First Voyage around the World by Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan’s fateful circumnavigation of the world with an Italian

nobleman, Antonio Pigafetta, began in the sixteenth century. It is one of the most
important primary sources in the study of the pre-colonial Philippines. This was also a
major reference to the events leading to Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines, his
encounter with local leaders, his death in the hands of Lapulapu’s forces in the Battle
of Mactan, and in the departure of what was left of Magellan’s fleet from the islands.
The First Voyage around the World by Magellan was published after Pigafetta
returned to Italy.
Magellan and Pigafetta reached the Ladrones Islands or the “Islands of
Thieves”, presently known as the Marianas Islands. After ten days, Magellan decided
to land in another uninhabited island for greater security where they could rest for
a few days. After two days, March 18, nine men came and welcomed them with
foods, drinks and gifts. The natives also gave them fish, palm wine (uraca), figs, two
cochos, rice (umai), cocos, and other food supplies. The people are friendly and
willingly showed them different islands. One of which is the “Watering Place of Good
Signs”,Humunu Island (Homonhon) where you can found the first signs of gold. This
island and the nearby islands are the archipelago of St. Lazarus. On March 25 th, they
saw two ballanghai (balangay), a long boat full of people in Mazzava/Mazua. The
king of the ballanghai (balangay), Raia Siagu, sent his men to the ship of Magellan to
offer a bar of gold and a chest of ginger, but Magellan declined. Instead, Magellan
asked for money for the needs of his ships. Magellan, then exchanged gifts of robes
in Turkish fashion, red cap, and gave the people knives and mirrors. He further
showed the king his other weapons, helmets, artilleries. Magellan also shared his
charts, maps and islands they found.

After a few days, Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother, Raia
Calambu, who was a king of another island named Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and
Caragua). Raia Calambu was the most handsome of all the men in the island. He was
adorned with silk and gold accessories like a golden dagger which he carried with
him in a wooden polished sheath. His house and the parts of the ship are made of
gold. On March 31st, an Easter Sunday, ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the
shore. The king sent two dead pigs and attended the mass with the other king. After
the mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be brought with nails and crown in place
for it would be beneficial to the people because Spaniards will saw the cross and
know that they had been in that island and would not cause troubles. After seven
days, Magellan moved to the islands of Ceylon (Leyte), Bohol, and Zzubu (Cebu).
Cebu is the largest and the richest of the islands. By April 7th of the

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same year, Magellan and his men reached the port of Cebu. The king of Cebu offered a
bit of his blood and demanded that they pay tribute for it was customary. The following
day, Magellan spoke about peace and God. And on the 14th of April, Magellan spoke
to the king and encouraged him to be a good Christian by burning all the idols and
worship the cross instead. And so, the king of Cebu was baptized as a Christian.
On the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan),
asked for a bat full of men to fight the chief named Silapulapu (Lapulapu). However,
Magellan offered three boats and expressed his desire to go to Mactan himself to
fight Lapulapu. Magellan’s total forces are 49 and the islanders of Mactan were
estimated to number 1,500. Magellan died in the battle because he was pierced with a
poisoned arrow in his right leg. Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. He retaliated
and pierced the same native with his lance in the breast and tried to draw his sword
but could not lift it because of his wounded arm. Magellan attacked with lances,
swords, and even with their bare hands. Magellan’s men elected Duarte Barbosa as
the new captain. They left Cebu and continued their journey around the world.
The KKK and the Kartilya ng Katipunan

The Kataastaasan Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan

(KKK) or Katipunan is the most important organization formed in the Philippine
History. It was only the organization that envisioned a united Filipino nation that
would revolt against the Spaniards for the total independence of the country from
Spain. Katipunan created a complex structure and a defined value system that would
guide the organization as a collective aspiring for a single goal. One of the most
important Katipunan documents was the Kartilya ng Katipunan which was originally
titled as “Manga [sic] Aral Nang [sic] Katipunan ng mga A.N.b.” or Lessons of the
Organization of the Sons of Country. It was written by Emilio Jacinto in 1896 who is a
law student at the Unibersidad of Santo Tomas. Jacinto was only 18 years of age when
he joined the movement, but, due to his value and intellect; he became the secretary
of the organization and took charge of the short-lived printing press of the Katipunan.

