GE 2: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

MODULE 2:
ANALYZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PRIMARY SOURCES TO
THE HISTORY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

Module Learning Objectives:

At the end of the module, the students are expected to:
a. Evaluate the merits of selected narrative accounts from primary sources;
b. Discuss criticisms on historical issues;
c. Cite historical importance of the selected texts

Section 1: Customs of the Tagalogs, Juan de Plasencia

Full Text (Required Reading):
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/13701/13701-h/13701-h.htm#d0e1500

Juan de Plasencia, Author

 Fray Juan de Plasencia, also known as his real name, Joan de Portocarrero, was one of the
seven children of Pedro Portocarrero.
 He was born and raised in Extremadura, Spain in the 16 th century during the country’s
Golden Age (Siglo de Oro).
 He performed missionary and priestly duties in numerous towns in Luzon.
 His interaction with Tagalog converts to Christianity influenced him in writing the book
“Relacion de las Constumbres de Los Tagalos (Customs of the Tagalogs, 1589).
 The book identifies the political, social, economic, and cultural systems that were already
in place among Filipino communities prior to the arrival of the Spaniards.

Historical Background of the Document

 Filipinos were allowed to hold the position of gobernadorcillo of pueblos.
 Friars assigned in the parishes performed administrative duties in the local level by
supervising and monitoring the activities of the gobernadorcillo. They are the most
influential and knowledgeable figure in the pueblo.
 periodically inform their superiors
 report number of converts
 people’s practices
 socio-economic situations
 problems encountered
 Short letters were submitted by some friars while others who were good observers and
gifted in writing wrote longer messages. Fray Juan de Plasencia’s Relacion de las
Costumbres de los Tagalos (Customs of the Tagalogs, 1589) is an example of such work.
 Miguel de Loarca, arrived in the Philippines in 1576 and wrote “Relacion de las Islas
Filipinas (1582) that described the way of life of Filipinos living in Western Visayas area.
 Antonio de Morga, came in the Philippines in 1595 and wrote “Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas (latter part of the 16th century)

Section 2: Raiders of the Sulu Sea, Documentary Film

Required Viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtJ1mZdX10

Description:
 It is a historical documentary produced by Oak3 Film.
 It became popular because they co-produced a documentary with Discover Asia titled
“The Gods Must Be Hungry,” which earned Discover Asia’s highest viewership in 10
years (gives a whole new perspective of food as it takes an appetizing exploration into
the practices of feeding gods or better known as offerings to appease them, to seek
their favour or to express one's gratitude).

Historical Background of the Documentary

 Raiders of the Sulu Sea (2008) depicts the slave-raiding activities perpetrated by the
Balangingi Samal and the Ilanun people under the command of the Sultanate of Sulu.
 The documentary shows the Moro resistance to the Spanish and American colonial
governments in Southern Philippines.
 The raids were facilitated by different indigenous groups of Sulu: Ilanuns, Balangingi
Samals, and Tausugs. The raids on the coastal areas of the Spanish settlements indicate
the indigenous groups’ retaliation.
 The armed struggle against the Spanish, American, and Japanese colonial governments
are considered by Moro leaders as part of the four-century long national liberation
movement. The long-standing Moro-conflict is rooted in the Spanish and American war
against the Moros
 Spanish Rule: Propagation of Christianity, Control over the maritime trade caused
Moros to lose sources of livelihood, putting many of them in poverty.
 American Rule: Thousands of Moros were killed in the Moro Crater Massacre.

Section 3: Kartilya ng Katipunan by Emilio Jacinto

Full Text (Required Reading):
http://www.kasaysayan-kkk.info/membership-documents/emilio-jacinto-katipunan-nang-manga-
a-n-b---sa-may-nasang-makisanib-sa-katipunang-ito-the-kartilya?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp
%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1

Emilio Jacinto, Author

 Brains of the Katipunan, Moses of the Filipino People, Soul of the Revolution, and Eyes
of the Katipunan
 Bachelor’s degree at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and law at University of Santo
Tomas
 He used the pen names Pinkian, Dimasilaw, and Ka Ilyong. He joined the Katipunan in
1894 and was the youngest member at 19 years old.
 He became the director of the printing shop and library of the Katipunan. The library
contained written works on tactics and weaponry, the French Revolution, and works of
demagogues.
 Became the adviser of the Supremo and furnished Bonifacio with weapons, money,
printing materials, and musical compositions. He was the editor of the newspaper
Kalayaan.
 Died at 23 years old because of malaria.

