HISTORY AND ITS SOURCES

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this chapter, students must be able to explain the meaning and relevance of history;
illustrate the distinction of primary and secondary sources; evaluate the contextual, content
analysis, and repositories of primary sources; and trace the development of Philippine
historiography.

History plays an important role in molding its people and consequently their collective destiny. In
this chapter, you will learn the meaning and relevance of history and its sources, as well as the
development of historical writing in the Philippines.

History plays an important role in molding its people and consequently their collective destiny. In
this chapter, you will learn the meaning and relevance of history and its sources, as well as the
development of historical writing in the Philippines.

The meaning of history

History, as it is commonly defined, is the study of human past. The English word history is derived
from the Greek word ἱστορία (historia) which means “learning”. Contrary to what many people
think, history is not merely memorizing list of names, places, and events, History traces the
development, rise and fall or rebirth of a person, persons, society, a community or a country. An
examination of the past, therefore, permits us to establish our identity, the roots of modern
institutions, values, and problems.

Individuals who write history are called historians. They seek to contextualize the historical milieu
of one’s particular time. They undertake formidable historical research to come up with a
meaningful reconstruction of the past. But whose past are we talking about? This is a basic
question that every historian and student of history must answer to set the purpose and framework
of a historical account. Therefore, a salient feature of historical re-writing and interpretation is the
facility to give meaning and impart ideas to a particular group of people about their past. This
practice and study of historical writing is called historiography. Traditional method in historical
writing focuses on gathering documents from archives and libraries to construct a descriptive-
analytical narrative. However, modern historical writing does not only use documents but also
interdisciplinary methods from areas of studies such as sociology, geography, and archaeology.
The sources of history

In the study of history, sources are where the data and information come from. It is an
object from the past or testimony concerning the past which historians utilize to create their own
depiction of that past. Louis Gottschalk, in his work Understanding History, discusses the
importance of sources for the historian’s work:

The historian, however, has to use many materials that are not in books. Where
these are archaeological, epigraphical, or numismatical materials, he has to
depend largely on museums. Where there are official records, he may have to
search for them in archives, courthouses, government libraries, etc. where there
are private papers not available in official collections, he may have to hunt among
the papers of business houses, the muniment rooms of ancient castles, the prized
possessions of autograph collectors, the records of parish churches, etc. having
some subject in mind , with more or less definite delimitation of persons, areas,
time, and functions (i.e., the economic, political, intellectual, diplomatic, or other
occupational aspects) involved, he looks for materials that may have some bearing
upon those persons in that area at that time they function in that fashion. These
materials are his sources. The more precise his delimitation of persons, area, time,
and function, the more relevant his sources are likely to be.

It is from historical sources that historians’ study and write our history. In analyzing them, theories
of history were used as framework as it provides a systematic and sequential flow of the study.

Basically, there are two types of historical sources. The first type is called a primary source,
which was written or recalled by an eyewitness or direct participant in the event being studied.
Examples of primary sources are:

1. Letters
2. Editorials
3. Transcripts of interview
4. Laws, ordinances, decrees, and other legal documents
5. Speeches
6. Autobiographies
7. Artworks
8. Archaeological relics
9. Diaries and journals
10. Documentaries and photographs

The second type of source is called a secondary source. Secondary sources are made by
individuals who are not direct participants to the event. Information interpreted from primary
sources are considered secondary sources. Examples of secondary sources are:
 1. Textbooks
2. Magazine articles of periodicals which interprets previous research
3. Encyclopedia entries
4. Theses and dissertations

Repositories of Primary Sources

There is an abundance of primary sources about the Philippines here and abroad. Government
institutions like the National Library and the National Archives are major repositories of
documentary sources.

The National Library of the Philippines houses a vast collection of resources ranging from Jose
Rizal’s manuscripts to letters written by Emilio Aguinaldo, to newspapers today. It holds more
than 98 million pages worth of Filipiniana materials some of which are already digitized and
accessible only in the Philippine e-Library. The National Library has complete microfilm copies of
the Philippine Revolutionary Records (1896-1901), a compilation of captured documents of the
first revolutionary government, and Historical Data Papers (1952-1953), collection of cultural life
of all towns in the country during President Elpidio Quirino’s administration. The Manuscripts
Section of the Library’s Filipiniana Division contains the presidential papers of various
administrations from Manuel Quezon to Joseph Estrada.

The National Archives of the Philippines, on the other hand, is the main archive of the
Philippines. It holds more than two million documents dating back to the Spanish period. Spanish
documents about the Philippines consist of 432 categories such as AdministracionCentral
deRentas y Propiedades (Central Administration of Rentals and Properties), Administracion de
Hacienda Publica (Administration of Public Finance), and Ayuntamiento de Manila (Town Council
of Manila). For local historians, valuable materials from the National Archives include Memorias
(Official Reports of Provincial Governors), Errecion de los Pueblos (Establishment of Towns), and
GuiaOficial (Official Guide). Aside from Spanish sources, the National Archives is also the
repository of 20th-century documents like civil records, and Japanese wartime crime documents.

