Chapter/ Module 1: Learning History

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1 of LEARNING OBJECTIVES
92
 To understand the meaning of history as an academic discipline
and to be familiar with the underlying philosophy and methodology
of the discipline.
 To examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences
and sources.
 To appreciate the importance of history in the social and national
life of the Philippines.

Lesson 1: Meanings and Relevance of 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 them plan
for the future.

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

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 our society and beings.

THE DEFINITION AND SUBJECT MATTER

History was derived from the Greek word historia which

means “knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation”.
History as a disciplined existed for around 2, 400 years and is as old as
mathematics and philosophy. This term was then adapted to classical Latin
where it acquired a new definition. Historia became known as the
account of the past of a person or a group of people through written
documents and historical evidences. That meaning stuck until the early
parts of the twentieth century. History became an important discipline. It
became the historian’s duty to
write about the lives of important individuals like monarchs, heroes, saints,
and nobilities. History was also focused on writing wars, revolutions, and
Page other important breakthroughs. It is thus important to ask: What counts as
2 of history? Traditional historians lived with the mantra “no document,
no history”. It means that unless a written document can prove a
92 certain historical event, then it cannot be considered as a historical fact.

But as any other academic disciplines, history progressed and opened

up to the possibility of valid historical sources, which were not limited to
written documents, like government records, chroniclers’ accounts, or
personal letters. Giving premium to written documents essentially
invalidates the history of other civilizations that do not keep written records.
Some were keener on passing their history by word of mouth. Others
got their historical documents burned or destroyed in the events of war
or colonization. Restricting historical evidence as exclusively written is
also discrimination against other social classes who were not recorded in
paper. Nobilities, monarchs, the elite, and even the middle class would
have their birth, education, marriage, and death as matters of
government and historical record. But what of peasant families or
indigenous groups who were not given much thought about being registered
to government records? Does the absence of written documents about them
mean they were people of no history or past? Did they even exist?

This loophole was recognized by historians who started using

other kinds of historical sources, which may not be in written form but
were just as valid. A few examples are oral traditions in forms of epics
and songs, artifacts, architecture, and memory. History thus became more
inclusive and started collaborating with other disciplines as its auxiliary
disciplines.

Other Definitions of History:

 History is defined as a documented record of man and his

society. (Gray, 1956, pp.1-3).
 As a field of study, history is a study of man and his
achievements from the beginning of written records to the present.
 As a literary form of history is an effective presentation of
the
unfolding events. But as a type of literature history falls under
non- fiction work.
 History comes from social history which defines it as a record of
events showing the evolution of man and his society from the earliest
and from the age of barbarism to what he is today.

Understanding History

Why don’t we learn from history? (An excerpt from Lidell Hart, 1971)

What is the objective of history? One would simply answer, quite

simply - “truth”. It is a word and an idea that has gone out of fashion.

The object might be more cautiously expressed thus: to find out what
happened while trying to find out why it happened. It seeks the casual
relations between events.
History has limitations as a guiding signpost; although it can show us
the right direction, it does not give detailed information about the road
Page conditions. But its negative value as a warning sign is more definite. History
3 of can show us what to avoid, even if it does not teach us what to do -
by showing the most common mistakes that mankind is apt to make
92 and to repeat.

A second object lies in the practical value of history. The

knowledge gained from the study of true history is the best of all education
for practical life. The study of history embraces every aspect of life. It lays
the foundation of education by showing how mankind repeats its errors
and what those errors are.

Importance and Uses of History

Given are the uses of history as summarized by Foray and Salevouris

(1988). Some of these are interestingly explained by B.H. Lidedell Hart
(1971).

A. History provides a source of personal and social identity.

B. History helps us understand the problems of the present.
C. History – good history – corrects misleading analogies and
“lessons”
of the past.
D. History can help one develop tolerance and open-mindedness.
E. History helps us better understand all human behaviors and
all aspects of the human condition.
F. History provides the basic background for many disciplines.
G. History can be a source of entertainment.
H. History, when studied, can teach many critical skills.

SELF ASSESSMENT 1
Below is a definition of history by Zeus A. Salazar (1999). Examine it
carefully then answer the questions following the definition.

“Ang KASAYSAYAN ay SALAYSAY hinggil sa nakaraan o

nakalipas na may SAYSAY – kahulugan, katuturan, at kabuluhan – sa
SARILING LIPUNAN at KULTURA o kabuuang kinabibilangan. Ito ay
iniuulat gamit ang mga konsepto at kategorya ng sariling kultura.”

A. What does the author mean or imply by “Ang kasaysayan ay

salaysay… na may saysay sa sariling lipunan at kultura”?

B. The statement. “Ito (referring to kasaysayan) ay iniuulat gamit

ang mga konsepto at kategorya ng sariling kultura, implies who
should write a people’s history. What issues would emerge from
(1) a history of people written and interpreted by an
“outsider” (a foreign
historian); and, (2) a history of people analyzed and presented by an
“insider” (a local historian)?
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4 of B.1 History written by an outsider
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B.2 History written by an insider

SELF ASSESSMENT 2
As a student of history, reading a historical account is not simply like
reading novel or a comic book. A learner should also know how to distinguish
which of those sentences or paragraphs that make up the narrative are facts
or opinions. Although a historian attempts to present a history free from
biases, it cannot be avoided the personal opinions or interpretations of
people, places, or events are integrated in a particular historical account.

Below are excerpts from books and newspapers. Label each

passage either as FACT (F) or OPINION (O). If a passage combines
fact and opinion, write (FO) and underline that part of the passage that
you think is an opinion or judgement.

1. “His” [Apolinario Mabini] writings, his behavior throughout

his life, short as it was, demonstrated extraordinary moral integrity, intense
and uncompromising patriotism.” – Roxas-Lim (200)

2. “Swimmer Miguel Molina finished fourth in the 400 –

meter individual medley…, while the men’s trap shooters missed the
bronze by seven birds…” – Tempo Sports News, Bancod, December 4, 2006

3. “President Marcos, an unscrupulous politician, craftily

planned KBL strategy before, during, and after the elections, if need be
to steal the results in his favor. No effort was spared in the use of
“guns, goons, and gold” to intimidate or entice voters to support the
Marcos-Tolentino ticket.’
– Zaide (1999)

4. “anyone who has visited Jolo can immediately see that

beyond the town looms a dominating peak, Mt. Tumatangis, a place held
sacred by the Tausugs as the burial grounds of its sultans. The busy pier is
called the “Chinese Pier”,” obviously used in the early times by
Chinese trading vessels.” – Patanne (1996)
5. “Yay Panlilio [was] a pre-war newspaperwoman. As early as
April 1942, she began serving as G-2 agent in Manila for the
Page USAFFE headquarters. [A military citation to her credit reads]: “Through
5 of her untiring efforts and selflessness…in supplying…information
concerning Japanese… activities… many American lives were saved.” –
92 Baclagon (1968)

Lesson 2: Historical Sources

With the past as history's subject matter, the historian's most
important research tools are historical sources. In general, historical sources
can be classified between primary and secondary sources. The classification
of sources between these two categories depends on the historical
subject being studied. Primary sources are those sources produced at the
same time as the event, period, or subject being studied. For example, if
a historian wishes to study the Commonwealth Constitution Convention
of 1935, his primary sources can include the minutes of the
convention, newspaper clippings Philippine Commission reports of the U.S.
Commissioners, records of the convention, the draft of the Constitution, and
even photographs of the event. Eyewitness accounts of convention
delegates and their memoirs can also be used as primary sources. The
same goes with other subjects of historical study. Archival documents,
artifacts, memorabilia, letters, census, and government records, among
others are the most common examples of primary sources.

On the other hand, secondary sources are those sources, which were
produced by an author who used primary sources to produce the
material. In other words, secondary sources are historical sources, which
studied a certain historical subject. For example, on the subject of the
Philippine Revolution of 1896, students can read Teodoro Agoncillo's
Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan
published originally in 1956. The Philippine Revolution happened in the last
years of the nineteenth century while Agoncillo published his work in 1956,
which makes the Revolt of the Masses a secondary source. More than
this, in writing the book, Agoncillo used primary sources with his
research like documents of the Katipunan, interview with the
veterans of the Revolution, and correspondence between and among
Katipuneros.

However, a student should not be confused about what counts as

a primary or a secondary source. As mentioned above, the classification
of sources between primary and secondary depends not on the period
when the source was produced or the type of the source but on the subject
of the historical research. For example, a textbook is usually
classified as a secondary source, a tertiary source even. However, this
classification is usual but not automatic. If a historian chooses to write
the history of education in the 1980s, he can utilize textbooks used in
that period as a primary source. If a historian wishes to study the
historiography of the Filipino-American War for example, he can use works
of different authors on the topic as his primary source as well.

Both primary and secondary sources are useful in writing and learning
history. However, historians and students of history need to thoroughly
scrutinize these historical sources to avoid deception and to come up
with the historical truth. The historian should be able to conduct an external
Page and internal criticism of the source, especially primary sources which can
6 of age in centuries. External criticism is the practice of verifying the
authenticity of evidence by examining its physical characteristics;
92 consistency with the historical characteristic of the time when it was
produced; and the materials used for the evidence. Examples of the
things that will be examined when conducting external criticism of a
document include the quality of the paper, the type of the ink, and the
language and words used in the material, among others.

Internal criticism, on the other hand, is the examination of

the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the source
and examines the circumstance of its production. Internal criticism looks
at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the
author of the source, its context, the agenda behind its creation, the
knowledge which informed it, and its intended purpose, among others. For
example, Japanese reports and declarations during the period of the war
should not be taken as a historical fact hastily. Internal criticism
entails that the historian acknowledge and analyze how such reports
can be manipulated to be used war propaganda. Validating historical
sources is important because the use of unverified, falsified, and
untruthful historical sources can lead to equally false conclusions.
Without thorough criticisms of historical evidences; historical
deceptions and lies will be highly probable.

One of the most scandalous cases of deception in Phiippine history is

the hoax Code of Kalantiaw. The code was a set of rules contained in
an epic, Maragtas, which was allegedly written by a certain Datu Kalantiaw.
The document was sold to the National Library and was regarded as an
important precolonial document until 1968, when American historian
William Henry Scott debunked the authenticity of the code due to
anachronism and lack of evidence to prove that the code existed in the
precolonial Philippine society Ferdinand Marcos also claimed that he was a
decorated World War II soldier who led a guerilla unit called Ang
Maharlika. This was widely believed by students of history and Marcos
had war medals to show. This claim, however, was disproven when
historians counterchecked Marcos's claims with the war records of the
United States. These cases prove how deceptions can propagate without
rigorous historical research.

The task of the historian is to look at the available historical

sources and select the most relevant and meaningful for history and for the
subject matter that he is studying. History, like other academic discipline,
has come a long way but still has a lot of remaining tasks to do. It does
not claim to render absolute and exact judgment because as long as
questions are continuously asked, and as long as time unfolds, the study
of history can never be complete. The task of the historian is to
organize the past that is being created so that it can offer lessons
for nations, societies, and civilization. It is the historian's job to seek for
the meaning of recovering the past to let the people see the continuing
relevance of provenance, memory,
remembering, and historical understanding for both the present and the
future.
Page
Philippine historiography underwent several changes since
7 of the precolonial period until the present. Ancient Filipinos narrated their
92 history through communal songs and epics that they passed orally
from a generation to another. When the Spaniards came, their
chroniclers started recording their observations through written accounts.
The perspective of historical writing and inquiry also shifted. The Spanish
colonizers narrated the. history of their colony in a bipartite view They
saw the age before colonization as a dark period in the history of the
islands, until they brought light through Western thought and Christianity.
Early nationalists refuted this perspective and argued the tripartite view.
They saw the precolonial society as a luminous age that ended with
darkness when the colonizers captured their freedom. They believed that
the light would come agan once the colonizers were evicted from the
Philippines. Filipino historian Zeus Salazar introduced the new guiding
philosophy for writing and teaching history: pantayong pananaw (for us-
trom us perspective). This perspective highlights the importance of
facilitating an internal conversation and discourse among Filipinos about
our own history, using the language that is understood by everyone.

SELF ASSESSMENT 3. Write true if the statement is true. Otherwise,

write false in the space provided.

1. History is the study of the past.

2. Historical sources that were not written should not be

used in writing history.

3. The subject of historiography is history itself.

4. History has no use for the present, thus, the saying “past
is past” is true.
5. History is limited to the story of a hero versus a vilain.

6. Only primary sources may be used in writing history.

7. There are three types of sources: primary, secondary,

and tertiary sources.

8. External criticisms is done by examining the

physical characteristics of a source.

9. Internal criticisms is done by looking at a source’s quality

of paper and type of ink, among others.

10. The historians are the only source of history.

TO DO!

Page Assignment 1: Make two Venn diagrams about external and internal
8 of criticism and primary and secondary resources. See your course guide
for deadline, instructions, and rubric for scoring.
92
Below is the format of a venn diagram.

Primary Secondary
sources Sources

External Internal
Criticism Criticism

REFERENCES

Candelaria, J. L., & Alphora, V. C. (2018). Readings in Philippine History.

Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, inc.

Torres, J. V. (2018). BATIS Sources in Philippine History. Quezon City: C

& E Publishing, Inc.

Christopher F. B., Raymond E. B, Julie C. L., Fatima F. R., Tecah C. S. (2006)

Philippine History Coursebook, Trinitas Publishing. INC.
CHAPTER/ MODULE 2: CONTENT AND
Page CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED PRIMARY
9 of SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
92

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 To familiarize oneself with the primary documents in

different historical periods of the Philippines.
 To learn history through primary sources.
 To properly interpret primary sources through examining the
content and context of the document
 To understand the context behind each selected document.
 To interpret historical events using primary sources.

 To recognize the multiplicity of interpretation than can be

read from a historical text.

 To identify the advantages and disadvantages of

employing critical tools in interpreting historical events
through primary sources.

 To demonstrate ability to argue for or against a particular issue

using primary sources.

In the preceding chapter, we have discussed the importance of

familiarizing oneself about the different kinds of historical sources. The
historian's primary tool of understanding and interpreting the past
is the historical sources. Historical sources ascertain historical
facts. Such facts are then analyzed and interpreted by the historian to
weave historical narrative. Specifically, historians who study certain
historical subjects and events need to make use of various prumary
sources in order to weave the narrative. Primary sources, as
discussed in the preceding chapter, consist or documents,
memoir, accounts, and other materials that were produced at the
period of the event or subject being studied.
Using primary sources in historical research entails two kinds of
criticism. The first one is the external criticism, and the second one is
the internal criticism. External criticism examines the authenticity
of the document or the evidence being used. This is important
in ensuring that the primary source is not fabricated. On the other
hand, internal criticism examines the truthfulness of the content
of the evidence. However, this criticism requires not just the act
establishing
truthfulness and/or accuracy but also the examination of the primary
sources in terms of the context of its production. For example, a
Page historian would have to situate the document in the period of its
10 of production, or in the background of its authors. In other words, it
92 should be recognized that facts are neither existing in a vacuum
nor produced from a blank slate. These are products of the time
and of the people.
In this chapter, we are going to look at a number of
primary sources from different historical periods and
evaluate these documents content in terms of historical value,
and examine the context of their production. The primary sources
that we are going to examine is Emilio Jacinto's "Kartilya ng
Katipunan and afterwards you will be examining selected primary
sources; these are: Manunggul Jar, Dasalan at Tocsohan, and Ang
Dapat Mabatid ng mga Pilipino.
Needless to say, different types of sources necessitate different
kinds of analysis and contain different levels of importance. You
are going to explore that in this chapter.
Lesson 1 The KKK and the Kartilya ng Katipunan
The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak
ng Bayan (KAK) or Katipunan is arguably the most important
organization formed n the Philippine history. While anti-colonial
movements, efforts, and organizations had already been
established centuries prior to the foundation of the katipunan, it
was only this organization that envisioned
1)a united Filipino nation that would revolt against
the Spaniards for
(2)the total independence of the country from Spain.
Previous armed revolts had alreaay occurred before the
foundation of the Katipunan, but none of them envisioned a unified
Filipino nation revolting against the colonizers. For example, Diego
Silang was known as an llocano who took up his arms and led one of
the longest running revolts in the country. Silang. however, was
mainly concerned about his locality and referred to himself as El
Rey de Ilocos (The King of locos). The imagination of the nation
was largely absent in the aspirations of the local revolts before
Katipunan. On the other hand, the propaganda movements led by
the ilustrados like Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and
Jose Rizal did not envision a total separation of the Philippines
from Spain, but only demanded equal rights, representation and
protection from the abuses of the friars.
In the conduct of their struggle, Katipunan created a
complex structure and a defined value system that would
Page guide the organization as a collective aspiring for a single goal. One
11 of of the most important Katipunan documents was the Kartilya ng
92 Katipunan. The original title of the document was "Manga [sic]
Aral Nang [sic] Katipunan ng mga A.N.B." or "Lessons of the
Organization of the Sons of Country" The document was written by
Emilio Jacinto in the 1896. Jacinto was only 18 years old when he
joined the movement. He was a law student at the Universidad de
Santo Tomas. Despite his youth, Bonifacio recognized the value and
intellect of Jacinto that upon seeing that Jacinto's Kartilya was much
better than the Decalogue he wrote, he willingly favored that the
Kartilya be distributed to their fellow Katipuneros. Jacinto became
the secretary of the organization and took charge of the short-
lived printing press of the Katipunan On 15 April 189 Bonifacio
appointed Jacinto as a commander of the Katipunan in
Northern Luzon. Jacinto was 22 years old. He died of Malaria at a
young age ot 24 in the town ot Magdalena, Laguna.
The Kartilya can be treated as the Katipunan's code of conduct.
It contains fourteen rules that instruct the way a Katipunero
should behave, and which specific values should he uphold.
Generally, the rules stated in the Kartilya can be classified into
two. The first group contains the rules that will make the member
an upright individual and the second group contains the rules that
will gulde the way he treats his tellow men.
Below is the translated version of the rules in Kartilya:
I. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable
purpose is a tree without a shade, if not a poisonous weed.
II. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is
not a virtue.
III.It is rational to be charitable and love one's fellow creature,
and to adjust one's conduct, acts and words to what is in itself
reasonable.
IV.Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born
equal: Superiority in knowledge, wealth and beauty are to be
understood, but not superiority by nature.
V. The honorable man preters honor to personal gain; the
scoundrel, gain to honor.
VI. To the honorable man, his word is sacred.
VII.Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time
lost.
VIll. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law
or in the field.
Page
12 of IX.The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping
secrets.
92
X.On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and the
children, and if the guide leads to the precipice, those whom he guides
will also go there.
XI.Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as
faithful companion who will share with thee the penalties of life;
her (physical) weakness will increase thy interest in her and she
will remind thee of the mother who bore thee and reared thee.
XII.What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers
and sisters, that do not unto the wife, children, brothers and
sisters of thy neighbor.
XIII.Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is
aquiline, and his color white, not because he is a priest, a servant
of God, nor because of the high prerogative that he enjoys upon
earth, but he is worth most who is a man of proven and real value,
who does good, keeps his words, is worthy and honest; he who does
not oppress nor consent to being oppressed, he who loves and
cherishes his fatherland though he be born in the wilderness and
know no tongue but his own.
XIV.When these rules of conduct shall be known to all, the
longed- for sun of Liberty shall rise brilliant over this most unhappy
portion of the globe and its rays shall diffuse everlasting joy
among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the lives of
those who have gone before, the fatigues and the well-paid
sufferings will remain. If he who desires to enter has informed
himself of all this and believes he will be able to perform what will
be his duties, he may fill out the application for admission.
As the primary governing document, which determines the rules of
conduct in the Katipunan, properly understanding the Kartilya will thus
help in understanding the values, ideals, aspirations, and even the
ideology of the organization.
Analysis of the "Kartilya ng Katipunan
This primary source also needs to be analyzed in terms
of content and context. As a written document for a fraternity
whose main purpose is to overthrow a colonial regime, we can
explain the content and provisions of the Kartilya as a reaction
and response to certain value systems that they found despicable in
the present state
of things that they struggled against with. For example, in the fourth
and the thirteen rules in the Kartilya are an invocation of the inherent
Page equality between and among men regardless of race, occupation
13 of or status. In the context of the Spanish colonial era where the
92 indios were treated as the inferior of the white Europeans, the
Katipunan saw to it that the alternative order that they wished to
promulgate through their revolution necessarily destroyed this
kind of unjust hierarchy.
Moreover, one can analyze the values upheld in the
document as consistent with the burgeoning rational and liberal
ideals in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Equality, tolerance,
freedom, and liberty were values that first emerged in the eighteenth
century French Revolution, which spread throughout Europe
and reached the educated class of the colonies. Jacinto,an
ilustrado himself, certainly got an understanding of these values.
Aside from the liberal values that can be dissected in the
document, we can also decipher certain Victorian and chivalrous
values in the text. For example, various provisions in the
Kartilya repeatedly emphasized the importance of honor in words
and in action. The teaching of the Katipunan on how women
should be treated with honor and respect, while positive in many
respects and certainly a significant stride from the practice of
raping and physically abusing women, can still be telling of
the Katipunan's secondary regard for women in relation to
men. For example, in the tenth rule, tne document of specifically
stated that men should be the guide of women and children, and
that he should set a good example, otherwise the women and
children would be guided guided in the path of evil. Nevertheless,
the same documents stated that women should be treated as
companions of men not as playthings that can be exploited for their
pleasure.
ln the contemporary eyes, the Katipunan can be
criticized because of these provisions. However, one must not forget
the context where the organization was born. Not even in Europe or
in the whole of the West at that juncture recognized the
problem of gender inequality. Indeed, it can be argued that
Katipunan's recognition of women as important partners in the
struggle, as reflected not just in Kartilya but also in the
organizational structure of the fraternity where a women's unit was
established, is an endeavor advanced for its time. Aside from Rizal's
known Letter to the Women of Malolos, no same effort by the
supposed cosmopolitan Propaganda Movement was achieved until
the movement's eventual disintegration in the latter part of the
1890s.
Aside from this, the Kartilya was instructive not just of the
Katipunan's conduct toward other people, but also for the
members'
development as individuals in their own rights. Generally speaking,
the rules in the Kartilya can be classified as either directed to how one
Page should treat his neighbor or to how one should develop and
14 of conduct one's self, Both are essential to the success and
92 fulfillment of the Katipunan's ideals. For example, the Kartilya's
teachings on honoring one's word and not wasting time are
teachings directed toward self- development, while the rules on
treating the neighbor's
and brothers the waywife, that
children,
you want yours to be is an
treated instruction on how Katipuneros should treat their
and regard neighbors.
All in all, proper reading of the Kartilya will reveal a more
thorough understanding of the Katipunan and the significant role that
it played in the revolution and in the unfolding of the Philippine history,
as we know it.

