes and by virtue of ee sail addressed by the Eminent Dictator of the same ‘Aguinaldo y Famy.” The same was repeated toward the last Pi States: “We acknowledge, approve and confirm together with the orders that have been issued therefrom, the Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo, whom we honor as the Supreme Chief of this Nation, which this :day commences to have a life of its own, in the belief that he is the instrument selected by God, in spite of his humble origin, to effect the redemption of this unfortunate people, as foretold by Doctor Jose Rizal in the magnificent verses which he composed when he-was preparing to be shot, liberating them from the yoke of Spanish domination in punishment of the impunity with which their Government allowed the commission of abuses by its subordinates.” Another detail in the proclamation that is worth looking at is it explanation on the Philippine fiag that was first waved on the same day, The document explained: “And finally, it was unanimously resolved that this Nation, independent from this day, must use the same flag used heretofore, whose design and colors and described in the accompanying drawing, with design representing in natural colors the throe arms referred to, The white triangle represents the distinctive emblem of the famous Katipunan Society, which by means of its compact of blood urged on the masses of the people to insurrection; the three stars represent the three principal Islands of this Archipelago, Luzon, Mindanao and Panay, in which this insurrectionary movement broke out; the sun represents the gigantic strides that have been made by the sons of this land on the road of progress and civilization, its eight rays symbolizing the eight provinces of Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, La and Batangas, which were declared in a state of war sent as soon as the first insurrectionary movement was initiated; and the colors blue, red and white, commemorate thio of th ; flag of the United States of North Amer! ocd ee of our profound gratitude towards hat Geant oon ee Readings in Philippine art of the proclamation. [t.4, the disinterested protection and will continue t extend to us.” ee eee ‘This often overlooked detail reveals much about the historically accurate meaning behind the most Ps widely known national symbol in the Philippines. It is not known by many for example, ‘that the white triangle was derived from the symbol of the Katipunan. The réd and blue eolore of the flag are often associated with courage and pesce, respectively. Our basic education omits the fact that those colors were taken from the flag of the United States. While it can always be argued that eymbolic meaning tan always change and be reinterpreted, the original symbolic meaning of something presents us several historical truths that can explain the subsequent events, which unfolded after the declaration of independence on the 12th day of June 1898. Analysis of the “Proclamation of the Philippine Independence” es As mentioned earlier, a re-examination of the document on the declaration of independence can reveal some often overlooked historical truths about this important event in Philippine history. Aside from this, the document reflects the general revolutionary sentiment of that period. For example, the abuses specifically mentioned in the proclamation like friar abuse, racial discrimination, and inequality before the law reflect the most compelling sentiments represented by the revolutionary leadership. However, no mention was made about the more serious problem that affected the masses more profoundly (ie., the land and agrarian crisis felt by the numerous Filipino peasants in the nineteenth century). This is ironic especially when renowned Philippine Revolution historian, Teodoro Agoncillo, stated that the Philippine Revolution was an agrarian revolution. The common revolutionary soldiers fought in the revolution for the hope of ‘owning the lands that they were tilling once the friar estates in different provinces like Batangas and Laguna dissolve, if and when the revolution succeeded. Such aspects and. realities of the revolutionary struggle were cither unfamiliar to the middle class revolutionary leaders like Emilio Aguinaldo, Ambrosio Rianzares-Bautista, and Felipe Buencamino, or were intentionally left out because they were landholders themselves. ‘Chapter 2 | Content and Contextual Atabysa of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History 29. : eeThe Treaty of Paris was an agreement signed between Spain = United States of America regarding the ownership of the phi, Islands and other Spanish colonies in South America, The amet 1 ended the short-lived Spanish-American War. The Treaty wag lent on 10 December 1898, six months after the revolutionary tverane! declared the Philippine Independence. The Philippines was sold t, tha United States at $20 million and effectively undermined the sovereign of the Filipinos after their revolutionary victory. The Americans occypigg the Philippines immediately which resulted in the Philippine-Ameticay | War that lasted until the earliest years of the twentieth century, | ‘The proclamation also gives us the impression on how the victorious | revolutionary government of Aguinaldo historicized the struggle fy independence. There were mentions of past events that were seen as important turning points of the movement against Spain. The execution of the GOMBURZA, for example, and the failed Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was narrated in detail. This shows that they saw this event as a significant awakening of the Filipinos in the real conditions of the nation under Spain. 