S TD k er 3m READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY John Lee P. Candelaria Veronica C. AlporhaIntroduction a Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, hopter, Sources, and Methodology ......... Definition and Subject Matter... Questions and Issues in History.... History and the Historian... Historical Sources .. C Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected hapler, Primary Sources in Philippine History... 11 Z A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta..n0o 12 Analysis of Pigafetta’s Chronicle. eee ‘The KKK and the “Kartilya ng Katipunan” Analysis of the “Kartilya ng Katipunan’.....22 Reading the “Proclamation of the Philippine Independenc: Analyais of the “Proclamation of the Philippine Independence” A Glance at Selected Philippine Pol Caricature in Alfred McCoy's Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941) cree OB Analysis of the Political Caricatures during the American Period .. Revisiting “Corazon Aquino’s Speech Before the US Congress”. Analysis of Cory Aquino’s Spoceh cr.Chapter 2 Chater 4 Historical Interpretation in Philippine History: Spaces for Conflict and Controversies Making Sense of the Past: Historical Interpretation... Multiperspectivit Case Study 1: Where did the first Catholic ‘Mass take place in the Philippines?. Case Study 2: What happened in the Cavite Mutiny? Spanish Accounts of the Cavite Mutiny, Differing Accounts of the Events of 187: Case Study 3: Did Rizal retract? ‘The Balaguer Testimony... ‘The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia. Case Study 4: Where did the Cry of Rebellion happen? ... Different Dates and Places of the Cry. Social, Political, Keonomie, and Cultural Issues in Philippine History... . Evolution of the Philippine Constitutio 1897; Constitution of Biak-na-Bato... 1899: Malolos Constitution .. 1935: The Commonwealth Constitution ... 1978: Constitutional Authoritarianism 1987; Constitution After Martial Law... Attempts to Amend or Change the 1987 Constitution Policies on Agrarian Reform... ‘Landownership in the Philippines under Spain .. Landownership in the Philippines under the Americans. \Post-War Interventions toward Agrarian Reform... Agrarian Reform Efforts under Marcos Post-1986 Agrarian Reform... CARPER and the Future of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines ... 83 Evolution of Philippine Taxation ... 83 ‘Taxation i Spanish Philippines. 83 ‘Taxation under the Americans. 87 ‘Taxation during the Commonwealth Period .....88 0 Fiscal Policy from 1946 to Present Doing History: A Guide for Students... Doing Historical Research Online. Doing Historical Research in Libraries and Archives, Doing Life Histories and Biographical Research ....100 Doing Local and Oral History. Garment lOR Interacting with History through Historical Shrines and Museums 104[troduction Reforms to the basic education system of the Philippines have resulted into the introduction of the K to 12 program, a much needed development since the Philippines has been the last country in Asia with a 10-year pre- university cycle. Globally, the accepted span of basic education is 12 years, and it is recognized as the standard for students and professionals. With the lengthening of basic education, there is a need for higher education institutions to respond with the same enthusiasm in reforming their respective course offerings and programs. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved the New General Education (GE) Program, which is aimed to restructure the old GE program in higher education institutions to respond to the challenges of the times. It is geared toward the holistic development of the person in overlapping realms of the individual, the Filipino community, and the global community. It is in these realities that the General Education course “Readings in Philippine History” is situated, with the course description “Philippine history viewed from the lens of selected primary sources in different periods, analysis, and interpretations.” ‘The focus of the course is to develop historiographical ckills connected to context and content analysis, applying both analytical strategies in themes and topics aeross the Philippine past. Primary sources will ba the ultimate bridge betwoon the past and the present, allowing spaces for students to simply not parrot facts about the past but to gain knowledge that could be used in proposing solutions to the problems of today. ‘The use of primary sources in studying about the past connects the history learner to the text producers themselves, allowing for a richer experience of understanding and appreciation. However, the use of primary sources for those who lack the sufficient training and knowledge could also be disastrous, and may be a source of misunderstanding and alienation to the events of the past. This book is crafted to provide a strategy on how to study Philippine history through primary sources, in hopes that the toacher and the student would have the best opportunity to learn and study about the past while taking great care in watching the steps they take in their attempt to utilize primary sources in history.Organization of the Book ‘The book is divided into five chapters: Chapter 1 ~ Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology isa general appraisal othistory as a discipline and asanarrative, ‘The chapter aims to introduce the students to history as a theoretical field, as well as discuss the historiographical method of the evaluation of primary sources. Chapter 2 — Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History talks about the two methods of analysis mentioned as it applies to historical research, using primary sources from across periods of Philippine history as exemplars of analyses. Chapter 3 - Historical Interpretations in Philippine History: Spaces for Conflict and Controversies attempts to dissect the issues surrounding historical interpretation—how a single record of the past can be interpreted in multiple ways and the challenges it poses to the students of history. Chapter 4 ~ Social, Political, Economic, and Cultural Issues in Philippine History is centered on the attempt to understand current issues and concerns today using the lens of history, in recognition of the fact that the problems of society today could well be addressed by looking at the roots of the problems. ‘This chapter discusses the mandatory topics on the Philippine Constitution, agrarian reform, and taxation. Chapter 5- Doing History: A Guide for Students is an attempt by the authors to guide the students in the historical research methods they will have to undergo in the process of completing the course. The chapter recognizes the realities of the prosent generation and aims to use these realities to the advantage of the student in tho process of learning history by doing history, Note to Teachers For the teachers, remember that Philippine history is not set in stone: and only in continuous learning and updating historical knowledge can we make ourselves aware that the trends in knowledge of Philippine history is regularly changing. It is your responsibility to keep track of the discourse of the Philippine past and keep yourself knowledgeable to be dble to provide your students with the best instruction and assistance in understanding our nation's narrative. viiiNote to Students For the students, it is high time you do away with the misconception that history is a boring field of study. You may have been victims of the stereotypes appropriated to history as it has been taught in the classroom for centuries. Realize that by studying history, we situate ourselves in the story of the nation, a necessary endeavor to be able to know more about our identity and find out how we can help solve the problems of today and move forward to the future, Cian Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology Learning Objectives * To understand the meaning of history as an academic discipline and to be familiar with the underlying philosophy and metho- dology of the discipline. * To apply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and analyzing existing historical narratives. + Tocritically examine and assess the value of historical evidences and sources, * ‘To appreciate the importance of history in the social and national life of the Philippines. ‘This chapter introduces us to history as a discipline and asa narrative, We are prevented with the definition of the history, which transcends the common definition of history as the study of the past. This chapter also discusses several issues in history that consequently opens up for the theoretical aspects of the discipline. The distinction between primary and secondary sources is also discussed in relation to the historical subject matter being studied and the historical methodology employed by the historian. Ultimately, this chapter also tackles the task of the historian as the arbiter of facts and evidences in making his interpretation and forming the historical narrativeDefinition and Subject Matter History has always been known as the study of the past. Students of general education often dreaded the subject for its notoriety in requiring: students to memorize dates, places, names, and events from distant eras. ‘This low appreciation of the discipline may be rooted from the shallow not wrong, it does not git importance to human ci History was derived from the Greek word historia which means knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation, History as a discipline: existed for around 2,400 years and is as old as mathematics and philosophy. ‘This term was then adapted to classical Latin where it acquired a new definition. Historia became known as the account of the past of a person or of a group of people through written documents and historical evidences. That meaning stuck until the early parts of the 20th century. History became an important academic discipline. It became the historian’s duty to write about the lives of important individuals like monarchs, heroes, saints, and nobilities. History was also focused on writing about wars, revolutions, and other important breakthroughs. It is thus important to ask: What counts as history? Traditional historians lived with the mantra of “no document, no history." It means that, unless a written document can prove a certain historical event, then it cannot be considered as a historical fact. Butas any other academic discipiiines, history progressed and opened up. to the possibility of valid historical sources which were not limited to written documents like government records, chroniclers’ accounts, or personal letters. Giving premium to written documents essentially invalidates the hi of other civilizations who do not keep written records. Some are keener om passing their history by word of mouth. Others got their historical documents: burned or destroyed in the events of war or colonization. Restricting historical evidence as exclusively written is also discrimination of other social classes. who are not recorded in paper. Nobilities, monarchs, the elite, and even’ the middle class would have their birth, education, marriage, and death matters of government and historical record. But what of peasant famili or indigenous groups who do not give much thought about being registe1 to government records? Does the absence of written documents about t! ‘mean that they are people of no history or past? Have they even existed? 