Republic of the Philippines
BICOL UNIVERSITY
Legazpi City
GE 12:
READINGS
IN
PHILIPPINE
HISTORY
Learner’s Module
Adolfo, Faith Bea R.
Borilla, Patrick
Briones, John Henry
Velasco, Ven Vincent L.
Instructors-Authors
Bicol University
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Daraga, Albay
CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that all outputs I have submitted as part of the assessments in the module or in the
fulfilment of the requirements for the course,
GE 12: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
during the First Semester, Academic Year 2021-2022 are my own.
I understand that any misrepresentation on my part in any of the module activities and assessments
will be a ground for disciplinary action by the Course Instructor/Professor based on the approved
course policies and by the University based on its existing relevant policies.
__________________________________________________
Signature over Printed Name
Course and Year:_____________________________________
Email Address: ______________________________________
Mobile No: _________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________
Received by:
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(Signature Over Printed Name)
GE 12: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
BICOL UNIVERSITY
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FOREWORD
Mabuhay!
At last! This Learners’ Module in Readings in Philippine History, which has been a long time
collaboration between the instructors teaching the subject, has finally come out. Our initiative to work
together in the formulation of this material is in consonance with the new trend of education in the
higher education system. Truly, amidst these challenging adversities that is happening now in the
world due to COVID-19, we as educators did not stop from creating innovative contents and
instructional materials to continue the delivery of quality education.
The subject Readings in Philippine History is inclined with viewing and analyzing segments in
Philippine History from the lens of the various primary sources. This is a bit different attack on studying
the country’s history because you will be dealing with primary sources rather than those secondary
sources such as textbooks. Based on the Course Syllabus, you are expected at the end of the course
to:
1. Exhibit the ability to read the primary sources analytically;
2. Demonstrate the ability to think and argue critically and logically;
3. Demonstrate an appreciation for historical heritage and significance of nationalism specially
in the present Philippine and global context; and
4. Exhibit positive social values and appreciation of the value of human person.
The discussions inside this module will tackle on significant political, social, economic and
religious happenings in the past that can deepen your understanding on that story and at the same
time, you can implicate it to the standing of the contemporary Philippines. In the end, this subject is
expected to develop your moral and civic consciousness that is expected of a responsible Filipino
Citizen.
This learners’ module, on the other hand, will be your companion for the whole semester with
this subject. This material is equipped with the Course Guide, Pre and Post Assessment, SelfAssessments, excerpts of the primary sources and activities to check your learning progress. In each
lesson, there is a list of suggested readings to enhance your learning in one area. There are also
reflective activities to ensure that lessons are contextualized in the contemporary settings. Do not
worry if you may not able to access our online sessions because everything you need is incorporated
in this material.
We are looking forward to a meaningful encounter for this upcoming semester with this
subject. May you have the excitement and enthusiasm to read and answer this material which is
specially made for you. We hope that this course will teach you the essence of studying history but an
understanding of the building block of our nation. David McCullough once said that “History is who we
are and why we are the way we are.” Indeed, History is the reflection of ourselves, how we have become
and how we will be.
F.B.A, P.B., J.H.B, & V3
GE 12: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
BICOL UNIVERSITY
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Certification
Foreword
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY
Lesson 1: Meaning and Relevance of History
Lesson 2: Historical Sources and how to treat them
CHAPTER 2:
CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY RESOURCES IN
PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Lesson 1: The First Voyage Around the World
Lesson 2: The Customs of the Tagalog
Lesson 3: The Political Caricatures of the American Era
Lesson 4: Speech of Pres. Corazon C. Aquino during the Joint Session of US Congress
CHAPTER 3: CONTROVERSIES AND CONFLICTING VIEWS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Lesson 1: Site of the First Mass
Lesson 2: The First Cry of Revolution
Lesson 3: The Cavite Mutiny
Lesson 4: The Retraction of Rizal
CHAPTER 4: SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ISSUES IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Lesson 1: The Agrarian Reform
Lesson 2: The Philippine Constitutions
Lesson 3: Taxation
CHAPTER 5: CRITICAL EVALUATION AND PROMOTION OF LOCAL AND ORAL HISTORY
Lesson 1: Why Local History?
Lesson 2: Historical Sites and Landmarks
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BICOL UNIVERSITY
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY
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BICOL UNIVERSITY
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1
Chapter
This lesson introduces history as a discipline and as a narrative. It presents the definition of
the history, which transcends the common definition of history as the past. Thus in this lesson it will
help you not only to understand the meaning of HISTORY but it will help you interpret or to handle a
rich variety of sources in order to draw out their general relevance of why and how change occurs. Also
it provides a series of perspectives intended to convey a sense of their, relevance, breadth, interest,
and stimulus, which exemplify historical learning, and the usefulness of contemporary history in
particular.
In this module it will help you not only to learn historical facts but also provided with the
understanding of the facts and historians context, it will help you assess critically the value of historical
evidences and sources before one can claim that particular knowledge is true.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
At the end of this module you are expected to:
1. To understand the meaning of history as an academic discipline;
2. Differentiate History from Historiography; and
3. Reflect on the importance and relevance of History to every student and citizen.
LET’S TRY THIS ACTIVITY
ACTIVITY 1: CONCEPT MAP
Using the Concept Map below, think of the words that you associate when you hear the word
“HISTORY”. From those words, construct a meaningful definition of HISTORY. Write it on the blank
space provided below.
HISTORY
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BICOL UNIVERSITY
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Your Definition of History:
LET’S READ!
The term history has become a universal word conceptualized differently by various scholars.