Historical Background of the Kartilya

 Andres Bonifacio codified document listing the duties and responsibilities of every
member of the Katipunan. Incidentally, as Bonifacio was drafting the said document,
Emilio Jacinto was writing one as well. Bonifacio was impressed with Jacinto’s style of
writing and decided to adopt the Kartilya ng Katipunan as the guidebook for the rules and
regulations of the Katipunan.
 Factors that influenced the formation of the Katipunan and Kartilya:
1) The Age of Enlightenment gave way to Liberalism and Classicism and in the 20 th
century, Modernism. In this period, secret societies like the Freemasons were
established. Coffeehouses, newspapers, and literary salons flourished as new
places for ideas to circulate and transfer.
2) The French Revolution was a period of social and political upheaval in France. It
became the focal point for the development of all modern political ideologies. It
led to radicalism, liberalism, and nationalism which greatly influenced the
Ilustrados in the Philippines and in Europe.
3) Masonry was a civic movement promoting fraternity, evidently influenced the
dynamics of the Katipunan. The Spanish believed that Masonry and establishment
of the Katipunan were roots of the problems. Filipinos were described to be
against righteousness, morality, or justice and that Masonry was the enemy of
God.
4) The Propaganda Movement was propelled by the execution of the three (3)
priests, GomBurZa, in 1872 which left a profound effect on many Filipinos
including Jose Rizal.
5) The La Liga Filipina was established by Jose Rizal when he decided to return to
the Philippines to continue to call for reforms through legal means. However, the
operations of La Liga Filipina were cut short when Rizal was arrested and exiled
to Dapitan.
 Andres Bonifacio-Katipunan (Radicals)
 Numeriano Adriano-Cuerpo de Compromisarios (Conservatives)

Section 4: The Works of Juan Luna and Fernando Cueto Amorsolo

Juan Luna (1857-1899)

 He is from Badoc, Ilocos Norte. He was granted the title Licentiate Pilot for High Seas
after passing the government examination for sailors.
 He was also a member of the Hong Kong Revolutionary Committee that tried to convince
Emilio Aguinaldo during his exile in Hong Kong to return to the Philippines and take part
in the armed rebellion against the Spaniards.

Historical Background of Luna’s Paintings

 Luna’s paintings illustrate literary and historical scenes that cried political commentaries.
 Spoliarium was the most important work of Luna and the largest painting in the
Philippines (4.22m x 7.67m). He spent eight months to complete the painting.
 La Muerte de Cleopatra (Death of Cleopatra) – Silver Medal
 The Battle of Lepanto – Gold Medal (Jose Rizal delivered a congratulatory
speech for the success of Juan Luna)
 El Pacto de Sangre – shows blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi
 Parisian Life – shows a lady sitting uncomfortably in a couch in a public war
while being discretely observed by three men who resemble Jose Rizal, Juan
Luna, and Dr. Ariston Lin-Bautista
 Portrait of a Lady / Paz Pardo de Tavera
 Wife of Luna holding a rosary in a scene that seems to be after a sexual
interlude
 Favorite model of Luna named Angela Duche
 Luna’s ideal vision of his wife

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892-1972)

 He is from Paco, Manila. He studied at the Art School of the Liceo de Manila and at the
University of the Philippines’ School of Fine Arts.
 He worked as a draftsman for the Bureau of Public Works, as a Chief Artist at the Public
Commercial Company, and as a part time instructor in the University of the Philippines.
 He painted and sketched more than 10,000 pieces over his lifetime using natural and
backlighting techniques.
 Themes: Rural Philippine landscapes.
 Leyendo El Periodioco – Second Place in the Bazaar Escolta
 Afternoon Meal of Rice Workers – 1st Prize at the New York World’s Fai
 Making of the Philippine Flag
 The First Baptism in the Philippines
 Under the Mango Tree
 He died from heart failure. He was the first National Artist of the Philippines in painting.
And also considered as the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art.”

