History (Prelim)

Issue No.
1 Page 1 of 153
S E
MT
C
ST. THERESE- MTC COLLEGES HISTORY 1
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
(Readings in the Philippine History)
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
STUDENT LEARNING MODULE
ST
Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:
01 September 2021 QMR President

1. Learning Module 1 Background of the Philippine History (3 Hours)
Lesson 1 Topics:
1.1 History, its meaning, Importance and Relevance
1.2 The Difference between Internal and External
1.3 Repositories of Primary Source
Course Outcomes and Learning Outcomes
Course Outcome/s:
1. Analyze the necessity of studying the history of the Philippines.
Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, the students must be able to:
1. Determine the meaning, importance and relevance of history.
2. Differentiate internal and external criticism, and.
3. Describe the repositories of primary resources.
Overview
Readings in Philippine History will be exposed to various domains of knowledge and

ways of comprehending social, political, and natural realities, developing in the process,
intellectual competences, and civic responsibilities demanded of every student as a citizen in
the community, country, and the world.
With this concept, students in this course will be exposed to the different facets of
Philippine history through the lens of eyewitnesses as primary sources rather than on
secondary sources, which are the usual approach in teaching Philippine history.
®All Right Reserved

Issue No. 1 Page 2 of 153
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Discussion
1.1 History: Its Meaning, Importance, and Relevance
Meaning of History
The word history is derived from the
Greek term "historia," which means "inquiry
or research." Thus, the term history refers to
accounts or inquiries of events that happened
in the past and are narrated in chronological
order.
According to Aristotle, regarded as the
father of logic, history is a systematic
account of a set of natural phenomena
arranged in chronological order. The great
historians Thucydides and Herodotus (Father
of History) defined history as a learning
inquiry about the past of humankind. E. H. Carr likewise describes history as a never-ending
dialogue of events between the past and the present. Will Durant stated that history is a
narrative of events of what civilized men have through and done in the past. In the words of
Jawaharlal Nehru, the theme of history should be that of man's growth from barbarism to
civilization.
Importance of History
According to Cyrhil Ingente (2019), it is said that history is to humans, whereas memory
is to each man. It does not only shed light on the past upon the present time. It also:
1. It helps every person to conclude past events assisting the person in understanding
himself by being acquainted with other people.
2. It helps the person or the Government avoid the threats of the present by knowing the
rise and fall of the rules, Government, and empires.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

3. Make's a person's life more productive and fuller by giving meaning to the books he
reads (especially history books, the cities and metropolis he visits and the cultural
performances he hears and listen to)
4. Enhance the person's outlook in life by learning and understanding the various races,
cultures, traits, habits, rituals, ceremonies, etc. of the making of contemporary society
out of the diverse forces of the past.
5. Enable a person to grasp his relationship with the past, such as to who ordered the
killing of Ninoy Aquino or why China insists on occupying territories claimed by the
Philippines- and because of the events, one has to turn to history for a complete
answer.
6. Helps social and political scientists or researchers engaged in research, for example, a
political researcher researching the federal form of Government must draw his data
from the materials of history and family.
7. History preserves the cultural values of a nation because it guides society in confronting
the various crises. As Allen Nevins puts it, history is like a bridge that connects the past
with the present and "pointing the road to the future."
The Relevance of Studying Philippine History

Some students enrolled in the Philippines History subject often asked the question:
What is the use or relevance of studying Philippine History? It is just an additional payment for
another 3-unit core subject. Why are we concerned about what happened a long time ago? The
answer to their constant questions is that" history is inescapable, "according to Penelope J.
Carfield. The saying "all people are living histories – which is why history matters" is right in
this case. It is not a "dead" subject, as some believed. History connects things this through
time, and the students are encouraged to take a long view of such connections. An example is
the legacies of the past that are connected to the present to determine what comes.
Understanding Philippine History is essential to a good understanding of the condition of

the human being. People build, people destroy, and people change. Neither of these options
can be understood well without understanding the context and starting point of all these. All
human beings live in the here and now, but it took a long unfolding history to get enough to
"NOW."
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Distinction Between Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources – are direct firsthand
evidence regarding an object, person, or work of
art. They include historical and legal documents,
eyewitness, accounts, results, experiments,
statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio,
video recordings, speeches, and art objects. They
also include interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and
Internet Communication via email, blogs, and
listserv, and newsgroups. In the most natural and
social sciences, primary sources are often
empirical studies- research where the experiment was performed, or a direct observation was
done. The results of such practical studies are found in some scholarly articles or papers
delivered at conferences.
Secondary Sources, on the other hand,
describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon,
analyze, evaluate, summarize, and primary
process sources. Secondary sources materials are
those that can be found in newspapers or popular
magazines, books, or movie reviews or articles
written in scholarly journals that discuss or
evaluate someone else original research.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

A comparative analysis of primary and secondary sources in a table format is shown.
Primary sources are the raw materials of Secondary sources are analysis or a
historical research – they are the documents or restatement of primary sources. They
artifacts closest to the topic of investigation. often describe or explain the primary
Often, they are created during the time which is cause. Some secondary sources not only
being studied (correspondence, diaries, analyze primary sources but also use them
newspapers, government documents, art). Still, to argue or persuade the reader to hold an
they can also be produced later by eyewitness or opinion. Secondary sources are not
participants (memoirs, oral history). You may find evidence, but a commentary on and
the primary source in their original format discussion of evidence.
(usually in an archive) or reproduced in a variety
of ways: books, microfilm, digital, etc. Example include:
Examples include: • Bibliographies
• Artifacts (e.g., coins plants specimens, • Biographical works
fossils, furniture, tools, clothing all from • Commentaries, criticism
the time understudy) • Dictionaries, Encyclopedias
• Audio recordings (e.g., radio programs, • Histories
oral histories) • Journal articles
• Internet communications on email • Magazines and newspaper articles
• Interview (e.g., oral histories, telephone, • Monographs, other than fiction and
email) autobiography
• Journal articles published in peer-reviewed • Textbooks
publications • Websites
• Letters
• Newspaper articles are written at the time
• Original documents (e.g., birth certificate,
will, marriage license, trial transcript)
• Patents
• Photographs
• Proceeding of meetings, conferences, and
symposia
• Records of organizations, government
agencies (e.g., annual report, treaty,
constitution, government document)
• Speeches
• Survey Research (e.g., market survey,
public opinion polls)
• Video recording (e.g., television programs)
• Work of art, architecture, literature, and
music (e.g., painting, sculptures, musical
scores, buildings, novels, poems,
websites)

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
1.2 The Difference Between Internal and External Criticism

Concerning internal criticism, these seek to falsify an idea by theoretically assuming its
truth to prove some internal inconsistency or contradiction with it. External criticism, in
contrast, aims to forge an idea without hypothetically thinking its truth.
Dr. Lynn Sims, a history professor at John Tyler Community College, noted two ways of
applying a set of data. According to her, internal criticism looks within the data itself to try to
determine the truth- facts and "reasonable" interpretation. It includes looking at the apparent
or possible motives of the person providing the data whereas, external criticism applies
"Science to a document." It involves such physical and technical tests as the dating of paper a
document is written. Still, it also consists of knowledge of when certain things existed or were
possible, e.g., when zip codes were invented. External criticism and the application of both
forms of critique often requires research. Parts of research can be oral history.
Understanding the difference between an internal and external criticism is of vital
importance for all people since falling to do this may lead to unfocused conversations where the
topic of investigation is never sufficiently addressed due to the ever-elusive objective. It is
essential, therefore, to focus the discussion by identifying what type of objection you have or
else are confronted with and, as a result, you will be in a better position for having a more
fruitful conversation with those whom you may disagree with.
1.3 Repositories of Primary Sources

The main task of preserving and making the primary source of information on Philippine
History accessible to the public lies in the National Archives of the Philippines. The documents,
records, and other primary sources are essential components of cultural heritage and collective
memory – the embodiment of community identities as well as testaments to share national
experiences. Presently, it is the home of about 60 million documents from the centuries of
Spanish rule in the Philippines, the American and Japanese occupation, as well as the years of
the Republic.
The Archive was created by Republic Act 9470 on May 21, 2017. This new Law
strengthened the record-keeping systems and administration program for archival materials as
it is the final repository for the voluminous notarized documents in the country.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

Other local repositories of primary sources could be found in museums of provinces,
cities, and municipalities in the locality.
For Republic Acts and other legislative enactments or statutes, the repositories are the
Official Gazette published by the National Printing Office.
For Supreme Court decisions, the repositories of the S.C. decisions are the Philippine
Reports, citations of books, treatises, pleadings, and even court decisions are found in the
Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA).
References
Ariola Mariano M., Parajas Rowena P. (2018). Reading in Philippine History

Asuncion Nestor M., Cruz Geoffrey Rhoel C. (2019) Reading in Philippine History, outcome-
based module
Ronald A. Simkins, MA, Ph.D. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from
https://www.creighton.edu/faculty-directory-profile/600/ronald-simkins

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Learning Module 2 Analysis of Selected Primary Sources (3 Hours)

Lesson 2 Topic:
2.1 How to Analyze Primary Source
Course Outcome/s:
Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Analyze the context, content, and perspective of different kinds of primary sources.
Overview

secondary sources, which is the usual approach in teaching Philippine history.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Discussion
2.1 How to Analyze Primary Sources

