Arham P.

Baraocor Readings In Philippine

History
ABCOMM 1102 Activity 2

Research about historical criticism example that happened in our Philippine History.
You may also look for the greatest hoaxes in the Philippine history. Choose only one
topic.

1. What is your chosen topic? Tell everything about it.

2. In detail, explain why it was considered as a historical criticism or a hoax.
3. What kind of historical criticism did historians use to uncover the hoax?
4. Using the steps in testing the authenticity and credibility, explain and write what are
the steps used in considering it as a hoax or historical criticism.
5. What did you learn in doing this activity? Explain.

Answers:
1. The Code of Kalantiaw
Hoax: In the epic story of Maragtas, there was this mythical legal code called “The Code
of Kalantiaw,” authored, allegedly in 1433, by Datu Kalantiaw, Chief of the Island of
Negros. According to the epic story, the said legal code contained eighteen orders and
listed punishments for social and moral disobedience.

Truth: Besides lack of evidence, the mythical code was again fabricated by the con man
Jose E. Marco. In his 50-year career as a forger and a fraud, the Code of Kalantiaw
became the most successful.

“Bahagi ito ng isang set ng documents na ibinigay ni Jose E. Marco. Dahil sa tuwa na
ito ang mga pre-Hispanic documents about the Philippines, hindi na kinuwestiyon ‘yung
authenticity. So, tanggap lang nang tanggap at kasama dito ang Code of Kalantiaw,”
explained Dr. Victor Torres.

2. In the 1960s, historians and pundits had already started questioning the validity of the
document. In spite of its wide acceptance and publishing, the code was eventually
contended by historian William Henry Scott, who called it fraudulent in his Prehispanic
Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History back in 1968.

Marco, one of the pioneering historians who put forth the idea of the Code of Kalantiaw,
was later found to have many of his works rife with historical error, consistences, and
downright fabrications. One of them was the Code of Lakantiaw, which had no historical
basis upon further investigation. Another historian, the late great Teodoro Agoncillo
disputed the document during his time, as well.

Unfortunately, the Code of Lakantiaw would be deemed a historical fabrication. In the

early 2000s, then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dropped the Order of Kalantiaw
from the Honors Code of the Philippines, which sought "to create an order of
precedence of honors conferred and for other purposes.”

With finality, the National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of
the Philippines) officially confirmed that the Code of Kalantiaw was a hoax in 2004. NHI
Resolution No. 12 declared the Code of Kalantiaw invalid. With it, these were the
subsequent pronouncements:

•The Kalantiaw Code is a twentieth-century fraudulent work by Jose Marco;

•The President of the Philippines should cease to honor retiring Supreme Court justices
and other international dignitaries with the Order of Kalantiaw; and
•The revocation of Executive Order 234, which recognized Datu Bondahara Kalantiaw
as "The First Philippine Lawgiver."

3. The Code of Kalantiaw was revealed to be a fake by historians using a variety of

historical criticism techniques. When they examined the language and writing style of
the document to other historical works from the same era, they discovered that it did not
conform to the accepted writing styles of the time. The legal and cultural content of the
code was also examined, and they discovered discrepancies and errors that proved it
was a fake. The document had been faked and promoted for political reasons in the
early 20th century, they discovered after tracing the history of its discovery. So the
historical criticism they used is the external criticism because the validity and
authenticity of the source is being looked at here, the steps will be included here to
better see or ensure the authenticity of this source.

4. They used historical criticism to check its validity and authenticity. It has no historical
basis. There is no solid evidence that the said code was actually created. They found
out that Marco one of the pioneering historians who put forth the idea of the Code of
Kalantiaw, was later found to have many of his works rife with historical error,
consistences, and downright fabrications. So only then will you really wonder if the said
Code of Kalantiaw is true.

5. I learned a lot from this activity. Just like the ones we recognize as true, authentic and
valid that came from our history. But it didn't really happen in the first place or they didn't
make this source. I also learned that historical criticism can be used to assess the
validity and authenticity of sources from history.

Sources:
1. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/newstv/angpinaka/544140/top-10-hoaxes-in-
philippine-history/story/

2. https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/code-of-kalantiaw-hoax-history-facts-
a00007-20230717-lfrm