BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHORS

Antonio Pigafetta First Voyage Around the World

 Also known by the name of Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta

Born between 1480 and 1491 Vicenza, Republic of Venice

Died 1531 (aged around 40–50) Vicenza, Republic of Venice

 Antonio Pigafetta was a Venetian scholar and explorer. He joined the expedition to the Spice
Islands led by explorer Ferdinand Magellan

In search of fame and fortune, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1480-1521) set out
from Spain in 1519 with a fleet of five ships to discover a western sea route to the Spice Islands.
En route he discovered what is now known as the Strait of Magellan and became the first
European to cross the Pacific Ocean.

In the 16th century, the Moluccas were nicknamed the "Spice Islands". This was due to the large
number of aromatic plants that grew on this archipelago.

He wanted to reach South-East Asia, where spices grew and gems were to be found

 Pigafetta's work is important not only as a source of information about the voyage itself, but
also includes an early Western description of the people and languages of the Philippines. Of the
approximately 240 men who set out with Magellan, Pigafetta was one of only 18 who returned
to Spain.

How did they die? Some of them died fighting, lost, drowned, but the majority died from illness
Scurvy is a disease caused by a serious vitamin C deficiency. Not eating enough fruits and
vegetables is the main cause of the disease.

Juan De Plasencia Customs of the Tagalogs

He is the author of what is believed to be the first book printed in the Philippines, the Doctrina
Cristiana, that was not only printed in Spanish, but also in Tagalog, in both Latin script and the
commonly used Baybayin script of the natives of the time, and it even had a version in Chinese.

 Miguel Juan de Plasencia was a Spanish friar of the Franciscan Order. He came to the Philippine
Islands as one of the first Franciscan missionaries in 1577

The Franciscans are a group of related mendicant Christian religious orders within the Catholic
Church.
 Like priests, Franciscans actively ministered to laypeople, something that monks did not do.
They preached, they heard confessions, they gave out penances and performed burial rites. Like
monks, however, they lived according to a religious rule.

 He was tasked by the King of Spain to document the customs and traditions of the colonized
(“natives”) based on, arguably, his own observations and judgments.
If im not mistaken, the king was king Charles I

was juan de plasencia credible enough to write the document? Tingin mo ba hindi biased
pagtingin niya sa native if the Philippines that time?

Actually, there’s no answer for that question. We can’t be so sure abt his documents, kasi baka
hindi pala reliable yung mga sinulat niya. Or, what if yung sinulat niya is biased? Parang eto yung
nameet niya that time, pero hindi naman pala lahat ganon. Do u guys get my point?
We can’t be sure. What we know is that yung document niya is first hand exp. So that’s enough
idea para malaman natin na what he wrote is based only in his point of view. Understood?

 The influence of Plasencia's report cannot be overstated. This report became the basis for
Spanish laws and policies in the Philippines, allowing the Spaniards to not only govern, but also
to reconfigure and reconstruct Philippine society.

Plasencia's custom of using Tagalog as the official language of communication between the
Spanish and Filipinos greatly helped the Spanish to govern the Philippines. Before the
introduction of Tagalog, Spanish and Filipino officials had to use Latin as a common language,
which was difficult for Filipinos to understand. Tagalog was a language that many of the Filipinos
already spoke and were familiar with, making it easier for the Spanish to communicate and give
orders. Having a common language also made it easier for the Spanish to understand the local
customs and cultures of the Philippines, allowing them to better implement their laws and
regulations.