Readings in Philippine History

MEANING AND RELEVANCE

OF HISTORY

MARIFE DOMINNO ALVIENTO

Instructor
Hi Jerry. Hello Maam Bella, I have to write
What are you doing? an obituary for a dear friend of
mine who died.
Who died?
Oh no! I love History. He was such an interesting fellow.
People always mistake him only as Past but he was so much
more than past. History was all about connecting ideas and
felt like you learned something bigger and better.
 History?

Boring or uninteresting….

Enjoyable and helpful….

History was not perfect. He did not learn from his mistakes and
frequently repeated the occurrence. He acknowledged this flaw
and encouraged friends to learn from both his success and his
failures. Doctors could not determine History’s cause of death but
his friends’ suspect he died because of disappointment. History
must to learn or remember the lessons from his life.
Jerry, that was One thing is for sure. There would
beautiful! never be another like History.
The
End
Outline:

 Meaning of History
 Sources of History
 General Kinds of Historical Sources
 Historical Criticism
 Colonial Historiography
 Philippine Historiography After World War II
 Characteristics of Contemporary Philippine
Historiography
“In order to know the destiny of
the people, it is necessary to open
the book of its past.”
- Jose Rizal
 MEANING OF HISTORY

Pre-History - the period of history which existed

before there were any written records.

History
 study of past events presented in chronological order
and with explanation
 refers to the time period after the invention of written
records in a given culture or society
 MEANING OF HISTORY

 sanaysay na may saysay

 kwento na may kwenta
Historians - collect and evaluate information from
various primary sources to answer questions about
historical events.

Historiography - the practice of historical writing

and the changing interpretations of past events
through the historians' eyes.
Sources of History

Lesson
Navigator
SOURCES OF HISTORY

A. Documents
Diaries, letters,
drawings, and
memoirs--created by
those who participated
in or witnessed the
events of the past tell us
something that even the
best-written article or
book cannot convey.
SOURCES OF HISTORY

B. Archaeological Records
 The archaeological record is the body of physical
evidence about the past.
 Example includes pottery fragments, house
foundations, bones from butchered animals, art,
tools and clothing made by people of any place
and time.
SOURCES OF HISTORY

B. Archaeological Records
Fossils

artifacts
SOURCES OF HISTORY

B. Archaeological Records
•House
•Art / clothing
SOURCES OF HISTORY

C. Oral and Video Accounts

Oral history is the collection
and study of historical
information about people,
families, important events, or
everyday life using,
audiotapes, videotapes, or
transcriptions of planned
interviews
GENERAL KINDS OF HISTORICAL SOURCES
Primary Sources
It is a first-hand or contemporary
account of an event or topic.
These are the most direct
evidence of a time or event
because they were created by
people or things that were there
at the time or event.
Secondary Sources
Testimonies or resources
are narratives from people
who are not eyewitnesses,
information passed from
generation to generation.
HISTORICAL CRITICISM
External Criticism
It refers to the authenticity of the story or
document. The document must to assessed to
Note:
be genuine.
The hoax Code of
Kalantiaw
Internal Criticism
It refers to the credibility of the historian, facts Princess Urduja
and ideas. The writer need to determine if the
content is accurate.
 HISTORICAL CRITICISM
The hoax Laws of the Code of Kalantiaw:
List of 18 orders for the proper punishment of certain moral and social wrongdoings and misbehavior:

Example:
 Article I. For those who kill, steal, harm to the aged and incur the danger of demise will be
judged to death by being drowned in the river, or in boiling water.

 Article IV. Observe and obey; let no one disturb the quiet of the graves. When passing by
the caves and trees where they are, give respect to them. He who does not observe this
shall be killed by ants, or beaten to death with thorns.

 Article XIII. All these shall be exposed to ants for half a day: who kill black cats during a
new moon; or steal anything from the chiefs or agorangs, however small the object may
be.
 How History is made?

 Historians attempt to understand the past based

on proofs and evidences.
 Historical evidence that comes directly from
society is called primary source.
 Historians interpret the primary source to decide
what they actually tell us about the past
 How History is made?

