MODULE 3

CONTROVERSIES AND CONFLICTING VIEWS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate the ability to formulate arguments in favor or against a

particular issue using primary sources.
SITE OF THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Some Filipino historians are saying that the site of the first
Catholic mass in the Philippines was in Limasawa. Others
would say that the site was in Masao (also Mazaua) in Butuan.
This claim is based on the accounts of Antonio Pigafetta,
chronicler of Magellan’s expedition, in his travel diary.

There are also accounts saying that the first mass in the
country was not the one held on March 31, 1521 in Limasawa
officiated by Father Pedro Valderrama. Long before the coming
of Magellan in the Philippines, according to an account, a mass
was held in Bolinao in 1324 by Odoric of Pordenone, an Italian
and Franciscan friar and missionary explorer. Antonio Pigafetta

As of this writing, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines

(NHCP) recognizes Limasawa as the site of the first mass.

Below is the primary source from Emma Blair and James Robertson, The
Philippine Islands Volume 33 on the site of the first mass. It was written by
Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of Ferdinand Magellan.

1. At dawn on Saturday, March sixteen, 1521, we came upon a high land

at a distance of three hundred leguas from the islands of Latroni—an
island named Zamal [i.e., Samar]. The following day, the captain-
general desired to land on another island which was uninhabited and
lay to the right of the abovementioned island, in order to be more
secure, and to get water and have some rest. He had two tents set up
on the shore for the sick and had a sow killed for them.

2. On Monday afternoon, March 18, we saw a boat coming toward us with

nine men in it. Therefore, the captain-general ordered that no one
should move or say a word without his permission. When those men
reached the shore, their chief went immediately to the captain-general,
giving signs of joy because of our arrival. Five of the most ornately
adorned of them remained with us, while the rest went to get some
others who were fishing, and so they all came. The captain-general
seeing that they were reasonable men, ordered food to be set before
them, and gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, bells, ivory, bocasine,
and other things. When they saw the captain’s courtesy, they
presented fish, a jar of palm wine, which they call uraca [i.e., arrack],
figs more than one palmo long [i.e., bananas], and others which were
smaller and more delicate, and two cocoanuts. They had nothing else
then, but made us signs with their hands that they would bring umay or
rice, and cocoanuts and many other articles of food within four days.

3. At noon on Friday, March 22, those men came as they had promised
us in two boats with cocoanuts, sweet oranges, a jar of palm-wine, and
a cock, in order to show us that there were fowls in that district. They
exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us. We purchased all those
 articles from them. Their seignior was an old man who was painted
[i.e., tattooed]. He wore two gold earrings [schione] in his ears, and the
others many gold armlets on their arms and kerchiefs about their
heads. We stayed there one week, and during that time our captain
went ashore daily to visit the sick, and every morning gave them
cocoanut water from his own hand, which comforted them greatly.

4. On the afternoon of holy Monday, the day of our Lady, March twenty-
five, while we were on the point of weighing anchor, I went to the side
of the ship to fish, and putting my feet upon a yard leading down into
the storeroom, they slipped, for it was rainy, and consequently I fell into
the sea, so that no one saw me. When I was all but under, my left hand
happened to catch hold of the clew-garnet of the mainsail, which was
dangling [ascosa] in the water. I held on tightly, and began to cry out so
lustily that I was rescued by the small boat. I was aided, not, I believe,
indeed, through my merits, but through the mercy of that font of charity
[i.e., of the Virgin]. That same day we shaped our course toward the
west southwest between four small islands, namely, Cenalo,
Hiunanghan, Ibusson, and Abarien.

5. On Thursday morning, March twenty-eight, as we had seen a fire on an

island the night before, we anchored near it. We saw a small boat
which the natives call boloto with eight men in it, approaching the
flagship. A slave belonging to the captain-general, who was a native of
Zamatra [i.e., Sumatra], which was formerly called Traprobana, spoke
to them. They immediately understood him, came alongside the ship,
unwilling to enter but taking a position at some little distance. The
captain seeing that they would not trust us, threw them out a red cap
and other things tied to a bit of wood. They received them very gladly,
and went away quickly to advise their king. About two hours later we
saw two balanghai coming.

