PART 1: CONTEXT ANALYSIS

Context analysis considers the time and place the historical document was written as
well as the situation or the circumstances during the time. Works pertaining to events in the
past are analyzed by also taking into account the author of the document, his/her biographical
background., role in the event, and intent for writing the document.

The two other questions to consider when doing a context analysis are as follows:

1. How authoritative is the account/source?

2. How is it relevant today?
Lesson 1

LEARNING HISTORY

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of history, and

2. explain the significance of history.

What is History?

To make sense of history, it is necessary to first understand what it is all about. Many
people think that history is merely lists of names, dates, places, and “important” events.
However, history or the study of history is more than just knowing and memorizing facts.

It is a historian’s duty to draw insights from the ideas and realities that have shaped the
lives of men and women and the society. And in understanding these ideas, a historian (or, in
fact, a student of history) can comprehend how situations happened, identify their elements,
and think of how these situations can solve today’s predicaments and help plan for the future.

The study of history, therefore, is the study of the beliefs and desires, practices, and
institutions of human beings.

With this definition, history becomes an active factor in the study of Philippine society. It
also includes a look into the development of Philippine culture through time especially with the
influences of the colonial period that would eventually shape the present Philippine identity.

Why study History?

An examination of the past can tell us a great deal about how we came to be who we
are. It means looking at the roots of modern institutions, ideas, values, and problems.

Looking at the past teaches us to see the world through different eyes---appreciating the
diversity of human perceptions, beliefs, and cultures. Different and/or new perspectives will
enable us to analyze critically the present contexts of society and beings.

The Meaning of “History”

Excerpts from Understanding History: A Primer of Historical Method by Louis Gottschalk (1950),
New York: Knofp, p. 17)

The English word history is derived from the Greek noun istoia, meaning learning. As
used by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, history meant a systematic account of a set of natural
phenomena, whether or not chronological factoring was a factor in the account … In the course
of time, however, the equivalent Latin word scientia (English, science) came to be used more
regularly to designate non-chronological systematic accounts of natural phenomena; and the
word history was reserved usually for accounts of phenomena (especially human affairs) in
chronological order.

By its most common definition, the word history now means, “the past of mankind.” …
From the book of Grey and Biong (2017):

Meaning and Relevance of History. History can be defined in several ways. It could be
defined as a documented record of man and his society. As a field of study, it is a study of man
and his achievements from the beginning of written records to the present time (Gray, 1956 in
De Viana, 2015). History can be defined as everything that has happened or occurred from the
beginning of time to the last instance. As a record, it is a documented history of man and his
society. As literature, history is an effective presentation of the unfolding of events. According
to Abbot in De Viana (2015), the historian has the ability to depict the unraveling of fateful
events and to portray the rise and deterioration of character of events, ranking it with novels
and epic poetry.

According to De Viana (2015), history as a record of events shows the evolution of man
and his society and from the age of barbarism to what he is today. For students of history, it is a
record of the past showing his development and improvement throughout the ages and how he
met his various challenges through time. History is not merely a chronology, i.e., a list of events
as they happen, but this should show a pattern on how man and his society has evolved from
the primitive form to the present; showing his ability to cope with obstacles and challenges that
he himself or nature has place throughout his existence.
Lesson 2

UNDERSTANDING SOURCES

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. identify the differences between a primary source and a secondary source;

2. enumerate materials which can be considered primary sources; and,
3. evaluate materials in terms of authenticity, credibility, and provenance.

What are Sources?

In his work, Understanding History, Gottschalk (1950) discusses the importance of

sources for the historian’s work:

The historian, however, has to use many materials that are not in books. Where
these are archeological, epigraphical, or numismatical materials, he has to depend
largely on museums. Where there are official records, he may have to search for them in
archives, courthouses, government libraries, etc. Where there are private papers not
available in official collections, he may have to hunt among the papers of business
houses, the muniment rooms of ancient castles, the prized possessions of autograph
collectors, the records of parish churches, etc. Having some subject in mind, with more or
less definite delimitation of the persons, areas, times and functions (i.e., the economic,
political, intellectual, diplomatic or other occupational aspects) involved, he looks for
materials that may have some bearing upon those persons in that area at the time they
function in that fashion. These materials are his sources. The more precise his
delimitation of persons, area, time, and function, the more relevant his sources are likely
to be. (52-53)

It is from historical sources that our history is studied and written. But in analyzing
them, several methodologies and theories were used by historians to properly study history
and glean from the sources what is, for them a proper way of writing history to enhance and
disseminate national identity.

Primary Sources

Primary sources are materials produced by people or groups directly involved in the
event or topic being studied. These people are either participants or eyewitnesses to the event.
These sources rang from eyewitness accounts, diaries, letters, legal documents, official
documents (government or private), and even photographs.

Formally, there are eight examples of these primary sources:

1. Photographs that may reflect social conditions of historical realities and everyday life
2. Old sketches and drawings that may indicate the conditions of life of societies in the
past
3. Old maps that may reveal how space and geography were used to emphasize trade
routes, structural build-up, etc.
4. Cartoons for political expression or propaganda
5. Material evidence of the prehistoric past like cave drawing, old syllabaries, and ancient
writings
6. Statistical tables, graphs, and charts
7. Oral history or recordings by electronic means of accounts of eyewitnesses or
participants; the recordings are then transcribed and used for research
8. Published and unpublished primary documents, eyewitness accounts, and other written
sources

Secondary Sources

Gottschalk simply defines secondary sources as “the testimony of anyone who is not an
eyewitness—that is of on who was not present at the event of which he tells” (p. 53). These are
book, articles, and scholarly journals that had interpreted primary sources or had used them to
discuss certain subjects of history.

From the book of Grey and Biong (2017):

Sources of History. Sources are very important, in the study of history. They are the
originators of information and data. Abott places sources with documents, written materials
that says something about historical events. Documents can be letters, receipts, copies of
speech, eyewitness accounts, narrations, or books. These are some of the sources and are NOT
the only sources of history.

There are also some sources which are not written such as relics, fossils, remains, and
memorabilia. Some sources are alive such as living eyewitnesses. When the researcher used
them in his research, they are always known as respondents or informants.

In the study of Philippine history, sources are called batis which also means stream or a
spring. A batis therefore is the spring of historical information. The usual batis are documents
especially archival documents.

Types of Sources. There are basically two types of sources in history: the primary
sources and the secondary sources.

Primary sources are considered as the lifeblood of history. De Viana (2015) states that
the primary source directly talks about the subject matter. Accounts of people who are direct
participants or eyewitness to an event are also primary sources.

Example of primary sources are minutes of meeting, diaries and journals,

autobiographies, speeches, receipts, essays written by a person expressing his view, laws,
letters of instructions, decrees, letters, eyewitnesses accounts, official reports, newsletter
articles reporting directly about the event, editorials or books containing direct quotation of
events.

Secondary sources are documents or works made by individuals who are not directly
involved to the events or made by people who obtained the information from somebody else
or from primary sources. Examples of secondary sources are textbooks, encyclopedia entries,
newspapers accounts of a meeting, magazine articles about a subject or teachers’ reports on
student behavior as reported by school counselors.
There is also a third classification of sources called general references. A general
reference merely points the reader to the primary or secondary source. Examples are the
contents of a card catalogue. Even incomplete information in the internet called stubs
considered as abstracts or summaries of book is also a general reference.

External and Internal Criticism. Historical sources exist independent of the research
study since they were not written or developed for use of research. Thus, while they serve their
purpose well for which they are created, they may not solely serve the researchers’ purpose.

All sources of historical data must be subjected to rigorous scientific analysis to

determine both their authenticity and their accuracy. Furthermore, historical data are
subjected to rigorous scientific analysis through external and internal criticism (Gottchalk,
1969).

External criticism is the establishment of authenticity. Its purpose is to ensure that the
documents are not mere forgeries or inventions. If the researcher is dealing with a problem for
which source are relatively old, and for which authenticity is not necessarily a given, there are a
number of scientific techniques available such as the physical and chemical tests. Internal
criticism, on the other hand, is the establishment of accuracy. Its purpose is to evaluate the
accuracy and the worth of the data. In determining the accuracy of the data, four factors are to
be considered, namely: (a) author’s knowledge and competence, (b) time delay, (c) motives and
biases of the author, and (d) consistency of the data. The verified facts were then presented as
objectively as possible, into a narrative form following the stated framework for interpretation
and analysis. The analysis involved in historical research data was logical analysis rather than
statistical analysis.

Some Repositories of Primary Sources:

1. National Archives of the Philippines

2. National Library of the Philippines
3. National Historical Commission of the Philippines
4. National Museum of the Philippines
5. University of the Philippines Main Library
6. ADMU Rizal Library
7. DLSU Library
8. UST Library
9. Library of Congress
10. National Archives and Records Administration
11. Archivo General de Indias
12. Archivo General de la Nacion
13. American Historical Collection
14. Lopez Memorial Museum
15. Ayala Museum

Kinds of Primary Sources

1. Human fossils
2. Artifacts
3. Royal Decrees & Laws
4. Official Reports
5. Chronicles
6. Friar accounts
7. Maps
8. Memoirs
9. Personal account
10. Newspaper
11. Magazines
12. Legislative Journals
13. Court Records
14. Speeches
15. Personal Letters
16. On line databases
17. Blogs
18. Documentary Films
19. Recorded Interviews
PART 2: UNDERSTANDING PERSPECTIVE

Historical sources are written by various authors with different perspectives.

Perspective refers to the point of view of the said writer who was a witness to the event.
Though historical sources are important in the writing of history, the historian is careful in using
these sources as the writer may be biased or prejudiced on the subject he/she is discussing.
For example, missionary chronicles or narratives that were written by the religious missionaries
who came to the Philippines to spread Christianity in the islands usually referred to the early
Filipinos as barbarians or uncivilized. This of course, is not true as it is known that Filipinos
already had a form of civilization and had contact with Asian neighbors before the Spaniards
arrived.

Different participants who also wrote their accounts can also give varied opinions and
statements about a single event. For example, the Philippine Revolution of 1896 can be read
from the point of view of the Filipinos and from the side of the Spaniards. The same event can
be viewed from the lens of foreigners who were in the Philippines at that time and were just
passive observers. In any case, reading a historical event from the points of view of all sides
will enable us to form our own studies about the said event.
Lesson 3

MAGELLAN’S VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. analyze the content, context, and perspective of the document;

2. discuss Magellan-Elcano expedition and experience based on the journal; and,
3. explain the importance of Pigafetta’s account on the study of Philippine history.

Historical Context

One of the benefits that the Europeans gained from the Crusades was the discovery of
some products that were not available in their home country. These included porcelain, silk,
incense, herbs, perfumes, fabrics, carpets, spices, and other oriental products. Of all these
Asian products, spices became the most expensive and in-demand commodity among
Europeans because of their numerous uses such as food preservation, flavor enhancement, and
even medicine. Since spices were a very lucrative commodity, many merchants aspired to
monopolize their supply and distribution in the European markets.

Asian goods reached Europe either via the Silk Road or the Arabian-Italian trade route.
Both routes were expensive and oftentimes disrupted by wars, natural calamities, and bandits.
The closing of the land route of the Spice Trade with the conquest by the Ottoman Empire of
Constantinople (present-day Turkey and the “gateway to the West” then) in 1453 forced
European kingdoms to look for ways to purchase spices directly from the source. They decided
to explore the oceans to look for a way to the famed Spice Islands.

Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal put up a maritime school that rained sailors who
would later discover an eastern sea route going to the Spice Islands (the modern-day Moluccas
Islands) and other islands in Southeast Asia via the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. This
route enabled them to trade directly with the producers of spices and other Oriental goods. The
numerous economic benefits it gave to Portugal made other monarchs envious and prompted
them to search for a new trade route to Asia. This led to the discovery of many territories
previously unknown to the Europeans, through inhabited already and known to other races.

The marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (1469)
coupled with the victory of the Catholic monarchs over the Moors in the Battle of Granada
(1492) resulted in the rise of Spain as a world power. With the domestic problems already
under control, Spain started to explore their economic options outside the Iberian Peninsula
Inspired by the success of Portugal, they aspired to have a fair share in the spice trade. They
financed the trans-Atlantic voyages of Christopher Columbus (1492 to 1502) which resulted in
the discovery of the territories on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Decades later, the
Spanish monarch also supported the plan of Ferdinand Magellan to go to the East by sailing
westward, a proposal that Portugal refused to finance.
The Magellan-Elcano expedition left the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda in Seville on
August 20, 1519 with around 270 men of different nationalities. One of its main objectives was
to search for a new maritime path to the Spice Islands that would not violate Spain’s treaty with
Portugal. Along the way, the expedition suffered natural and man-made challenges and out of
the five ships that left Spain only three reached the Philippines. The first couple of weeks of
their stay in the Philippines were marked with hospitality and cordial exchanges of goods. The
local inhabitants traded with them and some were even converted to Christianity. Lapu-lapu,
the chieftain of Mactan, refused to trade with the Spaniards and when Magellan learned this,
he waged war with him. Despite their superiority in terms of arms and training, the Spaniards
lost the battle and one of the casualties was Magellan himself. When the survivors rturned to
Cebu, they were also treacherously attacked by their former allies. This prompted them to
leave the island. By that time, their number was just enough to man two ships, the Victoria
(now under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano) and the Trinidad. The expedition finally
reached the Spice Islands and managed to purchase a large amount of spices before leaving.
Unfortunately, the Trinidad and her crew were captured by the Portuguese on their journey
back.

On September 7, 1522, Elcano and 17 survivors arrived in Spain aboard the ship Victoria.
One of them was Antonio Pigafetta, the assistance of Magellan who kept a journal that became
the main source of what we know about the first encounter of the Spaniards and the Filipinos.

About the Author

Antonio Pigafetta (1491 – c.1534), born around 1490 in the town of Vicenza, Venice,
Italy, was the eldest son of Giovanni Pigafetta to second wife Angela Zoga. He studied
astronomy, geography, and cartography and during his younger years worked in the ships
owned by the Knights of Rhodes.

His biographers described him as a well-educated young man possessing an avid

curiosity of the world around him. He joined the delegation of Monsignor Francesco Chieregati
when the latter was assigned as Papal Nuncio to Spain in 1519. It was during this time when
Pigafetta became acquainted with the lucrative spice trade and heard the news of the voyage
to be undertaken by Ferdinand Magellan. After getting the approval of the Spanish sovereign,
he left Barcelona and went to Seville. He presented his credentials to Magellan and to the Casa
de la Contratacion, the office in charge of voyages to the New World. He was admitted as one
of the sobresalientes (supernumeraries), or men coming from prominent families who will join
the trip for the love of adventure and for the advancement of military service. Pigefetta
survived the challenges and catastrophes that the expedition encountered along the way,
including being wounded in the Battle of Mactan. He was among the 18 survivors who returned
to Spain on September 6, 1522 aboard the Victoria with Juan Sebastian Elcano.

From Seville, Pigafetta reported to his Majesty King Carlos V and gave him a handwritten
account of what happened to them during the journey before returning to his native Italy. Very
little is known as to what happened to him during the latter part of his life except on some
accounts that he joined the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in its battle against the Turks.
He died sometime in 1534.
About the Book

Pigafetta kept a detailed journal of what happened to them from the time they left
Seville in 1519 until they returned to Spain three years after. When he returned to Italy, many
of his associates asked him to write a formal account of the Magellan expedition and have it
published. He followed their advice and, after doing it, he presented his draft to Pope Clement
VII, Philippe de Villeirs L’Isle-Adam (grandmaster of the Knights of Rhodes) and to Louis of Savoy
(mother of King Francis I of France), hoping that they would help him finance its publication.
Unfortunately, he was unable to find a financier who would pay the deposit required by the
printer because by that time, the accounts of Maximilianus Transylvanus and Peter Martyr were
already out and interest on Magellan expedition had died. Sometime in 1536, a condensed
version of his manuscript was published in Venice by Jacques Fabre.

The original journal of Pigafetta did not survive time. What was handed down to use are
copies of the manuscript that were never printed in his lifetime. Three of them were in French
and two are kept in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. The third one was originally owned by
British collector Sir Thomas Phillipps. Later, Beinecke Rare Book bought it and it is now kept in
the Manuscript Library of Yale University in New Haven. The fourth copy was written in mixed
Italian, Spanish, and Venetian languages and could be found in the Ambrosian Library in Milan.
In 1800, Carlo Amoretti published an Italian version and the following year a French version
came out in Paris. An English version was published in 1819. James Alexander Robertson made
his own English version of the Ambrosian copy and it appeared in The Philippine Islands opus
(Volume 33) as well as in a separate edition.

Of the four know primary sources that dealt with Magellan expedition, Pigafetta’s
account is the longest and most comprehensive. It recounted the individual fates of the five
ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago, and Victoria) that comprised the Magellan
expedition. It narrated lucidly how they gallantly survived the unforeseen problems and
challenges, such as shortage of food, various types of diseases, the crew’s lack of confidence in
Magellan’s leadership, and the hostile attitude of the people they encountered during the
journey. Pigafetta’s account also included maps, glossaries of native words, and geographic
information and descriptions of the flora and fauna of the places they visited.

Pigefetta’s travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine

historiography. His writing provided us a glimpse of the political, economic, and social
conditions of the islands in the Visayas region during the 16 th century. He described vividly the
physical appearance, social life, religious beliefs, and cultural practices of the people they
encountered in the islands of Samar, Leyte, and Cebu. His account also contains data about the
economic activities of the local folks and the goods they offered for trade. He got all this
information through the help of Magellan’s slave/interpreter, Enrique de Malacca. Pigafetta
likewise gave us an eyewitness account of the death of Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.

The report of Pigafetta is quite long and is not presented here in its entirety. The
excerpts are limited to the narration of what happened to the expedition upon reaching the
Philippines—from the time they landed on Homonhon up to the Battle of Mactan. Since
Pigafetta and Enrique de Malacca were not natives of the Visayan region, there were
inaccuracies in the information about the spelling of the names of places they visited. Thus, the
correct equivalent and translation are provided to make the excerpts understandable to
contemporary students.

Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World

At dawn on Saturday, March 16, 1521, we came upon a high land at a distance of three
hundred leagues from the islands of Latroni – an island named Zamal [i.e., Samar]. The
following day, the captain-general desired to land on another island which was uninhabited and
lay to the right side of the above mentioned island in order to be more secure and to get water
and have some rest. He had two tents set up on the shore for the sick and had a sow killed for
them. On Monday afternoon, March 18, we saw a boat coming toward us with nine men in it.
When those men reached the shore, their chief went immediately to the captain-
general...seeing that they were reasonable men, ordered food to be set before them and gave
them red caps, mirrors, combs, bells, ivory, bocasine and other things. When they saw the
captain’s courtesy, they presented fish, a jar of palm wine which they call (uraca) [i.e., arrack],
figs more than one palmo long [i.e., bananas], and two cocoanuts [i.e., coconuts]. They had
nothing else then … but rice and cocoanuts and many articles of food within four days.
Cocoanuts are the fruit of the palm tree. Just as we have bread, wine, oil, and vinegar, so those
people get everything from that tree. They get wine in the following manner. They bore a hole
into the heart of the said palm at the top called palmito [i.e., stalk], from which distils a liquor
which resembles white must [mist]. That liquor is sweet but somewhat tart, and [is gathered] in
canes [of bamboo] as thick as the leg and thicker. They fasten the bamboo to the tree at
evening for the morning, and in the morning for the evening. That palm bears a fruit, namely
the cocoanut, which is as large as the head or thereabouts. Its outside husk is green and thicker
than two fingers. Certain filaments are found in the husk, whence is made cord for binding
together their boats. Under the husk, there is a hard shell, much thicker than the shell of the
walnut, which they burn and make therefrom a powder that is useful to them. Under that shell
there is white marrowy substance one finger in thickness which they eat fresh with meat and
fish as we do [with] bread; and it has a taste resembling the almond. It could be dried and made
into bread. There is a clear, sweet water in the middle of the marrowy substance which is very
refreshing. When that water stands for a while after having been collected, it congeals and
becomes like an apple. When the natives wish to make oil, they take that cocoanut and allow
the marrowy substance to putrefy. Then they boil it and it becomes oil like butter. When they
wish to make vinegar, they allow only the water to putrefy, and then place it in the sun, and a
vinegar results like[that made from] white wine. Milk can also be made from it, for we made
some. We scraped that marrowy substance and then mixed the scrapings with its own water
which we strained through cloth, and so [we] obtained milk like goat's milk. Those palms
resemble date-palms, but although not smooth they are less knotty than the latter. A family of x
[10] persons can be supported on two trees, by utilizing them week about for the wine [by
utilizing one of them during one week and the other during the other 8 days for the wine]; for if
they did otherwise, the trees would dry up. They last a century.

Those people became very familiar with us. They told us many things, their names and
those of some of the islands that could be seen from that place. Their own island was called
Zuluan and it is not very large. We took great pleasure with them, for they were very pleasant
and conversable. In order to show them great honor, the captain-general took them to his ship
and showed them all his merchandise - cloves, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold,
and all the things in the ship. He had some mortars fired for them, whereat they exhibited great
fear, and try to jump out of the ship. They made signs to us that the abovesaid articles grew in
that place where we were going. When they are about to retire, they took they their leave very
gracefully and neatly, saying they would return according to their promise. The island where we
were is called Humunu [Homonhon]; but in as much as we found two springs there of the
clearest water, we called it, we called it Acquada da li buoni Segnialli (i.e., "The Watering-place
of Good Signs”), for there were the first signs of gold which we found in those districts. We
found a great quantity of white coral there, and large trees with fruit a trifle smaller than the
almond and resembling pine seeds. There are also many palms, some of them good and others

bad. There are many islands in that district, and therefore we called them the archipelago of
San Lazaro, as they were discovered on the Sabbath [Sunday] of St. Lazarus. They lie in x
degrees of latitude toward the Arctic Pole, and in a longitude of one-hundred and sixty-one
degrees from the line of demarcation.

At noon on Friday, March 22, those men came as they had promised us in two boats with
cocoanuts, sweet oranges, a jar of palm-wine and a cock, in order to show us that there were
fowls in that district. They exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us. We purchased all those
articles from them. Their seignior was an old man who was painted [i.e., tattooed]. He wore
two gold earrings [schione] in his ears, and the others many gold armlets on their arms and
kerchiefs about [on] their heads. We stayed there one week, and during that time our captain
went ashore daily to visit the sick and every morning gave them cocoanut water from his own
hand which comforted them greatly. There are people living near the island who also have
holes [earrings] in their ears so large that they can pass their arms through them. Those people
are caphri, that is to say, heathen. They go naked, with a soft cloth woven from the bark of the
tree about their privies, except some of the chiefs who wear cotton cloth embroidered with silk
at the end by means of a needle. They are dark, fat and painted. They anoint themselves with
cocoanut and with beneseed oil, as the protection against the sun and wind. They have very
black hair that falls to the waist, and use daggers, knives and spears ornamented with gold,
large shields, fascines, javelins, and fishing nets that resemble rizali [a fine thickly woven net
used for fishing]; and their boats are [just] like ours.

*****

Next day, Holy Friday, the captain-general sent his slave who acted as our interpreter,
ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he had any food to have it carried to the ships; and to
say that they would be well satisfied with us, for he [and his men] had come to the island as
friends and not as enemies. The king came with six or eight men in the same boat and entered
the ship. He embraced the captain-general to whom he gave three porcelain jars covered with
leaves and full of raw rice, two very large orade [dorado] and other things. The captain-general
gave the king a garment of red and yellow cloth made in the Turkish fashion, and fine red cap ;
and to the others (the kings's men), to some knives and to others mirrors. Then the captain-
general had a collation spread for them, and had the king told through the slave that he desired
to be casi casi with him, that is to say, brother. The king replied that he also wished to enter the
same relations with the captain-general. Then the captain showed him cloth of various colors,
linen, coral [ornaments], and many other articles of merchandise, and all the artillery some of
which he had discharged for him, whereat the natives were greatly frightened.

*****

Pieces of gold, of the size of walnuts and eggs, are found by sifting the earth in the
island of that king who came [whom I led] to our ships. All the dishes of that king are of gold
and also some portions of his house, as we were told by that king himself. According to their
customs he was grandly decked out [molto in ordine], and the finest looking man that we-saw
among those people. His hair was exceedingly black, and hung to his shoulders. He had a
covering of silk on his head, and wore two large golden earrings fastened in [to] his ears. He
wore a cotton cloth all embroidered with silk, which covered him from the waist to the knees.
At his side hung a dagger, the haft of which was somewhat long and all of gold, and its scabbard
of carved wood. He had three spots of gold on every tooth, and his teeth appeared as if bound
with gold. He was perfumed with storax and benzoin, he was tawny and painted [i.e., tattooed]
all over. The island of his was called Butuan and Calagan (Caraga). When those kings wished to
see one another, they both went to hunt in that island where we were. The name of the first
King is Raia Colambu, the second Raia Siaui.

Early on [in] the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Eastern-day, the captain
General sent the priest with some men to prepare the place where the Mass was to be said;
together with the interpreter to tell the king that we were not going to land in order to dine
with them, but to say mass. Therefore, the king sent two swine that he had killed. When the
hour for mass [had] arrived, we landed with about fifty men, without our body armor, but
carrying our other arms and dressed in our best clothes. Before we reached the shore with our
boats, six pieces were discharged as a sign of peace. We landed; the two kings embraced the
captain-general, and placed him between them. We went in marching order to the place
consecrated, which was not far from the shore. Before the commencement of [the] mass, the
captain sprinkled the entire bodies of the two kings with musk water. The mass was offered up
[during the mass, we made our offerings]. The kings went forward to kiss the cross as we did,
but made no offerings. When the body of our Lord was elevated, they remained on their knees
and worshiped Him with clasped hands. The ships fired all their artillery at once when the body
of Christ was elevated, the signal having been given from the shore with muskets. After the
conclusion of mass, some of our men took communion….Then he [they] had a cross carried in
and the nails and a crown, to which immediate reverence was made [to which they immediate
reverence]. He told the Kings through interpreter that they were the standards given to him by
the emperor his sovereign, so that wherever he might go he might set up those tokens. [ He
said ] that he wished to set it up in that place for their benefit, for whenever any of our ships
came, they would know that we had been there by that cross, and would do nothing to
displease them or harm their property [property: doublet in original MS.]. If any of their men
were captured, they would be set free immediately on that sign being shown. It was necessarily
to set that cross on the summit of the highest mountain, so that on seeing it every morning,
they might adore it; and if they did that, neither thunder, lightning, nor storms would harm
them in the least. They ranked him heartily and [said] that they would do everything willingly.
The captain general also asked them whether they were Moros [Muslims] or heathen, or what
was their belief. They replied that they worshiped nothing [had no other worship] but that they
raised their clasped hands and their face to the sky and that they called their God “Abba”.
Thereat the Captain was very glad, and seeing that, the first King raised his hands to the sky,
and said that he wished that it were possible for him to make the captain see his love for him.
The Interpreter asked the King why there was no little to eat there. The latter replied that he
did not live in that place except when he went hunting and to see his brother, but that he lived
in another island where all his family were. The captain-general had him asked [asked him] to
declare whether he had enemies, so that he might go with his ships to destroy them and to
render them obedient to him. The king thanked him and said that he did indeed have two
island hostile to him, but that it was not then the season to go there. The [That] captain told
him that if God would again allow him to return to those districts, he would bring so many men
that he would make the king’s enemies subject to him by force. He said that he was about to go
to dinner, and that he would return afterward to have the cross set up on the summit of the
mountain. They replied that they were satisfied, and then forming in battalion and firings the
muskets, and the captain having embraced the two kings, we took our leave.

