NAME: RANIDO, ANGELICA D.
COURSE/YR/SEC: BSCE 2
SUBJECT CODE: SOC. SCI. 211 DATE: 08/04/25
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ESSAY (THREE TEXT, THREE WORLDS)
"A person without the knowledge of their past, history, origin, and culture is
like a tree without roots.", a famous quote by Marcus Garvey. He conveys that
knowing your history, where you come from, and your culture is essential to
understanding who you are, just as a tree needs roots to stand strong and survive.
However, many still wonder why the past remains such a controversial topic,
especially for us Filipinos. It is considered so notable that it is taught in schools from
elementary to college. This leads to vaguely answered questions such as: Is the past
the sole reason we are strong? Can we truly not survive without our roots? Is our
history really that important? These questions may seem inane to some, but let us
try to harness meaningful answers by reflecting on the three significant primary
sources that serve as testimonies of our past: Pigafetta’s Account on Magellan’s
Voyage, Plasencia’s Account on the Customs of the Tagalog, and Jacinto’s Kartilya
along with the 1898 Proclamation of Philippine Independence.
The first Voyage Around the World by Antonio Pigafetta is one of the earliest
written records of the Philippines before Spanish colonization. Because only a few
written documents existed during that time, historians often use his account to learn
about Filipino life, culture, and beliefs during the precolonial period. Most people
even consider it one of the most detailed and reliable sources in that era. Despite
this, it is important to remember that Antonio Pigafetta was not an unbiased
observer. He had his own background, beliefs, and reasons for writing, and these
things influenced how he described what he saw and experienced during their
voyage.
Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian nobleman who joined Ferdinand Magellan’s
expedition. He was the one assigned to document the journey, not just for additional
information, but also as part of Spain’s goal to expand its empire. He came from a
wealthy family and was trained in geography, so he was able to describe the places
they visited in detail. Because of his European perspective, Pigafetta sometimes
view the indigenous people and their way of life as strange, wild, and even inferior.
For instance, he often mentioned the nakedness of the Filipino natives, not realizing
that their clothing was actually appropriate for the hot climate in the Philippines. He
also described their homes which were made of bamboo and palm leaves as
unusual, even though these materials were perfect for keeping their homes cool. His
judgments were based on European standards, where people wore thick clothing
and lived in stone houses, something that would not be suitable in a country like the
Philippines. In relation to this, Pigafetta also showed signs of bias when talking about
religion. At that time, Europe was dominated by the Catholic Church, and any beliefs
that were different from Christianity were often seen as wrong or even evil. So when
Pigafetta wrote about the local’s belief systems and traditions, he described them as
strange or exotic.
Furthermore, during the times when Antonio Pigaffeta’s account was written,
specifically in 1521, the Philippines was still made up of small villages called
barangays, each led by a leader they called king of the barangay. These
communities were independent and had their own rules, customs, and ways of life.
Filipinos belived in spirits and was deeply connected to nature which they considered
their main source of living. When Magellan and his crew arrived, they made friends
with some local leaders and introduced Christianity which were widespread up until
today.
Moving on to the second primary source, Plasencia’s Account on the Customs
of the Tagalog by Fray Juan de Plasencia, one of the most important documents that
describes the customs, beliefs, and way of life of the early Filipinos during the
Spanish arrival. It serves as a valuable primary source for historians who want to
understand the precolonial Filipino society. This document gives detailed
descriptions of Filipino social classes, religious beliefs, justice systems, marriage
practices, economy, and more. It shows that early Filipino society was already
wealthy and rich in culture even before the Spaniards fully took over. Nevertheless,
in a similar sense with the previous author, we should know that Juan de Plasencia
was not fully unbiased. As a Spanish priest and missionary, his writings were
influenced by his goal to spread Christianity and to fix the wrongdoings of other
Spanish officials.
Fray Juan de Plasencia was a Franciscan missionary who came to the
Philippines in 1578. He was born in Spain and belonged to a noble family. He arrived
at a time when the Spanish were starting to take control of the Philippines. His
purpose in writing Las Costumbres de los Indios Tagalos de Filipinas (Customs of
the Tagalog) was not only to document Filipino culture but also to help improve the
treatment of native Filipinos, especially by correcting abuses done by Spanish
government officials. While he respected many aspects of Filipino life, his Christian
background influenced how he saw Filipino customs. His goal was to help convert
the natives and guide their way of life to be more aligned with Catholic teachings.
