UNIT I:

INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY:
DEFINITION, ISSUES,
SOURCES, AND
METHODOLOGY
What is history?

→ History is about life in the past and tells us about the

people who lived in a different time. When we study
history we can find out about the lives of ordinary
people and famous people. We find out about what their
clothes were like and about the kind of homes, food,
tools and technology they had. History also tells us about
battles, wars and famines that happened in the past.
→ History is derived from the Greek word “historia”
means knowledge acquired through inquiry or
investigation.

Who are Historians?

People who study history have to look for clues about
life long ago. They are called historians. Historians ask
questions and try to find evidence about life in the past.
They examine the past by searching for clues in the
writings and pictures that they find, and in other things
like clothing, tools and ornaments that still remain today.
All these clues or pieces of evidence have to be
interpreted and explained and then recorded.
Sometimes there is little evidence left behind and this
can make it difficult to understand the past.
What are Historical Sources?
Sources that includes documents, artifacts,
archaeological sites, features. oral transmissions, stone
inscriptions, paintings, recorded sounds, images
(photographs, motion pictures), and oral history. Even
ancient relics and ruins, broadly speaking, are historical
sources.

Primary sources, resources produced at the same time

as the event, period or subject being studied.
→ A primary source provides direct or first-hand
evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art.
Primary sources include historical and legal documents,
eyewitness accounts, and results of experiments,
statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and
video recordings, speeches, and art objects. Interviews,
surveys, fieldwork, and Internet communications via
email, blogs, and newsgroups are also primary sources.
Some examples of primary sources:
Some examples of primary sources:
∙ archives and manuscript material
∙ photographs, audio recordings, video recordings,
films
∙ journals, letters and diaries
∙ speeches
∙ scrapbooks
∙ published books, newspapers and magazine clippings
published at the time
∙ government publications
∙ oral histories
∙ records of organizations
∙ autobiographies and memoirs
∙ printed ephemera
∙ artifacts, e.g. clothing, costumes, furniture
∙ research data, e.g. public opinion polls

→ 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 US 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.
 Secondary sources are those sources which were
produced by an author who used primarily sources to
produce the material. In other words, secondary sources
are historical sources which studied a certain historical
subject.
Examples of secondary sources include:
• journal articles that comment on or analyse research
• textbooks
• dictionaries and encyclopaedias
• books that interpret, analyse
• political commentary
• biographies
• dissertations
• newspaper editorial/opinion pieces
• criticism of literature, art works or music

→ 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
19th century while Agoncillo published his work 1956,
which makes the Revolt of the used primary sources with
his research like documents of the Katipunan, interview
with the veterans of the revolution, and correspondence
between and among Katipuneros.
Tertiary Sources of information are based on a collection
of primary and secondary sources.
Examples of tertiary sources include:
• textbooks (sometimes considered as secondary sources)
• dictionaries and encyclopedia
• manuals, guidebooks, directories, almanacs
• indexes and bibliographies

EXTERNAL CRITICISM
-the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by
examining its physical characteristics; consistency with the
historical characteristics 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 ink, and the language and
the words used in the material among others.
INTERNAL CRITICISM
-Looks at content of the source and examine the
circumstances of its production
-looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidences
by looking at the author of the source, its context, the
agenda behind its creation, the knowledge which informed
it, and its intended purpose
-entails that the historian acknowledge and analyze how
such reports can be manipulated to be used as a war
propaganda.
-validating historical sources is important because the use
of unverified, falsified, and untruthful historical sources
can lead to equally false conclusions
2. It was Lean’s first day in his first year of college in a big
university. His excitement made him come to class
unusually and he found their classroom empty. He
explored the classroom and sat at the teacher’s table. He
looked at the table drawer and saw a book entitled U.G An
Underground Tale: The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the
First Quarter Storm Generation. He started reading the
book and realized that it was a biography of a student
leader turned political activist during the time of Ferdinand
Marcos. The author used interview with friends and family
of Jopson, and other primary documents related to his
works and life.

Is the book a primary, secondary l, or a tertiary source?