Primary sources can be analyzed and evaluated by different criteria. These criteria are
content analysis, contextual analysis, and the author's main argument or point of view.
Content analysis is a research method for studying primary sources such as
documents and communication artifacts, which can be texts of various formats, pictures, audio,
or video. One of the key advantages of using content analysis to analyze social phenomena is
its non-invasive nature, in contrast to simulating social experience or collecting survey answers.
Practices and philosophies of content analysis vary according to the location of the
source communities. They all involve systematic reading or observation of texts or artifacts,
which are assigned labels (sometimes called codes) to indicate the presence of unusual,
meaningful patterns. After labeling a broad set of media, a social researcher can statistically
estimate the proportions of trends in the text, as well as correlations between patterns.
Nowadays, computers are increasingly used in the content analysis to automate the
labeling (or coding) of documents. Simple computational techniques can provide described data
such as word frequencies and document lengths.
According to Klaus Krippendorf, six questions must be addressed in every content
analysis:
1. Which data are analyzed?
2. How are data defined?
3. From what population is the data drawn?
4. What is the most relevant context?
5. What are the boundaries of the analysis?
6. What is to be measured?
The most straightforward and most objective forms of doing content analysis are the
unambiguous characteristic of the text like word frequencies, and the page is taken by a
newspaper column or the duration of a radio or television program. Analysis of pure word
frequencies is limited because the meaning of a word depends on the surrounding text. The

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

keyword in context routines addresses this by placing words in their textual context. It helps
resolve ambiguities such as those introduced by synonyms and homonyms.
The second way of analyzing the primary source is the contextual analysis. Understanding
the historical context of a primary source is critical for understanding the attitudes and
influences that shaped the creation of the primary source. If not placed into a historical
context, a primary source's true meaning might be misinterpreted.
There is five (5) characteristic to look for when selecting primary sources that the
students will be able to place in historical context:
1. Bibliographic information: Ask these questions: How detailed is the item's
bibliographic record? Do your students need a primary source with a more detailed
bibliographic record so they can find more leads for their research project?
2. Creator name and creation/publication date: Are the creator's name and creation
date available on the primary source or in the bibliographic record? Are you studying
point of view and therefore need to identify the creator of a primary source?
3. Time and topic understudy in your classroom: What are the time and topics
understudy in your class? Is the source considering a primary source (created at the
time under investigation) or a secondary source (account or interpretations of events
organized by someone without firsthand experience)?
4. Contextual clues: Are there clues within the primary source that will help students
place the primary source into context? Will students identify clothing, shelter, or
technology from a specific period?
5. Extraneous markings or annotations: Will Library of congress cataloger's notes or
other making distract your students and interfere with their ability to place the primary
source into historical context.
Here are some specific questions to ask in analyzing a primary source:

1. What kind of document do you have? Is it a treatise letter? A manuscript or printed
material?
2. Was it published? If yes, when, and where?
3. Who is the author? What position, role, reputation, status, did the author have at the
time of writing?
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

4. Is the author well-known today or at the time of writing?
5. Who is the intended audience?
6. Who reads this text at the time? What are the responses of those who read it?
7. What was to be gained, and what were the risks in writing this text?
8. How is this document related to other primary materials known to you, particularly from
the same time?
9. Does this document square with what you know from secondary sources?
10. What evidence do you have for your claim about the text?
Be specific in answering these questions. A further step in the analysis of primary

sources is to examine the author's main argument or central point of view.
Understanding the author of or writer's underlying point of view will help you interpret
the context of his writing. It will also help you see why the author's or writer's make the
decisions they do.
Most often, people know what they are doing. They plan their actions to achieve their
purpose. If someone selects the use of being rich, he will design and carry out a set of
activities, legal, or illegal, to gain the desired wealth. In the same manner, writers or authors
have a specific purpose of achieving by any piece of work. They are in control of what they
write.
The writer or author's overall purpose determines the techniques he uses. His reason for
writing a book, letter, article, documents, etc. may manipulative as in propaganda or
advertising or maybe straightforward, as in informative writing.
Here are some guide questions in critically analyzing or examining the author's main
argument and point of view.
1. What is the author's main objective in writing the article, book, etc.?
2. Does the author seek to persuade, convince, to identify problems, or to provide a
solution?
3. What are the forms of evidence used by the author? Are they useful, and for whom?
4. Are important facts or perspective omitted? What is left out?
5. Is the author credible – to whom?
6. Does the author consider alternative positions and perspectives?
7. Does the author acknowledge prejudices or personal interest? Is there an ax to grind?
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

8. Are opponents mentioned either by name or by the school or by tradition?
In the process of analyzing a primary source, a history student must carefully examine a
single text, for example, primary documents written by an individual author in an attempt to
understand why the writer/author wrote the particular version in a book, or an article for a
specific way, to a particular audience, and for what purpose?
So, the history student must critically analyze/examine the text (article, book, etc.)
based on the guidelines:
1. What was argued or described by the writer?
2. How did the writer present his argument or point of view?
3. Why did the writer choose (for example, persuasion) as the method of presentation?
4. What evidence or arguments that the writers used in (persuading) his audience?
Remember: the audiences are not the history students in this subject but those people
being persuaded, and finally,
5. What does the writer ultimately hope to achieve by writing this text?
In analyzing a primary source using any of the three (3) ways of critical analysis, the
historical importance of the text or document must be identified and examined. A book or
material with historical significance means that the text or document is original that contains
important historical information about a person, place, or event and, thus, serves as a primary
source.
Relevant historical text documents can be deeds, law, accounts of battles, etc. given by
a person or group sharing their viewpoints. These documents or texts have historical
importance and of historical interest.
Text or documents with historical importance or significance or significance; however,
do not describe the daily lives of ordinary people or how society functions. Historians,
anthropologists, and archeologists are generally more concerned in the document that tells
about the day-to-day lives of ordinary people indicating what they ate, their state of mind. It is
this information that allows them to try to understand and describe the way society was
functioning at any time in history.
Many documents of historical importance produced today, such as personal letters,
pictures, contrast, newspaper, and medical records, would be considered valuable and will
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

survive the passage of time. The preservation issues and either printing documents in a manner
that would increase the likelihood of them surviving indefinitely, or placing selected papers in
time capsules or other particular storage environments that the degree of significance is a
matter of interpretation, often related to the value systems of the period in which the analysis
was produced.
Hence, the main goal of carefully examining the primary source is to construct new
knowledge or to use the information that the primary source (documents sample) to explore
broader historical issues or context.
References

based module

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Learning Module 3 Early Philippines to 1570 A.D (12 Hours)

Lesson 3 Topics:
3.1 Theories Concerning the Peopling of the Philippines
3.2 Early Trade Contacts
3.3 Significance of the Introduction of Islam
3.4 Pre-Spanish Philippine Culture
Course Outcome/s:
Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Trace the significant events of the Philippine society from Early Philippines up to
1570 A.D
2. Present various theories concerning the peopling of the Philippines in early times
3. Compare the historical and cultural implications of the theories
4. Discuss the significance and implications of the spread of Islam in the Philippines
5. Describe the Philippine cultures prior to the coming of the Spaniards
Overview
Every country has its own history, where it came from and the significant events that
happened in the past. Early Philippines to A.D will present theories concerning the peopling of
the Philippines, trades and contracts entered into during the early trading, country’s relation to
the neighboring regions, introduction of Islamic faith, the influence of Pre-Spanish culture,
social classes of the early Filipinos, woman’s position in the early society, the different customs,
habits, the creation of the government laws and the judicial process in the early Philippines. All
these brings significant changed on what we have in the present Philippine society. It is true
that the Philippines established its own identity prior to the emancipation of different colonizer.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Discussion
3.1 Theories Concerning the Peopling of the Philippines
A. MYTHOLOGICAL AND LEGENDARY

The early Spanish friar-chronicles recorded the following fantastic theories on the origin
of Filipinos (Francisco, 1783, Vol.5 pp. 129-130):
1. The ancestors of Filipinos sprang from the soil like wild plants.
2. The early Filipinos were created by the sun who was said to be their father.
3. They were produced from certain base metals by the magic of alchemists.
4. Another story of origin is about a god and goddess who were so lonely they
decided to bake people out of clay. The first and second attempts were not rightly
cooked. From those came the black race and white race. The third attempt was just
perfect and out of perfectly baked clay figures came the Filipinos.
5. In still another story, Lalake and Babae stepped out of a bamboo nodule after a
bird had pecked on it. The two got married and had many children. The children
proved to be so lazy that Lalake got angry and chased them with a stick. They fled
to escape the father’s wrath. Some ran short distance and remained in the country,
while others fled to far-away regions. Those who stayed in the country became
Filipinos.
B. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THEORIES

1. The “Land Bridge” theory
a. It was theorized that during the Pleistocene or Ice Age, the waters surrounding
what is now the Philippines fell about 156 feet below the present level,
exposing a vast area of land connected to mainland Asia.
b. These land bridges were used by a group of people to reach the Philippines.
c. This theory was disputed by Dr. Fritjof Voss, a German scientist, who asserted
that the Philippines was never part of the mainland Asia. The bridges could not
be connected by the land bridge since scientific studies done in the 1960s on