Eventually, because of his position as a missionary, Plasencia sometimes
described native beliefs and traditions as superstitions or errors. For example, he
listed many Filipino gods and spirits like Bathala, Idiyanale, Mandarangan, and
Siginarugan which at the time considered such beliefs as untrue. The same goes for
Filipino customs involving anting-anting (amulets), kulam (witchcraft), or gayuma
(love potions), which were seen as magical and sinful. While these beliefs were
important to the Filipino’s culture, Plasencia’s writing often treated them as things to
be corrected or replaced.
In spite of this, Plasencia’s document gives us a clear and detailed view of
Filipino life. It shows that early Filipinos had social classes, including the datu
(chieftain), the maharlika (nobles), aliping namamahay (commoners), and the aliping
saguiguilir (slaves). They had rules about inheritance, marriage customs, and
systems of law and justice through barangay councils. The economy was lively, with
farming, fishing, weaving, and foreign trade with places like China and Borneo.
People built houses from bamboo and palm, wore clothing suited for the warm
weather, and practiced a variety of languages and writing systems, such as
Baybayin. Consequently, at the time Plasencia wrote this text, the Philippines was
going through many changes. The Spaniards had already begun colonizing the
islands and the missionaries like Placencia were sent to convert indigenous people.
Another important primary source is Jacinto’s Kartilya and the 1898
Proclamation of Philippine Independence. Both the Kartilya ng Katipunan and the
Proclamation of Philippine Independence are essential documents that gave us deep
insights into the goals, values, and struggles of Filipinos during the time of the
revolution against Spain. They have the same desire including freedom from
colonizers and a just society.
The Kartilya ng Katipunan, written by Emilio Jacinto, a Filipino revolutionary
who played a big role in the fight for independence from Spain. He joined the
Katipunan, a group that aimed to free the Philippines, when he was only 19 years
old. He came from a well-educated family and studied law at the University of Santo
Tomas. Because of his intelligence, he was chosen to write important documents
and was even called the “Brains of the Katipunan”. He wrote the Kartilya ng
Katipunan, which served as a guidebook for members of the group. It was not just a
list of rules, for the reason that it pursued equality for all people regardless of race,
status, or occupation which opposed the discrimination and social inequality that
were common during Spanish colonization era.
Meanwhile, the Proclamation of Philippine Independence, was written and
read by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista on June 12, 1898, in Kawit, Cavite, officially
announcing the country’s freedom from the Spaniards. Bautista was a Filipino lawyer
and adviser who came from a respected and educated family, which helped him gain
skills in law and writing. His legal background made him the right person to write a
formal and convincing proclamation. The document enumerated the abuses
committed by Spanish friars and colonial officials and tried to defend the revolution
as just and necessary. It highlighted some figures and events such as the execution
of GOMBURZA, the Cavite Mutiny, and Jose Rizal’s martyrdom while almost not
mentioning the Katipunan and excluding Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the
revolution. This reflects the biases and politics of that time, especially the rivalry
between Bonifacio’s Magdiwang and Aguinaldo’s Magdalo.
Ultimately, by looking at these four important historical texts, we will learn why
our past really matters. Pigafetta’s account shows how Filipinos lived before the
Spaniards came. Plasencia’s writing tells us that early Filipinos had their own
organized way of life. Jacinto’s Kartilya teaches us about the values that guided the
revolution. The Proclamation of Philippine Independence shows how much Filipinos
wanted freedom and were ready to fight for it. These sources help us clearly answer
the questions above. Our past is not just important, it is the very soil that helps us
grow. No, we cannot fully grow if we forget where we came from. And yes, knowing
our history is crucial. These documents remind us that being a Filipino means being
brave, wise, and proud of our roots. To comprehend who we are today, we must first
understand and respect the journey of those who came before us. Because when we
know where we came from, we walk forward with purpose. And when we carry our
history with pride, no one can ever erase who we truly are.