For instance, the Traditional conception of history epitomized by historians like Herodotus (Father of
History), his great successor Thucydides, Livy and Tacitus, the greatest of the Roman historians,
viewed history as any written narrative of events (Osokoya, 1996). This definition is however
inadequate and unacceptable in view of contemporary realities. First, the definition did not
acknowledge the development of history overtime. Second, it did not recognize the division of the
discipline into such fields as political, social, economic, military intellectual, constitutional and
educational history. Third, the conception of history as mere narration of events is now archaic
because history has metamorphosed from mere description of events into critical and analytical
interpretation of events (Osokoya, 1996).
Arthur Marwick on his own part, provided a tripartite definition of history. First, he defined
history as “the entire human past as it actually happened”, second, as “man’s attempt to describe and
interpret the past” and third, as “a systematic study of the past” (Marwick 1970). However, it must be
noted that in contemporary times, history as a field of knowledge encompasses not only past events
but also their consequences. In addition, not all events of the past capture the interest of the historian,
rather important historical events with consequences are usually preferred. It is in this light that Walsh
defines history as “a reconstruction of the past which is both intelligent and intelligible” (Walsh, 1967).
In a similar vein, Geoffrey Barraclough defines history as “the attempt to discover on the basis of
fragmentary evidence the significant things about the past”, noting that “the history we read, though
based on facts, is strictly speaking not factual at all, but a series of accepted judgements”
(Barraclough, 1955).
For Edward Carr, history is “a continuous process of interaction between the present and the
past”, affirming that, interpretation is the lifeblood of history (Carr, 1961). The point in all these is that
there is yet to be unanimity regarding the exact meaning of history. However, it is possible and
desirable to identify certain features which may be described as defining characteristics of history.
This is important because history, is the product of historical research, and therefore the nature of
history and of historical research are symbiotic. One of the basic characteristics of history is in its
humanistic nature (Ajetunmobi, 2005). History concerns human actions in the past. It involves other
actions that emanate from human society which can be perceived by ordinary human senses and
powers. Hence, actions or events attributed to the gods or spirits are not to be regarded as history.
Since history relies on evidence and the evidences from believers in spirits, gods and goddesses are
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BICOL UNIVERSITY
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mythical, speculative, extraordinary, unscientific and illogical, they are considered outside the action
of man. History is fragmentary by nature. It focuses on aspects or parts of an event, but not the whole
event. No matter the efforts of an historian, it is impossible for him to capture everything about his
choice of study. Availability of evidence, its reliability and consistency, available time and the objectives
of the study shape his selection and utilization of sources and evidence.
As Akinjogbin notes, History is an organized critical study of such past activities of human
beings as had produced significant effects on subsequent course of events (Adeniran, 2002). History
terminates in the present. As Hegel posits, History cannot talk of the future because nothing has
happened in the future in question. Thus, the future to the historian is not an object of knowledge but
of hopes, aspirations and fears, elements which are not history. History is dynamic, in a sense. History
is always in a state of flux because it deals with a state of continuous change (Barraclough, 1975).
Human society which is the primary focus of history involves the cyclical manifestations of existence.
Evidence is the pillar of historical research. This is because without evidence there will be no historical
interpretation. The submission of the historian is not a product of speculation or imagination. History
is not fabricated and thus cannot be manufactured. Instead, evidence is the rubric upon which history
stands. Finally, history is an outcome of diligent research. History is critical in the selection,
interpretation and analysis of available data. It is these features of history that have made it look
science (Ajetunmobi, 2005). These aspects of history imply that what is presented as history is a
product of honest inquiry and not that of the historian’s sensibilities or imagination.
(Source: Ezekiel Oladele et.al International Journal of Educational Research and Technology “Issues,
Challenges and Prospects from http://www.soeagra.com/ijert/ijertdec2012/6.pdf?)
(History, 2018)
Ambeth Ocampo (2014) says “in my history classes, I always propose the working definition of
kasaysayan or History as a narrative (which can be written, visual, oral or a combination of all three)
about past events that have meaning to a certain group of people in a given time and place. These
two components of kasaysayan salaysay and saysay are inseparable without both, you cannot have
true history”
Activity 2: HE SAYS
Instruction: From the selection above, identify what did the following historians/ scholars said about
the term History. Write the definition beside the name.
SCHOLARS
GE 12: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
BICOL UNIVERSITY
THEIR DEFINITION OF HISTORY
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QUICK QUERY: What are the similarities among the views of the different personalities
abovementioned?
Scholars abovementioned have more or less given you an overview of what History is, and how
does it characterizes. The discipline can be rooted in the Greek work historia which means “to know”
or “to inquire”. History is associated with the discipline that studies the past through excavating,
analyzing and implicating from evidences and stories. In the wider sense, History is all that has
happened, not merely all the phenomena of human life, but those of the natural world as well. It is
everything that undergoes change; and as modern science has shown that there is nothing absolutely
static, therefore, the whole universe, and every part of it, has its history (New World Encyclopedia,
2018).
History is then formulated from varied kinds of sources like written documents, printed
records, artifacts, paintings, photographs, and even oral stories. In the next lessons, you will be
introduced by these kinds of sources and how do historians treat these sources. Through
Historiography (the study and analysis of history through a philosophy or school of thought), readers
have a better understanding of History. Alporha and Candelaria (2018) asserted that while History
seeks to study the past, Historiography studies the History, answering questions such as: (1) How was
a certain historical text written? (2) Who wrote it? (3) What historical method was used? (4) What were
the sources used? Historiography lets the readers understand the context of the History and be able
to measure its consistency and accuracy. It makes people be more critical and analytic to the Histories
presented to them.
When a group of historians interpret historical events or eras through the same lens, those
combined interpretations form what’s called a Historical School (literally a school of thought about
history). There are many different schools that all focuses on different elements of history, such as
politics, economics, and world cultures.
LEARN FURTHER: To learn more on History, watch this Webinar entitled:
“Kasaysayan, Kaysaya! Ano ba ng Kasaysayan” ni Prof. Xiao Chua sa Facebook
Page ng Vibal Group.