3. Lorena was a new teacher of Araling Pqnlipunqn in a

small elementary school in Mauban, Quezon. Her
colleagues gave her the new textbook that she ought you
use in class. Before the class started, Lorena studied the
textbook carefully. She noted that the authors used works
by other known historians in writing the textbook. She saw
that the bibliography included Teodoro Agoncillo’s The
Revolt of the Masses and The Fateful Years: Japan’s
Adventure in the Philippines, 1941-45. She also saw that
the authors used Ma. Luisa Camagay’s Working Women of
Manila During the 19th Century and many others.

Is the textbook a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source?

 4. Manuel visited the United States for a few months to
see his relatives who have lived there for decades. His
uncle brought him on tours around Illinois. Manuel visited
the Field Museum of Natural History where a golden image
of a woman caught his eye. Manuel looked closer and read
that the image was called “The Golden Tara.” It originated
from Agusan del Sur and was bought by the museum in
1922. It was believed to be made prior to the arrival of the
Spaniards in the Philippines.

Is the sculpture a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source?

5. Gregoria loved to travel around the country. She liked

bringing with her a travel brochure that informs her of the
different sites worth visiting in the area. Her travel
brochure was usually produced by the tourism department
of the province. It shows pictures of destinations visited by
tourist and a few basic information about the place, and
some other information acquired by the office’s
researchers and writers.

Is the travel brochure a primary, secondary or a tertiary

source?
UNIT II:
CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL
ANALYSIS OF SELECTED
PRIMARY SOURCES IN
PHILIPPINE HISTORY
What is Historical Interpretation?

• Historical interpretation is the process by which we

describe, analyze, evaluate, and create an explanation
of past events. We base our interpretation on primary
[firsthand] and secondary [scholarly] historical sources.
We analyze the evidence, contexts, points of view, and
frames of reference. Yes, it is a complicated process, but
historical thinking improves with practice.
Interpretation might explore causality (what made
something happen), processes (revolutions, economic
depressions), conflicts (social class, race, gender),
historical outcomes (effects of past events), or many
more topics (creative thinking).

Another view of historical interpretation

adapted from Richard Drew

Interpretations are in essence thoughtful efforts to

represent and explain past events. Interpretations include
3 vital elements:
1. Purposeful, thoughtful efforts--Interpretations are
conscious reflections on the past, not simply irrational
spur-of-the-moment opinions. Take time to apply logic and
organization to your explanation of the past-not merely
emote or react to the evidence.
2. Representations--Interpretations are efforts to give an
audience an image or description of the event/issue being
focused on. We cannot recreate the past perfectly, but we
can try to represent faithfully how events transpired by
ground our version in the historical evidence.
3. Past events--Interpretations are the reflections of those
of us studying the past, not of the participants in those
events. We refer to the collection representations of the
past done by historians as historiography. The views of
participants from the past constitute our primary sources
or historical evidence. Without the process of reflection
removed from the event by time the creator of the view is
inevitably partially influenced by the impact the
person/event had on them.

A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by

Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta

• Who is Antonio Pigafetta?

A Famous Italian traveller born in Vicenza 1490 and died

in the same city in 1534, who is also known by the name of
Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta. Initially
linked to the other Rhodes, which was Knight, went to
Spain in 1519, accompanied by Monsignor Francisco
Chiericato, and was made available from Carlos V to
promote the company initiated by the Catholic Monarch in
the Atlantic.
In Pigafetta’s account, their fleet reached what he called
the LANDRONES ISLANDS or the “Islands of the Thieves.”

He recounted:

“These people have no arms, but use sticks, which have a

fish bone at the end. They are poor, but ingenious, and
great thieves, and for the sake of that we call thees three
islands the Landrones Islands.”

The Landrones Islands

• The Landrones Islands is presently known as the

Marianas Islands. Pigafetta reported that they have
reached Ladrones Islands, Pigafetta reported that they
have what he called the Isle of Zamal, now Samar but
Magellan decides to land in another uninhabited
island for greater security where they could rest for a
few days.
• On March 31st (Easter Sunday), Magellan ordered the
chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore. The king heard
about this plan and sent two dead pigs and attended
the Mass with the other king. Pigafetta then wrote:

→ “…when the offertory of the mass came, the two

kings, went to kiss the cross like us, but they offered
nothing, and at the elevation of the body of our Lord they
were kneeling like us, and adored our Lord with joined
hands.”