To Do!

Now, you will be examining the three primary sources entitled:

a.)The Manunggul Jar as a Vessel of History
b.)Dasalan at Tocsohan
c.) Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Pilipino
These primary sources were filed on your flashdrive. Be
guided with your course guide!

After reading the primary sources, proceed now in answering the

prepared self-assessment tasks below.
Self-assessment Task 1
Try to complete the information below using the set of
words provided in the box.
The Mununggul Jar was discovered in the early
1960’s in _, Palawan. This burial jar features
designs and is painted with and _
. The lid of the jar features two human figures with arms
crossed on the chest representing the traditional practice of the
corps riding a boat. This artifact signifies the belief of the early
Filipinos in the .
The Mununggul Jar is a _ of the Philippines.
The jar was found in the chamber of the
_, one of the Mununggul caves in Palawan. The jar is found
from about yearsbefore the present. It was
found by and
.
a. National Treasure b. Afterlife
c. Tabon Cave d. 2800
Page e. curvilinear f. Manunggul cave
15 of g. Hematite h. Robert Fox
92 i. Iron j. Miguel Santiago
Self-assessment 2
Using the table below compare and contrast the idea of the
Marcelo del Pilar’s Dasalan at tocsohan to the
H. real
Cathechism of the Catholic church. Use
only. keyphrases/words
Dasalan at Tocsohan Cathechism

Conclusion:

Self-assessment 3
Using the table below compare and contrast the Philippine
setting before and after the arrival of Spaniards in the
Page Philippines. Use keyphrases/words only.
16 of
Before the arrival of After the arrival of
92 the Spaniards (LIWANAG) the Spaniards
(DILIM)

Conclusion:

LESSON 2: Making Sense of the Past: Historical Interprefation

In this lesson, we will analyze three historiographical
problems in Philippine history in an attempt to apply what we have
learned thus far in the work of a historian and the process of
historical inquiry. Earlier, we have been introduced to history as
a discipline, the historical method, and the content and context
analysis of primary sources. Two key concepts that need to be
defined before proceeding to the historical analysis of problems in
history are interpretation and multiperspectivity.
History is the study of the past, but a more
contemporary definition is centered on how it impacts the
present through its consequences. (Geoffrey Barraclough defines
history as "the attempt to discover, on the basis of fragmentary
evidence, the significant things about the past. He also notes the
history we read, though based
on facts, is strictiy speaking, not factual at all, but a series of accepted
judgments. Such judgments of historians on how the past should
Page be seen make the foundation of historical interpretation.
17 of
92
The Code of Kalantiaw is a mythical legal code in the epic
history Maragtas. Before it was revealed as a hoax, it was a source
of pride for the people of Aklan. In fact, a historical marker
was installed in the town of Batan, Aklan in 1956, with the
following text:

"CODE OF KALANTIAW.Datu Bendehara Kalantiaw,

third Chief of Panay, born in Aklan, established
his government in the peninsula of Batang, Aklan
Sakup. Considered the First Filpino Lawgiver, he
promulgated in about 1433 penal code now known as
Code of Kalantiaw containing 18 articles. Don Marcelino
Orilla of Zarugoza, Spain, obtained the original
manuscript from an old chief of Panay which was
later translated into Spanish by Rafael Murviedo
Yzamaney.”
lt was only in 1968 that it was proved a hoax, when
William Henry Scott, then a doctoral candidate at the University
of Santo Tomas, defended his research on pre-hispanic sources in
Philippine history. He attributed the code to a historical fiction
writtern in 1913 by Jose E. Marco titled Las Antiguas Leyendas
de la lsla de Negros. Marco attributed the code itself to a priest
named Jose Maria Pavon. Prominent Filipino historians did not
dissent to Scott s findings, but there are still some who would
like to believe that the code is a legitimate document.

Historians utilize facts collected from primary sources of history

and then draw their own reading so that their intended audience may
understand the historical event, a process that in essence, "makes
sense of the past. The premise is that not all primary sources are
accessible to a general audience, and without the proper training and
background, a non-historian interpreting a primary source may do
more harm than good-a primary source may even
cause misunderstandings; sometimes, even resulting more problems.
Interpretations of the past, therefore, vary according to who
reads the primary source, when it was read, and how it was read. As
students of history, we must be well equipped to recognize
different types of interpretatons why these may differ from each
Page other, and how to criticaly sift these interpretations through historical
18 of evaluation. Interpretations of historical events change over time;
92 thus, it is an important skill for a student of history to track these
changes in an attempt to understand the past.

Sa “Aking Mga Kabata" is a poem purportedly written by

Jose Rizal when he was eight years old and is probably one of
Rizal's most prominent works. There is no evidence to support the
claim that this poem, with the now immortalized lines "Ang hindi
magmahal sa kanyang salita/mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda
was written by Rizal, and worse, the evidence against Rizals
authorship of the poem seems all unassailable.
There exists no manuscript of the poem handwritten by
Rizal. The poem was first putblished in 1906, in a book by
Hermenegildo Cruz.

Cruz Many of received

said he the things wepoem
the accept as "true
from about
Gabriel theFrancisco,
Beato past might not
who
be the case
claimed to anymore, just because
have received it in these
1884were taught
tirom o us close
Rizal's as
facts
friend, Saturnino Raselis. Rizal never mentioned wrting this
poem anywhere in his writings, and more importanty, he never
mentioned of having a close triend by the person of Raselis.
Further criticism of the poem reveals more about the wrongful
attribution of the poem to Rizal. The poem was written in
Tagalog and reterred to the word "kalayaan. But it was
documented in Rizal's letters that he first encountered the word
through a Marcelo
H. del Pilar's translation of Rizal's essay El Amor Patrio,
where it was spelled as kalayahan.
While Rizal's native tongue was Tagalog. he was educated in
panish, starting from his mother, Teodora Alonso. Later on, he
would express disappointment in his difficulty in expressing himself
in his native tongue.
The poem's spelling is also suspect-the use of letters "k
and "w" to replaced c and u, respectively was suggested by Rizal as
an adult. If the poem was indeed written during his time, it should
use the original Spanish orthography that was prevalent in his
time.
when we were younger does not mean that it is set in stone-
history is, after all, a construct. And as a construct, it is
open for interpretation. There might be conflicting and competing
accounts ot
the past that need one's attention, and can impact the way we
view our country's history and identity. It is important, therefore, to
Page subject to evaluation not only the primary source, but also the
19 of historical interpretation of the same, to ensure that the current
92 interpretation is reliable to support our acceptance of events of the
past.
Multiperspectivity
With several possibilities of interpreting the past, another
important concept that we must note is multiperspectivity. This
can be defined as a way of looking at historical events,
personalities, developments, cultures, and societies from
ditferent perspectives. This means that there is a multitude of
ways by which we can view the world, and each could be equally
valid, and at the same time, equally partial as well. Historical
writing is, by definition, biased, partial, and contains
preconceptions. The historian decides on what sources to use,
what interpretation to make more apparent, depending on
what his end is. Historians may misinterpret evidence, attending to
those that suggest that a certain event happened, and then ignore
the rest that goes against the evidence. Historians may omit
significant facts about their subject which makes the
interpretation unbalanced. Historians may impose a certain
ideology to their subject, which may not be appropriate the period
the subject was from. Historians may also provide a single cause
for an event without considering other possible causal explanations
of said event. These are just many of the ways a historian may
fail in his historical inference, description, and interpretation. With
multiperspectivity as an approach in history, we must
understand that historical interpretations contan diserepancies,
contradictions, ambiguities, and are often the focus of dissernt.
Exploring multiple perspectives in history requires incorporating
source materials that reflect different views of an event in history,
because singular historical narratives do not provide for space to
inquire and investigate. Different sources that counter each other may
create space for more investigation and research, while providing
more evidence for those truths that these sources agree on.
Different kinds of sources also provide different historical
truths
-an official document may note different aspects of the past
than, say, a memoir an ordinary person on the same event.
Different historical agents create different historical truths, and
while this may be a
burdensome work for the historian, it also renders more validity
to the historical scholarship. Taking these in close regard in the
reading of
historical interpretations it provides for the audience a more
complex, but also a more complete and richer understanding of the
Case Study 1: Where Did the First Catholic Mass Take Place in
the Philippines?
Page
20 of The popularity of knowing where the "firsts" happened in history
has been an easy way to trivialize history, but this case study will not
92 focus on the significance (or lack thereof) of the site of the First
Catholie Mass in the Philippines, but rather, use it as a
historiographical exercise in the utlization of evidence
and interpretation in reading historical events.
Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass.
In fact,this has been the case for three centuries, culminating in
the erection of a monument in 1872 near Agusan River,
which commemorates the expedition's arrival and celebration of
Mass on 8 April 1521. The Butuan claim has been based on a rather
elementary reading of primary sources trom the event.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century and the start of
the twentieth century, together with the increasing scholarship on
the history of the Philippines, a more nuanced reading of the
available evidence was made, which brought to light more
considerations in gong aganst the more accepted interpretation ot
the first Mass in the Philhppines, made both by Spanish and Filipino
scholars.
It must be noted that there are only two primary sources
that historians refer to in identifying the site of the first Mass. One
is the log kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot of one of Magellan's ship,
Trinidad. He was one of the 18 survivors who returned with
Sebastian Elcano on the ship Victoria after they cireumnavigated the
world. The other, and the more complete, was the account by
Antonio Pigafetta, Primo Uaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage
Around the World). Pigafetta, like Albo, was a member of the
Magellanexpedition and an eyewitness of the events, particularly, of
the first Mass.
Primary Source: Albo's Log
Source:Diario o derotero del viage de Magallanes desde el cabo
se S. Agustin en el Brazil hasta el regreso a Espana de la nao
Victoria, escrito por Frandsco Albo," Document no. xxii in Colleción
de viages descubrinmientos que hicieron por mar los Españoles
desde fines del siglo XV, Ed. Martin Fernandez de Navarrete
(reprinted Buenos Aires 1945, 0 Vols) IV, 191-225. As cited in
Miguel A. Bernad "Butuan or Limasawa The Site of the First
Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence 1981,
Künaadman: A Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol. 111, 1-35.
1. On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly
course from Ladrones, they saw land towards the northwest; but
owing to
many shallow places they did not approach it. T'hey found later
that its name was Yunagan.
Page
21 of 2.They went instead that same day southwards to another small
island named Suluan, and there they anchored. There they saw some
92 canoes but these fled at the Spaniards' approach. This island was
at 9 and two-thirds degrees North latitude.
3.Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an
uninhabited island of Gada" where they took in a supply of wood and
water. The sea around that island was free from shallows. (Albo does
not give the latitude of this island, but from Pigatetta's testimony, this
seems to be the "Acquada or Homonhon, at 10 North
degrees latitude.)
4. From that island they sailed westwards towards a large island
names Seilani that was inhabited and was known have
gold.(Seilani-
to or, as Pigafetta calls it, "Ceylon-was the island of Leyte.)
5.Sailing southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilani,
they turned southwest to a small island called "Mazava." That
island is also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.
6.The people of that island of Mazava were very good. There the
Spaniards planted a cross upon a mountain-top, and from there they
were shown three islands to the west and southwest, where they were
told there was much gold. "They showed us how the gold
was gathered, which came in small pieces like peas and lentils.
7.From Mazava they sailed northwards again towards Seilani. Tney
followed the coast of Seilani in a northwesterly direction,
ascending up to 10 degrees of latitude where they saw three small
islands.
8.From there they sailed westwards some ten leagues, and there they
saw three islets, where they dropped anchor for the night. In the
morning they sailed southwest some 12 leagues, down to a
latitude of l0 and one-third degree. There they entered a channel
between two islands, one of which was called "Matan" and the other
"Subu."
9.They sailed down that channel and then turned westward
and anchored at the town (la villa) of Subu where they stayed many
days and obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact with
the local king.
10.The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the
islands of Suluan and Mazava. But between Mazava and Subu, there
were so many shallows that the boats could not go westward
directly but has to go (as they did) in a round-about way.
It must be noted that in Albo's account, the location of Mazava fits the
location of the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54N.
Page Also, Albo does not mention the first Mass, but only the planting
22 of of the cross upon a mountain-top from which could be seen three
92 islands to the west and southwest, which also fits the
southern end of Limasawa.
Primary Source: Pigafetta's Testimony on the Route
of Magellan's Expedition
Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The
Philippine Islands, Vols. 33 and 34, as cited in Miguel A. Bernad,
"Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the
Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A
Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol. III, 1-35.
1. Saturday, 16 March 1521- Magellan's expedition sighted a "high
land" named "Zamal" which was some 300 leagues westward
of Ladrones (now the Marianas) Islands.
2 Sunday, March 17 "The following day" after sighting Zamal
Island, they landed on "another island which was uninhabited" and
which lay "to the right" of the above-mentioned island of "Zamal." (To
the "righť here would mean on their starboard going south or
southwest.) There they set up two tents for the sick members of the
crew and had a sow killed for them. The name of this island was
Humunu (Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degrees North
latitude.
3.On that same day (Sunday, March 17), Magellan named the enure
archipelago the "Islands of Saint Lazarus," the reason being that it
was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned for
the Mass and the liturgical Office was the eleventh chapter of St.
John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus trom the dead.
4.Monday, March 18- In the afternoon of their second day on
that island, they saw a boat coming towards them with nine men in
it. An exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food
supplies, and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other
supplies in "four days.
5.There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon. Also
they saw there some indications that there was gold in these islands.
Consequently Magellan renamed the island and called it the "Watering
Place of Good Omen" (Acquada la di bouni segniali).
6.Friday, March 22-At noon the natives returned. This time they were
in two boats, and they brought food suppies.
7.Magellan's expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from
Sunday, March 17, to the Monday of the following week, March 25.
Page
23 of 8.Monday, March 25 In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor
and left the island of Homonhon.In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day
92 (March 25) was the feast-day of the lncarnation, also called the feast
of the Annunciation and therefore "Our Lady's Day. On this day,
as they were about to weigh anchor, an accident happened to
Pigafëtta: he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributed his
narrow escape from death as grace obtained through the intercession
of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast-day.
9.The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was
"toward the west southwest, between four islands: namely,
Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien." Very probably
"Cenalo is a misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta
in his map calls "Ceilon and Albo calls "Seilani: namely the
island of Leyte. Hiunanghan" (a misspelling of Hinunangan) seemed
to Pigafetta to be a separate island, but is actually on the
mainland of Leyte G.e., "Ceylon'"). On the other hand, Hibuson
(Pigafetta's Ibusson) is an island east of Leyte's southern tip.
Thus, it is easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing
toward the west southwest" past those islands. They left
Homonhon sailing westward towards Leyte, then followed the Leyte
coast southward, passing between the island of Hibuson on their
portside and
unangan Bay on their starboard, and then continued
southward, then turning westward to "Mazaua.
10.Thursday, March 28 In the morning of Holy Thursday, March
6, they anchored off an island where the previous night they
hadseen a light or a bonfire. That island "lies in a latitude of nine and
two-thirds towards the Arctic Pole (i.e., North) and in a longitude of
one hundred and sixty-two degrees from the line of demarcation. lt
is twenty-five leagues from the Acquada, and is called Mazaua.
11. They remained seven days on Mazaua lsland.
12.Thursday, April 4-They left Mazaua, bound for Cebu. They were
guided thither by the king of Mazaua who sailed in his own boat. Their
route took them past five "islands" namely: "Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan,
Baibai, and Gatighan."
13.At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the three islands of the
Camotes Group, namely, Poro, Pasihan and Ponson. Here the Spanish
ships stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch up with them, since
the Spanish ships were much faster than the native balangha-a thing
that excited the admiration of the king of Mazaua.
Page
24 of 14.From the Camotes Islands they sailed southwards towards "Zubu.
92 15.Sunday, April 7 - At noon they entered the harbor of "Zubu (Cebu).
It had taken them three days to negotiate the journey from
Mazaua northwards to the Camotes Islands and then southwards to
Cebu.
It must be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta's testimonies
coincide and corroborate each other. Pigafetta gave more details
on what they did during their weeklong stay at Mazaua.
Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua
Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The
Philippine Islands, Vols. 33 and 34, as cited in Miguel A. Bernad,
"Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the
Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence" 1981, Kinaadman: A
Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol. III, 1-35.
16.Thursday, March 28-In the morning they anchored near an
island where they had seen a light the night before a small boat
(boloto) came with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some
trinkets as presents. The natives paddled away, but two hours
later two larger boats (balanghai) came, in one of which the native
king sat under an awning of mats. At Magellan's invitation some of
the natives went up the Spanish ship, but the native king remained
seated in his boat. An exchange of gifts was effected. In the afternoon
that day, the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer to
shore, anchoring near the native kings village. This Thursday,
March 28, was Thursday in Holy Week, i.e., Holy Thursday.
17.Friday, March 29-"Next day. Holy Friday, Magellan sent his
slave interpreter ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he could
provide the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they
had come as friends and not as enemies. In reply the king himself
came in a boat with six or eight men, and this time went up
Magellan's ship and the two men embraced. Another exchange of
gifts was made. The native king and his companions returned
ashore, bringing with them two members of Magellan's expedition
as guests for the night. One of the two was Pigafetta.
18.Saturday, March 30 Pigafetta and his companion had spent
the previous evening teasting and drinking with the native king
and his son. Pigafetta deplored the fact that, although it was Good
Friday, they had to eat meat. The following morning (Saturday)
Pigafetta and his companion took leave of their hosts and returned to
the ships.
4.Sunday, March 31-"Early in the morning of Sunday, the last of
March and Easter day," Magellan sent the priest ashore with some
Page men to prepare for the Mass. Later in the morning Magellan
25 of landed with some fifty men and Mass was celebrated, after which a
92 cross was venerated. Magellan and the Spaniards returned to the
ship for the noon-day meal, but in the afternoon they returned
ashore to plant the cross on the summit of the highest hill. In
attendance both at the Mass and at the planting of the cross were the
king of Mazaua and the king of Butuan.
5.Sunday, March 31-On that same afternoon, while on the summit of
the highest hill, Magellan asked the two kings which ports he
should go to in order to obtain more abundant supplies of food
than were available in that island. They replied that there were
three to choose from: Ceylon, Zubu, and Calagan. Of the three,
Zubu was the port with the most trade. Magellan then said that he
wished to go to Zubu and to depart the following morning. He
asked for someone to guide him thither. The kings replied that the
pilots would be available "any time. But later that evening the King
of Mazaua changed his mind and said that he would himself conduct
Magellan to Zubu but that he would first have to bring the harvest in.
He asked Magellan to send him men to help with the harvest.
6.Monday, April 1 - Magellan sent men ashore to help with the
harvest, but no work was done that day because the two kings
were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before.
7.Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April3- Work on the harvest
during the "next to days, 1.e., Tuesday and Wednesday, the 2nd and
3rd of April.
8. Thursday, April 4-They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.
Using the primary sources avallable, Jesuit priest Miguel
A. Bernad in his work Butuan or Limasauwa: The Site of the First
Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Euidence (1981) lays
down the argument that in the Pigafetta account, a crucial aspect of
Butuan was not mentioned-the river. Butuan is a riverine
settlement, situated on the Agusan River. The beach off Masno is in
the delta of said river. It 18 a curious omission in the account of the
river, which makes part of a distinct characteristic of Butuan's
geography that seemed to be too important to be missed.
The Age of Exploration is a period of competition among
European rulers to conquer and colonize lands outside their
Page original domaims. Initialy, the goal was to find alternative
routes by sea to get to Asia, the main source of spices
26 of and other commodities. Existing routes to Asia were mainly by
92 land and cost very expensive. A sea route to Asia means that
Europeans could access the spice trade directly, greatly reducing
costs for traders. Spain's major foray into the exploration was
through Christopher Columbus, who proposed to sail westward
to find a shorteut to Asia. He was able to reach the Americas,
which was then cut-off from the rest of the known world.
Spain colonized parts of North America, Mexico, and
South America in the sixteenth century. They were also able to
reach the Philippines and claim it for the Spanish crown. Later
on, other European rulers would compete with the activities of
exploring and conquering lands.
It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan
s death, the survivors of his expedition went to Mindanao,
and seemingiy went to Butuan. In this instance, Pigafetta
vividly describes a trip in a river. But note that this account
already happened after Magellan's death.