GE Link:
12: READINGS
IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
https://web.facebook.com/vibalgroup/videos/1830829457058864/
BICOL UNIVERSITY
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Importance of Studying History
History as a discipline has able to sustain itself from the Greek times up to date not only as a
measure of intelligence or educational capability but was used by different societies for varied
purposes. History has help us understand the behavior of the people and societies. (Stearns, 1998)
Some sociological theories developed by renowned social scientists was a result of analyzing past
events to understand human and social behaviors. History serves as a guide from the past in an
attempt to put order and clarity in the present and in the future. In anything that happened in the
contemporary world, we have to examine the factors from the past that led to that effect. Stearns
(1998) in an article from American Historical Association (AHA) had laid down the importance of taking
History as a discipline:
History Contributes to Moral Understanding
History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation. Studying the stories of individuals and
situations in the past allows a student of history to test his or her own moral sense, to hone it against
some of the real complexities individuals have faced in difficult settings. People who have weathered
adversity not just in some work of fiction, but in real, historical circumstances can provide inspiration.
"History teaching by example" is one phrase that describes this use of a study of the past—a study not
only of certifiable heroes, the great men and women of history who successfully worked through moral
dilemmas, but also of more ordinary people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive
protest.
History Provides Identity
History also helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one of the reasons all modern
nations encourage its teaching in some form. Historical data include evidence about how families,
groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about how they have evolved while retaining
cohesion. For many Americans, studying the history of one's own family is the most obvious use of
history, for it provides facts about genealogy and (at a slightly more complex level) a basis for
understanding how the family has interacted with larger historical change. Family identity is
established and confirmed. Many institutions, businesses, communities, and social units, such as
ethnic groups in the United States, use history for similar identity purposes. Merely defining the group
in the present pales against the possibility of forming an identity based on a rich past. And of course
nations use identity history as well—and sometimes abuse it. Histories that tell the national story,
emphasizing distinctive features of the national experience, are meant to drive home an
understanding of national values and a commitment to national loyalty.
Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship
A study of history is essential for good citizenship. This is the most common justification for
the place of history in school curricula. Sometimes advocates of citizenship history hope merely to
promote national identity and loyalty through a history spiced by vivid stories and lessons in individual
success and morality. But the importance of history for citizenship goes beyond this narrow goal and
can even challenge it at some points.
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History that lays the foundation for genuine citizenship returns, in one sense, to the essential
uses of the study of the past. History provides data about the emergence of national institutions,
problems, and values—it's the only significant storehouse of such data available. It offers evidence
also about how nations have interacted with other societies, providing international and comparative
perspectives essential for responsible citizenship. Further, studying history helps us understand how
recent, current, and prospective changes that affect the lives of citizens are emerging or may emerge
and what causes are involved. More important, studying history encourages habits of mind that are
vital for responsible public behavior, whether as a national or community leader, an informed voter, a
petitioner, or a simple observer.
History Is Useful in the World of Work
History is useful for work. Its study helps create good businesspeople, professionals, and
political leaders. The number of explicit professional jobs for historians is considerable, but most
people who study history do not become professional historians. Professional historians teach at
various levels, work in museums and media centers, do historical research for businesses or public
agencies, or participate in the growing number of historical consultancies. These categories are
important—indeed vital—to keep the basic enterprise of history going, but most people who study
history use their training for broader professional purposes. Students of history find their experience
directly relevant to jobs in a variety of careers as well as to further study in fields like law and public
administration. Employers often deliberately seek students with the kinds of capacities historical study
promotes. The reasons are not hard to identify: students of history acquire, by studying different
phases of the past and different societies in the past, a broad perspective that gives them the range
and flexibility required in many work situations. They develop research skills, the ability to find and
evaluate sources of information, and the means to identify and evaluate diverse interpretations. Work
in history also improves basic writing and speaking skills and is directly relevant to many of the
analytical requirements in the public and private sectors, where the capacity to identify, assess, and
explain trends is essential. Historical study is unquestionably an asset for a variety of work and
professional situations, even though it does not, for most students, lead as directly to a particular job
slot, as do some technical fields. But history particularly prepares students for the long haul in their
careers, its qualities helping adaptation and advancement beyond entry-level employment. There is
no denying that in our society many people who are drawn to historical study worry about relevance.
In our changing economy, there is concern about job futures in most fields. Historical training is not,
however, an indulgence; it applies directly to many careers and can clearly help us in our working lives.
What does a well-trained student of history, schooled to work on past materials and on case studies
in social change, learn how to do? The list is manageable, but it contains several overlapping
categories.
The Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history builds experience in dealing with and
assessing various kinds of evidence—the sorts of evidence historians use in shaping the most accurate
pictures of the past that they can. Learning how to interpret the statements of past political leaders—
one kind of evidence—helps form the capacity to distinguish between the objective and the self-serving
among statements made by present-day political leaders. Learning how to combine different kinds of
evidence—public statements, private records, numerical data, visual materials—develops the ability to
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make coherent arguments based on a variety of data. This skill can also be applied to information
encountered in everyday life.
The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Learning history means gaining some skill in
sorting through diverse, often conflicting interpretations. Understanding how societies work—the
central goal of historical study—is inherently imprecise, and the same certainly holds true for
understanding what is going on in the present day. Learning how to identify and evaluate conflicting
interpretations is an essential citizenship skill for which history, as an often-contested laboratory of
human experience, provides training. This is one area in which the full benefits of historical study
sometimes clash with the narrower uses of the past to construct identity. Experience in examining past
situations provides a constructively critical sense that can be applied to partisan claims about the
glories of national or group identity. The study of history in no sense undermines loyalty or commitment,
but it does teach the need for assessing arguments, and it provides opportunities to engage in debate
and achieve perspective.
Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change. Experience in assessing past examples of
change is vital to understanding change in society today—it's an essential skill in what we are regularly
told is our "ever-changing world." Analysis of change means developing some capacity for determining
the magnitude and significance of change, for some changes are more fundamental than others.
Comparing particular changes to relevant examples from the past helps students of history develop
this capacity. The ability to identify the continuities that always accompany even the most dramatic
changes also comes from studying history, as does the skill to determine probable causes of change.
Learning history helps one figure out, for example, if one main factor—such as a technological
innovation or some deliberate new policy—accounts for a change or whether, as is more commonly the
case, a number of factors combine to generate the actual change that occurs.
Historical study, in sum, is crucial to the promotion of that elusive creature, the well-informed
citizen. It provides basic factual information about the background of our political institutions and
about the values and problems that affect our social well-being. It also contributes to our capacity to
use evidence, assess interpretations, and analyze change and continuities. No one can ever quite deal
with the present as the historian deals with the past—we lack the perspective for this feat; but we can
move in this direction by applying historical habits of mind, and we will function as better citizens in
the process.
Guide Questions:
1. What is the difference between History and Historiography?
2. By what way do historians get significant findings that would later be part of history?
3. How does History lay down the foundations of citizenship?
4. Cite a situation wherein History is used in the world of work.
5. In general, why does history matters?
LET’S STUDY
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If history is written with agenda or heavenly influenced by the historian is it possibly to come
up with an absolute historical truth? This question has haunted historians for many generations.
Indeed, an exact and accurate account of the past is impossible for the very simple reason that we
cannot go back to the past. We cannot access the past directly as our subject matter. Historians only
get access representation of the past through historical sources and evidences.
Therefore, it is the historian’s job not just to seek historical evidences and facts but also to
interpret these facts. “Facts cannot speak for themselves”. It is the job of the historian to give meaning
to these facts and organize them into a timeline, establish causes and write history. Meanwhile, the
historian is not a blank paper who mechanically interprets and analyses present historical fact. He is
a person of his own who influenced by his own context, environment, ideology, education, and
influences among others. In that sense, his interpretation of the historical fact is affected by his context
and circumstances. His subjectivity will inevitably influence the process of his historical research: the
methodology that he will use, the facts that he shall select and deem relevant his interpretation, and
even the form of his writings. Thus, in one way or another, history is always subjective. If that is so, can
history still be considered as an academic and scientific inquiry?
Historical research requires rigor. Despite the fact that historians cannot ascertain absolute
objectivity the study of history remains scientific because of rigor of research and methodology that
historians employ. Historical methodology comprises certain techniques and rules that historians
follow in order to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing history. Certain rules apply
in cases of conflicting accounts in different sources as valid historical sources and on how to properly
treat eyewitness accounts and oral sources as valid historical evidence. In doing so, historical claims
done by historian and the arguments that they forward in their historical writings while may be
influenced by the historians inclination, can still be validated by using reliable evidences and
employing correct and meticulous historical methodology.
Non-historians often say that “history repeats itself” or that “things were always this way.”
History cannot repeat itself because history is not a living, thinking being. History is an intellectual
discipline practiced by historians who try to make sense of the past. Because history is about change,
nothing was ever “always” a certain way.
Non-historians often romanticize the past and speak of the “good old days” when they believe
that things were generally better than at present. Conversely, some see history exclusively as a story
of progress with everything constantly improving. People of all eras have made great achievements
and committed terrible blunders; so processes of historical change cannot be categorized as either
simple progress or regression. Historical processes involve complex relations between interrelated
factors.
Non-historians derive information mainly from television, movies, and the internet as well as
some books or magazines. They generally accept any sources uncritically as long as the source is
interesting. Historians know that all sources, even those original to a particular historical time period,
have some biases, omissions, contradictions, or various other limitations. That does not mean that
such sources are completely invalid and useless; rather it means that historians have to know and
study much to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of different sources.
Historians who write history emphasize the value of primary sources, that is those sources
actually dating from a particular time period, while understanding the limitations of such sources.
Nonhistorians read books or watch documentaries, while historians do that plus go to archives in
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search of original records. [Historians who study non-English speaking regions must learn and use
foreign languages.]
Historians who write list all the sources that they have used in footnotes and bibliographies in
their works. This helps other scholars who are interested to find those sources, and it shows that the
writer is careful, thorough, and honestly giving credit for the origin of the writer’s information. Providing
footnotes and a bibliography is how historians demonstrate their methodology and support their
conclusions.
Non-historians assume that historians have always approached history the same way.
Historians know that the philosophy and methodology of history have changed over time and will keep
changing. Many different interpretations of all historical topics exist. Historians must work to recognize
the difference between facts and interpretations in their field. Historiography refers to the history,
philosophy and methodology of history. Historians must be familiar with the historiography of their
particular area of study.
Non-historians often make broad generalizations about people, ideas, events, or time periods
in history. Historians tend to focus more on the specific, detailed developments that underpin the
generalizations, and sometimes question or reject the generalizations themselves. Non-historians
may assume that time periods are fixed and absolute, whereas historians have various ways of
organizing history thematically and chronologically. Periodization, to historians, is just a convenient
form of broad organization, especially useful for course listings in university catalogs and subject
headings in library catalogs.
No historian can be 100% objective, but historians try to recognize their own limitations and
biases. Historians try not to place the values, beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes of the present onto the
topics they study. Historians try to understand their topics in the context of how and why people of
that era thought and behaved, and not how people think and act today.