→ This was the first mass in the Philippines, and the cross
would be famed Magellan’s Cross which is still preserved at
present day. This was the same cross which Magellan
explained to the kings as a sign of his emperor who
ordered him to plan it in the places were he would reach
and further explained that once other Spaniards saw this
cross, then they would know that they had been in this
island and would not cause them troubles.

→ By April 7th, Magellan and hios men reached the port of

Zzubu (Cebu) with the help of Raia Calambu who offered to
pilot them in going to the island. The kind of Cebu
demanded that they pay tribute as it was customary but
Magellan refused. By the next day, Magellan’s men and the
king of Cebu, together with other principal men of Cebu,
met in an open space. There the king offered a bit of his
blood and demanded that Magellan do the same.
 On April 14, Magellan spoke to the kind and encouraged
him to be a good Christian by burning all of the idols and
worship the cross instead. The king of Cebu was then
baptized as Christian. After 8 days, all of the island’s
inhabitants were already baptized.

→ When the queen came to the mass one day, Magellan

gave her an image of the Infant Jesus made by Pigafetta
himself.

→ On 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island

of Matan (Mactan) went to see Magellan and asked him
for a boat full of men so that he would be able to fight
the chief name Silapulapu (Lapulapu). Magellan offered 3
boats instead and went to Mactan to fight the said chief.

→ They numbered 49 in total and the islanders of

Mactan were estimated to number 1,500. Magellan died
in battle. He was pierced with a poison arrow in his right
leg. The king of Cebu who was baptized offered help but
Magellan refused so that he could see how they fought.

→The kind also offered the people of Mactan gifts of any

value and amount in exchange of Magellan’s body but the
chief refused and wanted to keep Magellan’s body as a
memento of their victory.

→Magellan’s men then elected Duarte Barbosa as the

new captain.
 → Pigafetta also accounted how Magellan’s slave and
interpreter named Henry betrayed them and told the
king of Cebu conspired and betrayed what was left of
Magellan’s men. The king invited these men to a
gathering where he said he would present the jewels that
he would send for the King of Spain.

→Pigafetta was left on board the ship on board the ship

and was not able to join the 24 men who went to the
gathering because he was nursing his battle wounds.

→ The natives had slain all the men expect the

interpreter and Juan Serrano who shouted at the men on
this ship to pay ransom so that he would be spared but
he was left on the island for they refused to go back to
shore.

→The fleet abandoned Serrano and departed. They left

Cebu and continued their journey around the world.
The KKK and the “Kartilya Ng Katipunan”

The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng

mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) or Katipunan is arguably the
most important organization formed in Philippine
History.

This organization envisioned

1. A united Filipino nation that will revolt against the
Spaniards
2. The total Independence of the country from Spain

The Katipunan Organizational Structure

The commanding structure of the Katipunan involved

three positions of enrollment, with new individuals
beginning as "katipon," at that point climbing to "kawal"
and in the end to "bayani." Members were to pay an
extra charge of one genuine fuerte, a unit of money
equivalent to 1/8 of a silver genuine peso, and month to
month duty and different expenses paid only to the
Benefit Fund and gathered at each session or meeting.
MGA ARAL NG KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN (The Katipunan
Code of Conduct)

• The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and

reasonable purpose is a tree without a shade, if not a
poisonous weed.

• To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake
is not virtue. o It is rational to be charitable and love
one's fellow creature, and to adjust one's conduct,
acts and words to what what is in itself reasonable.

• 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.

• The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain;

the scoundrel, gain to honor.

• To the honorable man, his word is sacred.

• Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but

not time lost.

• Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before

the law or in the field. o The prudent man is sparing in
words and faithful in keeping secrets.