After dinner we all returned clad in our doublets, and that afternoon went together with
the two kings to the summit of the highest mountain there. When reached the summit, the
captain-general told them that he esteemed highly having sweated for them, for since the cross
was there, it could not but be of great use to them. On asking which port was best to get food
they replied that there were three, namely, Ceylon (Leyte), Zubu (Cebu), and Calaghann
(Calagan), but that Zubu was the largest and he one with most trade. They offered of their own
accord to give us pilots to show us the way. The captain-general thanked them, and determined
to go there, for so did his unhappy fate will. After the cross was erected in position, each of us
repeated a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria and adored the cross; and the kings did the same.
Then we descended through the cultivated fields, and went to the place where the balanghai
was. The king had some coconuts brought in so we might refresh ourselves. The captain asked

the kings for pilots, for he intended to depart the following morning, and [said] that he would
treat them as if they were the kings themselves, and would leave one of us as hostage. The
Kings replied every that every hour he wished the pilots were at his command, but that night
the first king change his mind, and in the morning when we were about to depart, sent word to
the captain-general, asking him for love of him to wait two days until he should have his rice
harvested, and other trifles attended to. He asked the captain-general to send him some men
to help him, so that it might be done sooner; and said that he intended to act as our pilot
himself. The captain sent him some men, but the kings ate and drank so much that they slept all
the day. Some said to excuse them that they were slightly sick. Our men did nothing on that
day, but they worked the next two days.

*****

Those people were heathens and go naked and painted. They wear a piece of cloth
woven from a tree about their privies. They are heavy drinkers. Their women are clad in tree
cloth from their waist down, and their hair is black and reaches to the ground. They have holes
pierced in their ears which are filled with gold. These people are constantly chewing a fruit
which they call areca, and resembles a pear. They cut that fruit into four parts and then wrap it
in the leaves of their tree which they call betre [i.e.,betel]. Those leaves resembles the leaves of
the mulberry. They mixed it with a little lime and when they have chewed it thoroughly, they
spit it out. It makes the mouth exceedingly red. All the people in those parts of the world use it,
for it is very cooling to the heart, and if they ceased to use it they would die. There are dogs,
cats, swine, fowls, goats, rice, ginger, and coconuts, figs [i.e., bananas], oranges, lemons, millet,
pancium, sorgo, wax, and quantity of gold in that island. It lies in a latitude of nine and two
thirds degrees towards the Arctic Pole, and in a longitude of one hundred and sixty-two degrees
from the line of demarcation. It is twenty-five (leagues) from the Acquada and is called Mazaua
(Limasawa).

We remained there seven days, after which we laid our course toward the northwest,
passing among five islands, namely Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baybai, and Gatighan. In the last
named island of Gatighan, there are bats as large as eagles. As it was late we killed one of them,
which resembled chicken in taste. There are doves, turtle-doves, parrots, and certain black
birds as large as domestic chicken, which have a long tail. The last mentioned birds lay eggs as
large as the goose, and bury them under the sand, through the great heat of which they
hatched out. When the chicks are born, they push up the sand, and come out. Those eggs are
good to eat. There is a distance of twenty leguas [leagues] from Mazaua to Gatighan. We set
out westward from Gatighan, but the king of Mazaua could not follow us [closely]; and
consequently, we awaited him near three islands; namely Polo [Poro], Ticobon [Pasijan], and
Pozon [Pason]. When he caught up with us he was greatly astonished at the rapidity with which
we sailed. The captain-general had him come into his ship with several of his chiefs at which
they were pleased. Thus did we go to Zubu from Gatighan, the distance to Zubu being fifteen
leguas.

At noon on Sunday, April seven, we entered the port of Zubu, passing by many villages,
where we saw many homes built upon logs. On approaching the city, the captain-general
ordered the ships to fling their banners. The sails were lowered and arranged as if for battle,
and the artillery was fired, an action which caused great fear to the people. The captain sent a
foster-son of his as ambassador to the king of Zubu with the interpreter. When they reached
the city, they found a vast crowd of people together with the king, all of whom who were
frightened by the mortars. The interpreter told them that that was our custom when entering
into such places, as a sign of peace and friendship, and that we had discharged all our mortars
to honor the king of the village. The king and all of his men were reassured, and the king had

asked us by his governor what we wanted. The interpreter replied that his master was a
captain of the greatest king and prince in the world, and that he was going to discover Malucho;
but that he had come solely to visit the king because of the good report which he had heard of
him from the king of Mazaua, and to buy food with his merchandise. The king told him that he
was welcome [literally: he had come at a good time], but that it was their custom for all ships
that entered their ports to pay tribute, and that it was but four days since a junk from Ciama
[i.e., Siam] laden with gold and slaves had paid him tribute. As proof of his statement, the king
pointed out to the interpreter, a merchant from Ciama, who had remained to trade the gold
and slaves. The interpreter told the king that, since his master was the captain of so great a
king, he did not pay tribute to any seignior in the world, and that if the king wished peace he
would have peace, but if war instead, war. Thereupon, the Moro merchant said to the king “
Cata raia chita”; that is to say, “Look well, sire. These men are the same who have conquered
Calicut, Malaca, and all India Magiore [i.e., India Major]. If they are treated well, they will give
good treatment, but if they are treated evil, evil and worse treatment, as they have done to
Calicut and Malcaca.” The interpreter understood it all and told the king that his master’s king
was more powerful in men and ships than the king of Portogalo, that he was the king of Spagnia
[Spain] and emperor of all Christians, and that if the king did not care to be his friend he would
next time send so many men that they would destroy him. The Moro related everything to the
king who said thereupon that he would deliberate with his men, and would answer the captain
on the following day. Then he had refreshments of many dishes, all made from meat and
contained in porcelain platters, besides many jars of wine brought in. After our men had
refreshed themselves, they returned and told us everything. The king of Mazaua, who was the
most influential after that king and the seignior of a number of islands, went ashore to speak to
the king of the great courtesy of our captain-general.

Monday morning, our notary, together with the interpreter, went to Zubu. The king,
accompanied by his chiefs, came to the open square where he had our men at down near him.
He asked the notary whether there are more than one captain in that company, and whether
that captain wished him to pay tribute to the emperor, his master. The notary replied in the
negative, but that the captain wished only to trade with him and no others. The king said that
he was satisfied, and that if the captain wished to become his friend, he should send him a drop
of blood from his right arm, and he himself would do the same [to him] as a sign of the most
sincere friendship. The notary answered that the captain would do it [so]. Thereupon, the king
told him that all the captains who came to that place were wont to give presents one to the
other [i.e., mutual presents between the king and the captain], and asked whether our captain
or he ought to commence. The interpreter told the king that since he desired to maintain the
custom, he should commence, and so he did.

*****

On Wednesday morning, as one of our men had died during the previous night, the
interpreter and I went to ask the king where we could bury him. We found the king surrounded
by many men of whom, after the due reverence was made, I asked it. He replied, ”If I and my
vassals all belong to your sovereign. How much more ought the land.” I told the king that we
would like to consecrate the place, and to set up a cross there. He replied that he was quite
satisfied and that he wished to adore the cross as did we. The deceased was buried in the
square with as much pomp as possible, in order to furnish a good example. Then we
consecrated the place, and in the evening buried another man. We carried a quantity of
merchandise ashore which we stored in a house. The king took it under his care as well as four
men who were left to trade the goods by wholesale. Those people live in accordance with
justice, and have weights and measures. They love peace, ease and quiet. They have wooden
balances, the bar of which has a cord in the middle by which it is held. At one end is a bit of

lead, and at the other marks like quarter-libras [quarter pounds], third libras [third pounds],
and libras [pounds]. When they wish to weigh they take the scales which has three wires like
ours, and place it above the marks, and so weigh it accurately. They have very large measures
without any bottom. The youth play on pipes made like ours which they call subin. Their houses
are constructed of wood and are built of planks and bamboo, raised high from the ground on
large logs and one must enter them by means of ladders. They have rooms like ours and under
the house they keep their swine, goats and fowls. Large sea snails [corniolli], beautiful to the
sight, are found there which kill whales. For the whale swallows them alive, and when they are
in the whale’s body, they come out of their shells and eat the whale’s heart. Those people
afterward find them alive near them alive near the dead whale’s heart. Those creatures have
black teeth and skin and a white shell, and the flesh is [are] good to eat. They are called laghan
[a shellfish].

On Friday we showed these people a shop full of our merchandise, at which they were
very much surprised. For metals, iron and other large merchandise they gave us gold. For the
other smaller articles, they gave us rice, swine, goats, and other food. Those people gave us x
pieces of gold for xiiii libras [14 pounds] of iron (one piece being worth about one and one-half
ducados [ducats]). The captain general did not wish to take too much gold, for there would
have been some sailors who would have given him all that they owned for a small amount of
gold and would have spoiled the trade for ever. On Saturday, as the captain [king] had
promised the king [captain] to become a Christian on Sunday, a platform was built in [on] the
consecrated square, which was adorned with hangings and palm branches for his baptism. The
captain-general sent men to tell the king not to be afraid of the pieces that would be discharged
in the morning, for it was our custom to discharged them at our greatest feasts without loading
[them] with stones.

On Sunday morning, April 14, forty men of us went ashore, two of whom were completely
armed and preceded the royal banner. When we reached land, all the artillery was fired. Those
people followed us hither and thither. The captain and the king embraced. The captain told the
king that the royal banner was not taken ashore except with fifty men armed as were those
two, and with fifty musketeers; but so great was his love for him that he had thus brought the
banner. Then we all approached the platform joyfully. The captain and the king sat down in
chairs of red and violet velvet, the chiefs on cushions, and the others on mats. The captain told
the king through the interpreter that he thanked God for inspiring him to became [become] a
Christian, and that [now] he would more easily conquer his enemies than before. The King
replied that he wished to become a Christian but that some of his chiefs did not wish to obey,
because they said that they were as good as men as he. Then our captain had all the chiefs of
the king called, and told them that unless they obeyed the king as their king, he would have
them killed, and would give their possessions to the king. They replied that they would obey
him. The captain told the king that he was going to Spagnia, but that he would return again
with so many forces that he would make him the greatest king of those regions, as he had been
the first to express a determination to become a Christian. The king, lifting his hands to the sky,
thanked the captain and requested him to let some of his men remain [with him], so that he
and his people might better be instructed in the faith. The captain replied that he would like to
take two of the children of the chiefs with him, so that they might learn our language, who
afterward on their return would be able to tell the others the wonders [cose] of Spagnia. A
large cross was set up in the middle of the square. The captain told them that if they wished to
become Christians as they had declared on the previous days, that they must burn all their idols
and set up a cross in their place. They were to adore that cross daily with clasped hands and
every morning after their [I.e., the Spaniards’] custom, they were to make the sign of the cross
which the captain showed them how to make; and they ought to come hourly, at least in the
morning, to that cross, and adore it kneeling. The intention that they had declared, they were

to confirm it with good works. The king and all the others wished to confirm thoroughly. The
captain-general told the king that he was clad in all white demonstrate his sincere love toward
them. They replied they could not respond to his sweet words. The captain led the king by hand
to the platform while speaking these good words in order to baptize him. He told the king that
he would call him Don Carlo, after his sovereign the emperor; the prince, Don Fernando, after
the emperor’s brother; the king of Mazaua, Johanni; a chief, Fernando, after our chief, that is to
say the captain; the Moro, Christoforo; and then the others, now one name, and now another.
Five hundred men were baptized before mass. After the conclusion of mass, the captain invited
the king and some of the other chiefs to dinner but they refused, accompanying us, however, to
the shore. The ships discharged all the mortars; and embracing, the king and chiefs and the
captain took leave of one another.

After dinner, the priest and some of the others went ashore to baptize the queen, who
came with forty women. We conducted her to the platform, and she was made to sit down
upon a cushion, and the other women near her, until the priest should be ready. She was
shown [I showed her] an image of our Lady, a very beautiful wooden child Jesus, and a cross.
Thereupon, she was overcome with contrition and asked for baptism amid her tears. We
named her Johanna, after the emperor’s mother; her daughter, the wife of the prince,
Catherina; the queen of Mazaua, Lisabeta; and the others, each [with] their [distinctive] names.
Counting men, women, and children, we baptized eight hundred souls. The queen was young
and beautiful, and was entirely covered with a white and black cloth. Her mouth and nails were
very red, while on her head she wore a large hat of palm leaves in the manner of a parasol, with
a crown about it of the same leaves, like the tiara of the Pope; and she never goes any place
without such a one. She asked us to give her the little child Jesus to keep in place of her idols;
and then she went away. In the afternoon, the king and queen, accompanied by numerous
persons, came to the shore. Thereupon, the captain had many trombs of fire and large mortars
discharged, by which they were most highly delighted. The captain and the king called one
another brothers. That king’s name was Raia Humabon. Before that week had gone, all the
persons of that island, and some from the other islands were baptized. We burned one hamlet
which was located in a neighboring island, because it refused to obey the king or us. We set up
the cross there for those people were heathen. Had they been Moros, we would have erected a
column there as a token of our greater hardness, for those Moros are much harder to convert
than the heathen.

The captain-general went ashore daily during those days to hear mass, and told the king
many things regarding the faith. One day, the queen came with great pomp to hear Mass.
Three girls preceded her with three of her hats in their hands. She was dressed in black and
white with a large silk scarf, crossed with gold stripes thrown over her head, which covered her
shoulders; and she had on her hat. A great number of women accompanied her who were all
naked and barefoot, except that they had a small covering of palm-tree cloth before their
privies, and a small scarf upon the head, and all hair flowing free. The queen, having made the
due reverence to the altar, seated herself on a silk embroidered cushion. Before the
commencement of the mass, the captain sprayed her and some of her [the] women with musk
rosewater, for they delighted exceedingly in such perfumes. The captain, knowing that the
queen was very much pleased with the child Jesus, gave it to her, telling her to keep it in place
of her idols, for it was a memory of the son of God. Thanking him heartily, she accepted it.

*****

One day, the captain-general asked the king and the other people why they did not burn
their idols as they had promised when they became Christians; and why they sacrificed so much
flesh to them. They replied that they were doing was not for themselves but for a sick man who
had not spoken now for four days so that the idols might give him health. He was the prince’s
brother and the bravest and wisest man in the island. The captain told them to burn their idols
and to believe in Christ, and that if the sick man were baptized, he would quickly recover; and if
that it did not so happen, they could behead him [i.e., the captain] then and there. Thereupon,
the king replied that he would do it, for he truly believed in Christ. We made a procession from
the square to the house of sick man with as much pomp as possible. There we found him in
such a condition that he could neither speak nor move. We baptized him and his two wives, and
x girls. Then the captain had him asked [asked him] how he felt, he spoke immediately and said
that by the grace of our Lord he felt very well. That was a most manifest miracle [that
happened] in our times. When the captain heard him [the man] speak, he thanked God
fervently. Then he made the sick man drink some almond milk, which he had already made
ready for him. Afterward he sent him a mattress, a pair of sheets, a coverlet of yellow cloth, and
a pillow. Until he recovered his health, the captain sent him [every day] almond milk,
rosewater, oil of roses, and some sweet preserves. Before five days, the sick man began to
walk. He had an idol that certain old women concealed in his house burned in the presence of
the king and all the people. He had many shrines along the seashore destroyed, in which
consecrated meat was eaten. The people cried out “Castiglia!” “Castiglia!” and destroyed those
shrines. They said that if God would lend them life, they would burn all the idols they could
find, even if they were in the king’s house. Those idols are made of wood, and are hollow, and
lack the back parts. Their arms are open and their feet turned up under them with the legs
open. They have a large face with four huge tusk like those of the wild boar; and are pain

There are many villages in that island. Their names and those chiefs are as follows:
Cinghapola and its chiefs, Cilaton, Ciguibucan, Cimaningha, Cimatichat and Cicanbul; one,
Mandaui and its chiefs, Apanoaan; one Lalan, and its chief Theteu; one, Lalutan, and its chief
Tapan; one Cilumai; and one Lubucun. All those villages rendered obedience to us, and gave us
food and tribute. Near that Island of Zubu was an Island called Matan (Mactan), which formed
the port where we were anchored. The name of its village was Matan, and its chiefs were Zula
and Cilapulapu [Lapu-lapu]. That city [village] which we burned was in that island and was
called Bulaia.

*****

On Friday, April twenty- six, Zula, chief of the island of Matan sent one of his sons to present
two goats to the captain-general, and to say that he would send him all that he had promised,
but that he had not been able to send it to him because of the other chief, Cilapulapu, who
refused to obey the King of Spagnia. He requested the captain to send him only one boatload of
men on the next night, so that they might help him and fight against the other chief. The
captain-general decided to thither with three boatloads. We begged him repeatedly not to go,
but he, like a good shepherd, refused to abandon his flock. At midnight, sixty men of us set out
armed with corselets and helmets, together with the Christian king, the prince, some of the
chief men, and twenty or thirty balanghais. We reached Matan three hours before dawn. The
captain did not wish to fight then, but he sent a message to the natives by the Moro to the
effect that if they would obey the King of Spagnia, recognize the Christian king as their
sovereign, pay us our tribute, he would be their friend; but that if they wished otherwise, they
should wait to see how our lances wounded. They replied that if we had lances they had lances
of bamboo and stakes hardened with fire. [They asked us] not to proceed to attack them at
once, but to wait until morning, so that they might have more men. They said that in order to

induce us to go in search of them; for they had dug certain pitholes between the houses in
order that we might fall into them. When the morning came, forty-nine of us leaped into the
water up our thighs, and walked through water for more than two crossbow flights before we
could reach the shore. The boats could not approach nearer because of certain rocks in the
water. The other eleven men remained behind to guard the boats... When they saw us, they
charged down upon us with exceeding loud cries, two divisions on our flanks and other two on
our front. When the captain saw that, he formed us into two divisions, and thus did we begin to
fight. The musketeers and crossbowmen shot from a distance for half an hour, but uselessly for
the shots only passed through the shields which were made of thin wood and the arms [of the
bearers]. The captain cried to them, "Cease firing! cease firing!" but his order was not all
heeded. When the natives saw that we were shooting our muskets to no purpose, crying out,
they [were] determined to stand firm, but they [and] redoubled their shouts. When our
muskets were discharged, the natives would never stand still but leaped hither and thither,
covering themselves with their shields. They shot so many arrows at us and burled so many
bamboo spears (some of them tipped with iron) at the captain general, besides pointed stakes
hardened with fire, stones, and mud, that we could scarcely defend ourselves. Seeing that, the
captain-general sent some men to burn their houses in order to terrify them. When they saw
their houses burning, they were roused to greater fury. Two of our men were killed near the
houses, while we burned twenty or thirty houses. So many of them charged down upon us that
they shot the captain through the right leg with a poisoned arrow. On that account, he ordered
us to retire slowly, but the men took to flight, except six or eight of us who remained with the
captain. The natives shot only at our legs, for the latter were bare; and so many were the spears
and stones hurled at us, that we could offer no resistance. The mortars in the boats could not
aid us as they were too far away. So we continued to retire for more than a good crossbow
flight from the shore, always fighting up to our knees in the water. The natives continued to
pursue us, and picking up the same spear four or six times, burled it at us again and again.
Recognizing the captain, so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet off his head
twice, but he always stood firmly like a good knight, together with some others. Thus did we
fight for more than one hour, refusing to retire farther [further]. An Indian burled a bamboo
spear into the captain's face, but the latter immediately killed him with his lance which he left in
the Indian’s body. Then, trying to lay hand on sword, he could draw it out halfway because he
hand been wounded in the arm with [by] a bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all
burled themselves upon him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass,
which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward,
when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses,
until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide. When they wounded
him, he turned back many times to see whether we were all in the boats. Thereupon, beholding
him dead, we, wounded, retreated, as best as we could to the boats which were already pulling
off. The Christian king would have aided us, but the captain charged him before we landed, not
to leave his balanghai, but to stay to see how we fought. When the king learned that the
captain was dead, he wept. Had it not been for that unfortunate captain, not a single one of us
would have been saved in the boats, for while he was fighting, the others retired to the boats. I
hope through [the efforts of] your illustrious Lordship that the fame of so noble a captain will
not become effaced in our times. Among other virtues which he possessed, he was more
constant than ever in the greatest of adversity. He endured hunger better than all the others,
and more accurately than any man in the world did he understand sea charts and navigation.
And that this was the truth seen openly, for no other had had so much natural talent nor the
boldness to learn how to circumnavigate the world, as he had almost done. That [The] battle
was fought on Saturday, April twenty-seven, 1521. The captain desired to fight on Saturday,
because it was the day especially holy to him. Eight of our men were killed with him in that
battle, and four Indians, who had become Christians and who had come afterward to aid us,
were killed by the mortars of the boats. Of the enemy only fifteen were killed, while many of us
were wounded.

Relevance
Pigafetta’s chronicle contributed immensely to European historiography as it preserved
and popularized the achievements of the Magellan-Elcano expedition. If Pigafetta did not
survive the journey, we would have very little knowledge of Magellan’s numerous contributions
in the fields of geography, navigation, history, and other related areas. First, credit must be
given to the Magellan’s expedition for proving that the earth is not flat but an oblate sphere.
Moreover, they demolished the myth that there is boiling water at the Equator. Second,
Magellan and his men completed the first circumnavigation of the world. Third, they confirmed
that the Portuguese route is not the only way to the Spice Islands. They proved the theory that
one can go east by sailing west. Fourth, they brought to the attention of the Europeans that on
the other side of the American continent exists a large body of water which they named Pacific
Ocean (Mar Pacifico). All these discoveries altered the European map of the world and resulted
in the inclusion of new territories in their world view.

The account of Pigefetta also enriched Philippine historiography because it contains

important details about the conditions of the Visayan Islands in the 16 th century. Some of the
prominent leaders during that time, their economic activities, social and cultural practices, and
religious beliefs were identified. Moreover, local textbook writers use his book as their source
of historical information about the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines. The accounts
about the First Mass in the Philippines, the conversion of Rajah Humabon and his wife, and the
story of the image of the Sto. Nino were mostly taken from Pigafetta’s book. Finally, Pigafetta
has numerous accounts about the reaction of the Filipinos when they met the Spaniards. Some
Filipinos were easily befriended by the Spaniards while others refused to interact and trade
with them. Lapu-lapu is the most prominent Filipino character in Pigafetta’s narrative. He was
the first Filipino who led the resistance movement against Spanish rule and successfully
thwarted the first attempt of the Spaniards to take control of the Philippines.

It was mentioned earlier that Pigafetta was not the only one who wrote about the
expedition. The year after the ship Victoria arrived in Spain, Maximilianus Transylvanus’
De Moluccis Insulis (The Moluccas Islands) came off the press. Its subject matter is the same
as that of Pigafetta’s book but it is not an eyewitness account because the author is not part of
the expedition. He based his narrative on the interviews that he conducted with the survivors of
the Victoria. His prominent interviewees were Juan Sebastian Elcano, Francisco Albo, and
Hernando de Bustamante. Compared to Pigafetta’s work, his account is far much shorter and
contains less details. Another survivor who maintained a journal of the voyage was Francisco
Albo (Victoria’s pilot). His work is the shortest and it focused mainly on the location of the
expedition on certain dates. Finally, the last contemporaneous source of information about
Magellan is the Italian-born historian of Spain, Peter Martyr d’Anghiera. From 1511 to 1539, he
wrote accounts of the Spanish explorations of the New World which he divided into “decades.”
The fifth decade appeared in 1523 and it recounted the conquest of Mexico and the
circumnavigation of the world by Magellan.

Lesson 4

CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. examine the context and perspective of the document;

2. explain the relationship among the members of the barangay;
3. discuss the religious and spiritual practices and beliefs of early Filipinos; and
4. determine the significance of the document to Philippine history.

Historical Context

During the first century of Spanish rule, the colonial government had difficulty in
running local politics because of the limited number of Spaniards who wanted to live outside of
Intramuros. This situation forced the Spanish officials to allow Filipinos to hold the position of
gobernadorcillo. To ensure that the gobernadorcillos would remain loyal to the Crown, the
friars assigned in the parishes were instructed to supervise and monitor the activities of the
former. Hence, the friars ended up performing the administrative duties that colonial officials
should have been doing at the local level. They supervised the election of the local executives,
helped in the collection of taxes, were directly involved in educating the youth, and performed
other civic duties. Consequently, the friars became the most knowledgeable and influential
figure in the pueblo.

The friars who were assigned in mission territories were required periodically to inform
their superiors of what was happening in their respective areas. They prepared reports on the
number of natives they converted, the people’s way of life, their socio-economic situation, and
the problems they encountered. Some of them submitted short letters while others who were
keen observers and gifted writers wrote long dispatches. On top of the regular reports they
submitted, they also shared their personal observations and experiences. Plasencia’s Relacion
de las Costumbres de Los Taglogs (Customs of the Tagalogs, 1589) is an example of this kind of
work. It contains numerous information that historians could use in reconstructing the political
and soci-cultural history of the Tagalog region. His work is a primary source because he
personally witnessed the events and his account contained his observations.