(Source: Readings in Philippine History by Candelaria and Alporha; Rex Bookstore)
LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS
1. Traditional historians lived with the mantra of “no document, no history”. Based from the text
do you agree that the absence of written documents about them mean that they were people
of no history or past? Write your answer on the space provided.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. History has no use for the present thus the saying “past is past” is true?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Historians from different generations defined History as the record of the past specifically the
people and the events of the past. Does History Repeat Itself? Justify your answer.
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BICOL UNIVERSITY
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_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. If history is written with agenda or is heavily influenced by the historians, is it possible to come
up with an absolute historical truth?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Is history an objective discipline? If it is not, is it worthwhile to study?
LET’S REMEMBER
-
-
-
HISTORY defined as the knowledge of the past acquired
through inquiry and investigation
A disciple existed at around 2,400 and became known as
the account of the past of a person or a group of people through
written documents and historical evidences.
History is both less than the past and more than the past. As an academic
discipline, it is an attempt to resolve these difficulties and to construct
intellectually coherent accounts of the past which are consistent with the
evidence.
While History is responsible as the study of the past as described by written,
spoken or tangible evidences, Historiography is the analysis of how history
is written and constructed.
RELEVANCE OF HISTORY
o History offers a storehouse of information about how people and
societies behave.
o The past causes the present and so the future.
o History also provides a terrain of moral contemplation
o Helps provide Identity
o A study essential for good citizenship
o Students who study history gain some skill in sorting through
diverse, often conflicting interpretations
It is the historian’s responsibility to interpret the historical sources
through his subjectivity in context, influences and methodology.
Therefore, history is always subjective.
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LET’S APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
Research Time!
Browse the internet and find what Renato Constantino, Teodoro Agoncillo and Reynaldo Ileto
said about history. Make a diagram/ graphic organizer to present the main concepts of their
definitions. Compare and contrast them. Then include below the diagram your thoughts on these
definitions.
REFERENCES:
Candelaria, J. L. (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Manila: Rex Book Store.
History.
(2018).
Retrieved
from
New
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/History
World
Encyclopedia:
Oladele, E. e. (2005). Issues, Challenges and Prospects. Retrieved from International Jornal of
Education Research and Technology: http://www.soeagra.com/ijert/ijertdec2012/6.pdf?)
Streans, P. N. (2018). Why Study History? Retrieved from American Historical Association:
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/historicalarchives/why-study-history-(1998)
Chapter
1
As mentioned in the last chapter, to be able to arrive at a history, historians shall collect
historical sources as a basis for their interpretation. But history does not end in collecting documents
as these has to undergo a process to ascertain that it truly represents a specific segment of the past.
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In this lesson, we will discuss what categorizes as historical sources, their examples and what process
do they go. We will also discuss on how these sources are scrutinized in all aspects and perspectives
of the evidences.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
1. Identify the characteristics that differentiate historical sources as primary and
secondary sources;
2. Develop analytic and critical skills as they exposed to primary sources; and
3. Apply internal and external analysis on various historical primary sources.
LET’S TRY THIS ACTIVITY
ACTIVITY 1: HOW WILL YOU FIND OUT?
For the following situation, indicate where, what or to whom you should ask at.
Example: When you want to know if classes are suspended or not. (Answer: Ask the Teacher)
1. To know if you are pregnant:
a. Check your tummy
b. Ask a ‘hilot’
c. Have a Pregnancy Test
2. To check for a news:
a. Go to Social Media
b. Ask to a friend
c. See a newspaper
3. If you want to know the location of a place
a. Ask to a person in the locality
b. See the map
c. Rely on self intuition
4. If you want to ask for government services:
a. Go and inquire to a radio station
b. See posts and advertisements from Facebook
c. Inquire directly to the government office
QUICK QUERY: What were your general criteria on selecting your answers? Why did you
consider such guides?
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The activity above simulates more or less the things that you normally do when you are
searching or asking for something. People generally has to make sure that the information that he/
she will get is factual. Since our environment is surrounded by ‘supermarket of ideas’, it is hard to
ascertain if what you should believe in and what things are best for your intentions. This is how exactly
historians do their history. Even with various information and evidences that could contribute to the
narratives, they have certain standards and criteria at the back of their minds to guide them. In our
lesson, you will understand the types of evidences and how do historians critically assess these.
LET’S READ!
All information that accounts for any past events must be derived from evidences. These
evidences are called as “sources”. Historical Sources are documents, photographs, objects,
testimonies, journals etc. that tells something about the past. In general, these sources can be
classified into two categories: (1) Primary Sources and (2) Secondary Sources. Let us know the
difference between the two.
Primary Sources
Primary sources are documents or facts created by a witness to or participant in an event.
Alporha and Candelaria (2018) define it as the sources produced at the same time as the event, period
or the subject being studied. These may include among others: letters, photographs, newspapers and
oral histories.
In order to understand the primary sources, below are some of the types of primary sources:
1. Material Objects
These include items with physical substance (Waugh, n.d.) They are
primarily shaped or produced by human action, though objects created by
nature can also play an important role in the history of human societies.
For example, a coin is the product of human action. An animal horn is
not, but it takes on meaning for humans if used as a drinking cup or a
decorative or ritual object. Historical analysis of material objects
requires careful description. To analyze material evidence is to write
an object's biography. Each object has a story to tell, a story shaped by
human use. When historians analyze material objects, they begin by
recording basic “facts,” starting with a verbal description and, if possible,
photographs. The description might include
measurements, material, and distinguishing features, such as ornamentation. This kind of
information provides material for generalization about technology, economy, or social relations
within a given society and how they changed over time.
When studying an object, Waugh (n.d.) said that one should start with these basic
descriptions:
- Observe the object carefully, paying close attention to detail.
- Take notes on material, size, shape, and distinguishing characteristics.
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-
Turn the object over if possible, examining from multiple angles and
perspectives.
Note what the descriptive label (from a book, website, or museum) tells
you, but do not let that description limit your questions.