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

the thickness of the earth’s crust showed that the 35-kilometer thick crust
underneath China did not extend to the Philippines.
2. The Negritos as the aboriginal inhabitants of the Philippines
a. Negritos moved to the Philippines by means of land bridges, 25, 000 to 30,
000 years ago.
b. This theory was severely criticized by F. Landa Jocano, a Filipino
anthropologist, who believed that fossil evidences of ancient men showed that
they went not only to the Philippines but also to New Guinea, Java, Borneo,
and Australia. Moreover, there was no way of telling whether or not they
were Negritos.
c. Tabon Man. The Tabon Man, the earliest fossil remains of a human being in
the Philippines, was discovered. It could not be ascertained, however, if he
was Negrito.
3. The “Waves of Migration” theory
a. Advanced by H. Otley Beyer, the theory states that coming of people to the
Philippines occurred in waves of migrations.
b. Majority of Filipinos today are descendants of Malays who came in the
archipelago in at least three waves from 200 B.C to about 1500 A.D.
c. Aside from Negritos and Malays, Indonesians settlers in the Philippines had
also come in two waves about 3, 500 to 5,000 years ago.
d. The “waves of migration” theory was questioned by Jocano and young
anthropologists because the discovery of the Tabon Man in Palawan in 1962
showed conclusively that man came to the Philippines as early as 21,000 or
22,000 years ago, whereas migration to the Malay Penisula was dated to be
around 5,000 B.C. only.
4. The theory that present Filipinos are results of a long process of evolution
a. This was theorized by F. Landa Jocano.
b. The present Filipinos, Indonesians, and Malay of Malaysia are “end results”
of both the long process of evolution and later movements of people.
c. The differences among these people are due to differences in their responses
to their environment. The similarities found among them are due to
adjustment to the environment.
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
EARLY TRADE CONTACTS

A. INTER-ISLAND AND INTRA-ISLAND TRADING
1. Early Filipinos traded among themselves. Those in coastal areas bartered with one
another and also exchanged goods with people in upland areas. Going inland was
not difficult because rivers were navigable.
2. Aside from intra-island economic activity, commercial exchanges between and
among islands in the Philippines also developed. This was facilitated by the maritime
orientation of Filipinos and ready availability of boats.
B. RELATION WITH THE ORANG DAMPUANS, BAJARMASIN, SIAM, AND TONKIN

1. The Orang Dampuans or Men from Champa were from Southern Annam. They came
to the southern part of the Philippines between 900 and 1200 A.D., and established
trading posts in Sulu, resulting in a flourishing trade between that place and
southern Annam.
2. The men of Banjar, on the other hand, were from Banjarmasin in Borneo. Through a
diplomatic coup, they succeeded in putting Sulu under their influence. Under them,
Sulu developed into an emporium visited by trading ships from all over Southern
Asia and China
3. From these places exchanged their porcelain products for the Philippine native
wares.
C. RELATIONS WITH THE INDIANS AND THE CHINESE

1. Trade relations with the Chinese started in the 10th century (A.D. 982 is the year
given in the Sung annals) and reached its zenith in the 14th and 15th centuries.
2. Trade relation of the Philippines with the Indians reached its peak in the 13th
century.
3. Chinese writer Chao-Ju-Kua praised the honestly of the Filipinos.
4. Early Chinese trading junks brought goods and immigrants to the Philippines.
5. For a brief period under the Ming Dynasty, China exercised nominal suzerainty over
the Philippines, and some paid tribute to China.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

6. The last Filipinos tribute embassy came in China in 1421, according to the Ming-Shih
or dynastic annals of the Ming.
D. EARLY RELATIONS WITH JAPAN

1. Historical records show that Japanese (wako), kingdom builders, and settlers had
come to Luzon before and immediately after the Spanish colonization.
2. Japanese traders, especially those from Nagasaki, frequently visited Philippines
shores and bartered Japanese goods for Filipino gold, pearls, and native earthen
jars.
3. Certain shipwrecked Japanese sailors and immigrants settled in the Philippines and
intermarried with Filipinos.
4. According to Japanese records, the early Spaniards found Japanese settlements in
Manila and Agoo, La Union Province.
E. EARLY RELATIONS WITH ARABS

1. In 1380, according to the tarsillas (Muslim chronicles), the Arab missionary-scholar
Mudum landed in Sulu and there laid the foundation of Islam in the Philippines.
2. In 1390 Rajah Baginda, prince of Menankabaw, Sumatra, led an army of Muslim
invaders to Sulu and overcame native opposition with firearms.
3. Abu Bakr, Muslim leader from Palembang, Sumatra, reached Sulu in 1450 and
married the daughter of Rajah Baginda. After Baginda’s death, he founded the
Sultanate of Jolo, with himself as sultan.
4. The Muslim conquest of Maguindanao was attributed to Sharif Kubungsuan, Muslim
leader of Johore, who landed in Cotabato in 1475. He married a native princess and
founded the first Muslim sultanate of Maguindanao. Kabungsuan as sultan of
Maguindanao had larger domain than the Sultanate of Sulu. The Sultanate of
Maguindanao was also instrumental in the Islamization of Mindanao.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF ISLAM
A. UNIFICATION OF MINDANAO.
1. The spread of Islam in the south led to the establishment of a common religion.
2. The introduction of Islam resulted in the founding of the sultanate system of
government which further facilitated the unification of the people.
3. Islam promoted a common language- Arabic, the official language of the religion.
4. In the 16th century, it brought about close correspondence between the royal
houses of Sulu and Brunei.
B. THE SPREAD OF ISLAM TO THE VISAYAS AND LUZON

1. The Kingdoms of Rajah Soliman and Rajah Lakandula in Tondo Manila were
claimed to be under the sway of Islam. The influence of Islam was also seen in
Mindoro and Batangas.
2. If not for the arrival of the Spaniards, Islam could have established itself in the
northern part of the Philippines.
C. THE SUCCESSFUL RESISTANCE OF THE MUSLIMS TO SPANISH COLONIALISM

1. The Spaniards repeatedly tried to put Mindanao and Sulu under their control, but
they failed miserably because of the widespread resistance of the Muslim
Filipinos. They employed Christianized native mercenaries, especially from the
Visayas, in their campaigns against the so-called “Moros”, but this was not
effective. Spanish manpower was divided and seriously limited by resistance and
disturbances in other parts of the archipelago.
2. Alliances were formed among different Muslim groups to fight against the
Spaniards.
3. Enmity and animosity further developed between Muslims and Christian Filipinos
who helped the Spaniards.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

PRE-SPANISH PHLIPPINE CULTURE
A. CLOTHING
1. The male attire consisted of the upper and lower pieces.
a. The upper part was a collarless, shorts-sleeved jacket, the color of which
indicated the rank of the wearer. For instance the datu wore a red jacket.
b. The lower part, called bahag, consisted of a strip of colored cloth wrapped
about the waist and between the legs to cover the private parts.
c. The male had a headgear consisting of a piece of cloth, called putong, which
was wrapped around his head.
2. The female dress also consisted of two parts.
a. The upper part calle baro or camisa, was a jacket with sleeves, while the
lower part, called saya by the Tagalogs and patadyong by the Visayans, was
a loose skirt.
B. ORNAMENTS
1. Both men and women had a weakness for personal adornment.
2. They wore jewels of gold, carnelian, pearl, beads as well as colored glass.
3. Their ornaments consisted armlets, pendants, bracelets, gold, rings, earrings and
even leglets.
4. Since gold was a common commodity, both men and women inserted gold
fillings on their teeth as ornament.
5. Like other people of the Pacific the early Filipinos, both males and females, were
fond of tattoing their bodies in various designs.
C. HOUSES
1. There is no basic difference between the present barrio house and the ancient
one.
2. The ancient house, just like the present nipa house, was made of wood,
bamboo, nipa palm and/ or cogon grass.
3. The houses were generally elevated from the ground with the lower portion
used as storage for farm of fishing implements and enclosure for pigs, chickens,
and ducks.
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

4. Some Filipinos built their houses on tree-tops for better protection against the
enemy.
5. The Badjaos or Sea Gypsies of Sulu, made their houses on boats for they were
sea-roving people whose life depended upon the water of the seas.
D. SOCIAL CLASSES
1. According to William Henry Scott (1994), the four types of social organizations
in the islands prior to the coming of the Spaniards and the Spanish contact
were the:
• Classless society
• Warrior socities
• Petty plutocracies
• Principalities
2. The rest of Philippine society was divided into three classes: the nobles, the
freeman, and the dependents. Stratification of these social classes was not
absolute, for there existed no caste system. A noble could fall to the level of
slavery, while a slave could rise to freedom. In the other words, there was a
high level of social mobility in early Philippine society.
3. The nobles, consisting of chiefs and their families, enjoyed great political and
social rights in the barangays. In the Tagalog region, they usually carried the
title of gat or lakan.
4. Next to the nobles were freemen, called maharlika by the Tagalogs and timawa
by the Bisayans.
5. Occupying the lowest stratum were dependents called alipin by the Tagalogs,
olipon by the Bisayans, and adipon by the Ilocanos.
6. Among the ancient Tagalogs, two kinds of dependents existed.
• The aliping namamahay, who were essentially serfs rather than slaves
because they had their own property, lived in their house, could marry
without their master’s consent, and could not be sold.
• The aliping sagigilid, the real dependents or slaves who owned no
property, lived in their master’s houses, could not marry without their
master’s consent, and could be sold anytime.
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

7. Among the ancient Bisayans, the dependents were of three kinds:
• The tumataban who worked in the master’s house when summoned to do
so.
• The tumaramouk who worked one day for his master
• The ayuey who worked three days for his lord
E. WOMEN’S POSITION IN EARLY SOCIETY