There were other friars and colonial officials who also wrote about the Filipinos which
could further enrich our knowledge of Philippine history during the early part of the Spanish
period. For example, Miguel de Loarca, an encomendero of Panay wrote his Relacion de las Islas
Filipinas (1582) and described the Filipinos’ way of life in the Western Visayas area. Lieutenant
Governor Antonio de Morga wrote Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas Which provides information
about the state of the Philippines in the latter part of the 16 th century. The other Spanish
missionaries who continued the historiographical tradition were Fr. Pedro Chirino S.J. (Relacion
de las Islas Filipinas, 1604), Fr. Juan Delgado S.J. (Historia General, 1751), Fr. Francisco Colin S.J.
(Labor Evangelica, 1663), and Fr. Francisco Ignacio Alcina S.J. (Historia natural del sitio,
fertilidad y calidad de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas, 1668). Most of what we know about
Philippine history during the first century of the Spanish period were derived from the accounts
of the Spanish friars.

About the Author

Fray Juan de Plasencia (Joan de Portucarrero, real name) was a member of the
Franciscan Order who came together with the first batch of missionaries to the Philippines in
1578. He and a fellow, Franciscan Fray Diego de Oropesa, were assigned to do mission works in
the Southern Tagalog area. Plasencia also helped in the foundation and organization of
numerous towns in Quezon, Laguan, Rizal, and Bulacan. His continuous interaction with the
people he converted to Christianity enabled him to write a work titled Relacion de las
Costumbres de Los Tagalogs (Customs of the Tagalogs, 1589) where he vividly describe the
political, social, economic, and cultural practices of the Filipinos before they were Christianized.

Plasencia did not limit himself to the task of administering the sacraments and baptizing
new converts. He believed that catechism or explaining the basic tenets of Catholic faith is
another very important function of a missionary. His biggest challenge at that time was how to
make the articles of faith comprehensible to people who have never heard of Christ or the
Catholic Church. He wrote the Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Espanola y Tagala which later
became the first printed book in the Philippines in 1593. He used it as reading material for
those Filipinos who wished to deepen their faith in the newly-accepted religion. Plasencia died
in Liliw, Laguna in 1590.

About the Text

The original document of Customs of the Tagalogs is currently kept in the Archivo
General de Indias (A.G.I.) in Seville, Spain. A duplicate copy of it is kept in the Archivo
Franciscano Ibero-Oriental (A.F.I.O.) in Madrid, Spain. An English translation appeared in
Volume VII of the Blair and Robertson’s The Philippine Islands. Another English translation was
published as part of the volume for precolonial Philippines in the second series of the Filipiniana
Book Guild. The excerpts presented is from the latter version.

Relevance

Plasencia’s Customs of the Tagalogs is a very popular primary source as it vividly

describes the way of life of the Filipinos before Spanish and Christian influences. It also covers
numerous topics that are relevant in many disciplines. Political scientists, for instance, find it
useful because it contains information about the social classes, political stratifications, and legal
system of the Tagalog region. Many of what we know about the duties and responsibilities of
the datu, maharlika, and alipin came from Plasencia’s account. Moreover, it tackles property
rights, marriage rituals, burial practices, and the manner in which justice is dispensed.
Plasencia’s account also preserves and popularizes the unwritten customs, traditions, and
religious and superstitious beliefs of the Filipinos. One can also say that our historical
knowledge about the manananggal, aswang, hukluban, and gayuma, among others came
from Plasencia’s works.

Priests and missionaries also read Plasencia’s Customs of the Tagalogs and Doctrina
Christiana because they contain insights that can help and inspire them to become effective
evangelizers. The realization that one needs to master the local language and study the culture
of the people to be a successful missionary is on insight from Plasencia. They also learned from
Plasencia that preaching should be accompanied with reading materials that contain the basic
elements of faith. These readings will serve as guide and reference when the missionaries are
no longer around. All these insights from Plasencia are applicable not only to missionaries but
to other professions as well.

Plasencia’s historical writings also disprove the claim of some Spaniards that when they
arrived in the Philippines, Filipinos were still uncivilized and lacking in culture. It is clear in the
excerpts quoted that at the time Plasencia was assigned in the Tagalog region, Filipinos were
already politically and economically organized. They had a functioning government, tax system,
set of laws, criminal justice system, indigenous calendar, and long-standing customs and
traditions. Moreover, they had a concept of a supreme being (Bathala), practiced burial
customs, and believed in life after death. Lastly, Plasencia mentioned that the people he met
were wearing garments and gold ornaments, and their houses were decorated with idols. All of
these lead to the conclusion that prior to the coming of the Spaniards, Filipinos were already
civilized and maintained a lifestyle that was on a par with or even better than that of the people
from other countries in Southeast Asia.

Excerpts from Customs of the Tagalogs

This people always had chiefs, called by them datos who governed them and were
captains in their wars, and whom the obeyed and reverenced. The subject who committed any
offense against them or spoke but a word to their wives and children, was severely punished.

These chiefs ruled over a few people; sometimes even less than thirty. This tribal
gathering is called in Tagalog a barangay. It was inferred that the reason for giving themselves
this name rose from the fact (as they are classed, by their language, among the Malay nations)
that when they came to this land, the head of the barangay which is a boat thus called- as is
discussed at length in the first chapter of the first ten chapters became the dato. And so, even
at present day, it is ascertained that the barangay in its origin was a family of parents, children,
relations and slaves. There were many of these barangays in each town, or at least, on account
of wars, they did not settle far from one another. They were not however subject to one
another except in friendship and relationship. The chiefs, in their various wars helped one
another with their respective barangays

In addition to these chiefs, who corresponded to our knights, there were three castes:
nobles, commoners, and slaves. The nobles were the freeborn whom they call maharlica. They
did not pay tax or tribute to the dato, but must accompany him in war, at their own expense.
The chief offered them beforehand a feast, and afterward they divided the spoils. Moreover,
when the dato went upon the water, those whom he summoned rowed for him. If he built a
house, they helped him and had to be fed up for it. The same was true when the whole
barangay went to clear up his lands for tillage. The lands which they inhabited were divided
among the whole barangay, especially the irrigated portion and thus each one knew his own.
No one belonging to another barangay would cultivate them unless after purchase or
inheritance. The lands on the tingues, or mountain ridges, are not divided but owned in
common by the barangay. Consequently, at the time of the rice harvest, any individual of any
particular barangay although he may have come from some other village, if he commences to
clear any land may sow it, and no one can compel him to abandon it. There are some villages
(as for example, Pila de Laguna) in which these nobles, or maharlicas, paid annually to the dato
a hundred gantas of rice. The reason of this was that at the time of their settlement there,
another chief, upon his arrival, bought with his own gold; and therefore, the members of his
barangay paid him for arable land and he divided it, among those whom he saw fit to reward.
But now, since the advent of the Spaniards, it is not so divided.

*****

The commoners are called aliping namamahay. They are married and serve their master,
whether he be a dato or not, with half of their cultivated lands, as was agreed upon in the
beginning. They accompanied him wherever he went beyond the island, and rowed for him.
They live in their own houses and are lords of their property and gold. Their children inherit it,
and enjoy their property and lands. The children, then, enjoy the rank of their fathers, and they
cannot be made slaves (sa guiguilir) nor can either parents or children be sold. If they should fall
by inheritance into the hands of a son of their master who was going to dwell in another village,
they could not be taken from their own village and carried with him; but they would remain
in their native village, doing service there and cultivating the sowed lands.

The slaves are called aliping sa guiguilir. They serve their master in his house an on his
cultivated lands, and may be sold. The master grants them, should they see fit and providing
that he has profited through their industry a portion of their harvests so that they may work
faithfully. For these reasons, servants who are born in the house of their master are rarely, if
ever sold. That is the lot of captives in war, and of those brought up in the harvest fields…
The difference between the aliping namamahay and the aliping sa guiguilir should be
noted; for, by a confusion of the two terms, many have been classed as slaves who really are
not. The Indians seeing that the alcaldes-mayor do not understand this, have adopted the
customs of taking away the children of the aliping namamahay, making use of them as they
would of aliping sa guiguilir, as servants in their households, which is illegal, and if the aliping
namamahay should appeal to justice, it is proved that he is an alipin as well as his father and
mother before him and no reservation is made as to whether he is aliping namamahay or
aliping sa guiguilir. He is at once considered an alipin, without further declaration. In this way,
he becomes a sa guiguilir, and is even sold. Consequently, the alcaldes-mayor should be
instructed to ascertain, when anyone ask for his alipin, to which class he belongs, and to have
the answer put in document that they give him.

In these three classes, those who are maharlicas on both father’s and mother’s side
continue to be so forever; and if it happens that they should become slaves, it is through
marriage, as I shall soon explain. If these maharlicas had children among their slaves, the
children and their mothers became free; if one of them had children by a slave-woman of
another, she was compelled, when pregnant, to give her master half of the gold tael, because
of her risk of death, and for her inability to labor during the pregnancy. In such case half of the
child was free - namely, the half belonging to his father, who supplied the child with food. If he
did not do this, he showed that he did not recognize him as his child, in which case, the latter
was wholly a slave. If a free woman had children by a slave, they were all free, provided he
were not her husband.

If two persons married, of whom one was a maharlica and the other a slave, whether
namamahay or sa guiguilir, the children were divided; the first, whether male or female
belonged to the father, as did the third and fifth; the second, the fourth and the sixth fell to the
mother, and so on. In this manner, if the father were free, all those who belonged to him were
free; if he were a slave, all those who belonged to him were slaves; and the same applied to the
mother. If there should not be more than one child, he was half free and half slave. The
question here concerned the division, whether the child were male or female. Those who
became slaves fell under the category of servitude which was their parent’s, either namamahay
or sa guiguilir. If there were an odd number of children, the odd one was half free and half
slave. I have not been able to ascertain with certainty when or what age the division of children
was made, for each one suited himself in this respect. Of these two kinds of slaves, the sa
guiguilir could be sold, but not the namamahay and their children, nor could they be
transferred. However, they could be transferred from the barangay by inheritance, provided
they remained in the same village.

The maharlicas could not, after marriage, move from one village to another or from one
barangay to another without paying a certain fine in gold as arranged among them. This fine
was larger or smaller according to the inclination of the different villages, running from one to
three taels and a banquet to the entire barangay. Failure to pay the fine might result in a war
between the barangay where the person left and the one which he entered. This applied
equally to men and women except that when one married a woman of another village, the
children were afterwards divided equally between the two barangays. This arrangement kept
them obedient to the dato, or chief which is no longer the case- because if the dato is energetic
and commands what the religious fathers enjoin him, they soon leave him and go to other
villages and other datos who endure and protect them and do not order them about. This is the
kind of dato that they now prefer, not him who has the spirit to command. There is a great
need of reform in this, for the chiefs are spiritless and faint- hearted.

Investigations made are sentences passed by the dato must take place in the presence if
those in his barangay. If any of the litigants felt himself aggrieved, an arbiter was unanimously
selected from another village or barangay whether he was a dato or not; since they had for this
purpose some reasons, known as fair and just men, who were said to give true judgement
according to their customs. If the controversy lay between two chiefs, when they wished to
avoid war, they also convoked judges to act as arbiters; they did the same if the disputants
belonged to two different barangays. In this ceremony they always had to drink, the plaintiff
inviting the others.

They had laws by which they condemned to death a man of low birth who insulted the
daughter or wife of chief; likewise, witches of the same class.

They condemned no one to slavery, unless he merited the death penalty. As for the
witches, they killed them, and their children and accomplices became slaves of the chief after
he had made some recompense to the injured person. All other offenses were punished by
fines in gold which if not paid with promptness, exposed the culprit to serve until the payment
should be made, the person was aggrieved to whom the money was paid. This was done in the
following way: Half the cultivated lands and all their produce belonged to their master. The
master provided the culprit with food and clothing, thus enslaving the culprit and his children
until such time as he might amass enough money to pay the fine. If the father should by chance
pay his debt, the master then claimed that he has fed and clothed his children, and should be
paid therefore. In this way, he kept possession of the children if the payment could not be met.
This last was usually the case, and they remained slaves. If the culprit had some relative or
friend who paid for him, he was obliged to render the latter half his service until he was paid-
not however, service within the house as aliping sa guiguilir, but living independently, as aliping
namamahay. If the creditor were not served in this wise, the culprit had to pay double of what
was lent him. In this way, slaves were made by debt; either sa guiguilir, if they served the
master to whom the judgement applied; or aliping namamahay, if they served the person who
lent them wherewith to pay.

*****

Dowries are given by the men to the women’s parents. If the latter are living, they enjoy
use of it. At their death, provided the dowry has not been consumed, it is divided like the rest
of the estate, equally among the children except in the case the father should care to bestow
something additional upon their daughter. If the wife, at the time of her marriage has neither
father, mother nor grandparents, she enjoys her dowry- which in such a case belongs to no
other relative or child. It should be noticed that unmarried women can own no property, in land
or dowry for the result of all their labors accrues to their parents.

In the case of a divorce, before the birth of the children. If the wife left the husband for
the purpose of marrying another, all her dowry and an equal additional amount fell to the
husband; but if she left him and did not marry another the dowry was returned. When the
husband left his wife, he lost half of the dowry and the other half was returned to him. If he
possessed children at the time of his divorce, the whole dowry and the fine went to the
children, and was held for them by their grandparents or other responsible relatives.

In the matter of marriage, dowries which fathers bestow upon their sons when they are
about to be married, and half of which is given immediately, even when they are only children,
there is a great deal more complexity. There is a fine stipulated in the contract, that he who
violates it shall pay a certain sum which varies according to the practice of the village and the
affluence of the individual. The fine was heaviest if upon the death of the parents, the son or
daughter should be unwilling to marry because it had been arranged by his or her parents. In
this case the dowry which the parents had received was returned and nothing more. But if the
parents were living, they paid the fine because it was assumed that it had been their design to
separate the children.

II
Worship of the Tagalogs

In all the villages, or in other parts of the Filipinas Islands, there are no temples
consecrated to the performing of sacrifices, the adoration of their idols, or the general practice
of idolatry. It is true that they have the simbahan, which means a temple or place of adoration;
but it is because formerly when they wished to celebrate a festival, which they called pandot or
“worship”, they celebrated it in a large house of a chief. There they constructed, for the
purpose of sheltering the assembled people, a temporary shed on each side of the house, with
a roof called sibi, to protect people from the wet when it rained. They so constructed the house
that it may contain people- dividing it after the fashion of ships, into three compartments. On
the post of the house, they set small lamps called sorihile; in the center of the house, they
placed one large lamp, adorned with leaves of the white palm, wrought into marry designs.
They also brought together many drums, large and small which they beat successively while the
feast lasted, which was usually four days. During this time the whole barangay, or family, united
and joined in the worship which they called nagaanitos. The house, for the above- mentioned
period of time, was called a temple.

Among their many idols, there was one called Bathala, whom they especially
worshipped. The title seems to signify “all powerful” or “maker of all things”. They also
worshipped the sun, which on account of its beauty is almost universally respected and
honored by the heathens. They worshipped too, the moon especially when it was new, at which
time they had great rejoicings, adoring it and bidding it welcome. Some of them also adored the
stars, although they did not know them by their names, as the Spaniards and other nations
know the planets - with the exception of the morning star they called Tala. They knew, too, the
“seven little goats” [The Pleiades] – as we call them - and, consequently the change of seasons,
which they call Mapolon; and Balatic, which is our Greater Bear. They possessed many idols
called lic-ha, which were images with different shapes; and at times they worshipped any little
trifle, in which they adored, as did the Romans, some particular dead man who was brave in the
war and endowed with special faculties, to whom they commended themselves for protection
in their tribulations. They had another idol called Dian Masalanta, who was the patron of lovers
and of generation. The idols called Lacapati and Idianale were patrons of the cultivated lands
and of husbandry. They paid reverence to water- lizards called by them buaya or crocodiles, for
fear of being harmed by them. They were even in the bait of offering these animals a portion of
what they carried in their boats by throwing it into the water, or placing it upon the bank.

They were moreover very liable to find auguries in things they witnessed. For example,
if they left their house and met on the way a serpent or rat, or bird called tigmamanuguin which
was singing in the tree, or if they chanced upon anyone who sneezed they returned at once to
their house, considering the incident as an augury that some evil might befall them if they
should continue their journey - especially when the abovementioned bird sang. This song has
two different forms: in the one case, it was considered an evil omen; in the other as a good
omen, and then they continued their journey. They also practiced divination to see whether
weapons such as dagger or knife were useful and lucky for their possessor whenever occasion
should offer.

These natives had no established division of years, months, and days; these are
determined by the cultivation of soil, counted by moons, and the different effect produced
upon the trees when yielding flowers, fruits and leaves: all this helps them in making up a year.
The winter and summer are distinguished as sun-time and water-time – the latter term
designating winter in those regions, where there is no cold, snow, or ice.

*****
Their manner of offering sacrifice was to proclaim a feast and to offer to the devil what
they had to eat. This was done in front of an idol, which they anoint with fragrant perfumes,
such as musk and civet or gum of the storax-tree and other odoriferous woods and praise it in
poetic songs sung by the officiating priest, male or female who is called catolonan. The
participants made responses to the song, beseeching the idol to favor them with those things
of which they were in need and generally by offering repeated healths, they all become
intoxicated. In some of the idolatries they were accustomed to place a good piece of cloth,
doubled, over the idol, and over the cloth, a chain or large gold ring, thus worshipping the devil
without having sight of him. The devil was sometimes liable to enter into the body of the
catolonan, and, assuming her shape and appearance, filled her with so great arrogance - he
being the cause of it - that she seemed to shoot flames from her eyes; her hair stood on end, a
fearful sight to those beholding, and she uttered words of arrogance and superiority. In some
districts, especially the mountains, when in those idolatries the devil incarnated himself and
took on the form of his minister, the latter had to be tied to a tree by his companions to
prevent the devil in his infernal fury from destroying him. This, however, happened but rarely.
The objects of sacrifice were goats, fowls and swine which were flayed, decapitated and laid
bare before the idol. They performed another ceremony by cooking a jar of rice until the water
was evaporated. After which, they broke the jar, and the rice was left as an intact mass which
was set before the idol; an all about it, at intervals were placed a few buyos - which is a small
fruit wrapped in a leaf with some lime, a food generally eaten in these regions - as well as fried
foods and fruits. All these above-mentioned articles were eaten by guests at the feast; the
heads [of animals], after being “offered” as they expressed it, were cooked and eaten also.

The reasons for offering this sacrifice and adoration were in addition to whatever
personal matters there might be, the recovery of a sick person, the prosperous voyage of those
embarking on the sea, a good harvest in the sowed lands, a propitious result in wars, a
successful delivery in childbirth and a happy outcome in marriage life. If this took place among
people of rank, the festivities lasted thirty days.

The distinctions made among the priests of the devil were as follows: The first called
catolonan, as above stated was either a man or woman. This office was an honorable one
among the natives and was held ordinarily by people of rank, this rule being general in all the
islands.

The second was called mangagauay, or witches who deceived by pretending to heal the
sick. These priests even induced maladies by their charms which in proportion to the strength
and efficacy of witchcraft are capable of causing death. In this way, if they wished to kill at once
they did so; or they could prolong life for a year by binding to the waist a live serpent which was
believed to be the devil or at least his substance. This office was general throughout the land.

The third was called manyisalat, which is the same as mangagauay. These priests had
the power of applying such remedies to lovers that they would abandon and despise their own
wives and in fact could prevent them from having intercourse with the latter. If the woman
constrained by these means, were abandoned, it would bring sickness upon her; and on
account of the desertion, she would discharge blood and matter. This office was also general
throughout the land.

The fourth was called mancocolam, whose duty it was to emit fire from himself at night
once or oftener each month. This fire could not be extinguished; nor could it be thus emitted
except as the priest wallowed in the ordure and filth which falls from the houses; and he who
lived in the house where the priest was wallowing in order to emit this fire from himself fell ill
and died. This office was general.
The fifth was called hocloban, which is another kind of witch of greater efficacy than the
mangagauay. Without use of medicine, and by simply saluting or raising the hand, they killed
whom they chose. But if they desired to heal those whom they made ill by their charms they
did so by using other charms. Moreover, if they wished to destroy the house of the same Indian
hostile to them, they were able to do so without instruments. This was in Catanduanes, an
island off the upper part of Luzon.

The sixth was called silagan, whose office it was, if they saw anyone clothed in white, to
tear out his liver and eat it, thus causing his death. His, like the preceding, was in the island of
Catanduanes. Let no one, moreover consider this a fable; because in Calavan, they tore out in
this way through the anus all the intestines of a Spanish notary, who was buried in Calilaya by
father Fray Juan de Merida.

The seventh was called magtatangal, his purpose was to show himself at night to many
persons, without his head or entrails. In such wise the devil walked about, carried or pretended
to carry his head to different places; and in the morning returned it to his body - remaining as
before, alive. This seems to be a fable, although the natives affirm that they have seen it,
because the devil probably caused them to believe. This occurred in Catanduanes.

The eight they called osuang, which is equivalent to a “sorcerer;” they say that they
have seen him fly, and that he murdered men and ate their flesh. This was among the Visayas
Islands; among the Tagalogs these did not exist.

The ninth was another class of witches called mangagayoma. They made charms for
lovers out of herbs, stones and woods which would infuse the heart with love. Thus, did they
deceive the people, although sometimes through the intervention of the devil, they gained
their ends.

The tenth was known as sonat, which is equivalent to “preacher”. It was his office to
help one die at which time he predicted the salvation or condemnation of the soul. It was not
lawful for the function of this office to be fulfilled by others than people of high standing,
on account of the esteem in which it was held. This office was general throughout the islands.

The eleventh, pangatahojan was a soothsayer and predicted the future. This office was
general in the islands.

The twelfth bayoguin, signified a “cotquean” a man whose nature inclined toward that
of a woman.

Their manner of burying the dead was as follows:

The deceased was buried beside his house; and if he were a chief, he was placed
beneath a little house or porch which they constructed for this purpose. Before interring him,
they mourned him for four days; and afterward laid him on boat which served as a coffin or
bier, placing him beneath the porch, where guard kept over him by a slave. In place of rowers,
various animals were placed within the boat, each one being assigned a place at the oar by
twos - male and female of each species being together - as for example two goats, two deer, or
two fowls. It was the slave’s care to see that they were fed. If the deceased had been a warrior,
a living slave was tied beneath his body until in this way he died. In course of time, all suffered
decay; and for many days the relatives of the dead man bewailed him, singing dirges and
praises of his good qualities until they wearied of it. This grief was accompanied by eating and
drinking. This was a custom of the Tagalogs…
These infidels said that they knew that there was another life of rest which they called
maca, just as if we should say “paradise” or in other words “village of rest”. They say that those
who go to this place are the just and the valiant, and those who lived without doing harm
or who possessed moral virtues. They said also that in the other life and mortality, there was
a place of punishment, grief and affliction called casanaan, which was a “place of anguish”.
They also maintained that no one would go to heaven where there only dwelt Bathala,
“the maker of all things,” who governed from above. There were also other pagans who
confessed more clearly to a hell which they called as I have said, casanaan; they said that all
the wicked went to that place and there dwelt the demons whom they called sitan.

*****

There were also ghosts which they called vibit; and phantoms which they called
tigbalaang. They had another deception- namely if any woman died in childbirth, she and the
child suffered punishment; and that at night she could be heard lamenting. This is called
patianac. May honor and glory be to God our Lord, that among the Tagalogs not a trace of this
is left; and that those who are now marrying do not even know what it is, thanks to the
preaching of the holy gospel, which has banished it.

Lesson 5
THE KARTILYA OF THE KATIPUNAN

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. examine the context and perspective of the document;

2. determine the main teachings and guiding principles of the Kartilya; and,
3. recognized the importance of the Kartilya to the past and today’s society.

Historical Context

The first move towards independence began on July 7, 1892 when the Katipunan was
established by Andres Bonifacio. This was a result of the failure of the Reform Movement in
Spain in which Filipinos attempted to demand reforms for the Philippines from the Spanish
government. Bonifacio saw the futility of the efforts of the Filipino propagandists and organized
an underground movement against Spain.

The Kataastaasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or KKK was a

revolutionary society that espoused independence and freedom for the Philippines through
force of arms. Its main objective was separation of Philippines from Spain and, at the same
time, the development of the Filipinos as citizens of their own nation once independence was
achieved. The latter was done through the written works by Bonifacio and fellow Katipunero,
Emilio Jacinto, who wrote a number of poems and essays for the society members.

The recruitment process of the Katipunan followed Masonic initiation rites while its
structure was said to be based on Rizal’s aborted reformist organization, the La Liga Filipina.
The new members of the society were indoctrinated with the Katipunan rules and its teachings
that emphasized the value of the love of one’s country and fellow Filipinos.

About the Author

Emilio Jacinto was born on December 15, 1875 in the distric of Trozo in Tondo, Manila.
He was the son of Mariano Jacinto, a bookkeeper, and Josefa Dizon. Living a life of poverty,
Jacinto still managed to get a good education. He finished his elementary education in a private
school then took up his secondary education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He later
studied law at the University of Santo Tomas where he developed a love of reading and
improved his skills in Spanish. Unfortunately, he had to stop his studies when the Philippine
Revolution began in 1896.

Jacinto joined the Katipunan in 1894 at the age of 18 and took the symbolic name
Pingkian. It was during this time that he developed his nationalistic ideals. Through his
enthusiasm and ideas, Jacinto became a guiding light to the members of the society. He wrote
the Kartilya as well as the oath of the Katipuneros. He also edited the Katipunan newspaper,
Kalayaan, and was the author of several literary writing using the pen-name “Dimas Ilaw.” He
served the Katipunan in different capacities such as secretary, fiscal, editor, and later was
appointed General by Bonifacio in 1897. He also served as an adviser to the Supremo.

After the death of Bonifacio in Cavite in 1897, Jacinto continued the fight against the
Spaniards even after the truce following the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. He was wounded in a battle
against the Spaniards in Magdalena, Laguna and was captured. Upon investigation, Jacinto was
released after he managed to convince the Spanish soldiers he was a spy in their service when
he showed them a military pass issued to a man he killed several months ago. Jacinto quickly
went into hiding in Manila There he sent a letter to Apolinario Mabini in Malolos, Bulacan
stating his plan to continue his law studies at the newly-established Literary University of the
Philippines. But this plan was discontinued when Jacinto had to go back to Laguna to lead his
fellow patriots in the war against the new enemy, the Americans. He established his
headquarters in the town of Majayjay where he, unfortunately, contracted malaria. He died on
April 6, 1899.