2. Images
An image is a representation of something on a flat plane: a person, animal, object, or
element of landscape. Images can be simple, focusing on one element, such as a house or a
person, or even alphabetic letters such as logos or calligraphy. Images can also be complex,
layering and assembling individual images (Bierman, 2004). Historians vary in their
approaches to analyzing the relationship between an image and its society and thus
understanding its meaning. Historians can perceive meaning in the social relationships
between the makers and uses of the image. They can seek to understand an image by looking
at how it relates to what it represents, its aesthetic properties, and how it functions. When we
analyze an image, historians pay close attention to the image itself, the context within which it
was created, and to the many different ways that image may have been understood over time.
3. Maps
A map is a representation of space or place, or of phenomena as they exist in space.
A map portrays geographical features, spatial features, or a “geography.” A map can be of
micro-space (the layout of your bedroom), or of the biggest expanse we know, perhaps a
schematic of the cosmos (Seagar, 2004). The substance of a map provides a record of past
landscapes and features that may no longer exist. It also reflects the priorities, sensibilities,
fears, and the state of knowledge of the mapmaker and his or her cultural context. A map
offers a reader a new dimension of analysis, a visual dimension. One of the particular
advantages of a map is that it conveys non-linear and simultaneous knowledge. In a single
glance at a map, a reader can tell what’s going on over the whole map at a single moment in
time. Historians use historical maps for several purposes:
- As tools for reconstructing the past, to the extent that maps provide records of
features, landscape, cities, and places that may not exist anymore or that exist
in dramatically transformed form.
- As records of certain historical processes and relationships. Maps of trade
routes, for example, if available in a sequence over two or three time periods,
will paint a portrait of processes such as the pace of European expansion over
the globe.
- As representations of the “worldview” of the mapmaking culture, and how that
culture saw its place (literally and metaphorically) in the world at the time the
map was made.
4. Music
Even when we are not listening, music is around us. It blares from radios and
headphones, kicks off sporting events, energizes crowds at demonstrations, and intrudes on
our shopping experiences. But music is more than a component of other kinds of activity. When
we delve deeper into even one kind of sound that surrounds us on a daily basis and grapple
with its meaning, we get a unique opportunity to travel through other kinds of experiences and
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perspectives. This kind of inquiry—studying music through the ears and eyes of the people who
make and consume music—is called ethnomusicology. You can use some of the
ethnomusicologist’s tools to uncover the historical and cultural significance of any musical
event you may encounter (Jacobson, 2005)
5. Newspaper
Newspapers from the past contain several kinds of information for historians. They
offer factual accounts of events such as earthquakes, battles, and elections. Historians often
mine newspapers for basic information about who did what, when, how, and where.
Newspapers are also filled with contextual information, such as advertisements and features,
from which historians can build a more complete picture of the world in which a particular
event took place Rubenstein, 2005)
6. Official Documents
Official documents may include reports, proclamations, letters, treaties, and
declarations. One of the first questions historians ask when analyzing documents is “who is
the author?” The author is often seen as a historical actor with goals or experiences that shape
the document. Official documents are written within a historical and organizational context.
When analyzing an official document, think about the events and issues of the time period and
apply this knowledge to a close analysis of the statement and the processes that produced it.
7. Personal Accounts
Personal accounts, including memoirs, journals, diaries, autobiographies, and life
histories, are important historical sources that help us understand the human condition. It can
focus on particular events or may cover a life more completely. They sometimes involve
recollections focused on extraordinary events such as participation in wars or catastrophic
events, or explanations of unusual experiences. More recently, historians have begun to note
everyday experiences as a measure of social order, so personal accounts can provide
information on a particular “slice of life,” explaining the circumstances of coming of age
experiences or the way of life in a specific region. Personal accounts have also been an integral
part of oral history studies in regions that lack a legacy of written history (Mack, 2004)
8. Travel Narratives
Travel accounts represents the observations and experiences of individuals who
visited foreign lands constitute a special category of primary source for historians. Travel
accounts can be valuable in several ways. They have often provided information about a
foreign society that native inhabitants themselves did not supply, either because they did not
have a means to do so or because they did not see fit to record information that they did not
recognize as particularly distinctive or interesting. Besides that, particularly talented or
reflective travelers have sometimes been able to offer unusual insights into the societies they
visited. Of course, travel accounts are not just windows on foreign societies but also mirrors
that throw light back on the values of their own authors, who wittingly or not have reflected the
interests and concerns of their own societies when recording their observations and
experiences in foreign lands (Bently, 2004)
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Secondary Sources
Secondary Sources on the other hand are sources that came from primary sources. Secondary
sources are created after the studied event/work took place or the studied work was created. They
can therefore take into consideration other events and place a primary source in its historical context.
Secondary sources are not evidence but rather commentary on and discussion of evidence (Source of
Historical Sources, 2020). A secondary source is generally one or more steps removed from the event
or time period and are written or produced after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. Secondary
sources often lack the freshness and immediacy of the original material.
Counted as secondary sources includes books, journal articles, encyclopedia, scholarly books,
magazine and newspaper reports, and dictionary entries.
Defining questions
When evaluating primary or secondary sources, the following questions might be asked to help
ascertain the nature and value of material being considered:
1. How does the author know these details (names, dates, times)? Was the author present at the
event or soon on the scene?
2. Where does this information come from—personal experience, eyewitness accounts, or reports
written by others?
3. Are the author's conclusions based on a single piece of evidence, or have many sources been
taken into account (e.g., diary entries, along with third-party eyewitness accounts, impressions
of contemporaries, newspaper accounts)?
Ultimately, all source materials of whatever type must be assessed critically and even the most
scrupulous and thorough work is viewed through the eyes of the writer/interpreter. This must be taken
into account when one is attempting to arrive at the 'truth' of an event.
