LESSON 6
Philippine Independence
“Between stimulus and response, there is
a space. In that space is our power to
choose our response. In our response lies
our growth and our freedom."
- Vicktor Emil Frankl (Austrian neurologist
and psychiatrist)
Freedom is among the rights that Filipinos
did not enjoy during the Spanish rule. It
was a struggle for the Philippine
revolutionary
leaders
to
achieve
independence from foreign power. The
Filipinos fought countless battles,
resulting to bloody revolutions since the
19th century under the Spanish
government. The Filipino forces were
persistent to achieve independence for the
country.
In 1896, the Philippine Revolution started,
which incriminated Jose Rizal resulting to
his execution on allegations of treason and
rouse the Katipunan in Cavite to organize
in two groups creating conflict. At the
break of the Spanish-American war, the
Filipino leaders saw the war between
Spain and America as an opportunity to
free the Philippines from the claws of the
Spanish colony; hence, supported the
United States with military forces
including indispensable intelligence.
America summoned Aguinaldo to return
to the Philippines from exile and with
confidence towards the pleasant US
relations,
Aguinaldo
anticipated
independence from Spain with the help of
America. Returning to the Philippines and
leading the Filipino troops to hold the fort
of Luzon with success except for
Intramuros, Aguinaldo declared the
Philippine Independence from the Spanish
colonial government on June 12, 1898
under the First Philippine Republic.
The Philippine National flag was held up,
and swayed proudly before the joyous
cries of the Filipinos by 4:20 in the
afternoon at General Aguinaldo's balcony
of his mansion in Kawit, Cavite.
Albeit, the fact that Spain lost the battle to
the Filipino troops, Admiral George Dewey
schemed to convince the Spaniards to
surrender to America. It was an act of
betrayal by America that no sooner shortlived the celebration of Philippine
independence when America annexed the
Spanish colonies to include the
Philippines. The Filipino forces were
determined to continue their efforts
against imperialist power leading to a
bloody fight against the American Army in
February 1899 when America refused to
grant Philippines the long-sought
Independence.
The Philippine-American War erupted in
February 4, 1899 in the struggle of the
Filipinos for freedom conflicting with the
interests of America to become a world
power by establishing overseas empire to
include the Philippines under the US
imperial rule.
The Filipino forces applied conventional,
then guerrilla tactics in fighting against the
US army as they become fully aware, under
the leadership of General Emilio
Aguinaldo, of the strength of the US
military heavily equipped with superior
firearms.
Although, General Aguinaldo was captured
in 1901, the insurgencies, particularly by
the Muslim Moros in the Southern part of
the Philippines continued. Nonetheless,
America was preparing Philippines for
independence that started with the
creation of civil government. The US
President Woodrow Wilson promised
Philippine Independence and started to
entrust authority over Filipino leaders
with the establishment of the Philippine
Senate by a democratic election. The
Philippine Commonwealth, with elected
President Manuel L. Quezon, was
instituted in 1935 under the TydingsMcDuffie Act that granted Philippines its
self-government, although the legislative
power was not absolute, which still
required approval from the US President.
At that time, it was a good start towards
the eventual Philippine Independence.
When the events were gearing towards
Philippine independence as promised by
the United States of America, the Japanese
invasion and occupation bolstered in a
surprise. Bataan was surrendered to the
Japanese but President Quezon along with
Osmena fled to America. World War Il
broke out that created immense damage to
Filipinos with roughly about one million
casualties. After the war, Manuel Roxas
was elected President in April 1946 for the
independent Second Republic of the
Philippines. In a formal declaration, the
American flag was lowered in Luneta,
Manila and raised the Filipino National flag
in tri-color of red, white, and blue looked
up
by
proud
Filipinos.
Finally,
independence was granted to the Republic
of the Philippines dated July 4, 1946. The
National anthem of the Philippines was
played next to America's. It was indeed a
moment of liberating glory, for all Filipinos
after pools of blood were shed in many
revolutions.
July 4, however, holds less inspiration for
the Filipinos according to the elected
President of the Republic of the
Philippines in 1961, Diosdado Macapagal.
Macapagal believes that the June 12, 1896
declaration
of
the
Philippine
independence
by
General
Emilio
Aguinaldo brings to memory the heroes of
the revolution and therefore, Philippine
independence is best commemorated in
honor of the Filipino revolutionary heroes.
Hence, President Macapagal changed the
date of celebration of the Philippine
independence from July 4 to June 12,
which the Filipinos celebrate each year up
to this time. Continue to The Philippines
During Martial Law.
The Malolos Congress
Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree on July
18, 1898 asking for the election of
delegates to the revolutionary congress,
another decree was promulgated five days
later, which declared that Aguinaldo
would appoint representatives of congress
because holding elections is not practical
at that time. He appointed 50 delegates in
all (but this number fluctuated from time
to time). In accordance with these two
decrees, Aguinaldo assembled the
Revolutionary Congress at the Brasoain
Church in Malolos, Bulacan on September
15, 1898.
The atmosphere was festive and the Pasig
Band played the national anthem. After
Aguinaldo had read his speech
congressional elections were held among
the delegates present. The following were
among the most important achievements
of the Malolos Congress:
1. In September 29, 1898, ratified the
declaration
of
Philippine
independence held at Kawit, Cavite
on June 12, 1898
2. Passage of a law that allowed the
Philippines to borrow P20 million
from banks for government
expenses
3. Establishment of the Universidad
Literatura de Filipinas and other
schools
4. Drafting
of
the
Philippine
Constitution
5. Declaring war against the United
States on June 12, 1899
Malolos Constitution
First Philippine Republic
A committee headed by Felipe Calderon
and aided by Cayetano Arellano, the
constitution was drafted, for the first time
by representatives of the Filipino people
and it is the first republican constitution in
Asia. The constitution was inspired by the
constitutions of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa
Rica, Brazil, Belgium and France. After
some minor revisions (mainly due to the
objections of Apolinario Mabini), the final
draft of the constitution was presented to
Aguinaldo. This paved the way to
launching the first Philippine Republic. It
established a democratic, republication
government with three branches - the
Executive, Legislative and the Judicial
branches. It called for the separation of
church and state. The executive powers
were to be exercise by the president of the
republic with the help of his cabinet.