1. Women occupied a high position in early Philippine society.
2. Early laws and customs recognized them as the equal of men.
a. They could own and inherit property.
b. They could engage in trade and industry.
c. They could inherit the chieftaincy and rule barangays if they were
daughters of datus with no sons.
d. The prestigious position of the babaylan was often occupied by women.
There is a preponderance of priestesses based on the existence of local
terms in various parts of the country.
3. The mother in the family enjoyed the exclusive privilege of naming the children.
4. As a sign of deep respect, the men, when accompanying women, walked
behind them.
F. PERSONAL HABITS
1. Early Filipinos were clean and neat in their personal habits
a. They bathed regularly for cleanliness and pleasure. This will explain why
early settlements were situated along the river banks.
b. They took good care of their hair by washing it carefully with water and
gogo and anointing it with perfumed oils.
G. MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
1. Generally, a man belonging to one class married a woman of the same class.
Nevertheless, this custom was not rigid, and it was possible for a noble to
marry a dependent, and a dependent to marry outside his rank.
2. Except for Muslims, the early Filipinos generally practice monogamy.
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

3. Only the children of the wife were regarded legitimate and legal heirs,
whereas the children of other women were not considered as such and
therefore, were barred from inheriting any property.
4. Marriage was usually arranged by parents even during the young age of the
boy and the girl.
5. There were two prerequisites to marriage: first, the lover’s servitude to the
girl’s family, and second, the dowry, which was a sum of money, gold,
property, or anything of value given by the man to the girl’s parents.
6. Divorce was resorted to in case of marital troubles. The grounds for divorce
were:
a. Adultery on the part of th wife
b. Desertion on the part of the husband
c. Loss of affection
d. Cruelty
e. Insanity
f. Childishness
g. Lack of sexual satisfaction
7. Any couple who divorced each other could remarry if they so decided. If the
married couple belonged to different classes, say a freeman and dependent,
their children were equally divided among the parents in so far as social
status was concerned. Thus, if the father was a freeman, the eldest, the third,
the fifth, the seventh, and so on, whether male or female belonged to the
father. The second, the fourth, the sixth, the eight, and so on, belonged to
the mother.
H. GOVERNMENT
1. The government of the pre-Spanish Filipino was patriarchal in form. There
are two models here, namely, the
a. barangay which was a socio-quasi political/administrative unit, and the
b. sultanate which was more elaborate with a central authority.
2. The unit of administration was the barangay which was a settlement
consisting of 30 to 100 families.
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

3. The early barangays were dependent from each other. Each was ruled by a
datu or raba who obtained his position by
a. Inheritance, being the son of the datu
b. Wisdom
c. Physical prowess and courage
d. Wealth
4. The datu had wide powers, for exercised all the functions of government, but
he was not absolute leader or ruler. He was assisted by elders who advised
him on important matters. According to Renato Constantino (1975), the two
types of political leaders at that time were the:
a. Leader with clear administrative function and the
b. Leader with undefined function and position
5. Inter-barganic relations consisted of agreements for commerce and
friendship or alliance. Agreements were necessary because wars between
barangays existed.
The causes of conflicts between barangays, according to Loarca (in Jocano,
1975) were:
a. When one goes to another village and there is put to death without
cause;
b. When their wives are stolen from them; and
c. When they go in friendly manner to any village and there under the guise
of friendship are wronged or maltreated.
I. LAWS
1. Laws were either customary or written
a. The customary or oral laws were customs and traditions handed down
orally from generation to generation
b. The written laws were promulgated by the datus, particularly in Islamic
communities.
2. Among the subjects covered in ancient Filipino laws were family relations,
property rights, inheritance, contracts, partnerships, loans, usury, crimes and
their punishment, adoption, and divorce.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

3. Those considered as major crimes were raped, incest, murder, witchcraft,
insult, trespassing, sacrilegious acts, and larceny. A person guilty of any of
these crimes was punished by death or by a heavy fine.
4. Minor crimes, on the other hand, consisted of such misdemeanors as
adultery, cheating, petty theft, perjury, disturbance of peace at night by
singing, and destroying documents owned by a chief. These misdemeanors
were punished by exposure to ants, by a small fine, by flogging, by cutting
the fingers of one hand, or by swimming for a number of hours.
J. JUDICIAL PROCESS
1. All trials in pre-Spanish Philippines were held in public.
2. The litigants-plaintiff and defendant pleaded their own case and had to
present their own witnesses.
3. Before testifying, the witness took an oath to tell the truth and nothing but
the truth.
4. The barangay court decided the case in favor of the litigant who had
presented more proofs than the other.
5. Disputes between datus, or between residents of different barangays, were
sometimes settled by arbitration, with some datus or elders from other
barangays serving as arbiters or mediators.
6. Whenever a case cannot be readily decided upon by the barangay court, a
trial by ordeal was resorted to. This was especially true in criminal cases. It
was believed that God protected the innocent and punished the guilty. Thus,
an accused person who was innocent was believed to succeed in the ordeals
because the Gods made it so.
7. In Muslim communities, civil and criminal cases were decided upon by the
local Islamic court. Feuds and disputes however involved protracted bloody
confrontations between families and clans.
8. According to Loarca (in Jocano, 1975), three ordeals were utilized by the
court to find out the guilty person,, namely

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

a. The river ordeal where suspected persons were made to plunge into the
river with their spears, and he who rose to surface first was adjudged
guilty.
b. The boiling water ordeal where all suspected persons were ordered to
pick a stone placed in a pot of boiling water, and he whose arm or hand
was burned the most was believe to be guilty.
c. The candle ordeal where each of suspected persons was given a lighted
candle of the same size, and he whose candlelight died out first was
considered guilty.
K. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

1. Pre-Spanish Filipinos, with the exception of Muslim, were animistic.
2. The supreme God stood at the head of the pantheon of numerous minor
gods and goddesses
3. They worshipped a supreme god, called Bathala by Tagalogs
4. Early Filipinos believed in spirits called anitos or diwatas who were either
good or bad.
5. The religious leaders were called babaylan, baylana, or katalonan. In Muslim
areas, they were called imam or pandita. They served as herbalists,
psychologists and psychiatrists, fortune tellers and advisers of the datu.
6. Early Filipinos were worshipers of nature and of ancestors. It is here that the
concept of mariit comes into play. Certain places, landmarks, and tress have
to be respected or have become restricted (taboo) because these are
inhabited by spirits.
7. Ancient Filipinos believed in an after lefe and subscribed to the idea of
heaven and hell. The Panayanons, for example, believed that souls travel in
a river, thus, they used coffin shaped like boats.
8. Disease or illness was attributed to the environmental spirits and the soul-
spirits of dead relatives.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
L. DIVINATION AND MAGIC CHARMS

1. Early Filipinos were fond of interpreting signs in nature as good or bad
omens depending upon circumstances. Among these are sounds of insects
and animals, flight of the birds, and barking of the dogs.
2. They believed in black magic and sorcerers who could victimize people.
3. They believed in aswang and manoghiwit and many more could destroy or
harm them,
4. They also believed in the efficacy of anting-anting or amulets as well as
lumay or gayuma (love potion).
M. ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
1. Agriculture, then as now, was the main source of livelihood. There were two
types of cultivation: kaingin or the slash-and-burn and wet rice farming,
making use of water.
2. Irrigation ditches were used.
3. A system of public and private land holding was observed. The less arable
lands were considered public property and could, therefore, be tilled freely
by anybody. The cultivated productive lands, on the other hand, were
considered the private preserve of datus and nobles.
4. Because of the abundance of coconut and nipa palms, precolonial Filipinos
fermented the sap of these palms into tuba for drinking and for making
vinegar.
5. Aside from agriculture and fishing, early Filipinos had other industries like
poultry, stock-raising, lumbering and ship-building, pottery making, and
weaving.
6. Mining was developed before the coming of Spaniards.
7. Because of currency was not in use then, the pre-Spanish Filipinos used the
barter system in business transactions.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
N. LANGUAGES
1. More than a hundred languages and dialects exist in the Philippines. Some of
these (Tagalog, Iloko, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Sugbuhanon, Hiligaynon,
Samarnon or Waray, and Magindanao) may be considered major languages.
2. The pre-Spanish Filipinos had a syllabary made of seventeen symbols, three
vowels and fourteen consonants.
3. They wrote on bark of trees, leaves, and bamboo nodes using knives,
daggers, pointed sticks or iron as pens. They utilized colored sap of trees and
fruits as ink.
O. LITERATURE
1. Pre-Spanish Filipinos had oral and written literature. Oral literature is still
extant among Hanunuo and Tigbanua of Mindoro, and Palawani of Palawan.
2. Their literature consisted of proverbs, sayings, riddles, epics, myths, and
legends
P. MUSIC AND DANCE

1. Ages before the advent of the Spanish colonizers, the Filipinos already had
their own musical instruments, songs, and dances.
2. The most popular musical instrument was the kudyapi which resembles a
guitar.
3. Other native musical instruments were the Jewish harp of the Bontok Igorots
and the Negritos, the nose flute of people in mountainous areas of Luzon,
the bronze gong of Igorots, the sharkskin drum, the Muslim bronze gongs
and xylophone, the shell trumpet of the Bisayans, the Bisayan bamboo flute,
and many others.
4. The musical lore of ancient Filipinos was quite extensive. It included love
songs, religious songs, rice-planting songs, battles-songs, vending songs,
and others.
5. Early Filipinos also had colorful folk dances were performed with participants
singing at the same time.
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