LEARN FURTHER: You can enhance your knowledge about primary and
secondary sources through this Youtube video:
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOXfArLq6uY
QUICK QUERY: What is the general difference between primary and secondary sources?
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Both primary and secondary sources are helpful for historians to determine the narratives of
the past. However, historians should not accept these sources outright and immediately. They have to
examine the sources so that they would result to the real stories and avoid unnecessary and
unintentional deception.
With that, the sources undergo both Internal Criticism and External Criticism.
External Criticism
External criticism is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidences by examining its
physical characteristics, consistency with the historical characteristics of the time it was produced,
and the materials used for the evidences (Alporha and Candelaria, 2018). This answers the question
of authenticity. To test its authenticity, the sources has to look the following:
1. Determine the material of the document to see whether they are anachronistic
2. Determine the author
3. Anachronistic Styles e.g. idiom, orthography, punctuation
4. Anachronistic references to events
5. Provenance or custody
6. Semantics – determining the meaning of a text or word
7. Hermeneutics – determining ambiguities
Internal Criticism
According to Alporha and Candelaria (2018), internal criticism is the examination of the
truthfulness of the evidences. It assesses the content of the sources and the circumstances of its
production. Internal Criticism answers the problem of credibility. To test its credibility, the sources has
to look the following:
1. Identification of the author e.g. to determine his reliability; mental processes, personal
attitudes;
2. Determination of the approximate date e.g. handwriting, signature, seal;
3. Ability to tell the truth e.g. nearness to the event, competence of the witness, degree of
attention;
4. Willingness to tell the truth e.g. to determine if the author consciously or unconsciously tells
falsehood;
5. Corroboration i.e. historical facts – particulars which rests upon the independent testimony of
two or more reliable witnesses
LET’S STUDY
Let us take the example of the alleged “Kalantiaw Code”, one of the most controversial hoax
in the history. Maureen Cristin S. Justiniano (2011) of University of Wisconsin – Madison had
discussed the hoax in her journal, Jose E. Marco’s Kalantiaw Code: Implications for Philippine
Historiography and Filipinos’ Historical Consciousness. An excerpt of the document is presented below:
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The Discovery and Debunking of Marco’s pre-colonial documents
For most of the twentieth century, Marco’s historical documents were rarely scrutinized or
questioned until a retired American lay missionary, William Henry Scott, examined the available prehispanic source materials, including the Pavon manuscript, which supposedly contained invaluable
information on pre-colonial Philippine state and society. Scott challenged the validity of several Philippine
ancient documents while pursuing his doctoral degree in Philippine history at the University of Santo Tomas
(Manila, Philippines) in 1965. In his doctoral dissertation Scott asserted, and later proved, that many
important pre-colonial documents considered as definitive sources of the official version of ancient
Philippine history were fraudulent works provided by Jose E. Marco. In his dissertation chapter on Jose
Marco’s contributions, Scott concludes that Marco’s collection of ancient documents, including the Pavon
manuscript, “appear to be deliberate fabrications with no historical validity. There is no present evidence
that any Filipino ruler by the name of Kalantiaw ever existed or that the Kalantiaw penal code is any older
than 1914.” Moreover, Scott recalled that during his 1968 doctoral defense==
. . . before a panel of eminent Filipino historianssuch as Teodoro Agoncillo, Horacio de la
Costa, Marcelino Foronda, Mercedes Grau Santamaria, Nicholas Zafra and Gregorio
Zaide. . . . not a single question was raised about the chapter which I called ‘The
Contributions of Jose E. Marco to Philippine historiography’ . . . . For some years after
these publications, I have reason to hope that the ghost of Kalantiaw had finally been laid.
. . . Yet, at the time I retired from teaching Philippine history in 1982, freshmen were still
entering the State University persuaded that Kalantiaw was an actual historic figure and
that he promulgated a genuine Philippine penal code in 1433. I wonder if my successors
are still sharing their classrooms with this Filipino phantom and the law code that never
was.7
However, it should be noted that Scott was not the first scholar to question the validity of these
source materials. Mauro Garcia, a prominent Filipino scholar on ancient Philippine history and a
bibliographer, raised questions about the documents obtained from Marco as early as 1950s in his public
lectures. In January 1968 Garcia also participated in (and perhaps, organized) a symposium dealing with
the Maragtas legend that originated from one of Marco’s source materials, which narrates the arrival of ten
datus/chiefs from Borneo who settled in the Visayan region and established flourishing settlements.
According to the Maragtas Symposium proceedings:
[a] panel of Filipino historians and folklorists met in Manila a few weeks ago to
explore the many subsidiary factors involved in the Maragtas account. Several of them
denounced it as a palpable fake. . . . Dissatisfaction with history and historiography has
been diffuse and largely inarticulate in Manila, but nevertheless there. A new
understanding is apparent that historians after all are not technicians piling up cold hard
facts into a brick wall. They must move in a complex web of circumstantial evidence, full
of loose ends and maddening strings and probably silly old men making up pretty tales in
their dotage. The feeling is that perhaps Filipino historians have gone too fast or too far
afield without the worthwhile antidotes to the passionate search for identity.
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Even though the panels focused on the Maragtas narrative, several papers, including the one
presented by Mauro Garcia, addressed the issue of provenance and the fact that the leading source materials
on ancient Philippine history came “from a dealer or collector of questionable reputation.” Even though
Jose E. Marco’s name was not mentioned in any of these papers, it was still implied because references
were made to the dubious Pavon manuscript where the Code of Kalantiaw was cited.
During the symposium, Garcia raised the point that many Filipino historians placed great
importance on the pre-hispanic source materials acquired from Marco because “[they] constitute a real
foundation for history of the Visayan people,” without being critical of their origins.10 Garcia then added,
“a local scholar [Scott] who has devoted considerable research on the Pavon [manuscript] is coming out
soon with his findings that this is one document that is definitely fake or spurious. Should he prove himself
correct, then the code of Kalantiao losses its props as a genuine material and should be expunged from the
books.”