Judicial powers were given to the Supreme
Court and other lower courts to be created
by law. The Chief justice of the Supreme
Court was to be elected by the legislature
with the concurrence of the President and
his Cabinet.
The first Philippine Republic was
inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan on
January 21, 1899. After being proclaimed
president, Emilio Aguinaldo took his oath
of office. The constitution was read article
by article and followed by a military
parade. Apolinario Mabini was elected as a
prime minister. The other cabinet
secretaries were: Teodoro Sandico,
interior; Baldomero Aguinaldo, war; Gen.
Mariano Trias, finance & war; Apolinario
Mabini, foreign affairs; Gracio Gonzaga for
welfare,
Aguedo
Velarde,
public
instruction; Maximo Paterno, public works
& communication; and Leon Maria
Guerrero for agriculture, trade &
commerce.
The Philippine National Anthem
Aguinaldo commissioned Julian Felipe, a
composer from Cavite province was asked
to write an instrumental march for the
proclamation of independence ceremony.
The original title was "Marcha Filipina
Magdalo". This was later changed to
"Marcha Nacional Filipina". The lyrics was
added in August 1899 based on the poem
titled "Filipinas" by Jose Palma. The
original lyrics was written in Spanish, then
to English (when the Flag Law was
abolished during the American period)
then later, was translated to Tagalog,
which underwent another change of title
to "Lupang Hinirang", the Philippine
National Anthem.
Summary
In 1896, the Philippine Revolution started,
which incriminated Jose Rizal resulting to
his execution on allegations of treason and
rouse the Katipunan in Cavite to organize
in two groups creating conflict.
Aguinaldo declared the Philippine
Independence from the Spanish colonial
government on June 12, 1898 under the
First Philippine Republic.
The Philippine National flag was held up,
and swayed proudly before the joyous
cries of the Filipinos by 4:20 in the
afternoon at General Aguinaldo's balcony
of his mansion in Kawit, Cavite.
The Philippine-American War erupted in
February 4, 1899 in the struggle of the
Filipinos for freedom conflicting with the
interests of America.
Independence was granted to the Republic
of the Philippines dated July 4, 1946.
June 12, 1896 declaration of the Philippine
independence
by
General
Emilio
Aguinaldo.
The first Philippine Republic was
inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan on
January 21, 1899.
Aguinaldo commissioned Julian Felipe, a
composer from Cavite province was asked
to write an an instrumental march for the
proclamation of independence ceremony.
The original title was "Marcha Filipina
Magdalo". This was later changed to
"Marcha Nacional Filipina". The lyrics was
added in August 1899 based on the poem
titled "Filipinas" by Jose Palma.
June 12, 1896 declaration of the Philippine
independence
by
General
Emilio
Aguinaldo.
The first Philippine Republic was
inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan on
January 21, 1899.
Aguinaldo commissioned Julian Felipe, a
composer from Cavite province was asked
to write an an instrumental march for the
proclamation of independence ceremony.
The original title was
"Marcha Filipina Magdalo". This was later
changed to "Marcha Nacional Filipina".
The lyrics was added in August 1899
based on the poem titled "Filipinas" by
Jose Palma.
LESSON 7
Filipino-American Relations
"At the same time, as social beings, we are
moved in the relations with our fellow
beings by such feelings as sympathy, pride,
hate, need for power, pity, and so on"
-Albert Einstein
The Treaty of Paris, signed on 10
December 1898, transferred ownership of
the Philippines from Spain to the United
States at the cost of 20 million dollars.
Jones Law, or the Philippine Autonomy Act
of 1916, stipulated independence of the
Philippines as soon as a stable government
was established. It declared the purpose of
the United States to end its sovereignty
over the country.
Tydings-Mcduffie Act, or the Philippine
Independence
Act,
defined
the
establishment of a formal Philippine
constitution
by
a
constitutional
convention.
Through the 1935 Constitution, the
Philippines, from 1935 to 1946, adopted a
Commonwealth
government,
which
served as a transitional administration
that would prepare the country for its
independence.
On 4 July 1946, the United States granted
the Philippines its independence, but on
certain conditions.
The US colonization of the Philippines was
couched in President William McKinley's
"benevolent assimilation," which meant
that the I-JS domination was all for
civilizing the Filipinos. The mission was
considered "the white man's burden."
The first 600 American teachers, called the
Thomasites, would teach young Filipinos
the English language and, with it, the
American culture.
The Balangiga Massacre in 1901 turned a
town in Samar into a "howling
wilderness."
The US liberation of Manila during World
War Il left thee city in ruins, as the USAFFE
dropped bombs after bombs to expel the
Japanese forces.
A year later, in 1946, the Philippines was
granted its independence.
In 1947, an agreement was made to give
the United States a 99-year lease for the
continued operation of its military bases in
the Philippines.
The Mutual Defense Treaty was a treaty
made in 1951, indicating support for each
other in case the United States or the
Philippines was attacked by an external
party.
The US military bases in the Far East were
strategic locations for the Cold War that
ensued right after World War ll. The
Philippines became its strongest ally in
fighting the threat of Communism or
anything that resembled it.
On Philippine soil, the United States
sponsored the presidency of Ramon
Magsaysay to quell the peasant-formed
Huk Rebellion (Karnow, 1989, pp. 34647).
Aiding the Philippine government, the US
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
deployed a psychological warfare in which
the Huk rebels were made to believe that
an aswang was hunting them (Derain,
2017).
Extending its war on terror in the
Philippines, the US sent its troops to
Basilan and Zamboanga to hunt the Abu
Sayyaf group.
In 2014, President Benigno Aquino Ill
signed the Enhanced Defence Cooperation
Agreement (EDCA) with US President
Barrack Obama.