Case Study 2: What Happened in the Cavite Mutiny?

The year 1872 is a historic year of two events: the Cavite Mutiny
and the martyrdom of the three priests: Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos,
and Jacinto Zamora, later on immortalized as GOMBURZA. These
events are very important milestones in Philippine history and
have caused ripples throughout time, directly influencing the
decisive events of the Philhppine Revolution toward the end of the
century. While the significance is unquestioned, what made
this year controversial are the ditferent sides to the story, a
battle of perspectives supported by primary sources. ln this case
study, we zoom in to the events of the Cavite Mutiny, a major
factor in the awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos of that
time.
Spanish Accounts of the Cavite Mutiny
The documentation of Spanish historian Jose Montero y Vidal
centered on how the event was an attempt in overthrowing
the Spanish government in the Philippines. Although regarded
as a historian, his account of the mutiny was criticized as woefully
biased and rabid for a scholar. Another account from the official report
written by then Governor General Rafael Izquierdo implicated
the native
clergy, who were then, active in the movement toward secularization
of parishes. These two accounts corroborated each other.
Page
27 of Primary Source: Excerpts from Montero's Account of the Cavity
Mutiny
92
Source: Jose Monteroy Vidal, "Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny of
1872," in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources
of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store,
1990), 269- 273.
The abolition of privileges enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite
arsenal of exemption from the tribute was, according to some, the
cause of the insurrection. There were, however, other causes. The
Spanish revolution which overthrew a secular throne, the propaganda
carried on by an unbridled press against monarchical
principles, attentatory [sic] of the most sacred respects towards
the dethroned majesty; the democratic and republican books and
pamphlets; the speeches and preachings of the apostles of these
new ideas in Spain; the outbursts of the American publicists and the
eriminal policy ot the senseless Governor whom the Revolutionary
government sent to govern the Philippines, and who put into
practice these ideas were the determining circumstances which gave
rise, among certain Filipinos, to the idea of attaining their
independence. It was towards this goal that they started to work,
with the powerful assistance of a certain section of the native
clergy, who out of spite toward friars, made common cause with
the enemies of the mother country.
At various times but especlally in the beginning of year
1872, the authorities received anonymous communications
with the information that a great uprising would break out
against the Spaniards, the minute the fleet at Cavite left for the
South, and that all would be assassinated, including the friars.
But nobody gave importance to these notices. The conspiracy had
been going on Since the days of La Torre with utmost secrecy. At
times, the principal leaders met either in the house of Filipino
Spaniard, D. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, or in that of the native
priest, Jacinto Zamora, and these meetings were usually attended
by the curate of Bacoor, the soul of the movement, whose
energetic character and immense wealth enabled him to exerc1se
a strong infuence.
Primary Source: Excerpts from the Official Report of
Governor Izquierdo on the Cavite Mutiny of 1872
Source: Rafael Izquierdo, "Official Report on the Cavite
Mutiny," in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources
of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990),
281-286.
...It seems definite that the insurrection was motivated and prepared
by the native clergy, by the mestizos and native lawyers, and by those
Page known here as abogadillos..
28 of
The instigators, to carry out their criminal project, protested
92 against the injustice of the government in not paying the
provinces for their tobacco crop, and against the usury that some
practice in documents that the Finance department gives crop
owners who have to sell them at a loss. They encouraged the
rebellion by protesting what they called the injustice of having
obliged the workers in the Cavite arsenal to pay tribute starting
January 1 and to render personal service, from which they were
formerly exempted..
Up to now it has not been clearly determined if they planned to
establish a monarchy or a republic, because the Indios have no word
in their language to describe this different form of government, Whose
head in Filipino would be called hari; but it turns out that they
would place at the head of the government a priest.. that the head
selected would be D. Jose Burgos, or D. Jacinto ZamOrä. Such is...
the plan of the rebels, those who guided them, and the means they
counted upon for its realization.
It is apparent that the accounts underscore the reason for
the "revolution": the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of
the Cavite arsenal such as exemption trom payment of tribute and
being employed in polos y servicios, or force labor. They also identified
other reasons which seemingly made the issue a lot more serious,
which included the presence of the native clergy, who, out of spite
aganst the Spanish friars, "conspired and supported the rebels.
Izquierdo, in an obviously biased report, highlighted that attempt to
overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines to install a
new "hari in the persons of Fathers Burgos and Zamora.
According to him, native clergy attracted supporters by giving them
charismatic assurance that their fight would not fail because they
had God's support, aside from promises of lofty rewards such as
employment, wealth, and ranks in the army.
In the Spaniard's accounts, the event of 1872
was premeditated, and was part of a big conspiracy among the
educated leaders, mestizos, lawyers, and residents of Manila and
Cavite. They allegedly plan to liquidate high ranking Spanish
officers, then kill the friars. The signal they identified among these
conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the rockets fired from
Intramuros.
The accounts detail that on 20 January 1872, the district of
Sampaloc celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto, and came
with it were some fireworks display. The Caviteños allegedly
mistook this
as the signal to commence with the attack. The 200-men
contingent led by Sergeant Lamadrid attacked Spanish officers at sight
Page and seized the arsenal. Izquierdo, upon learning of the attack,
29 of ordered the reinforcement of the Spanish forces in Cavite to quell
92 the revolt. The "revolution was easily crushed, when the
Manileños who were expected to aid the Caviteños did not arrive.
Leaders of the plot were killed in the resulting skirmish, while
Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora were tried by a court-martial
and sentenced to be executed. Others wno were implicated such as
Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Antonio Ma.Regidor, Jose and Pio Basa,
and other Filipino lawyers were suspended from the practice of
law, arrested, and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Marianas
Island. Izquierdo dissolved the native regiments of artillery and
ordered the creation of an artillery force composed exclusively by
Peninsulares.
On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to
serve as a threat to Filipinos never to attempt to fight the Spaniards
again.
Differing Accounts of the Events of 1872
Two other primary accounts exist that seem to counter the
accounts of Izquierdo and Montero. First, the account of Dr.
Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera, a Pilipino scholar and
researcher, who wrote a Filipino version of the bloody incident in
Cavite.
Primary Source: Excerpts from Pardo de Tavera's
Account of the Cavite Mutiny
Source: Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, "Filipino Version of
the Cavity Mutiny," in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary
Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store,
1990), 274 280.
This uprising among the soldiers in Cavite was used as
s powerful level by the Spanish residents and by the friars. the
Central Government in Madrid had announced its intention to
deprive the friars in these islands of powers of intervention in
matters of civil government and of the direction and management of
the university .. it was due to these facts and promises that the
Filipinos had great hopes of an improvement in the affairs of their
country, while the friars, on the other hand, feared that their power
in the colony would soon be complete a thing of the past.
...Up to that time there had been no intention of secession from
Spain, and the only aspiration of the people was. to secure the
material and education advancement of the country...
According to this account, the incident was merely a mutiny by
Filipino soldiers and laborers of the Cavite rsenal to the dissatisfaction
Page arising from the draconian policies of Izquierdo, such as the abolition
30 of of privileges and the prohibition of the founding of the school of
92 arts and trades tor Filpinos, which the General saw as a
smokescreen to creating a political club.
Tavera is of the opinion that the Spanish friars and
Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a way to address other issues
by blowing out oE proportion the isolated mutiny attempt. During
this time, the Central Government in Madrid was planning to deprive
the friars of all the powers ot lntervention in matters of civil
government and direction and management ot educational
institutions. The friars needed something to justity their
continuing dominance in the country, and the mutiny provided such
opportunity.
However, the Central Spanish Government introduced
an educational decree fusing sectarian schools run by the friars
into a school called the Philippine Institute. The decree aimed to
improve the standard of education in the Phiippines by requiring
teaching positions in these schools to be filled by competitive
examinations, an improvement welcomed by most Filipinos.
Another account, this time by French writer Edmund
Plauchut, complemented Tavera's account and analyzed the
motivations of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny.
Primary Source: Excerpts from Plauchut's Account of the
Cavite Mutiny
Source: Edmund Plauchut, The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 and the
Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za," in Gregorio and Sonia Zaide,
Zaide
Documentary Souroces of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila:
National Book Store, 1990), 251-268.
General La Torre.. created a junta composed of high
officials... including some friars and six Spanish officials.... At the
same time there was created by the government in Madrid a
committee to investigate the same problems submitted to the
Manila committee. When the two finished work, it was found that
they came to the same conclusions. Here is the summary of the
reforms they considered necessary to introduce:
1. Changes in tariff rates at customs, and the methods of
collection.

2. Removal of surcharges on foreign

importations. 3.Reduction of export fees
4.Permission for foreigners to reside in the Philippines, buy real
estate, enjoy freedom of worship, and operate commercial transports
Page fiying the Spanish fiag.
31 of
5.Establishment of an advisory council to inform the Mnister
92 of Overseas Affairs in Madrid on the necessary retorms to
be implemented.
6. Changes in primary and secondary education.
7.Establishment of an Institute of Civil Administration in the
Philippines, rendering unnecessary the sending home of short-term
civil officials every time there is a change of ministry.
8. Study of direct-tax system.
9. Abolition of the tobacco monopoly.
...The arrival in Manila of General Izquierdo... put a sudden end to all
dreams of reforms... the prosecutions instituted by the new Governor
General were probably expected as a result of the bitter disputes
between the Filipino clerics and the triars. Such a policy must
really end in a strong desire on the part ot the other to repress
cruelly.
In regard to schools, it was previously decreed that there should
be in Manila a Society of Arts and Trades to be opened in March
of 1871... to repress the growth of liberal teachings, General
Izquierdo suspended the opening of the school... the day
previous to the scheduled inauguration..
The Filipinos had a duty to render service on public
roads construction and pay taxes every year. But those who were
employed at the maestranza ot the artillery, in the engineering
shops and arsenal of Cavite, were exempted trom this
obligation from time immemorial... Without preliminaries of any
kind, a decree by the Governor withdrew from such old
employees their retirement privileges and declassified them into
the ranks ot those who worked on public roads.
The friars used the incident as a part ot a larger conspiracy
to cement their dominance, which had started to show cracks
because of the discontent of the Filipinos. They showcased the
mutiny as part of a greater conspiracy in the Philippines by Fipinos
to overthrow the Spanish Government. Unintentionally, and more so,
propheticaly, the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 resulted in the martyrdom ot
GOMBURZA, and paved the way to the revolution culminating in
1898.
The GOMBURZA is the collective name of the three martyred
Page priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, Who
were tagged as the masterminds of the Cavite Mutiny. They
32 of
were prominent Filipino priests charged with treason and
92 sedition. It is believed that the Spanish clergy connected the
priests to the mutiny as part or a conspiracy to stifle the
movement of secular priests who desired to have their own
parishes instead of being merely assistants to the regular
friars. The GOMBURZA were executed by garrote in public, a
scene purportedly witnessed by a young Jose Rizal.
Their martyrdom is widely accepted as the dawn of Philippine
nationalism in the nineteenth century, with Rizal dedicating his
second novel, El Filibusterismo, to their memory:

“The Government, by enshrouding your trial

in mystery and pardoning your co-accused, has
suggested that some mistake was committed when
your fate was decided; and the whole of the
Philippines, in paying homage to your memory and
calling you martyrs, totally rejects your guilt. The
Church, by refusing to degrade you, has put in doubt
the crime charged against you.