About the Text

In his study of the Katipunan history and its documents, Jim Richardson said the “the
Kartilya is the best known of all Katipunan texts” and that it is “the only document of any length
set in print by the Katipunan prior to August 1896 that is known to be still extant.” The Kartilya
was printed as a small pamphlet that was distributed to the members of the Katipunan. Its term
was derived from the Spanish cartilla which was the primer used for grade schools during the
Spanish period. And like the cartillas, this document served as the primary lessons for the
members of the Katipunan.

The Kartilya presents not only the teachngs for the neophyte Katipunero but also the
guiding principles of the society. These teachings are expected from members even after the
attainment of freedom from the colonizers. The Kartilya ends with a document of affirmation
by the member to the society’s teachings.

The Kartilya was not just a document for the Katipunan. Its importance today is
predicated on the teachings that embodied the moral and nationalistic principles of a nation
that fought for independence. These principles are relevant as the sense of nationhood still
holds true when the cultural and historical values of every Filipino are threatened by the
onslaught of foreign influences brought about by today’s globalization.

KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN
Tagalog Text

KATIPUNAN
NANG MANGA
A. N. B.

SA MAY NASANG MAKISANIB

SA KATIPUNANG ITO

Sa pagkakailangan, na ang lahat na nagiibig pumasuk sa katipunang ito, ay magkaroon

ng lubos na pananalig at kaisipan sa mga layong tinutungo at mga kaaralang pinaiiral, minarapat
na ipakilala sa kanila ang mga bagay na ito, at ng bukas makalawa'y huwag silang magsisi at
tuparing maluwag sa kalooban ang kanilang mga tutungkulin.

Ang kabagayang pinaguusig ng katipunang ito ay lubos na dakila at mahalaga:

papagisahin ang loob at kaisipan ng lahat ng tagalog (*) sa pamamagitan ng isang mahigpit
na panunumpa, upang sa pagkakaisang ito’y magkalakas na iwasak ang masinsing tabing
na nakabubulag sa kaisipan at matuklasan ang tunay na landas ng Katuiran at Kaliwanagan.
Dito'y isa sa mga kaunaunahang utos, ang tunay na pagibig sa bayang tinubuan at lubos
na pagdadamayan ng isa't isa.
Maralita, mayaman, mangmang, marunong. Iahat dito'y magkakapantay at tunay na
magkakapatid,
Kapagkarakang mapusok dito ang sino man, tutaligdan pilit ang buhalhal na kaugalian, at
paiilalim sa kapangyirihan ng mga banal na utos ng katipunan.
Ang gawang lahat, na laban sa kamahalan at kalinisan, dito'y kinasusuklaman; kaya't sa
bagay na ito ipinailalim sa masigasig na pakikibalita ang kabuhayan ng sino mang nagiibig
makisanib sa katipunang ito.
Kung ang hangad ng papasuk dito’y ang tumalastas lamang ng mga kalihiman nito, o ang
ikagiginhawa ng sariling katawan, o ang kilalanin ang mga naririto’t ng maipagbili sa isang dakot
na salapi, huwag magpatuloy, sapagkat dito’y bantain lamang ay talastas na ng makapal na
nakikiramdam sa kaniya, at karakarakang nilalapatan ng mabisang gamut, na laan sa mga
sukaban.
Dito’y gawa ang hinahanap at gawa ang tinitingnan; kaya't hindi dapat pumasuk ang di
makagagawa, kahit magaling magsalita.
Ipinauunawa din, na ang mga katungkulang ginaganap ng lahat ng napaaanak sa
katipunang ito ay lubang mabibigat lalung lalu na, kung gugunitain na di manyayaring
maiiwasan at walang kusang pagkukulang na di aabutin ng kakilakilabot na kaparusahan.
Kung ang hangad ng papasuk dito, ang siya'y abuluyan o ang githawa't malayaw na
katahimikan ng katawan, huwag magpatuloy, sapagkat mabigat na mga katungkulan ang
matatagpuan, gaya ng pagtatangkilik sa mga naaapi at madaluhong na paguusig sa lahat ng
kasamaan; sa bagay na ito ay aabutin ang maligalig na pamumuhay.
Di kaila sa kangino paman ang mga nagbalang kapahamakan sa mga tagalog na nakaiisip
nitong mga banal na kabagayan (at hindi man), at mga pahirap na ibinibigay ang naghaharing
kalupitan, kalikuan at kasamaan.
Talastas din naman ng lahat ang pagkakailangan ng salapi, na sa ngayo'y isa sa mga unang
lakas na maaasahang magbibigay buhay sa lahat; sa bagay na ito, kinakailangan ang lubos na
pagtupad sa mga pagbabayaran; piso sa pagpasok at sa buan buan ay sikapat. Ang salaping
ito'y ipinagbibigay alam ng nagiingat sa tuwing kapanahunan, bukod pa sa mapagsisiyasat ng
sinoman kailan ma't ibigin. Di makikilos ang salaping ito, kun di pagkayarian ng karamnihan.
Ang lahat ng ipinagsaysay at dapat gunitain at mahinahong pagbulaybulayin, sapagkat di
magaganap at di matitiis ng walang tunay na pagibig sa tinubuang lupa, at tunay na adhikang
ipagtangkilk ang Kagalingan.
At ng lalong mapagtimbang ng sariling isip at kabaitan, basahin ang sumusunod na

MGA ARAL NANG

KATIPUNAN NG MGA A.N.B

Ang kabubayang hindi ginugugol sa isang malaki at banal na kadalhilanan ay kahoy na walang
lilim, kundi damong makamandag.
Ang gawang magaling na nagbubuhat sa pagpipita sa sarili, at hindi sa talagang nasang gumawa
ng kagalingan, ay di kabaitan.

(*) Sa salitang tagalog katutura’y ang lahat nang tumubo sa Sangkalupaang ito; sa
makatuwid bisaya man, iloko man, kapangpangan man at iba pa ay tagalog din.

Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ay pag iisang gawa, ang pag ibig sa kapwa at ang isukat and bawat
kilos, gawa’t pangungusap sa talagang katuwiran.
Maitim man at maputi ang kulay ng balat, Lahat ng tao'y magkakapantay: mangyayaring ang
isa’y higtan sa dunong. sa yaman, sa ganda...ngunit di mahihigtan sa pagkatao.
Ang may mataas na kalooban inuuna ang puri sa pagpipita sa sarili; ang may hamak na kalooban
inuuna ang pagpipita sa sariling sa puri.
Sa taong may hiya, salita’y panunumpa.
Huwag mong sasayangin ang panahon; ang yamang nawala'y magyaring magbalik; ngunit
panahung nagdaan na'y di na muli pang magdadaan.
Ipagtangol mo ang inaapipi, at kabakahin ang umaapi.
Ang taong matalino’y ang may pag iingat sa lahat ng sasabihin, at matututong ipaglihim ang
dapat ipaglihim.
Sa daang matinik ng kabuhaysn, lalaki ay siyang patnugot ng asawa’t mga anak; kung ang
umaakay ay patungo sa sama, ang patutunguhan ng inaakay ay kasamaan din.
Ang babae ay huwag mong tingnang isang bagay na libangan lamang, kundi isang katuwang at
karamay sa mga kahiripan nitong kabuhayan: gamitin mo ng boong pagpipitagan ang
kanyang kahinaan, at alalahanin ang inang pinagbuhata’t nagiwi sa iyong kasangulan.
Ang di mo ibig na gawin sa asawa mo, anak, at kapatid, ay huwag mong gawin sa aswa’t, anak,
at kapatid ng iba.
Ang kamahalan ng tao’y wala sa pagkahari, wala sa tangus ng ilong at puti ng mukha, wala sa
pagkaparing kahilili ng Diyos, wala sa mataas na klagayan sa balat ng lupa, wagas at tunay
na mahal ng tao, kahit laking gubat ang walang nababatid kundi ang sariling wika, yaong
may magandang asal, may isang pangungusap, may dangal at puri; yaong di napapaapi’t di
nakiki api; yaong marunong magdamdam, at marunong lumingap sa bayang tinubuan.
Paglaganap ng mga aral na ito at maningning na sumikat ang araw ng mahal na Kalayaan dito sa
Kaabaabang Sangkalupuan, at sabugan ng matamis niyang liwanag ang nangagkaisang
magkalahi’t magkapatid ng ligayang walang katapusan, ang mga ginugol na buhay, pagod,
at mga tiniis na kahirapa’y labis nang natumbasan.
Kung lahat ng ito'y mataruk na ng nagiibig pumasuk at inaakala niyang matutupad ang
mga tutungkulin, maitatala ang kaniyang ninanasa sa kasunod nito.

Note: The teachings are followed by a form to be filed out with name, hometown, age,
occupation, status, and address. The Kartilya concludes with a brief undertaking to be signed
by the person who intends to join the association.
English Translation

ASSOCIATION OF
THE SONS OF THE PEOPLE

To Those Who Want to Join this Association

In order that all who want to enter this Association may have a full understanding and
knowledge of the guiding principles and main teachings, it is necessary to make these things
known to them so that they will not, tomorrow or the next day. repent, and so that they may
perform their duties wholeheartedly.

This Association pursues a most worthy and momentous object: to unite the hearts and
minds of all the Tagalog by means of an inviolable oath, in order that this union may be strong
enough to tear aside the thick veil that obscures thought, and to find the true path of Reason
and Enlightenment.

One of the foremost rules here n true love of the native land and genuine compassion
for one another.
Poor, rich, ignorant, wise-here, all are equal and true brethren.
As soon as anybody enters here, he shall perforce renounce disorderly habits and shall
submit to the authority of the sacred commands of the Katipunan.
All acts contrary to noble and clean living are repugnant here, and hence the life of
anyone who wants to affiliate with this Association will be submitted to a searching
investigation.
If the applicant merely wishes to know the secrets of the Association, or to seek personal
gratification, or to know who are here in order to sell them for a handful of silver, he cannot
proceed. for here the many who are watching him, will already know his intensions and will
immediately have recourse to an effective remedy, such as befits traitors.
Here, only actions are demanded and esteemed: hence anybody who is not willing to act
should not enter, no matter how good a speaker he might be.
It is also announced that the duties to be performed by the members of this association
are exceedingly hard, especially if one remembers that there can be no dereliction or willful
evasion of duty without the exaction of a terrible punishment.
If an applicant merely desires financial support relief or wants to lead a life of bodily
comfort and ease, he had better not proceed, for he will encounter weighty tasks, like the
protection of the oppressed and the relentless fight against all that is evil. In this way, his fate
will be vexatious life.
Nobody is unaware of the misfortune that threatens the Filipinos who contemplate
these things that are sacred (and even those that are not) and the sufferings they are made to
endure by the reign of cruelty, injustice and evil.
Everybody also knows the need for money which today is one of the main things upon
which we depend to bring sustenance to all. In this regard, the punctual payment of dues is
required: one peso upon entry and then twelve and a half centavos’ each month. The custodian
of the funds will periodically render an account to the members, and each member has a right
to examine and counts, should he so wish. The funds cannot be expended without the consent
of the majority.
All this must be thought over and deliberated upon calmly, as it cannot be accomplished
or endured by anyone who has no love for his native land and no genuine desire to promote
Progress.
And for the upliftment of your mind and virtue, read the following
Teachings of the
Katipunan of The Sons of the People

A life that is not dedicated to a great and sacred cause is like a tree without a shade, or a
poisonous weed.
A good deed lacks virtue if it springs from a desire for personal profit and not from a sincere
desire to do good.
True charity resides in acts of compassion, in love for one's fellow men, and in making true
Reason the measure of every move, deed and word.
Be their skin dark or pale, all men are equal. One can be superior to another in knowledge,
wealth and beauty… but not in being.
A person with a noble character values honor above self-interest, while a person with an
ignoble character values self-interest above honor.
An honorable man's word is his bond.
Don't waste time; lost wealth may be recovered, but time lost is lost forever.
Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor.
An intelligent man is he who takes care in everything he says and keeps quiet about what must
be kept secret.
Along the thorny path of life, the man leads the way and his wife and children follow. If the
leader goes the way of perdition, then so do those who are led.
Do not regard a woman as a mere plaything, but as a helpmate and partner in the hardships of
this existence. Have due regard to her weakness, and remember the mother who brought
you into this world and nurtured you in your Infancy.
What you would not want done to your wife, daughter and sister, do not do to the wife,
daughter and sister of another.
A man's worth does not come from him being a king, or in the height of his nose and the
whiteness of his face, or in him being a priest, a representative of God, or in his exalted
position on the face of this earth. Pure and truly noble is be who, though born in the forest
and able to speak only his own tongue, behaves decently, is true to his word, has dignity
and honor, who is not an oppressor and does not abet oppressors, who knows how
to cherish and look after the land of his birth.
When these doctrines have spread and the brilliant sun of beloved liberty shines on these poor
Islands, and sheds its sweet light upon a united race, a people in everlasting happiness, then
the lives lost, the struggle and the suffering will have been more than recompensed.

Relevance

The current relevance of the Kartilya lies in the fact that it established not only the
rules for the members of the organization but the principles for the citizens of a nation once
independence had been achieved. Though written in the 19 th century, the Kartilya is significant
to the lives of modern Filipinos as it reads like a simple creed for living in the light of the many
changes occurring at present.
Lesson 6

THE ACT OF PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCEOF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

(Acta de las Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. discuss the context and perspective of the document;

2. explain how the Philippines achieved its independence from Spanish colonial rule; and
3. examine the state of Philippine independence today.

Historical Context

The first phase of the Philippine Revolution ended in a stalemate between the Spaniards
and the Filipino rebels. In December 1897, a truce was declared between the two forces with
the Filipino leaders, led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, agreeing to be exiled to Hong Kong while the
Spaniards paid an indemnity for the damages caused as a result of the conflict. The truce,
however, lasted for only a few months before it collapsed. The renewed conflict would have
been disastrous for the Filipinos if not for the deteriorating diplomatic relations between Spain
and the United States over the another revolution in Cuba. This eventually led to the Spanish-
American War in 1898 and the arrival of a new colonizer to the Philippines—the Americans.

Even before the Battle of Manila in 1898, Aguinaldo had already been meeting with the
Americans in Singapore. He talked with consul E. Spencer Pratt regarding US-Filipino
collaboration against the Spaniards before he went back to Hong Kong to meet up with
Commodore George Dewey, commander of the Asiatic Fleet. Unfortunately, Dewey had already
left for the Philippines to attack the Spanish fleet following America’s declaration of war against
Spain in April.

Aguinaldo remained in Hong Kong and met with the American Consul General
Rounseville Wildman. He paid Wildman a total of ₱117,000 to purchase rifles and ammunition.
A first shipment worth ₱50,000 was made but the other half was never delivered. Wildman
never returned the money given to him.

On May 19, 1898, Aguinaldo finally returned to the Philippines on board the U.S cruiser
McCulloch. Aguinaldo conferred with Dewey on Philippine conditions and was supplied with
arms captured from the Spaniards. From his headquarters in Cavite, Aguinaldo announced the
resumption of the revolution against the Spaniards, thus beginning the second phase of the
revolution. The Filipinos immediately flocked to the province to join the army. By the end of
May, Aguinaldo was in command of an army of 12,000 troops.

On May 28, the Filipinos forces won their first victory in Alapan, Imus. The newly-made
Filipino flag was hoisted in Alapan then later unfurled at the Teatro Caviteño in Cavite Nuevo
(now Cavite City) in front of the Filipinos and captured Spanish soldiers. A group of American
officers and soldiers also witnessed the ceremony.

Earlier, On May 24, Aguinaldo announced the creation of the dictatorial government.
The formation of this type of rule was a necessity when the growing nation needed a strong
leader. He emphasized that the dictatorship was only temporary as it would be a prelude to the
establishment of a republican form of government.
On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared Philippine Independence from Spanish rule at a
ceremony in his house in Kawit, Cavite. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista read the declaration that
was later signed by 177 persons, including an American military officer. The Philippine National
Anthem, then known as “Marcha Nacional Filipina, “composed by Julian Felipe, was played by
the Banda de San Francisco de Malabon and the Philippine flag was again unfurled.

About the Author

(Although the actual author of the proclamation was Ambrosio Rianzales Bautista, the
initiator of the Philippine independence that led to the making of the proclamation was Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo.)

Emilio Aguinaldo ws born on March 22, 1869 in Kawit, Cavite (Cavite el Viejo), the
second to the youngest of eight children of Carlos Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy. The Aguinaldos
were a wealthy and influential family, with Carlos being gobernadorcillo for several terms.
Following his father’s death in 1883, Emilio assisted his mother in the Family business and
worked to help earn the family income.
Aguinaldo followed in his father’s footsteps and was chosen capitan municipal of Kawit
in 1894. Months later, he joined the Katipunan choosing the name Magdalo, a name that was
also given to another branch of the Katipunan (the other was the Magdiwang) which he set up
in his province.
When the revolution began in 1896, the Katipunan in Cavite
succeeded in driving away the Spaniards from the province. But
territorial and logistical problems between the two groups soon
forced Aguinaldo to ask for help from Supremo Andres Bonifacio in
settling the conflict. Bonifacio’s intervention, however, only worsened
the situation and the only solution the two factions saw was to create
a revolutionary government.
Elections for a pamahalaang panghihimagsik were held in
Barrio Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) on FIGURE 8. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
March 22, 1897. Aguinaldo was elected President with Mariano
Trias (Vice-President), Artemio Ricarte (Captain-General), Emiliano
Reigo de Dios (Director of War), and Andres Bonifacio (Director of the Interior). But the election
were disrupted following a protest over Bonifacio’s educational qualification for such a position.
Bonifacio angrily declared the result of the elections null and void and walked out. The
Magdalos, however, considered the election binding and the new government was founded.
When Bonifacio tried to put up his own government with an armed group, he was arrested and
tried for sedition. Found guilty, the Supremo and his brother Procopio were executed on May
10, 1897.
The internal dissent caused by Bonifacio’s death weakened the Katipunan further. The
Spanish troops regained Cavite and Aguinaldo was forced to retreat to the mountains of Biak-
na-Bato. But the Spaniards soon realized that going after the rebels in their mountain hideout
was futile. A stalemate ensued broken only by truce proposal to which the rebels agreed. In
exchange for an indemnity, amnesty, and colonial reform, Aguinaldo and his officers went into
exile in Hong Kong in December 1897.
FIGURE 9: Declaration of Philippine Independence

The Spanish-American War in 1898 eventually changed Philippines history. After the
Americans won the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898, Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines with
their help and announced the resumption of the revolution against Spain. After winning several
victories against the Spaniards, he declared Philippine independence on June 12, 1898.
But the Filipinos soon realized that the Americans were to become their new colonizers.
After the Spanish defeat in 1898, the United States began to send fresh troops to the
Philippines. In 1899, Aguinaldo convened a Congress in Malolos, Bulacan in which the delegates
wrote a Constitution and established the Philippine Republic with Aguinaldo as President in
January 1899.
Three weeks later, the continuing friction with the Americans erupted into a conflict in
February 1899. The Philippine-American War eventually ended in 1901 with the capture of
Aguinaldo. Soon after, he pledge allegiance to the United States and returned to private life on
his family farm. He briefly hugged the limelight when he ran for the presidency of the Philippine
Commonwealth but lost to Manuel L. Quezon.
Aguinaldo was charged with collaboration by the Americans for helping the Japanese
during World War II but was later freed in a general amnesty. As a private citizen, he devoted
his time to the cause of veteran revolucionarios until his death at the age of 94 on February 6,
1964.

About the Text

On June 10, 1896, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo issued a one-sentence decree appointing his
Auditor General of War, Amborsio Rianzares Bautista, as a "special commissioner" to write the
Act of the Declaration of the Independence. The result was a sixteen-page document that
contained the aspirations of freedom from Spanish rule, the sacrifices made, and the revolution
that resulted from it. It was the text of this declaration that was read in Kawit in the afternoon
of the celebration of declaration of independence. Copies of the document were made and
distributed. However, there was a problem in determining how many witnesses were really
signed the declaration. The copies classification under Philippine Revolutionary Papers (PRP) in
the National Library had varying numbers. Later research by historian-writer Jim Richardson
placed the total number of signees at 177.

The Act of Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino People

In the town of Cavite-Viejo, Province of Cavite, this 12th day of June 1898:

Before me, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, War Counselor and Special Delegate
designated to proclaim and solemnize this Declaration of Independence by the Dictatorial
Government of the Philippines, pursuant to, and by virtue of, a Decree issued by the Egregious
Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy,
The undersigned assemblage of military chiefs and others of the army who could not
attend, as well as the representatives of the various towns,
Taking into account the fact that that people of this country are already tired of bearing
the ominous yoke of Spanish domination,
Because of arbitrary arrests and of the Civil Guards who cause deaths in connivance with
and even under the express orders of their superior officers who at times would order the
shooting of those placed under arrest under the pretext that they attempted to escape in
violation of known Rules and Regulations, which abuses where left unpunished, and because of
unjust deportations of illustrious Filipinos, especially those decreed by General Blanco at the
instigation of the Archbishop and the friars interested by keeping them in ignorance for egoistic
and selfish ends, which deportations were carried out through processes more execrable than
those of the Inquisition which every civilized nation repudiates as a trial without hearing,
Had resolved to start a revolution in August 1896 in order to regain the Independence
and sovereignty of which the people had been deprived by Spain through Governor Miguel
López de Legazpi who, continuing the course followed by his predecessor Ferdinand Magellan
who landed on the shores of Cebu and occupied said Island by means of a Pact of Friendship
with Chief Tupas, although he was killed in battle that took place in said shores to which battle
he was provoked by Chief Kalipulako of Mactan who suspected his evil designs, landed on the
Island of Bohol by entering also into a Blood Compact with its Chief Sikatuna, with the purpose
of later taking by force the Island of Cebu, and because his successor Tupas did not allow him to
occupy it, he went to Manila, the capital, winning likewise the friendship of its Chiefs Soliman
and Lakandula, later taking possession of the city and the whole Archipelago in the name of
Spain by virtue of an order of King Philip II, and with these historical precedents and because in
international law the prescription established by law to legalize the vicious acquisition of private
property is not recognized, the legitimacy of such revolution cannot be put in doubt which was
calmed but not completely stifled by the pacification proposed by Don Pedro A. Paterno with
Don Emilio Aguinaldo as President of the of the Republic established in Biak-na-Bato abd
accepted by Governor-General Don Fernando Primo de Rivera under terms, both written and
oral, among them being a general amnesty for all deported and convicted persons; that by
reasons of the non-fulfillment of some of the terms, after the destruction of the Spanish
Squadron by the North American Navy, and bombardment of the plaza of Cavite, Don Emilio
Aguinaldo returned in order to initiate a new revolution and no sooner had he given the order to
rise on the 31st of last month when several towns anticipating the revolution, rose in revolt on
the 28th, such that a Spanish contingent of 178 men, between Imus and Cavite Viejo, under the
command of a major of the Marine Infantry capitulated, the revolutionary movement spreading
like wild fire to other towns of Cavite and the other provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas,
Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, some of them with seaports and such was the success of the
victory of our arms, truly marvelous and without equal in the history of colonial revolutions that
in the first mentioned province only the Detachments in Naic and Indang remained to surrender;
in the second, all Detachments had been wiped out; in the third, the resistance of the Spanish
forces was localized in the town of San Fernando where the greater part of them are
concentrated, the remainder in Macabebe, Sasmoan, and Guagua; in the fourth, in the town of
Lipa; in the fifth, in the capital and in Calumpit; and in the last two remaining provinces, only in
their perspective capitals, and the city of Manila will soon be besieged by our forces as well as
the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, and some others in the
Visayas where the revolution at the time of the pacification and others even before, so that the
independence of our country and the revindication of our sovereignty is assured.
And having as witness to the rectitude of our intentions the Supreme Judge of the
Universe, and under the protection of the Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, the United States
of America, we do hereby proclaim and declare solemnly in the name and by authority of the
people of these Philippine Islands,
That they are and have the right to be free and independent; that they have ceased to
have any allegiance to the Crown of Spain; that all political ties between them are and should be
completely severed and annulled; and that, like other free and independent States, they enjoy
the full power to make War and Peace, conclude commercial treaties, enter into alliances,
regulate commerce, and do all other acts and things which an Independent State has a right to
do,
And imbued with firm confidence in Divine Providence, we hereby mutually bind
ourselves to support this Declaration with our lives, our fortunes, and with our most sacred
possession, our Honor.
We recognize, approve, and ratify, with all the orders emanating from the same, the
Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom we revere as the Supreme Head of this
Nation, which today begins to have a life of its own, in the conviction that he has been the
instrument chosen by God, in spite of his humble origin, to effectuate the redemption of this
unfortunate country as foretold by Dr. Don José Rizal in his magnificent verses which he
composed in his prison cell prior to his execution, liberating it from the Yoke of Spanish
domination,
And in punishment for the impunity with which the Government sanctioned the
commission of abuses by its officials, and for the unjust execution of Rizal and others who were
sacrificed in order to please the insatiable friars in their hydropical thirst vengeance against and
extermination of all those who oppose their Machiavellian ends, tramping upon the Penal Code
of these Islands, and of those suspected persons arrested by the Chiefs of Detachments at the
instigation of the friars, without any form nor semblance of trial and without any spiritual aid of
our sacred Religion; and likewise, and for the same ends, eminent Filipino priests, Doctor Don
Jose Burgos, Don Mariano Gomez, and Don Jacinto Zamora were hanged whose innocent blood
was shed due to the intrigues of these so-called Religious corporations which made the
authorities to believe that the military uprising at the fort of San Felipe in Cavite on the night of
January 21, 1872 was instigated by those Filipino martyrs, thereby impeding the execution of
the decree-sentence issued by the Council of State in the appeal in the administrative case
interposed by the secular clergy against the Royal Orders that directed that the parishes under
them within the jurisdiction of this Bishopric be turned over to the Recollects in exchange for
those controlled by them in Mindanao which were to be transferred to the Jesuits, thus revoking
them completely and ordering the return of those parishes, all of which proceedings are on file
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which they are sent last month of last year for the
issuance to the proper Royal Decree which, in turn, caused the growth of the tree of liberty in
this our dear land that grew more and more through the iniquitous measures of oppression,
until the last drop from our chalice of suffering having been drained, the first spark of revolution
broke out in Caloocan, spread out to Santa Mesa and continued its course to the adjoining
regions of the province where the unequalled heroism of its inhabitants fought a one-sided
battle against superior forces of General Blanco and General Polavieja for a period of three
months, without proper arms nor ammunitions, except bolos, pointed bamboos, and arrows.
Moreover, we confer upon the famous Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo all the powers
necessary to discharge the duties of Government, including the prerogatives of granting pardon
and amnesty,
And, lastly, it was resolve unanimously that this Nation, already free and independent as
of this day, must use the same flag which up to now is being used, whose design and colors are
found described in the attached drawing, the white triangle signifying the distinctive emblem of
the famous Society of the “Katipunan” which by means of its blood compact inspired the masses
to rise in revolution; the three stars, signifying the three principal Islands of this Archipelago –
Luzon, Mindanao, and Panay where this revolutionary movement started; the sun representing
the gigantic steps made by the sons of the country along the path of Progress and Civilization;
the eight rays, signifying the eight provinces – Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija,
Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas – which declared themselves in a state of war as soon as the first
revolt was initiated; and the colors of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating of the flag of the
United State of North America, as a manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great
Nation for its disinterested protection which it lent us and continues lending us.
And holding up this flag of ours, I present it to the gentlemen here assembled:

(The text is followed by the Signatures of the Witnesses)

Relevance

Nothing is more relevant to the Philippine history than the declaration of independence
from colonial rule. The Declaration is, of course, that sole document that proves the value
Filipinos place on their freedom. At present, our independence has been questioned especially
in relation to our dealings with the United States (which colonized us from almost half a century
and later recognized our independence in 1946). However, it must be understood that the
independence that we attained in 1898 was freedom that was fought for with the lives of
Filipinos. The goal or objective of this independence, however, is something that we might have
failed to achieve and protect properly. It is in this context that the Acta must be studied again.
Lesson 7

SPEECH OF PRESIDENT CORAZON C. AQUINO BEFORE THE JOINT SESSION

OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, SEPTEMBER 18, 1986

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. analyze the historical context and perspective of the document;

2. examine the content of the document; and
3. relate the speech to the country’s current socio-economic and/or socio-political
conditions.