Q. ARTS
1. Native artistry is found in beads, amulets, bracelets, earrings, and other body
ornaments made of gold, green jade, red carnelian, and other attractive
stones.
2. Early Filipinos dyed and ornamented their clothes with designs of picturesque
colors.
3. Painting was evident in the early Filipino tattoo art where the artists painted
on both male and female bodies gorgeous designs representing the sun, the
stars, the flowers and plants, the crocodiles, the birds, and various
geometrical figures.
4. In early times, Filipino sculptors also carved statues of anitos in wood, gold,
ivory, stone, and crocodile’s teeth. They also made fanciful carvings on the
handle of bolos, knives, daggers, and on shields and boats.
5. The Muslims, particularly the Maranaos of Lanao, had excellent woven
products and creative ornamental decorative brass arts.
6. Muslims art deals generally with metal. Ifugao art, on the other, is focused
on wood-carving.
References

based module

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Learning Module 4 Controversies and Conflicting Views in Philippine History

(9 Hours)
Lesson 4.1 Topics:
4.1 The need for studying controversies and conflicting views
4.2 The Philippines Physical Features
4.3 Site of the First Mass
4.4 The Cry of Balintawak
4.5 The Cavity Mutiny Controversy
4.6 The Philippine National Flag
4.7 Antonio Luna’s Assassination
4.8 Rizal’s Retraction Controversy
Course Outcome/s:
1. Discuss the related issues and scenarios that happened in the Philippine history as it
contributed to the Filipino’s way of life
Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Reflect on controversial issues and conflicting views concerning historical events
2. Demonstrate the ability to formulate arguments in favor of or against a historical
issue using a primary source
Overview

secondary sources, which are the usual approach in teaching Philippine history.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Discussion
4.1 The Need for Studying Controversies and Conflicting Views

Many years ago, an NFO Trends Survey showed that only 37 percent of the 1, 420
respondents age 7 to 21 years old, were able to sing the Philippine National Anthem and only
28 percent could recite the old version of "Panatang Makabayan" of the many Filipino heroes,
they could only name up to 2 heroes – and other matters. The conclusion is that the Filipino
youth, in general, had a "very shallow knowledge and appreciation" of the country's history and
cultural heritage.
Every student in Filipino history should, therefore, be able to know, understand, and
critically analyze various controversies and conflicting views because these may affect their lives
as Filipino and citizens of contemporary society.
Controversies and Conflicting Views

It has been said that the Philippines had "one past, but many histories" are real in this
case. Different authors and writers of Philippine history books vary in their description of the
Philippines' physical features, its location, number of islands, land area, river systems,
mountains, site of the first mass, the cry of Balintawak, among others. With these conflicting
views in individual events and situations, they are subject to debate.
4.2 The Philippine Physical Feature

Pepito M Capacitor prepared a list of
controversial issues in the Philippines ' history.
He got the information from the book of Pedro
H. Gagelonia – who happened to be the author's
history professor in FEU in 1963. These
controversies are:

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
1. Number of Islands and Islet in the Philippines

Different authors of history books had different views on the number of islands and
islet. Here are the conflicting opinions on the number of islands and islet.
a. Molina – 7, 083 island
b. Agoncillo and Alfonso – 7,000
c. Alip – 7,100
d. Zaide – 7, 083
e. Ariola – 7, 100
2. Number of Named Island and Unnamed Island

a. Agoncillo and Alfonso – 3, 000 named
islands and 4, 000 unnamed islands
b. Alip – 2, 773 named islands, the rest is
still unnamed islands
c. Zaide – different data in his books
(1) Philippine History for Catholic Schools
and the Republic of the Philippines,
1963 – 2,773 (Named islands)?
(2) Philippine Political and Cultural History,
1957 – 2, 782 (named island)
d. Catalonia, The Filipino Historian – 2,000
islands have been named
3. Location of the Philippines

a. Zafra – the Philippines is located about 700 miles or 1126.54kms from the mainland
of China.
b. Molina – the Philippines is located southeast of the Asiatic Mainland
c. Alip – the Philippines lies about 700 miles or 1126.54kms to the southeast of the
Asia Mainland
d. Zaide – the Philippines is a sprawling archipelago fringing the southeastern rim of
the Asian Continent
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

4. Location of the Philippine Deep
Philippine Trench, Mindanao Trench, or Mindanao Deep. This is the third deepest in the
world, which is located on the east of the Philippines. Its length is 1,320 km (820 miles) and
a width of about 30 km (19 miles). It is in Luzon, trending southeast to the northern Maluku
island of Halmahera Indonesia. Galathea depth, its deepest point has a depth of 10, 540
meters (5, 760 fathoms: 34,580 feet)
a. Molina – Philippines Deep or Philippine Trench which is found east of Mindanao is
the second-lowest region of the earth
b. Zaide – It is the lowest region in the world, an ocean depth east of Mindanao (cited
in his book, Philippine History for Catholic High Schools)
c. Zaide – It is the lowest part of the Earth, situated about 15 miles (24,1420kms)
Northern of Mindanao. It is 34, 218 feet (10, 429646kms) below sea level. (cite in
his book, Philippine Political, and Cultural History)
d. Zaide – It is the second-lowest place in the world and is located 72.4205kms (45
miles) east of Northern Mindanao. It is 35, 400 feet or 10, 78992kms deep (cited in
his book Philippine History)
e. Agoncillo – It is the second deepest sea in the world which is located east of
Mindanao and with a depth of 35,440 feet (10.802.112kms)
f. Google – The Philippine Deep Sea has a depth of 34,580 feet or 10.53984kms
5. Longest River in the world

Fact: The most significant, longest, and largest
river in the Philippines is the Cagayan River or Rio
Grande de Cagayan. It is in the Northeast part of
Luzon that traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya,
Quirino, Isabela, and Cagayan. Small streams that
originate from Balete Pass, Cordillera, Caraballo, and
Sierra Mountains meet other streams and rivers and
flow to the Cagayan River.
The Rio Grande de Mindanao or Mindanao river is
the second largest river located in the southern part of
Mindanao. It has a length 0f 373 kilometers (232 meters). Its headwater is in the mountains
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

of Impasugong, Bukidnon, South of Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental, what it is called the
Pulangi River joining the Kabacan River where it becomes the Mindoro River.
Disagreement among the Authors of Philippine History
a. Alip – Cagayan River is the longest river in the Philippines
b. Molina – Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in the Philippines
c. Benitez - Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in-country
d. Zaide – The longest river is the Rio de Mindanao (cited in his book Philippine
History for Elementary Schools)
e. Zaide – The longest river is the Rio de
Mindanao (mentioned in his book
Philippine History for high Schools)
f. Google – Rio Grande de Cagayan is the
longest and widest river in the
Philippines, whereas; Rio Grande de
Mindanao or Mindanao river is the
country's second-largest river system
with a length of 373 kilometers 6.
6. Straits
It is a naturally formed, narrow but navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies
of water.
Disagreements among Authors in Philippine History as to the number of straits in the
Philippines.
a. Molina- There are eight land lock straits in the Philippines
b. Agoncillo – there are 20 land lock straits
c. Zaide – there are eight land lock straits
d. Google – There are 22 straits

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
7. Coastline
It also called seashore, where land meets the
sea or ocean or a line that forms the boundary
between the earth and the ocean, sea, or lake
Disagreements among the Authors:
a. Zaide – The Philippine coastline is thrice
more extended than the U.S coastline with
10,850 statute miles of 17, 461. 382
statute kilometers
b. Molina - The Philippines coastline is nearly
11,446 miles or 18,470,605 statute
kilometers
c. Alip – the Philippines coastline is nearly 11,000 miles or 17,702.784 kilometers
d. Benitez – The Philippines coastline is 11,440 statute miles or 18,419,895 statute
kilometers
8. Mountains
Mt. Apo is the highest mountain in the
Philippines, but historians disagree or differ in their
data on the height of Mt. Apo.
a. Agoncillo – Mount Apo is 9,600 feet or 2.
92608 kilometers high
b. Alip – Mount Apo is 9, 699 feet or 2. 956
plus kilometers high
c. Zaide – Mount Apo is 9,690 feet or 2.9535
kilometers high
d. Google – Mount Apo is 2,954 kilometers
high

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

9. Mount Pulag
Sometimes called Mount Pulog is the third
highest mountain in the Philippines and Luzon's
highest peak at 2.922 meters above sea level. It
borders between the province of Benguet,
Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya.
a. Agoncillo – Mount Pulag is the second
highest peak in Luzon with 8,481 feet
(2.585009kms) high
b. Alip – Mt. Pulag is 9,606 feet high
(2.927kms) high
c. Google – Mt. Pulag is 2.9222 kilometers high. The second highest mountain is Mt.
Dulong-Dulong, with a peak of 2,936 meters. The fourth is Mt. Kitanglad Ranges
(2899 meters) with Mt. Piapayungan Range (2,890 meters)
4.3 Site of the First Mass

Decades after the debate on where the Catholic
mass in the Philippines took place has
remained unsolved; local Butuan historians
asked the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) to resolve the first mass
controversy in the city's favor (Macarinas,
2012). Local historians in Butuan believed that
the primary site of the Catholic mass took place
in Mazawa, an area in Butuan now called
Masao, not in Limasawa Island in Leyte, as
stated in history books.
Local historian and president of the Butuan City Heritage Society (BCHS) Greg
Hontiveros said that the "honor" belongs to the City of Butuan and not in Leyte. He also
requested the CBCP to investigate the first mass controversy since the event is very symbolic
and essential to the church.
Here is the detailed historical presentation of the BCHS account of the ceremony:
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