Historical Background of Luna’s Paintings

 His paintings depict life during the late American regime and the Japanese occupation
(wartime atrocities-suffering of the Filipinos under Japanese authorities).
 Bombing of the Intendencia
 Bombing of the Legislative Building
 Rape of Manila
 Burning of Sto. Domingo
 Rizal Avenue in Ruins
 Defense of a Filipino Woman’s Honor
 Burning of Manila

Section 5: Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan, Emilio Aguinaldo

Text (Required Reading):
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12996/12996-h/12996-h.htm

Description:
 It focuses on the memoir written by General Emilio Aguinaldo which narrates significant
events in his life and career from 1928 to 1946.
 The memoir tells the life of Aguinaldo from his years up to the 1897 Treaty of Biak-na-
Bato
 Aguinaldo’s family was well off since his father was the community’s gobernadorcillo of
their pueblo.
 He attended high school at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran but had to stop because of
his father’s death---run their farm.
 At the age of 25, he became the Kawit’s first “gobernadorcillo capitan municipal
 Freemason-joining Pilar Lodge No. 203, Imus, Cavite---Colon
 Joined Katipunan---Magdalo
 First and youngest president of the country by being the President of the First Philippine
Republic
 Presidency was cut short when he was captured by the American soldiers---Palanan,
Isabela---loyalty to the American government---dissolving the First Republic
 Challenged Manuel L. Quezon in the 1935 presidential election but he lost
 President Elpidio Quirino-appointed as member of the Philippine Council of State in
1950
 Dies of coronary thrombosis on February 6, 1964. He was 94 years old.
 In his lifetime he was able to witness the administration of succeeding presidents of the
Philippines until the term of President Diosdado Macapagal

Historical Background of Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan

 Memoirs were based on various documents such as diary Aguinaldo kept, documents he
preserved, and family lore
 It covered Aguinaldo’s birth and early years.
 It was also presumed that a second volume was also drafted by Aguinaldo which covered:
 Resumption of the Philippine revolution against Spain and the Philippine-
American war
 Hidden in a secret compartment, drawer, or passageway in the Aguinaldo Shrine in
Kawit, Cavite.

Section 6: The Act of the Declaration of Philippine Independence, Ambrosio Rianzares

Bautista
Full Text (Required Reading):
https://filipino.biz.ph/history/declaration.html

Background of the Author

 He is from Binan, Laguna.
 He studied law at the University of Santo Tomas.
 He solicited funds to finance the campaign for reforms in the Philippines and became a
member of the La Liga Filipina, Cuerpo de Compromisarios, and La Propaganda.
 Imprisoned at Fort Santiago by Spaniards---Philippine Revolution---managed to defend
himself---eventually released.
 First adviser of President Emilio Aguinaldo.
 Waved the Philippine flag before the jubilant crowd during the proclamation of
Philippine independence in Kawit, Cavite.
 President of the Philippines in the Revolutionary Congress in Tarlac and appointed judge
of the Court of First Instance of Pangasinan.
 Died at the age of 72 years old because of a fatal fall from a horse-drawn carriage.

Historical Background of the Document

 In May 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo decided to return to the Philippines from Hong Kong,
bringing with him the first Philippine flag (sewn by Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza
Agoncillo, and Delfina Herbosa).
 Aguinaldo---rallied all the Filipinos to unite and fight against the Spaniards in the Battle
of Manila Bay.
 The battle was considered to be a mock battle (Treaty of Paris in 1898).
 The Act of Declaration of Philippine Independence (Acta de la Proclamacion de la
Independencia del Pueblo Filipino)---encourage Filipinos to fight against the Spaniards.
 Declaration: Playing of the Philippine national anthem (composed by Julian Felipe, lyrics
by Jose Palma from his poem Filipinas)---Ambrosio read the Act of the Declaration of
Philippine Independence in Spanish---USA never recognized this declaration.
 Act of the Declaration of Philippine Independence was among the documents lost during
the height of the pilferage of historical documents in the 1990s---returned to National
Library in 1994---Milagros Guerrero of University of the Philippines
Section 7: Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricatures of the American Era
Excerpts (Required Reading):
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfred_Mccoy/publication/315678206_Selected_sections_a
nd_cartoons_from_'Philippine_Cartoons_Political_Caricature_of_the_American_Era_1900-
1941'_edited_by_Alfred_W_McCoy_and_Alfredo_R_Roces_1985/links/58dacc6992851ce5e94a
a561/Selected-sections-and-cartoons-from-Philippine-Cartoons-Political-Caricature-of-the-
American-Era-1900-1941-edited-by-Alfred-W-McCoy-and-Alfredo-R-Roces-1985.pdf

Gist:
 Philippines was better under the Americans compared to the Spaniards, freedom was not
immediately accorded to the Filipinos.
 Cartoons reflect the changing more and times under the American rule. The use of these
cartoons was a subtle way of expressing discontent with the American rule.

Background of the Authors

 During the American era, political cartoons gained popularity as a form of expression.
 Used cartoons as political commentaries to expose the ills of the American colonial
government.