Academic institutions such as University of Santo Tomas in Manila, University of the Philippines
in Diliman, and Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, have also substantial library
collections and archival holdings. The UST Library, for instance, contains books which include
one that was written by Nicholas Copernicus dating back even before the coming of Ferdinand
Magellan to the Philippines. The collection of the university surpasses that of the National Library
as it was undamaged by the Second World War.

Historical Criticism

In order for a historical source to be used as credible evidence in history, matters concerning its
form and content must be settled. A historian needs to employ two levels of criticism:
 1. External Criticism which deals with the problem of authenticity: spot hoaxes, fakes,
forgeries and fabrications. Tests of Authenticity requires a historian to:
a. Determine the date if it is anachronistic: a material, skill or culture does not exist at
that time.
b. Determine the author in the uniqueness of his handwriting or signature
c. Determine the provenance or custody
d. Determine the semantics and the meaning of a text or word
e. Determine the hermeneutics and ambiguities
2. Internal Criticism; deals with the problem of credibility. Tests of credibility requires a
historian to:
a. Determine the character of the author, his reliability, ability and willingness to tell the
truth
b. Determine the corroboration, historical facts rest upon the testimony of two or more
reliable witnesses

Philippine Historiography

Philippine historiography can be traced to the coming of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 until the
advent of the Spanish colonial period when printed records consisting of chronicles and
manuscripts became available, documenting early Philippine society and culture and Spanish
colonization. For the period pre-16th century, the archipelago’s social and cultural state can be
reconstructed, though insufficiently, from archaeological remains in the islands and also in the
records of other neighboring countries such as China, India and various parts of Southeast Asia.

Until almost the end of the 19th century, the history of the Philippines has been written by Spanish
missionaries and government officials. Spanish writings on the Philippines had two
characteristics; First, all of it was written by friars and religious orders who had a good grasp of
the languages and the people as a result of many years of service in the Philippines. Second, it
was inseparably connected with the historiography of Spanish missions elsewhere in Asia – in
the Indochina, China, and Japan. Predominantly, the historical works written by missionaries
tended to have a strong religious bias as they suffered from the so-called Eurocentric disease,
which all non-European scale of values, religious, and the societies were dismissed as “evil”,
“uncivilized”, and the like.

During the 19th century, educated Filipinos, referred to as ilustrados, studied and wrote about their
history, culture, and the Spanish administration of the Philippines. They took courage to write
despite strict censorship by the Spanish authorities. These pioneers of Philippine historical
research generally wrote in Spanish. Among the most prominent were Jose Rizal (1861-1896),
Pedro Paterno (1858-1911), Isabelo de los Reyes (1864-1938), Jaime de Veyra (1846-1963),
Marcelo del Pilar (1850-1896), Garciano Lopez Jaena (1856-1896), and Epifanio de los Santos
(1871-1928).
Beginning with the third decade of the 20th century when the Philippines came under American
colonial rule, the English language became a popular medium in writing. Historical writers such
as Maximo Kalaw (1899-1971), Encarnacion Alzona (1898-1987), and Gregorio Zaide (1907-
1987) all wrote in English, having been taught in schools established by the Americans.

In the following decade after the end of the war and independence in 1946, only few historical
studies were produced with academic attention focused on the reconstruction and rehabilitation
of the Philippines from the devastation brought by the second world war. Through the succeeding
decades, modern Filipino-centric history emerged in various works on the late 19th and early 20th
century. The analysis of political developments and nationalism were also more refined as
historians began to incorporate insights from other social science disciplines.

Reflective Questions

1. In what ways historical events and issues you deem most important connect to your personal
life?
2. What might be the influence on historical interpretation of the context within which historians
write?
3. Are the discussion we explore in class meaningful in terms of real-world situations and
problems?
4. Think and reflect about your past experiences. How does your past influence your idea and
behavior at the present?
5. About whom is history written? Are the lives of some groups of people more historically
significant than the lives of others?

Chapter Summary

§ History is the study of human past. The writing of history involves gathering documents
from archives and libraries and also interdisciplinary method from areas of studies such
as sociology, geography, and archaeology, all these and in conjunction of historical
theories and criticism, historians will be able to construct a descriptive-analytical narrative.
§ Basic historical research is utilization of sources. Two general kinds of sources are primary
and secondary sources.
§ Primary sources refer to materials made by individuals present at the time being described
while secondary sources are materials made by people long after the event had taken
place.
§ Government institutions such as the National Library and the National Archives are major
repositories of documentary sources.
§ Philippine historiography has changed significantly since 20th century. For a long time,
Spanish and American colonizers presented our history as a period of backwardness
before they arrived.
§ After World War II, Filipino scholars challenged the myopic colonial narratives and
developed their own historical writing.