"On March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, Friae Pedro Valderrama celebrated mass together
with Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his men. The Spaniards were the rulers of
Mazawa, Rajah Siaias, and his brother Rajah Colombo, the ruler of Butuan. Afterward, they
planted a cross in the highest hill and stayed in the area for seven days and helped in the
rice harvest for two days together with more than a hundred of the Rajah's men.
Father Joesilo Conalla, the curator of Butuan Diocesan Liturgical Museum, likewise
believes that the site of the first mass was in Butuan, not in Limasawa, because the people
who attended the mass harvested rice for two days, meaning that the place was a vast
agricultural area. Limasawa Island was not a farming area. Therefore, there is nothing to
collect there, Amalla further stated.
He also pointed out that one crucial evidence is the Yale Codex, which, according to
Magellan's history scholars, is more impressive than the Ambrosiana Codex used in the past
to justify both claims. He further stated that the document (referring to the Yale Codex) is
now kept at Yale University while the other two French manuscripts are in the French
National Library. Another proof, according to Fr. Amalla, is the versions of Antonio Pigafetta,
Magellan's voyage chronicler, because there are subtle indicators that can be used.
However, on March 31, 1998, the National Historical Institute chose to adopt the finding
in the Gancayco Panel (See Appendix) which dismissed the Gines de Mafra account as fake
and forthwith unilaterally reverted the discussion to pre- de Mafra context which was back to
whether the site of the first mass was Limasawa the isle without anchorage, or Butuan,
which is not an aisle.
Another evidence to prove that the first Catholic site was held somewhere in Butuan
and not in Limasawa Island was the historical account of Joelito Monzon Ramirez Jr., a local
historian, and writer.
There was no island named Limasawa in 1521. On that event, Pigafetta recorded
today's Limasawa as gatighan Island, between Bohol and Panaon, south of Leyte. Magellan
never landed in Gatighan. The name Limasawa appeared only in 1667, Historian de
Mindanao, by combers. Pigafetta saw these islands ON THEIR WAY OUT FROM MAZAUA
after their departure on April 4, after the first mass was celebrated on March 31. They went
to Mazaua from Suluan by sailing, as recorded, downwards –west – but that is not their
course. They sailed west downwards upon their departure, they sailed northwards for Cebu.
Had they been in Limasawa, that direction would have landed them in Ormoc of Leyte.
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
4.4 The Cry of Balintawak

Cry of Balintawak or Cry of Pugad Lawin,
where did Andres Bonifacio "Cry"? The Cry of
Balintawak is a contrived controversy. For
nearly a century, the Cry of Balintawak or Cry
of Pugad Lawin has been the subject of many
discussions. It is considered a turning point in
Philippines history. The focus of controversy
is the date and place of Bonifacio Cry. There
were five dates for the Cry – August 20, 23,
24, 25, and 26 and five different venues for
the first cry. Balintawak, Pugadlawin
Kangkong, Bahay-Toro, and Pasong Tamo.
The first issue: it has been widely
accepted and believed that the first cry of the
revolution took place in Balintawak, Caloocan, on
August 23, 1896.
The second issue: The first Cry was in august 23, 1896, but the exact place is not in
Balintawak but Pugadlawin. Between these two controversies, the Balintawak tradition
continues to thrive.
The third issue: The cry occurred towards the end of August 1896 and that all the
places mentioned above are in Caloocan (now a big city), which in those time was a district of
Balintawak.
But these controversies remain unsolved except in the Philippines History books.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
4.5 The Cavite Mutiny controversy

Jose Rizal dedicated his novel "El
Filibusterismo" to the three priests, Mariano
Gomez, 85 years old, Jose Burgos, 30 and
Jacinto Zamora, 35 who were executed at
Bagumbayan Field in the morning of February
17, 1872 (Ariola, 2012; Agoncillo, 2010 and Zaide
2004). The three priests were summarily tried
and sentenced to death by the garrote for being
linked as instigators of the Cavite Arsenal Revolt
of January 20, 1872. The three priests were
highly active in the secularization (or
nationalization of the clergy) (Nuguid,
2012).However, not all Filipinos, including college
students knew that there were two accounts or
perspectives about the death of the three Filipino Martyr, according to Chris Antonette
Piedad-Pugay (a history Writer)
A. The Spanish Perspective of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny

(Based on Pugay's Historical account)
Jose Montero Vidal, a prolific Spanish historian, documented the event and highlighted
the Indio's attempt to overthrow the Spanish Government in the Philippines. Meanwhile,
Gov. Gen Rafael Izquierdo's official report magnified the event. It made use of it to implicate
the native clergy, which was then active propagandists proliferated by unrestrained press,
democratic, liberal and republican books and pamphlets reaching the Philippines. Most
importantly, the presence of the native clergy who out of hatred against the Spanish Friars,
"conspired and supported" the rebels and enemies of Spain.
In particular, Izquierdo blamed the unruly Spanish for "stockpiling" malicious

propagandas grasped by the Filipinos. He reported to the King of Spain that the "rebels"
wanted to overthrow the Spanish Government to install a new "hari" in the likes of the
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

father, Burgos, and Zamora. The General even added that the native clergies enticed other
participants by giving them the charismatic assurance that their fight will not fail because
God is with them coupled with handsome promises of rewards such as employment, wealth,
and ranks in the army. Izquierdo, in his report, lambasted the Indios as gullible and
possessed an innate propensity for stealing.
The two Spaniards deemed that the event of 1872 was planned earlier and was
thought of it as a big conspiracy among educated leaders, mestizos, armadillos or native
lawyers, residents of Manila and Cavite and the native clergy. They mentioned that the
conspirators of Manila and Cavite planned to liquidate high ranking Spanish officers to be
followed by the massacre of the friars. The alleged pre-concerted signal among the
conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the firing from the walls of Intramuros.
On February 17, 1872, in an attempt by the Spanish Government and Frailocracia to

instill fear among the Filipinos so that they may never commit such daring act again, the
GOMBURZA were executed. This event was tragic but served as one of the moving forces
that shaped Filipino nationalism.
B. The Filipino Version of the Cavite Incident

(Based from the historical account of Pugay)
Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar, and researcher wrote
the Filipino version of the bloody incident in Cavite. From his point of view, the event was a
mere mutiny by the native Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal. They turned
out to be dissatisfied with the abolition of their privileges. Indirectly, Tavera blamed Gov
IZquirdo's could-blooded policies such as the abolition of rights of the workers and native
army members of the arsenal and the prohibition of the founding of the school of arts and
trades for the Filipinos, which the general believed as a cover-up for the organization of a
political club.
On January 20, 1872, about 220 men comprised of soldiers, laborers of the arsenal,
and resident of Cavite headed by Sergeant Lamadrid rose in arms. They assassinated the
commanding officer and Spanish officer in sight. The insurgents were expecting support
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

from the bulk of the army; unfortunately, that did not happen. The news about the mutiny
reached authorities in Manila and Gen. Izquierdo immediately ordered the reinforcement of
Spanish troops in Cavite. After two days, the rebellion was officially declared subdued.
Tavera believed that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a
powerful lever by magnifying it as a full-blown conspiracy involving not only the native army
but also included residents of Cavite and Manila, and more importantly the native clergy to
overthrow the Spanish Government in the Philippines. It is noteworthy that during the time,
the Central Government in Madrid announced its intension to deprive the friars of all the
powers of intervention in matters of civil government and the direction and management of
educational institutions. Tavera believed this turnout of events prompted the friars to do
something drastic in their desperate desire to maintain power in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, in the intention of installing reforms, the Central Government of Spain

welcomed an educational decree authored by Segismundo Moret promoted the fusion of
sectarian schools run by the friars into a school called the Philippine Institute. The order
proposed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring teaching
positions in such schools to be filled by competitive examinations. Most Filipinos warmly
received this improvement despite the native clergy's zest for secularization.
The friars, fearing their influence in the Philippines, would be a thing of the past, took
advantage of the incident and presented it to the Spanish Government as a vast conspiracy
organize throughout the archipelago with the object of destroying Spanish sovereignty.
Tavera sadly confirms that the Madrid government came to believe that the scheme was
right without any attempt to investigate the real fact or extent of the alleged "revolution"
reported by Izquierdo and the friars.
Convicted educated men who participated in the mutiny were sentenced to life
imprisonment while members of the native clergy headed by the GOMBURZA were tried and
executed by garrote. This episode leads to the awakening of nationalism and eventually to
the outbreak of the Philippine revolution of 1986. The French writer Edmund Plauchut's
account complimented Tavera's account by confirming that the event happened due to
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

discontentment of the arsenal workers and soldiers in Cavite fort. The Frenchman, however,
dwelt more on the execution of the three martyr priests, which he witnessed.
4.6 The Philippine National Flag

Before the 1896 revolution, the Filipinos
had no typical flag. It was only at the height of
the revolution that started to exist. The
Katipunan general's designed different banners
to signify the unit or battalion where they
belong. But the flags that they created cannot
be called as a national flag.
Here is Pugay's detailed historical account in the controversial Philippine National Flag.
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo aspired to establish a new nation to be signified by a flag and an
anthem during the second phase of the Philippines revolution. With this, he sketched the
flag that he submitted to the Doña Marcela Agoncillo, who was then living at 535 Morrison
Road in Hong Kong. In sewing, the flag Mrs. Agoncillo was assisted by her daughter Lorenza
and by Delfina Herbosa Natividad. After five days of hard work, the flag was delivered to
Aguinaldo, who went back to the Philippines on May 17, 1898, through S.S. McCulloch. The
flag, as described by the maker herself, was "made from fine silk with a white triangle at the
left containing a sunburst with eight rays at the center, a five-pointed star each angle at the
triangle, an upper stripe of dark blue and a lower line of red. The white triangle stood for the
Filipinos hope for equality; the blue color stood for peace, truth, and justice; and the red
rose for patriotism and valor. The sunburst of the eight rays represented the first eight
provinces to take up arms against Spain, and the three stars symbolized Luzon, Visayas, and
Mindanao.
Philippine Flag was Banned!