The US maintained and operated the major
bases, such as the Clark Air Base, until
1991, in a historic Senate vote that
rejected the treaty to extend the presence
of the US military bases in the Philippines
(Simbulan, 2018).
EDCA aims to promote peace and security
in the region by reaffirming the
relationship between the US and the
Philippines; improve inter-operability of
the two country's armed forces; promote
the country's long- term modernization;
maintain
maritime
security;
and
strengthen humanitarian assistance in
response to natural disasters.
Post-US bases era
Other provisions in EDCA:
Filipino-American relations mainly focus
on economic and commercial ties, for a
time.
The Joint US Military Assistance Group
handed military equipment to the
Philippine Marine Corps.
In 1996, President Fidel Ramos declared 4
July
as
the
Philippine-American
Friendship Day.
The EDCA agreement also does not allow
any nuclear weapon to be stored in
Philippine territory.
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) is a
new agreement between the two countries
to resume their bilateral military exercises
and enhance defense cooperation. The US
conducted ship visits to Philippine ports,
and combined military exercises with the
Philippine military. VFA remains in place
until both parties agree to terminate it.
The agreement is effective for the period of
ten years, unless otherwise terminated by
either party.
In 2002, President Gloria MacapagalArroyo expressed support for the US war
on terror and hosted the first Balikatan
Exercises, a yearly joint exercises of the
Philippine and US army.
In his 2017 State of the Nation Address,
President Rodrigo Duterte demanded for
the return of the Balangiga Bells. The US
allowed the reparations provided that "the
transfer is in the national security interest
of the United States of America." After 117
years, the bells were finally returned, on
15 December 2018.
Duterte further insisted that the United
States apologize for all its atrocities in the
Philippines and that the Americans treat
the country as its equal and sovereign,
perhaps signaling "a substantive change in
our perceptions of the special relationship
with the United States" (Ileto, 2017, p.
310).
On 16 July 2019, at the 8th Bilateral
Strategic Dialogue, the two countries
signed the Philippines-US Alliance
Fellowship. Funded by the United States,
the fellowship sends two Filipino scholars
to the US every year to study national
security and international relations.
In a lecture given by the writer Gina
Apostol, she explores the Filipino's
ambivalent relationship with the United
States. The US, for being both an ally and
nemesis, is what she would call as our
"frenemy" (Apostol 2015).
Summary
The Treaty of Paris, signed on 10
December 1898, transferred ownership of
the Philippines from Spain to the United
States at the cost of 20 million dollars.
Jones Law, or the Philippine Autonomy
Act, of 1916 declared the purpose of the US
to end its colonial rule over the country.
Tydings-Mcduffie Act
defined the
establishment of a formal Philippine
constitution
by
a
constitutional
convention.
On 4 July 1946, the Philippines was
declared independent.
Mutual Defense Treaty was a treaty made
in 1951, indicating support to each other
in case the US or the Philippines was
attacked by an external party.
The US-Philippines relations after the War
was mainly economical and military in
purpose In September 1991, the Senate
rejected the proposal to extend LIS
military bases in the country.
Nonetheless, the Philippine government
continues to make ways to strengthen its
relationship with the US and express
support in bilateral ties between the two
countries.
June 12, 1896 declaration of the Philippine
independence
by
General
Emilio
Aguinaldo.
The first Philippine Republic was
inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan on
January 21, 1899.
Aguinaldo commissioned Julian Felipe, a
composer from Cavite province was asked
to write an an instrumental march for the
proclamation of independence ceremony.
The original title was
"Marcha Filipina Magdalo". This was later
changed to "Marcha Nacional Filipina".
The lyrics was added in August 1899
based on the poem titled "Filipinas" by
Jose Palma.
LESSON 8
Origin of the Filipino Race
"every man has a map in his heart of his
own country and that the heart will never
allow you to forget this map. (p. 18)"
—Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1
Ladies' Detective Agency
Demographics of the Philippines
According to the 2000 Census, the
population of the Philippines was
76,504,077. The Aeta, who are genetically
akin to Andamanese islanders and are
known as the aboriginal inhabitants of the
Philippines, constituting a distinct stock,
number somewhere between 20,000 and
30,000 people (<0.03 percent). The
overwhelming majority of the population
(95 percent), known as ethnic Filipinos,
are made up of various ethnolinguistic
groups
descended
from
later
Austronesian-speaking migrants who
arrived in successive waves to the
archipelago from Taiwan and admixed
with other sporadic migrations from the
Asian mainland (what is today southern
China).
The most significant foreign ethnic
minority are the Chinese, who have played
an important role in commerce since the
9th century when they first arrived in the
Philippines for trade. Mestizos, those of
mixed race, form a tiny but economically
and politically important minority. The
most widely spoken language is Filipino,
which is based on Tagalog, although
thirteen regional languages are spoken as
vernaculars throughout the Philippines.
English serves as the primary lingua
franca and as the language of commerce
and the professions. Christianity is the
main religion in the archipelago, with
Roman Catholicism making up the
majority. A small but significant minority
profess Islam, particularly in the southern
Philippines. The people of the Philippines
are known as Filipinos. Throughout the
colonial era the term "Filipino" originally
referred to only the Spanish and Spanishmestizo minority. The definition, however,
was later changed to include the entire
population of the Philippines regardless of
ethnic origin.
Ethnic Groups
The majority of the people in the
Philippines are of Austronesian descent
who migrated from Taiwan during the
Iron Age. They are called ethnic Filipinos.
The largest Filipino ethnic groups include
the Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano,
Kapampangan, Maranao, Maguindanao,
and Tausug. About 8% of all Filipinos of
Austronesian descent are tribal peoples.
The aborigines of the Philippines, called as
Aeta, who are descended from Negritos of
the Andaman Islands, now constitute only
0.003% of the entire population.
Significant foreign minorities include the
ethnic Chinese, Americans, and the South
Asians (mostly Sindh and Pakistani). Other
foreign ethnicities in the country include
Spaniards, other Europeans (mostly
British and Dutch), Koreans, Japanese,
Indonesians, and Arabs.