Case Study 3: Where Did the Cry of Rebellion

Happen?
Momentous events swept the Spanish colonies in the late
nineteenth century, including the Philippines. Journalists of the
time referred to the phrase El Grito de Rebelion" or "Cry of
Rebellion" to mark the start of these revolutionary events,
identifying the places where it happened. In the Philippines, this
happened in August 1896, northeast of Manila, where they declared
rebellion against the Spanish colonial government. These events
are important markers in the history of colonies that struggled for
their independence against their colonizers.
The controversy regarding this event stems from the
identification of the date and place where the Cry happened.
Prominent Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the
event when Bonifacio tore the cedula or tax receipt before the
Katipuneros who also did the same. Some writers identified the first
military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the Cry,
for which, Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an "Himno de
Balintawak to inspire the renewed struggle after the Pact of
the Biak-na-Bato failed. A monument to the Heroes of 1896 was
erected in what is now the
intersection of Epifanio de los Santos (EDSA) Avenue and Andres
Bonifacio Drive-North Diversion road, and from then on until 1962,
Page the Cry of Balintawak was celebrated every 26th of August. The
33 of site of the monument was cho8en for an unknown reason.
92 Different Dates and Places of the Cry
Various accounts of the Cry give different dates and places.
A guardia civil, Lt. Olegario Diaz, identified the Cry to have happened
in Balintawak on 25 August 1896. Teodoro Kalaw, Filipino
historian, marks the place to be in Kangkong, Balintawak, on the
last week of August 1896. Santiago Alvarez, a Katipunero and
son of Mariano Alvarez, leader of the Magdiwang faction in Cavite,
put the Cry in Bahay Toro in Quezon City on 24 August 1896. Pio
Valenzuela, known Katipunero and privy to many events concerning
the Katipunan stated that the Cry happened in Pugad Lawin on 23
August 1896. Historian Gregorio Zaide identified the Cry to have
happened in Balintawak on 26 August 1896, while Teodoro Agoncillo
put it at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896, according to statements by
Pio Valenzuela. Research by historians Milagros Guerrero,
Emmanuel Encarnacion, and Ramon Villegas claimed that the
event took place in Tandang Sora's barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat,
Quezon City, on 24 August 1896.
Primary Source: Accounts of
the Cry Guillermo Masangkay
Source: Guillermo Masangkay, "Cry of Balintawak" in
Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine
History, Volume 8 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 307-309.
On August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawak, at
the house of Apolonio Samson, then cabeza of that barrio of
Caloocan. Among those who attended, I remember, were
Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas Remigio,
Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and
Francisco Carreon. They were all leaders of the Katipunan and
composed the board of directors of the organization. Delegates from
Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and Morong were also present.
At about nine o'clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting
was opened with Andres Bonifacio presiding and Bmilio 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... 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 tate of our
Page countrymen who were shot in Bagumbayan. Should we return now to
34 of the towns, the Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been
92 discovered and we are all marked men. If we don't start the 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 the Filipinos
were (Sic) the cedula tax charged each citizen. "If it is true that
you are ready to revolt... I want to see you destroy your cedulas.
It will be a sign that all of us have declared our severance from the
Spaniards.
Pio Valenzuela
Source: Pio Valenzuela, "Cry of Pugad Lawin," in Gregorio
Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History,
Volume 8 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 301-302.
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 19, and I, 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,
Kamon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views
were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted.
It was at Pugad lawin, 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 on whether or not the
revolution against the Spanish government should be started on
August 29, 1896... After the tumultuous meeting, many of those
present tore their cedula certificates and shouted "Long live the
Philippines! Long live the Philippines!
From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed
marked disagreement among historical witnesses as to the place and
time of the occurrence of the Cry. Using primary and
secondary sources, tour places have been identified: Balintawak,
Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and Bahay Toro, while the dates vary: 23,
24, 25, or 26 August 1896.
Valenzuela's account should be read with caution: He once told
a Spanish investigator that the "Cry happened in Balintawak
on
Wednesday, 26 August 1896. Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs
of the Revolution that it happened at Pugad Lawin on 23 August
Page 1896. Such inconsistencies in accounts should always be seen as a
35 of red fiag when dealing with primary sources.
92 According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all
these places are in Balintawak, then part of Caloocan, now, in
Quezon City. As for the dates, Bonifacio and his troops may have been
moving from one place to another to avoid being located by
the Spanish government, which could explain why there are
several accounts of the Cry.
Self-assessment 4
True or False. Write true if the statement is true.
Otherwise, write false in the space provided.
1. Historical interpretation is based on the
historian’s
judgment on how the past should be seen.
2. We make sense of the past through historical interpretation.
3. Multiperspectivity is a quality of historical writing attributed
to a variety of lenses that may be used to view the past.
4. There is only one account of the first Catholic Mass in
the Philippines.
5. The significance of the martyrdom of the GOMBURZA
is questioned by historians.
6. The Cavite Mutiny is an event that led to the extinction
of the GOMBURZA.
_7. The Cry of the Rebellion happened in present-day
Quezon City.
8. The site of the monument to the Heroes of 1896 was chosen
because this is the actual place where the Cry of the
Rebellion happened.

TO DO!

Assignment 2
Critical essay about a primary source; students are to
discuss the importance of the text, the authors background, the
context of the document, and its contribution in understanding
Philippine History. Topics will be distributed to you in your group chat.
Format and Rubric
are indicated in the course requirements and Deadlines in your course
guide.
Page
36 of
92 REFERENCES

Candelaria, J. L., & Alphora, V. C. (2018). Readings in Philippine History.

Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, inc.

Torres, J. V. (2018). BATIS Sources in Philippine History. Quezon City: C

& E Publishing, Inc.

Christopher F. B., Raymond E. B, Julie C. L., Fatima F. R., Tecah C. S. (2006)

Philippine History Coursebook, Trinitas Publishing. INC.
Chapter/ Module 3: Occupations in the Philippines
Page
37 of LEARNING OBJECTIVES

92
 Describe and analyze the reaction of the early Filipinos to
Spanish Occupation
 Analyze the different economic policies of the Americans in the
Philippines that made impact to the society during and after
the American rule
 Effectively communicate and articulate the historical analysis
of a particular evemt or issue that could help other people
understand and manage present dat issues and concerns.
Lesson 1. Spanish Occupation in The Philippines
Lesson 1.1: Spanish Colonial Way of Life
a. Spanish Colonial Experience
The Spanish Expansion is a result of various forces. Aside
from the Philippines, the Spaniards have already colonized parts of
South, North, and Central America. The inclusion of the Philippines
resulted out of the attempts of Spaniards to control the spice
trade in the Moluccas islands. Aside from the interests in spices,
Spain had been motivated by its mercantilist nature or
accumulation wealth in the form of gold. This was simultaneous
with the invention of new technologies needed for exploration
like the compass and sextant. Maps were also refined at this time
that greatly aided the explorers.
Before Spain actually decided to occupy the Philippines, two
noted voyages already reached the Philippines. This was Magellan
voyage in 1521 and the Villalobos voyage in 1543. These did not start
Spanish colonialism although they provide information and fed the
interest of the Spanish government to finally take the islands. In 1565,
Legaspi carried the Spanish flag and set up in the Philippine
islands another colony for Spain. This commenced the Spanish
colonial rule in the Philippines.
Exploration and colonization during this time were
realized through contractual agreements between the Crown
and the Conquistadores. In essence, the Consquistadores conquered
for Spain but they shall share in the riches of the new
territories they conquered. Thus, conquistadores like Legaspi
instituted measures both for the pacification of the people and the
satisfaction of their private goals. It is within this frame that we
understand that the pacification efforts of the colonizers were
also coupled with exploitation.
b. Instruments of Pacification and Exploitation

Page Encomienda. A system of organizing territories to be under

38 of the care of an Encomendero. It was an administrative unit for the
purpose of exacting tributes from the natives. The Encomendero
92 unit for the purpose of extracting tributes from the natives. The
Encomendero had the power to collect tributes and to use the
personal services of the inhabitants of the encomienda. The
Encomienda shall take care of the welfare of the natives.
1. Protect natives by maintaining peace and order
2. Support missionaries in conversion to Catholicism
3. Help in defense of country.
The services are compensated from the shares an Encomendero
can get from the tributes and the services of the natives. So,
while the system was meant to facilitate the organization and
administration of the colony, the Encomendero gave a negative
image to it. This system was characterized by greed and cruelty. It
was an opportunity for one to enrich oneself primarily by collection
of tribute or unlawful exaction of numerous services.
a.Tributor. This is levying of tax to all Filipinos aged 19-60
except government employees, soldiers with distinguished services,
decendants of Lakandula and some few native chieftains, choir
members, sacristans, porters of the church, and
government witnesses. The alcalde mayors, encomendero,
gobernadorcillo, and the cabezas acted as tribute collectors.
The Spanish form of “taxation” was by itself heavy for
the native. But this was aggravated by the force and abuses
that accompanied its implementation. Soldiers were used to escort
tax collectors to force collection and these often resulted to
violence. Worst, of course, is the act of collecting much more than
what the law required by the tax collectors.
The abusive nature of this policy is evidenced by the fact
that Filipinos who joined the revolts later on cite the exploitative
nature of tribute collection as a chief cause. In Apayao, for
example, they constructed tribute as a monster that could
kill people. The understanding is borne by the fact that the
Ilokanos who entered the Apayao territory related that they were
scared of the tribute that has killed several of them.
b.Polo Y Servicio. This is another colonial policy that obliged
male natives aged 16-60 except chieftains and their eldest son to
serve 40 days each year in labor pools. The labor pools refer to
the site of labor that were mostly of construction kind. The natives
were
asked to build buildings both for the church and the government. They
were also made to make roads and build ships.
Page
39 of This policy was meant to help set up of government
infrastructure and the laborers were even given ration of rice and paid
92 minimal amounts. There were other regulations to ensure the
protection of the workers. In practice though, all these regulations
were violated. Laborers were not paid and were not given any rice
ration. The policy became insensitive to the need of the communities
so that it was still enforced in time of planting or harvest seasons.
In the end, polo y servicio became a forced labot that
contributed to famine experiences and the destruction of
communities.
c. Bandala. This is another policy meant to augment the finances
of the colonial government. It required the compulsory sale of
products to the government. Communities were given quotas
to produce and sold only to the government. The prices set by
the government were lower than the prevailing prices of these
products but were sold back to the people for a high price. This
practice formed natives to be indebted to the chieftain entrenching the
socio-economic position of the chief. In worst cases, which was
usually the case, farmers were not paid at all of their produce
and were given promissory notes. In effect, this policy became a
virtual confiscation of natives’ products.
Divide and Rule: This is a military strategy utilized by
the Spaniards against the natives. In this method, native
mercenaries were used against other groups to beef op limited military
contingency of the Spaniards. Ny its very nature, it was
exploitative as the inter- village warfare tradition of the early
Filipinos was reinforced to serve the interests of the colonizers.
The policies provide clear examples as to how the
colonial policies impacted on the native Filipinos. For them, the
policies were exploitative even if these were just part of the
pacification process of the Spaniards.
These difficulties were compounded by the constant war
Spain was into against the Dutch and Portuguese.
In all the abusive policies, the traditional head of barangay
as the Maginoo and Datu became intermediaries. They were
converted into willing allies of the Colonizers and their powers and
authority were complicated by the colonizers. As traditional barangay
authority, they were used as intermadiaries between the natives
and the Spaniards. Political privilege was also granted by Spaniards
as tribute collectors,
gobernadorcillos and thus helped in mobilizing labor for
government construction of projects. Economically, the Chiefs
Page were given the opportunity and took advantage of the concept of
40 of private property of land. In the end, the traditional chiefs were
92 transformed into a willing ally and were called principals. One can see
the prestige of principalia in the social hierarchy of the period. Of the
native Filipinos, they were ranked higher next to the Spaniards.
Self-assessment Task 1
Compare and contrast the administration of the local government
units during the Spanish period with those of the present.
Spanish Period Present

Conclusion:
Lesson 1.2: Filipino Nationalism

Page a. Early Revolts and Resistance

41 of Given the exploitive nature of Spanish colonialism, early
92 Filipinos chose to revolt against the regime. Among the earliest revolts
were those by Lakandula in Manila. Revolts became an indispensable
response of early Filipinos to Spanish Rule. Revolts became
an indispensable response of early Filipinos to Spanish rule. In the
1600’s nativistic revolts characterized the reactions of the people
towards the Spanish rule. More complicated revolts continued up to
the 1700’s. the earlier revolts could be generalized as revolts
from ordinary natives. These revolts could be generalized as
revolts from ordinary natives. These revolts include Tamblot,
Bankaw, Tapar, Dagohoy, Sumuroy, Dabao, and others. Since
many of the leaders of these revolts were babaylanes, or
traditional priests, one of important underlying objective was to
go back to old native religion (nativistic). As such leaders emerge
as self-proclaimed messiahs saving the people from evil effects of
colonization.
The second group of revolts were those initiated by local chiefs,
or the princiipales, whose type of leadership are already
complicated by Spanish ways. This type of revolt manifested class
interest where the mass revolts were taken advantage of in the desire
to seize power for themselves. This is why many of these were open to
compromises. Examples of this type of revolt are the revolts of
Maniago, Malong, Gumapos, Palaris, Silang, and others.
Both types of revolts, however, contained the desire to improve
the hardship brought about by the colonial rule. Economic
grievance remained the primary reason why people supported
groups and leaders versus Spaniards.

b. The Igorot Resistance to Spanish Interests and the Price

of Igorot Independence
The Igorots, together with the Muslims in Mindanao were the
two biggest groups that were not colonized by the Spaniards.
During the entire 300 plus years of Spanish rule, these groups
remained independent. This work shall consider only the Igorot
resistance.
A note on the word Igorot should be made. Historically speaking,
the groups that were referred by Spanish documents as Igorots were
the inhabitants of Benguet and Bontoc. Other groups in the Cordillera
region were called distint names such as Mandayas for the
Apayao, Itneg for the upper Abra area, Ifugao for Ifugaos. This
would explain
the reluctance of many people outside Benguet and Bontoc to be
considered as Igorots. Etymologically, Igorot was coined with the use
Page pf two old Austronesian words as “gorot”, meaning mountain, and “I”
42 of referring to the source/place or from where one belongs. It is
92 etymological sense that this work adopts the word Igorot to refer
to all people in the Cordillera as Igorots or “from the mountains.”
The Spaniards entered the Cordillera for many reasons but gold
was initially the primary aim. As soon as the colonizers learned of
Igorot gold in the region, expeditions were immediately sent to secure
it. In the 1600, several attempts like those of Aldana, Carino, and
Quirante. They have taken samples of ores and were brought to Manila
for tests. The attempt at reducing the Igorots to Christianity was
another motivation for the Spaniards. The Augustinians entered
the mountain from the Ilocos areas while the Dominicans
penetrated Ifugao in the east. Another reason for Spanish
intrusion into the Cordillera was simply to extend the conquered
territories or to protect the conquered areas of the lowlands.
Still another motivations was the punitive expeditions, which
were meant to punish the Igorots for the resistance they have
been showing. However, it was the sabotage of the tobacco
monopoly that really angered the Spaniards to sponsor
succeeding punitive expeditions against the Igorots. The most
successful of these expeditions was the Galvey expedition.
Guillermo Galvey led a 10- year campaign against the Igorots
from 1829-1839, burning tobacco plantations and communities,
and crushing Igorot opposition. It was the Galvey expeditions
that finally opened the region to Spanish conquest. By the later
part of 1840’s up to the 1950’s, the Spaniards were able to set up
military posts in key areas in the Cordillera. These posts were
called Commandancia Politico-Militares, which were manned by
military people and intended for collection of taxes.
Confronted by the instrusions, the Igorots responded in different
ways but almost always resisting all the plans of the intruders. In
many instances, Igorots simply abandoned their communities when
they learn of Spanish arrival. They would retreat into deeper parts of
the mountain and wait until the Spaniards are gone. If the Igorots
were ready, though, they would engage the Spanish troops with their
traditional weapons as spears, head axes, and bolos. Although the
Igorot weapons were of inferior kind, they relied heavily on ambushes
utilizing the mountainous landscape to their advantages. In some
recorded instances, the Igorots used the weaknesses of the
Spanish weapons they came to learn and won over the more
supposedly superior weapons.
In the Christianization efforts, the Spaniards were able
to convert some Igorots into Christianity. Most of these converts
Page have been relocated in the lowland areas of Ilocos, La Union and
43 of Nueva Viscaya. Overall through, the Igorots remained pagans.
92 Whereabout of their gold have also been denied to
Spaniards and other foreigners.
These responses have been largely successful so that at the end
of the Spanish colonial rule, the Igorots remained independent.
A discussion of the Igorot resistance is incomplete
without considering the price that the Igorots had to pay for their
freedom.
One is the periodic destruction of homes. Most often than
not, the Spaniards burned villages along their route. These
were reconstructed by the Igorots only to be destructed with the
next Spanish expedition.
Another is the estrangement between the lowlanders and the
Igorots. Before Spanish colonization, it has been the case that the two
were partners in trade. The lowlanders brought up salt, animals,
threads, and fish to the highlands. Igorots brought down gold,
beeswax, and other forest products. With the colonization of
the lowlands and the resistance of Igorots, the friendly relation
soured. This is basically because lowlanders were colonized while
the Igorots remained independent. Specifically, the lowlanders were
used by the Spaniards in their attempts at subjugating the Igorots.
The lowlanders usually accompanied the colonizers as guides and
soldiers. One can add the long period of time that the
Spaniards have portrayed negative images of Igorots to
lowlanders painting them as “headhunters”, “pagans”, and
“savages”.
After the period of colonization, it became ironic that
the Filipinos who resisted colonialism were indifferently treated by
later Philippine government. They have often been understood
as the others or the “minority”. As minority, the state has ignored
them for a long time and has used their territories only as
sources of raw materials. In the 1970’s the Marcos government
ignored the please of Igorot of Bontoc and Kalinga not to build the
dams along the Chico River. It was only stopped when resistance
included international groups and the local resistance became violent
c. Campaign for Reforms
The unjust execution of the three Filipino priests Mariano
Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora was a turning point
in Philippine history, for it ushered in a new era – the reform
movement.
Realizing the danger of fighting for their cause on the home front, the
sons of the wealthy and the well-to-do Filipino families migrated
Page to Europe to breath the free atmosphere of the Old World. There
44 of they initiated a sustained campaign for reforms in the
92 Spanish administration of the Philippines. In the homeland,
meanwhile, the Filipino intellectuals secretly collaborated with
those in Spain and founded nationalistic societies.
The dissatisfaction of the Filipino men of wealth and intellect
was centered on the abuses of the Spanish authorities, civil as well as
clerical. The middle class denounced Spanish abuses and asked Spain
to make the Philippines one of its provinces. There was no clamor for
independence, for the reformists believed that the Filipinos would
be better off if they were to become Spanish citizens, enjoying the
rights and privileges of the latter. Such a program constituted what
has been known as assimilation.
For more than a decade the Filipino propagandists waged
their war against the Spanish authorities and friars, but they
failed to awaken the Government of the Peninsula to the
demoralizing realities of colonial administration. The reform
movement was a failure for it did not achieve its goals. In another
sense, however, it was a success, for its failure led to the founding of
the Katipunan with separatist aims (Agoncillo, 1990).
d. The Katipunan
The Kataastaasan Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga
Anak ng Bayn, otherwise known as KKK or simply Katipunan, was
a secret society that was established by Andres Bonifacio and
some of his comrades on July 7, 1892. This was a significant event
for the Filipinos because it marked the end of the peaceful campaign
for reforms and the beginning of a movement which aimed to end
Spanish oppression by uniting the Filipinos and achieve
independence by means of a revolution.
To increase the number of members of the organization, and to
stop suspicion on the part of the family members, the Katipunan
accepted women members. The women were least suspected by
the Spanish authorities, so they were able to keep important
documents of the society. They also served as messengers and front
for the secret meetings of the organization (Vivar et al., 1999)
The Katipunan became especially popular in the suburbs of
Manila and in the provinces of Central Luzon. But as the number of its
affiliates increased, the Spanish authorities began to suspect
its underground character. The friars began to denounce the
nightly
meeting held by Katipuneros and on August 19, 1896, a
certain Patino, a Katipunan member, exposed the society to Fr.
Page Mariano Gil. With the discovery of the Katipunan, Bonifacio had no
45 of alternative than to take the fieldand on August 23, at pugadlawin,
92 he and his men declared their intention to fight to the bitter
end. The revolution spread to the other provinces. In cavite,
meanwhile, the two factions of the society were at loggerheads
and Bonifacio was invited to mediate between them. At Tejeros,
it was agreed to change the society with a government
responsive to the demands of the times, and in the election that
followed, Bonifacio was chosen Director of the Interior.
Unfortunately, his election was questioned by Daniel irona.
Bonifacio hurt by insult, declared the results of the lection null
and void. In April, he was ordered arrested, tried and
executed. The Filipinos were at that time losing battle after
battle. Aguinaldo retreated to Baiak-na-Bato, where the Republic was
founded. Later in, December, the Truce of Biak-na-Bato was
concluded between the rebels and the Spanish Government. The
truce, however, was a failure (Agoncillo, 1990).
Self-assessment Task 2
1. Discuss the teachings of the KKK. Point out some teachings that
you find useful and helpful in your daily life.