3 Readings in Phippin HistoryThis loophole was recognized by historians who started using other Kinds of historical sources, which may not be in written format but were just as valid, A few of these examples are oral traditions in forms of epics ‘and congs, artifacts, architecture, and memory. History thus became more inclusive and started collaborating with other disciplines as its auxiliary disciplines. With the aid of archaeologists, historians can use artifacts from a bygone era to study ancient civilizations who were formerly ignored in history because of lack of documents. Linguists ean also be helpful in tracing historical evolutions, past connections among different groups, and flow of cultural influence by studying language and the changes that it has undergone to, Even scientists like biologists and biochemists can help with the study of the past through analyzing genetic and DNA patterns of human. societies. Questions and Issues in History Indeed, history as a discipline has already turned into a complex and dynamic inquiry. This dynamism inevitably produced various perspectives on the discipline regarding different questions like: What is history? Why study history? And history for whom? These questions can be answered by historiography. In simple terms, historiography is the history of history. History and historiography should not be confused with one another. The former's object of study is the past, the events that happened in the past, and the causes of such events. The latter's object of study, on the other hand, is history itself (ie., How was @ certain historical text written? Who wrote it? What was the context of its publication? What particular historical method was employed” What were the sourees used”), and so on, and so forth. Thus, historiography lets the students to have a better understanding of history. ‘They do not only get to learn historical facts, they are also provided with the understanding of the facts’ and the historian’s contexts. The methods ‘employed by the historian and the theory and perspective which guided him will also be analyzed. Historiography is important for anyone who studies history because it teaches the student to be critical in the lessons of history presented to him. History has played various roles in the past. States use history to unite a nation. It can be used as a tool to legitimize regimes and forge a sense of collective identity through collective memory. Lessons from the past can be used to make sense of the present. Learning of past mistakes can help people to not repeat it. Being reminded of a great past can inspire people to keep their good practices to move forward. ‘Chuper 1 |introdecton to History: Definition sues Sources. and Nethodology 3As a narrative, any history that has been taught and written is always intended for a certain group of audience. When the ilustrados, like Jose Rizal, Isabelo de los Reyes, and Pedro Paterno wrote history, they intended it for the Spaniards so that they will realize that Filipinos are people of their own intellect and culture. When American historians depicted the Filipino people as uncivilized in their publications, they intended that narrative for their fellow Americans to justily their colonization of the islands, They wanted the colonization to appear not as a means of undermining the Philippines’ sovereignty, but as a civilizing mission to fulfill what they call as the “white man's burden.” The same is true for nations who prescribe official versions of their history like North Korea, the Nazi Germany during the war period, and Thailand. The same was attempted by Marcos in the Philippines during the 1970s. One of the problems being confronted by history is the accusation that the history is always written by victors. This connotes that the narrative of the past is always written from the bias of the powerful and more dominant player. For instance, the history of the Second World War in the Philippines will always depict the United States as the hero and the Imperial Japanese Army as oppressors. Filipinos who collaborated with the Japanese were lumped in the category of traitors or collaborators. However, a more thorough historical investigation will reveal a more nuanced account of the history of that period instead of a simplified narrative as a story of hero versus villain, History and the Historian Ifhistory is written with agenda or is heavily influenced by the historian, is it then possible to come up with an absolute historical truth? Is history an objective discipline? If it is not, is it still worthwhile to study history? These questions have haunted historians for many generations. Indeed, an exact and accurate account of the past is impossible for the very simple reason that we cannot go back to the past. We cannot access the past directly as our subject matter. Historians only get to access representation of the past through historical sources and evidences, ‘Therefore, itis the historian’s job not just to seek historical evidences and facts but also to interpret these facts, “Facts cannot speak for themselves.” It is the job of the historian to give meaning to these facts and organize ‘them into a timeline, establish causes, and write history. Meanwhile, the historian is not a blank paper who mechanically interprets and analyzes present historical fact. He is a person of his own who is influenced by his own 4 Readings in Piipine Historycontext, environment, ideology, education, and influences, among others, In that sense, his interpretation of the historical fact is affected by his context and circumstances. His subjectivity will inevitably influence the process of his historical research: the methodology that he will use, the facts that he shall select and deem relevant, his interpretation, and even the form of his writings. Thus, in one way or another, history is always subjective. If that is 80, ean history still be considered as an academic and scientific inquiry? Historical research requires rigor. Despite the fact that historians cannot ascertain absolute objectivity, the study of history remains scientific because of the rigor of research and mothodology that historians employ. Historical methodology is comprised of certain techniques and rules that historians follow in order to properly sources and historical evidences in writing history. Certain rules apply in cases of conflicting accounts in different sources, and on how to properly treat eyewitness accounts and oral sources as valid historical evidence. In doing so, historical claims done by historians and the arguments that they forward in their historical writings, while may be influenced by the historian’s inclinations, can still be validated by using reliable evidences and employing correct and meticulous historical methodology, For example, if a historian chooses to use an oral account as his data in studying the ethnic history of the Ifugaos in the Cordilleras during the American Occupation, he needs to validate the claims of his informant through comparing and corroborating it with written sources, Therefore, while bias is inevitable, the historian can balance this out by relying to evidences that back up his claim. In this sense, the historian need not let his bias blind his judgment and such bias is only acceptable if he maintained his rigor as a researcher. Historical Sources With the past as history's subject matter, the historian’s most important research tools are historical sources. In general, historical sources can be classified hetween primary and secondary sources. ‘The classification of sources betweeri these two estegories depends on the historical subject being studied. Primary sources are those sources produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being studied. For example, if a historian wishes to study the Commonwealth Constitution Convention of 1936, his primary sources can include the minutes of the convention, newspaper Clippings, Philippine Commission reports of the US Commissioners, records of the convention, the draft of the Constitution, and even photographs of the event. Eyewitness accounts of convention delegates and their memoirs (Chapter | lntredectio wo Mitr: Deiat, lanes, Sources, nd Methodology 5ean also be UseU as pruuasy suue: - historical study. Archival documents, artifacts, memorabilia, letters, census, and government records, among others are the most common examples of primary sources. On the other hand, secondary sources are those sourees which were produced by an author who used primary sources to produce the material. In other words, secondary sources are historical sources which studied a certain historical subje&. For example, on the subject of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, students can read Teodoro Agoncillo's Revolt of the Masees: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan published originally in 1956. Philippine Revolution happened in the last years of the 19th century: while Agoncillo published his work in 1956, which makes the Revolt of the: ‘Masses a secondary source. More than this, in writing the book, Agoncillo, used primary sources with his research like documents of the Katipun interview with the veterans of the revolution, and correspondence between and among Katipuneros. However, a student should not be confused about what counts as primary or a secondary source. As mentioned above, the classification sources between primary and secondary depends not on the period wih the source was produced or the type of the source but on the subject tho historical research. For example, a textbook is usually classified as secondary source, a tertiary source even. However, this classification is us but not automatic. If a historian chooses to write the history of education i the 1980s, he can utilize textbooks used in that period as a primary so If a historian wishes to study the historiography of the Filipino-Ameris War for example, he can use works of different authors on the topic as primary source as well. Both primary and secondary sources are useful in writing and I history, However, historians and students of history need to thoroug scrutinize these historical sources to avoid deception and to come up wit the historical truth. The historian should be able to conduct an external internal criticism of the source, especially primary sources which ean in centuries, External criticism is the practice of verifying the authentici of evidence by examining its physical characteristics; consistency with t historical characteristic of the time when it was produced; and the materi used for the evidence, Example of the things that will be examined w! conducting external criticism of a document include the quality of the pay the type of the ink, and the language and words used in the material, others. 6 eedings in Philopine HistoryInternal criticism, on the other hand, is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the source and examines the circumstance of its production. Internal criticism looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the author of the source; its context; the agenda behind its creation; the knowledge which informed it; and its intended purpose, among others. For example, Japanese reports and declarations during the period of the war should not be taken as a historical fact hastily, Internal criticism entails that the historian acknowledge and analyze how such reports can be manipulated to be used as war propaganda. Validating historical sources is important because the use of unverified, falsified, and untruthful historical sources can lead to equally false conclusions. Without thorough criticisms of historical evidences, historieal deceptions and lies will be highly probable. One of the most. seandalous cases of deception in Philippine history is the hoax Code of Kalantiaw. The code was a set of rules contained in an epic, Maragtas, which was allegedly written by a certain Datu Kalantiaw. The document was sold to the National Library and was regarded as an important pre-calonial document until 1968, when American historian William Henry Scott debunked the authenticity of the code due to anachronism and lack of evidence to prove that the code existed in the pre-eolonial Philippine society, Ferdinand Marcos also claimed that he was a decorated World War II soldier who led a guerilla unit called Ang Maharlika. This was widely believed by students of history and Marcos had war medals to show. This claim, however, was disproven when historians counterchecked Marcos! claims with the war records of the United States. These cases prove how deceptions can propagate without rigorous historical research. ‘The task of the historian is to look at the available historical sources and select the most relevant and meaningful for history and for the subject matter that he is studying. History, like other academic discipline, has come a long way but still has a lot of remaining tasks to do. It does not claim to render absolute and exact judgment because as long as questions are continuously asked, and as longastime unfolds, the study of history can never be complete. The task of the historian is to organize the past that is being created so that it can offer lessons for nations, societies, and civilization. It is the historian’s job to seok for the meaning of recovering the past to let the people see the continuing relevance of provenance, memory, remembering and historical understanding for both the present and the future. Chapter | Introduction o History: Definition, lees Soates, ard Methdclogy ?