Various degrees of intermarriage between
ethnic groups have resulted in the
formation of a new vibrant class of
peoples, collectively known as Filipino
Mestizos. According to a Stanford
University small-n study, only about 3.6%
of all Filipinos have European genes, most
probably Spanish.
Languages
A total of one hundred seventy-two native
languages and dialects are spoken, all
belonging to the Austronesian linguistic
family. Since 1939, in an effort to develop
national unity, the government has
promoted the use of the official national
language, Tagalog.
Visayan (also pronounced Bisayan) is
widely spoken throughout the middle
islands known as the Visayans and in
many areas of Mindanao. English is the
predominant non-native language. Other
foreign languages spoken are Chinese
(Hokkien) and Cantonese Chinese, among
the
Chinese
and
Chinese-mestizo
population; Arabic and Malay among some
members of the Muslim population; and
Spanish preserved and spoken by some
families within the Spanish-mestizo
minority.
Most Filipinos speak at least two
languages. Many speak three or more
fluently. Most children begin studying
Tagalog and English when they start
kindergarten, regardless of what their
local language is.
Religion
According to the 2000 Census, 81.04% of
all Filipinos are Roman Catholics, while
5.06% are adherents of Islam in the
Philippines, and 2.82% are Born Again
Christians. The remaining 11.08% include
the Iglesia ni Cristo, Aglipayan, Mormon
adherents, as well as that of other minority
religions, such as Buddhism and
Hinduism.
Roman Catholics and Protestants were
converted during 425 years of Western
domination by Spain and the United States.
377 years of Spanish rule was responsible
for converting the majority of the people
to Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism
still subsists as a major religion. Often still,
Catholic Filipinos mix Catholic beliefs and
traditions with beliefs in ghosts and other
spirits. Protestant denominations were
introduced to the Philippines primarily
during the 37 years of American
occupation.
Islam was brought to the Sulu Archipelago
in the 9th century by Makhdum Karim, an
Arab trader, and to Mindanao island by
Rajah
Kabungsuwan,
a
Malaccan
nobleman. From then onwards, Muslim
princes carried on expeditions to
propagate Islam. While Islam was easily
displaced among the peoples of Luzon and
the Visayas, it gained a stronghold in
Mindanao.
Other religions include Mahayana
Buddhism, followed by many Filipinos of
Chinese descent. It is often mixed with
Taoist and Confucianist beliefs, and
Hinduism and Sikhism, followed by
Filipinos of Indo-Aryan descent.
Animism is still prevalent among the
highland peoples of Cordillera and
Mindanao.
Cultural Heritage refers to "the totality of
cultural
property
preserved
and
developed through time and passed on to
posterity" (RA 10066).
"Heritage is our legacy from the past, what
we live with today, and what we pass on to
future generations" (World Heritage
Commission, UNESCO).
The World Heritage List includes six
Philippines properties:
• Tubbataha Reef National Marine
Park
• Rice Terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras
• Historic City of Vigan
• Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River
National Park
• Baroque Churches of the Philippines
• Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife
Sanctuary
Tangible Heritage
Environment (natural landscapes and
coastal and inland water sources) Flora
and fauna. Man-made structures.
•
•
•
•
Philippine Eagle
Chocolate Hills: Carmen, Bohol.
Urban Heritage Site: Vigan.
Oldest House: 1730 Jesuit House,
Cebu.
• Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church:
Miag-ao, Iloilo.
• Wood carvings.
• Philippine Literatures: Noli Me
Tangere, Ibong Mandaragit, Nick
Joaquin.
Intangible Heritage
Culture (traditions,
trades, and skills)
customs,
values,
1. Cuisine
"Philippine foodways clearly reflect
Philippine history: the foreign influences
being indigenized into a changing culture.
An exploration of these patterns will
obviously provide a key to the
understanding of national identity. The
study of food as culture within the context
of colonization leads to an understanding
of the fate of the local culture under the
hegemony of the dominant cultures of the
colonizers" (Doreen Fernandez, Tikim)
2. Language
"In Tagalog, emotion is dalamhati
(literally, "inside the liver") and intense
feelings of grief, yearning, and happiness
are pighati, lunggati, and luwalhati (Resil
Mojares, "Heart and Liver”).
Article 1, Policies and Principles, Sec. 2
of the National Cultural Heritage Act of
2009 declares that the State shall foster
the preservation, enrichment, and
dynamic evolution of a Filipino culture
based on the principle and unity in
diversity in a climate of free artistic and
intellectual expression.
According to the Heritage Conservation
Society, "conservation" entails "all the
processes and measures of maintaining
the cultural significance of a cultural
property, including, but not limited to,
preservation, reconstruction, protection,
adaptation, or any combination thereof.
Related institutions, entities, and laws
• Historic Preservation Division,
under the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines)
• National Commission for Culture
and the Arts
• Heritage Conservation Society (Nongovernment Organization)
• Republic Act no. 10066, or the
National Cultural Heritage Act of
2009
Benefits of Cultural Conservation
"When cultural heritage is appreciated,
enhanced and enriched, socio-cultural,
religious, political and economic gains are
manifested... The value of cultural heritage
is seen in the strengthening of the sense of
national, regional and local identity, as its
value is complementary to other goods
and services in which the external
benefits-as part of the education and
acculturation of the young" (Dick Netzer).
Summary
The Treaty of Paris, signed on 10
December 1898, transferred ownership of
the Philippines from Spain to the United
States at the cost of 20 million dollars.
Jones Law, or the Philippine Autonomy
Act, of 1916 declared the purpose of the US
to end its colonial rule over the country.
Tydings-Mcduffie Act
defined the
establishment of a formal Philippine
constitution
by
a
constitutional
convention.
On 4 July 1946, the Philippines was
declared independent.
Mutual Defense Treaty was a treaty made
in 1951, indicating support to each other
in case the US or the Philippines was
attacked by an external party.