Historical Context

The gradual downfall of the dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand E. Marcos began
with the assassination of his political rival, former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., on
August 21.1983 moments after the latter returned from the exile in the United States. The
murder of Ninoy Aquino set in motion series of events that destabilized the Marcos
administration. Protest rallies erupted in the streets of Manila and other major cities in the
provinces calling for Marcos to resign. The Philippine economy began to falter amidst
accusations of corruption by Marcos and his cronies. Rumors continued to circulate that
Marcos was sick. Following opinions by the U.S. government that he was losing the mandate
of the Filipino people, Marcos announced on American and local television that he would hold
a snap presidential election.

The opposition wanted to field their own candidates against Marcos but soon realized
that they would not stand a chance against the dictator if they would not unite and choose a
common candidate. It was decided that Ninoy’s widow, Corazon C. Aquino, would run as
president with opposition leader, Salvador Laurel, as her running mate.

The snap elections proved to be farce. There was rampant cheating and violence that
resulted in numerous casualties. In the end, the Marcos’ allies at the Batasang Pambansa
declared him the winner of the election. In protest, Aquino called for a nationwide boycott of
products of business that supported Marcos. Other anti-Marcos groups vowed to continue the
protests.

But on February 22, 1986 Marcos' defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces
of the Philippines Vice - Chief of Staff, Gen. Fidel V. Ramos announced their defection from the
Marcos government. This led to what is now known in our history as a four-day People Power
Revolution where civilians faced tanks and soldiers to protect the soldiers and officers who
defied the Marcos regime. Marcos eventually was flown to Hawaii where he lived in exile and
Corazon C. Aquino sworn into the office as a President of the Philippines.

The People Power Revolution caught the imagination of the world. But there was a
difficult task ahead. President Aquino began to lead a country that had been badly damaged
economically by the Marcos regime. In September 1986, she went on a state visit to the United
States where she spoke before the United States Congress to ask for financial aid to the
Philippines and conferred with then President Ronald Reagan. She also met with American
businessmen to convince them to invest in the Philippines. The nine-day visit was deemed a
success by Filipino and American newsmen..
About the Speaker

Maria Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco Aquino was born on January 25,1933 to a wealthy and
politically prominent family in Tarlac. She graduated from Mount St. Vincent College in New
York City in 1954. A year later, she married a popular young politician, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino
Jr. She lived a life of a politician's wife, remaining in the background and raising their family of
five children while her husband’s career as a prominent opposition politician grew during
Marcos administration. Cory stood by her husband when he was arrested and imprisoned for 8
years (1972-1980) by President Marcos after martial law was implemented in 1972. Released
to get medical treatment in the United States, Cory accompanied Ninoy where he lived in exile
for three years.

Corazon C. Aquino was thrust into the limelight when Ninoy was assassinated upon his
return to the Philippines in 1983. She became a part of the growing opposition to the Marcos
dictatorship which culminated in her presidential candidacy for a united opposition in the snap
elections of 1986. Losing the elections because of massive cheating, Cory challenged the results
of the election by calling for a boycott of all industries of Marcos cronies. It was not long before
military officials publicly renounced Marcos and supported Cory as the duly-elected president.
The four-day People Power Revolution in February 1986, ended the Marcos dictatorship and
propelled Cory as the first Filipino woman President.

The Cory administration became known for its restoration of Philippine democracy. A
new constitution was written and a Congress was soon elected. But the euphoria of the newly
restored freedom did not last as the Aquino administration failed to enforce social and
economic reforms. The problems of peace and order especially with the communist insurgency
continued and it was not long before the government was also dealing with rightist elements in
the military that led to several attempted coup de état. She was succeeded to the presidency
by her former Armed Forces Chief of Staff and Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos in 1992.

In January 1987, Corazon C, Aquino was named TIME Magazine's 1986 Person of
the Year. She returned to the limelight in 2001 supporting the impeachment of President
Joseph E. Estrada in what later became known as EDSA 2. In 2006, she was listed in the
TIME Magazine's issue called "60 Years of Asian Heroes." Cory died on August 1, 2009.

About the Speech

The invitation to speak before the joint session of the United States Congress was
extended to President Corazon C. Aquino seven months after she assumed office. The task of
writing the speech was given to Cory's Executive Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr.
who, in an interview years later, admitted that he was unable to finish it in time for the
occasion. It was Cory who finished the draft and it was this speech that she delivered before
the United States Congress. It ran for half an hour and was interrupted by several applauses
and ended with a standing ovation by both the Senators and Congressmen.
SPEECH OF HER EXCELLENCY CORAZON COJUANCO AQUINO
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES BEFORE THE
JOINT SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
[Delivered at Washington, D.C. on September 18, 1986]

Three years ago, I left America in grief to bury my husband, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino. I
thought I had left it also to lay to rest his restless dream of Philippine freedom. Today I have
returned as president of a free people.

In burying Ninoy, a whole nation honored him. By that brave and selfless act of giving
honors, a nation in shame recovered its own. A country that had lost faith in its future found it
in a faithless and brazen act of murder. So in giving, we receive, in losing we find, and out of
defeat, we snatch our victory.

For the nation, Ninoy became the pleasing sacrifice that answered their prayers for
freedom. For myself and our children, Ninoy was a loving husband and father. His loss, three
times in our lives, was always a deep and painful one.

Fourteen years ago this month was the first time we lost him. A president-turned-
dictator, and traitor to his oath, suspended the Constitution and shut down the Congress that
was much like this one before which I am honored to speak. He detained my husband along
with thousand of others – senators, publishers and anyone who had spoken up for the
democracy as its end drew near. But for Ninoy – a long and cruel ordeal was reserved. The
dictator already knew that Ninoy was not a body merely to be imprisoned but a spirit he must
break. For even as the dictatorship demolished one by one the institutions of democracy – the
press, the Congress, the independence of the judiciary, the protection of the Bill of Rights –
Ninoy kept their spirit alive in him.

The government sought to break him by indignities and terror. They locked him up in
tiny, nearly airless cell in military camp in the north. They stripped him naked and held the
threat of sudden midnight execution over his head. Ninoy held up manfully – all of it. I barely
did as well. For 43 days, the authorities would not tell me what had happened to him, this was
the first time my children and I felt that we had lost him.

When that didn’t work, they put him on trial for subversion, murder, and a host of other
crimes before a military commission. Ninoy challenged its authority and went on a fast. If he
survived it, then, he felt, God intended him for another fate. We had lost him again. For
nothing would hold him back from his determination to see his fast through the end. He
stopped only when it dawned on him that the government would keep his body alive after the
fast had destroyed his brain. And so, with barely any life in his body, he called off the fast on
the fortieth day. God meant him for other things, he felt. He did not know that an early death
would still be his fate, that only the timing was wrong.

At any time during his long ordeal, Ninoy could have made a separate peace with the
dictatorship, as so many of his countrymen had done. But the spirit of democracy that inheres
in our race and animates this chamber could not be allowed to die. He held out, in the
loneliness of his cell and the frustration of exile, the democratic alternative to the insatiable
greed and mindless cruelty of the right and the purging holocaust of the left.
And then, we lost him, irrevocably and more painfully than in the past. The news came
to us in Boston. It had to be after the three happiest years of our lives together. But his death
was my country’s resurrection in the courage and faith by which alone they could be free again.
The dictator had called him a nobody. Two million people threw aside their passivity and
escorted him to his grave. And so began the revolution that has brought me to democracy’s
most famous home, the Congress of the United States.

The task has fallen on my shoulders to continue offering the democratic alternative to
our people.

Archibald Macleish had said that democracy must be defended by arms when it is
attacked by arms and by truth when it attacked by lies. He failed to say how it should be won.

I held fast to Ninoy's conviction that it must be by the ways of democracy. I held out
for participation in the 1984 election the dictatorship called, even if I knew it would be rigged.
I was warned by the lawyers of the opposition that I ran the grave risk of legitimizing the
foregone results of elections that were clearly going to be fraudulent. But I was not fighting for
lawyers but for the people in whose intelligence I had implicit faith. By the exercise of
democracy, even in a dictatorship, they would be prepared for democracy when it came. And
then, also, it was the only way I knew by which we could measure our power even in terms
dictated by the dictatorship.

The people vindicated me in an election shamefully marked by government thuggery

and fraud. The opposition swept the elections, garnering a clear majority of the votes, even if
they ended up, thanks to a corrupt Commission on Elections, with barely a third of the seats in
parliament. Now, I know our power.

Last year, in an excess of arrogance, the dictatorship called for its doom in a snap
election. The people obliged. With over a million signatures, they drafted me to challenge the
dictatorship. And I obliged them. The rest is the history that dramatically unfolded on your
television screens and across the front pages of your newspapers.

You saw a nation armed with courage and integrity, stand fast by democracy against
threats and corruption. You saw women poll watchers break out in tears as armed goons
crashed the polling places to steal the ballots but, just the same, they tied themselves to the
ballot boxes. You saw a people so committed to the ways of democracy that they were
prepared to give their lives for its pale imitation. At the end of the day, before another wave of
fraud could distort the results, I announced the people’s victory.

The distinguished co-chairman of the United States observer team in his report to you
President described that victory:

“I was witness to an extraordinary manifestation of democracy on the part of the

Filipino people. The ultimate result was the election of Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino as President
and Mr. Salvador Laurel as Vice-President of the Philippines.”

Many of you here today played a part in changing the policy of your country towards us.
We, Filipinos, thank each of you for what you did: for balancing America’s strategic interest
against human concerns, illuminates the American vision of the world.
When a subservient parliament announced my opponent’s victory, the people turned
out in the streets and proclaimed me President. And true to their word, when a handful of
military leaders declared themselves against the dictatorship, the people rallied to their
protection. Surely, the people take care of their own. It is on that faith and the obligation it
entails, that I assumed the presidency.

As I came to power peacefully, so shall I keep it. That is my contract with the people
and my commitment to God. He had willed that the blood drawn with the lash shall not, in my
country, be paid by blood drawn by the sword but by the tearful joy of reconciliation.

We have swept away absolute power by a limited revolution that respected the life and
freedom of every Filipino. Now, we are restoring full constitutional government. Again, as we
restored democracy by the ways of democracy, so are we completing the constitutional
structures of our new democracy under a constitution that already gives full respect to the Bill
of Rights. A jealously independent Constitutional Commission is completing its draft which
will be submitted later this year to a popular referendum. When it is approved, there will
be congressional elections. So within about a year from a peaceful but national upheaval that
overturned a dictatorship, we shall have returned to full, constitutional government. Given the
polarization and breakdown we inherited, this is no small achievement.

My predecessor set aside democracy to save it from a communist insurgency that

numbered less than 500. Unhampered by respect for human rights, he went at it hammer and
tongs. By the time he fled, that insurgency had grown to more than 16,000. I think there is a
lesson here to be learned about trying to stifle a thing with the means by which it grows.

I don’t think anybody, in or outside of our country, concerned for a democratic

and open Philippines, doubts what must be done. Through political initiatives and local
reintegration programs, we must seek to bring the insurgents down from the hills and, by
economic progress and justice, show them that for which the best intentioned among them
fight.
As President, I will not betray the cause of peace by which I came to power. Yet equally,
and again no friend of Filipino democracy will challenge this, I will not stand by and allow an
insurgent leadership to spurn our offer of peace and kill our young soldiers, and threaten their
new freedom.

Yet, I must explore the path of peace to the utmost for at its end, whatever
disappointment I meet there, is the moral basis for laying down the olive branch of peace and
taking up the sword of war. Still, should it come to that, I will not waver from the course laid
down by your great liberator”: “With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in
the rights as God gives us to see the rights, let us finish the work we are in, to bind up the
nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and for his
orphans, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and
with all nations.”

Like Lincoln, I understand that force may be necessary before mercy. Like Lincoln, I
don’t relish it. Yet, I will do whatever it takes to defend the integrity and freedom of my
country.

Finally, may I turn to that other slavery: our $26 billion foreign debt. I have said we shall
honor it. Yet must the means by which we shall be able to do so be kept from us? Many
conditions imposed on the previous government that stole this debt continue to be imposed on
us who never benefited from it. And no assistance or liberality commensurate with the
calamity that was visited on us has been extended. Yet ours must have been the cheapest
revolution ever. With little help from others, we Filipinos fulfilled the first and most difficult
conditions of the debt negotiation the full restoration of democracy and responsible
government. Elsewhere, and in other times of more stringent world economic conditions.
Marshall plans and their like were felt to be necessary companions of returning democracy.

When I met with President Reagan yesterday, we began an important dialogue about
cooperation and the strengthening of the friendship between our two countries. That meeting
was both a confirmation and a new beginning and should lead to positive results in all areas
of common concern.

Today, we face the aspirations of a people who had known so much poverty and
massive unemployment for the past 14 years and yet offered their lives for the abstraction of
democracy. Wherever I went in the campaign, slum area or impoverished village, they came to
me with one cry: democracy! Not food, although they clearly needed it, but democracy. Not
work, although they surely wanted it, but democracy. Not money, for they gave what little they
had to my campaign. They didn’t expect me to work a miracle that would instantly put food
into their mouths, clothes on their back, education in their children, and work that will put
dignity in their lives. But I feel the pressing obligation to respond quickly as the leader of a
people so deserving of all these things.

We face a communist insurgency that feeds on economic deterioration, even as we

carry a great share of the free world defenses in the Pacific. These are only two of the many
burdens my people carry even as they try to build a worthy and enduring house for their new
democracy, that may serve as well as a redoubt for freedom in Asia. Yet, no sooner is one
stone laid than two are taken away. Half our export earnings $2 billion out of $4 billion which
was all we could earn in the restrictive markets of the world, went to pay just the interest on a
debt whose benefit the Filipino people never received.

Still we fought for honor, and, if only for honor, we shall pay. And yet, should we have
to wring the payments from the sweat of our men’s faces and sink all the wealth piled up by the
bondsman’s two hundred fifty years of unrequited toil?

Yet to all Americans, as the leader of a proud and free people, I address this question:
has there been a greater test of national commitment to the ideals you hold dear than my
people have gone through? You have spent many lives and much treasure to bring freedom to
many lands that were reluctant to receive it. And here you have a people who won it by
themselves and need only the help to preserve it.

Three years ago, I said thank you America, for the haven from oppression, and the home
you gave Ninoy, myself and our children, and for the three happiest years of our lives together.
Today, I say, join us, America as we build a new home for democracy, another haven for the
oppressed, so it may stand a shining instrument of our two nation’s commitment to freedom.

Relevance

Though this would be one of the many speeches that Cory Aquino would deliver as President of
the Philippines, it was this speech that gave credence to the People Power Revolution not
only to the Americans but to the world — that change was possible through peaceful means.
When she finished her speech, Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole said to President Aquino,
“Cory, you hit a homerun.” Aquino smiled back and said, “I hope the bases were loaded.”
Five hours later, the U.S. House of Representatives voted, 203 to 197, in favor of $200 million
as emergency aid for the Philippines.
Lesson 8

ARTWORKS

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. analyze artworks as sources of historical data;

2. examine the perspectives of these artworks; and,
3. create your own artwork that will describe the country’s current socio-economic or
socio-political conditions.

Historical Context
Lesson 9

THE FIRST CRY OF THE REVOLUTION (AUGUST 1896)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. identify the conflicting views about the First Cry of the Revolution;
2. examine each source in its account of the start of the revolution; and,
3. formulate arguments for and against a particular source.

Historical Context

The Philippine Revolution of 1896 began with what later became known as the “First
Cry” or the initial move of the Filipinos to begin the revolution for independence. This day, they
did by tearing up their cedulas and proclaiming the start of the fight for independence. The
event happened after the Katipunan was exposed on August 19, 1986 and the Spaniards began
to crack down on suspected rebels. The Katipunan Supremo Andres Bonifacio proceed to a
design meeting place outside the city to decide on their next move. The original plan was to
start the revolution at the end of August but following the arrests of the Katipuneros, Bonifacio
found it wise to begin the revolution that day and attack Manila at the end of the month.
In 1911, a monument to the Heroes of 1896 was erected in Balintawak where beginning
in 1908, it was believed that the first cry occurred there on August 26. However, the date and
the place of the event were later contradicted by different Katipunan personalities who claimed
that they were there at the time. In 1963, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
[NHCP], decided that, following extensive research of primary sources, the First Cry of the
Philippine Revolution of 1896 happened on August 23, 1896 at Pugad Lawin, now part of
Project 8 in Quezon City.
The controversy however persists, with historians and other personalities (especially the
descendants of the Katipunero witnesses) claiming that the official date and place are wrong.
Dr. Pio Valenzuela’s Account

The official date and place of the First Cry were largely based on the account of Dr. Pio
Valenzuela, an official of the Katipunan and a friend of Andres Bonifacio, who was present
during the event. His account was published as Memoirs of the K.K.K. and the Philippine
Revolution (Manila, n.d.)

The Account

The first place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio Bonifacio, Teodoro
Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was Balintawak, the first five arriving there on August 20,
1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan met on August 22, 1896 was
the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned
above, among those who were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo,
Apolonio Samson and others. Here, views were only exchanged and no resolution was debated
or adopted. It was at the Pugad Lawin, in the house, store-house and yard of Juan Ramos, son
of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out
considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1896. The discussion was whether or not the
revolution against the Spanish Government should be started on August 29, 1896. Only one
man protested and fought against a war and that was Teodoro Plata. Besides the persons
named above, among those present at this meeting were Enrique Cipriano, Alfonso Pacheco,
Thomas Remigio, Sinfronso San Pedro, and others. After the tumultuous meeting, many of
those present tore their “cedula” certificates and shouted “Long live the Philippines! Long live
the Philippines!”

Santiago Alvarez's Account

In 1927, a pre-World War II Tagalog weekly magazine named Sampaguita begin

publishing the Katipunan memoirs of Gen. Santiago Verata Alvarez, (nom-de-guerre: Kidlat ng
Apoy) one of the leaders of the Cavite revolution. The series appeared in 36 parts. It told the
story of the Philippine Revolution starting in March 1896 until late 1897 interspersed with
personal accounts and stories of events during the revolution taken from the Alvarez's notes.
The series was later published as a book, titled The Katipunan and the Revolution (QC: ADMU,
1992) with an English translation by Paula Carolina Malay.

The story of the First Cry is found in Chapter 6 of the memoirs. Alvarez presents an
account devoid of any dramatic description as it is merely a narration of the events that
happened in Bahay Toro (now part of Project 8 in Quezon City) on August 24, 1896.

The Account

We started our trek to Kangkong at about eleven that night. We walked through the rain
over dark expanses of muddy meadows and fields. Our clothes drenched and our bodies
numbed by the cold wind, we plodded wordlessly. It was nearly two in the morning when we
reached the house of Brother Apolonio Samson in Kangkong. We crowded into the house to
rest and warm ourselves. We were so tired that, after hanging our clothes out to dry, we soon
fell asleep....
The Supremo began assigning guards at five o'clock the following morning, Saturday 22
August 1896. He placed a detachment at the Balintawak boundary and another at the backyard
to the north of the house where we were gathered....

No less than three hundred men assembled at the bidding of the Supremo Andres
Bonifacio. Altogether, they carried assorted weapons, bolos, spears, daggers, a dozen small
revolvers and a rifle used by its owner, one Lieutenant Manuel, for hunting birds. The Supremo
Bonifacio was restless because of fear of a sudden attack by the enemy. He was worried over
the thought that any of the couriers carrying the letter sent by Emilio Jacinto could have been
intercepted; and in that eventuality, the enemy would surely know their whereabouts and
attack them on the sly. He decided that it was better to move to a site called Bahay Toro.

At ten o'clock that Sunday morning, 23 August 1896, we arrived at Bahay Toro. Our
number had grown to more than 500 and the house, yard, and warehouse of Cabesang
Melchora was getting crowded with us Katipuneros. The generous hospitality of Cabesang
Melchora was no less than that of Apolonio Samson. Like him, she also opened her granary and
had plenty of rice pounded and animals slaughtered to feed us....

The following day, Monday, 24 August, more Katipuneros came and increased our
number to more than a thousand. The Supremo called a meeting at ten o'clock that morning
inside Cabesang Melchora's barn. Flanking him on both sides at the head of the table were Dr.
Pio Valenzuela, Emilio Jacinto, Briccio Pantas, Enrique Pacheco, Ramon Bernardo, Pantelaon
Torres, Francisco Carreon, Vicente Fernandez, Teodoro Plata, and others. We were so crowded
that some stood outside the barn.

The following matters were approved at the meeting:

1. An uprising to defend the people’s freedom was to be started at midnight of Saturday,

29 August 1896….

2. To be on a state of alert so that the Katipunan forces could strike should be the situation
arise where the enemy was at a disadvantage. Thus, the uprising could be started earlier
than the agreed time of midnight of 29 August 1896 should a favorable opportunity
arise at the date. Everyone should steel himself and be resolute in the struggle that was
imminent….

3. The immediate objective was the capture of Manila….

After the adjournment of the meeting at twelve noon, there were tumultuous shouts of
“Long live the Sons of the People!”
Guillermo Masangkay’s Account

In 1932, Guillermo Masangkay, a friend and fellow Katipunero of Andres Bonifacio,

recounted his experiences as a member of the revolutionary movement. In an interview with
the Sunday Tribune Magazine, Masangkay said that the first cry happened in Balintawak on
August 26, 1896. In the first decade of American rule, it was his account that was used by the
government and civic officials to fix the date and place of the First Cry which was capped with
the erection of the “Monument to the Heroes of 1896” in that place.

However, in an interview published in the newspaper Bagong Buhay on August 26,

1957, Masangay changed his narrative stating that the revolution began on August 23, 1896,
similar to the assertion of Dr. Pio Valenzuela. But Masangkay’s date was later changed again
when his granddaughter, Soledad Buehler-Borromeo, cited sources, including the Masangkay
papers, that the original date was August 26.

The Account

At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with Andres
Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The purpose was to discuss when the
uprising was to take place. Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed
to starting the revolution too early. They reasoned that the people would be in distress if the
revolution were started without adequate preparation. Plata was very forceful in his argument,
stating that the uprising could not very well be started without arms and food for the soldiers.
Valenzuela used Rizal’s argument about the rich not siding with the Katipunan organization.

Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then left the session hall
and talked to the people who were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the leaders.
He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution early, and
appealed to them in a fiery speech in which he said: “You remember the fate of our countrymen
who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns, the Spaniards will only
shoot us. Our organization has been discovered and we are all marked men. If we don’t start
uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you say?”

“Revolt,” the people shouted as one.

Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt. He told them
that the sign of slavery of Filipinos were (sic) the cedula tax charged each citizen. “If it is true
that you are ready to revolt,” Bonifacio said, “I want to see you destroyed your cedulas. It will
be the sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.”

With tears in their eyes, the people, as one man, pulled out their cedulas and tore them
to pieces. It was the beginning of the formal declaration of the separation from Spanish rule…

When the peoples pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he returned to the session hall and
informed the leaders of what took place outside. “The people want to revolt, and they
destroyed their cedulas,” Bonifacio said, “So now we have to start uprising, otherwise the
people by hundreds will be shot.” There was no alternative. The board of directors, in spite
of the protests of Plata, Pantas and Valenzuela, voted for the revolution. And when this was
decided, the people outside shouted, “Long Live the Philippine Republic.”
Lesson 10

THE TEJEROS ASSEMBLY

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. identify the conflicting view about the Tejeros Assembly;

2. examine the role of each person as a source of information in the event; and,
3. formulate arguments to support a position using primary and secondary sources.

Historical Context

The first days of the Philippine Revolution saw the defeat of the Katipunan in Manila,
forcing Bonifacio and his men to retreat to the mountains of Montalban. It was a different story
in Cavite. Here, the Katipunan under Emilio Aguinaldo managed to subdue the Spanish forces
by surprise and take control of the province. The victory, however, was short-lived as the Cavite
Katipuneros-which consisted of two groups, the Magdiwang (Bonifacio) and Magdalo
(Aguinaldo)-were soon fighting each other over territory and logistics. Unable to resolve their
differences, Aguinaldo invited the Supremo Andres Bonifacio to Cavite to mediate. However,
when he arrived in infuriated the Magdalos. The two groups finally agreed to form a
revolutionary government (pamahalaang panghihimagsik) which would lead the revolution. The
assembly was set to be held in the friar's estate house in Barrio Tejeros, a part of the town of
San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias). On March 22, 1897, the Cavite Katipuneros, as
well as representatives of the Katipunan from the nearby provinces, converged at the estate
house. Emilio Aguinaldo, however, was not at the assembly as he was commanding the Filipino
forces at the frontlines in Pasong Santol, Barrio Salitran, Dasmariñas, facing the imminent attack
of the Spanish forces.