2. Make a chart comparing the Reform Movement and

the Katipunan.

Reform Movement Katipunan Movement

Nature

Aims

Methods

Result
Page
46 of Conclusion:
92

Lesson 2: Philippines under the American Regime –

Self- government and developments in the Philippines
Under American Colonial Rule
Lesson 2.1 Self-government and developments in
the Philippines Under American Colonial Rule
a. American Government in The Philippines
a. America’s Policy of Occupation
America’s successful suppression of revolutionary
resistance against their colonial rule forced the Filipino elite to
shift to an alternative of peaceful struggle for independence.
Using an altruistic policy for the Philippines, the United States,
under President Willliam Mckinley, enticed the Filipino elites into a
compromise with American Colonialism. Many of the Filipino
elite Leaders especially the “Illustrados,” began to adhere to the
well-stated US Policy of President Mckinley in his message to the
US Congress stressing that the Philippines is theirs not to
exploit but to develop, to civilize, to educate, and to train in
the science of self-government. In reality, behind this policy
declaration was America’s other colonial objectives, as follows:
1. To pursue a “manifest destiny” for America as a world
power
2. To use the Philippines as a source of raw materials for
US industries and as market for US
manufactured surplus products
3. To use the Philippines as a military and naval base
to balance the power in Asia
4. To have a refueling port for American ships
servicing their interest in Chine
These ulterior motives of America’s colonial rule later became a
reality when the US government gained complete control of
the Philippine archipelago politically. Finding no other way to
repel
American motives, the Filipinos painfully succumbed to compromising
their sovereignty to colonialism by way of serving under American
Page military and civilian rule in the Philippines.
47 of
a. Filipino involvement in American Government in the
92 Philippines (1899-1913)
In preparation for the foundation of a civilian government in
the Philippines, the three successive terms of American
military governors, namely General Wesley Merrit (August 16, 1898),
General Elwell S. Otis (1898-1900), and General Arthur
McArthur (1900- 1901), focused on pacifications of campaigns. To
win the support of Filipino Elites, the Americans used a subtle
strategy of conquest by introducing the American school system
to civilize and educate Filipinos to embrace democracy. They
organized civil courts and appointed Filipino jurists. They
establishedpro-American
installed towns and provinces and
local leaders to participate in
governmental affairs as local apprentices of the American
governance. system of
To train Filipinos to govern their constituencies in the way
Americans want them to towards achieveing their unterior
motives, the first election was held by Gen. Henry W. Lawton in
Baliwag, Bulacan. These patterns of pacification campaign
which were employed successfully in Luzon, Visayas, and
Mindanao resulted in readiness of Filipino elite leaders to
collaborate with the US government in the Philippines.
In the central American government, those Filipino elites
who believed in the sovereighnty of the US over the Philippines
were appointed to top executive, legislative, and judicial positions by
being members of the First Philippine Commission, otherwise known
as the Schurman Comission (1899), and the Second Philippine
Commission (1900) also known as the “Taft Commission.”.
there were three reasons why Filipino elite leaders opted to
collaborate with the American authorities. The first reason was to
preserve the security of their privileges as there was a growing
demand from the masses for the redistribution of economic
benefits and resources. The second reason was the elite class,
distrust of the masses, nothing that some of them were branded as
bandits or trouble makers, ignorant people who possess
questionable moral conduct. Thirdly, the elite could not entrust
their interests and future to the masses, thus, by co-opting with
the Americans, they were assured of the protection of their
wealth, power, and prestige. To the Americans, the pro-American
attitude of the Filipino elites was advantageous to their
colonial purposes and economic interests in the Philippines.
Collaborative participation of cultural communities in
Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao was gained through the efforts of
Page American teachers and missionaries who played their roles in
48 of domestication the tribal leaders. Datus and sultans in Mindanao
92 were used as key persons in their strategy for collaboration,
giving them roles as promoters of social services to effect social re-
orientation favorable to American interests.
In the Cordilleras, the Americans used a strategy to win
the Ifugaos, and Kalingas to cooperate and accept American rule.
The head-hunting skirmishes between and among the Cordillera
tribes, as weel as the disputes over territorial boundaries and
hostilities, were stopped either with the use of firepower for
pacification or with a compromise settlement. When firepower was
not too effective, the Americans shifted to benevolent treatment of
the natives to impress on them their image as benefactors.
Establishment of American local governments in the Cordillera
proved successful after Cordillera natives were appointed as
mayors or cabecillos. Ifugaos who did not make it to political
positions were recruited into the American Constabulary as
regular soldiers who were paid generously.
In Southern Mindanao, the American approach to
establish collaboration was a political co-existence characterized
by mutual respect for personal property and political rights. The
sultanate form of govenmnet of the datus and sultans was a
formidable block to improve American political presence in
Mindanao. Sa as not to agitate the Sultans and datus from usurping
their authorities as leaders of the sultanate government, American
authorities negotiated and concluded treaties with Muslim leaders
such as the Bates Treaty (1899) and later, the Carpenter-Kiriam
Agreement (1905). Consequently, these treaties with the Muslims
led to the erosion of power of the sultanate and paved the way for
the total imposition of American sovereighnty in all territories of the
sultanate.
b. The Filipinization of American Government in the Philippines
In 1913, Frances Burton Harrison became th e first Democratic
Governor General of the Philippines. His appointment saw the full
implementation of American policies and substancial participation
of Filipinos in government. As his colonial policy, rapid Filipinization
of government in the Philippines gained momentum then he
involved Filipinos in the various levels of the bureaucracy.
Unfortunately, Filipinization in government was only confined to the
Filipino elites who were actually landlords and capitalists and
government employees during the Spanish period, including those
who could read and write.
Filipinization in government involving the participation of Filipino
elites was suitable to the Americans since it was an aid rather than a
Page hindrance to colonialism. In the purview of the Americans, keeping
49 of the elite involved in government would be beneficial to American
92 economic interests in the Philippines, because it warranted
economic partnership between Americans and Filipino landlords and
capitalists.
This partnership eventually led to a special relationship between
the American and Filipino land owners and capitalists as manifested in
the so-called “free-trade” which was provided for in the Payne-
Aldrich Tariff of 1909 during the Harrison Era, consequently
making the Philppines a US market of surplus goods in Asia.
The American capitalists enjoyed the lion’s share in the benefits
from the free trade policy. This lopsided effect of free trade policy
permeated further not only in the economic aspect of Filipino life,
but also in the political, social and cultural fields.
c. The Socio-Cultural Effects of Filipinization in Government during
the American Period
The American democratic political structure in the Philippines
which was largely manned by Filipino elites who were trained under
American tutelage in governance improved modern ways of
American democracy. The pro-American Filipino elites
were referred to outsiders as “little brown American.” They
insisted that Filipino traditional ways should be abandoned if
not substituted totally with modern bureaucracy. A new brand of
democracy known as ‘democracy-Filipino style’ emerged. This
style as a trend of Filipinization gave rise to a new breed
of Filipinos who were involved in the introduction of popular
American activities in cultural fields such as sports,
entertainment, education, religion, and the arts.
Despite the fact that American democratic styles have found
a distinct place in Filipino life, Filipino values which were anchored
on Filipino tradition were not abandoned by those who co-opted with
the Americans. Large majority of Filipinos saw no contradictions
between the American values and Filipino tradition. This perception
of many Filipinos was contributory to the Americanization of Filipino
lifestyle.
d. The American Policy on Philippine Independence
When Filipino nationalists began their advocacy movements for
autonomy and independence, the American authorities in
the Philippines had no effective response. They viewed nationalist
efforts as mere agitations of the leaders of insular politics. As a
palliative measure to downplay the clamor for self-
government and
independence, the American colonial authorities promised
independence as soon as a stable form of government could
Page be established by them. This was affirmed by the passage of the
50 of Jones Law in 1916 by the US Congress which required the
92 establishment of a stable government first before independence
would be granted.
In 1918, just after the World War 1 ended, the Filipinos
began to agitate for the fulfillment of America’s promise of
independence to the Philippines. They were inspired by their
belief that political pressures and consistent campaign efforts could
force the US o comply with its promise. After 1918. Through the
leadership of Manual L. Quezon, a more sustained effort to end
American rule and the granting of independence to the Philippines
was directed to the legislators in Washington, the US seat of
government.
Self-assessment 3
Construct a data chart showing the nature, extent, and
Filipino Groups Nature Extent Implications
implications of Filipino participation in American colonialism in the
of of (Effects
Philippines.
Participation Participation or
in in Consequences)
American American
Colonialism Colonialism
1. The Elite
Filipinos

2. Cultural
Communities
(Indigenous
groups
in Mindanao
and
Cordillera)
Conclusion:

Page
51 of
92

b. The Commonwealth Government

The Commonwealth Government was inaugurated on November
15, 1935, witnessed by a crowd of more or less 300,000 Filipinos.
President-elect Manuel L. Quezon delivered his inaugural
address stressing his historic statement which goes, “I would
rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos rather than a
government run like heaven by the Americans.”
The Commonwealth Government of the Philippines, which
became the realization of the real desire of Filipinos for independence,
was able to accomplish the following achievement.
1. Reorganization of the government by creating new offices,
including the Department of National Defense, the
Institute of National Language, the National Council of
Education, the Filipinization of the Judiciary from the
supreme Court down to the municipal courts, the Court of
Appeals, and the Court of Industrial Relations.
2. Granting of women suffrage, after a special
national plebiscite in which 447, 725 women voted in favor
of women suffrage and 44,397 against it.
3. Creation of new chartered cities, namely: Cebu, Iloilo,
Bacolod, Davao, Zamboanga, San Pablo, Quezon
City, Cavite, and Tagaytay.
4. The adoption of Tagalog as the national language.
5. Promotion of social justice (Eight-hour Labor Act) and the
appointment of public defenders to defend the rights of
the poor laborers in the courts.
6. Compulsory military training of able-bodied Filipino
youths,
under the supervision of General Douglas MacArthur.
7. Taking of the 1939 official census of the Philippines.
8. Improvement of the Philippine economy as revealed by
the growth of agriculture, commerce, and industries.
9. Creation of the Joint Preparatory Committee Philippine Affairs
(JPCPA), which recommend the following, (1) granting of
Page Philippine Independence on July 4, 1946 and (2)
52 of extension of Philippine-American Preferential trade to
92 December 31, 1960.
10.Passage of three amendments to the 1935 Philippine
Constitution which were ratified by the national plebiscite on
June 18, 1940.
These amendments were as follows:
a. Tenure of office of the President and Vice-President to was
four years with re-election for another term.
b. Establishment of a bicameral Congress of the Philippines,
with the Senate as Upper House and the House of
Representatives as Lower House.
c. Creation of an Independent Commission on Election
composed of three members to supervise all elections.
Self-assessment 4
a. Tabulate the achievements of the Philippine
Commonwealth according to aspects of Filipino life as
follows: social, cultural, economic and political.
Aspects of Filipino Life Accomplishment of the
Philippine Commonwealth

Social

Cultural

Economic

Political
b. Based on the table above, which aspect(s) of Filipino life
was greatly advanced by the Philippine Commonwealth? Justify.
Page
53 of Lesson 2.2 Development and Progress Under American Rule
92 a. Economic and Social Progress under American Rule
Given an era of cooperation and good relations between
American authorities and Filipino leaders, development in
the Philippines took great leaps and bounds. Rapid development
in agriculture, commerce, ang trade soared high. Transportation
and communications were modernized. Banking systems were
established and manufacturing industries grew in big proportions.
All of these were generated as a result of the favorable political and
socio-cultural climate in the Philippines. American businessmen,
capitalists, and industrialists flocked to Philippine soil to establish
their enterprises using local talents and labors.
The economic progress under America did not pass without
a great price on the part of the Filipinos. Local production and
business gave way to accommodate American Products and industries.
In terms of who benefited most in terms of economic progress, the
Filipinos got the least, while American capitalists got the most profit
using Filipino skills and labor.
b. Growth of Agriculture in the Philippines
Agricultural Progress in the Philippines during the
American regime was remarkable for it changed the deplorable
state of Philippine agriculture into a scientifically advanced and
modernized one. The introduction of experimental model farms
and livestock production technology introduced by Americans
gradually empowered Filipino farmers with scientific methods of
cultivation. New breeds of livestock increased production outputs.
Modern post-harvest facilities like warehouses and farm machineries
like thresher and rice hullers were introduced. Irrigation systems
and dams were built. Sugar plantations were established and
packaging of farm products was taught. All of these and other
introductions and innovations spurred the growth of agricultural
production in the Philippines. Unfortunately, majority of Filipino
farmers were not favored much by agricultural developments for
reasons that they remained tillers of the lands of landlords and
capitalists.
c. Flourishing of Trade and Commerce
The free trade relations between the US and
the Philippines fostered a giant leap for trade and commerce
in the Philippines. Import and export trade which became a full free
trade in
1913 by virtue of the Underwood-Simons Tariff Act of the US Congress
facilitated the opening of ports all over the country.
Page
54 of However, the trade agreement seemed not to favor the Filipino
much because of the fact that Philippine export products were free to
92 enter American ports within quota limits while American products
could enter Philippine ports without paying duty taxes to the
Philippines and without quota limits. The crux of inequality was
the fact that there were more imports from America than the
export products of the Filipinos entering the US. THE American
capitalists got greater profits that their Filipino counterparts.
d. Industrial Development
The American period facilitated the Industrial Age in the
Philippines. Factories sprang up in towns and cities, producing
commodities such as cigars, coconut oil, sugar, textile, and
cordage using local resources. Mining industries boomed
into huge international industries. The Philippines became
known as a gold producer and supplier of other minerals
such as chromate, manganese, copper, iron, silver and others.
Fishing and fish canning became major industries, placing the
Philippines in the limelight of the international market as a rich ground
for deep-sea fishing.
e. Improvement of Transportation and Communication
The American period affected the modernization
of transportation facilities in the Philippines. Roads and bridges
were constructed, which facilitated transport of products from
farms to ports and markets with ease and convenience. By 1935,
there were already 20,826 kilometers of roads and 8,100
bridges built by American road builders.
In 1905, telephone system was introduced in Manila. Radio-
telephone services were installed in 1933. Towns and
provincial capitols were inter-connected by radio, telegraph
lines, and telephones. By 1935, more than a thousand mail
offices all over the Philippines were established, facilitating
communications though ordinary mails, telegrams, money
orders, packages, and air mail letters.
These material progress in the Philippines that were
achieved during the American colonial period had an impact on the
economic condition of the Philippines. However, form the
perception of Filipino nationalists, America’s regime in the
Philippines transformed the Philippines into a market of surplus
products of the US and a gold mine of economic resources at the
expense of the greater majority of
Filipinos, who gave so much of the expense of the resources,
time, and talents but received the least of benefits.
Page
55 of f. Social Progress under America
92 The impact of American public education I the Philippines was a
key factor in the improvement of peace and order conditions in
the country. Democracy as an ideology was emphasized in all
schools. Filipinos became conscious of basic freedoms. Political
writers began to express their views with greater impetus
and political consciousness grew among Filipinos in government.
Partisan politics was allowed, enabling Filipinos to form
independent political parties wherein a great majority of Filipino
elites agitated for political independence.
Filipino cultural life changed dramatically as the
English language became an official medium, not only in schools,
but also in private and public offices. The influx of ideas from the
progressive West acquired through the knowledge and
proficiency in English helped enrich the English language,
which was patrionized by Filipinos, proved itself as the potent
force which changed Filipino cultural life and gave importance to
a Western-oriented cultural environment,
Self-assessment 5
Construct a data chart. List down the developments or
results of American occupation in the Philippines under each aspect of
Filipino life and indicate their positive and negative
implications (consequences or effects). Determine which
sector(s) of Filipino society were benefited most and which the
least.
Aspect of Developments Implications Most Least
Filipino (Results (Consequences Benefited Benefited
of American or Effects) Sector(s) Sector(s)
Occupation)

Social

Cultural
Economic

Page
56 of
92 Political

LESSON 3: The Philippines Under Japanese Rule

Japanese Invasion
During the 10-year period of the Commonwealth
government, Japan arose as Asia’s strongest military power.
The Japanese government, which was controlled by an elite
class of military warriors, embarked on an ambitious scheme to
build an economic empire by uniting all Asian nations against the
colonial clutches of Western imperialist nations. She embarked
on a conquest of expansionism through military invasions over
weak countries in Asia. Her conquests were greatly motivated by
her need for territories to accommodate her excess population and
also to have markets for her surplus manufactured goods.
Establishment of Japanese Military Administration
On January 02, 1942, after the relatively bloodless occupation
of Manila, General Homma, Commander-in-Chief of the
Japanese Imperial Forces in the Philippines, declared the
establishment of the Japanese military administration with the
intention of putting under complete control political, economic,
and socio-cultural affairs in Manila and consequently the whole
Philippines. He further declared the end of American occupation and
Placed the country under martial law, and ordered the confiscation of
firearms, ammunitions, and other war materials. He declared
punishment by death for anyone who did not hostile act against the
Japanese army. He placed under Japanese control all industries,
factories, banks, schools, churches, printing presses, and centers
of recreations. He issues a proclamation prohibiting circulation
of American dollars and introduced Japanese war notes which
replaced Philippine currency. He ordered arrests and punishment to
those who caught singing the American National anthem and any
American song. Books, magazines, and newspaper in English were
confiscated and burned. Only Japanese propaganda newspapers
written in Tagalog were allowed for circulation.
The Socio-Cultural Situation under Japanese Occupation

Page Although there was a Japanese-sponsored republic in existence,

57 of the Filipinos had to contend with five mortal dangers: the
guerillas, hunger, Japanese-paid Filipino spies, lack of medicine, and
92 diseases.
The Japanese military police or “KEMPETAI” had
wanton disregard for human lives. They sowed fear and terror in
communities by raiding houses of occupants with unregistered
radios. All those arrested suspects were severely tortured or
executed publicly by hanging or by firing squad. Oftentimes,
torture by water cure, punching bad or “red-hot iron” or “electric
wire” were made public to warn people not to collaborate in any
way or by any means with Japanese enemies. Worst were public
executions by beheading with samurai. Such did not effectively
sow fear but sowed instead hatred for Japanese soldiers. Spies
were also a menace in the social life of Filipinos. Many Filipino
spies who were paid by the Japanese just pointed to anyone
whom they falsely suspected to be pro-American and anti-
Japanese. More often than not, the victims of Japanese-paid spies
were unjustly accused, tortured, and eventually executed.
Guerillas, on the other hand, were also a threat for they quickly
liquidated Filipinos who were suspected to be Japanese
collaborators without due process.
Social evils such as poverty and pretty crimes were
rampantly prevalent. Crimes against property increased for the sake
of survival. Stealing was a usual crime as it was a desperate
means to survive attributed to scarcity of food and hopelessness due
to the acute state of poverty. Scavengers roamed the streets and
the public markets scrounging for food in garbage drums. Some
women grave in desperation had to sustain their family by
employing themselves as comfort women for Japanese soldiers
and sex attendants to the bourgeoisie and plutocrats.
In the cultural context, the Filipinos were forcibly induced for
educational re-orientation. Military Order no.2, the Japanese policy on
education, was issued on February 2, 1942 to inculcate Japanese
culture; promote the dissemination of the principle of Greater East
Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, spiritual rejuvenation. And the teaching of
Nippongo language; further vocational and elementary education; and
promote the love of labor. The main goal of this Japanese educational
policy was to erase Western cultural influences and to create an
atmosphere of friendship to push through Japanese intentions and war
aims. Schools were re-opened and were forced to strictly observe
Japanese educational policies.
In the field of arts expression, strict prohibitions were enforced
by Japanese authorities. Performers in theatres were not allowed
Page to present entertainment that were Western-oriented and injurious
58 of to Japanese sensibilities. Writers did not enjoy freedom to
92 expression. Only a few print media were allowed for circulation
with strict censorship. While encouraging Filipino culture, the
Japanese imposed restrictions so as to ensure that they do not
impair Japanese aims of war.