The US-Philippines relations after the War
was mainly economical and military in
purpose In September 1991, the Senate
rejected the proposal to extend US military
bases in the country.
Nonetheless, the Philippine government
continues to make ways to strengthen its
relationship with the LIS and express
support in bilateral ties between the two
countries.
June 12, 1896 declaration of the Philippine
independence
by
General
Emilio
Aguinaldo.
The first Philippine Republic was
inaugurated in Malolos, Bulacan on
January 21, 1899.
Aguinaldo commissioned Julian Felipe, a
composer from Cavite province was asked
to write an an instrumental march for the
proclamation of independence ceremony.
The original title was "Marcha Filipina
Magdalo". This was later changed to
"Marcha Nacional Filipina". The lyrics was
added in August 1899 based on the poem
titled "Filipinas" by Jose Palma.
Cultural Heritage refers to "the totality of
cultural
property
preserved
and
developed through time and passed on to
prosperity"
The Philippines is rich with cultural
heritage that needs to be protected and
preserved
Cultural heritage may be tangible or
intangible.
It is important that a cultural heritage is
appreciated, so that posterity. protected
and preserved. enhanced and enriched
socio-cultural, religious, political and
economic gains are manifested.
"Conservation" entails "all the processes
and measures of maintaining the cultural
significance of a cultural property,
including, but not limited to, preservation,
reconstruction, protection, adaptation, or
any combination thereof."
National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,
defined as Cultural Heritage Conservation,
declares that the State shall foster the
preservation, enrichment, and dynamic
evolution of a Filipino culture based on the
principle and unity in diversity in a climate
of free artistic and intellectual expression.
LESSON 9
The First Mass
I believe the purpose of all major religious
traditions is not to construct big temples
on the outside, but to create temples of
goodness and compassion inside, in our
hearts
-Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama, c. 1996
In Pigafetta's account, Magellan's fleet
reached what he called the LADRONES
ISLANDS, or the "Islands of the Thieves."
He recounted: "These people have no
arms, but use sticks, which have a fish
bone at the end. They are poor, but
ingenious, and great thieves, and for the
sake of that we call these three islands the
Ladrones Islands."
On March 18, nine men approached and
showed joy and eagerness in seeing them.
Magellan realized that the men were
reasonable and welcomed them with food,
drinks, and gifts.
Pigafetta detailed with amazement and
fascination the palm tree that bore fruits
called cochos and wine. He characterized
the people as "very familiar and friendly"
who willingly showed them around the
different islands and told them the names
of these islands.
The Ladrones Islands is presently known
as the Marianas Islands. Ten days after
arriving at the Ladrones Islands, Pigafetta
reported, they reached what he called the
Isle of Zamal, now Samar, but Magellan
decided to land in another uninhabited
island for greater security, where they
could rest for a few days.
On March 25, Pigafetta recounted that they
saw two balanghai (balangay), a long boat
full of people in Mazzava/Mazaus. The
leader, whom he referred to as the king,
became close with Magellan as they both
exchanged gifts.
After a few days, Magellan was introduced
to the king's brother, who was also a king
of another island where, as Pigafetta
reported, the fleet saw mines of gold.
Limasawa Island
Francisco Albo, one of the pilots in
Magellan's expedition, kept a logbook
where he wrote that they erected a cross
on a mountain that overlooked the islands
in the west and the southwest. Jaime de
Veyra stated that the first mass was held in
Limasawa and not in Butuan.
Masao/Butuan
1872: A monument to commemorate the
site of the first mass in the Philippines was
erected in Butuan.
1953: The people in Butuan asked the
Philippine Historical Committee to
rehabilitate the monument and construct a
place marker on the site.
Limawasa, an island municipality in
Southern Leyte, is a small yet flourishing
town being the site of the First Christian
Mass in the country and in Asia.
The First Cross and the First Mass Shrine
are some of the frequently visited spots
that give tourists a rare experience of
retracing the historic footsteps of the
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
in 1521 who paved the way for the
beginning of Christianity in the country.
"Mazaua" is the original name of this
municipality. There are two assumptions
how the municipality got its name:
One assumption is that before the Spanish
men arrived to the island, the natives don't
really have a name of their place. Upon the
arrival of Ferdinand Magellan and his men,
one of the natives was asked for the name
of their place. The native, unable to
understand what it meant, mistakenly
interpreted the question to mean as to
"how many wives their Rajah has". So he
answered immediately "Lima'y Asawa",
meaning that their Rajah has five wives.
The Spanish too, thinking that was the
answer to his question, return to tell his
companions that the island is named
"Lima'y Asawa ". And from then on, the
place came to be called as "Limasawa".
Another assumption is that when the
Spanish men arrived to the island, they
named it "Mazaua" for the beauty of the
place. As it is their custom to add the prefix
"Le" to mean a particular name, it became
the tongue of everyone in the place to call
it as "Le Mazaua ". It was the local people
themselves who later changed the spelling
and joined the two words into 'Limasawa".
Today the island is popularly known as
"Limasawa" although some elderly
citizens prefer to call it "Mazaua".
Limasawa was created into an
independent municipality on June 11,
1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree No.
1549. But this was not implemented due to
some problems. Limasawa officially
became a municipality on August 27, 1989
after the conduct of a plebiscite among the
populace to ratify its independence.
LESSON 10
Islamic Faith in the Philippines
(Government Peace Treaties with
Muslim Filipinos)
There is only one religion, though there
are a hundred versions of it.
-George Bernard Shaw
The ongoing conflicts in Mindanao and
Sulu and the current campaign for the selfdetermination of the Bangsamoro people
stem from years of unresolved historical
injustices, which include the forceful
integration of the Moros into the American
colonial government and the governmentsanctioned waves of Christian migration to
Mindanao at the turn of the twentieth
century.
Moros comes from the Spanish word
Moors, which used to be a pejorative term
for Muslims. It has since been
reappropriated to denote Filipino
Muslims.