6. Early on the morning of Sunday, the last of March, and Easter-day, the
captain-general sent the priest with some men to prepare the place
where mass was to be said; together with the interpreter to tell the king
that we were not going to land in order to dine with him, but to say
mass. Therefore the king sent us two swine that he had had killed.
When the hour for mass arrived, we landed with about fifty men,
without our body armor, but carrying our other arms, and dressed in
our best clothes. Before we reached the shore with our boats, six
pieces were discharged as a sign of peace. We landed; the two kings
embraced the captain-general, and placed him between them. We
went in marching order to the place consecrated, which was not far
from the shore. Before the commencement of mass, the captain
sprinkled the entire bodies of the two kings with musk water.” The
mass was offered up. The kings went forward to kiss the cross as we
did, but they did not offer the sacrifice. When the body of our Lord was
elevated, they remained on their knees and worshiped Him with
clasped hands. The ships fired all their artillery at once when the body
of Christ was elevated, the signal having been given from the shore
 with muskets. After the conclusion of mass, some of our men took
communion.

7. After dinner we all returned clad in our doublets, and that afternoon
went together with the two kings to the summit of the highest mountain
there. When we reached the summit, the captain-general told them that
he esteemed highly having sweated for them, for since the cross was
there; it could not but be of great use to them. On asking them which
port was the best to get food, they replied that there were three,
namely, Ceylon, Zubu, and Calaghann, but that Zubu was the largest
and the one with most trade. They offered of their own accord to give
us pilots to show us the way. The captain-general thanked them, and
determined to go there, for so did his unhappy fate will. After the cross
was erected in position, each of us repeated a Pater Noster and an
Ave Maria, and adored the cross; and the kings did the same.

CAVITE MUTINY

On the night of January 20, 1872, around 200

Filipino soldiers and workers in the Fort of San Felipe,
a Spanish arsenal in Cavite initiated an uprising. The
mutiny was led by Fernando La Madrid, a Spanish
sergeant. These mutineers seized Fort San Felipe
and killed eleven Spanish officers and took control of
the arsenal and fort. The following day, Spanish
forces led by General Felipe Ginovés besieged the
fort and arsenal until the mutineers surrendered.
Ginovés then ordered his troops to fire all those who
surrendered, including La Madrid. Others were
imprisoned and brought to Manila.
GOMBURZA
The said mutiny was used by the Spanish
government and friars to implicate three Filipino priests, Fathers Mariano Gómez,
José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, known as GOMBURZA. They were executed
by garrote at Bagumbayan on February 17, 1872. Their execution were had a
significant effect to people especially to then young Jose Rizal whose brother
Paciano is a close friend to Father Burgos. It is said now that nationalism started
and was awakened after the execution of Gomburza.

The issue related to this event in our history is the different interpretations of
the cause of the mutiny. There are two versions on what took place, the Spanish
and Filipino versions.

Spanish Version of Cavite Mutiny

Excerpts from the account of Jose Montero of the Cavite Mutiny

From: Jose Montero y Vidal, “Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny of
1872,” Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of
Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 269-
273.

The abolition of privileges enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite Arsenal of

exemption from the tribute was, according to some, the cause of the
insurrection. There were, however, other causes.

The Spanish revolution which overthrew a secular throne, the propaganda

carried on by an unbridled press against monarchial principles, attentatory
of the most sacred respects towards the dethroned majesty; the
democratic and republican books and pamphlets; the speeches and
preachings of the apostles of these new ideas in Spain; the outburst of the
American publicists and the criminal policy of the senseless Governor
whom the Revolutionary Government sent to govern the Philippines, and
who put into practice these ideas were the determining circumstances
which gave rise, among certain Filipinos, to the idea of attaining their
independence. It was towards this goal that they started to work, with the
powerful assistance of a certain section of the native clergy, who out of
spite toward friars, made common cause with the enemies of the mother
country.

At various times but especially in the beginning of the year 1872, the
authorities received anonymous communications with the information that
a great uprising would break out against the Spaniards, the minute the
fleet at Cavite left for the South, and that all would be assassinated,
including the friars. But nobody gave importance to these notices. The
conspiracy had been going on since the days of La Torre with utmost
secrecy. At times, the principal leaders met either in the house of Filipino
Spaniard, D. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, or in that of the native priests,
Jacinto Zamora, and these meetings were usually attended by the curate
of Bacoor, the sould of the movement, whose energetic character and
immense wealth enabled him to exercise a strong influence.

Filipino Version of Cavite Mutiny

Excerpts from the account of Pardo de Tavera of the Cavite Mutiny

From: Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, “Filipino Version of the Cavite Mutiny,” in
Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philipine
History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 274- 280.