• On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman

(“parents”) and the children, and if the guide leads to
the precipice, those whom he guides will also go
there.
• Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything,
but as a 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 (the Katipunan)
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.
Analysis of the “Kartilya ng Katipunan”

• The content and provision of the Kartilya as a reaction

and response to certain value systems that they found
despicable in the present state of things that they
struggle against with. For example the fourth and
thirteenth rule in the Kartilya is an invocation of the
inherent quality between and among men regardless
of race, occupation, or status.
• Various provisions in the Kartilya repeatedly
emphasized the importance of honors in words and
action.
• The teaching of the Katipunan on how women should
be treated with honor and respect.
• The document also stated that men should be the
guide of women and children.
• The document also stated that women should be
treated as companions by men and not as playthings
that can be exploited for his pleasure.
• The Kartilya rules is classified as either directed to
how one should treat his neighbor or how one should
develop and conduct one's self.
The Proclamation of the Philippine Independence

The Philippine Declaration of independence was

proclaimed on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo
(present-day Kawit, Cavite), Philippines. With the public
reading of the Act of the Declaration of independence
(Spanish: Acta de la proclamación de independencia del
pueblo Filipino), Filipino revolutionary forces under
General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and
independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial
rule of Spain.

• The proclamation commenced with a characterization

of the conditions in the Philippines during the Spanish
colonial period.
• The proclamation of independence also invoked that
the established republic would be led under the
dictatorship of Emilio Aguinaldo .

Analysis of the “Proclamation of the Philippine

Independence”

• The documents reflects the general revolutionary

sentiment of the period for example, the abuses that
was mentioned in the document like friar abuse, racial
discrimination, and inequality before the law.
• The common revolutionary soldiers fought in the
revolution for the hope of owning the lands that they
were tilling.
• The proclamation also gives us the impression on how
the victorious revolutionary government of Aguinaldo
histories the struggle of independence.
A Glance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in
Alfred McCoy’s Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature
of the American Era (1900-1941)

What is Caricature? a picture, description, or imitation of

a person in which certain striking characteristics are
exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque
effect.

• Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing

opinions through heavy use of symbolism.

• In his book Philippine Cartoons:Political Caricature of

the American Era (1900-1941), Alfred McCoy, together
with Afredo Roces, compiled political cartoons
published in newspaper dailies and periodicals
aforementioned time period. Here are some of the
cartoons:

• It was published in The Independent on May 20, 1916.

The cartoon shows a politician from Tondo, named Dr.
Santos, passing his crown to his brother-in-law, Dr.
Barcelona.
• This was also published by The Independent on 16 June
1917. This was drawn by Fernando Amorsolo. Here we
see a Filipino child who stole a skinny chicken because
he had nothing to eat. The policeman was relentlessly
pursuing the said child. A man wearing a salakot ,
labeled Juan de la Cruz was grabbing the officer, telling
him to leave the small time pickpockets and thieves and
to turn at the great thieves instead.

• This cartoons represents the cases of colorum

automobiles in the city streets. This was published due
to the fatal accidents involving the colorum vehicles
and taxis.
• This cartoons depicts a cinema. A blown up policeman
was at the screen saying that couples are not allowed to
neck and make love in the theater.

• This cartoons was also published by The Independent

on 27 November 1915. McCoy in his caption to the said
cartoon, that it was based on an event in 1907 when
William Howard Taft was brought to the Manila pier
riding a chariot pulled by students of Liceo de Manilla. a
This cartoon was published by Lipang Kalabaw on 24
August 1907. This cartoon depicts the patronage of the US
being coveted by politicians from either of the party.

Analysis of the Political Caricatures during the American

Period

• During the American it was the time that Filipinos were

introduced to different manifestations of modernity like
health care, modern transportation, and media.

• The upper principalia class experienced economic

prosperity with the opening of the Philippine economy
to the US but the majority of the poor Filipino remained
poor, desperate, and victims of state repression.

• Patronage also became influential and powerful, not

only between clients and patrons but also between the
newly formed political parties composed of the elite
and the United States. The problem continues up to the
present where politicians transfer from one party to
another depending on which party was powerful in
specific periods of time.
• The transition from a Catholic-centered,
Spanish-Filipino society to an imperial
American-assimilated one, and its complications, were
also depicted in the cartoons like for example the
increase of motorized vehicles in the city that led into
increasing colorum and unlicensed vehicles transporting
people around the city.
• Another example is what McCoy called the “sexual
revolution” that occurred in the 1930’s. Young people,
as early at that period, disturbed the conservative
Filipino mindset by engaging in daring and sexual
activities in the public spaces like cinemas.
• The cartoons also illustrated the conditions of poor
Filipinos in the Philippines now governed by the United
States.
Revisiting “Corazon Aquino’s Speech Before the US
Congress”

• The EDSA People Power, which installed Cory Aquino in

the presidency, put the Philippines in the international
spotlight for overthrowing a dictator through peaceful
means.
• On 18 September 1986, seven months since Cory
became president, she went to the United States and
spoke before the joint session of the US Congress. She
began her speech with the story of her leaving the
United States three years prior as a newly widowed wife
of Ninoy Aquino.
• And she end her speech by thanking America for serving
as home to her family.