Bangsamoro is a portmanteau of bangsa
("nation," or bansa) and Moro.
Mindanao consists of the large island
south of the Philippines, while the Sulu
archipelago is a cluster of 500 islands
between Sulu and Celebes Sea (Fernando
Amilbangsa, 2005, p. 11).
Tri-peoples Of Mindanao
• The settlers
• The Moros (or the Bangsamoros)
• The lumad
Tarsilas are written accounts of a family's
lineage that traces their religious origins.
Islam arrived in the Philippines in the
middle of the fourteenth century, through
Sharif Kabungsuwan (Majul, 1999, p. 23;
Balo et al., 2017, p. 2).
According to a myth: "One day there fell
upon the land a drought so serious that
even the sea receded and there was a great
stillness. Months later with a roar, the sea
came rushing back in one giant wave. And
riding its crest was Sharif Kabungsuwan,
the first Arab to reach these islands"
(Cruz-Lucero, 2007, p. 17)
In the 1930s, US authorities encouraged
Christian Filipinos in Luzon and the
Visayas to migrate to the southern region
of Mindanao, which was mostly populated
by Moros. This led to the Moros eventually
becoming a minority in many parts of
southern Philippines.
In 1968, the Jabidah Massacre happened
which eventually led to the establishment
of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MNLF) led by Nur Misuari in 1969. The
MNLF began the armed campaign for a
separate Islamic state in the country, or a
Bangsa Moro Republic (Moro National
Republic).
"We, the five million oppressed Bangsa
Moro people, wishing to free ourselves
from the terror, oppression and tyranny of
Filipino colonialism which has caused us
untold sufferings and miseries by
criminally usurping our land, by
threatening Islam through wholesale
destruction and desecration of its places of
worship and its Holy Book..., aspiring to
have the sole prerogative of defending and
chartering our own national destiny in
accordance with our own free will in order
to ensure our future and that of our
children.”
1976: Brokered by the Organization of
Islamic Conference (OIC), the Philippine
government and the MNLF signed the
Tripoli Agreement, which declared a
ceasefire between the two parties. The
agreement also provided that Mindanao
would still be a part of the Philippines, but
13 of its provinces would be under the
autonomous
government
of
the
Bangsamoro People. The Marcos regime
defied the agreement, thus the armed
movement resumed.
1977: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF), led by Hashim Salamat, was
formed. MILF was a breakaway group
from the MNLF after some of its members
expressed disagreement to MNLF's
decisions. Moro Islamic Liberation Front
did not believe in negotiating with the
government.
1986: After the EDSA Revolution, Corazon
Aquino launched peace talks with the
MNLF, but the MILF declined to take part
in it.
1988: The MILF replaced the MNLF in
pursuing a Moro secession.
1989: The Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao, or ARMM, was created under
Republic Act 6734. The ARMM Organic Act
was pursuant to the 1987 Constitution.
1996: MNLF signed a peace settlement
with the Ramos administration, which
won for the ARMM, under Governor Nur
Misuari, limited self-rule over the most
impoverished Muslim regions in the south.
1997: MILF signed a ceasefire agreement
and began peace talks with the Ramos
government. Major fighting outbreaks
disrupted the peace talks.
1999: President Joseph “Erap" Estrada,
who was formerly an action star,
suspended all peace talks and declared an
all-out war against the MILF. It was on that
same year when the United States and the
Philippines had their first joint military
drills under the Visiting Forces Agreement
(VFA).
2001: In March 2001, two months into
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's presidency, the
Philippine government and the MILF
signed the Agreement of the General
Framework for Resumption of peace
between the armed separatist group and
the government.
2003: President Arroyo declared war
against the MILF, after the Davao
International Airport and the Sasa Wharf,
also in Davao City, were bombed,
allegedly, by the militant group.
2004: Peace talks with MILF resumes, and
discussions on ancestral domain pact for
the expansion of ARMM took place.
2008: The Philippine government and the
MILF
signed
the
Memorandum
Agreement-Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).
2010: The Philippine government and the
MILF signed a declaration to continue
further peace negotiations under the new
administration once Arroyo steps down.
2012: After a series of meetings, the
Aquino government and the MILF signed
the Framework Agreement on the
Bangsamoro.
2013: Rounds of peace talks happened
while the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)
was being crafted by the Bangsamoro
Transition Commission.
2013: Nur Misuari launched an attack in
Zamboanga City, also called the
Zamboanga Siege, because of his
disapproval of the ongoing peace talks
between the government and the MILF.
2015: Deliberations on the proposed BBL
started at the 16th Congress.
2016: The 16th Congress ended without
having passed the BBL, which would have
to be deliberated again under a new
president.
2017: Under President Rodrigo Duterte's
administration, new members were added
to
the
Bangsamoro
Transition
Commission and the final version of the
Bangsamoro Basic Law was crafted.
2018: Duterte declared the passing of the
Bangsamoro Basic Law as urgent. After
much deliberations and after the BBL was
passed on both Houses, Duterte signed the
Bangsamoroo Organic Law (BOL).
2019: After the plebiscite voting, the
National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers
announced that the BOL is "deemed
ratified,"
and
the
Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(BARMM) replaced the ARMM.
"The
socio-cultural
and
religious
differences among the ordinary Muslims
and Christians alone cannot plunge
Muslim Mindanao into fratricidal violence
and rebellion.
Obviously, the leaders Muslim and
Christian-use these differences to justify
and promote their political economic
interests and to impressa pro-people
leadership; by design or accident, they
create the misunderstanding" (Diaz, 2003,
p. 48).
Summary
The conflict in Mindanao stems from years
of unresolved historical injustices.
In the 1930s, US authorities encouraged
Christian Filipinos to migrate from Luzon
and the Visayas to Mindanao. This led to
Muslims eventually becoming a minority
in many parts of southern Philippines.
In 1968, the "Jabidah Massacre" happened,
which led to the establishment of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF), led by
Nur Misuari in 1969.
The MNLF began the armed campaign for
a separate Islamic state in the country.