‘True or False. Write true if the statement is true, Otherwise, write false. 1. History is the study of the past. 2, Historical sources that are not written should not be used in writing history. 3. The subject of historiography is history itself, ____ 4. History has no use for the present, thus, the saying “past is past” is true 5. History is limited to the story of a hero versus a villain. 6. Onlyprimary sources may be used in writing history. ____ 7. ‘There are three types of sources: primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. 8 External criticism is done by examining the physical characteristics of a source. _____ 9 Internal criticism is done by looking at a source's quality of paper, type of ink, among others. 10. The historians are the only source of history. ‘What Source? Read the following scenarios and classify the sources discovered as primary, secondary, or tertiary sources. 1. Jose was exploring the library in his new school in Manila. He wanted to stutly the history of Calamba, Laguna during the 19th century. In one of the books, he saw an old photograph of a woman standing in front of an old church, clipped among the pages. At the back of the photo was a fine inscription that says: “Kalamba, 19 de Junio 1861.” Is the photograph a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source? Readings in Philippine HistoryIt was Lean’s first day in his first year of college in a big university. His excitement made him come to class unusually early and he found their classroom empty. He explored the classroom and sat at the teacher's table. He looked at the table drawer and saw a book entitled U.G. An Underground Tale: The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter Storm Generation. He started reading the book and realized that it was a biography of a student leader turned political activist during the time of Ferdinand Marcos. The author used interviews with friends and family of Jopson, and other primary documents related to his works and life Is the book a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source? Lorena was a new teacher of Araling Panlipunan in a small elementary school in Mauban, Quezon. Her colleagues gave her the new textbook that she ought to use in class. Before the class started, Lorena studied the textbook carefully, She noted that the authors used works by other known historians in writing the textbook. She saw that the bibliography included Teodoro Agoncillo’s “Phe Revolt of the Masses” and “The Fateful Years.” She also saw that the authors used Ma, Luisa Camagay’s “Working Women of Manila” and many others. Is the textbook a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source? Manuel visited the United States for a few months to see his relatives who have lived there for decades. His uncle brought him on tours around Illinois. Manuel visited the Field Museum of Natural History where a golden image of a woman caught his eye, Manuel looked closer and read that the image was called “The Golden Tara.” It originated from Agusan del Sur and was bought by the museum in 1922. It was believed to be mado prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines. Is the sculpture a primary, secondary, or tertiary source? Gregoria loved to travel around the country. She liked bringing with her a travel brochure that informs her of the different sites worth visiting in the area. Her travel brochure was usually produced by the tourism department of the province. It shows pictures of destinations visited by tourists and a few basic information about (Chapter 1 | ntoduction to History: Detntion sues, Sources and Methodology 9the place like the origin of the name, the historical significance of the place, and some other infortnation acquired by the office's researchers and writers. Ts the travel brochure a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source? C. My Primary Source. Using the examples of a primary source in this chapter, bring a primary source that can be used in the writing of your life history. Present this in class and discuss how it qualifies as a primary source. References Carr, B. (1991), What Is History. London, United Kingdom: Penguin. Lemon, M. (1995). The Discipline of History and the History of Thought. New York, United States of America: Routledge. Tosh, J. (2002). The Pursuit of History: Aims, Methods and New Directions in the Study of Modern History (Revised 3rd Ed). London, United Kingdom: Pearson Education Ltd.C z Content. and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History Learning Objectives: * To familiarize oneself with the primary documents in different historical periods of the Philippines. + Tolearn history through primary sources ‘© To properly interpret primary sources through looking at the content and context of the document, ‘+ Tounderstand the context behind each selected document. In the preceding chapter, we have discussed the importance of familiarizing oneself about the different kinds of historical sources. The historian's primary tool of understanding and interpreting the past is the historical sources. Historical sources ascertain historical facts. Such facts are then analyzed and interpreted by the historian to weave historical narrative, Specifically, historians who study certain historical subjects and events need to make use of various primary sources in order to weave the narrative. Primary sources, as discussed in the preceding chapter, consist of documents, memoir, accounts, and other materials that were produced at the period of the event or subject being studied. uUsing primary sources in historical research entails two kinds criticism. The first one is the external criticism, and the second one is internal criticism. External criticism examines the authenticity of documont or the evidence being used. This is important in ensuring that primary source is not fabricated. ‘The second is the internal criticism. type of criticism examines the truthfulness of the content of the evider However, this criticism requires not just the act establishing truthfuln and/or accuracy but also the examination of the primary sources in t of the context of its production. For example, a historian would have situate the document in the period of its production, or in the backgro of its authors, In other words, it should be recognized that facts are neit! existing in a vacuum nor produced from a blank slate. These are products. the time and of the people. In this chapter, we are going to look at a number of primary 80 from different historical periods and evaluate these documents’ content i terms of historical value, and examine the context of their production. primary sources that we are going to examine are Antonio Pigafetta’s Fi Voyage Around the World, Emilio Jacinto's Kartilya ng Katipunan, the 1 Declaration of Philippine Independence, Political Cartoon’s Alfred MeCoy Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941) ‘and Corazon Aquino's Speech Before the US Congress. These primary 80 range from chronicles, official documents, speeches, and cartoons to vis arts, Needless to say, different types of sources necessitate different kinds: analysis and contain different levels of importance. We are going to exp! that in this chapter. A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta This book was taken from the chronicles of contemporary voyai and navigators of the 16th century. One of them was Italian noble: ‘Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan in his fa circumnavigation of the world. Pigafetta's work instantly bocame a cl that prominent literary men in the West like William Shakesp. Michel de Montaigne, and Giambattista Vico referred to the book in interpretation of the new world, Pigafetta’s travologue is one of the important primary source in the study of the pre-colonial Philippines. ‘account was also a major referent to the events leading to Magellan's arris in the Philippines, his encounter with local leaders, his death in the hands. Lapulapu’s forces in the Battle of Mactan, and in the departure of what left of Magellan’s ficet from the islands, 2 Readings in Plippine HisioryExamining the document reveals several insights not just in the character of the Philippines during the pre-colonial period but also on how the fresh eyes of the Europeans regard a deeply unfamiliar terrain, environment, people, and cultureLocating Pigafetta’s xecount in the context of its writing warrants a familiarity on the dominant frame of mind in the age of exploration which pervaded Europe in the 15th and 16th century. Students of history need to realize that primary sources used in the subsequent written histories depart from certain perspectives. Thus, Pigafetta’s account is also written from the perspective of Pigafetta himself, and was a product of the context of its production. ‘The First Voyage Around the World by Magellan was published alter Pigafetta resumed to Italy. For this chapter, we will focus on the chronicles of Antonio Pigafetta as he wrote his firsthand observation and general impression of the Far East, including their experiences in Visayas. In Pigafotta’s aceount, their fieet reached what he called the Ladrone Island or the Island of the Thieves, He recounted: “These people have no arms, but use sticks, which have a fish bone at the end. They are poor, but ingenious, and great thieves, and for the sake of that we called these three islands the Ladrone Islands.” ‘The Ladrone Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands. These islands are loeated south-southeast of Japan, west-southwest of Hawaii north of New Guinea, and east of Philippines. Ten days after they reached Ladrone Island, Pigafetta reported that they reached what Pigafetta ealled the isle of Zamal, now Samar but Magellan decided to land in another uninhabited island for greater security where they can rest for a few days Pigafetta recounted that after two days, March 18, nine men came to them and showed joy and eagerness in seeing them. Magellan realized that the men are reasonable and welcomed them with food, drinks, and gilts. In turn, the natives gave them fish, palm wine (uraca), figs, and two cochos. The natives also gave them rice (umai), cocos, and other food supplies. Pigafetta detailed in amazement and fascination the palm tree which bore fruits called cocho, and wine. He also described what seemed like a coconut. His description reads: “This palm produces a fruit named cocho, which is as large as the head, or thereabouts: its