Alfred McCoy
 He earned his BA in European Studies from Columbia College in 1968.
 He finished his MA in Asian Studies at the University of California in Berkeley in 1969.
 Earned his PhD in Southeast Asian History at Yale University in 1977.
 Studied Philippine political caricatures to understand the social and political contexts of
the Philippines during the American period and worked with Alfredo Roces, his co-
author of Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricatures of the American Era.
 He did not create any political caricatures, his interest urged him to compile from various
sources to produce a single collection.

Alfredo Reyes Roces

 He was a painter, an essayist, and a versatile artist who is considered to be a prominent
figure in Philippine art. His paintings started with figurative style but soon began to
amalgamate expressionism, Fauvism, and impressionism.

 Expressionism
…is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany
at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a
subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke
moods or ideas.

 Fauvism
…is the style of les Fauves (French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century
modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong color over the
representational or realistic values.

 Impressionism
…is a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible
brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its
changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary
subject matter, inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and
experience, and unusual visual angles.

Leading Newspapers in Manila that Included Political Cartoons in their Editorials

1) The Philippines Free Press
 Founded in 1906 by Judge W. A. Kincaid but was taken over by McCullough
Dick due to bankruptcy.
 Published in both Spanish and English.
 Featured investigative articles regarding country’s development.
 It has a personal tone since it was not tied to a particular political party.
 It advocated integrity, democracy, and Philippine national progress.
2) Lipag-Kalabaw
 Founded in 1906, it was published in Tagalog and Spanish containing satiric
cartoons.
 It maintained anonymity by not having masthead and by having artists and writers
use pen name. Because of this, they could express themselves freely.
3) The Independent
 Founded in 1915 by the Father of Cebuano Letters, Vicente Sotto, one of the
militant and aggressive advocates of immediate independence.
 It was a weekly newspaper published in English and Spanish which served as
forum for the discussion of political issues.
 It was also where Fernando Amorsolo began his career as the “angriest of
Manila’s political cartoonists”
4) Bag-Ong Kusog
 Literally means “New Force”.
 It often talked about the differences between the Spanish and American colonial
governments.
 It depicted the breakdown of the hollowed customs and social practices due to
American influence.
 It focused on criticism of co-education introduced by the Americans, which
endangered the virtue of women.

Historical Background of the Political Cartoons

 The Spanish colonial period was characterized by strict censorship resulting in a lack of
political liberty and minimal avenues for expressing political views.
 Spanish censorship banned non-religious publications, thus compelling newspaper
publications to be distributed underground.
 The transition to American colonial period provided liberty in the publication of
independent newspapers (newspapers were scrutinized by the government to ensure they
did not contain anti-American sentiments).
 The four decades of the American colonial rule became formative period in Philippine
history.
 Censorship was loosened when civil government was established in 1901.
 It gave the Filipinos the right to publish without prior censorship of the government.
 Rafael Palma launched El Renacimiento (Rebirth) which became the most influential of
the early nationalist newspapers campaigning for the right to a free press.
 Sedition and libel laws were used to obstruct the developing hostilities.
 After facing two libel suits, El Renacimiento had to discontinue.
 Martin Ocampo and Fernando Ma. Guerrero established a new publication, La
Vanguardia, in the same office and survived until World War II as one of Manila’s
leading newspapers.

Section 8: Corazon C. Aquino’s Speech Before the United States Congress on September 18,
1986
Speech Transcript (Required Reading):
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1986/09/18/speech-of-president-corazon-aquino-during-the-
joint-session-of-the-u-s-congress-september-18-1986/

Background of the Author

 President Corazon C. Aquino was invited to deliver a speech before the United States
Congress on September 18, 1986, in recognition of the peaceful EDSA revolution which
ousted Ferdinand Marcos and paved the way for Aquino to become the president.
 She was the wife of the assassinated Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr.
 She served as the 11th President of the Philippines and named by Time magazine as
“Woman of the Year” in 1986.
 In 1999, she was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 20 most influential Asians of
the 20th century. Prior to becoming president, she had not held any elective office.
 She died August 1, 2009 due to colorectal cancer.