Brokered by the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC), the Government of the
PH and MNLF signed the Tripoli
Agreement.
MILF or the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,
led by Hashim Salamat, was later formed.
The MILF was a breakaway group from
MNLF after some of its members
expressed disagreement to MNLF's
decisions. The MILF did not believe in
negotiating
with
the
Philippine
government.
LESSON 11
Cavite Munity
"Where civil blood makes civil hands
unclean.”
-William Shakespeare
In Philippine history, two major events
happened in 1872:
1. The 1872 Cavite Mutiny; and
2. The martyrdom of the three priests:
Father Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos,
and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA).
Spanish Perspective
1. Jose Montero y Vidal, a prolific
Spanish historian, documented the
event and highlighted it as an
attempt of the indios to overthrow
the Spanish government in the
Philippines.
2. Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo's official
report magnified the event and
made use of it to implicate the native
clergy, which was then active in the
call for secularization.
The two accounts complement and
corroborate each other, although the
general's report is more spiteful. Initially,
they both score out the fact that removing
the privileges enjoyed by the workers of
the Cavite arsenal, such as non-payment of
tributes and exemption from forced labor,
were the main reasons for what they call
the "revolution."
Other causes enumerated:
1. The Spanish Revolution, which
overthrew the secular throne;
2. Dirty propagandas disseminated by
the unrestrained press, and
democratic, liberal, and republican
books and pamphlets that had
reached the Philippines;
3. The presence of the native clergy,
which, according to them, was
formed out of animosity toward the
Spanish friars.
Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de
Tavera, a Filipino scholar and researcher,
wrote the Filipino version of the bloody
incident in Cavite. From his point of view,
the incident was a mere mutiny by the
native Filipino soldiers and laborers of the
Cavite arsenal who turned out to be
dissatisfied with the removal of their
privileges.
Tavera believes that the Spanish friars and
Izquierdo exaggerated the Cavite Mutiny
into a full-blown conspiracy that involved
not only the native army but also the
residents of Cavite and Manila, including,
more importantly, the native clergy, to
overthrow the Spanish government in the
Philippines.
It is noteworthy that during the time, the
Central Government in Madrid announced
its intention to divest the friars of all the
powers of intervention in matters of civil
government and the direction and
management of educational institutions.
THE TWO FACES OF THE 1872 CAVITE
MUTINY
The 12th of June of every year since 1898
is a very important event for all the
Filipinos. In this particular day, the entire
Filipino nation as well as Filipino
communities all over the world gathers to
celebrate the Philippines' Independence
Day. 1898 came to be a very significant
year for all of us— it is as equally
important as 1896—the year when the
Philippine Revolution broke out owing to
the Filipinos' desire to be free from the
abuses of the Spanish colonial regime. But
we should be reminded that another year
is as historic as the two—1872.
Two major events happened in 1872, first
was the 1872 Cavite Mutiny and the other
was the martyrdom of the three martyr
priests in the persons of Fathers Mariano
Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora
(GOMBURZA). However, not all of us knew
that there were different accounts in
reference to the said event. All Filipinos
must know the different sides of the
story—since this event led to another
tragic yet meaningful part of our history—
the execution of GOMBURZA which in
effect a major factor in the awakening of
nationalism among the Filipinos.
1872
Cavite
Perspective
Mutiny:
Spanish
Jose Montero y Vidal, a prolific Spanish
historian documented the event and
highlighted it as an attempt of the Indios to
overthrow the Spanish government in the
Philippines.
Meanwhile, Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo's
official report magnified the event and
made use of it to implicate the native
clergy, which was then active in the call for
secularization.
The two accounts complimented and
corroborated with one other, only that the
general's report was more spiteful.
Initially, both Montero and Izquierdo
scored out that the abolition of privileges
enjoyed by the workers of Cavite arsenal
such as non-payment of tributes and
exemption from force labor were the main
reasons of the "revolution" as how they
called it, however, other causes were
enumerated by them including the
Spanish Revolution which overthrew the
secular throne, dirty propagandas
proliferated by unrestrained press,
democratic, liberal and republican books
and pamphlets reaching the Philippines,
and most importantly, the presence of the
native clergy who out of animosity against
the Spanish friars, "conspired and
supported" the rebels and enemies of
Spain.
In particular, Izquierdo blamed the unruly
Spanish Press for "stockpiling" malicious
propagandas grasped by the Filipinos. He
reported to the King of Spain that the
"rebels" wanted to overthrow the Spanish
government to install a new "hari" in the
likes of Fathers Burgos and Zamora. The
general even added that the native clergy
enticed other participants by giving them
charismatic assurance that their fight will
not fail because God is with them coupled
with handsome promises of rewards such
as employment, wealth, and ranks in the
army. Izquierdo, in his report lambasted
the Indios as gullible and possessed an
innate propensity for stealing.
The two Spaniards deemed that the event
of 1872 was planned earlier and was
thought of it as a big conspiracy among
educated leaders, mestizos, abogadillos or
native lawyers, residents of Manila and
Cavite and the native clergy. They
insinuated that the conspirators of Manila
and Cavite planned to liquidate highranking Spanish officers to be followed by
the massacre of the friars. The alleged preconcerted signal among the conspirators
of Manila and Cavite was the firing of
rockets from the walls of Intramuros.
According to the accounts of the two, on 20
January 1872, the district of Sampaloc
celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto,
unfortunately participants to the feast
celebrated the occasion with the usual
fireworks displays. Allegedly, those in
Cavite mistook the fireworks as the sign
for the attack, and just like what was
agreed upon, the 200-men contingent
headed by Sergeant Lamadrid launched an
attack targeting Spanish officers at sight
and seized the arsenal.