first husk is green, and two fingers in thickness, in it they find certain threads, with which they make the cords for fastening their boats. Under this husk there is another very hard, and thicker than that of a walnut. ‘They burn this second rind, and make with it a powder which is useful to them, Under this rind there is a white marrow of a (Caper 2| Cooten and Contextual Analysis Seleced Primary Souces in Pibppine Hisory 13finger’s thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish, as we do bread, and it has the taste of an almond, and if anyone dried it he might make bread of it (p, 72)” Pigafetta characterized the people as “very familiar and friendly” a willingly showed them different islands and the names of these island The fleet went to Humunu island (Homonhon) and there they found wi Pigafetta referred to as the Watering Place of good signs. It is in this plac where Pigafetta wrote that thoy found the first signs of gold in the island) ‘They named the island with the nearby islands as the archipelago of St Lazarus. They left the island, then on March 26th Pigafetta recounted th they saw two Ballanghai (balangay), a long boat full of people in Mazza Mazaua. The leader, who Pigafetta referred to as the king of the Ballang) (balangay), sent his men to the ship of Magellan, The Europeans entertaine these men and gave them gifts. When the king of the balangay offered to gi Magellan a bar of gold and a chest of ginger, Magellan declined. Magellas sent the interpreter to the king and asked for money for the needs of his ships and expressed that he came into the islands as a friend and not as a enemy. The king responded by giving Magellan the needed provisions of foo in chinaware. Magellan exchanged gifts of robes in Turkish fashion, red and gave the people knives and mirrors. The two then expressed their to become brothers, Magellan also boasted of his men in armor who cannot b struck with swords and daggers. The king was fascinated and remarked th men in such armor can be worth one hundred of his mon. Magellan fi showed the king his other weapons, helmets, and artilleries. Magellan shared with the king his charts and maps and shared how they found islands. After a few days, Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother was also a king of another island. They went to this island and Pigafett reported that they saw mines of gold. The gold was abundant that parts the ship and of the house of the second king were made of gold. Pigafett described this king as the most handsome of all the men that he saw this place. He was also adorned with silk and gold accessories like a golde dagger, which he carries with him in a wooden polished sheath. ‘This king named Raia Calambu, king of Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Carag and the first king was Raia Siagu. On March 31st, which happened to b Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered the chaplain to cay a mass by the shore ‘The king heard of this plan and sent two dead pigs and attended the ma with the other king. Pigafetta reported that both kings participated in th mass, He wrote: u Readings in Pilppice History“...when the offertory of the mass came, the two kings, went to kiss the cross like us, but they offered nothing, and at the elevation of the body of our Lord they were kneeling like us, and adored our Lord with joined hands.” After the mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be brought, with nails and crown in place, Magellan explained that the cross, the nail, and the crown were the signs of his emperor and that he was ordered to plant it in the places that he will reach, Magellan further explained that the cross will be beneficial for their people because once other Spaniards saw this cross, then they would know that they have been in this land and would not cause them troubles, and any person who might be held captives by them will be released. The king concurred and allowed for the eross to be planted. This mass will go down in history as the first mass in the Philippines, and the cross will be the famed Magellan's cross still preserved at present day, After seven days, Magellan and his men decided to move and look for islands where they can acquire more supplies and provisions. They learned of the islands of Ceylon (Leyte), Bohol, and Zzubu (Cebu) and intended to go there. Raia Calambu offered to pilot them in going to Cebu, the largest and the richest of the islands, By April 7th of the same year, Magellan and his men reached the port of Cebu, The king of Cebu, through Magellan's interpreter, demanded that they pay tribute as it was customary, but ‘Magellan refused. Magellan said that he was a captain of a king himself and thus would not pay tribute to other kings, Magellan's interpreter explained to the king of Cebu that Magellan's king was the emperor of a great empire and that it would do them better to make friends with them than to forge enmity. The king of Cebu consulted his council. By the next day, Magellan's men and the king of Cebu, together with other principal men of Cebu, met in an open space. There, the king offered a bit of his blood and demanded that Magellan do the same. Pigafetta recounts: “Phen the king said that he was content, and as a greater sign of affection he sent him a little of his blood from his right arm. and wished he should do the like. Our people answered that he would do it. Besides that, he said that all the captains who came to his country had been accustomed to make a present to him, and he to them, and therefore they should ask their captain if he would observe the custom. Our people answered that he would; but as the king wished to keep up the custom, let him bogin and make a present, and then the captain would do his duty.” (Chapier2| Conten ang Contextual Analysts of Selected Primary Soureesin Piippine Hisory 15‘The following day, Magellan spoke before the people of Cabu about peace and God, Pigafetta reported that the -people took. pleasure in Magellan's speech. Magellan then asked the people who would succeed the king after’ tus reign and the people responded that the eldest child of the king, who happened to be a daughter, would be the next in line, Pigafetta also related how the people talked about, how at old age, parents are no longer taken into account and had to follow the orders of their children as the new Teaders: iif the land. Magellan responded to this by saying that his faith entails ghildren to render honor and obedience to their mother and father. Magellan: preached about their faith further and people were reportedly convinced. Pigafetta wrote that their men were overjoyed seeing that the people wish to become Christians through their free will and not because they we forced or intimidated. On the 14th of April, the!people princiyel men of the islands, Magellan spoke to the king and encouraj him to be a good Christian by burning all of the idols and worship the instead. The king of Cebu was then baptized as a Christian. Pigafetta «fo that the king and all his people answered that thy would obey the commands of the captain and do all that he told them. ‘The captain took the king by the hand, and they walked about ‘on the seaffolding, and when he was baptized he said that he would name him Don Charles (Carlos), 2¢ the emperor his, sovereign was named; and he named the prince Don Fernand (Fernando), after the brother of the emperor, and the King of Mavavva, Jehan: to the Moor he gave the name of Christopher, and to the others each a name of his fancy.” ‘After eight days, Pigafetta counted that all of the island's inhabit were already baptized. He admitted that they burned a village dows Gheying neither the king nor Magellan. The mass started to be condi by the shore everyday. When the queen came to mass one day, Magel gave her an image of the Infant Jesus made by Pigafetta himself. The of Cebu ewore that he would always be faithful to Magellan. When Magel vciteratod that all of the newly baptized Christians need to burn their idol at the natives gave excuses telling Magellan that they needed the idols: hheal a sick man who was a relative to the king. Magellan insisted that t should instead put their faith in Jesus Christ. They went to the sick fand baptized him. After the baptismal, Pigafetta recorded that the man able to speak again. He called this a miracle. 16 Reaingsin Piipine HistoryOn the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan) went to see Magellan and asked him for a boat full of men so that he would be able to fight the chief named Silapulapu (Lapulapu), Such chief, according to Zula, refused to obey the king and was also preventing him from doing so. Magellan offered three boats instead and expressed his desire to go to Mactan himecolftto fight the said chief, Magellan's forces arrived in Mactan in daylight. They numbered 49 in total and the islanders of Mactan were estimated to number 1,500. The battle began. Pigafotta recounted: “When we reached land we found the islanders fifteen hundred in number, drawn up in three squadrons; they came down upon us with terrible shouts, two squadrons attacking us on the flanks, and the third in front. The captain then divided his, men in two bands. Our musketeers and crossbow-men fired for half an hour from a distance, but did nothing, since the bullets and arrows, though they passed through their shields made of thin wood, and perhaps wounded their arms, yet did not stop them. ‘The captain shouted not to fire, but he was not listened to. The islanders seeing that the shots of our guns did them little or no harm would not retire, but shouted more loudly, and springing from one side to the other to avoid our shots, they at the same time drew nearer to us, throwing arrows, javelins, spears hardened in fire, stones, and even mad, so that we could hardly defend ourselves. Some of them cast lances pointed with iron at the captain-general.” Magellan died in that battle, The natives, perceiving that the bodies of the enemies were protected with armors, aimed for their legs instead. ‘Magellan was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg. A few of their men charged at the natives and tried to intimidate them by burning an entire village but this only enraged the natives further. Magellan was specifically targeted because the natives knew that he was the captain general. Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. Magellan retaliated and piereed the same native with his lance in the breast and tried to draw his sword but could ‘not lift it beesuse of his wounded arm. Seeing that the captain has already deteriorated, more natives came to attack him. One native with a great sword delivered a blow in Magellan's left leg, brought him face down and the natives ceaselessly attacked Magellan with lances, swords, and even with their bare hands, Pigafetta recounted the last moments of Magellan: “Whilst the Indians were thus overpowering him, several times he turned round towards us to see if we were all in safety, as though his obstinate fight had no other object than to give an opportunity for the retreat of his men,” Chapter 2| Content and Contertat Analysis of Solacied Primary Sources in Philppice Hitery 17Pigafetta also said that the king of Cebu who was baptized could sent help but Magellan instructed him not to join the battle and stay in balangay so that he would see how they fight. The king offered the people Mactan gifts of any value and amount in exchange of Magellan's body the chief refused. They wanted to keep Magellan's body as a memento their victory. Magellan's men elected Duarte Barbosa as the new captain. also told how Magellan's slave and interpreter named Henry betrayed and told the king of Cebu that they intend to leave as quickly as Pigafetta alleged that the slave told the king that if he followed the slay advice, then the king could acquire the ships and the goods of May fleet. The two conspired and betrayed what was left of Magellan's men. king invited these men to a gathering where he said he would present jowels that he would send for the King of Spain. Pigafetta was not able join the twenty-four men who attended because he was nursing his bat wounds. It was only a short time when they heard cries and lamentati ‘The natives had slain all of the men except the interpreter and Juan S who was already wounded. Serrano was presented and shouted at the and abandoned Serrano, They left Cebu and continued their journey aro the world. Analisis of Pigafetta’s Chronicle ‘The chronicle of Pigafetta was one of the most cited documents historians who wished to study the pre-colonial Philippines. As one of earliest written accounts, Pigafetta was seen as a credible source for period, which was prior unchronicled and undocumented. Moreover, the earliest detailed documentation, it was believed that Pigafetta’s writ account for the “purest” pre-colonial society. Indeod, Pigafetta’s work is great importance in the study and writingof Philippine history. Neve there needs to have a more nuanced reading of the source within a context backdrop. A student of history should recognize certain biases aecomp: the author and his identity, loyalties, and the circumstances that he was i and how it affected the text that he produced. In the case of Pigafetta, reader needs to understand that he was a chronicler commissioned by King of Spain to accompany and document a voyage intended to expand Spanish empire. He was also of noble descent whe came from a rich family Italy. These attributes influenced his narrative, his selection of details to, 18 Reading in Philpine Historyincluded in the text, his characterization of the people and of the species that he encountered, and his interpretation and retelling of the events. Being a scholar of cartography and geography, Pigafotta was able to give details on geography and climate of the places that their voyage has reached. In reading Pigafetta's description of the people, one has to keep in mind that he was coming from a 16th century European perspective. Hence, the reader might notice how Pigafetta, whether implicitly or explicitly, regarded the indigonous beliof systoms and way of life as inferior to that of Christianity and of the Europeans, He would always remark on the nakedness of the natives or how he was fascinated by their exotic culture Pigafetta also noticeably emphasized the natives! amazement and illiteracy to the European artillery, merchandise, and other goods, in the same way that Pigafetta repeatedly mention the abundance of spices like ginger, and of precious metals like gold. His observations and assessments of the indigenous cultures employed the European standards. Hence, when they saw the indigenous attires of the natives, Pigafetta saw them as being naked because from the European standpoint, they were wearing fewer clothes indeed. Pigafetta’s perspective was too narrow to realize that such attire was only appropriate to the tropical climate of the islands, The same was true for materials that the natives used for their houses like palm and bamboo. ‘These materials would let more air come through the house and compensate for the hot climate in the islands, It should be understood that such observations roated from the context of Pigafetta and of his era. Europe, for example, was dominated by the Holy Roman Empire, whose loyalty and purpose was the domination of the Catholic Church all over the world. Hence, other belief systems different from that of Christianity were perceived to be blasphemous and barbaric, even demonic. Aside from this, the 16th century European economy was mercantilist. Such system measures the wealth of kingdoms based on their accumulation of bullions or precious metals like gold and silver. Tt was not surprising therefore that Pigafetta would always mention the abundance of gold in the islands as shown in his description of leaders wearing gold rings and golden daggers, and of the rich gold mines, An empire like that of the Spain would indeed search for new lands where they can acquire more gold and wealth to be on top of all the European nations. The obsession with spices might be odd for Filipinos because of its ordinariness in the Philippines, but understanding the context would reveal that spices were scarce in Europe and hence were seen as prestige goods, In that era, Spain and Portugal covet the control of spice islands because it would have lead to (Chapter2 | Contentand Coneertal Anaysisof Selected Primary Sources in Phiipine Hteory 19‘a certain increase in wealth, influence, and power. These contexts should be used and understood in order to have a more qualified reading of Pigafetta’s account, The KKK and the ‘Kartilya ng Katipunan” The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak Bayan (KKK) or Katipunan is arguably the most important organizatis formed in Philippine history. While anti-colonial movements, efforts, organizations have already been done centuries prior to the foundation of Katipunan, it was only this organization that envisioned (1) a united Filipi nation that will revolt against the Spaniards for (2) the total independence the country from Spain. Previous armed revolts had already occurred bet the foundation of the Katipunan, but none of them envisioned a uni Filipino nation revolting against the colonizers. For example, Diego Si was known as an Ilocano who took up his arms and led one of the lonj running revolts in the country. Silang, however, was mainly concer about his locality and referred to himself as H) Rey de Ilocos (The King Tlocos). The imagination of the nation was largely absent in the aspirati of the local revolts before Katipunan. On the other hand, the propa; movements led by the ilustrados like Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Jaena, and Jose Rizal did not envision a total separation of the Pl from Spain, but only demanded equal rights, representation, and p) from the abuses of the friars. In the conduct of their struggle, Katipunan created a complex struct and a defined value system that will guide the organization as a coll aspiring for a single goal. One of the most important Katipunan docu was the Kartilya ng Katipunan. The original title of the document Manga [sic] Aral Nang [sic] Katipunan ng mga A.N.B. or “Lessons of Organization of the Sons of Country.” The document was written by Emil Jacinto in the year 1896. Jacinto was only 18 years old when he joined movement. He was a law student in the University of Santo Tomas, Des) his youth, Bonifacio recognized the value and intellect of Jacinto that wy seeing Jacinto’s Kartilya was much better than the Decalogue he wrote, willingly favored that the Kartilya be distributed to their fellow Katipun Jacinto became the secretary of the organization and took charge of short-lived printing press of the Katipunan. On 15 April 1897, Bonif: appointed Jacinto as a commander of the Katipunan in Northern Li Jacinto was 22 yoars old. Jacinto died of Malaria at young age of 24 in town of Magdalona, Laguna. 20 Readings in Plippine History‘The Kartilya can be treated as the Katipunan’s code of conduct. It contained fourteen rules that instruct the way a Katipunero should behave, and which specific values should he uphold. Generally, the rules that are contained in the Kartilya can be classified into two, The first group contains the rules that will make the member an upright individual and the second group contains the rules that will guide the way he treats his fellow men. Below is the tranclated version of the rules in Kartilya: I. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without a shade, if not a poisonous weed. IL To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue. Ti. It is rational to be charitable and love one's fellow creature, and to adjust one’s conduct, acts and words to what is in itsolf reasonable. IV. Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in knowledge, wealth and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by nature. V. The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor. VL Tothe honorable man, his word is sacred. VII. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost. ‘VIII. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field. 1X The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrats, On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and the children, and if the guide leads to the precipice, those whom he guides will also go there. XI. Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful companion who will share with thee the penalties of life; her (physical) weakness will increase thy interest in her and she will remind thee of the mother who bore thee and reared thee. (Chapter 2 Contert and Contextual Analysis of Sect Primary Soutesn Philippine Hiery 21XII What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers and sisters, that do not unto the wife, children, brothers and sisters of thy neighbor. XII. Man is not worth more because he is « king, because his nose. is aquiline, and his color white, not because he is a priest, a servant of God, nor because of the high prerogative that ho enjoys upon earth, but he is worth most who is a man of! proven and real value, who does gond, keeps his words, is worthy and honest; he who does not oppress nor consent to being oppressed, he who loves and cherishes his fatherland, though he be born in the wilderness and know no tongue but his own. XIV. When these rules of conduct shall be known to all, the longed for sun of Liberty shal] rise brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe and its rays shall diffuse everlasting joy among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the liv of those who have gone before, the fatigues and the well-pai sufferings will remain. If he who desires to enter has inform himself of all this and believes he will be able to perform what will be his duties, he may fill out the application for admissio As the primary governing document, which determines the rules conduct in the Katipunan, properly understanding the Kartilya will th help in understanding the values, ideals, aspirations, and even the ideolo of the organization, Analysis of the “Kartilya ng Katipanan” Similar to what we have done to the accounts of Pigafetta, this prima: source also needs to be analyzed in terms of content and context. As document written for a fraternity whose main purpose ia to ovorthrow colonial regime, we can explain the content and provisions of the Kartilya a reaction and response to certain value systems that they found dospicabl in the present state of things that they struggle against with. For exampl the fourth and the thirteenth rule in the Kartilya is an invocation of ¢ inherent equality between and among men regardless of race, occupatiot or status. In the context of the Spanish colonial era where the indios w treated as the inferior of the white Europeans, the Katipunan saw to it the alternative order that they wish to promulgate through their revoluti necessarily destroys this kind of unjust hierarchy. 