4 Jose Rizal's legacy and martyrdom was also mentioned in the document, However, the Katipunan as the pioneer of the revolutionary movement was only mentioned once toward the end of the document. There was no mention of the Katipunan’s foundation. Bonifacio and his co-founders were also lef out. It can be argued, thus, that the way. of historical narration found in the document also reflects the polities of the victors. The enmity between Aguinaldo’s Magdalo and Bonifacio’s Magdiwang in the Katipunan is 10 secret in the pages of our history. On the contrary, the war led by Aguinalds’ men with the forces of the United States were discussed in detail. ‘The point is, even official records and documents like.the proclamation, of independence, while truthful most-of the time, still exude the politi’ | and biases of whoever is in power. This manifests in the selectiveness information that can be found in these records. It is the task of the historia 4 thus, to analyze the content of these documents in relation to the dominatt politics and the contexts of people and’institutions surrounding it. Tj : tells us a lesson on taking pri q 4 * thus, entails looking at ‘eile Seale an jer a | evidences in order to have a more n,A Glance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in Aled McCoy's Patient En ee eet re of the American Era (1900-194i} er the American Era (1900-1941) Political cartoons and caricature are a rather recent art form, which veered away from the classical art by exaggerating human features and poking fun at its subjects. Such art genre and technique became a part of the print media as a form of social and political commentary, which usually targets persons of power and authority. Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing opinions through heavy use of symbolism, which is different from a verbose written editorial and opinion pieces. The unique way that a caricature represents opinion and captures the audience's imagination is reason enough for historians to examine these political cartoons. Commentaries in masa media inevitably shape public opinion and such kind of opinion is worthy of historical examination. In his book Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941), Alfred MeCoy, together with Alfredo Roces, compiled political cartoons published in newspaper dailies and periodicals in the aforementioned time period. For this part, we are going to look at selected cartoons and explain the context of each one. BAL EAE ‘The first example shown above was published in The Independent on May 20, 1916, The cartoon shows a politician from Tondo, named Dr. Santos, Passing his crown to his brother-in-law, Dr. Barcelona. A Filipino guy (as depicted wearing salakot and barong tagalog) was trying to stop Santos, telling the latter to stop giving Barcelona the crown because it is not his to begin with. 2 ‘Chapter 2 | Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History 31| I { I | ‘The second cartoon was ialeo publishedby, The Independent on. 1g June, 1917, This was drawn by Fernando Amorsolo and wap aimed ay q commentary to the workings of Manila Poliee at that period. Here, we soe a Filipino child who stole a skinny chicken because he had nothing to eat, ‘The police officer was relentlessly pursuing the said child. A man wearing a salakot, labeled Juan de Ja Cruz was grabbing the officer, telling him to leave the small-time pickpockets and thieves and to turn. atthe great thieves instead. He was pointing to huge warehouses containing bulks of rice, milk, and grocery products. BP yar wba eA haena SS ‘The third cartoon was a commentary on the unprecedented cases ¢ colorum automobiles in the city streets. The Philippine Free Press publishe this commentary when fatal accidents involving colorum vehicles and tax occurred too often already. “Coches Mortales & Me eS 32This fourth cartoon depicts acinema. A blown-up police officer-was at the screen saying that couples are not allowed to-neck and make love in the theater. Two youngsters looked horrified while an older couple'seemed amused. ; The next cartoon was published by The Independent on 27 November 1915. Here, we see the caricature of Uncle Sam riding a chariot pulled by Filipinos wearing school uniforms. The Filipino boys were carrying American objects like baseball bats, whiskey, and boxing gloves. McCoy, in his caption to the said cartoon, says that this cartoon was based on an event in 1907 when William Howard Taft was brought to the Manila pier riding a chariot pulled by students of Liceo de Manila. Such was condemned by the nationalists at that time. Chapter 2| Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History 33.