On April 15, 1897, at the age of 22, Jacinto became the commander of the
Katipunan in Northern Luzon, and later, died of Malaria in the town of Magdalena,
Laguna at the age of 24. The Kartilya can be treated as the Katipunan’s code of
conduct which consists of fourteen rules that instruct the way a Katipunero should
behave, and which specific values should be uphold. These rules are classified into
two groups. The first rules contains the rules that will make the number an
upright individual and the second

8
group contains the rules that will guide the way he treats his fellow men. And these
rules of Kartilya will help in understanding the values, ideals, aspirations and even
the ideology of the organization.
Proclamation of the Philippine Independence

Philippine Independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898. We commemorate it

every year for it signalled the end of the 333 years of Spanish colonization. The
declaration was a short 2,000-word document which summarized the reason behind
the revolution against Spain, the war for independence and the future of the new
republic under Emilio Aguinaldo. The proclamation commenced with a characterization
of the conditions in the Philippine during the Spanish Colonial period. The document
specifically mentioned abuses and inequalities in the colony such as abuse by the Civil
Guards and the unlawful shooting of prisoners whom they alleged as attempting to
escape. It also condemns the unequal protection of the law between the Filipino people
and the eminent personages. Aside from that, they also condemn what they saw as
the unjust deportation and rendering of other decision with proper hearing.

Moreover, the proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview of the

Spanish occupation since Magellan’s arrival in Visayas until the Philippine
Revolution and after the collapse of Pact of Biak-na-Bato. The document narrates the
spread of the movement like an “electric spark” through different towns and
provinces like Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna and Morong and the quick
decline of Spanish forces in the same provinces. The document also mentions Rizal’s
execution calling it unjust to please the greedy body of friars in their insatiable desire
to seek revenge upon and exterminate all those who are opposed to their
Machiavellan purposes when tramples upon the penal code prescribed for these
islands. Also, it narrates the infamous execution of GOMBURZA in the Cavite Mutiny of
January 1872 whose innocent blood was shed through the intrigues of those so called
religious orders.

The proclamation of the independence invokes the establishment of the

republic under the dictatorship of Emilio Aguinaldo. Another detail in the
proclamation is the explanation on the Philippine Flag that was first waved on the
same day. The white triangle symbolizes the Katipunan. The red and blue colors of
the flag are associated with courage and peace respectively. The original symbolic
meaning of something presents the several historical truths that can explain the
subsequent events which unfolded after the declaration of independence on the 12 th
day of June 1898.

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Cartoons: Political Caricatures of the American Era
(1900-1941)
Political Cartoons and Caricatures are recent art form which veered away
from the Classical art by exaggerating human features and poking fun at its subjects.
It is a technique used by the print media as a form of social and political
commentary which targets persons of powers aid authority. Cartoons became an
effective tool of publicizing opinions through the use of symbolism, the society
during the American period and a broad image of society and politics under the
United States. In the book Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American
Era (1900-1941) by Alfred McCoy and Alfredo Roces, compiled political cartoons
published in Newspaper dailies and periodicals. One of which is about The
Independent on May 20, 1916 which shows a politician from Tondo. This implies
that the Filipino politics at that time did not understand well enough the essence of
democracy and the accompanying democratic institutions and processes. Another
cartoon is The Independent on June 16, 1917 that aimed as a commentary to the
workings of Manila Police at that period. Aside from that, the commentary on the
precedent cases of colorum automobiles in the city streets was also depicted. It is
due to the fatal accidents involving colorum vehices and taxis occurred oftenly.

Moreover, a cartoon also depicted a cinema which implies the “sexual

revolution” that occurred in the 1930’s. It disturbed the conserved Filipino mindset
by engaging in daring sexual activities in public spaxes like cinemas. And lastly,
The Independent on November 27, 1915 was also published. It was the caricature of
Uncle Sam riding a chariot pulled by Filipinos wearing school uniforms. It depicts
that patronage also became influential and powerful not only between clients and
patrons but also between the newly formed political parties composed of the elite
and United States.
Revisiting Aquino Speech

Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino was functioned as he symbol of the

restoration of democracy and the overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship in 1986
through the EDSA People Power which considered as the “cheapest revolution”
ever. In her speech, it talks of her family background and Ninoy, her husband who
served as the real leading figure of the opposition at that time. Cory talked about
Ninoy’s toil and suffering at the hands of the dictatorship that he resisted. The
ideology or the principles of the new