The Economic Situation in the Philippine under the

Japanese Occupation
Economic activities in the Philippines during the Japanese
occupation were limited since most of the economic resources
were under Japanese control. Production practically stopped due to
the war and fear of Japanese atrocities. Agriculture production
was at its lowest ebb. This predicament prevailed because
work animals decreased and farms and plantations had been
abandoned. The Japanese military confiscated trucks, cars, rice
harvests, and even required farmers and laborers to serve for the
soldiers. Philippine currency was not in circulation for the banks
were controlled by the Japanese. During the Period of Japanese Rule,
Japanese money, called “Micky Mouse Money” by the Americans
and “Yap-yap” by the Filipinos, was the currency which became
a worthless legal tender towards the end of the Second World War.
The Liberation Period in the Philippines
The Liberation period was one of the most thrilling episodes
of the struggles of Filipinos to restore and preserve their
sovereignty. War historians claim that the two years from 1944-
1946 were the most dramatic part in Philippine history. It was
the period when Filipinos showed their determination to take back
their independence which had they lost, by sheer gallantry and
courage through the guerilla warfare that they waged.
The final phase of the war in the Philippines during World War 2
involved a series of events in which leaders and personalities who
were Either Filipinos or Americans had put their lives at stake or
had somehow perished, all for the sake of a noble cause –
freedom from the clutches of the Japanese hawks of military
expansionism.
Self-assessment 6
A. Tabulate the conditions of the Philippines during the
Japanese rule in its social, economic, cultural, and political
aspects
Aspects of Filipino Facts (Conditions, Prevailing Problems)
Life
Page
59 of
Social
92

Economic

Political

Cultural

B. What would you conclude as the most adversely affected aspect

of Filipino life during the period of the Japanese occupation
in the Philippines? Why?

TO DO!
Assignment 3
Create a Creative Timeline. You will narrate the important dates
and events through creative timeline from Spanish occupation to
Japanese occupation. Be guided by your course guides. Rubric and
format is included there.
TO DO!
Page Assignment 4
60 of
Write a Critical Essay about readings in different occupations in
92 the Philippines that you have chosen. Thre readings are:
a. The house where the Philippines forgotten ‘comfort
women’
were held
b. Comfort Women an unfinished or deal Report of a Mission:
Statements of Victims in the Philippines
Be guided with the rubric and the format of your outputs. See
your course guide!

REFERENCES

Christopher F. B., Raymond E. B, Julie C. L., Fatima F. R., Tecah C. S. (2006)

Philippine History Coursebook, Trinitas Publishing. INC.
Page Chapter/ Module 4: Social, Political, and Cultural
61 of Issues in Philippine History
92

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 To analyze social, political, economic, and cultural issues in the

Philippines using the lens of history.
 To recognize that the problems of today are consequences
of decisions and events that happened in the past.
 To understand several enduring issues in Philippine
society through history
 To propose recommendations or solutions to present-
day problems based on the understanding ot the past
and anticipation of the future through the study of history.
This chapter is dedicated to enduring issues in Philippine
society, which history could lend a hand in understanding. and
hopefully, proposing solutions. These topics include the mandated
discussion on the Philippine constitution and policies on agrarian
reform. It is hoped that these discussions will help us propose
recommendations or solutions to present-day problem based on
our understananding of root causes and how we anticipate future
scenarios in the Philippine setting
Lesson 1 Evolution of the Philippine Constitution
The constitution is defined as a set of fundamental principles or
established precedents according to which a state or other
organization is governed, thus, the word itself means to be a part
of a whole, the coming together of distinct entities into one group,
with the same prineiples and ideals. These principles define the nature
and extent of government.
The Constitution of the Philippines, the supreme law of the
Republic of the Phiippines, has been in effect since 1987. There
were only three other constitutions that have effectively
governed the country: the 1935 Commonwealth
Constitution, the 1973 Constitution, and the 1986 Freedom
Constitution. However, there were earlier constitutions attempted
by Filipinos in the struggle to break free from the colonial yoke.
1897: Constitution of Biak-na-Bato
The Constitution of Biak-na-Bato was the provisionary
Constitution of the Philippine Republic during the Philippine
Page Revolution, and was promulgated by the Philippine
62 of Revolutionary Government on 1 November,1897. The constitution,
92 borrowed from Cuba, was written by Isabelo Artacho and Félix Ferrer
in Spanish, and later on, translated into Tagalog.
The organs of the government under the Constitution were: (1)
the Supreme Council, which was vested with the power of
the Republic, headed by the president and four department
secretaries: the interior, foreign affairs, treasury, and war; (2)
the Consejo Supremo de Gracia Y Justicia (Supreme Council of Grace
and Justice), which was given the authority to make decisions
and affirm or disprove the sentences rendered by other courts
and to dictate rules for the administration of justice; and (3)
the Asamblea de Representantes (Assembly of
Representatives), which was to be convened after the revolution to
create a new Constitution and to elect a new Council of Government
and Representatives of the people.
The Constitution of Biak-na-Bato was never fully
implemented, since a truce, the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, was signed
between the Spanish and the Philippine Revolutionary Army.
Primary Source: Preamble of the Biak-na-Bato
Constitution
The separation of the Philippines from the Spanish monarchy
and their formation into an independent state with its
own government called the Philippine Republic has been the end
sought by the Revolution in the existing war, begun on the 24th of
August, 1896; and, therefore, in its name and by the power delegated
by the Filipino people, interpreting faithfully their desires and
ambitions, we the representatives of the Revolution, in a
meeting at Biak-na-bato, November 1, 1897, unanimously adopted
the following articles for the constitution of the State.
1899: Malolos Constitution
After the signing of the truce, the Filipino revolutionary leaders
accepted a payment from Spain and went to exile in Hong Kong. Upon
the defeat of the Spanish to the Americans in the Battle of Manila Bay
on 1 May 1898, the United States Navy transported Aguinaldo back to
the Philippines. The newly reformed Philippine revolutionary forces
reverted to the control of Aguinaldo, and the Philippine Declaration of
Independence was issued on 12 June 1898, together with several
decrees that formed the First Philippine Republic. The Malolos
Congress was elected, which selected a commission to draw up a draft
constitution on 17 September 1898, which was composed of
wealthy and educated men.
Page
63 of The document they came up with, approved by the Congress on
29 November 1898, and promulgated by Aguinaldo on 21 January
92
1899, was titled "The Political Constitution of 1899 and written in
Spanish. The constitution has 39 articles divided into 14 titles,
with eight articles of transitory provisions, and a final additional
article. The
document was patterned after the Spanish Constitution of 1812, with
infuences from the charters of Belgium, Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua,
Costa Rica, and Guatemala, and the French Constitution of 1793.
According to Felipe Calderon, main author of the constitution,
these countries were studied because they shared Similar social,
political, ethnological, and gOvernance conditions with the
Philippines. Prior constitutional projects in the Philippines also
influenced the Malolos Constitution, namely, the Kartilya and the
Sanggunian Hukuman, the charter of laws and morals of the
Katipunan written by Emilio Jacinto in 1896; the Biak-na-Bato
Constitution of 1897 planned by Isabelo Artacho; Mabini's
Constitutional Program of the Philippine Republic of 1898; the
provisional constitution ot Mariano Ponce in 1898 that followed
the Spanish constitutions; and the autonomy projects of Paterno
in 1898.
Primary Source: Preambie ot the Folitical Constitution of 1899
We, the Representatives ot the Pilipno People, lawfully
convened, in order to establish justice, provIde for common defense,
promote the general welfare and insure the benefits of liberty,
imploring the aid of the Sovereign Legislator of the Universe for
the attainment of these ends, have voted, decreed, and sanctioned
the following political constitution.
As a direct challenge to colonial authorities of the
Spanish empire, the sovereignty was retroverted to the people,
a legal principle underlying the Philippine Revolution. The people
delegated governmental functions to civil servants while they
retained actual sovereignty. The 27 articles of Title IV detail the
natural rights and popular sovereignty of Filipinos, the enumeration
of which does not imply the prohibition of any other rights not
expressly stated. Title III, Article V also declares that the State
recognizes the freedom and equality of all beliefs, as well as the
separation of Church and State. These are direct reactions to
features of the Spanish government in the Philippines, where the
firiars were dominant agents of the state.
The form of government, according to Title II, Article 4 is to be
popular, representative, alternative, and responsible, and
shall exercise three distinct powers-legislative, executive, and
judicial. The
legislative power was vested in a a unicameral body called
the Assembly of Representatives, members of which are elected for
Page terms of four years. Secretaries of the government were given
64 of seats in the assembly, which meet annually for a period of at least
92 three months. Bills could be introduced either by the president or
by a member of the assembly. Some powers not legislative in
nature were also given to the body, such as the right to select its own
officers, right of censure and interpellation, and the right of
impeaching the president, cabinet
members, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and the
solicitor- general. A permanent commission of seven, elected by the
assembly, and granted specific powers by the constitution, was to sit
during the intervals between sessions ot the assembly.
Executive power was vested in the president, and elected by
a constituent assembly of the Assembly of Representatives and
special representatives. The president will serve a term ot four years
without re-election. There was no vice president, and in case of a
vacancy, a president was to be selected by the constituent assembly.
The 1899 Malolos Constitution was never enforced due to
the ongoing war. The Philippines was effectively a territory of the
United States upon the signing of the Treaty of Paris between Spain
and the United States, transterring sovereignty of the Philippines
on 10 December 1898.
1935: The Commonwealth Constitution
It is worth mentioning that after the Treaty of Paris,
the Philippines was subject to the power of the United States of
America, effectively the new colonizers of the country. From 1898 to
1901, the Phiippines would be placed under a military government
until a civil government would be put into place.
Two acts of the United States Congress were passed that
may be considered to have qualities of constitutionality. First
was the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, the first organic law for the
Philippine Islands that provided for the creation of a popularly elected
Philippine Assembly. The act specified that legislative power would be
vested in a bicameral legislature composed of the Philippine
Commission as the upper house and the Philippine Assembly as
lower house. Key provisions of the act included a bill of rights
for Filipinos and the appointment of two non-voting Filipino
President Commissioners of the Philippines as representative to
the United States House of Representatives. The second act that
functioned as a constitution was the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916,
commonly referred to as "Jones Law," which modified the
structure of the Philippine government
through the removal of the Philippine Commission, replacing it with a
Senate that served as the upper house and its members elected
Page by the Filipino voters, the first truly elected national legislature. It
65 of was also this Act that explicitly declared the purpose of the United
92 States to end their sovereignty over the Philippines and recognize
Philippine independence as soon as a stable government can be
established.
In 1932, with the efforts of the Filipino independence
mission led by Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas, the United States
Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act with the promise
of granting Filipinos independence. The bill was opposed by then
Senate President Manuel L. Quezon and consequently, rejected by the
Philippine Senate
By 1934, another law, the Tydings-McDuffie Act, also known as
the Philippine Independence Act, was passed by the United States
Congress that provided authority and defined mechanisms for the
establishment of a formal constitution by a constitutional convention.
The members of the convention were elected and held their first
meeting on 30 July 1934, with Claro M. Kecto unanimously elected as
president.
The constitution was erafted to meet the approval of the United
States government, and to ensure that the United States would
live up to its promise to grant independence to the Philippines.
Primary Source: Preamble of the 1935 Commonwealth
The Filipino people, imploring the aid of Divine Providence,
in order to establish a government that shall embody their
ideals, conserve and develop the patrimony of the nation,
promote the general welfare, and secure to themselves and their
posterity the blessings of independence under a regime of
justice, liberty, and democracy, do ordain and promulgate this
constitution.
The constitution created the Commonwealth of the
Philippines, an administrative body that governed the Philippines
from 1935 to 1946. It is a transitional administration to prepare the
country toward its full achievement of independence. It originally
provided for a unicameral National Assembly with a president
and vice president elected to a six year term without re-election. It
was amended in 1940 to have a bicameral Congress composed of a
Senate and a House of Representatives, as well as the creation of
an independent electoral commission, and limited the term or
office of the president and vice president to four years, with one
re-election. Rights to sufirage were originally afforded to male
citizens of the Philippines who are twenty- one years of age or over
and are able to read and write; this was later
on extended to women within two years after the adoption of the
constitution.
Page
66 of While the dominant influence in the constitution was American,
it also bears traces of the Malolos Constitution, the German, spanish,
92 and Mexican constitutions, constitutions of several South American
countries, and the unwritten English Constitution.
The draft of the constitution was approved by the constitutional
convention on 8 February 1935, and ratified by then U.S.
President Franklin B. Roosevelt on 25 March 1985. Elections
were held in September 1935 and Manuel L. Quezon was elected
President of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth was briefly interrupted by the events of the
World War II, with the Japanese occupying the Philippines. Afterward,
upon liberation, the Phiippines was declared an independent
republic on 4 July 1946
1973: Constitutional Authoritarian
In 1965, Ferdinand E. Marcos was elected president, and in
1967 Phillppine Congress passed a resolution calling for a
constitutional convention to change the 1985 Constitution. Marcos
won the re-election " 1969, in a bid boosted by
campaign overspending and use of government funds. Elections of the
delegates to the constitutional convention were held on 20 November
1970, and the convention began formally on l June 1971, with
former President Carlos P. Garcia being elected as convention
president. Unfortunately, he died, and was succeeded by another
former president, Diosdado Macapagal.
Before the convention finished its work, Martial Law was
declared. Marcos cited a growing communist insurgency as reason for
the Martial Law, which was provided for in the 1935 Constitution.
Some delegates of the ongoing constitutional convention were placed
behind bars and others went into hiding or were voluntary exiled. With
Marcos as dictator, the direction of the convention turned,
with accounts that the president himself dictated some provisions
of the constitution, manipulating the document to be able to hold
on to power for as long as he could. On 29 November 1972, the
convention approved its proposed constitution.
The constitution was supposed to introduce a parliamentary-
style government, where legislative power was vested in a unicameral
National Assembly, with members being elected to a six-year
term. The president was to be elected as the symbolic and ceremonial
head of state chosen from the members of the National
Assembly. The
president would serve a six-year term and could be re-elected to
an unlimited number of terms. Executive
Page
67 of power was relegated to the Prime Minister, who was also the head of
government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces who
92 was also to be elected from the National Assembly.
President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 73 setting
the date of the plebiscite to ratify or reject the proposed
constitution on
30 November 1973. This plebiscite was postponed later
on since Marcos feared that the public might vote to reject the
constitution. Instead of a plebiscite, Citizen Assemblies were held,
from 10-15 January 1973, where the citizens coming together and
voting by hand, decided on whether to ratify the constitution,
suspend the convening of the Interim National Assembly, continue
Martial Law, or place a moratorium on elections for a period of at
least several years. The President, on 17 January 1973, issued a
proclamation announcing that the proposed constitution had been
ratified by an overwhelming vote of the members of the highly
irregular Citizen Assemblies.
The constitution was amended several times. In 1976,
Citizen Asemblies, once again, decided to allow the continuation of
Martial Law, well as approved the amendments: an lnterim
Batasang Pambansa to substitute for the Interim National
Assembly, the president to also become the Prime Minister and
continue to exercise legislative powers until Martial Law was lifted
and authorized the President to legislate on his own on an
emergeney basis. An overwhelming majority would ratify
further amendments succeedingly. In 1980, the retirement age of
members of the judiciary was extended to 70 years. In 1981, the
parliamentary system was formally modified to a French-style,
semi-presidential system where executive power was restored to the
president, who was, once again, to be directly elected; an Executive
Committee was to be created, composed of the Prime Minister
and 14 others, that served as the president's Cabinet; and some
electoral reforms were instituted. In 1984, the Executive Committee
was abolished and the position of the vice president was restored.
After all the amendments introduced, the 1973 Constitution was
merely a way for the President to keep exeeutive powers, abolish the
Senate, and by any means, never acted as a parliamentary
system, instead functioned as an authoritarian presidential system,
with all the real power concentrated in the hands of the
president, with the backing of the constitution.
The situation in the 1980s had been very turbulent. As
Marcos amassed power, discontent has also been burgeoning. The tide
turned
swiftly when in August 1983, Benigno Aquino Jr., opposition leader
and regarded as the most credible alternative to President Marcos,
Page was assassinated while under military escort immediately after his
68 of return from exile in the United
92 States. There was widespread suspicion that the orders to assassinate
Aquino came from the top levels of the governmment and the military.
This event caused the coming together of the non-violent
opposition against the Marcos authoritarian regime. Marcos was
then forced to hold "snap' elections a year early, and said elections
were marred by widespread fraud Marcos declared himself winner
despite international condemnation and nationwide protests. A
small group of military rebels attempted to stage a coup, but
failed; however, this triggered what came to be known as the EDSA
People Power Revolution of 1986, as people from all walks of life
spilled onto the streets. Under pressure from the United States of
America, who used to support Marcos and his Martial Law, the
Marcos family fled into exile His opponent in the snap elections,
Benigno Aquino Jr.s widow, Corazon Aquino, was installed as
president on 25 February 1986.
1987: Constitution After Martial Law
President Corazon Aquino's government had three options
regarding the constitution: revert to the 1935 Constitution, retain the
1973 Constitution and be granted the power to make reforms, or start
anew and break from the "vestiges of a disgraced dictatorship." They
decided to make a new constitution that, acording to the president
herself, should be "truiy reflective of the aspirations and ideals of the
Filipino people.
In March 1986, President Aquino proclaimed a transitional
constitution to last for a year while a Constitutional
Commission drafted a permanent constitution. This transitional
constitution, called the Freedom Constitution, maintained many
provisions of the old one, including in rewritten form the presidential
right to rule by decree. In 1986, a constitutional convention was
created, composed of 48 members appointed by President Aquino
from varied backgrounds and representations. The convention drew
up a permanent constitution, largely restoring the setup abolished by
Marcos
Marcos'sin rule.
1972, The
but with
new new ways to keep
constitution the president
was officially in check,
adopted on 2
a reaction1987.
February to the experience of