Artemio Ricarte's Account

The following account was written by Gen. Artemio Ricarte (nom-de-guerre: Vibora)
who was one of the officials of the Magdiwang faction. During the Tejeros Assembly, he served
as the secretary of the convention when Bonifacio began presiding over the session. Ricarte
was elected in the Tejeros Assembly as Captain-General of the revolutionary government. He
initially refused the position but his objections were overruled by the electoral body. His
account of the Philippine revolution was titled "Apuntes Históricos de la Insurrección por los
Asociados al Kamahalmahala't Kataastaasang Katipunan nang manga Anak ng Bayan' contra el
Gobierno Español en las Islas Filipinas." It was written during his imprisonment for subversion
by the American authorities in 1904. It was translated into English by a British journalist,
William Brecknock Watson, but remained in manuscript form. Ricarte's memoirs were
published in Tagalog in 1927 in Yokohama, Japan with the title Himagsikan ng Mga Pilipino
Laban sa Kastila. The account on the next page is his version of the Tejeros Assembly.
The Account

Early on the morning of the day set for the assembly (March 22 JVT), men filled the
Tejeros estate house, among them not only the chiefs of the Magdiwang but also men of the
Magdalo. Among the chiefs of the Magdiwang, apart from the Supremo of the Katipunan, were
the following: Mariano, Pascual and Santiago Alvarez; Luciano San Miguel, Marianó Trias
Closas; Severino de las Alas and Santos Nocon. Among those of Magdalo were Baldomero
Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, Cayetano Topacio, and Antonio Montenegro.
The session opened under the presidency of Jacinto Lumbreras who, in a few words,
explained the purpose of the meeting. Severino de las Alas rose to address those present and
said that before discussing the defense of a small piece of territory in Cavite, it would be well to
consider first the kind of government then existing in the country, as upon that government
would depend whatever defense might be needed. The chairman replied that from the time the
Katipunan was established the country had been ruled by the Supreme Council, the provincial
and popular councils. He repeated that the purpose for which the assembly had been called was
one of great importance in those critical times. Andres Bonifacio, with permission of the chair,
spoke in support of Lumbreras and his stand in regard to the government and went to explain
the significance of the letter "K" in the center of the sun on the flag, which stands for liberty, as
has already been said in the description of the insurgent flag. Severino de las Alas again
addressed the meeting and said that neither the letter "K" on the flag, nor the flag itself, has
anything to do with the character of the government then existing; that is to say, whether it was
a monarchy or a republic. Bonifacio replied that the Katipuneros, from the president of the
Supreme Council to the most insignificant member, recognized the principles of Union,
Fraternity and Equality, on which account it was very clear that the government of the
Katipunan was rigorously republican in form.
Antonio Montenegro rose and spoke in support of the De las Alas suggestion and in a
louder voice than usual said that unless some definite understanding was arrived at regarding
the matter, the insurgents were mere groups of tulisanes or, much worse, brutes.
These last words of Antonio Montenegro wounded the pride of Santiago Alvarez, who
rose with glaring eyes and, addressing Montenegro, said: "We insurgents of Cavite and
especially of the Magdiwang government recognize and obey the government established by
the Katipunan; if you wish to establish any other kind of government more suited to your fancy,
retire to your province and conquer territory from the Spanish government as we have done
here, and establish there whatever government you like, and no one will interfere with you..."
The session broke up in disorder, but one hour later, when the passions of the adherents
of Santiago Alvarez and Antonio Montenegro had been pacified, it convened against under the
presidency of Andres Bonifacio because Jacinto Lumbreras said that inasmuch as they were
discussing a subject which was provided for in the call for the meeting, but which concerned the
establishment of a general government for the insurrection, he ought not to preside at the
continuation of the meeting. Then Andres Bonifacio... was chosen by acclamation to be
president at the meeting...
Order being restored, Bonifacio opened the session saying: As you wish to establish a
supreme government to direct the insurrection, abolishing that already organized by the
Katipunan and agreed upon in the Imus assembly, as Supremo of the Supreme Council of the
Katipunan, agree to your just petition; but I must first invite you all to join us in recognizing a
principle upon which we must base all our decisions in this or in any other session; this principle
is that we respect and obey in everything the vote or decision of the majority." Those present
signified their unanimous conformity and the Philippine Republic was agreed upon and
proclaimed amid repeated and enthusiastic applause. They then proceeded to the election of
the following officers of the Republic: President, Vice-President, Captain General, and Directors
of War, Interior, State, Finance, Commerce and Justice…..
Ballots were then distributed and one hour later the votes were counted. As a result of
this vote, Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President of the Republic defeating Andres Bonifacio and
Mariano Trias. The result was proclaimed amidst applause.
They then proceeded to the election of a Vice-President. Severino de las Alas remarked
that inasmuch as Andres Bonifacio had secured the second largest number of votes in the
election for President, he should be proclaimed Vice President. No one expressed a wish to speak
in favour or against the suggestion of De las Alas, wherefore the chairman ordered that the
election be proceeded with, and this being done it resulted in a majority of votes being cast for
Mariano Triaś Closas as against Andres Bonifacio, Severino de las Alas, and Mariano Alvarez.
They then immediately proceeded to the election of a Captain General. The secretary of
the session, Artemio Ricarte, was elected by a large majority over Santiago Alvarez. Ricarte rose
and protested against his own election.. Those present disapproved the protest viva voce, and
the chairman called the meeting to order saying that as night was falling, it was advisable to
continue the election for the other positions. It was unanimously proposed and approved that,
to cut short the voting, those who favored any person for a position should stand on one side,
and those who favored other person should stand on the other side in groups, and in that way,
they voted for the Director of War, Emiliano Riego de Dios….

The election of a Minister of the Interior was proceeded with in the same way, with the
result that Andres Bonifacio was elected… In the midst of the acclamation that was accorded
Andres Bonifacio, Daniel Tirona demanded the floor and said: “Fellow countrymen: The position
of Minister of the Interior is a very important one and should not be occupied by a person who is
not a lawyer. We have in our province a lawyer Jose del Rosario; hence we must protest against
the election of the person elected and acclaimed.” Thee, shouting at the top of his voice, he
cried: “Let us vote for Jose del Rosario, the lawyer!”

Bonifacio’s pride being wounded, he rose and spoke thus: “Have we not agreed that we
shall obey the will of the majority, whatever might be the social position of the person elected?”
Having said this, he asked Daniel Tirona to repeat what he had said, or to apologize to the
assembly for the insult offered to the person elected, because up to that time not one those
elected was fitted by reason of his culture for the position to which he had been designated. As
Tirona tried to hide himself among the crowd, without paying attention to what Bonifacio
demanded of him, the latter draw his revolver and was about to fire at Tirona, but the secretary
of the session (Ricarte) seized his hand and the incident passed without more ado. As those
present were about to leave the room, Bonifacio said in a loud voice: “I, as president of the
session, and also as president of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan as you all know, declare
this assembly closed, and annul everything that has been done therein.” He then left, followed
by his adherents.

Andres Bonifacio’s Account

This account by Andres Bonifacio is from a letter he wrote to Emilio Jacinto in

Montalban from Indang, Cavite on April 24, 1897, a month after the Tejeros elections. This
would be the first time the other members of the Supreme Council would hear of the events
that happened in Cavite. This was first published in Jose P. Santos, Si Andres Bonifacio at Ang
Himagsikan (1932).

The Account

The majority of the send convention agreed to establish a government, but I explained to
them that this could not be done because the representatives of the other towns did not arrive,
a condition that was agreed upon in the Imus Assembly but which was disregarded by the
majority because of the dire conditions of the towns; and the Imus Assembly lacks proof because
there were no documents. Nevertheless, the ones who were present promised that whatever
decision was made, the majority will abide by the decision in the assembly and that is what I will
respect.
When the elections were held, elected President of the Republic was Don Emilio
Aguinaldo; Vice President, Don Mariano Trias; Auditor General, Don Artemio Ricarte; Director of
War, Don Emiliano R. de Dios. The elections were held through the expressions of those who
were present (viva voce) because it was already nighttime. I was elected Director of the Interior
through the same expressions of those present and among the midst of those who were elected:
however, after the decision was made and the election for the Director de Hacienda was about
to start, Don Daniel Tirona stood up and said that there is a cry being raised that Don Jose del
Rosario be chosen Director of the Interior because there is a need that this position should be
filled by someone educated. He announced this after saying that he did not state this with the
intention of insulting me. I answered back that good and educated men are needed for all the
positions; I asked him to point out to me who among the elected ones are already well-versed in
their positions, but instead, he began to shout: “Let us agree that Jose del Rosario, a lawyer, be
chosen Director of the Interior!” No one responded to his call which he did four times whereas a
few responded by calling out by name. Because of the tumult that occurred, the President of the
Magdiwang announced that this was not an assembly of gentleman because everything that
they did had no evidence. Also, I discovered that even before the elections were made, some of
those who are from Imus had secretly spread the word that it was not good for them to be
under the leadership of someone from another province. It was for this reason that Captain
Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President. When I heard about this, I told them that this assembly
was the idea of those with evil intentions as this was the only thing that they wanted and that
they deceived the people. I even added that if they wished I will point out one by one those who
intended to this if they wanted to. The assembly answered that it was not necessary. I also told
them that if the wishes of the assembly are not to be followed, I will not recognize those who
were elected and if I will not recognize them then my men will also not recognize them. Even
General Ricarte— the one elected General— also stated that their assembly was the result of
bad intentions…

Santiago Alvarez’s Account

The account of the Tejeros Convention is found in Chapter 32 of Gen. Santiago Alvarez’s
memoirs. Like Ricarte, Alvarez was a direct participant and witness to the events that occurred
in the elections.

The Account

The assembly at Tejeros was finally convened on 25 March 1897 (sic). The invitations to
the meeting were signed by Secretary Jacinto Lumbreras of the Magdiwang Council, and he
presided over the assembly. Seated with Lumbreras at the long presidential table were the
Supremo Andres Bonifacio, Messrs. Mariano M. Alvarez, Pascual Alvarez, Ariston Villanueva,
Mariano C. Trias, Diego Mojica, Emiliano R. de Dios, Santiago V. Alvarez, Artemio Ricarte,
Santos Nocon, Luciano San Miguel, Pablo Mojica, Severino de las Alas, and Santiago Rillo, all of
them of the Magdiwang. Among the Magdalo seated at the head table were Messrs. Baldomero
Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, and Cayetano Topacio.
It must be mentioned that, before the assembly was convened, Secretary of War Ariston
Villanueva of the Magdiwang Council received the confidential information that Mr. Daniel
Tirona of the Magdalo faction was set to undermine the proceedings of the assembly and that
he had already acceded in enjoining any among the Magdiwang leaders to ally with him.
Secretary Villanueva kept silent, but nevertheless alerted Captain General Apoy, who had troops
in readiness for any sudden eventuality.

The leaders were seated at the presidential table, as previously described and all the
others were standing in groups on both sides of those seated. After Chairman Jacinto Lumbreras
had declared the assembly open, he announced the main topic of discussion which was how to
bolster the defense in the areas still under Magdiwang control. Presently, Mr. Severino de las
Alas rose to speak, and when he was recognized, he said, “Before we discuss minor details, let
us first tackle the major issued such as what kind of government we should have and how we
should go about establishing it. Once we make a decision about these questions, the problem of
organization and strengthening of defenses will be resolved.”
“As initiator of the Revolution,” Chairman Lumbreras replied, “the Katipunan now holds
authority over the islands. It has a government of law and a definite program. It is obeyed and
respected by all because it stands for freedom, brotherly love, and a well-organized and well-run
government….”
The chair next recognized the Supremo. He concurred with what Chairman Lumbreras
had just said and explained that the “K” in the middle of the sun in the Katipunan flag used in
the Revolution stood for “Kalayaan.”
Mr. Severino de las Alas spoke again. He countered that the letter “K” and the sun on the
flag did not indicate whether the revolutionary government was democratic or not.
The Supremo replied that from the rank-and-file-to the highest levels, Katipunan was
united in its respect for universal brotherhood and equality of men. It was risking bloodshed and
life itself in its struggle against the king, in order to establish sovereign and free government. In
short, it stood for people’s sovereignty, not a government led only by one or two.
Mr. Antonio Montenegro spoke in defense of Mr. Severino de las Alas's stand. He argued
that if they would agree on the kind of revolutionary government they were to have and that if
they were to let the status quo prevail then they who were in the Revolution would be no better
than a pack of bandits or of wild, mindless animals."
General Apoy was hurt by these words of Mr. Montenegro. He quickly stood up and
looked angrily at the previous speaker.
"We of the Katipunan", he began, "are under the jurisdiction of our respected Highest
Council of the Sons of the People. This council is the defender of, and has authority over, the
Magdiwang at Magdalo governments of Cavite. We are true revolutionaries fighting for
freedom of the native land. We are not bandits who rob others of their property and wealth. Nor
should be likened to beasts, for we know how to protect and defend others, especially the
political refuges who seek asylum with us. We are rational and we do not expose those who talk
big but do not accomplish anything. If you want to establish a different kind of government that
is to your liking, you must do as we have done: Go back to your localities and snatch them from
Spanish control. Then you can do what pleases you; but don't you dare seek refuge among
cowards who might call you bandits and beasts.
When order was restored, some wanted the convention adjourned but the Supremo
Bonifacio prevailed upon the others to continue. However, the presiding officer, Mr. Lumbreras,
refused to resume his role of chairman. He wanted to yield the chair to the Supremo whom he
thought to be the rightful chairman.
Mr. Lumbrera's speech was well received and his proposal was unanimously accepted.
The Supremo Bonifacio assumed the chairmanship accordingly and said,"Your aim is to establish
a new overall government of the Katipunan and the Sons of the People. This would repudiate
the decision made at the meeting held at the friar state house in Imus. In my capacity as
"President-Supremo" of the Most Venerable Katipunan of the Sons of the People, I agree and
sympathize with your aspirations. But I wish to remind you that we should respect all decision
properly discussed and approved in all our meetings. We should respect and abide by the wishes
of the majority".
Because of the repeated clamor for the approval for the establishment of a government
of the Philippine Republic, the chair proceeded to prepare for an election to the following
positions: president, vice-president, minister of finance, minister of warfare, minister of justice,
and captain-general.
The Supremo spoke again before the election began. He said that the candidate who
would get the most number of votes for each position should be the winner, no matter what his
station in life or his educational attainment...
The Supremo Bonifacio appointed Gen. Artemio Ricarte as secretary. Then, with the help
of Mr. Daniel Tirona, he distributed pieces of paper or serve as ballots. When the ballots had
been collected and votes were read to be canvassed, Mr. Diego Mojica, the Magdiwang
secretary of the treasury, warned the Supremo that many ballots distributed were already filled
out and that the voters had not done this themselves. The Supremo ignored this remark. He
proceeded with the business at hand as if nothing unusual had happened.
When the voters for president were counted, Mr. Andres Bonifacio, the Supremo.
The winner was acclaimed by applause and shouts of "Mabuhay!"
Mr. Severino de las Alas spoke again to say that the since the Supremo Bonifacio had
received the second highest number of votes for the presidency, he should be proclaimed vice-
president of the government of the Philippine Republic. When nobody signified approval or
disapproval of the proposal, the presiding officer , the Supremo Bonifacio, ruled that the election
be continued. For vice-president, Mariano Trias won over Mr. Mariano Alvarez and the Supremo
Bonifacio. General Vibora was elected captain over General Apoy...
Mr. Baldomero Aguinaldo wanted the election to be finished before it got too dark. To
facilitate the counting of votes, he suggested that for all other positions to be voted upon, voters
should stand on one of the sides of the hall if in favor and on the other side if against. This
suggestion was adopted for the rest of the election. For the position of the secretary of war, Mr.
Emiliano de Dios was elected overwhelmingly... After the voters had given the proper honors to
the new secretary of war, they proceeded to elect the secretary of the interior, Mr. Andres
Bonifacio, the Supremo won over, Mr. Mariano Alvarez. The crowd broke into shouts of
"Mabuhay!" Mr. Daniel Tirona requested for a restoration of order and then spoke aloud:
"My brethren,the office of Secretary of Interior is of so great a scope and of such
sensitivity that we should no entrust it to one who is not a lawyer. One among us here is a
lawyer. He is Mr. Jose del Rosario. Let us reconsider the choice of the last position, for he has no
credentials to show attesting in any educational attainment.
Then in as loud a voice as he could muster, Tirona shouted, "Let us elect Mr. Jose del
Rosario, the lawyer!"
Greatly embarrased, the Supremo Bonifacio quickly stood up and said "We agreed to
abide by the majority vote and accept its choice no matter what the station in life of the person
elected. And because of this I demand from you, Mr. Daniel Tirona, an apology. You must
restore to the voters and the one they elected the honors you have only now besmirched.
Then he pulled out his revolver and took aim.
Instead of replying, Mr. Tirona ignored the Supremo's remarks and, perhaps because of
fear, he slid away and got lost in the crowd. Disorder ensued as the convention secretary tried to
disarm the Supremo, who was intent on shooting Mr. Tirona. The people began to disperse and
the Supremo ajourned the meeting with this words:

"In my capacity as chairman of this convention as President-Supremo of the Most

Venerable Katipunan of the Sons of the People which association is known and acknowledge by
all, I hereby declare null and void all matters approved in this meeting."

Then he left quickly and was followed by his aides and some others present.

Lesson 11
THE RIZAL RETRACTION

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. identify the conflicting views/accounts about Rizal retraction;

2. analyze each view or source; and,
3. use primary sources in presenting/writing about a local issue.

Historical Context
Lesson 12

HISTORIC SITES AND LANDMARKS RECOGNIZED BY THE

NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. identify historic sites and landmarks recognized by the National Historical Commission
of the Philippines (NHCP);
2. recognize the value of these historic sites and landmarks in the study and preservation
of our history and culture;
3. curate a photo gallery of historic sites and landmarks in your own locale.

Hundreds of sites all over the Philippines became a part of our history and culture. Many of
these sites as well as landmarks are recognized by the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP). As stated in Republic Act No. 10086, the NHCP is “responsible for
the conservation and preservation of the country’s historical legacies. Its major thrusts
encompass an ambitious cultural program on historical studies, curatorial works,
architectural conservation, Philippine heraldry, historical information dissemination activities,
restorations and preservations of relics and memorabilia of heroes and other renowned
Filipinos. The NHCP undertakes the commemoration of significant events and personages in
Philippine history and safeguards the blazoning of the national governments and its political
divisions and instrumentalities.” Historical information dissemination activities also includes the
recognition of historical sites and landmarks, turning them into museums and parks, and
making them open to visitors such as students to promote historical awareness among the
youth.

LUZON
NORTHERN PROVINCES LANDMARK TOWN/ CITY
Ilocos Norte Juan Luna Shrine Badoc
Ilocos Norte Gregorio Aglipay National Shrine Batac
Ilocos Norte Artemio Ricarte Shrine Batac
Ilocos Norte Paoay Church Paoay
Ilocos Norte Bacarra Church Bacarra
Ilocos Norte Cape Bojeador Lighthouse Burgos
National Historical Landmark
Ilocos Sur Santa Maria Church Santa Maria
Ilocos Sur Tirad Pass National Shrine Del Pilar
Ilocos Sur Syquia Mansion Vigan
Isabela Church of Tumauini Tumauini
Pangasinan Old Casa Real and Provincial Lingayen
Capitol
Abra Teodoro Brillantes House Tayum
Ifugao Surrender Site of General Kiangan
Tomuyuki Yamashita
Benguet Mansion House Baguio City
Batanes Church, Convent and Site of the Sabtang
Beaterio of Sabtang
Batanes Church of Ivana Ivana
CENTRAL LUZON PROVINCES LANDMARK TOWN/CITY
Bulacan Barasoain Church Historical Malolos
Landmark
Bulacan Casa Real Shrine Malolos
Bulacan Malolos Heritage Town Malolos
Bulacan Biak-na-Bato Historic Site San Miguel
Bulacan Birth Site of Marcelo H. del Pilar Bulakan
Bulacan Birthplace of General Gregorio Bulakan
del Pilar
Bulacan Alberta Uitangcoy House Malolos
Pampanga Birthplace of Pres. Diosdado P. Lubao
Macapagal
Pampanga Lubao Church Historical Lubao
Landmark
Pampanga Henson-Hizon Heritage House San Fernando
Pampanga Singian-Hizon Heritage House San Fernando
Pampanga Cuyugan-Dayrit Heritage House San Fernando
Pampanga Lazatin Heritage House San Fernando
Pampanga Augusto P. Hizon House San Fernando
Tarlac Aquino Ancestral House Tarlac
Tarlac Capas Prisoners-of-War Capas
Memorial Shrine
Bataan Abucay Church Historical Abucay
Landmark
Bataan Mt. Samat National Shrine Mt. Samat
Zambales Pres. Ramon Magsaysay Castillejos
Historical Landmark
Aurora Church of Baler Historical Baler
Landmark
SOUTHERN LUZON PROVINCES LANDMARK TOWN/CITY
Batangas Taal Church Historical Landmark Taal
Batangas Marcella Agoncillo Historical Taal
Landmark
Batangas Leon Apacible Historical Taal
Landmark
Batangas Taal Historical Landmark Taal
Batangas Apolinario Mabini Shrine Tanauan
Batangas Miguel Malvar Historical Santo Tomas
Landmark
Batangas Luz- Katigbak House Lipa City
Batangas Ylagan- de la Rosa House Taal
Batangas Goco Ancestral House Taal
Batangas Jose P. Laurel Monument Santo Tomas
Batangas Punta de Malabrigo Lighthouse Lobo
Cavite Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine Kawit
Cavite Baldomero Aguinaldo Shrine Binakayan, Kawit
Cavite Casa Hacienda and its Environs, Rosario and Gen. Trias
the site of the Tejeros Convention
Cavite Site of the Battle of Alapan Bo. Alapan, Imus
Historical Landmark
Cavite Site of the Battle of Imus Imus
Cavite Fort San Felipe Historical Site Cavite City
Cavite Bonifacio Trial House Maragondon
Cavite Corregidor Corregidor Island
Cavite Sarayba House General Trias
Cavite St. Cruz Parish Convent Tanza
Laguna Rizal Shrine Calamba
Laguna Calamba Church Historical Calamba
Landmark
Laguna Paciano Rizal Shrine Los Baños
Laguna Nagcarlan Underground Nagcarlan
Cemetery Historical Landmark
Laguna Pila Historical Landmark Pila
Laguna Cuartel de Santo Domingo Santa Rosa City
Rizal Vicente Manansala Historical Binangonan
Landmark
Rizal Pamitinan Cave Historic Site Sitio Wawa, San Rafael Rodriguez
Quezon Birthplace of Claro M. Recto Tiaong
Historical Site
Quezon Natalio Enriquez House Sariaya
Quezon Rodriguez House Sariaya
Quezon Gala-Rodriguez House Sariaya
Quezon Tayabas Provincial Capitol Tayabas
Building
Marinduque Cathedral of Boac Historical Boac
Landmark
Marinduque Battle Site Memorial of Pulang Torrijos
Lupa Historical Landmark
Marinduque Casa Narvas Boac
Mindoro Oriental Kuta Church Ruins Brgy. Anilao Bongabong
Palawan Cape Melville Lighthouse Cape Melville, Balabac
Historical Landmark
Palawan Iwahig Penal Prison and Farm Puerto Princesa
Historical Landmark
BICOL REGION LANDMARK TOWN/ CITY
Camarines Norte Wenceslao Vinzons Historical Vinzons
Landmark
Camarines Norte Jose Rizal Monument Daet
Camarines Sur Holy Rosary Minor Seminary Naga City
Historical Landmark
Camarines Sur Jorge Barlin National Monument Baao
Camarines Sur Filipino- Japanese Friendship Boncao Hill Mt. Isarog, Sili
Historical Landmark
Camarines Sur Quipayo Church Historical Calabanga
Landmark
VISAYAS
PROVINCES LANDMARK TOWN/CITY
Aklan Kalantiaw Shrine Batan
Antique General Leandro Fullon National Hamtic
Shrine
Capiz Church of Santa Monica Pan-ay
Historical Landmark
Iloilo Rosendo Mejica Historical Iloilo City
Landmark
Iloilo Dumangas Church Historical Dumangas
Landmark
Iloilo Ermita Chapel Historical Dumangas
Landmark
Iloilo Santa Barbara Church and Santa Barbara
Convent Historical Landmark
Iloilo Jaro Belfry historical landmark Jaro
Iloilo Miagao Church Historical Miagao
Landmark
Iloilo Molo Church Historical Landmark Molo
Iloilo Balantang Memorial Cemetery Jaro
Shrine
Iloilo Barotac Nuevo Church, Convent Barotac Nuevo
and Cemetery Historical
Landmark
Iloilo Plaza Libertad Historical Iloilo City
Landmark
Iloilo Lopez Heritage House La Paz, Iloilo City
Iloilo Old Iloilo City Hall Iloilo City
Iloilo Portion of Iloilo City Central Iloilo City
Business District
Guimaras Roca Encantada Heritage House Buenavista, Guimaras
Negros Occidental General Juan Araneta Historical Bago City
Landmark
Negros Occidental Silay City Historical Landmark Silay City
Negros Occidental Victor Fernandez Gaston Silay City
Heritage House
Negros Occidental Carlos Arceo Ledesma Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Jose Benedicto Gamboa Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Angel Araneta Ledesma Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Benita Jara Heritage House Silay City
Negros Occidental Amelia Hilado Flores heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Alejandro Amechazura Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Jose Corteza Locsin Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Augusto Hilado Severino Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Severino Building/Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Manuel Severino Hofileña Silay City
Heritage House
Negros Occidental Claudia Hilado Akol Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Manuel de la Rama Locsin Silay City
Heritage House
Negros Occidental Felix Tad-y Lacson Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Soledad and Maria Montelibano Silay City
Lacson Heritage House
Negros Occidental Kapitan Marciano Montelibano Silay City
Lacson Heritage House
Negros Occidental Vicente Conlu Montelibano Silay City
Heritage House
Negros Occidental Maria Ledesma Golez Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Jose Ledesma Heritage House Silay City
Negros Occidental Teodoro Morada Heritage House Silay City
Negros Occidental Generoso Reyes Gamboa Silay City
Heritage House
Negros Occidental Digna Locsin Consing Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental German Lacson Gaston Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Modesto Ramirez Hojilla Silay City
(Carlos Javelosa Jalandoni)
Heritage House
Negros Occidental Dr. Jose Corteza Locsin Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Bernardino Lopez Jalandoni Silay City
Ancestral House
Negros Occidental German Locsin Unson Heritage Silay City
House
Negros Occidental Delfin Ledesma Heritage House Silay City
Negros Occidental Infante Heritage House La Carlota City
Negros Occidental Gen. Aniceto Lacson Historical Talisay City
Landmark
Negros Occidental Negros Occidental Provincial Bacolod City
Capitol
Negros Occidental Silliman University Historical Dumaguete City
Landmark
Cebu Liberty Shrine/SIte of the Battle Lapu- Lapu City, Mactan
of Mactan
Cebu Church and Convent of Santo Cebu City
Niño
Cebu Matilde Bradford Memorial Cebu City
Church Historical Landmark
Cebu Sergio Osmeña House Cebu City
Historical Landmark
Cebu Bank of the Philippine Cebu City
Islands Historical
Landmark
Cebu Casa Gorordo Historical Cebu City
Landmark
Cebu Boljoon Church Historical Boljoon
Landmark
Cebu Church of San Guillermo Dalaguete
de Aquitania Historical
Landmark
Cebu Church of Nuestra Argao
Señora de la Consolacion
Historical Landmark
Cebu Bagacay Point Lighthouse Liloan
Historical Landmark
Cebu Cebu Provincial Capitol Cebu City
Cebu Silva House Carcar
Cebu Balay na Tisa Carcar
Cebu Sa Dakong Balay (Don Carcar
Florencio Noel House
Cebu Mercado Mansion Carcar
Cebu Mt. Manunggal, Cebu, Brgy. Magsaysay, Balamban
Crush Site of Mt. Pinatubo
(the plane carrying Pres.
Ramon Magsaysay)
Bohol Baclayon Church Historical Baclayon
Landmark
Bohol San Pedro Apostol Church Loboc
Historical Landmark
Bohol Church of the Most Holy Trinity Loay
Historical Landmark
Bohol Clarin Heritage House Loay
Bohol Church of Dauis and Its Complex Dauis
Bohol Punta Cruz Watchtower Punta Cruz
Bohol President Carlos P. Gracia House Tagbiliran City
Bohol Church of Loon Loon
Siquijor Lazi Church and Convent Lazi
Historical Landmark
Leyte Leyte Landing Site Bo. Baras, Palo
Leyte MacArthur Landing Site Palo, Leyte
Southern Leyte Oppus Ancestral House Maasin City
Southern Leyte Limasawa Shrine Limasawa
Northern Leyte Capul Lighthouse Capul
MINDANAO
Provinces Landmark Town/City
Zamboanga del Norte Rizal Shrine Dapitan City
Zamboanga del Norte Dapitan Plaza Historical Dapitan City
Landmark
Zamboanga del Norte Old Town of Dapitan Dapitan City
Misamis Occidental Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Ozamiz City
Triunfo Historical Landmark
Lanao del Norte Macapagal-Macaraeg Buru-un,
Heritage House Iligan City
Cotabato Site of the Church of the Cotabato City
Immaculate Conception of
Tamontaka
Cotabato Fort Pikit Pikit, North Cotabato
Lanao del Sur Torogan House Pompongan-
a-Marantao, Marawi City
Tawi-Tawi Sheik Karimol Mahkdum Tandu Banak,
Shrine Sibutu
Tawi-Tawi Sheik Karimol Mahkdum Tubig Indangan, Simunul
Mosque
Lanao del Sur Torogan House Pompongan-a-Marantao,
Marawi City
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
City/ Provinces Landmark Town/ City/ District
Manila Rizal Shrine Fort Santiago, Intramuros
Manila Fort Santiago Freedom Intramuros
Shrine (Dambana ng Kalayaan)
Manila San Agustin Church and Convent Intramuros
Manila Mabini Shrine Pandacan
Manila Zamora Historical Pandacan
Landmark
Manila Army and Navy Club South
Historical Landmark Boulevard, Ermita
Manila Elks Club Building Roxas
Historical Landmark Boulevard, Ermita
Manila Luneta Hotel Historical Ermita
Landmark
Manila Jose Rizal National Rizal Park,
Monument Manila
Manila Rizal Park (Bagumbayan) Rizal Park,
Historical Site Manila
Manila Andres Bonifacio National Mehan
Shrine Gardens, Ermita
Manila Metropolitan Theater Liwasang
Historical Landmark Bonifacio, Ermita
Manila San Sebastian Church Quiapo
Historical Landmark
Manila Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Quiapo
Historical Landmark
Manila University of Santo Tomas
Historical Landmark (UST Main
Building, Central Seminary, Arch Sampaloc
of the Century and Open Spaces
were declared National Cultural
Treasures)
Manila Malacañang Palace San Miguel
Historical Landmark
Manila Mausoleo de los Veteranos North
de la Revolucion Historical Cemetery,
Landmark Santa Cruz
Manila Mehan Gardens Historical Manila
Landmark
Manila Intramuros and its Walls
(Declared a National Manila
Heritage Site)
Manila Birthplace of Antonio Luna San Nicolas
Manila Andres Bonifacio Shrine P. Burgos Drive cor. Concepcion
Manila Manila Hotel Ermita
Manila Old Legislative Building Ermita
(now the National Museum)
Manila Lichauco Residence Santa Ana
Manila A Portion of Santa Ana Santa Ana
(A Heritage District)
Manila Bahay Nakpil Bautista 432-A Bautista St., Quiapo