2 ‘Readings in Philippine HistoryMoreover, one ean analyze the values upheld in the document as consistent with the burgeoning rational and liberal ideals in the 18th and 19th century. Equality, tolerance, freedom, and liberty were values that first ‘emerged in the 18th century French Revolution, which spread throughout Europe and reached the educated class of the colonies, Jacinto, an ilustrado himself, certainly got an understanding of these values. Aside from the liberal values that can be dissected in the document, we can also decipher certain Victorian and chivalrous values in the text. For example, various provisions in the Kartilya repeatedly emphasized the importance of honor in words and in action. The teaching of the Katipunan on how women should be treated with honor and respect, while positive in many respects and certainly a signifieant stride from the practice of raping and physically abusing women, can still be a telling of the Katipunan's secondary regard for women in relation to men. For example, in the tenth rule, the document specifially stated that men should be the guide of women and children, and that he should sot a good oxample, otherwise the woman and the children ‘would be guided in the path of evil. Nevertheless, the seme document stated that women should he treated as companions by men and not as playthings ‘that can be exploited for his pleasure. In the contemporary eyes, the Katipunan can be gritieized because of these provisions. However, one must not forget the context where the organization was born. Not even in Europe or in the whole of the West at that juncture recognized the problem of gender inequality. Indeed, it can be argued that Katipunan’s recognition of women as important. partners in the struggle, as reflected not just in Kartilyer but also in the organizational structure of the fraternity where a women’s unit was established, is an endeavor advanced for its time, Aside from Rizal's known Letter to the Women of Malolos, no same effort by the supposed cosmopolitan Propaganda Movement was achieved until the movement's eventual disintegration in the latter part af the 1890s. Aside from this, the Kartilya was instructive not just of the Katipunan's conduct toward other people, but also for the members’ development as individuals in their own rights. Generally speaking, the rules in the Kartilya can be classified as either directed to how one should treat his neighbor or to how one should develop and conduct one's self, Both are essential to the success and fulfillment of the Katipunan’s ideals, For example, the Kartilya's teachings on honoring one’s word and on not wasting time are teachings directed toward self-development, while the rules on treating the neighbor's wife, children, and brothers the way that you want yours (0 be treated is an instruction on how Katipuneros should treat and regard their neighbors. (Chapterd | Comest aod Conestal Ansys of Selected Pdmaty Sources n Philippine Hitery 73Allin all, proper reading of the Kartilya will reveal a more thorou understanding of the Katipunan and the significant role that it played the revolution and in the unfolding of the Philippine history, as we know i Reading the "Proclamation of the Philippine Independence” Every year, the country commemorates the anniversary of the Philippi Independence proclaimed on 12 June 1898 in the province of Cavite. Indi such eventis a significant turning point in the history of the country boca: it signaled the end of the 333 years of Spanish colonization. There have numerous studies done on the events leading to the independence of tt country but very few students had the chance to read the actual document the declaration, This is in spite of the historical importance of the docu and the details that the documents reveal on the rationale and circumstan. of that historical day in Cavite. Interestingly, reading the details of the document in hindsight is telling the kind of government that was creat under Aguinaldo, and the forthcoming hand of the United States of Am in the next few years of the newly created republic. The declaration w: a short 2,000-word document, which summarized the reason behind revolution against Spain, the war for independence, and the future of new republic under Emilio Aguinaldo, ‘The proclamation commenced with a characterization of the conditi in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. The docuns specifically mentioned abuses and inequalities in the colony, The declar says: “taking into consideration, that their inhabitants being already weary of bearing the ominous yoke of Spanish domination, on aceount of the arbitrary arrests and harsh treatment practiced by the Civil Guard to the extent of causing death with the connivance and even with the express orders of their commanders, who sometimes went to the extreme of ordering the shooting of prisoners under the pretext that they were attempting to escape, in violation of the provisions of the Regulations of their Corps, which abuses were unpunished and on account of the unjust deportations, especially those decreed by General Blanco, of eminent personages and of high social position, at the instigation of the Archbishop and friars intorested in keeping them out of the way for their own selfish and avaricious purpose, deportations which are quickly ‘brought about by a method of procedure more execrable than that of the Inquisition and which every civilized nation rejects on account of & decision being rendered without a hearing of the persons accused” a Readings in Phillpine MiseryThe above passage demonstrates the justifications behind the revolution against Spain. Specifically cited are the abuse by the Civil Guards and the unlawful shooting of prisoners whom they alleged as attempting to escape. ‘The passage also condemned the unequal protection of the law hetween the Filipino people and the “eminent personages.” Moreover, the line mentioned, the avarice and greed of the clergy like the friars and the Archbishop himself. Lastly, the passage also condemned what they see as the unjust deportation and rendering of other decision without proper hearing, expected of any civilized nation, From here, the proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview of the Spanish occupation since Magellan's arrival in Visayas until the Philippine revolution, with specific details about the latter, especially after the Pact of Biak-na-Bato has collapsed. The document narrated the spread of the movement “like an electric spark” through different towns and provinces like Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, and the quick decline of Spanish forces in the same provinces. The revolt also reached Visayas thus the independence of the country was ensured. The document also made mention of Rizal's execution, calling it unjust, The execution, as written in the document, was done to *please the greedy body of friars in their insatiable desire to seck revenge upon and exterminate all those who are opposed to their Machiavellian purposes, which tramples upon the penal code prescribed for these islands.” The document also narrated the Cavite Mutiny of January 1872 that caused the infamous execution of the martyred native priests Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora, “whose innocent blood was shed through the intrigues of those so-called religious orders” that incited the three secular priests in the said mutiny. ‘The proclamation of independence also invoked that the established republic would be led under the dictatorship of Emilio Aguinaldo. The first mention was at the very beginning of the proclamation. It stated: “In the town of Cavite Viejo, in this province of Cavite, on the twelfth day of June eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, before me, Don Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Auditor of War and Spocial Commissioner appointed to proclaim and solemnize this act by the Dictatorial Government of these Philippine Islands, for the purposes and by virtue of the circular addressed by the Eminent Dictator of the same Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy.” (Caper 2| Content and Cantera Aralss of Selected Primary Sources in Maippine Histry 25The same was repeated toward the last part of the proclamation, It state: “We acknowledge, approve and confirm together with the orders that have been issued therefrom, the Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo, whom we honor as the Supreme Chief of this Nation, which this day commences to have a life of its own, in the belief that he is the instrument selected by God, in spite of his humble origin, to effect the redemption of this unfortunate people, as foretold by Doctor Jose Rizal in the magnificent verses which he composed when he was preparing to be shot, liberating them from the yoke of Spanish domination in punishment of the impunity with which their Government allowed the commission of abuses by its subordinates,” Another detail in the proclamation that is worth looking at is its explanation on the Philippine flag that was first waved on the same day, The document explained: “And finally, it was unanimously resolved that this Nation, independent from this day, must use the same flag used heretofore, whose design and colors and described in the accompanying drawing, with design representing in natural colors the three arms referred to. The white triangle represents the distinctive emblem of tho famous Katipunan Society, which by means of its compact of blood urged on the masses of the people to insurrection; the three stars represent the three principal Islands of this Archipelago, Luzon, Mindanao and Panay, in which this insurrectionary movement broke out; the sun represents the gigantic strides that have been mada by the sons of this land on the road of progress and civilization, its eight rays symbolizing the eight provinces of Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Eeija, Bataan, Laguna and Batangas, which were declared in a stato of war almost ‘a soon as the first insurrectionary movement was initiatod; and the colors blue, red and white, commemorate those of the flag of the United States of North America, in manifestation of our profound gratitude towards that Great Nation for the disinterested protection she is extending to us and will continue to extend to us.” ‘This often overlooked detail reveals much about the historically accurate meaning behind the most widely known national symbol in the Philippines. It is not known by many for example, that the white triangle was derived 26 Beading Phllppine Historyfrom the symbol of the Katipunan. The red and blue colors of the flag are often associated with courage and peace respectively. Our basic education omits the fact that those colors were taken from the flag of the United States. While it can always be argued that symbolic meaning can always change and be reinterpreted, the original symbolic meaning of something presents us several historical truths that can explain the subsequent events, which unfolded after the declaration of independence on the 12th day of June 1898, Analysis ofthe “Proclamation of the Philppine Independence” ‘As mentioned earlier, a re-examination of the document on the declaration of independence can reveal some often overlooked historical truths about this important event in Philippine hietory. Aside from this, the document reflects the general revolutionary sentiment of that period. For example, the abuses specifically mentioned in the proclamation like friar abuse, racial discrimination, and inequality before the law reflect the most compelling sentiments represented by the revolutionary leadership. However, no mention was made about the more serious problem that affects the masses more profoundly (ie., the land and agrarian crisis felt by the numerous Filipino peasants in-the 19th century). This is ironic especially when renowned Philippine revolution historian, Teodoro Agoncillo, stated that the Philippine Revolution was an agrarian revolution. The common revolutionary soldiers'fought in the revolution for the hope of owning the lands that they wore tilling once the friar estates in different provinces like Batangas and Laguna diesolve, if and when the revolution succeoded. Such aspects and realities of the revolutionary struggle were either unfamiliar to the middle class revolutionary leaders like Emilio Aguinaldo, Ambrosio Rianzares-Bautista, and Felipe Buencamino, or were intentionally left out because they were