When the news reached the iron-fisted
Gov. Izquierdo, he readily ordered the
reinforcement of the Spanish forces in
Cavite to quell the revolt. The "revolution"
was easily crushed when the expected
reinforcement from Manila did not come
ashore. Major instigators including
Sergeant Lamadrid were killed in the
skirmish, while the GOMBURZA were tried
by a court-martial and were sentenced to
die by strangulation. Patriots like Joaquin
Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma. Regidor,
Jose and Pio Basa and other abogadillos
were suspended by the Audencia (High
Court) from the practice of law, arrested
and
were
sentenced
with
life
imprisonment at the Marianas Island.
Furthermore, Gov. Izquierdo dissolved the
native regiments of artillery and ordered
the creation of artillery force to be
composed exclusively of the Peninsulares.
On 17 February 1872 in an attempt of the
Spanish government and Frailocracia to
instill fear among the Filipinos so that they
may never commit such daring act again,
the GOMBURZA were executed. This event
was tragic but served as one of the moving
forces that shaped Filipino nationalism.
A Response to Injustice: The Filipino
Version of the Incident
Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de
Tavera, a Filipino scholar and researcher,
wrote the Filipino version of the bloody
incident in Cavite. In his point of view, the
incident was a mere mutiny by the native
Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite
arsenal who turned out to be dissatisfied
with the abolition of their privileges.
Indirectly, Tavera blamed Gov. Izquierdo's
cold-blooded policies such as the abolition
of privileges of the workers and native
army members of the arsenal and the
prohibition of the founding of school of
arts and trades for the Filipinos, which the
general believed as a cover-up for the
organization of a political club.
On 20 January 1872, about 200 men
comprised of soldiers, laborers of the
arsenal, and residents of Cavite headed by
Sergeant Lamadrid rose in arms and
assassinated the commanding officer and
Spanish officers in sight. The insurgents
were expecting support from the bulk of
the army unfortunately, that didn't
happen. The news about the mutiny
reached authorities in Manila and Gen.
Izquierdo immediately ordered the
reinforcement of Spanish troops in Cavite.
After two days, the mutiny was officially
declared subdued.
Tavera believed that the Spanish friars and
Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a
powerful lever by magnifying it as a fullblown conspiracy involving not only the
native army but also included residents of
Cavite and Manila, and more importantly
the native clergy to overthrow the Spanish
government in the Philippines. It is
noteworthy that during the time, the
Central Government in Madrid announced
its intention to deprive the friars of all the
powers of intervention in matters of civil
government and the direction and
management of educational institutions.
This turnout of events was believed by
Tavera, prompted the friars to do
something drastic in their dire sedire to
maintain power in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, in the intention of installing
reforms, the Central Government of Spain
welcomed an educational decree authored
by Segismundo Moret promoted the fusion
of sectarian schools run by the friars into a
school called Philippine Institute. The
decree proposed to improve the standard
of education in the Philippines by
requiring teaching positions in such
schools to be filled by competitive
examinations. This improvement was
warmly received by most Filipinos in spite
of the native clergy's zest for
secularization.
The friars, fearing that their influence in
the Philippines would be a thing of the
past, took advantage of the incident and
presented it to the Spanish Government as
a vast conspiracy organized throughout
the archipelago with the object of
destroying Spanish sovereignty. Tavera
sadly confirmed that the Madrid
government came to believe that the
scheme was true without any attempt to
investigate the real facts or extent of the
alleged “revolution" reported by Izquierdo
and the friars.
Convicted educated men who participated
in the mutiny were sentenced life
imprisonment while members of the
native clergy headed by the GOMBURZA
were tried and executed by garrote. This
episode leads to the awakening of
nationalism and eventually to the
outbreak of Philippine Revolution of 1896.
The French writer Edmund Plauchut's
account complimented Tavera's account
by confirming that the event happened
due to discontentment of the arsenal
workers and soldiers in Cavite fort. The
Frenchman, however, dwelt more on the
execution of the three martyr priests
which he actually witnessed.
Summary
Cavite Mutiny has two interpretations: the
Spanish perspective includes the Filipino's
attempt to overthrow the colonial
government, while Filipino scholars like
Pardo de Tavera claim that the Spanish
friars merely exaggerated their reports on
the events in a bid to hold on to their
control of the colony.
Quiz
1. In his 2019 State of the Nation
Address, President Rodrigo Outerte
demanded for the return of the
Balangiga Bells. False.
2. After 117 years, the bells were
finally returned in the Philippines,
on 15 December 2018. True.
3. EDCA aims to promote peace and
Security in the region by reaffirming
the relationship between the US and
the Philippines. True.
4. Filipino-American relations mainly
focus on technology and tourism, for
a time. True.
5. In 1996, President Aquino declared
4 July as the Philippine-American
Friendship Day. False.
6. VFA stands for Visiting Friendship
Agreement. False.
7. VFA is a new agreement between the
two countries to resume their
bilateral military exercises and
enhance defense cooperation. True.
8. The US Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) deployed a psychological
warfare in which the Huk rebels
were made to believe that an
aswang was hunting them. True.
9. VFA is a new agreement between the
two countries to resume their
bilateral military exercises and
enhance defense cooperation. True.
10. The Mutual Defense Treaty was a
treaty made in 1951. True.
11. Republic Act no. 10066, or the
National Cultural Heritage Act of
2009 is a law intended for historic
preservation. True.
12. National Commission for Culture
and the Arts is an institution related
to historic preservation. True.
13. According
to
the
Heritage
Conservation Society, "auctions"
entails "all the processes and
measures of maintaining the
cultural significance of a cultural
property. False.
14. Emotion is an example of intangible
heritage. True.
15. Natural landscapes and coastal and
inland water sources are examples
of intangible heritage. False.
16. Ladrone islands, is also known as
"Islands of the Thieves." True.
17. Pigafetta detailed with amazement
and fascination the palm tree that
bore fruits called cochos and wine.
True.
18. The Landrones Islands is presently
different Marianas Islands. False.
19. Limawasa, an island municipality in
Southern Leyte, is a small yet
flourishing town being the site of the
First Christian Mass in the country
and in Asia. True.
20. Limasawa was created into an
independent municipality on June
11, 1978 by virtue Of Presidential
Decree No. 1549. True.