Mauro Garcia was actually the one who first suggested to W. H. Scott in 1965 to focus his doctoral
research on examining the pre-hispanic source materials available for the study of Philippine history. Garcia
chose not to disclose his own suspicions to Scott concerning Marco’s source materials so Scott could
“examine the earlier Marco contributions without prejudice.” Scott added that “a review of the notebooks
which record our [with Garcia] collaboration reveals that the more blatant forgeries were not presented to
me until after I had already drawn my conclusions about the so-called Povedano and Pavon manuscripts.”
In 1969 Scott published his dissertation entitled “A Critical Study of the Pre-hispanic Source Materials for
the Study of Philippine History,” which included a separate section on Marco’s contributions to Philippine
historiography.
QUICK QUERY: How did William Henry Scott and Mauro Garcia conducted internal
criticism and external criticism to debunk the Code of Kalantiaw and Maragtas?
LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS
Exercises 1: Primary or Secondary?
Read the following situations carefully. Identify if the source will be Primary or Secondary by checking
the column that corresponds to it.
Historical Sources
GE 12: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
BICOL UNIVERSITY
Primary
Secondary
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1
A YouTube video describing how Tagalog was selected as the national
language in the time of Pres. Quezon.
2 An interview with Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo on 1897 about the Philippine
Revolution.
3 The original manuscript of “The Philippines a Century Hence” by Jose
P. Rizal
4 The textbook written by Gregorio Zaide on Philippine History
5 A War Veteran talking about the World War 2 in in the Philippines
6 An copy of Diariong Tagalog dated 1882
7 The movie “Heneral Luna” depicting the conditions of the FilipinoAmerican War
8 ‘Balangay” boat discovered in Butuan City
9 Your classmate reporting on the proceedings of the Tejeros
Convention.
10 Diary of a reporter narrating his inputs from one of the first biographers
of Rizal, Austin Craig.
Exercises 2: Internal or External?
Read the following situations carefully and identify it conducted either an Internal Criticism or
External Criticism. Check the box that correspond to your answer.
1
2
3
4
5
Situations
Mr. Jimenez claims that he was a witness to the alleged retraction of
Rizal when the hero was incarcerated in Fort Santiago. But the
historian noticed in Mr. Jimenez’ birth certificate, the guy was born in
1920.
When Ms. Cruz was reading a ‘suspected’ novel of Rizal, she noticed
that the theme of the story tends to support prevalence of friars
owning huge sum of lands, crediting that these are their mandate as
men of church. She stated to suspect on the novel’s
A student researcher claims that he holds an old jar that was used by
the Homo Luzonensis found in Callao Cave. The historian asked him
why he hold such artifact.
Noel’s biography of Rizal says the national hero went to mainland
China to establish a ‘New Calamba’. However, upon checking on
Rizal’s other biographers, no narrative has disclosed Rizal’s sojourn to
China.
Social Media videos circulating on the internet claims that Rizal never
died on December 30, 1896 and continued his life as a doctor. Before
dying, he allegedly gave his wealth to then young Ferdinand Marcos.
The historian stated asking why such idea came from a certain
influencer.
GE 12: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
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Internal
External
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6
The historian has verified that a poem presented before him has really
existed in the 16th century because it uses Old English language
appropriate on the time it was written.
7 The historian denied a document claiming to contain Aguinaldo’s
admission on ordering Bonifacio and Luna’s assassination because
the former president’s signature was different from other verified
documents of Aguinaldo.
8 The autobiography made by a Martial Law victim was set aside
because his statements were inconsistent and was changing based
on the narratives he disclosed before.
9 The historian did not believe that Manuel holds an original old map of
the Philippines during 16th Century because it was printed in a photo
paper.
10 Fely observed that a song claimed to be composed in 1789 uses
modern vocabulary that proves I possible to be adopted during the
time the document is is said to be written.
LET’S REMEMBER
-
-
-
A Primary Source is information that was created at the same
time as an event or by a person directly involved in the event.
These can be in form of maps, images, personal accounts,
travel accounts, music, etc.
A Secondary Source is information from somewhere else or by a person
not directly involved in the event. Examples of these includes encyclopedias,
textbooks, and book reports.
External criticism refers to the evaluation of a document in order to test its
authenticity: Is the information concerning the author, the place and the time it
was written correct? Internal criticism concerns the contents of the document;
it involves both an interpretation of the source, linguistically and in terms
of historical context, and also an evaluation in terms of how reliable
or
credible the source is.
LET’S APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
Find any primary source that can be attributed to Philippine History. Using the concepts of
this lesson, conduct internal and external criticism using the worksheet below:
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Title
Author(s)
Date of Writing/ Publication
Place written or published
Type of Document
Author’s purpose of writing
Author’s intended audience
Main subject of the
document
Key people/ groups/ sectors
mentioned
Key socio-political themes
discussed
Points-of-view expressed
Personal values/ biases
revealed
Suspected errors or
misleading statements
Is the source reliable?
Explain.
Is the source useful? Explain.
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What can be learned from
the document?
RESOURCES:
Candelaria, J. L. (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Manila: Rex Book Store.
Justiniano, M. C. (2011). Jose E. Marco’s Kalantiaw Code: Implications for Philippine Historiography
and Filipinos’ Historical Consciousness. EXPLORATIONS: A graduate student journal of
southeast
asian
studies,
11(1).
Retrieved
from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.970.1246&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Sources for historical research: Secondary sources. (2020, July 28). Retrieved from University of
Western Australia: https://guides.library.uwa.edu.au/primary_sources/secondary
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