10
 democratic can also be seen in the said speech. Cory then proceeded on her peace
agenda which involves political initiatives and re-integration program to persuade
insurgent to leave the country side and return to the mainstream society to
participate in the restoration of democracy. Also, she enumerates the challenges of the
Filipino people as trying to build the new democracy such as persisting communist
insurgency and economic deterioration.
As seen in her speech, she decided to build and continue with the alliance
between the Philippine and the United States to effectively implement an essentially
similar foreign policy to that of the dictatorship. And lastly, Cory ended her speech
by thanking America for serving as home to her family.

https://pdfcoffee.com/qdownload/readings-in-philippine-history-16-pdf-free.html

Chapter 3:

Philippine History: Spaces

for Conflict and Controversies
Making Sense of the Past: Historical Interpretation

History, in a more contemporary definition, is centered on how it impacts the

present through its consequences. According to Geoffrey Barraclough, history is as the
“attempt to discover on the basis of fragmentary evidence, the significant things
about the past”. He also notes that history which is based on facts is a series of
accepted judgments. Historians utilized facts collected from primary sources to draw
their own reading which intended for the audience to understand the historical event, a
process that in essence, “makes sense of the past”. To concretize it further, The
Code of Kalantiaw, a mythical legal code in the epic history Maragtas, was
revealed as a hoax in 1986 but still, some would like to believe that the code is a
legitimate document. Also, the “Sa Aking Mga Kababata” which purportedly written by
Jose Rizal, when he was 8 years of age. As a matter of fact, there exists no manuscript
of the poem handwritten by Rizal. Also, he never mentioned writing this poem
anywhere in his writings.

Furthermore, criticism of the poem reveals more about the wrongful

attribution of the poem to Rizal such as the poem was written in Tagalog and
referred the word “kalayaan” which he referred as well in “El Amor Patrio” where it
was spelled as ‘kalayahan”. The poem’s spelling is also suspects the use of letters “k”
and “w” to replace “c” and “u” respectively.
Interpretations of the past, therefore, vary according to who reads the primary
source, when it was read and how it was read Interpretations of historical event
change overtime; thus, it is an important skill to track changes in an attempt to
understand the past. This entails that the things we accept as “true” about the past
might not be the case anymore. And so, historians must ensure the relevance of the
events happened in the past.
Multiperspectivity

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 Another important concept of history is multiperpectivity. Multiperspectivity is a
way of looking at historical events, personalities, developments, cultures, and societies
from different perspectives. This means that there is a multitude ways which we can
view the world that is equally valid and equally partial as well. Historical writing is
biased, partial, and contains preconceptions. So, historians decide on what sources to
use, what interpretation to make more apparent, depending on what his end is.
With multiperspectivity as an approach in history, historical interpretations
contain discrepancies, contradictions, ambiguities and are often the focus of dissent.
Exploring multiperspectives in history requires incorporating varied source
materials that may create space for more

14
investigation and research, while providing more evidence for those truths that
these sources agree on.
Different kinds of sources also provide different historical truths which
renders more validity to the historical scholarship and also a more complete and
richer understanding of the past
Case Study 1: The First Catholic Mass in the Philippines

This case study will not focus on the significance (or lack thereof) of the site
of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines, but rather, use it as a historiographical
exercise in the utilization of evidence and interpretation in reading historical events.
Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass for three centuries,
which commemorates the expedition’s arrival and celebration of Mass on 8 April
1521. The Butuan claim has been based on a rather elementary reading of primary
sources from the event. However, a more nuanced reading of the available evidence was
made in the start of twentieth century that brought light of the first mass in the
Philippines, made both by Spanish and Filipino scholars.
There are two primary sources that historians refer to in identifying the site
of the first Mass. One is the log kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot of one of Magellan’s
ship and one of the 18 survivors who returned after circumnavigating the world. The
other, and the more complete, was the account by Antonio Pigafetta, Primo viaggio
intorno al mondo (First Voyage Around the World).
In the primary source noted in Albo’s account, the location of Mazava fits the
location of the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54’N. Also, Albo
does not mention the first Mass, but only the planting of the cross upon a mountain-
top from which could be seen three islands to the west and southwest, which also fits
the southern end of Limasawa. It must be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta’s
testimonies coincide and corroborate each other. Pigafetta gave more details on what
they did during their weeklong stay at Mazaua.
Using the primary sources available, Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in his
work Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A
Reexamination of Evidence (1981) lays down the argument that in the Pigafetta
account, a crucial aspect of Butuan was not mentioned-the river. Butuan is a
riverine settlement, situated on the Agusan River. The beach of Masao in the delta
of said river. It is a curious omission in the account of the river, which makes part
of a distinct characteristic of Butuan’s geography