The Constitution begins with a preamble and eighteen self-

contained articles. It established the Philippines as a
"democratic
republican State" where "sovereignty resides in the people and all
government authority emanates from them. It allocates governmental
powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the
government.
Page
69 of The Executive branch is headed by the president and his he
appoints. The president is the head of the state and the chief
92 executive, but his power 1s limited by significant checks from the two
other co-equal branches of government, especially during times of
emergency. This is put in place to safeguard the country from the
experience of martial law despotism during the presidency of Marcos.
In cases of national emergency, the president may still declare martial
law, but not longer than a period of sixty days. Congress, through
a majority vote, can revoke this decision, or extend it for a period
that they determine. The Supreme Court may also review the
declaration of martial law and decide if there were sufficient
justifying facts for the act. The president and the vice president are
elected at large by a direct vote, serving a single six-year term.
The legislative power resides in a Congress divided into two
Houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The 24
senators are elected at large by popular vote, and can serve no more
than two consecutive six year terms. The House is composed of district
representatives representing a particular geographic area and makes
up around 80% of the total number representatives. There are
234 legislative districts in the Philippines that elect their
representatives to serve three-year terms, The 1987 Constitution
created a party-list system to provide spaces for the participation
of under-represented community sectors or groups. Party-list
representauves may fil up not more than 20% of the seats in the
House.
Aside from the exclusive power of legislation, Congress may also
declare war, through a two-thirds vote in both upper and
lower nouses, the power of legislation, however, is also subject
to an executive check, as the president retains the power to veto
or stop a bill from becoming a law. Congress may only override this
power with a two-thirds vote in both houses.
The Philippine Court system is vested with the power of the
judiciary, and is composed of a Supreme Court and lower courts
as created by law. The Supreme Court 1s a 15-member court
appointed by the president w1thout the need to be confirmed by
Congress. The appointment the president makes, however, is
limited to a list of nominees provided by a constitutionally
specified Judicial and Bar Council. The Supreme Court Justices may
hear, on appeal, any cases dealing with the constitutionality of any
law, treaty, or decree of the government, cases where questions of
jurisdiction or judicial error are concerned, or cases where the
penalty is sufficiently grave. It may
also exercise original jurisdiction over cases involving government
or international officials. The Supreme ourt is also in
charge of overseeing the functioning and administration ot the lower
courts and their personnel.
The Constitution also established three independent
Constitutional Commissions, namely, the Civil Service Commission, a
central agency in charge of government personnel; the
Commission on Elections, mandated to enforce and administer all
election laws and regulations; and the Commission on Audit, which
examines all funds, transactions, and property accounts of the
government and its agencies.
To further promote the ethical and lawful conduct of the
government, the Office of the Ombudsman was created to investigate
complaints that pertain to public corruption, unlawful behavior of
public officials, and other public misconduct. The Ombudsman can
charge public officials before the Sandiganbayan, a special
court created for this purpose.

Changing the Constitution is a perennial issue that erops up,

and terms such as "Cha-Cha," "Con-Ass," and "Con-Con'" are
regularly thrown around. Article XVII of the 1987 Constitution
provides for three ways by which the Constitution can be changed.
Congress (House of Representatives and the Senate) may
convene as a Constituent Assembly (or Con-Ass) to propose
amendments to the Constitution. It is not clear, however, if Congress is
to vote as a single body or separately. How the Congress convenes as
a Con-Ass is also no provided for in the Constitution.

Another method is through the Constitutional Convention (or Con-

Con), where Congress, upon a vote of two-thirds of all its members, calls
for a constitutional convention. They may also submit to the
electorate the question of calling a convention through a majority vote
of all its members. In a Con-Con, delegates will propose amendments or
revisions to the constitution, not Congress. The 1987 Constitution does
not provide for a method by which delegates to the Con-Con are chosen.

The third method is called the

Page 70 "People's Initiative" (or P). In
of 92
this method, amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by the
people upon a petition of at least 12% of the total number of registered
voters. All legislative districts must be represented by at least 12%
of the registered votes therein. No amendment is allowed more than
once every five years since a successful PL. The 1987 Constitution
directs the Congress to enact a law to implement provisions of the PI,
which has not yet materialized.

Amendments or revision to the constitution shall be valid only

when ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a national referendum.
Only the House of Representatives can initiate the impeachment
of the president, members of the Supreme Court, and
Page other constitutionally protected public ofhicials such as the
71 of Ombudsman. The Senate will then try the impeachment case.
92 This is another safeguard to promote moral and ethical conduct in
the government.
Attempts to Amend or Change the 1987 Constitution
The 1987 Constitution provided for three methods by which the
Constitution can be amended, all requiring ratification by a
majority vote in a national referendum. These methods were
Constituent Assembly, Constitutional Convention, and People's
Initiative. Using these modes, there were efforts to amend or
change the 1987 Constitution, starting with the presideney of
Fidel V. Ramos who succeeded Corazon Aquino. The first attempt
was in 1995, when then Secretary of National Security Council
Jose Almonte drafted a constitution, but it was exposed to the
media and it never prospered. The second effort happened in
1997, when a group called PIRMA hoped to gather signatures
from voters to change the constitution through people's initiative.
Many were against this, including then Senator Miriam Detensor-
Santiago, who brought the issue to court ana won-with thes
upreme Court judging that a people's initiative cannot pusn
through without an enabling law.
The succeeding president, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, formed a
study Commission to investigate the issues surrounding charter
change
Presidentfocusing
Estrada onwas
thereplaced
economic
by and judiciary
another provisions
People Power and of
the constitution.
succeeded This
by his effort was also
Vice blocked
Gloria by different Arroyo,
Macapagal- entities.
After
President, House Speaker Jose then endorsed constitutional
de Venecia
through change
a Constituent Assembly, which entails a two-thirds vote of the
House to propose amendments or revision to the Constitution.
This initiative was also not successful since the term of President
Arroyo was mired in controversy and scandal, including the
possibility of Arroyo extending her term as president, which the
Constitution does not allow.
The administration of the suceeding President Benigno
Aquino Ill had no marked interest in charter change, except those
emanating from different members of Congress, inciuaing the
speaker of the House, Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who attempted
to muroauce amendments to the Constitution that concern
economic provisions that aim toward liberalization. This effort did not
see the light of day.
Federalism in the Philippines was supported by President Duterte in
Page the 2016 presidential elections, saying that it will evenly distribute
wealth in the Philippines instead of concentrating it in Manila, the
72 of capital of the country. As a form of government, a central governing
92 authority and constituent political units constitutionally share
sovereignty. Applied to the Philippines, the country will be broken into
autonomous regions. Each region will be further divided into local
government units. The regions will have the primary responsibility of
industry development, public safety and instruction, education,
healthcare, transportation, and many more. Each region will also take
charge of their own finances, plans for development, and laws exclusive
to ther area. The national government, on the other hand, Will only
handle matters of national interest such as foreign policy and defense,
among others. In this system, it is possible for the central government
and the regions to share certain powers.

Our current system is that ot a unitary form, where administrative powers

and resources are concentrated in the national government. Mayors
and governors would have to rely on allocations provided to them
through a proposed budget that is also approved by the nation
government, a system prone to abuse.

There are many pros to a federal form of government. Each region

may custom fit solutions to problems brought about by their
distinct geographic, cultural, social, and economic contexts. Regions
also have more power over their finances, since they handle majority ot
their income and only contributes to a small portion to the national
government.

They can choose to directly fund their own development projects

without asking for the national government's go signal. A federal
system could alsso promote specialization, since the national
govermment could focus on nationwide concerns while regional
governments can take care of administrative issues.

A federal form of government could also solve a lot of decade-old problems

of the country. It may be a solution to the conffict in Mindanao, Since
a separate Bangsamoro region could be established for Muslim Mindanao.
It could address the inequality in wealth distribution and lessen
the dependence to Metro Manila, since regions can proceed with what
they have to do without needing to consider the situation in the capital.

There are also cons to federalism. While it creates competition among

regions, it could also be a challenge to achieving unity in the country.
There might be regions which are not ready to govern themselves, or have
lesser resources, which couid mire them deeper in poverty and make
development uneven in the country.
There could be issues regarding overlaps in jurisdiction, since
Page ambiguities may arise where national ends and regional begins,
or vice versa. As a proposed solution to the conflict in Mindanao,
73 of we must also remember that the Autonomous Region in
92 Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has already been created, and the
conflict still continues. Federalism may not be enough for those
who clamor separation.
Any effort to shift the system of government also entails costs, and
it would not be cheap. It would cost billions to dismantle the current
system and would take a long time belore the system normalizes
and irons out its kinks.

In an upsurge of populism, President Rodrigo Duterte won

the 2016 presidential elections in a campaign centering on law and
order, proposing to reduce crime by killing tens of thousands of
criminals. He is also a known advocate of federalism, a compound
mode ot government combining a central or federal government
with regional governments in a single political system. This
advocacy is in part an influence of his background, being a local
leader in Mindanao that has been mired in poverty and violence for
decades. On 7 December 2016, President Duterte signed an
executive order creating a consultative committee to review the
1987 Constitution.
Lesson 2 Policies on Agrarian Retorm
Agrarian reform is essentially the rectification of the
whole system of agriculture, an important aspect of the Philippine
economy because nearly half of the population is employed in the
agricultural sector, and most citizens live in rural areas.
Agrarian reform is centered on the relationship between
production and the distribution of land among farmers. It is also
focused on the political and economic class character of the
relations of production and distribution in farming and related
enterprises, and how these connect to the wider class structure.
Through genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform, the Philippines
would be able to gain more from its agricultural potential and
uplift the Filipinos in the agricultural sector, who have been, for the
longest time, suffering in poverty and discontent.
In our attempt to understand the development ot
agrarian reform in the Philippines, we turn our attention to Our
counuy s history, especially our colonial past, where we could find
the root or the agrarian woes the country has experienced up to this
very day.
Landownership in the Philippines under Spain

Page When the Spaniards colonized the country, they brought

74 of with them a system of pueblo agriculture, where rural communities,
often dispersed and scattered in nature, were organized into
92 apueblo and given land to cultivate.
Families were not allowed to own their land-the King of
Spain owned the land, and Filipinos were assigned to these lands to
cultivate them, and they paid their colonial tributes to the Spanish
authorities in the form of agricultural products.
Later on, through the Law of the Indies, the Spanish crown
awarded tracts of land to (1) religious orders; 2) repartamientos
for Spanish military as reward for their service; and (3)
Spanish encomenderos, those mandated to manage the
encomienda or the lands given to them, where Filipinos worked and
paid their tributes to the encomendero. Filipinos were not given the
right to own land, and only worked in them so that they might have a
share of the crops and pay tribute. The encomienda system was
an unfair and abusive system as "compras y vandalas" became
the norm for the Filipino farmers working the land-they were
made to sell their products at very low price or surrender their
products to the encomenderos, who resold this as a profit. Filipinos
in the encomienda were also required to render services to the
encomenderos that were unrelated to farming.
From this encomienda system, the hacienda system
developed in the beginning or the nineteenth century as the Spanish
government implemented policies that would fast track the entry of
the colony into the capitalist world. The economy was tied to the
world market as the Philippines became an exporter of raw
materials and importer of goods. Agricultural exports were
demanded and the hacienda system was developed as a new form
of ownership. In the 1860s, Spain enacted a law ordering
landholders to register their landholdings, and only those who knew
benefitted from this. lands were claimed and registered in other
people's names, and many peasant families who were "assigned"
to the land in the earlier days of colonization were driven out or
forced to come under the power of these people who claimed
rights to the land because they held a title.
This is the primary reason why revolts in the Phihppines
were often agrarian in nature. Before the colonization, Filipinos
had communal ownership of land. The system introduced by the
Spaniards became a bitter source of hatred and discontent for
the Filipinos. Religious orders, the biggest landowners in the
Philippines, also
became a main source of abuse and exploitation for the Filipinos,
increasing the rent paid by the Filipinos on a whim.
Page
75 of Filipinos fought the Philippine Revolution in a confluence
of motivations, but the greatest desire for freedom would be
92 the necessity of owning land. Upon the end of the Philippine
Revolution, the revolutionary government would declare all large
landed estates, especially the confiscated friar lands as
government property. However, the first Philippine republic was
short-lived. The entrance of the Americans would signal a new era
of colonialism and imperialism in the Philippines.
Landownership in the Philippines under the Americans
The Americans were aware that the main cause of social unrest
in the Philippines was landlessness, and they attempted to put an end
to the deplorable conditions of the tenant farmers by passing
several land policies to increase the small landholders and
distribute ownership to a bigger number of Filipino tenants and
farmers. The Philippne Bill of 1902 provided regulations on the
disposal of public lands. A private individual may own 16
hectares of land while corporate landholders may have 1,024
hectares. Americans were also given rights to own agricultural lands
in the country. The Philippine Commission also enacted Act No.
496 or the Land Registration Act, which introduced the Torrens
system to address the absence of earlier records of issued land titles
and conduct accurate land surveys. In 1903, the homestead
program was introduced, allowing a tenant to enter into an
agricultural business by acquiring a tarm of at least 16 hectares.
This program, however, was limited to areas in Northern Luzon
and Mindanao, where colonial penetration had been difficult for
Americans, a problem they inherited from the Spaniards.
Landownership did not improve during the American period;
in fact, it even worsened, because there was no limit to the size
of landholdings people could possess and the accessibility of
possession was limited to those who could afford to buy, register,
and acquire fixed property titles. Not all friar lands acquired by the
Americans were given to landless peasant farmers. Some lands were
sold or leased to American and Filipino business interest. This
early land retorm program was also implemented without
support mechanisms-if a landless peasant 1armer received land, he
only received land, nothing more. Many were torced to return to
tenancy and wealthy Filipino hacienderos purchased or forcerully
took over lands from farmers who could not afford to pay their
debts. The system introduced by the Americans enabled more lands
to be placed under tenancy, which: widespread peasant uprisings,
,such as the Colorum and Sakdal
Uprising in Luzon. Peasants and workers found refuge trom
millenarian movements that gave them hope that change could
Page still happen through militancy.
76 of
92 The Sakdal (or Sakdalista) Uprising was a peasant rebellion in
Central Luzon that lasted for two days, May 2-3, 1935. It was easily
crushed by government forces then, but this historical event
tells of the social inequality brought about by issues in land
ownership and tenancy in the country.
The Filipino word sakdal means "to accuse, which is the title of the
newspaper helmed by Benigno Ramos. He rallied support from
Manila and nearby provinces through the publication, which led
to the establishment of the Partido Sakdalista in 1933.
They demanded reforms from the government, sueh as the
abolition of taxes and "equal or comon ownership of land, among
others. They also opposed the dominant Nacionalista Party's
acceptance of gradual independence from the United States,
and instead demanded immediate severance ot ties with
America.
For a new party with a small clout, they did well in the 1934 general
elections, scoring three seats in the House of Representatives
and several local posts. This encouraged them to attempt an
uprising in 1936. Upon being crushed, Ramos fled to Tokyo and
the Partido Sakdalista collapsed.