Manila Manila Central Post Office

Building and Liwasang Manila
Bonifacio
Manila Manila Bay and Waterfront Manila
from Del Pan Bridge to the CCP
Manila Apolinario Mabini Monument National
Library of the
Phils., Manila
Manila Rizal Memorial Sports Complex
(Declared a National Historical Malate
Landmark)
Quezon City Quezon Memorial Shrine Diliman
Quezon City Quezon Monument Quezon City
Quezon City Cry of Pugadlawin Bahay Toro
Historical Landmark
Quezon City Church of the Holy UP Diliman
Sacrifice
Quezon City Mira-Nila Heritage House Cubao
Quezon City Resting Place of the Banlat
Remains of Melchora
"Tandang Sora" Aquino
Pasay City P. Burgos Elementary P. Burgos
School Historical Landmark Street
Caloocan City Bonifacio National Caloocan City
Monument Rotonda
Las Piñas City Saint Joseph Parish Church Las Piñas City
Complex
Las Piñas City Zapote Battlefield and Lad Piñas City
Zapote Bridge
San Juan Pinaglabanan Memorial Pinaglabanan
Shrine Road
Taguig Libingan ng mga Bayani Fort Bonifacio
National Shrine
Taguig Birthplace of Felix Manalo Tipas
Historical Landmark

Aside from those historical landmarks and shrines, other places that can be visited to
broaden our knowledge of Philippine history and culture include government and private-run
museums:

The National Museum Complex is composed of:

a. the National Museum of Fine Arts (Old Legislative Building)
b. the National Museum of Anthropology (Old Finance Building)
c. the National Museum of Natural History (Old Agriculture and Commerce Building)
d. and the National Planetarium

Private museums and other institutions also have their share of contributing to the
preservation of our heritage. Many of these places are limited to special collections but are
themselves a significant part of history and in the study of it. Some examples of these museums
are as follows :

a. UST Museum of Arts and Science located at the University of Santo Tomas campus
b. Ayala Museum located in Makati
c. The Lopez Museum and Library located at the Benpres Building, Ortigas Complex in
Mandaluyong
d. The Kaisa Angelo King Heritage Center located in Intramuros which highlights our
Tsinoy or Chinese Filipino heritage
e. The Museo Iloilo in Iloilo City which focuses on cultural and historical artifacts not
only from Iloilo but also from Panay Island
f. The Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, which focuses on the
study of Kapampangan language, history, and culture, located on the campus of the
Holy Angel University in Angeles City, Pampanga
g. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, though recognized as a performance venue,
which houses art galleries for exhibits and a collection of artworks by recognized
Filipino artists including those by the National Artists of the Philippines

The continuous growth of awareness of the remnants of our historical and cultural past
has made Filipinos place a large value on preserving the old buildings and districts around the
country. This eventually led to the passage of the National Cultural Heritage Act (Republic Act
No. 10066) which created the Philippines Registry of Cultural Property and the rules and
regulations to preserve historic buildings that are over 50 years. It was signed into law on
March 25, 2009.

There were earlier attempts to preserve the artifacts of history and culture. The first
district that was declared a National Heritage site was the Intramuros district which was the
former Walled City of Manila. This was followed by Vigan City in Ilocos Sur and later by Silay City
in Negros Occidental. These areas follow heritage laws formulated to preserve their historic
buildings, open spaces, and local traditions while at the same time blending with the modern
surroundings.

Historic buildings that date back to the Spanish and American colonial periods that
survived the Second World War have also been preserved by either the government or private
institutions. Examples of these are the buildings of the campuses of the University of
Philippines-Manila and the University of Santo Tomas, the Philippine General Hospital, the
capitol buildings of the different provinces such as in Leyte and Pangasinan, as well as private
houses and buildings like the Gota de Leche Building in Sampaloc, Manila. Spanish colonial
churches that can be found in towns and cities all over the country are also included in this
category.

Monuments that date back to the colonial eras are also being preserved. Many of these
monuments are found in plazas and parks in different towns and cities in Manila and the urban
areas of provinces. These monuments are important not only because they commemorate
places, people, and historic events but also because they are markers of our past. Examples of
these monuments in Manila are the Carriedo Fountain, King Carlos IV Monument, the Legaspi-
Urdaneta Monument, the Queen Isabel II of Spain Monument, and the Simon de Anda
Monument.

Other significant places are concrete pieces of evidence of our precolonial past. These
are the archaeological sites that are mostly found in the provinces. Some of these sites are
already open to public although traveling entails long hikes since many of them are in the
mountainous areas or in islands. Examples of these areas are the Ifugao Rice Terraces,
the Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves, the Neolithic Shell Midden Sites in Lal-lo and Gattaran
Municipalities, and the Paleolithic Archaeological Sites in Cagayan Valley where the bones of
what is believed to be t he oldest human being in the Philippines - Callao Man – was found.

Photos of Some Historical Sites and Landmarks

FIGURE 28. Paoay Church, Paoay, Ilocos Norte

FIGURE 29. Barasoain Church, Malolos, Bolacan

FIGURE 30. Pamintuan House, Angeles City, Pampanga

FIGURE 31. Interior of the Pamituan House

FIGURE 32. Another Interior of the Pamintuan House

FIGURE 33. Holy Rosary Parish Church , Angeles City, Pampanga

Figu

FIGURE 34. Aguinaldo Shrine Kawit, Cavite

FIGURE 35. Cannon on Corregidor Island

FIGURE 36. Malinta Tunnel Corregidor Island

FIGURE 37: Middleside Barracks Corregidor Island

FIGURE 38. Marker of the Tejeros Convention, General Trias City, Cavite

FIGURE 39. Site of the Tejeros Convention, General Trias City, Cavite
FIGURE 40. Provincial Capitol of Negros, Negros Occidental

FIGURE 41. Basilica de Santo Niño, Cebu

FIGURE 42. Marker of Basilica de Santo Niño, Cebu

FIGURE 43. Bahay Nakpil, Quiapo, Manila

FIGURE 44. Arch of the Century, University of Santo Tomas, Manila

FIGURE 45. UST Central Seminary, UST Campus, España, Manila

FIGURE 46. University of Santo Tomas Main Building and Open Field
Lesson 13

THE PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. explain the importance of a constitution in a nation;

2. trace the development of the Philippine Constitution throughout the country’s history;
and,
3. discuss the significant features and provisions incorporated in the seven Philippine
Constitution.
Lesson 14

AGRARIAN REFORM

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. trace the history of the land reform program in the Philippines;

2. discuss the salient features of each agrarian system; and,
3. evaluate the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

The Philippine economy is largely agricultural and industrial. Agriculture has been
existing even during the precolonial times considering that rice is an Asian staple food along
with other crops. The agricultural economy, however, has brought about economic and social
problems concerning the agrarian structure is well as land tenancy with the farmers—the ones
who are actually cultivating the fields—as the losers in this system.

American Colonization Period

During the American colonization of the Philippines, the colonial government tried to
solve the agrarian problem by purchasing the so-called "friar lands" from religious corporations
and selling them to the tenants. However, much of the land ended up with new landlords who
were mostly Filipinos.

The agrarian problem worsened during the American period. Many tenants soon began
to resort to armed means to "get back" their land. Some of them claimed that the lands they
were tilling were owned by their ancestors before these lands were claimed by landlords with
"land titles." The Tayug Uprising in Pangasinan in 1931 as well as the Sakdalista Uprising in 1935
prompted the government to address the agrarian problem. As part of his program for the
Commonwealth Government, President Quezon espoused "social justice" in an attempt to stop
the agrarian unrest in Central Luzon and alleviate the poverty of the farmers. This program was
in line with the provision of Article II, Section 5 of the 1935 Constitution which states that
"The promotion of social justice to ensure the well-being and economic security of all people
should be the concern of the State."

Commonwealth Era

Quezon enacted some land reform laws during the Commonwealth period. The
Commonwealth Act No. 178 on November 13, 1936 amending the Rice Tenancy Act No. 4045
of 1933 provided for certain controls in the landlord-tenant relationships with regard to rice
lands. He also created the National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC) in 1936 to control the
prices of rice and corn which benefited the farmers and consumers. The Rural Program
Administration, an office created in 1939, was mandated to facilitate the sale or lease of the
haciendas to the tenants.

Many of the social justice programs of the Commonwealth Government, however, were
not enforced. Legislation of these planned programs was thwarted by many of the landowning
legislators in the Commonwealth National Assembly who would be affected if they would pass
these laws.
Third to Fifth Philippine Republic

Agrarian problems still remained even after Philippine independence was declared in
1946. What made it worse was that the agrarian unrest became part of a full-blown revolt
against the government. The movement was spearheaded by former members of the peasant
guerrilla army, Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) who later changed their name
to Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (People's Liberation Army). The succeeding administrations
tried to address these agrarian problems while, at the same time, attempted to suppress the
insurgency.
During the Roxas Administration (1946—1948), President Manuel Roxas enacted
Republic Act No. 34 which established 70-30 sharing arrangements between landlord and
tenants and regulated share-tenancy contracts. There was also Republic Act No. 55 which
provided security to tenants from arbitrary ejectment from the land they are cultivating.
On October 30, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino (1948— 1953) issued Executive Order
No. 355 which replaced the National Land Settlement Administration, a government agency,
with the Land Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO). LASEDECO took over the two
agrarian offices: the Agricultural Machinery Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn
Production Administration.
It was during the Magsaysay Administration (1953—1957) that an attempt on land reform was
made. In 1954, President Ramon Magsaysay signed Republic Act No. 1199 or the Agricultural
Tenancy Act of 1954 which governed the tenant-landowner relationship by organizing the
share-tenancy and leasehold system. It also created the Court of Agrarian Relations. Two other
laws, Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) and Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of
Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration) were also signed to help tenant
farmers. R.A. 1400 created the Land Tenure Administration (LTA) to handle the acquisition and
distribution of large tenanted rice and corn lands over 200 hectares for individuals and 600
hectares for corporations. R.A. 821 other hand, created an agricultural bank that provided small
farmers and share tenants with low-interest loans.
The Macapagal Administration (1961-1965) continued the efforts to advance agrarian
reform. On August 8, 1963 President Diosdado Macapagal signed Republic Act No. 3844 or the
Agricultural Land Reform Code which heavily favored tenant farmers. Its provisions included the
abolition of share tenancy and provided for the leasing of agrarian lands to farmers. It also set a
retention limit of 75 hectares for landowners; invested rights of preemption and redemption
for tenant farmers; put in place an administrative machinery for implementation;
institutionalized a judicial system for agrarian cases; and incorporated extension, marketing,
and supervised credit system of services for farmer beneficiaries.
This law was hailed as one that would emancipate Filipino farmers from the bondage of
tenancy. It became the precursor of the agrarian reform programs of the succeeding
administration.
Following the imposition of martial law in 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared
the entire country a land reform area through Presidential Decree No. 2 issued on September
26, 1972. It was almost a year before Marcos signed Republic Act No. 6389 or the Code of
Agrarian Reform which created the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). The DAR began
efforts to implement land reform in the Philippines with the full support of the government.
This independent body was formed to replace the existing Land Authority. The Department of
Agrarian Reform was renamed the Ministry of Agrarian Reform in 1978 when the government
adopted the parliamentary system.
In October 1972 President Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 27 which provided for
tenanted lands devoted to rice and corn to pass ownership to the tenants, and lowered the
ceiling for landholding to seven hectares. The law stipulated that share tenants who worked on
a landholding of over seven hectares could purchase the land they tilled while share tenants on
land less than seven hectares would become leaseholders. Marcos's agrarian reform program
also included credit support, infrastructure, and legal assistance for farmers.
The 1987 Constitution which was ratified during President Corazon C. Aquino
Administration (1986—1992) included the provisions creating an agrarian reform law (Article
XIII, Section 4) and promoting rural development and agrarian reform (Article Il, Section 21).
In 1988, President Aquino signed Republic Act No. 6657, popularly known as the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law or CARL. The CARL was enacted to offer a lawful basis for
the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP. It took effect on
June 15, 1988. President Aquino also enacted other laws such as:

1. Executive Order No. 228 (July 16, 1987) which gave full ownership to qualified farmer-
beneficiaries covered by PD 27
2. Executive Order No. 229 (July 22, 1987) which provided a mechanism for the
implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)
3. Proclamation No. 131 (July 22, 1987) which instituted the CARP as a major program of
the government and provided for an Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), with an initial amount
of Php50 billion to cover the estimated cost of the program from 1987—1992
4. Executive Order No. 129-A (July 26, 1987) that streamlined and expanded the power
and operations of the DAR
5. Executive Order No. 407 (June 14, 1990) that ordered the acceleration of the acquisition
and distribution of agricultural lands, pasture lands, fishponds, agroforestry lands
and other lands of the public domain suitable for agriculture

A delimna during President Fidel V. Ramos Administration (1992-1998) was to revive public
trust in the agrarian reform program. The program was deemed a failure during the Aquino
administration because former President Aquino was a member of the Cojuanco Family which
owned one of the largest haciendas in Luzon - the Hacienda Luisita. The hacienda which was
mainly devoted to sugarcane production was notably exempted from agrarian reform which
was concentrated mostly on rice and corn lands.

Thus, President Fidel V. Ramos made the program one of the priorities of his administration.
He enacted laws that strengthed the implementation of CARP (Republic Act No. 7905). He
limited the land conversion scheme by making certain types of agricultural land as non-
negotiable for conversion or highly-restricted to be converted. He also signed Republic Act No.
8532 (Agrarian Reform Fund Law) which provided an additional P50 billion for CARP and
extended its implementation for another 10 years.

Though he had a short term of office, President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000) enacted
Executive Order No. 151 that consolidated small farm operations into medium or large scale
enterprises to qualify for long-term capital. He also ordered the Department of Agrarian
Reform to plan joint projects between private investors and the agrarian sector under his
Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang Agraryo or MAGKASAKA program.

The Department of Agrarian Reform was re-named twice during the administration of
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2000-2010). It was named Department of Land Reform
(Executive Order No. 364, September 27, 2004) and got back to using Department of Agrarian
Reform again (Executive Order No. 456, August 23, 2005). Executive Order No. 364 was
enacted to widen the function of the Department of Land Reform vis-à-vis land reform
programs in the Philippines. Also, the order added jurisdiction over the Philippine Commission
on Urban Poor (PCUP) and the recognition of the ownership of ancestral lands.
However, less than a year later, President Arroyo signed Executive Order No. 456 which
instructed the Department of Land Reform to revert to its original name, Department of
Agrarian Reform. This order considered all the important factors for agrarian reform to
promote beneficial activities for the agricultural sector. It stated that “the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Law goes beyond just land reform but includes the totality of all factors
and support services designed to lift the economic status of the beneficiaries.”

On August 7, 2009, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Republic Act No. 9700
extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) for another 5 years beginning
July 2009. That same law allots P150 billion for the acquisition and distribution of 1.5 million
hectares of land for 12 million beneficiaries and the provision of support services for farmers.

Agrarian Reform seems to have not fared well under the administration of President
Benigno C. Aquino lll. (2010-2016). A report by a non-governmental organization (NGO), the
Focus on the Global South, in 2013 – halfway through the PNoy administration – showed a
dismal performance of the Department of Agrarian Reform in land redistribution in spite of the
promise by the government to complete it by June 2014. The priorities of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) which were concentrated on the agribusiness sector made the Department
of Agrarian Reform the sole department that provided farmers support for their agricultural
production. The farmers also competed with foreign agricultural products which entered the
local market through the economic liberalization program of the government.

Need for CARP

The 1st to 4th and 15th "whereas" clauses of Proclamation No.131 stress the urgent need for a
comprehensive, realistic and flexible agrarian reform program in the light of the present crisis
that our country faces and the goals of the national economy as mandated by the Constitution,
while the 6th to 13th clauses state the requirements of the program and the imperative for the
entire Filipino people together with all government agencies, particularly Congress, and private
organizations to support the program in order to implement it effectively. The "whereas
“clauses read:

"WHEREAS", we have proclaimed the revival and development of the full potential of Philippine
agriculture to be an economic priority of our new democracy as to provide firm foundation for
the industrialization of our economy, and thereby assure the genuine independence of our
country;
"WHEREAS", it is necessary to make our new democracy meaningful by increasing the
productivity of the farming sector and increasing the incomes of farmers, regular farmworkers,
and other farmworkers;
"WHEREAS", the essential element in any policy of agricultural revival and development is a
comprehensive and realistic agrarian reform program;
"WHEREAS", such an agrarian reform program will encourage the shift of capital from the land
to industry;
"WHEREAS", realizing these imperatives the President declared in the 1986 Presidential
campaign that she would undertake an agrarian reform program;
"WHEREAS", there is a need for all to address agrarian reform in the spirit of cooperation,
harmony, and understanding, a spirit which must prevail the process as a whole, in its voluntary
as well as non-voluntary aspects, for the country faces problems and challenges that require
national unity;
"WHEREAS", agrarian reform indispensably entails the participation of all concerned in the
planning, organization, and management of the program;
"WHEREAS", the entire Filipino people, together with all government agencies and private
organizations, must extend priority support and full cooperation to implement this program
effectively;
"WHEREAS", there is a need for the program to be realistic and flexible in order to succeed, to
take the account on differences from place to place, community to community, so that no
single and rigid prescription would be unfairly and unwisely applied to all regardless of special
features and circumstances, and to be within the present and foreseeable capabilities of the
nation;
"WHEREAS", the program further requires available funding that is definite as to source and
timing;
"WHEREAS", the education, reorientation, and motivation of farmers, regular farmworkers,
and other farmworkers in their new role and responsibilities, along with steps to ensure that
the program will result in increase of productivity and better income for the beneficiaries are
also called for;
"WHEREAS", all those and other infrastructure requirements must further to be provided for by
other legislation and measures;
"WHEREAS", the President recognizes as a partner to this continuing undertaking the co-equal
Branch of the Congress of the Philippines, whose Senate is elected at large and therefore
speaks for the nation, and whose House of the Representatives articulates the needs and
problems of the constituencies and sectors in the land;
"WHEREAS", in the last analysis, the times undeniably call for change, and the need to
undertake the agrarian reform program can no longer wait, so that no alternative lies but to
adopt a program that is workable, sufficiently funded and, above all, aimed to succeed, for the
nation can no more afford its failure than its lack;
"WHEREAS", the forces of history and the Constitution, the presenting needs of the times, the
capabilities of the present, and the age old aspirations of the Filipino people demand such
agrarian reform program.

Basic Facts on Land and People

(1) The total agricultural land area is 30 million hectares, 9.7 million hectares of which or about
1/3 are under cultivation, while 20.3 million hectares are not cultivated. Four (4) crops covered
8.8 million hectares namely rice (3.7), corn (2), coconut (2.8), and sugarcane (0.3). Other crops
cover the remaining area, namely: fibers (0.006), tobacco (0.008) and others (0.79).

(2) The tenanted rice and corn lands covered by Presidential Decree No. 27 have an area of 1.3
million hectares, representing only about 13% of cultivated land. About 4.4 million hectares are
non-tenanted rice and corn lands, while 4 million hectares are non-rice and corn lands,
presently, only about 20% of the population own 80% of the land.

(3) Operation Land Transfer (OLT) under Presidential Decree No.27 has distributed 657,000
certificates of land transfer but only 22,000 emancipation patents (land titles) have been issued
to farmers tilling 11,000 hectares with 722,000 hectares not yet covered. Farmers working an
area of 567,000 hectares are holders of written leasehold contracts.