Just like our country and its constitution, the Philippine flag also experienced different
controversies. When the Americans took over the Philippines in 1898, mutual distrust among
the Filipinos and Americans started. It promoted the Philippine Commission to enact the flag
Law of 1907 that forbade the Filipinos to use or display the Philippine flag anywhere, even

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

inside Filipino homes. The Filipinos responded with bitter protest as they saw the Flag law as
a violation of the fundamental principle of free expression.
Several efforts were made by Filipinos legislator to repeal the Law but to no avail. In
1919, Senator Rafael Palma sponsored the Senate bill No.1: a bill repealing the Flag Law of
1907 following Gov. Gen. Francis Harrison's recommendation that the Law should be
abolished since the distrust between the Filipinos and the Americans no longer exist. On
October 24, 1919, Act No. 2871 was approved and signed by Gen Harrison; thus, the Flag
Law of 1907 was repealed.
Inclusion of a 9th Ray or Crescent in the Flag

In the early part of 1970, the appeals for the inclusion of additional rays or crescent in
the Philippine flag created another issue. House Bill No. 7725 sponsored by Rep. Sultan
Omar Dianalan of the 1st district of Lanao del Sur petitioned for the addition of 9th ray in the
rays of the sun in the Philippine Flag to symbolized the Moslems and the cultural minorities
who fought the Spaniards and waged war against them. Other groups proposed that a
crescent be placed beside the sun as a form of tribute to the pre-colonial past. However,
historians, headed by Teodoro Agoncillo singled out that when Aguinaldo himself designed
the Flag, he had in his mind the eight provinces which rise in arms against Spain during the
Philippine Revolution namely: Manila, Cavite,
Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna,
and Batangas. He also pointed out that one of the
three stars in the flag already represents the
Muslim and the moslem lands.
The Blue Color of the Flag

The repeal of the Flag Law of 1907 gave
reason for the Filipino to be happy; however, it
created a new controversy concerning the actual
color of the flag's blue field. The issue was raised
as early as the mid1970's until mid1980. Through studies, it appeared that the conflict in the
shades of blue might have resulted from the alleged hasty preparation of the flag that was
used for the Flag Day on March 26, 1920, following the repeal of the Flag Law. The
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

quartermaster was said to have run out of light blue cloth and used dark blue instead of
similar to the one used for the American flag.
Specification of the blue color of the original flag through a documented interview of
Emilio Aguinaldo by the historian Teodoro Agoncillo was noted before the former's death in
the conversation; Aguinaldo specified that the blue color of the flag is "bughaw neither" Azul
Oscuro nor Azul mariono." Meanwhile, Juan Luna's Painting of the flag on May 21, 1899, in'
monograph" illustrated the flag in China blue, not navy blue. In contrast, Mariano Ponce, in
his letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt, describes the blue color of the flag "as blue as the sky,"
symbolizing hope. Ponce's description was complemented by Salvador Vivencio del Rosario's
in his articles "la Bandera de la Patria published in October 1899, where he stated that the
flag's color was "color celeste" (color of the sky). In 1943, however, the Philippine Flag wore
a bright royal blue during the inauguration of the Japanese sponsor-Republic.
Nonetheless, numerous personalities maintained that the color of the flag is navy blue
or dark blue. The daughter of the flag-maker, also named Marcela Agoncillo, believed that it
was not sky blue or light blue but dark blue. She also argued that if there was an error in
the color of the flag, why did Aguinaldo never question it during his lifetime? Her description
was supported by Teodoro Kalaw's description of the flag, meanwhile Arturo, Tolentino
raised that the flag that was used and adopted by the 1935 and 1973 Constitution which
was colored dark blue should be maintained because it was the one which was "consecrated
and honored by the people" and the change of its color or shade is a violation of law.
On February 25, 1985, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Executive Order No.1010,
which change dark blue to a lighter shade, lighter than navy blue but darker than sky blue or
azure, which is the basis of the actual shade of blue in the Philippine flag.
Where is the Original Flag?

In his letter to Captain Baja dated June 11, 1925, Aguinaldo mention that in their
Northward retreat during the Filipino- American War, the original flag that was lost
somewhere in Tayug Pangasinan. Some people believed that the original flag that was
hoisted during the proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898, was the once stored in
Aguinaldo Museum at Baguio City. It cannot be denied that the said flag was authentic and a
contemporary of the original flag, but experts find out that its materials were made of
combines skill and cotton fabric, not fine silk, as stated by the flag-maker herself in
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

"Philippine Herald" published in October 1929. There were also reports that the first
original flag of the Philippines was returned in July 1957 by U.S. Ambassador Charles E.
Bohlen.
Very recently, American War Commission Public Relations Director Rudy Asercion
noticed a Philippine flag in an America Trophy room of the San Francisco War Memorial
Building. He then asked if the flag in San Francisco, the same flag, could be sewn by
Agoncillo in 1898. Looking at flag closely, it was made of fine silk, but its sun has 12 rays
while the original has eight; it has six-pointed stars while the original had five-pointed stars;
the suns and stars in the original flag were sewn by hand while the San Francisco flag has a
painted sun and stars; and most importantly, the original flag had a plain blue field while
San Francisco flag has a printed blue area with a floral design. While the flag was proven to
be authentic and was used during the Filipino-American War, it is not the original Philippine
flag of 1898. Until today the whereabouts of the initial flag 0f 1898 remain a mystery.
(Source: Statement Of Chris Piedad –Pugay a history Writer)
Every year the Filipino people celebrate Flag Day to pay respect to the existing
Philippine Flag. Controversies concerning the Philippine flag in the past should not be a
hindrance to how every Filipino citizen should look up to the flag. No matter what happens
to this flag, the Philippine national flag is the unifying symbol of all Filipinos, and this is the
same flag that the revolutionaries served in the war
and peace.
In short, the Philippine flag symbolized the Filipino
as one nation and as a people.
4.7 Antonio Luna's Assassination

Who ordered Luna's murder? Is Aguinaldo a hero
or a traitor? History books blamed Aguinaldo as the
mastermind in the death of General Antonio Luna.
Luna suffered over 30 wounds from bolos, bayonets,
and bullets. Was the death of Luna under the
command and order of Aguinaldo?
1. General Antonio Luna, lieutenant commander of the
Filipino Army, has been assassinated by the order of
S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

Aguinaldo. He was stabbed to death by a guard selected by Aguinaldo to kill him.
Investigation of the incident proved that Luna had been killed, and General Otis, the
American Government- general, had authentic information regarding the death of the
"insurgent general."
2. Another Information says that Ney, a guard of Aguinaldo, by order of General Aguinaldo
purposely insulted Luna and forced a quarrel. One report says that Luna was shot before
Ney stabbed him.
3. Pedro Paterno, one of the Filipino leaders, believed that Aguinaldo ordered the killing of
Luna, the assassination, he recalled, was similar to the fate of Bonifacio in Cavite
Province. Both Luna and Bonifacio were rivals of Aguinaldo for the leadership of the
Filipinos.
4. General Luna was exceeding unpopular among the Filipino troops on account of his
stubborn and dictatorial manners, and minimal regret was express at his death. Luna and
Aguinaldo were unable to agree as to the method of conducting the campaign against the
Spanish authorities, and it is said that Aguinaldo was afraid Luna's orders would
assassinate him.
On the other hand, those who believed that it was not Aguinaldo who orders the death of
Luna, but it was Luna's fault and men who assassinated him expressed the following views:
1. Emilio "Jun" Abaya, former Transportation Secretary and great-grandson of Aguinaldo
had to defend his great grandfather. He said that Luna was not assassinated on the
order of Aguinaldo.
2. Professor Xiao Chua of De La Salle University noted that there is no valid evidence to
support the claims that Aguinaldo had Luna Killed. According to Professor Chua, there
is a various account on Luna's death, including one by Pedro Janolino Aguinaldo's men
from Kawit whos was one of the people who killed Luna.
3. Antonio Abad, who interviewed Pedro Janolino, said that it was he who killed Luna by
self-defense. This was the statement of Janolino; "when Antonio Luna was coming
down the stairs, nakita nya nagalit si Antonio (referring to Luna). Sino and
nagpaputok?" asked Luna. According to the new interview with janolino,janolino was
so afraid that luna might kill him and his men that they killed him first.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

Aguinaldo: A hero or a traitor?
It is not easy to dismiss Aguinaldo's role in
Philippine history, given the controversies
surrounding his leadership. If one looks at it, he has
parts in the making of the Philippine flag, the
production of the national anthem, and his role in
the revolution against the Spaniards and Americans.
But just like other men, he also had some mistakes
and the mistakes of Aguinaldo.
It is dangerous to make conclusions based
only on the movies. Every young Filipinos must
revisit the primary source to say that Aguinaldo is a
hero or a traitor after critically analyzing and
evaluating the primary source of a primary
document, instead of just basing the conclusions from the movies.
Professor Chua finally explained that he does not personally consider Aguinaldo, a hero.
"I considered him a great Filipino, not a hero,"
4.8 Rizal's Retraction Controversy

Rizal's retraction letter was discovered by Father Manuel Garcia, C.M, in 1935. From this
time on, the letter's content has become a favorite subject of dispute among history writer,
history professor, and academicians. The retraction letter dated December 29, 1896, was said
to have been signed by Rizal himself.
The first version:" I declared myself a Catholic and this religion in which I was born and
educated. I wish to live and die. I retract with all my heart, whatever in my words, writings,
publications, and conduct have been contrary to my character as the son of the Catholic
Church".
The second version:" I retract with all my heart whatsoever in my words, writings,
publications, and conduct have been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church."
Upon analysis of the two (2) versions of Rizal's letter, it can be shown that there are different
words used, and some words are missing in the second version. At any rate, whether Rizal