During the years of the Commonwealth government, the

situation further worsened as peasant uprisings increased
landlord-tenant relationship and became more and more
President Quezon laid down disparate.
a social justice program tocused on
the purchase of haciendas, which were to be divided and sold to
tenants. His administration also created the National Rice and Corn
Corporation (NARIC) to assign public defenders to assist peasants in
court battles for ther rights to the land, and the Court of Industrial
Relations to exercise jurisdiction over disagreements arising
from landowner- tenant relationship. The homestead program also
continued through the National Land Settlement Administration
(NLSA). Efforts toward agrarian retorm by the Commonwealth failed
because of any problems such as budget allocation tor the settlement
program and widespread peasant uprisings. World War II put a halt to
all interventions to solve these problems as the Japanese occupied
the country.
Post-War Interventions Toward Agrarian Reform

Page Rehabilitation and rebuilding after the war were focused on

77 of providing solutions to the problems of the past. The administration of
President Roxas passed Republic Act No. 34 to establish a 70-30
92 sharing arrangement between tenant and landlord, respectively,
which reduced the interest of landowners loans to tenants at six
percent or less. The government also attempted to redistribute
hacienda lands, falling prey to the woes of similar attempts since
no support was given to small farmers who were given lands.
Under the term of President Elpidio Quirino, the Land Settlement
Development Corporation (LASEDECO) was established to
accelerate and the resettlement program for peasants. This
agency later on became the National Resettlement and
Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) under the administration of
President Ramon Magsaysay.
Magsaysay saw the importance of pursuing genuine land reform
program and convinced the Congress, majority of which were
landed elites, to pass legislation to improve the land reform
situation. Republic Act No. 1199 or the Agricultural Tenancy Act
was passed to govern the relationship between landholders and
tenant farmers, protecting the tenurial rights of tenants and
enforced tenancy practices. Through this law, the Court of
Agricultural Relations was created in 1955 to improve tenancy
security, fix land rentals of tenanted farms, and resolve land
disputes filed by the landowners and peasant organizations. The
Agricultural Tenancy Commission was also established to
administer problems created by tenancy. The Agricultural
Credit and Cooperative Financing Administration (ACCFA) was also
created mainly to provide warehouse facilities and assist farmers
in marketing their products. The administration spearheaded the
establishment of the Agricultural and Industrial Bank to provide
easier terms in applying for homestead and other farmlands.
NARRA accelerated the government's resettlement program and
distribution of agricultural lands to landless tenants and farmers. It
also aimed to convince members of the Huks, a movement of
rebels in Central Luzon, to resettle in areas where they could
restart their lives as peaceful citizens.
Despite a move vigorous effort toward agrarian reform, the
situation for the farmers remained dire since the government
lacked funds and provided inadequate support services for the
programs. The landed elite did not fully cooperate and they criticized
the programs.
A major stride in land reform arrived during the term of
President Diosdado Macapagal through the Agricultural Land
Page Reform Code (Republic Act No. 3844)
78 of
Primary Source: Declaration of Policy under RA No.
92 3844 or Agricultural Land Reform Code
Source: Section 2. Declaration of Policy--It is the poliey of the
State:
(1)To establish owner-cultivatorship and the economic family-
size farm as the basis of Philippine agriculture & , as a consequence,
divert landlord capital in agriculture to industrial development;
(2)To achieve a dignified existence for the small farmers free
from pernicious institutional restraints and practices;
(3)To create a truly viable social and economic structure in
agriculture conducive to greater productivity and higher farm
incomes
(4)To apply all labor laws equally and without discrimination to
both industrial and agricultural wage earners,
(5)To provide more vigorous and systematic land
resettlement program and public land distribution; and
(6)To make the small farmers more independent, self-reliant
and responsible citizens, and a source of genuine strength in
our democratic society.
This Code abolished share tenancy in the Philippines and
prescribed a program to convert tenant-farmers to lessees and
later on owner-cultivators. It also aimed to free tenants from
tenancy and emphasize owner cultivatorship and farmer
independence, equity, productivity improvement, and public land
distribution. Despite being one of the most comprehensive pieces of
land reform legislation ever passed in the Philippines, Congress did
not make any effort to come up with a separate bill to fund its
implementation, despite the fact that it proved beneficial in the
provinces where it was pilot tested.
Agrarian Reform Efforts under Marcos
President Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972, enabling him to
essentially wipe out the landlord-dominated Congress. Through his
"technocrats," he was able to expand executive power to start a
"fundamental restructuring" of government, including its efforts in
solving the deep structural problems of the countryside.
Presidential Decree No. 27 or the Code of Agrarian Reform of the
Philippines became the core of agrarian reform during Marcos
regime.
Primary Source: Presidential Decree No. 27, 21 October
1972
This shall apply to tenant farmers of private agricultural
lands primarily devoted to rice and corn under a system of
Page sharecrop or lease-tenancy, whether classified as landed estate or
79 of not;
92 The tenant farmer, whether in land classified as landed
estate or not, shall be deemed owner of a portion constituting a
family-size farm of (5) hectares it not irrigated and three (3) hectares
if irrigated:
In all cases the landowner may retain an area of not more than
seven (7) hectares if such landowner is cultivating such area or
will now cultivate it; For the purpose of determining the cost of
the land to be transferred to the tenant-farmer pursuant to this
Decree, the value of the land shall be equivalent to two and one-half
(2 1/2) times the average harvest of three normal crop years
immediately preceding the promulgation of this Decree;
The total cost of the land, including interest at the rate of six
(6) per centum per annum, shall be paid by the tenant in fifteen
(15) years of fifteen (15) equal annual amortizations;
In case of default, the amortization due shall be paid by the
farmers' cooperative in which the defaulting tenant-farmer 18 a
member, with the cooperative having a right of recourse against him;
The government shall guaranty such amortizations with
shares of stock in government-owned and government-controlled
corporations;
No title to the land owned by the tenant-farmers under this
Decree shall be actually issued to a tenant-farmer unless and until the
tenant- farmer has become a full-fledged member of a duly
recognized farmer's cooperative; Title to land acquired pursuant to
this Decree or the Land Reform Program of the Government shall not
be transferable except by hereditary succession or to the
government in accordance with the provisions of this Decree, the
code of Agrarian telorms and other existing laws and regulations;
The Department of Agrarian Reform through its Secretary is
hereby empowered to promulgate rules and regulations
for the implementation of this Decree.
"Operation Land Transfer" on lands occupied by tenants of.
more than seven hectares on rice and corn lands commenced, and
through legal compulsion and an improved delivery of support services
to small farmers, agrarian reform seemed to be finally achievable.
Under the rice self-sufficiency program "Masagana '99, farmers
were able to borrow from banks and purchase three-hectare plots
of lands and agricultural inputs However, the landlord class still found
ways to circumvent the law. Because only rice lands were the focus of
agrarian
reform, some landlords only needed to change crops to be
exempted from the program, such as coconut and sugar lands. Lands
Page worked by wage labor were also exempt from the program, so the
80 of landed elite only had to evict their tenants and hired
92 workers instead. Landlessness increased, which made it all the
more difficult for the program to succeed because landless
peasants were excluded from the program. Many other methods
were employed by the elite to find a way to maintain their power
and dominance, which were worsened by the corruption of Marcos
and his cronies who were also involved in the agricultural sector.
Post-1986 Agrarian Reform
The overthrow of Marcos and the 1987 Constitution resulted
in a renewed interest and attention to agrarian reform as
President Corazon Aquino envisioned agrarian reform to be the
centerpiece of her administration's social legislation, which proved
difficult because her background betrayed her -she came from a
family of a wealthy and landed clan that owned the Hacienda Luisita.
On 22 July 1987, Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation
131 and Executive Order 229, which outlined her land reform
program. In 1988, the Congress passed Republic Act No.
6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARD), which
introduced the program with the same name (Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program or (CARP). It enabled the redistribution of
agricultural lands to tenant-farmers from landowners, who were
paid in exchange by the government through just compensation
and allowed them to retain not more than have hectares.
Corporate landowners were, however, allowed under law to
voluntarily divest a proportion of their capital stock, equity, or
participation in favor of their workers or other qualified beneficiaries
instead of turning over their land to the government.
CARP was limited because it accomplished very little during the
administration of Aquino. It only accomplished 22.5% of land
distribution in six years owing to the fact that Congress,
dominated by the landed elite, was unwilling to fund the high
compensation costs of the program. It was also mired in
controversy, since Aquino seemingly bowed down to the pressure
of her relatives by allowing the stock redistribution option. Hacienda
Luisita reorganized itself into a corporation and distributed stocks to
farmers.
Under the term of President Ramos, CARP implementation
was speeded in order to meet the ten-year time frame, despite
limitations and constraints in funding, logistics, and participation
of involved sectors. By 1996, the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR)
distributed only 58.25% of the total area target to be covered by the
program. To address the lacking funding and the dwindling time
Page for the implementation of CARP, Ramos signed Republic Act No.
81 of 8532 in 1998 to amend CARL and extend the program to another ten
92 years.
CARPER and the Future of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines
The new deadline of CARP expired in 2008, leaving 1.2 million farmer
beneficiaries and 1.6 million hectares of agricultural land to be
distributed to farmers. In 2009, President Arroyo signed Republic Act
No. 9700 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
Extension with Reforms (CARPER), the amendatory law that
extended the deadline to five more years. Section 30 of the law also
mandates that any case and/or proceedings involving the
implementation of the provisions of CARP, as amended, which
may remain pending on 30 June 2014 shall be allowed to proceed to
its finality and executed even beyond such date.
From 2009 to 2014, CARPER has distributed a total of 1 million
hectares
land of land
reform and to 900,000
two Aquinofarmer beneficiaries.
administrations, After 27
500,000 years of
hectares of
lands remain undistributed. The DAR the Department of
and Environment and Natural Resources are the
(DENR) mandated to fulfill CARP and CARPER, but
agencies government
even the combined
effort and resources of the two agencies have proved incapable of fully
achieving the goal of agrarian reform in the Philippines. The same
problems have plagued its implementation: the powerful landed
elite and the ineffectual bureaucracy of the Philippine government.
Until these two challenges are surmounted, genuine agrarian reform
in the Philippines remains but a dream to Filipino farmers who
have been fighting for their right to landownership for centuries.
Self-assessment 1
True or False. Write true if the statement is true. Otherwise,
wrote
false in the space provided.
1. The 1935 Commonwealth Constitution was a result of
the passage in the United States Congress of the Hare-
Hawes Cutting Act.
2. The Philippine Commonwealth was interrupted by the
Cold War.
3. Before 1973, the constitution in effect in the Philippines
was the 1935 Constitution.
4. Landownership in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial
period was a great source of hatred and resentment among
the Filipinos.
Page
82 of 5. The American period ushered in a great
improvement in landownership in the country.
92
6. Agrarian reform under the dictator Ferdinand Marcos was
a failure.
Self-assessment 2
Answer the following questions on the spaces provided.
1. Why is a constitution considered as the “highest expression of
the law”?

2. How important is the Malolos Republic Constitution with

regard to the ideas and provisions that it introduced?

3. the drafting of the Malolos Republic Constitution. In your

opinion, why was this issue controversial at that time?

TO DO!

Assignment 5
Watch the documentary video about hacienda Luisita placed on your
flash drive. Folder: Documentary Video; File: Hacienda Luisita. Then,
write a reaction paper about the video. Handwritten will do. Part 1 is
the summary of the work, Part 2 is your reaction to the work, and it
must contain a concluding paragraph. For guiding you on how to
write a reaction paper, visit http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/
Page handouts/the-writing-process- I/invention/Writing-a-Response-
83 of or-Reaction-Paper
92 Be guided on the format and rubric on your course guide.
TO DO!

Assignment 6
Compare and contrast Philippine Constitutions and the Proposed
Federal Constitution. Follow the format and be guided on the rubric
on your course guide.
Form of Ratifying/ Length of Distinctive
Government Promulgating Effectivity Features
Body
Biak-na
Bato
Constitution
Malolos
Republic
Constitution
1935
Constitution
1973
Constitution
1987
Constitution
Proposed
Federal
Constitution

Lesson 3: Biography of a Prominent Filipino

Biography of Macli-ing Dulag
Macliing Dulag also spelt Macli-ing, Macli'ing; c. 1930 – 24 April
1980) was a Kalinga leader of the Butbut tribe in the
Cordillera Administrative Region on the island of Luzon in the
Philippines, who was assassinated for his opposition to the Chico
River Dam Project.
Dulag was a chieftain in the highland village of Bugnay,
Tinglayan, Kalinga-Apayao. A farmer by profession, Dulag was also a
Page road maintenance worker for the Department of Public Works and
84 of Highways. He staunchly opposed construction of the Chico Dam, a
hydroelectric project along the Chico River proposed by President
92 Ferdinand E. Marcos' government and was to be funded by the World
Bank.
Indigenous peoples in the area, including the Kalinga and the
Bontoc, resisted the project for three decades as the proposed dam's
reservoir threatened to drown 1,400 square-kilometres of
traditional highland villages and ancestral domains in the
modern-day provinces of Mountain Province, Kalinga and Apayao.
On 24 April 1980, elements from 4th Infantry Division of the
Philippine Army opened fire on Dulag at his home, killing him and
wounding a companion. His murder unified the various peoples of the
Cordillera Mountains against the proposed dam, causing both
World Bank and the the
Marcos regime to
eventually abandon the
project a few years after.
Commemoration
The date of Dulag's
death is unofficially
observed as "Cordillera
Day" annually by
indigenous communities
along the Chico River.
Dulag's nameis
also inscribed in
the Bantayog
ng mga Bayani (Monument of the Heroes) in Quezon City,
Metro Manila, which is dedicated to victims of extrajudicial killings
since the Martial Law era.
Macli-ing as the Cordilleran Defender
To the Marcos dictatorship, the indigenous communities of
the Cordillera mountain range in the north of Luzon could easily
be dealt with as it proceeded with its plan to build a huge dam on
the Chico River.

But the Kalinga and Bontok peoples knew that the project
would flood their ricefields and their homes, communal forests and
sacred burial grounds. It would destroy their lives by changing
their environment forever.
Macliing Dulag was a respected elder of the Butbut tribe in
the tiny mountain village of Bugnay in the 1960s. He was a
Page pangat, one of those listened to by the community because of
85 of their wisdom and courage. He was also the elected barrio captain
of Bugnay, serving out three terms since 1966. Ordinarily, he
92 tended his rice fields and worked as a laborer on road
maintenance projects (earning P405 a month).
In 1974, the regime tried to implement a 1,000-
megawatt hydroelectric power project, to be funded by the World
Bank, along the Chico River. The plan called for the construction of
four dams that would have put many villages under water, covering an
area of around 1,400 square kilometers of rice terraces (payew),
orchards, and graveyards. As many as 100,000 people living
along the river, including Macliing’s Bugnay village, would have lost
their homes.
Macliing became a strong and articulate figure in this
struggle which pitted small nearly powerless communities in the
Cordilleras against the full powers of the martial law regime. Kalinga
and Bontok leaders were offered bribes, harassed by
soldiers and government mercenaries, even imprisoned. But the
anti-dam leaders, including Macliing, stayed firm in their opposition
to the project. They argued that development should not be
achieved at such extreme sacrifice.

“If you destroy life in your search for what you say is the
good life, we question it,” Macliing said”. Those who need electric
lights are not thinking of us who are bound to be destroyed.
Should the need for electric power be a reason for our death?”

Macliing expressed the people’s reverence for the land,

affirming their right to stay: “Such arrogance to say that you own
the land, when you are owned by it! How can you own that which
outlives you? Only the people own the land because only the people
live forever. To claim a place is the birthright of everyone. Even
the lowly animals have their own place…how much more when
we talk of human beings?”
Resistance to the dam project unified the Cordillera region.
Macliing and other Cordillera leaders initiated a series of tribal
pacts (bodong or vochong), which helped cement this unity and
create a very broad alliance of the communities and their
supporters. They recognized the leader of the Butbut as their
spokesperson, for although Macliing had had no formal education,
he always found the right words for what they needed to say.
Macliing was murdered by government soldiers on April 24,
1980. They surrounded his house one night and sprayed it
with bullets. His assassination merely solidified opposition to the
dam and won it sympathizers from all over the country and even
abroad. Even the World Bank, which would have funded the dam
construction,
withdrew from the project, finally forcing the martial law government
to cancel its plans.
Page
86 of Four of Macliing’s killers were charged and in 1983 tried before
92 a military tribunal. An army lieutenant and a sergeant
were subsequently found guilty of murder and frustrated
murder. The lieutenant was later reinstated in the army, rose to
become a major, and then himself was killed in 2000 by the New
People’s Army.

Self-assessment Task 3
Answer the following questions below.
1. Despite not having formal education, Macli-ing was
considered as one of the most influential people in the
Cordillera. What are the lessons that the Great Macli-ing
left to the Cordilleran Generation?

2. What are the political/social/environmental issues today that

are comparable to the story of Macli-ing Dulag and the
government?

3. What is the importance of land and heritage to the

Cordilleran people?

TO DO!

Assignment 7
Create a poster showcasing your pride of Cordilleran culture
and historical heritage inspired by the biography of Macling Dulag
Page on ½ Cartolina. Be creative! Color your output. Place your name
87 of on Right top of your output outside the margin.
92 Be guided with the format and the rubric on your course guide.

Lesson 4: Philippine Modern Issues

COVID 19

In December 2019, reports emerged that a coronavirus that

specialists had never before seen in humans had begun to spread

among the population of Wuhan, a large city in the Chinese
province of Hubei.

Since then, the virus has spread to other countries, inside and outside
of Asia, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare
this as a pandemic.

To date, the novel coronavirus — called severe acute

respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) — has been
responsible for millions of infections globally, causing hundreds of
thousands of deaths. The highest number of deaths has occurred
in the United States.

What do we really know about this virus? To what extent is it likely to

affect the global population?

Medical News Today have contacted the WHO, collected

information from public health organizations, and looked into the
newest studies in peer reviewed journals to answer these and
other questions from our readers.

As of today (August 10, 2020) the World Health Organization has

a total record of 20,026,161 cases around the world, 734,020
deaths and 12,900, 625 recoveries.
In the Philippines, the Department of health has recorded a total
Page of 129,913 Covid-19 cases, 2,270 death and 67, 637 total recoveries.
88 of
92 Self-assessment Task 4

Make a data chart on the impact of Covid-19, a worldwide

pandemic on the different aspect of human around the globe.

Life aspect Impact of Covid-19

Social

Political

Environmental

Economy
Page
89 of
92

Conclusion:

TO DO!

Assignment 8
Watch the documentary by Atom Araullo entitled The Atom Araullo
Specials: Covid -19: Nang Tumigil Ang Mundo in You Tube or in
your flashdrive. File Folder: Supplemental Videos; File Name: Atom
Arullo
Then, write a reaction paper about the video. Handwritten will do. Part
1 is the summary of the work, Part 2 is your reaction to the work, and
it must contain
to writea concluding
a paragraph. In order topaper,
reaction guide http visit
you on how
://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/handouts/the-writing-process-
I/invention/Writing-a-Response-or-Reaction-Paper

REFERENCES

Candelaria, J. L., & Alphora, V. C. (2018). Readings in Philippine History.

Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, inc.

Torres, J. V. (2018). BATIS Sources in Philippine History. Quezon City: C

& E Publishing, Inc.

Christopher F. B., Raymond E. B, Julie C. L., Fatima F. R., Tecah C. S. (2006)

Philippine History Coursebook, Trinitas Publishing. INC.
Annalyn Salvador Amores, Honoring Mac-liing Dulag, defender of
the Cordillera (2015)
Page https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/686979/honoring- macli-ing-dulag-
90 of defender-of-the-cordillera
92
Biography:http://www.bantayog.org/dulag-macli-ing/
https://peoplepill.com/people/macliing-dulag/

Medical News Today. Novel corona virus: your questions answered

today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/novel-
coronavirus-your-questions-answered
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/? https://www.worl

dometers.info/coronavirus/country/philippines/
APPENDICES
Page
91 of Appendix A ASQs
92
Module 1: Self-assessment Task 3
1. true 6. false
2. false 7. true
3. true 8. true
4. false 9. false
5. false 10. false
Module 2: Self-assessment Task 4
5.true
1. true
6.true
2.true
7.true
3. true
8.
4. fals false
e
Module 4: Self-assessment Task 1
1.false
2. false
3. true
4.true
5.false
6. true
REFERENCES

Page
92 of Candelaria, J. L., & Alphora, V. C. (2018). Readings in Philippine History.
92 Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, inc.

Torres, J. V. (2018). BATIS Sources in Philippine History. Quezon City: C

& E Publishing, Inc.

Christopher F. B., Raymond E. B, Julie C. L., Fatima F. R., Tecah C. S. (2006)

Philippine History Coursebook, Trinitas Publishing. INC.

Annalyn Salvador Amores, Honoring Mac-liing Dulag, defender of

the Cordillera (2015)
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/686979/honoring- macli-ing-dulag-
defender-of-the-cordillera

Biography:http://www.bantayog.org/dulag-macli-ing/
https://peoplepill.com/people/macliing-dulag/

Medical News Today. Novel corona virus: your questions answered

today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/novel-
coronavirus-your-questions-answered

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/? https://www.worl
dometers.info/coronavirus/country/philippines/