(4) About 10 millions are employed in agriculture out of a total labor force of 21.6 million.
Only about 1.5 million farmers (owner-cultivators) own the land they till. Farmers occupying
public lands without titles are 1.5 million, the share and leasehold tenants, 2 million and the
(regular) seasonal farm workers and subsistence fisherman, 5 million.
(REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657)

AN ACT INSTITUTING A COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM TO PROMOTE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INDUSTRIALIZATION, PROVIDING THE MECHANISM
FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

SECTION 1. Title Act shall be known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.
SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. It is the policy of the State to pursue a
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). The welfare of the landless farmers and
farmworkers will receive the highest consideration to promote social justice and to move the
nation toward sound rural development and industrialization, and the establishment of owner
cultivator ship of economic size farms as the basis of Philippines agriculture.
SECTION 3. Agrarian Reform means the redistribution of lands, regardless of crops are landless,
irrespective of tenurial arrangement, to include the totality of factors and support services
designed to lift the economic status of the beneficiaries and all other arrangements alternative
to the physical redistribution of lands, such as production or profit-sharing, labor
administration, and the distribution of shares of stock, which will allow beneficiaries to receive
a just share of the fruits of the lands they work.
SECTION 4. Scope The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 shall cover, regardless of
tenurial arrangement and commodity produced, all public and private agricultural lands as
provided in Proclamation No. 131 and Executive Order No. 229, including other lands of the
public domain suitable for agriculture.
SECTION 5. Schedule of Implementation. — The distribution of all lands covered by this shall be
implemented immediately and completed within ten (10) years from the effectivity thereof.
SECTION 6. Retention Limits. — Except as otherwise provided in this Act, no person may own or
retain, directly or indirectly, any public or private agricultural land, the size of which shall vary
according to factors governing a viable family — size farm, such as commodity produced,
terrain, infrastructure, and soil fertility as determined by the Presidential Agrarian Reform.
SECTION 7. Priorities. — The DAR, in coordination with the PARC shall plan and program the
acquisition and distribution of all agricultural lands through a period of ten (10) years from the
effectivity of this Act. Lands shall be acquired and distributed.
SECTION 8. Multinational Corporations. — All lands of the public domain leased, held or
possessed by multinational corporations or associations, and other lands owned by the
government or by government-owned or controlled corporations, associations, institutions, or
entities, devoted to existing and operational agri-business or agro-industrial enterprises,
operated by multinational corporations and associations, shall be programmed for acquisition
and distribution immediately upon the effectively of this Act, with the implementation to be
completed within three (3) years.
SECTION 9. Ancestral Lands. For purposes of this Act, ancestral lands of each indigenous
cultural community shall include, but not be limited to, lands in the actual, continuous and
open possession and occupation of the community and its members; provided, that the Torrens
System shall be respected.
SECTION 10. Exemptions and Exclusions. — Lands actually, directly, and exclusively used and
found to be necessary for parks, wildlife, forest reserves, reforestation, fish sanctuaries and
breeding grounds, watersheds and mangroves, national defense, school sites and campuses
including experimental farm stations operated by public or private schools for educational
purposes, seed and seedlings research and pilot production centers, church sites and convents
appurtenant thereto, mosque sites and Islamic centers appurtenant thereto, communal burial
grounds and cemeteries, penal colonies and penal farms actually worked by the inmates,
government and private research and quarantine centers and all lands with eighteen percent
(18%) slope and over, except those already developed shall be exempt from the coverage of
this Act.
SECTION 11. Commercial Farming. Commercial Farms, which are private agricultural lands
devoted to commercial livestock, poultry and swine raising, and aquaculture including salt-
beds, fishponds and prawn ponds, fruit farms, orchards, vegetable and cut-flower farms, and
cacao, coffee and rubber plantations, shall be subject to immediate compulsory acquisition and
distribution after ten (10) years from the effectivity of this Act. In the case of new farms, the
ten-year period shall begin from first-year of commercial production and operation, as
determined first year of commercial production and operation, as determined by DAR. During
the ten-year period, the government shall initiate the steps necessary to acquire these lands,
upon payment of just compensation for the land and the improvements thereon, preferably in
favor of organize cooperatives or associations which shall thereafter manage the said lands for
the worker beneficiaries.
SECTION 12. Determination of Lease Rentals. — In order to protect and improve the tenurial
and economic status of the farmers in tenanted lands under the retention limit and lands not
yet acquired under this Act, the DAR is mandated to determine and fix immediately the lease
rentals thereof in accordance with Section 34 of R.A. No. 3844 as amended; Provided, That the
DAR shall immediately and periodically review and adjust the rental structure for different
crops, including rice and corn, of different regions in order to improve progressively the
conditions of the farmer, tenant or lease.
SECTION 13. Production Sharing Plan. — Any enterprise adopting the scheme provided for in
Section 32 or operation under a production venture, lease, management contract or other
similar arrangement and any farm covered by Sections 8 and 11 hereof is hereby mandated to
execute within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, a production-sharing plan, under
guidelines prescribed by the appropriate government agency.
SECTION 14. Registration of Landowners. — Within one hundred eighty (180) days from the
effectivity of this Act, all persons, natural or juridical, including government entities, that own
or claim to own agricultural lands, whether in their names or in the name of others, except
those who have already registered pursuant to Executive order No. 229, who shall be entitled
to such incentives as may be provided for the PARC, shall file a sworn statement in the proper
assessor’s office in the form to be prescribed by the DAR.
SECTION 15. Registration of Beneficiaries. The DAR in coordination with the Barangay Agrarian
Reform Committee (BARC) as organized in this Act, shall register all agricultural leases, tenants
and farmworkers who are qualified to be beneficiaries of the CARP.
SECTION 16. Procedure for Acquisition of Private Lands. -For purposes of acquisition of private
lands.
SECTION 17. Determination of Just Compensation. — In determining just compensation, the
cost of acquisition of the land, the current value of like properties, its nature, actual use and
income, the sworn valuation by the owner.
SECTION 18. Valuation and Mode of Compensation. — The LBP shall compensate the
landowner of such amount as may agreed upon the land owner and the DAR and the LBP in
accordance with the criteria provided for in Section 16 & 17 and other pertinent provisions
hereof, or as may be finally determined by the court as the just compensation for the land.
SECTION 19. Incentives for Voluntary Offers for Sale. — Landowners, other than banks and
other financial institutions, who voluntarily offer their lands for sale shall be entitled to an
additional five percent (5%) cash payment.
SECTION 20. Voluntary Land Transfer. — Landowners of agricultural lands subject to acquisition
under this Act may enter into a voluntary arrangement for direct transfer of their lands to
qualified beneficiaries.
SECTION 21. Payment of Compensation by Beneficiaries under Voluntary Land Transfer. —
Direct payment in cash or in kind may be made by the farmer beneficiary to the landowner
under terms to be mutually agreed upon by both parties, which shall be binding upon them,
upon registration with and approval by the DAR. Said approval be considered given, unless
notice of disapproval is received by the farmer beneficiary within 30 days from the date of
registration.
SECTION 22. Distribution Limit. — No qualified beneficiary may own more than three (3)
hectares of agricultural land.
SECTION 23. Qualified Beneficiaries. — The land covered by the CARP shall be distributed as
much as possible to landless residers of the same barangay, or in the absence thereof, landless
resident of the same municipality.
SECTION 24. Award to Beneficiaries. — The rights and responsibilities of the beneficiary shall
commence from the time the DAR makes an award of the land to him.
SECTION 25. Award Ceiling for Beneficiaries. Beneficiaries shall be awarded an area not
exceeding (3) hectares, which may cover a contagious tract of land or several parcels of land
cumulated up to the prescribed award limits.
SECTION 26. Payment by Beneficiaries. — Lands awarded pursuant to this Act shall be paid for
the beneficiaries to the LBP in thirty (30) annual amortizations at six percent (6%) interest per
annum. The payments for the first three (3) years after the award may be reduced amounts as
established by the PARC: Provided, That the first (5) annual payments may not be more than
(5%) of the value of the annual cost production as established by the DAR. Should be scheduled
annual payment after fifth year exceed ten percent (10%) of the annual gross production and
the failure to produce accordingly is not due to the beneficiary's fault, the LBP may reduce the
interest rate and reduce the principal obligation to make repayment affordable.
SECTION 27. Transferability of Awarded Lands. — Lands acquired by beneficiaries under this Act
may not be sold, transferred or conveyed except through hereditary succession, or to
government, or to the LBP, or to other qualified beneficiaries for a period of ten (10) years:
Provided however, That the children or the spouse of the transfer or shall have a right to
repurchase the land from the government or LBP within a period of two (2) years. Due notice of
the availability of the land shall be given by the LBP to BARC of the barangay where the land is
situated. PARCCOM, as herein provided, shall, in turn, be given due notice by the BARC.
SECTION 28. Standing Crops at the Time of Appreciation. — The land owner shall retain his
share of any standing crops unharvested at the time the DAR shall take possession of the land
under Section 16 of this Act, and shall be given reasonable time to harvest at the same.
SECTION 29. Farms Owned or Operated by Corporation or Other Business Association. — In the
case of the farms owned or operated by corporation or other business association.
SECTION 30. - Homelots and Farmlots for Members of Cooperatives. — The individual members
of the cooperatives or corporation mentioned in the preceeding section shall be provided with
homelots and small farmlots for family use, to be taken from the land or the cooperative or
corporation.
SECTION 31. Corporate Landowners. — Corporate landowners may voluntarily transfer
ownership over the agricultural landholding of the Republic of the Philippines pursuant to the
Section 20 hereof or to qualified beneficiaries, under such terms and condition, consistent with
this Act, as they may agree upon, subject to confirmation by the DAR.
SECTION 32. Production-Sharing. — Pending final land transfer, individuals or entries owning,
or operating under lease or management contract. Agricultural lands are hereby mandated to
execute a production-sharing plan with their farmworker's organizations. If any, whereby three
(3%) of the gross sales from the production of such lands are distributed within sixty (60%) days
of the end of the fiscal year as compensation to regular and other farmer workers in such lands
over and above the compensation they currently received; Provided these individuals or entries
realize gross sales in excess of five million pesos per annum unless the DAR, upon proper
application, determines a lower ceiling.
SECTION 33. Payment of Shares of Cooperative or Association. — Shares of a cooperative or
association acquired by farmer-beneficiaries or worker-beneficiaries shall be fully paid for in an
amount corresponding to the valuation as determined in the immediately succeeding section.
The landowner and the LBP shall assist the farmer-beneficiaries and worker beneficiaries in the
payment for said shares by providing credit financing.
SECTION 34. Valuation of Lands. — A valuation scheme for the land shall be formulated by the
PARC, taking into account the factors enumerated in Section 17, in addition to the need to
stimulate the growth of cooperatives and the objective of fostering responsible participation of
the worker-beneficiaries in the creation of wealth.

Declaration of Principles and Policies

The CARL of 1988 declared that it was the policy of the State to pursue a Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

(1) The welfare of the landless farmers and farmworkers will receive the highest consideration
to promote social justice and to move the nation toward sound rural development and
industrialization and the establishment of owner cultivatorship of economic-sized farms as the
basis of Philippine agriculture. To this end, a more equitable distribution and ownership of land,
with due regard to the rights of landowners to just compensation and to the ecological needs of
the nation, shall be under taken to provide farmers and farmworkers with the opportunity to
enhance their dignity and in. prove the quality of their lives through greater productivity of
agricultural lands.

(2) By means of appropriate incentives, the State shall encourage the formation and
maintenance of economically sized family farms to be constituted by individual beneficiaries
and small landowners.

(3) The state shall be guided by the principle that land has a social function and land ownership
has a social responsibility. Owners of agricultural land have the obligation to cultivate directly
or through labor administration the lands they own and thereby make the land productive.

(4) The State may lease undeveloped lands of the public domain to qualified entities for the
development of capital intensive farms and traditional and pioneering crops especially those for
exports subject to the prior rights of the beneficiaries under the Act.

The CARL of 1988 adopted in Section 3, thereof, all the provisions of the Constitution on
"agrarian and natural resources reform."

Definition of Terms

For purposes of the Act, unless the context indicates otherwise, the words and phrases used in
the Act shall be taken in the sense indicated below:

(1) Agrarian Reform means the redistribution of lands, regardless of crops or fruits produced by
the farmers and farmworkers who are landless irrespective of factors and support services
designed to lift the economic status of the beneficiaries and all other arrangements alternative
to the physical redistribution of lands, such as production or profit-sharing, labor
administration, and the distribution of shares of stock which will allow beneficiaries to receive a
just share of the fruits of the land they work.

(2) Agricultural enterprise enterprise means the cultivation of the soil, planting of crops,
growing of fruit trees, raising of livestock, poultry or fish, including the harvesting of such farm
products, and other farm activities and practices performed by a farmer in conjunction with
such farming operations done whether natural or juridical.
(3) Agricultural lands refer to land intended for agricultural activity and not classified as
mineral, forest, residential, commercial or industrial land.

(4) Agrarian dispute refers to any controversy relative to tenurial arrangements, whether
leasehold, tenancy, stewardship or otherwise over lands devoted to agriculture, including
disputes concerning frameworkers associations or representation of persons in negotiating,
fixing, maintaining, changing or seeking to arrange terms or conditions of such tenurial
arrangements. It includes any controversy relative to comparison of lands acquired under the
Act and other terms and conditions, of transfer of ownership from landowners to farmworkers,
tenants and other agrarian reform beneficiaries, whether the disputants stand in the proximate
relation of farm operator and beneficiary, landowner and tenant, or lessor or lessee.

(5) Idle or abandoned land refers to any agricultural land not cultivated, tilled or developed to
produce any crop nor devoted to any specific economic purpose continuously for a period of
three (3) years immediately prior to the receipt of notice of acquisition by the government but
does not include land that has become permanently or regularly devoted to non-agricultural
purposes. It does not include land which has become unproductive by reason of force majeure
or any other fortuitous event, provided that prior to that event, such land was previously used
or share tenancy agreement or arrangement with the owner thereof.

(6) Farmer refers to a natural person whose primary livelihood is cultivation of land or the
production of agricultural crops, either by himself, or primarily with the assistance of his
immediate farm household, whether the land is owned by him, or by another person under a
leasehold or share tenancy agreement or arrangement with the owner thereof.

(7) Farmworker is a natural person who renders service for value as an employee or laborer in
an agricultural enterprise or farm regardless whether his compensation is paid on a daily,
weekly, monthly, or “pakyaw” basis. The term includes an individual whose work has ceased as
a consequence of, or in connection with, a pending agrarian dispute and who has not obtained
a substantially equivalent and regular farm employment.

8) Regular farmworker is a natural person who is employed on a permanent basis by an

agricultural enterprise or farm.

9) Seasonal farmworker is a natural person who is employed on a reccurent, periodic or

intermittent basis by an agricultural enterprise or farm, whether as a permanent or a non-
permanent laborer, such as “lawig,” “dayo” and the like.

10) Other farmworker is a farm worker who does not fall under the definition of farmworker
and regular farmworker.

11) Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is the leading agency of CARP implementation
which aims to facilitate farmer-beneficiaries to own land.
Lesson 15

TAXATION

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. explain the nature and purpose of taxation;

2. identify the types of national and local taxes; and
3. argue for or against a current taxation issue.

Taxation has played a vital role in shaping the destinies of men and nations from the early
dawn of history. As a glimpse burdens in the form of tributes have already existed among tribal
organizations between the ruling class and those who are subject to their authority. As early as
the 10th century, the underprivileged classes – slaves, vassals, peasants, and conquered peoples
– were already giving tributes, in the form of money and in kind. This event forced them to
support the ruling classes, whether they were the free citizens of Athens and Rome, the lords
and the feudal barony, or the courts of the kings and emperors.

In ancient Greece and Rome, taxes on income and wealth were practically unknown.
There were however, income from mines, tributes from the wealthy citizens which filled the
coffers of the treasury for all revenue needs, but these were not considered as taxes imposed
as a direct charge upon the people. For the government to survive, voluntary contributions
were given to the State for its use and maintenance.

In the middle ages, taxes of any kind had little space in the agrarian feudal system.
Rents were collected from the farmers. The landlords collected rents from the landholdings at
their pleasure. The excess of these rents were then given to the State as their share on a
hierarchical basis to form part of the revenue for the use of the State. From the 14 th century, as
the feudal system was gradually broken up by dissipation of the public domain, by the growth
of commerce and industry and by decentralization of government, these rent-like revenues
slowly gave way to taxes. During this period, land, which was the primary source of wealth,
became the primary source of taxation. They began to realize that the State soul no longer
exist without the imposition of taxes on the people to finance the needs of the State.

Throughout the ages, the public domain was the chief source of public revenue, and
taxation consisted largely of exercises on domestic consumption and custom duties on foreign
trade. Taxes on imports from foreign trade begun as early as the 14 th century with the growth
of foreign and domestic relations between nations. As civilization progressed, the nations of
the world have to devise ways and means of raising taxes for their maintenance and support.
Within the expansion of trade relation among nations, the direct bulk of government revenues
were derived from taxes on articles of trade and commerce. France and Spain were then the
commercial centers of the world.

Taxes from income of individuals did not give way until the early part of the 18 th century,
when Great Britain adopted an income tax in 1798 and a death transfer tax in 1796. What
flourished during this period was taxes on customs levied on articles of trade and commerce.

History pointed out that some of the causes of rebellion among them was the
imposition of arbitrary and oppressive taxes on the people. Taxes were imposed and enforced
without discrimination and distinction, and without any regard to personal rights of an
individual. Much of the desperation that exploded during the French revolution grew out of
this oppressive imposition and inequitable taxation system that time. The people were not
represented in the government and no participation in the policies of the State, whereby
they could voice their opinion on how taxes should be imposed. This way particularly true
with the situation during the Spanish regime in the Philippines. As popularized by the phrase,
“Taxation without representation is tyranny”, the government of the world, democratic and
representative, and such other forms of government, gave vent to insure the collection of taxes
only for the needs of the State and for public purposes.

As civilization advanced and the need for a more representative government was
established, taxes took on a new twist. The need for taxation has been emphasized – the
individual is now taking part in contributing a share of his earnings for the support of the
government which he belongs to.

Any person who knowing or willfully violates the provision of the Act shall be punished
by imprisonment of not less than one month or more than three years or a fine not less
than P1,000 and not more than P15,000 or both the discretion of the court.

Taxation means laying a tax through which the government generates income to defray
its expenses. Expressed in another way, it is a method of apportioning the cost of government
among those who in some measure have the privileges to enjoy their benefits and must,
therefore bear its burden. It is a way to raise funds for government programs and services that
benefit Filipino citizen. Economic investments and businesses in the Philippines have created
several definitions of taxation enforced by national and local laws for income collection and
development of the government.

Taxes are the enforced proportional contributions from persons and property levied by
the law making body of the state by virtue of its sovereignty for the support of the government.
It is levied on persons (who actually pay with money) and property as well as on business
transactions, privileges, and benefits. The imposition and collection of taxes is done by law
through the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Purpose and Importance

The purpose of taxation on the part of the government is to provide funds so as to

promote the general welfare and protection of its citizens, and to enable to finance its
multifarious activities. Obviously no government can perform its function nor continue to exist
without funds. Revenue from taxation is the lifeblood of the nation. It is therefore important
that the people pay taxes promptly and willfully. Evasion or non-payment of tax lessens the
opportunity of the people to enjoy essential government services.

Essential Characteristic of Tax

1. It is an enforced contribution.
2. It is generally payable in money.
3. It is proportionate in character.
4. It is levied on persons or property.
5. It is levied by the state which has the jurisdiction over the person or property.
6. It is levied by the law-making body of the state.
7. It is levied for public purposes.
Nature and Power of Taxation

1. It is inherent in sovereignty. The power of taxation is inherent in sovereignty and this is

essential to existence of every government. Hence, the state can still exercise the
power, even if the Constitution has not done anything about taxation.

2. It is legislative in character. The power to tax is exclusively legislative. It cannot be

exercised by the Executive branch or the Judicial branch of the government. Hence,
only Congress can impose taxes.

3. It is subject to constitutional and inherent limitations. The power of taxation is subject

to certain limitations. Most of these limitations are specifically provided or implied in
the fundamental law.

Basic Principles of a Sound Tax System

1. Fiscal adequacy. This means that the sources of revenue should be sufficient to meet
the demands of public expenditures.

2. Equality or theoretical justice. Tax burden should be proportional to the taxpayer’s

ability to pay.

3. Administrative feasibility. Tax laws should be capable of convenient, just and effective
administration.

Types of Taxes

There are two types of taxes: national and local. National taxes are ones paid to the
government through the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The national taxation system is based
on the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 or Republic Act No. 8424 otherwise known
as the Tax Reform Act of 1997, as amended.

The types of national taxes are as follows:

1. Capital Gains Tax is a tax imposed on gains that may have been realized by a seller from
the sale, exchange, or other disposition of capital assets located in the Philippines,
including pacto de retro sales ( a sale with a condition for repurchase) and other forms
of conditional sale.

2. Documentary Stamp Tax is a tax on documents, instruments, loan agreements, and

papers evidencing the acceptance, assignment, sale, or transfer of an obligation, rights,
or property incident thereto. Documentary stamp taxes are evident on documents like
bank promissory notes, deed of sale, and deed of assignment on transfer of shares of
corporate stock ownership.

3. Donor’s Tax is a tax on a donation or gift. It is also a tax imposed on the gratuitous
transfer of property between two or more persons who are living at the time of the
transfer. It shall apply whether the transfer is in trust or otherwise, whether the gift is
direct or indirect, and whether the property is real or personal, tangible or intangible.

4. Estate Tax is a tax on the right of the deceased person to transmit his/her estate to
lawful heirs and beneficiaries at the time of death and on certain transfers which are
made by law as equivalent to testamentary disposition. It is not a tax on property. It is
a tax imposed on the privilege of transmitting property upon the death of the owner.
The estate tax is based on the laws in force at the time of the death notwithstanding the
postponement of the actual possession or enjoyment of the estate by the beneficiary.
Estate tax is also based on a graduated schedule of tax rate.

5. Income Tax is a tax on all annual profits made from property ownership, profession,
trades or offices. It is also a tax on a person’s income, emoluments, profits, and the like.
Self-employed individuals and corporate taxpayers pay quarterly income tax from the
first quarter to the third quarter. And instead of filing quarterly income taxes on the
fourth quarter, they file and pay their annual income tax return for the taxable year.
Individual income tax is based on graduated schedule of tax rate, while corporate
income tax is based on a fixed rate prescribed by the tax law or special law.

6. Percentage Tax is a business tax imposed on persons or entities who sell or lease
goods, properties, or services in the course of trade or business whose gross annual
sales or receipts do not exceed the amount required to register as VAT-registered
taxpayers. Percentage taxes are usually based on a fixed rate. They are usually paid
monthly by businesses or professionals. However, some special industries and
transactions pay percentage tax on a quarterly basis.

7. Value Added Tax is a business tax imposed and collected from the seller in the course
of trade or business on every sale of properties (real or personal), lease of goods or
properties (real or personal), or vendors of services. It is an indirect tax, thus, it can be
passed on to the buyer causing the increase of prices of most goods and services bought
and paid by customers. VAT returns are usually filed and paid monthly and quarterly.
RA 9337 signed on May 24, 2005 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is known
as the “Expanded Value Added Tax” law.

8. Excise Tax is a tax imposed on goods manufactured or produced in the Philippines for
domestic sale or consumption or any other disposition. It is also imposed on things that
are imported.

9. Withholding Tax on Compensation is the tax withheld from individuals receiving

purely compensation income arising from an employer-employee relationship. This tax
is what employers withheld in their employees’ compensation income and remit to the
government through the BIR or authorized accrediting agent.

10. Expanded Withholding Tax is prescribed only for certain payors like those withheld
on rental income and professional income. It is creditable against the income tax due
of the payee for the taxable quarter year.

11. Final Withholding Tax is a kind of withholding tax which is prescribed only for
certain payors and is not creditable against the income tax due of the payee for the
taxable year. An example of final withholding tax is the tax withheld by banks on the
interest income earned on bank deposits.

12. Withholding Tax on Government Money Payment is the withholding tax withheld
by government offices including government-owned or controlled corporations and
local government units, before making any payments to private individuals,
corporations, partnerships and/or associations.
Local taxes, on the other hand, is based on the local government taxation in the Philippines
as stated In Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended. These
taxes, fees, or charges are imposed by the local government units, such as provinces, cities,
municipalities, and barangays.

Local taxes, include:

1. Tax on Transfer of Real Property is imposed on the sale, donation, barter, or on any
other mode of transferring ownership of real property.

2. Tax on Business of Printing and Publication is imposed on printing and publication

business like that of books, cards, posters, leaflets, handbills, certificates, receipts,
pamphlets, and others of similar nature.

3. Franchise Tax is a tax on franchised businesses, at the rate not exceeding fifty percent
(50%) of one percent (1%) of the gross annual receipts of the preceding calendar year
based on the incoming receipt (the annual earning) within the territorial jurisdiction
where the franchise is selling in.

4. Tax on Sand, Gravel, and Other Quarry Resources is imposed on ordinary stones,
sand, gravel, earth, and other quarry resources, as defined under the National Internal
Revenue Code, as amended. This refers to the above materials that are extracted from
public lands or from the beds of seas, lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, and other public
waters within its territorial jurisdiction.

5. Professional Tax is an annual tax on each person engaged in the exercise of his or
her profession that requires government examination, like licensure examination.

6. Amusement Tax is a tax collected from the proprietors, lessees, or operators of

theaters, cinemas, concert halls, circuses, boxing stadia, and other places of
amusements.

7. Annual Fixed Tax for Every Delivery Truck or Van of Manufacturers or Producers,
Wholesalers of, Dealers, or Retailers in, Certain Products is an annual fixed tax
for every truck, van or any vehicle used by manufacturers, producers, wholesalers,
dealers, or retailers in the delivery or distribution of distilled spirits, fermented liquors,
soft drinks, cigar and cigarettes, and other products to sales outlets, or consumers,
whether directly or indirectly, within the province. This type of tax is usually imposed as
determined by the local provincial councils through which the truck or trucks pass
through or deliver their cargo.

8. Tax on Business is imposed by cities or municipalities on businesses before they will

be issued a business license or permit to start operations based on the schedule of rates
prescribed by the Local Government Code, as amended. Businessmen pay this tax if
they apply for a Mayor’s Permit to conduct their business in the local government
unit. Rates of these taxes vary among cities and municipalities.

9. Fees for Sealing and Licensing of Weights and Measures are imposed for the
sealing and licensing of weights and measures. This is to impose regulations with
regards to such weights and measures as prescribed by the provincial, city, or
municipal council.
10. Fishery Rentals, Fees, and Charges are imposed by the city/municipality to
grantees of fishery privileges in the city/municipality waters especially the privilege
to build fish corrals, oysters, mussels, or other aquatic beds or bangus fry areas and
others as specified in the Local Government Code.

11. Community Tax is the tax levied by cities or municipalities to every Filipino or
alien living in the Philippines, eighteen (18) years of age or over, who has been
regularly employed on a wage or salary basis for at least thirty (30) consecutive
working days during any calendar year, or who is engaged in business or
occupation, or who owns real property with an aggregate assessed value of one
thousand pesos (P1,000.00) or more, or who is required by law to file an income
tax return. Community tax is also imposed on every corporation no matter how
created or organized, whether domestic or resident foreign, engaged in or doing
business in the Philippines.

12. Taxes levied by the barangays on stores or retailers with fixed business
establishments with gross sales of receipts of the preceding calendar year
amounting to fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) or less, (for city barangays) and
thirty thousand pesos (30,000.00) or the less, (for municipal barangays), at a rate
not exceeding one percent (1%) on such gross sales or receipts.

13. Service Fees or Charges are fees or charges collected by the barangays for services
rendered in connection with the regulations or the use of barangay-owned
properties or service facilities, such as palay, corn, copra, or tobacco dryers.

14. Barangay Clearance is a fee collected by barangays upon issuance of barangay

clearance, a document required for many government transactions, such as when
getting a business permit from a city or municipal government or applying for a
job in a government office or a private company.