xREADINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Ateneo de Naga University

Naga City

Midterm Exam
Please answer the following. Explain your answers well, show you have read the assigned readings and
other materials by citing from them when needed to back up your claims. Minimum of 5 sentences for
questions that require explanation. For items that require illustrations, provide a short description of your
drawing.)

PART I. MAKING SENSE OF PRIMARY SOURCES

1. If you were transported in time to 1521 Cebu or Mactan would you be able to communicate? Or as a
21st century Tagalog-speaker would you need an interpreter?

Of the three extant French manuscripts of Antonio Pigafetta's chronicle of the Magellan Expedition, the
most beautiful is that preserved in Yale University that has a list of words after Chapter 28 (aftermath of
the Battle of Mactan) taken down by Pigafetta. Can you make sense of the words in the document?

Example I can buy things at the market too because the numbers are: uzza, dua, tolo, upat, lima, onom,
pitto, gualu, ciam, and polo. Spelled differently but sounds familiar. (10 points)

Source: Dr. Ambeth Ocampo

1. I can make words sense: Coco, Pussud, Utin, Boto, Billat, Paha,
Tuhud, Asin, Tuba, Babui, Luia, and Zzucha! Not bad. This is the one of
the exercises in reading Primary Source for my undergraduate class.
Students may not know the 16th century French but they can still make
sense of it.

2. Make an inference on the following illustration of our precolonial ancestors

featured in the BOXER CODEX and the Balangay ( 20 points)
 1. The first photo shows Naturales Tagalos Noble couple. “The women carry much
gold jewelry because they are richer than the Bisayans. Men and Women also wear
many bracelets and chains of gold in their arms. They are not used to wearing them
on the legs. Women likewise wear around their necks golden chains like the men
do”

2. The second photo shows “The Bisayans are accustomed to paint their bodies with
some very elegant tattoos. They do this with iron or brass rods, the points of which
are heated on fire. These are done in the manner illuminations, painting all parts of
the body, such as the chest, the stomach, legs, arms, shoulders, hands, and muscles,
and among some, the posteriors.”

3. The third photo shows The Balangay holds a significant place in the history of the
Philippines, symbolizing the country's rich maritime culture and exploration. This
lashed-lug boat, built by joining planks edge-to-edge using pins, dowels, and fiber
lashings, served as a trading ship until the colonial era. The Balangays origin and
construction technique, known as the sewn-plank technique, highlight the ingenuity
of Filipino craftsmen. The oldest known Balangay boats, the Butuan boats date back
to 320 AD and were the first wooden watercraft excavated in Southeast Asia.

3. Read the Recopilación de Leyes de los Reinos de las Indias. Based on the
information you gathered from the primary account, Draw/Illustrate the
Reduccion. ( 30 points)
The following is an English translation of the original Spanish legislations found in the Recopilacion de
Leyes de los Reinos de las Indias or the Laws of the Indies concerning the establishment of the
Reducciones. The Reducción is the process of transferring the natives to a particular settlement. It was
also used to designate the place where the settlement was established. The Recopilacion is a compilation
of the different laws promulgated by the Queen or the King of Spain and were legislated to guide the
Spaniards in the colonies as to their behavior towards the natives. It was first released as a compilation in
1680 under King Carlos II. The legislation below can be found in Book VI, Title III and provided
guidelines for the establishment of towns or pueblos. The copies of the laws were said to have been
provided and translated by Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933), an American anthropologist specializing in Aztec
Mexican cultures. The legislations are of importance to the Philippines since these are the same
legislations used in the establishment of the towns until the 19th century, immediately before the
Revolution of 1896. It thus created a new landscape besides the social and economic changes throughout
the period of Spanish colonization.

Excerpt: On arriving at the locality where the new settlement is to be founded, the plan of the place, with
its squares, streets and building lots is to be outlined by means of measuring by cord and ruler, beginning
with the main square from which streets are to run to the gates and principal roads and leaving sufficient
open space so that even if the town grows it can always spread in a symmetrical manner. Having thus laid
out the chosen site the settlement is to be founded the following form.

The chosen site shall be on an elevation; healthful; with means of fortification; fertile and with
plenty of land for farming and pasturage; fuel and timber; fresh water, a native population,
commodiousness; resources of convenient access and egress. It shall be open to the north wind. If on the
coast, care is to be taken that the sea does not lie to the south or west of the harbor. If possible, the port is
not to be near lagoons or marshes in which poisonous animals and corruption of air and water breed.

In the case of a sea coast town, the main plaza is to be the starting point for the building of the
town, is to be situated near the landing place of the port. In inland towns the main plaza should be in the
center of the town and of an oblong shape, its length being equal to at least one and half times its width,
as this proportion is best for festivals in which horses are used and any other celebrations which have to
be held.

The size of the plaza shall be in proportion to the number of residents, heed being given to the
fact that towns of Indians, being new are bound to grow and it is intended that they shall 37 do so.
Therefore, the plaza is to be planned with reference to the possible growth of the town. It shall not be
smaller than two hundred feet wide and three hundred feet long nor larger than eight hundred feet long
and three hundred feet wide. A well proportionated medium size plaza is not six hundred feet long and
four hundred feet wide.

From the plaza, the four principal streets are to diverge, one from the middle of each of its sides
and two streets are to meet at each of its corners. The four corners of the plaza are to face the four points
of the compass, because thus the streets diverging from the plaza will not be directly exposed to the four
principal winds, which could cause much inconvenience.