Historical Background of the Document

 It has been the practice of the US Congress to convene a Joint Meeting for the purpose of
hearing an address from an important figure, usually a visiting foreign leader.
 She delivered her speech before the US Congress barely seven months after being sworn
into office under a revolutionary government brought about by EDSA Revolution.
 During that time, Cory’s presidency was unstable for she inherited an economy that was
in disaster. There was a massive poverty and unemployment in the country.
 The loyalty of the military to her administration was still in question. Her administration
was already plagued by a coup attempt, backed by a multitude of civilian Marcos
loyalists after five months of assumption of office.
 The historic speech targeted two goals, a) it aimed to express gratitude towards the
United States for helping the Filipinos regain their freedom, b) to seek more help from
them in restoring the government, considering Aquino’s decision to honor the foreign
dents the Philippines incurred during the Marcos administration.

Section 9: Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood

Background of the Author
 Gregorio Zaide was born on May 25, 1907 in Pagsanjan, Laguna. His works served as
basis of many Philippine history textbooks.
 He obtained his BA and PhD degrees from the University of Santo Tomas and his MA
degree from the University of the Philippines.
 He was one of the founders of the International Association of Historians of Asia and
served as president of the Philippine Historical Association for three years.

Historical Background of the Document

 General Leonard Wood first arrived in the Philippines in 1903 after rendering his services
in Cuba. He was appointed as governor of the Moro Province (southern islands and
Mindanao). He was also the commanding general of the American troops in Mindanao
and Sulu.
 US President Warren Harding commissioned the Wood-Forbes Mission (headed by
former Gov. General W. Cameron Forbes and General Wood). The mission’s aim was to
assess if the Philippines could already be declared an independent nation, following the
Filipinization policy implemented by the administration of Francis Burton Harrison.
 The policy allowed Filipinos to be actively involved in running the government as part of
the American policy of benevolent assimilation.
 Findings: The Philippines still needed the Americans. As a response, President Calvin
Coolidge appointed Major General Wood to be the Governor General of the Philippine
islands.
 His appointment was greatly accepted by the Filipinos considering his role in the
liberation of Cuba, giving Filipinos high hopes for political emancipation.
 Major threats conducted by Wood:
 Issued Executive Order No. 37 which nullified laws creating the Board of Control
(composed of Filipinos and tasked to oversee the sale and management of stocks
in government-owned and controlled corporations). He tried to dissolve the Board
of Control because he only occupied a minority position and never got the consent
from the Senate President and House Speaker to enable the government to
administer or conduct a business.
 Governor Wood disregarded the final decision made by Jose P. Laurel (Secretary
of the Interior) on the case of Ray Conley. Conley was a secret service detective
who was accused of receiving bribe and having mistresses. Filipino leaders
protested against his action in relation to his defiance of the Philippine Autonomy
Act of the Jones Law that provided Filipinos legislative power. It led to
resignation of five Filipino cabinet secretaries of the department led by Laurel. it
was followed by the resignation of senate president Manuel L. Quezon and house
speaker Manuel Roxas as members of the Council of State. These resignations
caused the Cabinet Crisis of 1923 (During the “cabinet crisis” of 1923, the
Filipino members of the cabinet, Abad Santos among them, relinquished their
posts to protest Governor-General Wood's handling of the Conley Case. He was
subsequently re-appointed to the Justice portfolio in 1928 and served under
Governors-General Henry L.).
 The growing executive-legislative tension became more personal as the Governor
blatantly exercised his veto power in most of the legislations passed by the
Philippine legislature. Such developments led to the drafting of Filipino
Grievances Against Governor Wood, which was approved by the Commission on
Independence on November 17, 1926.

YOUR TASKS (135 POINTS; Deadline: July 8, 2020 @ 11:59 PM):

Accomplish the tasks below and upload your output to the link that will be posted in the
coursework section of our Google classroom. Use the attached template to accomplish your
output.

I. Evaluate the merits of the selected (9) accounts along the following criteria (specific
instructions are stated in the attached template):
a. Purpose:
-What is the purpose of the source? To provide information? To persuade or advocate?
To entertain? To sell a product or service? (provide a direct quotation from the raw
text/video). Justify your answer in 2-3 simple sentences.
b. Intended Audience:
-Who is the intended audience? Scholars and academic researchers with specialized
knowledge? The general public (without specialized knowledge)? Students? Justify your
answer in 2-3 simple sentences.
c. Objectivity or Bias:
- Is the information presented in the source objective (unbiased) or subjective (biased)?
Justify your answer in 2-3 simple sentences.
d. Main Historical Issue
-Point out and discuss the main historical issue that is being depicted in each account (3-
5 sentences only for each account).
e. Historical Importance
-Cite historical importance of the selected texts (3-5 sentences for each account).