READING IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Althea Glate B. Butay
BS ARCHITECTURE-1A
READING III
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING
1.) What is the fundamental task historian to his Country and his people?
- The task of a historian is to interpret the historical facts or events truthfully.
Thus, a historian uses critical historical method which requires basing one's
interpretation and assertions from facts found in the documents.
2.) As an academic discipline, how does a historian make a truthful historical
account of the past? How does this relate with the scientific method used in
natural sciences?
- To arrive at "facts", historians are demanded to demonstrate in detail how to
bridge the gap between documentation and the conclusions that are drawn
from it. The difference in the historians' point of view rests in knowing how
to put question to a document and knowing what questions to raise.
3.) Do you believe that history is never truly objective? Does this hold true to
news making?
- I believe that history can never be “objective’ because it is always written
from a point of view the writer. However, this should not be taken with
skepticism believing that history is a fiction. While historians may interpret
the past from various perspectives and reasons, their narratives must be
based on all available authentic and reliable evidences.
4.) What brought the emergence of nationalist history in the Philippines? Is
nationalist history an opposition to colonial-based historiography?
-The gaps left by "colonial-minded" historiography in the Philippines has led
Filipino historians to make attempts in writing history from “nationalist" or
nation-based histories.
5.) What types of “nationalist history" obstructed the national cause i.e.,
developing national identity and national consciousness?
6.) Explain why the writings of Pedro Paterno, Jose Marco, Diego Povedano
and Jose Maria Pavon were considered pseudohistory or products of
creative imagination?
7.) What is the difference in emphasis between the colonialist and elitist
approaches in historiography? What factor/s influence this emphasis?
-The nationalist history of the 1970s rejects the colonialist and elitist approaches
— writing national history. It rather takes a stand on writing people history
or history from the point of view of the masses.
8.) What are the characteristics of a true history'?
-A true "people's history” following characteristics: (a)it sees the Filipino people
as the primary agents in their history - not objects repressed by theocracy
or oppressed by exploitative policies; (b) it refuses treat the people as an
abstraction manipulated by deterministic force such as religion and
imperialism (c) it tries to understand all aspects Of experience of all the
Filipinos, as they themselves understood it and (d) it acknowledges what is
valuable as well what is harmful in the Filipino past .
9.) Is history “people’s history” a liberating history? How could
"people's history” totally free the Filipinos from their colonial mentality?
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10.) What are the challenges Of Filipino historians in writing Philippines
history? How could they address these challenges?
-Filipino historians are called and challenged to present the Filipino past in an
its variety, all of the past provide inspiration for a better and more Just
society. But by depicting the whole of reality. history 'Will make it possible
to reform and reshape every society toward a better future.
ISSUES FOR DISCOURSE
1.) As a student of history, what lesson does the following statement give you?
2.) "The victors write the history, “how would you reconcile this statement with
the dominance as well as the biases and prejudices of historical narratives
made by the Spanish chroniclers who wrote about the history of the Filipino
people?
3.) Do you think it is right to use nationalist perspective in the writing of
Philippine history? Why? How can a nationalist perspective build a sense of
national identity and offer guidance for the present and for the future?
CHECK UP QUIZ
READING IV
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING
1.) What is an origin? what questions can be asked when evaluating the
origin of a primary source?
=* what is it?
*who was author?
*when was it created?
*when was it published?
*where was it published?
*who is publishing it?
2.) Why is there a need to know origin of a primary source?
- to determine who created the document and for him to be
acknowledge. And for us to better understand and share more
opinions about the document
3.) What are the advantages and disadvantages of primary and
secondary sources?
- Advantages
The document will be understood better by the reader
Secondary sources largely address the disadvantages of primary
sources Disadvantage
Maybe the words are written in other languages that you cannot
understand The documents are maybe incomplete
Secondary sources are unreliable as primary points of evidence.
Instead, they're better served as sources of commentary and
interpretation.
4.) What is a purpose? What questions can be asked when evaluating
the purpose of a primary source?
~ does this document exist?
~why did the author create this piece of work? What is the intent?
~why did the author choose this particular format?
~ who is the intended audience? Who was the author thinking
would receive this? what does the document "say"? can it tell you
more than is on the surface?
5.) Why is there a need to know the purpose of a primary source?
• To know the reason why we really need that source.
6.) What is a limitation? What questions can be asked when evaluating
the limitation of a primary source?
• Limitation is end of giving information, there should be a detail that
keep hidden and not published.
• Questions: what part of the story can we not tell from this story?
how could we verify the content of the piece? does this piece
inaccurately reflect anything about the time period? what does the
author leave out and why does he/ she leave it out (if you know)?
what is purposely not addressed?
7.) Why is there a need to know the limitation of a primary source?
• To know what are things and details that should be keep hidden
and not published to the public. There are also things that are
written that are private information’s.
8.) Why is "limitation" considering the hardest stage in the OPLV
technique?
• It is the hardest part. It is not to point out weaknesses of the source
but rather to say: at what point does this source cease to be of value
to us as historians?
• they really need to think what are the things that they should keep
private.
9.) Why is it that being biased does not limit the value of source?
• You need to briefly explain the parts of the story that the document
leaves out.
Give examples of other documents that might mirror or answer this
document.
10.) What are the advantages of using OPVL in historical document
analysis?
• It helps you figure out why the document is important/significant
and helps us learn more about history.
ISSUES FOR DISCOURSE
3.) Explain following statement “All knowledge constructed in the of history is
necessarily more or less probable and fallible, it is subjected to permanent to
disciplinary self-correction based primarily on the accumulation of new
evidence, new hypotheses and new arguments." - Marek Tamm