This uprising among the soldiers in Cavite was used as a powerful level by
the Spanish residents and by the friars… the Central Government in
Madrid had announced its intention to deprive the friars in these islands of
powers of interventions in matters of civil government and of the direction
and management of the university… it was due to these facts and
promises that the Filipinos had great hopes of an improvement in the
affairs of their country, while the friars, on the other hand, feared that their
power in the colony would soon be complete a thing of the past.
RETRACTION OF RIZAL

One of the controversies in Philippine History is the

retraction of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. According to his
alleged retraction letter, he is saying that he is true son of the
Catholic Church and that he is retracting all his writings that
directly attached the church. In the letter, Rizal also condemn
the Masonry which he considers an enemy of the church and
he is allowing the church to make his retraction letter public to
“repair the scandal” his writings have caused.

The retraction letter was allegedly written and signed by

Jose Rizal Rizal hours before his death on December 30, 1896. The letter
was found by Father Miguel Garcia, an Archdiocesan archivist
in 1935.

Retraction Letter of Rizal found by Fr. Garcia in 1935

“ I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and
educated I wish to live and die.

I retract will all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and

conduct has been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic
Church. I believe and confess whatever she teaches and I submit
whatever she demands. I abominate Masonry, as the enemy which of the
Church, as a Society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan prelate may,
as the Superior Ecclesiastical Authority, make public this spontaneous
manifestation of mine in order to repair the scandal which my acts may
have caused and so that God and people may pardon me.”

Retraction Letter of Rizal

 Testimony of Father Vicente Balaguer

The one who is only considered eyewitness account holder that Rizal
retracted his workd and deeds against the Catholic Church is the Jesuit priest,
Father Vicente Balaguer,S.J. It was also Fr. Balaguer who made the claim that he
officiated the marriage of Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken at 6.15 a.m. on
December 30, minutes before the death of Rizal. According also to Balaguer,
Rizal woke up many times, did the confession four times, attended a Mass,
received communion and prayed the rosary the day before his death.

The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia

NHCP Commissioner Rene Escalante on August 4, 2016 read a Professorial

Chair Lecture on Rizal Studies entitled “Re-examining the Last 24 Hours of Rizal
Using Spy Reports” at De La Salle University. The lecture is based on the
documents of reports of the Spanish spies called “Cuerpo de Vigilancia”.

“Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed in Fort
Santiago to report on the events during the [illegible] day in prison of the
accused Jose Rizal, informs me on this date of the following:

“At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by
his counsel, Señor Taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest Vilaclara. At
the urgings of the former and moments after entering, he was served a
light breakfast. At approximately 9, the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor
Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted anything. He replied that at the moment
he only wanted a prayer book which was brought to him shortly by Father
March.

“Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with
the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it
seems. It appears that these two presented him with a prepared retraction
on his life and deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about the matter
until 12:30 when Rizal ate some poached egg and a little chicken.
Afterwards he asked to leave to write and wrote for a long time by himself.

“At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed
him what he had written. Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Señor
del Fresno and the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, were informed.
They entered death row and together with Rizal signed the document that
the accused had written. It seems this was the retraction.”

“At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison
…dressed in mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed by a
military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal
clothes and aided by a soldier of the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the
woman who had been his lover were performed at the point of death (in
articulo mortis). After embracing him she left, flooded with tears.”
CRY OF BALINTAWAK

The Cry of Balintawak of Cry of Pugadlawin signaled the start of the

Philippine Revolution against the Spanish colonial government led by the
Supremo of the Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio. This is when the historical tearing
of cedula took place, a gesture that symbolizes the separation of the Philippines
from the government of Spain.

The National Historical Institute of the Philippines placed a historical marker

for the location of the “Cry” in Pugadlawin, Quezon City. But there is a
controversy regarding its date and place.

The table below shows the conflicting views concerning the date and place of
the Cry of Balintawak:

Name of personality Date Place

Lt. Olegario Diaz August 25, 1896 Balintawak
(officer of Spanish
Guardia Civil)
Teodoro M. Kalaw Last week of August, Kangkong, Balintawak
1896
Santiago Alvarez (son August 24, 1896 Bahay Toro (now in
of General Mariano Quezon City)
Alvarez)
Dr. Pio Valenzuela August 23, 1896 Pugad Lawin
Teodoro Agoncillo
Milagros Guerrero Tandang Sora’s barn in
Emmanuel Encarnacion Gulod, Barangay
Ramon Villegas Banlat, Quezon City
Different Views on the Date and Site of the First Cry

Accounts of Guillermo Masangkay

From: Guillermo Masangkay, “Cry of Balintawak” in Gregorio Zaide and

Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8
(Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 307- 309

“On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at the house of
Apolonio Samson, then cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan. Among those
who attended, I remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del
Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela,
Enrique Pacheco and Francisco Carreon. They were all leaders of the
Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization.
Delegated from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite and Morong were also
present.

