Jose Rizal’s Annotation on Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas

In his intellectual search for the origins of the Filipino people, Rizal encountered the
book of Antonio de Morga entitled Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas (Events in the Philippine
Islands). He found the book in London, read it and made some annotations on it’s 8 th
chapter. The book of Antonio de Morga is substantial to the history of the Philippines in the
sense that many aspects on the nature of the pre-colonial Filipinos were written by the
author who served as a colonial official in the 17th century. For Rizal, Antonio de Morga was
the first to write the history of the Philippines. There were also other foreign writers who
tried to write about the Filipinos but most had religious and or anthropological themes, but
these too were also of great importance.
From the book of Antonio de Morga, Jose Rizal found out that the pre-colonial
Filipinos:

• Already had an army and navy with artillery and other warfare
implements
• Had coats of mail and helmets that attest to the pre-colonial Filipino’s
high level skills and advancement in certain industries
• Already knew how to cast cannons manifesting their great skill in iron
working
• Were great ship builders
• Exported fine quality of silk to Japan
• Were great musicians evidenced by Morga’s description of early Filipino
minstrels (entertainers esp. musicians) who had memorized songs
telling their genealogies and of the deeds ascribed to their deities. These
were chanted on voyages in cadence with the rowing, or at festivals, or
funerals, or wherever there happened to be any considerable gatherings
• Were already international traders evidenced by their early trade
contacts with China, Japan, Indonesia as far as India and the Arab world.
The Philippines during those times was at the easternmost edge of a
vast network of Asian trade.
• Had multi-faceted relationship that resembled Western or European
communities.
• Already had a high level of civilization

Jose Rizal, however, reacted to some of Morga’s observations on the early Filipinos.
1. On Morga’s statement that “ The ancients have alleged that most of
these islands were deserted and uninhabitable…” Rizal reacted to this
by explaining that as early as the 1st century BC, some ancient travelers
 like Siculus and Ptolemy had related their accounts to the islands in the
Far East and their inhabitants. From the rubrics of Anderson, that
would be causing demodernization
2. Also, Rizal reacted to Morga’s observation that “ The young and the old
ordinarily bathe their entire bodies in the rivers and streams without
regard to whether this may be injurious to their health.” Rizal countered
Morga saying that “ The Indios are very careful not to take a bath during
siesta, after luncheon, the first two days of catahrr (build-up of mucus in
an airway or cavity of the body) when they have herpes or some women
during their menstruation…”
3. Another is on the reference of the Philippine climate wherein Morga
took the rainy season as winter and the rest of the year summer.
According to Rizal, Morga looked at the Philippine climate from the
European context or perspective. Here, Rizal reflected the concept of
de-Europeanization.
4. Rizal also reacted to Morga’s account on the slaves where he stated
that the authority (chieftains or masters) upon punished or made
slaves those people who commit mistakes or slight offense. Rizal
reacted saying that the slaves in ancient Philippines had not always
been in miserable conditions. And that these slaves eat with their
masters at the same table.

Jose Rizal therefore had a very optimistic view on the pre-colonial past of the
Filipinos. He indeed had disagreements with Morga but this is understood since Rizal was
writing in the 19th century and annotating the work of a 16th century writer. The two lived in
different periods and this was one reason for their disagreement.