landholders themselves, ‘The proclamation also gives us the impression on how the victorious revolutionary government of Aguinaldo historicized the struggle for independence, There were mentions of past events that were seen as important turning points of the movement against Spain, The execution of the GOMBURZA for example and the failed Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was narrated in detail. ‘This shows that they saw this event as a significant awakening of the Filipinos in the real conditions of the nation under Spain. Jose Rizal’s legacy and martyrdom was also mentioned in the document. However, the Katipunan as the pioneer of the revolutionary movement was only mentioned once toward the end of the document. There was no mention (Chapter 2| Content and Contexual Anas of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History 27of the Katipunan’s foundation. Bonifacio and his co-founders were also left out. It ean be argued thus, that the way of historical narration found in the document also reflects the politics of the victors. ‘The enmity between Aguinaldo’s Magdalo and Bonifacio's Magdiwang in the Katipunan is no secret in the pages of our history. On the contrary, the war led by Aguinalde’ men with the forces of the United States were discussed in detail The point is, even official records and documents like the proclamation of independence, while truthful most of the time, still exude the polities and biases of whoever is in power. This manifests in the selectiveness of informacion that can be found in these records. It is the task of the historian thus, to analyze the content of these documents in relation to the dominant politics and the contexts of people and institutions surrounding it. This tells usa lesson on taking primary sources like official government records within the circumstance of this production, Studying one historical subject thus entails looking at multiple primary sources and pieces of historical evidences in order to have a more nuanced and contextual analysis of our past. AGlance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in Alfred McCoy's Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941) Political cartoons and caricature is a rather recent art form which veered away from the classical art by exaggerating human features and poking fun at its subjects. Such art genre and technique became a part of the print media as a form of social and political commentary, which usually targets persons of power and authority. Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing opinions through heavy use of symbolism, which is different from a verbose written editorial and opinion pieces. The unique way that a caricature represents opinion and captures the audience's imagination is reason enough for historians to examine these political cartoons Commentaries in mass media inevitably shape public opinion and such kind of opinion is worthy of histori | examination. In his book Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941), Alfred McCoy, together with Alfredo Roces, compiled political cartoons published in newspaper dailies and periodicals in the aforementioned time period. For this part, we aro going to look at selected cartoons and explain the context of each one. 2» adios in Plgpvne Finny‘The first example shown above was published in The Independent on May 20, 1916. The cartoon shows politician from Tondo, named Dr. Santos, passing his erown to his brother-in-law, Dr, Barcelona. A Filipine guy (as depicted weuring salakot and barong tagalog) was trying to stop Santos, telling the latter to stop giving Barcelona the crown because it is not his to begin with, ‘The second cartoon was also published by ‘The Independent on 16 June 1917. This was drawn by Fernando Amorsolo and was aimed as a commentary to the workings of Manila Police at that period. Here we see a Filipino child who stole a skinny chicken because he had nothing to eat. ‘The policeman was relentlessly pursuing the said child. A man wearing a salakot, labeled Juan de la Cruz was grabbing the officer, telling him to Jeave the small time pickpockets and thieves and to turn at the great thieves instead, He was pointing to huge warchouscs containing bulk of rice, milk, and grocery products. »‘The third cartoon was a commentary on the unprecedented cas colorum automobiles in the city streets. The Philippine Free Press publist this commentary when fatal accidents involving colorum vehicles and occurred too often already. ‘This fourth cartoon depicts a cinema. A blown up policeman was the screen saying that couples are not allowed to neck and make love the theater. Two youngsters looked horrified while an older couple seo: amused, 30 Readings in Piipine History‘The noxt cartoon was published by The Independent on 27 November 1916. Here we sce the caricature of Uncle Sam riding a chariot pulled by Filipinos wearing school uniforms. ‘The Filipino boys were carrying American objects like baseball bats, whiskey, and boxing gloves. MeCoy, in his caption to the said cartoon, says that this cartoon was based gn an event in 1907 when William Howard Taft was brought to the Manila pier riding a chariot pulled by students of Liceo de Manila, Such was condemned by the nationalists at that time. ‘The last cartoon was published by Lipang Kalabaw on 24 August 1907, In the picture we can see Uncle Sam rationing porridge to the politicians and members of the Progresisia Party (sometimes known as the Federalista Parly) while members of the Nacionalista Party look on and wait for their turn. This cartoon depicts the patronage of the US being caveted by politicians from either of the party. [Chapler 2 Content an Centers Anabnse of Selected Primary Sourcesin Pilppine History 31Analysis of the Political Caricatures during the Ameyican Period The transition from the Spanish Colonial period to the Americal Occupation period demonstrated different strands of changes and shif in culture, society, and politics. The Americans drastically introduce democracy to the nascent nation and the consequences were far from ideal Aside from this, it was also during the American period that ‘introduced to different manifestations of modernity like health care, mode transportation, and media. This ushered in a more open and freer press, Th post-independeneo and the post Filipino-American period in the Philippin were experienced differently by Filipinos coming from different classes, Th upper principalia class experienced economic prosperity with the opening up of the Philippine economy to the US but the majority of the poor Filipin remained poor, desperate, and victims of state repression. ‘The selected cartoons iMlustrate not just the opinion of certain me outfits about the Philippine society during the American period but also pain abroad image of society and polities under the United States. In the arena politics, for example, we see the price that Filipinos paid for the democra modeled after the Americans. First, it seemed that the Filipino politicians af that time did not understand well enough the essence of democracy and th accompanying democratic institutions and processes, his can be seen wit the rising dynastic polities in Tondo as depicted in the cartoon published b The Independent. Patronage also became influential and powerful, not on! botween clients and patrons but also between the newly formed polities Parties composed of the elite and the United States. This was depicted it the cartoon where the US, represented by Uncle Sam, provided dole ow for members of the Federalista while the Nacionatisia politicians looked o and waited for their turn. Thus, the essence of competing political parties t enforce choices among the voters was enncelled out. The jrroblem contin up to the present where politicians transfer from one party to anothe dopending on which party was powerful in specific periods of time. ‘The transition from 2 Catholic-centered, Spanish-Filipino society to a imperial American-assimilated one, and its complications, were also depicte in the cartoons. One example is the unprecedented incr vehicles in the city. Automobiles became a popular mode of transportatio: in the city and led to the emergence of taxis. However, the laws and polic implementation was mediocre. This resulted to the increasing colorum an unlicensed vehicles transporting people around the city. The rules governin, the issuance of driver's license was loose and traffic police cx by rampant violutions of tn © of motorize not be hothere Hie rules, This is a direct consequence of th 2 eating in Paige Historydrastic urbanization of the Philippine society. Another example is what MeCoy called the “sexual revolution” that occurred in the 1930s. Young people, asearly as that period, disturbed the conservative Filipino mindset by ‘engaging in daring and sexual activities in public spaces like cinemas, Here we can see how that period was the meeting point between the conservative past and the liberated Future of the Philippines Lastly, the cartoons also illustrated the conditions of poor Filipinos in the Philippines now governed by the United States. From the looks of it, nothing much has changed, For example, a cartoon depicted how police authorities oppress petty Filipino criminals while turning a blind eye on hoarders who monopolize goods in their huge warehouses (presumably Chinese merchants). The other cartoon was depicting how Americans control Filipinos through seemingly harmless American objects. By controlling their consciousness and mentality, Americans got to cantrol and subjugate Filipinos. Revisiting “Corazon Aquino’s Speech Before the US Congress” Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino functioned as the symbol of the restoration of democracy and the overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship in 1986. ‘The EDSA People Power, which installed Cory Aquino inthe presidency, put the Philippines in the international spotlight for overthrowing a dictator through peaceful means. Cory was easily a figure of the said revolution, as the widow of the slain Marcos oppositionist and former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. Cory was hoisted as the antithesis of the dictator. Her image as 4 mourning, widowed housewife who has always been in the shadow of her husband and relatives and had no experience in politics was juxtaposed against, Marcos’ statesmanship, eloquence, charisma, and cunning political skills. Nevertheless, Cory was able to capture the imagination of the people whose rights and freedom had long been compromised throughout the Marcos regime. This is despite the fact that Cory came from a rich haciendero family in Tarlac and has owned vast estates of sugar plantation and whose relatives cupy local and national government positions. On 18 September 1986, seven months since Cory became president, she went to the United States and spoke before the joint session of the US Congress. Cory was welcomed with long applause as she took the podium and addressed the United States about her presidency and the challenges faced by the new republic. She began her speech with the story of her leaving the United States three years prior as a newly widowed wife of Ninoy Aquino, CChayter3| Conicat ad Contexoal Analyt of Seed Primary Souris in Plpplne istry 33‘She then told of Ninoy’s character, conviction, and resolve in opposing authoritarianism of Marcos. She talked of the three times that they Ninoy including his demise on 23 August 1983. The first time was when dictatorship detained Ninoy with other dissenters, Cory related: “The government sought to break him by indignities and terror. They locked him up in a tiny, nearly airless cell in a military camp in the north. They stripped him naked ond held a threat of a sudden midnight execution over his head. Ninoy held up manfully under all of it, I barely did as well. For forty-three days, the authorities would not tell me what had happened to him. This was the first time my children and Tfelt we had lost him.” Cory continued that when Ninoy survived that first detention, he then charged of subversion, murder, and other crimes. He was tried buying a military court, whose legitimacy Ninoy adamantly questioned. solidify his protest, Ninoy decided to do a hunger strike and fasted for days. Cory treated this event as the second time that their family lost Ni She said “When that didn’t work, they put him on trial for subversion, murder anda host of other crimes before a military commission, Ninoy challenged its authority and went on a fast. If he survived it, then he felt God intended him for another fate. We had lost him again. For nothing would hold him back from his determination to see his fast through to the end. He stopped only when it dawned on him that the government would keep his body alive after the fast had destroyed his brain. And so, with barely any life in his body, he called off the fast on the 40th day.” Ninoy’s death was the third and the last time that Cory and children lost Ninoy. She continued: “And then, we lost him irrevocably and more painfully than in the past. The news came to us in Boston. It had to be after the three happiest years of our lives together. But his death was my country’s resurrection and the courage and faith by which alone they could be free again. The dictator had called him a nobody. Yet, two million people threw aside their passivity and fear and escorted him to his grave.” 