At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was
opened with Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as
 secretary. The purpose was to discuss when the uprising was to take
place. Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all
opposed to starting the revolution too early… Andres Bonifacio, sensing
that he would lose in the discussion then, left the session hall and talked to
the people, who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the
leaders. He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting
the revolution early, and appealed to them in a fiery speech in which he
said: “You remember the fate of our countrymen who were shot in
Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns, the Spaniards will only
shoot us. Our organization has been discovered and we are all marked
men. If we don’t start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What
then, do you say?”

“Revolt!” the people shouted as one.

Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt.
He hold them that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos were the cedula tax
charged each citizen. “If it is true that you are ready to revolt… I want to
see you destroy your cedulas. It will be as sign that all of us have declared
our severance from the Spaniards.”

Account of Pio Valenzuela

From: Pio Valenzuela, “Cry of Pugadlawin,” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia

Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8 (Manila:
National Book Store, 1990), 301- 302.

“The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio

Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was
Balintawak, the first five arriving there on August 19, and I, on August 20,
1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan met on
August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at
Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who
were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo,
Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged, and no
resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, the house,
store- house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where
over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable
debate and discussion on August 23, 1896. The discussion was on
whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be
started on August 29, 1896… After the tumultuous meeting, many of those
present tore their cedula certificates and shouted “Long live the
Philippines! Long live the Philippines!”

Pio Valenzuela’s different accounts

September 1896, he stated that the meeting of KKK took place from
Sunday to Tuesday or August 23 to 25 at Balintawak.
 At 1911, Valenzuela states that Katipunan began meeting on August 22
while the “cry” took place on August 23 at Apolonio Samson’s house in
Balintawak.

In his memoirs in 1964 and 1978, states that the Cry took place on August
23 at the house of Juan Ramos at Pugad Lawin. The statement is written as
follows:

“Hindi sa Balintawak nangyari ang unang sigaw ng paghihimagsik na

kinalalagyan ngayon ng bantayog, kundi sa pook na kilala sa tawag na
Pugadlawin.”

John N. Schumacher, SJ of Ateneo De Manila University stated that “I would

certainly give much less credence to all accounts coming from Pio Valenzuela,
and to the interpretations Agoncillo got from him verbally, since Valenzuela gave
so many versions from the time he surrendered to the Spanish authorities and
made various statements not always compatible with one another up to the time
when as an old man he was interviewed by Agoncillo.”

EIGHT RAYS OF THE SUN IN THE PHILIPPINE FLAG

The eight rays of the sun in the Philippine Flag

symbolize the first eight provinces that rose in revolt
against Spanish rule in 1898.

When the revolution started in August, 1896, then

Governor General Ramon Blanco issued a state of
war decree dated August 30, 1896. He subjected the Philippine Flag
first eight provinces who raised arms against the
Spanish Government, under state of war.

The acts of rebellion of which armed bodies of the people have been guilty
during the last few days at different points of the territory of this province,
seriously disturbing public tranquility, and make it imperative that the most
severe and exemplary measures be taken to suppress at its inception, an
attempt as criminal as futile…

(Art.1). From the date of publication of this proclamation, the provinces of

Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Cavite and
Batangas are declared to be in a state of war.

In the Act of Declaration of Philippine Independence of June 12, 1898,

Bataan was included instead of the province of Tarlac.

…And lastly, it was results unanimously that this Nation, already free and
independent as of this day, must used the same flag which up to now is
being used, whose designed and colored are found described in the
attached drawing, the white triangle signifying the distinctive emblem of
the famous Society of the "Katipunan" which by means of its blood
 compact inspired the masses to rise in revolution; the tree stars, signifying
the three principal Islands of these Archipelago - Luzon, Mindanao, and
Panay where the revolutionary movement started; the sun representing
the gigantic step made by the son of the country along the path of
Progress and Civilization; the eight rays, signifying the eight provinces -
Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna,
and Batangas - which declares themselves in a state of war as soon as
the first revolt was initiated; and the colors of Blue, Red, and White,
commemorating the flag of the United States of America, as a
manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great Nation for its
disinterested protection which it lent us and continues lending us…

Class Activity

Debate a particular issue/ controversy in Philippine history.

Reaction/ reflection paper on a sponsored activity like lecture, symposium

round table discussion, and the like on a particular issue in Philippine History.