‘polities, for example, we see the price, that Filipinos paid.fox the demorray | modeled after the Americans. First, it seemed that the Filipino. Po? B at that timé did not understand well enough the essence of democracy and the accompanying democratic institutions and processes. This can be seen > the rising dynastic politics in Tondo as depicted in the cartoon:published by ‘The Independent. Patronage also became influential and powerful, not only between clients and patrons but aleo between the newly formed political parties composed of the elite and the United States. This. was depicted in the cartoon where the United States, represented by Uncle Sam, provided dole outs for members of the Federalista while the Nacionalista politicians looked on and waited for their turn. Thus, the essence of competing political parties to enforce choices among the voters was cancelled out. The problem continues up to the present where politicians transfer from one party to another depending on which party was powerful in specific periods of time. The transition from a Catholic-centered, Spanish-Filipino society to an imperial American-assimilated one, and its complications, were also depicted in the cartoons. One example is the unprecedented increase of motorized vehicles in the city. Automobiles became a popular mode of transportation in the city and led to the emergence of taxis. However, the laws and policy implementation was mediocre. This resulted in the increasing colorum and unlicensed vehicles transporting people around the city. The rules governing the issuance of driver’s license was loose and traffic police could not be bothered by rampant violations of traffic rules. This is a direct consequence of the drastic urbanization of the Philippine society. Another example is what McCoy called the “sexual revolution” that occurred in the 1930s. Young people, as early as that period, disturbed the conservative Filipino mindset by engaging in-daring sexual activities in public spaces like cinemas. Here, we can see how that period was the meeting point between the conservative past and the liberated future of the Philippines. Lastly, the cartoons also illustrated the conditions of poor’ Filipinos in the Philippines now governed by the United States. From the looks of it, nothing much has changed. For example, a cartoon depicted how police authorities oppress petty Filipino criminals while turning a blind eye on hoarders who monopolize goods in their huge warehouses (presumably Chinese merchants). The other cartoon depicts how Americans controlled Filipinos through seemingly harmless American’ objects. By: controlling their consciousness and mentality, Americans got to control and:subjugate CChapter2 | Content and Contextual Analyt of Sete Ryary Sources in Philppine History 38Ss. Rew isting ‘Corazon Aquine’s Speech Before the U. Corazon “Cory” Cojuangeo Aquino functioned as the symbol of the restoration of democracy and the overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship in 1986, The EDSA People Power, which installed Cory Aquino in the presidency, put the Philippines in the international spotlight for overthrowing dictator 3 through peaceful means, Cory was easily a figure of the said revolution, as the ” widow of the slain Marcos oppositionist and former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. Cory was hoisted as the antithesis of the dictator. Her image 3 a mourning, widowed housewife who had always been in the shadow of her husband and relatives and had no experience in polities was juxtaposed against Mareoe’s statesmanship, eloquence, charisma, and cunning political | skills. Nevertheless, Cory was able to capture the imagination of the people / whose rights and freedom had long been compromised throughout the Marcos regime. This is despite the fact that Cory came from a rich haciendero family jn Tarlac and owned vast estates of sugar plantation and whose relatives” i occupy local and national government positions. The People Power Revolution of 1986 was widely recognized around the world for its peaceful character. When former senator Ninoy Aquino was shot at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport on 21 August 1983, the Marcos regime greatly suffered a crisis of legitimacy. Protests from different sectors frequented different areas in the country. Marcoe’s credibility in the international community also suffered. Paired with the looming economic crisis, Marcos had to do something to prove to his allies in the United States that he remained to be the democratically anointed leader of the country. He called for a Snap Election in February 1986, where Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, the widow of the slain senator was convinced to run against Marcos. The canvassing was rigged to Marcos’s favor but the people expressed their protests against the corrupt and authoritarian government. Leading military officials of the regime and Martial Law orchestrators themselves, Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel V- Ramos, plotted to take over the presidency, until civilians heeded the | call of then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and other civilian leaders gathered in EDSA. The overwhelming presence of civilians i EDSA successfully turned a coup into a civilian demonstration. The thousands of people who gathered overthrew Ferdinand Marcos from | the presidency after 21 years. i Fa aS