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

indeed resigned, his Catholic faith is still a controversy. However, some groups believed or did
not think that Rizal retracted.
A. Believers or defenders of Rizal's retraction:

1. Nick Joaquin writer
2. Leon Maria Guerrero III
3. Gregorio Zaide, author of history books
4. Guillermo Gomez Rivera
5. Ambeth Ocampo, author of history books
6. John Schumaker
7. Antonio Molina
8. Paul Duval
9. Austin Craig, historian
10. Teodoro Kalaw, 33rd-degree mason, and handwriting expert
11. H. Otley Beyer, UP Professor
12. Jose Del Rosario, UP Professor
13. Fr. Marciano Guzman, great-grandnephew of Rizal
14. Fr. Vicente Balaguer, A Jesuit Missionary
15. Fr. Pio Pi, Society of Jesuit of the Philippines, Superior
16. Dr. Augusto de Vierra, UST Dept. of history, Head
B. Non- believers of Rizal Retraction:

1. Ricardo Pascual, a historian
2. Sen. Rafael Palma, former UP President, and prominent mason
3. Frank Laubach, a protestant minister
4. Austin Coates, a British writer
5. Ricardo Manapat, National Archives director
6. Tomas U. Santos, a historian
7. Jose Victor Torres, a history professor of De La Salle University

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

Believers of Rizal's retraction had the following arguments:
1. The retraction document (letter) is authentic, having judged by a foremost
handwriting expert; Teodoro Kalaw and handwriting experts are known and
recognized in our courts of justice.
2. Eleven (11) witnesses saw Rizal wrote his retraction, signed a Catholic prayer book
and recited Catholic prayer, and kissed the crucifix before his execution.
3. Rizal's four confessions were certified by five eyewitnesses, ten qualified witnesses,
seven newspapermen, and 12 historians and writers.
4. Aglipayan bishops, masons, and anti-clerics witnessed Rizal's signing of the
retraction document
5. The head of the Spanish Supreme. Court notarized his retraction letter.
6. Being a Catholic, he was buried inside the sacred ground of Pako (now Paco)
Catholic Cemetery
7. The retraction letter was not forged because witnesses were present while Rizal was
signing it.
8. Rizal retracted his masonry because he wanted to be at peace when he dies.
9. Direct evidence that has a higher weight needs to prove Rizal's retraction than just
circumstantial evidence.
Non-believers of Rizal's retraction had the following arguments:

1. There is no certificate of Rizal's Catholic marriage to Josephine Bracken
2. There is an allegation that the retraction document was a forgery. There are two
versions of the retraction letter, with some words missing in the second document.
Which material is authentic? Were these documents written in Spanish, English, or
Filipino? Since the signing of the content, if it is true would have been written in
Spanish, not in English. There was no mention that the original writing is Spanish
and translated in English.
3. The document was not Rizal's handwriting, according to Senator Palma.
4. The retraction letter is not in keeping with Rizal's character and mature beliefs.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST

Prelude to Rizal's Signing of the Retraction
Document
Some authors of history books dealing with
Life, Works, and Writing of Jose Rizal stated that
the first draft of the retraction letter was sent by
Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda to Rizal's cell in Fort
Santiago the night before his execution. Fort Santiago
was the place where Rizal was imprisoned and where
Rizal wrote his 14-stanza poem "Mi UltimuAdios." But
Rizal was said to have rejected the draft because it
was lengthy and did not like the wordings.
According to a testimony by Fr. Vicente
Balaguer, who became Rizal's friends in Dapitan, Rizal
accepted a short retraction document prepared by Fr. Pio Pi, the head of the Jesuit Society of
the Philippines. However, Rizal wrote his retraction after making some modifications in the
shorter retraction letter shown to him. In his retraction letter, he disavowed and religious
thoughts that opposed Catholic beliefs.
Concluding Statement on Rizal's Controversial Retraction

Whether Rizal signed a retraction or not, Rizal is still Rizal. It did not diminish his stature
as a great patriot, the hero who courted death "to prove to those who deny our patriotism that
we know how to die for our duty and our beliefs." (Jose Diokno's statement).
Rizal's retraction or not did change the fact that his work and writings began the
"wheels of change" in the Philippine colonial society – a change that led to Philippine
independence. The retraction is just one aspect of the life, works, and writing of Rizal (Jose
Victor Torres).
Torres noted that the controversy in Rizal's retraction is irrelevant today. The way Rizal
is taught today, the cancellation means nothing at all, Torres added.

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Related Readings
1. Antonio Pigafetta," First Voyage Around the World" (pp23-32)
2. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera: Filipino Version of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872" Zaide, 1990
Vol.7, pp 174-280
3. Jose Montero y. Vidal, "Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny of 1872" (Zaide 1990 Vol.7,
pp 269-273)
4. Rafael Isquierdo, “Official Report in the Cavite Mutiny” (Zaide, 1990) Vol. 7 pp. 281-286.
5. Mariano M. Ariola "The Cavite Mutiny, "Philippine History and Government,
6. Mariano M. Ariola, "The Life of Dr. Jose P. Rizal," (December 29, 1896, at 10:00 p.m.
(draft of retraction letter shown to Rizal at his prison cell in Fort Santiago) Philippine
History Government, p. 57
References

based module

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
PRELIM ORAL PRESENTATION
ORAL EXAMINATION (Prelim)

Directions:
• Trace back the history of your own locality, provided with the following guide questions below,
and discuss for 3-5 minutes and submit to your teacher’s gmail.
(leonymucho16stmtcc@gmail.com)
• Create a video presentation, refer the content based on the following guide questions and send it
on or before the deadline. (MARCH 20, 2023)
• Individual or group (make sure that you belong to one locality) (4-5 members only)
Look for the following:

1. Name of Locality
2. Origin and History
3. Location
4. Year of Independence from the mother town (if any)
5. Political chart
6. Source of Income
7. Present Progress (Products/Progress/Programs)
8. Problems
Oral Exam Evaluation Scheme
Criteria Proportion of Oral
Examination Grade
Presentation Skills 30 %
Presentation Content 40 %
Grammar and Language Use 30 %
TOTAL 100 %

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
Note: FOR YOUR RESEARCH JUST CHOOSE ONLY RESEARCH A OR RESEARCH B
RESEARCH A (Prelim)
Directions:
• From the oral examination that you
presented about your respective local
town, create your own research paper.
• The following format should be
followed.
• Submit to your instructor’s gmail (leonymucho16stmtcc@gmail.com)
• Short size bond paper
1. Research Title:
2. Research Problem (at least three (3) problems)

•
•
•
3. Review of Related Literature (research history of your own locality will do, but make sure to put
proper citation)
4. Methodology
a. Research Design:
b. Participants:
c. Instrument:

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
RESEARCH B
REACTION PAPER
Each student is required to submit a Reaction Paper (Choose 2 topics only), in printed form, consisting
of 300- 800 words in short bond paper. Please indicate and emphasize the sources/ references you will
use, if it is from the online sources please indicate or paste the URL. The teacher sets the date of the
submission and scoring key.
The topics for the reaction paper:
1. Site of the First Mass Controversy

2. Rizal’s Retraction Controversy
3. Luna’s Assassination Controversy
4. The Cavite Mutiny Controversy
5. The Cry of Balintawak Controversy
Criteria Grading Weight

Presentation Content &
70 %
Organization
Grammar and Language Use 15 %
Timeliness 15 %
TOTAL 100%
Name :
Title:
Introduction:
Body:
Reaction and Conclusion:

S E
MT
C
Iloilo, Philippines
E
R
C
E
OL
. T H
LEGES
ST
OUTPUT: INDIVIDUAL
Search and identify the THINGS OR DOCUMENTS that you consider as Primary Sources and
the Secondary Sources in/at your house.
Primary Sources Description Secondary Sources Description

Images / Picture Images / Picture/
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

History (Prelim)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

History (Prelim)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Issue No.

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Course Outcomes and Learning Outcomes

Readings in Philippine History will be exposed to various domains of knowledge and

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

1.1 History: Its Meaning, Importance, and Relevance

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

The Relevance of Studying Philippine History

Understanding Philippine History is essential to a good understanding of the condition of

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Distinction Between Primary and Secondary Sources

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

1.2 The Difference Between Internal and External Criticism

1.3 Repositories of Primary Sources

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Ariola Mariano M., Parajas Rowena P. (2018). Reading in Philippine History

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Learning Module 2 Analysis of Selected Primary Sources (3 Hours)

Course Outcomes and Learning Outcomes

Readings in Philippine History will be exposed to various domains of knowledge and

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

2.1 How to Analyze Primary Sources

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Here are some specific questions to ask in analyzing a primary source:

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Be specific in answering these questions. A further step in the analysis of primary

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Ariola Mariano M., Parajas Rowena P. (2018). Reading in Philippine History

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

Learning Module 3 Early Philippines to 1570 A.D (12 Hours)

Course Outcomes and Learning Outcomes

®All Right Reserved

Revision No. 2 Effectivity date: Reviewed by: Approved by:

01 September 2021 QMR President

3.1 Theories Concerning the Peopling of the Philippines

A. MYTHOLOGICAL AND LEGENDARY

B. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THEORIES

®All Right Reserved