The whole plaza and the four main streets diverging from it shall have arcades, for these are a
great convenience for those who resort thither for trade. The eight streets which run into the plaza at its
four corners are to do so freely without being obstructed by the arcades of the plaza. These arcades are to
end at the corners in such a way that the sidewalks of the streets can evenly join those of the plaza.

In cold climates, the streets shall be wide; in hot climates narrow, however, for purposes of
defense and where horses are kept the streets had better be wide.

The other streets laid out consecutively around the plaza are to be so planned that even if the town
should increase considerably in size it would meet with no obstruction which might disfigure what had
already been built or be a detriment to the defense or convenience of the town.
At certain distances in the town smaller, well proportion plazas are to be laid out on which the
main church, the parish church or monastery shall be built so that the teaching of religious doctrine may
be evenly distributed.

If the town lies on the coast, its main church shall be so situated that it may be visible from the
landing place and so built that its structure may serve as means of defense for the port itself.

After the plaza and streets have been laid out building lots are to be designated, in the first place,
for the erection of the main church, the parish church or monastery and these are to occupy respectively
and entire block so that no other structure can be built next to them excepting such as contribute to their
commodiousness or beauty. Immediately afterwards the place and site are to be assigned for the Royal
and Town Council House, the Custom House and Arsenal which is to be close to the church and port so
that in case of necessity one can protect the other. The hospital for the poor and sick of noncontagious
diseases shall be built next to the church forming its cloister.

The primary account of the Law of the Indies is an account written by Bartolome de las
Casas, a Spanish Dominican friar is a moving and shocking account of the atrocities and
mistreatment suffered by the indigenous people of South America under Spanish colonial
rule.

4. Analyze the role of women in leading the spiritual life of the barangay. (10
points)

The natives in particular settlement was established the Recopilacion is a

compilation of the different laws promulgated by the Queen of Spain in 1680,
She had asked the Indians being new are bound to grow and it is intended that
they shall to do so. At certain distances in the town smaller, well proportion
plazas are to be laid out on which the parish church or monastery and these
are to occupy respectively and entire block so that no other structure can be
built next to them excepting such as contribute to their commodiousness or
beauty.

Women regardless of state or condition, should on her own authority make a

new settlement or hamlet in barangay areas already discovered. If Women
were found without our license and approval or by those who had our power
to give it, Women would face a death penalty and loss of all her possessions to
our coffers.

5. Examining the Annotation of Morga’s Succesos de las Isla Filipina, Was

Jose Rizal a Historian? ( 10 points)

Rizal was an earnest seeker of truth and this marked him as a great historian.
Jose Rizal believed that Filipinos had contributed in part to the decline of the
Philippine rich culture and tradition before the Spanish occupation. He
attested to this theory when he discovered Dr. Antonio De Morga’s Sucesos de
las Islas Filipinas in Europe, wherein it contained the hand-copied 351 pages of
the book with annotation of every chapter. He then decided to undertake the
annotation of Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas, making it a
reliable source for historians studying the colonial period in the Philippines. At
his own expense, Rizal had the work republished with annotations that showed
that the Philippines was an advanced civilization prior to Spanish civilization.
Rizal was greatly impressed by Morga’s work that he, himself, decided to
annotate it and publish a new edition.

Grading Rubric for MIDTERM Exam

EXCELLENT PROFICIENT GOOD NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT

INTEGRATION OF The answer The answer The answer The answer does not
KNOWLEDGE demonstrates that demonstrates that demonstrates that demonstrate that the
(25%) the student fully the student, for the the student, to a student has fully
understands and most part, certain extent, understood and applied
has applied understands and has understands and concepts learned in the
concepts learned applied concepts has applied course.
in the course. learned in the course concepts learned
Concepts are objectives. Some of in the topics
integrated into the the conclusions, discussed.
writer’s own however, are not
insights. The supported in the
writer provides body of the answer.
concluding
remarks that show
analysis and
synthesis of ideas.

TOPIC The answer is The answer is The answer is too The answer is not
FOCUS (20%) focused narrowly focused but lacks broad for the clearly defined.
enough for the direction. The scope of the
scope of the answer explains a question.
question. A thesis specific topic but the
statement writer has not
provides direction established a
for the answer, position
either by
statement of a
position or
hypothesis.
DEPTH OF In-depth In-depth discussion The writer has Cursory discussion in
DISCUSSION (25%) discussion & & elaboration in omitted pertinent all the sections of the
elaboration in all most sections of the content or content paragraph or brief
sections of the paragraph. runs-on discussion in only a few
paragraph. excessively. sections.
Quotations from
others outweigh
the writer’s own
ideas excessively.

COHESIVENESS (20%) Ties together For the most part, Sometimes ties Does not tie together
information from ties together together information. The
class discussions information from information from answer does not flow
and activities. The class discussions all sources.the and appears to be
answer flows from and activities. The answer does not created from disparate
one issue to the answer flows with flow - issues. There are
next. Student only some disjointedness is inconsistencies in
demonstrates an disjointedness. apparent. Student linking concepts.
understanding of Student does not Student does not
the relationship demonstrates an demonstrate an demonstrate
among concepts understanding of understanding of understanding any
obtained from the relationship the relationship relationships
class discussions, among concepts among concepts
activities and obtained from class obtained from
reading materials. discussion, class discussion,
activities, and activities, and
reading materials. reading materials..

SPELLING and No spelling &/or Minimal spelling Noticeable spelling Unacceptable number
GRAMMAR (10%) grammar mistakes. &/or grammar & grammar of spelling and/or
mistakes. mistakes. grammar mistakes.