15
that seemed to be Magellan’s death, the survivors of his expedition went to Mindanao,
and seemingly went to Butuan. In this instance, Pigafetta vividly describes a trip in a
river. But note that this account already happened after Magellan’s death.
Case Study 2: Cavite Mutiny

The year 1872 is a historic year of two events: the Cavity Mutiny and the
martyrdom of the three priests GOMBURZA (Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora). These events are very important milestones in Philippine history
and have caused ripples throughout time, directly influencing the decisive events of
the Philippine Revolution toward the end of the century. In this case study, we
zoom in to the events of the Cavite Mutiny, a major factor in the awakening of
nationalism among the Filipinos of that time.
Two accounts corroborated with each other. One is the documentation of
Jose Montero y Vidal, a Spanish historian, which centered on how the event was
overthrowing the Spanish government in the Philippines. His account of the mutiny
was criticized as woefully biased and rabid for a scholar. The other is the official
report written by Governor General Rafael Izquierdo which implicated the native clergy,
who were then, active in the movement toward secularization of parishes.

It is apparent that the accounts underscore the reason for the “revolution”: the
abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of the Cavite arsenal such as exemption
from payment of tribute and being employed in polos y serviciosi, or force labor. The
“revolution” was easily crushed, when Manile n~ os that were expected to aid the
Cavite ~n os did not arrive. Leaders of the plot were killed in the resulting skirmish,
while Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora were tried by a court-martial and sentenced
to be executed. It is also believed that the Spanish clergy connected the priests to
the mutiny as part of conspiracy to clergy the movement of secular priests who desired
to have their own parishes instead of being merely assistants to the regular friars.
On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as a threat to
Filipinos never to attempt to fight the Spaniards again.

Case Study 3: Rizal’s Retraction

Jose Rizal is identified as a hero of the revolution for his writings (Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo) that center on ending colonialism and liberating
Filipino minds to contribute to creating the Filipino nation. Any piece of writing
from Rizal recants everything against the friars and the Catholic Church in the
Philippines which referred to as “The Retraction”.

16
 There are four iterations of the text of this retraction: the first was published
in La Vos Espa n~ ola and Diario de Manila on 30 December 1896, the day of the
execution. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, in the magazine of La
Juventud, a few months after the execution.14 February 1897, from an anonymous
writer who was later on revealed to be Fr. Vicente Balaguer. However, the “original”
text was only found in the archdiocesan archives on 18 May 1935, after almost four
decades of disappearance.

According to Balaguer testimony, Rizal woke up several times, confessed four

times, attended a Mass, received communion and prayed the rosary, all of which
seemed out of character. It has been used to argue the authenticity of the document.
Another testimony is of Cuerpo de Vigilancia which included a report on the last
hours of Rizal. This account corroborates the existence of the retraction document,
giving t credence.
The retraction of Rizal remains to this day, a controversy; many scholars,
however, agree that the document does not tarnish the heroism of Rizal. His relevance
remained solidified to Filipinos and pushed them to continue the revolution, which
eventually resulted in independence in 1898.
Case Study 4: Cry of Rebellion

In the late nineteenth century, “El Grito de Rebelion” or “Cry of Rebellion”

marks the start of revolution which happened in August 1896 in northeast of Manila,
where they declared rebellion against the Spanish colonial government. These events
are important markers in the history of colonies that struggled for their independence
against their colonizers.
Teodoro Agoncillo, a Filipino historian, emphasizes the event when Bonifacio
tore the cedula or tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also did the same. Some
writers identified the first military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the
Cry, for which, Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an “Himno de Balintawak” to inspire
the renewed struggle after the Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed.
From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed marked disagreement
among historical witnesses as to the place and time of the occurrence of the Cry. Using
primary and secondary sources, four places have been identified: Balintawak,
Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and Bahay toro, while the dates vary: 23, 24, 25, or 26
August 1896.
Valenzuela’s account should be read with caution: He once told a Spanish
investigator that the “Cry” happened in Balintawak on Wednesday, 26 August 1896.
Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs of the Revolution that it happened at Pugad
Lawin on 23 August 1896. Such inconsistences in

17
accounts should always be seen as a red flag when dealing with primary sources.
According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all tehese places are
in Balintawak, then part of Caloocan, now, in Quezon City. As for the dates,
Bonifacio and his troops may have been moving from one place to another to
avoid being located by the Spanish government, which could explain why
there are several accounts of the Cry.

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