4 Readings in Philippine HitorsCory attributes the peaceful EDSA revolution to the martyrdom of Ninoy. She stated that the death of Ninoy sparked the revolution and the responsibility of “offering the democratic alternative” had “fallen on (her) shoulders.” Cory’s address introduced us to her democratic philosophy, which she claims she also acquired from Ninoy. She argued: “Theld fast to Ninoy’s conviction that it must be by the ways of democracy. 1 held out for participation in the 1984 election the dictatorship called, even if [ knew it would be rigged. I was warned by the lawyers of the opposition, that I ran the grave risk of legitimizing the foregone results of elections that wore clearly going to be fraudulent, But I was not fighting for lawyers but for the people in whose intelligence, | had implicit faith. By the exercise of democracy even in a dictatorship, they would be prepared for democracy when it came. And then also, it was the only way I knew by which we could measure our power even in the terms dictated by the dictatorship. The people vindicated me in an election shamefully marked by government thuggery and fraud, The opposition swept the elections, garncring a clear majority of the votes even if they ended up (thanks to a corrupt Commission on Elections) with barely a third of the seats in Parliament. Now, | knew our power.’ Cory talked about her miraculous vietory through the people's struggle and continued talking about her earliest initiatives as the president of a restored democracy. She stated that she intended to forge and draw reconciliation after a bloody and polarizing dictatorship, Cory emphasized ‘the importance of the EDSA revolution in terms of being a “limited revolution that respected the life and freedom of every Filipino.” She also boasted of the restoration of a fully constitutional government whose constitution gave ‘utmost respect to the Bill of Rights, She reported to the US congress: ‘Again as we restore democracy by the ways of democracy. s0 are we completing the constitutional structures of our new democracy under a constitution that already gives full respect to the Bill of Rights, A jealously independent constitutional commission is completing its draft which will be submitted later this year to a popular referendum, When it is approved, there will be elections for both national and local positions. So, within about a year from a peaceful but national upheaval that overturned a dictatorship, we shall have returned to full constitutional government.” ‘Chapter? | Content and Conental Anyi of Selected Primary Sours in Philppine Mistry 35Cory then proceeded on her peace agenda with the existing comnn insurgency, aggravated by the dictatorial and authoritarian measure Ferdinand Marcos. She asserted: “My predecessor set aside democracy to save it from a communist insurgency that numbered less than five hundred, Unhampered by respect for human rights he went at it with hammer and tongs, By the time he fled, that insurgency had grown to more than sixteen thousand. I think there is a lesson here to be learned about trying to stifle a thing with a means by which it grows.” Cory’s peace agenda involves political initiatives and re-integrati program to persuade insurgents to leave the countryside and return the mainstream society to participate in the restoration of democracy. invoked the path of peace because she believed that it was the moral that a moral government must take. Nevertheless, Cory took a step when she said that while peace is the priority of her presidency, she not waiver” when the freedom and democracy are threatened. She said. similar to Abraham Lincoln, she understands that “force may be nece: before mercy” and while she did not relish the idea, she “will do whatev takes to defend the integrity and freedom of (her) country.” Cory then turned to the controversial topicof the Philippine foreign. amounting to $26 billion at the time of her speech. This debt has balloot during the Marcos regime. Cory expressed her intention to honor those dé despite mentioning that the people did not benefit from such debts, Thus mentioned her protestations about the way the Philippines was depri of choices to pay those debts within the capacity of the Filipino people lamented: “Finally may I turn to that other slavery, our twenty-six billion dollar foreign debt. I have said that we shall honor it. Yet, the means by which we shall bo able to do so are kept from us. Many of the conditions imposed on the previous government that stole this debt, continue to be imposed on us who never benefited from it.” She continued that while the country has experienced the calami brought about by the corrupt dictatorship of Marcos, no commensui assistance was vet to be extended to the Philippines. She even remarked given the peaceful character of EDSA People Power Revolution, ‘ours have been the cheapest revolution ever.” She demonstrated that the Filipi people fulfilled the “most difficult condition of the debt the negotiati which was the “restoration of democracy and responsible government.” 36 Readings in Plpine HoteryCory related to the US legislators that wherever she went, che met poor and unemployed Filipinos willing to offer their lives to democracy. She stated “Wherever I went in the campaign, slum area or impoverished village. They came to me with one ery, democracy. Not food although they clearly needed it but democracy. Not work, although they surely wanted it but democracy. Not money, for they gave what little they had to my campaign. They didn’t expect me to work a miracle that would instantly put food into their mouths, clothes on their back, education in their children and give them work that will put dignity in their lives. But I feel the pressing obligation to respond quickly as the leader of the people so deserving of all these things.” Cory proceeded in enumerating the challenges of the Filipino people as they try building the new democracy. These are the persisting communist insurgeney and the economic deterioration. Cory further lamented that these problems worsened by the crippling debt because half of the country's export earnings amounting to $2 billion will “go to pay just the interest on a debt whose benefit the Filipino people never received.” Cory then asked a rather compelling question to the US: “Flas there been a greater test of national commitment to the ideals you hold dear than that my people have gone through’ You have spent many lives and much treasureto bring freedom to many lands that were reluctant to receive it. And here, you have a people who want it by themselves and need only the help to preserve it. Cory ended her speech by thanking America for serving as home to her family for what she referred to as the “three happiest years of our lives together.” She enjoined America in building the Philippines as a new home for democracy and in turning the country as a “shining testament of our two nations! commitment to freedom.” Analysis of Cory Aquino’s Speech Cory Aquino’s speech was an important event in the political and diplomatic history of the country because it has arguably cemented the legitimacy of the EDSA government in the international arena, ‘The speech talks of her family background, especially her relationship with her late husband, Ninoy Aquino. It is well known that it was Ninoy who served as the real leading figure of the opposition at that time. Indeed, Ninoy's eloquence and charisma can very well compete with that of Marcos. In her Chapter? | Comentand Contextual Anais ofSeeced Primary Sources in hiipineHisory 37speach, Cory talked at length about Ninoy’s toil and suffering at the hands: of the dictatorship that he resisted. Even when she proceeded talking about her new government, che still goes back to Ninoy’s legacies and lessons. Moreover, her attribution of the revolution to Ninoy’s death demonstrates: not only Cory’s personal perception on the revolution, but since she was the president, it also represents what the dominant discourse was at that point in our history. The ideology or the principles of the new democratic government can also be seen in the same speech. Aquino was able to draw the sharp contrast between her government and of her predecessor by expressing her commitment to a democratic constitution drafted by an independent commission, She claims that such constitution upholds and adheres to the rights and liberty of the Filipino peuple. Cory also hoisted herself as the reconciliatory agent after more than two decades of a polarizing authoritarian polities. For example, Cory sees the blown up communist insurgency as a product of a repressive and corrupt government. Her response to this insurgency roots from her diametric opposition of the dictator (i.e., initiating reintegration of communist rebels to the mainstream Philippine society). Cory claims that her main approach to this problem is through peace and not through the sword of war. Despite Cory’s efforts to hoist herself as the exact opposite of Marcos, her speceh still revealed certain parallelisms between her and the Marcos government. This is seon in torms of continuing the alliance between the Philippines and the US, despite the known affinity between the said world super power and Marcos. The Aquino regime, as seen in Cory's acceptance of the invitation to address the US Congress and to the content of the speech, decided to build and continue with the alliance between the Philippines and the US and effectively implemented an essentially similar foreign policy to that of the dictatorship. For example, Cory recognized that the large sum of foreign debts incurred by the Marcos regime never benefitted the Filipino people, Nevertheless, Cory expressed her intention to pay off those debts. Unknown to many Filipinos was the fact that there was a choice of waiving the said debt because those were the debt of the dictator and not of the country. Cory’s decision is an indiestor of her government's intention to carry on a debt-driven economy. Reading through Aquino’s speech, we can already take cures, not just on Cory’s individual ideas ond aspirations, but also the guiding principles and framework of the government that she represents, 38 Readings in Philippine History