Interpretation:
 The process of deciding on the meaning of a historical
source
 Based on these interpretations, historians attempt to
create a narrative (a story)about what happened in the
past
 Historical narratives and interpretations are known as
secondary sources.
 Historians

External Criticism
Primary
Sources
(D,AR,OV)
Internal Criticism

Secondary
Historiography Sources
 Colonial
Historiography

Lesson
Navigator
COLONIAL HISTORIOGRAPHY

Spaniards:
 barbaric” lifeways
 period of darkness or backwardness

American
 period of advancement or enlightenment
 “Americans - “civilized lifestyle”

 Jose Rizal - annotated Antonio de Morga’s

Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Events in the Philippine Islands)
 COLONIAL HISTORIOGRAPHY

 Filipinos perception about their colonial past:

maltreated by the “wicked Spain”

and
rescued by the “benevolent America”
 Philippine
Historiography After
World War II

Lesson
Navigator
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY
AFTER WORLD WAR II

Teodoro Agoncillo
 Pioneered nationalist historiography in the
country by highlighting the role of the
Filipino reformists and revolutionaries from
1872

 “History deals with the past, not with the future. We use
history to avoid the mistakes of the past, not to recreate the
very same events”
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY AFTER WORLD WAR II

Renato Constantino
 “people’s history”
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY AFTER WORLD WAR II

Zeus Salazar
 “Pantayong Pananaw”
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY AFTER WORLD WAR II

Reynaldo Ileto
 “history from below”
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY AFTER WORLD WAR II

Samuel Tan
 mainstreamed the role and relevance of
Filipino Muslims in the country’s national
history.
 Characterictis of
Contemporary Philippine
Historiography

Lesson
Navigator
Characteristics of Contemporary Philippine Historiography

 Political Narratives
 Colonial Histories
 Elite-centric Perspectives
 Patriarchal Orientation
 Emphasis on Lowland Christianized
Filipinos
Characteristics of Contemporary Philippine Historiography

Political Narratives
 Most of our national histories today favor narratives deals with
political aspects of nation-building such as the legacies of political
leaders etc.

 The challenge to the present-day historian is to present a more

holistic history that goes beyond politics by means of integrating
other aspects of nation-building such as its economic and cultural
aspects.
Characteristics of Contemporary Philippine Historiography

Colonial Histories
 The weakness of most national histories is the importance given
to colonial histories. This continues to breed Filipinos who are
more familiar with stories about our colonial history rather
than stories of our pre-colonial past.
Characteristics of Contemporary Philippine Historiography

Elite-centric Perspectives
 Some historical narratives focus on the contribution of
the elite in nation-building (ilustrados or the educated
Filipinos)
 Historians like Constantino said that the roles played
by ordinary people in our country should also be
recognized.
 Characteristics of Contemporary Philippine
Historiography

Patriarchal Orientation
 Historical narratives highlight the heroism of men
 Women are viewed by several historians as merely
support to men such as Gabriela Silang, Tandang Sora
and Corazon Aquino
 Characteristics of Contemporary Philippine
Historiography
Emphasis on Lowland Christianized Filipinos
 Celebrated figures of our past are all lowlander Christians
predominantly Tagalogs including Jose Rizal; Andres Bonifacio and
Emilio Aguinaldo.
 Non-Christians and highlanders remain unrecognized in historical
narratives. Muslim Filipinos, have been subjected to negative
characterization by lowland Christians in published works such as
history books.
 Muslim Filipinos are depicted as brutal, cruel, ferocious, and
vicious
 Link it!

Search the internet for online archives and libraries on Philippine

history and culture. Explore ways of getting historical information
from varied digital sources. Present your findings in a power point
presentation with profiles of web sites detailing their collection of
sources and providing important information on how to access
their files.
 Bring it on!

1. What are the benefits of using primary sources?

2. Why do you think most history textbooks are secondary sources?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of accessing online
primary sources?
4. What are the challenges of understanding our country’s past
mindful of the problems that characterize the writing of our
national history?
 Level up!

The team is composed of four to five students who will take part in an
annual conference of Filipino historians aimed to analyze the country’s
national symbols utilizing primary sources. Your group should be able to
explain the meaning of the different symbols and colors of the Philippine
flag by showing excerpts of the English translation of the country’s
declarations of independence originally written in Spanish. Then you are
to compare and contrast the past and present meanings that we attach
to the symbols and colors of the Philippine flag. Your presentation will be
graded based on accuracy of information and flow of presentation.
 Level up!

2. You work at a broadcasting company. Your station manager has

selected you to annotate for a video highlighting the recollection of
veterans during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos.
You have to conduct an interview or a series of interviews with an
individual or group of individuals who were witnesses to the
changes in Philippine society between 1965 and 1986. Write your
script for a three-minute video presentation. Your presentation will
be graded based on its content, creativity, and impact.
 Level up!

3. You have been assigned to write a brief history about your family,
organization, school, or village. The objective of the project is to
examine the available primary documents such as letters, minutes
of the meeting, pictures, and other memorabilia that you can use
in making a historical account. It is important to identify and
explain the turning points or highlights of your historical narrative.
Your paper will be graded based on extensiveness of the primary
documents to be utilized and organization of the historical
account.
Thank you!
z

MARIFE DOMINNO ALVIENTO, MDA

Social Science Instructor
alvientojdaniel@gmail.com / 09171370268