Analysis of Cory Aquino’s Speech

• The Aquino’s speech was an important event because it

has cemented the legitimacy of the EDSA government
in the international arena.
• The speech talks about the her family background and
especially her relationship with her late husband, Ninoy
Aquino.
• Cory claims that her main approach of the problems in
our country is through peace and not through the
sword of war.
Revisiting “Corazon Aquino’s Speech Before the US
Congress”

• The EDSA People Power, which installed Cory Aquino in

the presidency, put the Philippines in the international
spotlight for overthrowing a dictator through peaceful
means.
• On 18 September 1986, seven months since Cory
became president, she went to the United States and
spoke before the joint session of the US Congress. She
began her speech with the story of her leaving the
United States three years prior as a newly widowed wife
of Ninoy Aquino.
• And she end her speech by thanking America for serving
as home to her family.

Analysis of Cory Aquino’s Speech

• The Aquino’s speech was an important event because it

has cemented the legitimacy of the EDSA government
in the international arena.
• The speech talks about the her family background and
especially her relationship with her late husband, Ninoy
Aquino.
• Cory claims that her main approach of the problems in
our country is through peace and not through the
sword of war.
UNIT III:
HISTORICAL
INTERPRETATIONS IN
PHILIPPINE HISTORY: SPACES
FOR CONFLICT AND
CONTROVERSIES
Making Sense of the Past: Historical Interpretation

• Geoffrey Barraclough defines history as “the attempt to

discover, on the basis of fragmentary evidence, the
significant things about the past.”
• Historians utilize facts collected from primary sources of
history and then draw their own reading so that their
intended audience may understand historical events, a
process that, in essence, “make sense of the past.”
• Interpretations of historical events change over time,
thus it is an important skill for a student of history to
track these changes in an attempt to understand the
past.
• There might be conflicting and competing accounts of
the past that need one’s attention, and can impact the
way we view our country’s history and identity.

Multiperspectivity

• This can be defined as a way of looking at historical

events, personalities, developments, cultures, and
societies from different perspectives.

Case Study 1: Where did the first Catholic Mass take place
in the Philippines?

• 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 from the event.
• As time goes by the reading of the available evidence
was made, which brought to light more considerations
in going against the more accepted interpretation of the
first Mass in the Philippines, 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.(1. The log kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot
of one of Magellan’s ship. 2. the account by Antonio
Pigafetta, Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage
Around the World).
• Using the primary sources available, Jesuit priest Miguel
A. Bernad in his work Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of
the First Mass in the Philippines: A Reexaamination of
Evidence (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 a Agusan River.

Check this link for the detailed information:

https://www.academia.edu/38165265/FIRST_MASS_joan
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
(GOMBURZA). In this case study, we will focused on the
events of the Cavite Mutiny.

The 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 Philippines
although his account of the mutiny was criticized as
biased by the scholar. Another account written by
Governor General Rafael Izquierdo implicated the
native clergy.
An Excerpt from MONTERO’S ACCOUNT OF THE CAVITE
MUTINY

“. . .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. . .”
Primary Source: Excerpts from the Official Report of
Governor Izquierdo on the Cavite Mutiny of 1872

• Implicated the native clergy, who were active in the

movement toward secularization of parishes.
• In a biased report, he highlighted the attempt to
overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines to
install a new “hari” in the persons of Father Burgos and
Zamora.

According to Izquierdo,
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 and ranks
in the army.
The Official Report of Gov. Izquierdo on the Cavite Mutiny
of 1872

“. . .It has been clearly determined if they

planned to establish a monarchy or a
republic, because the indigos have no
word in their language to describe this
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 DD. Jacinto Zamora. . .”
Differing Accounts of the Events of 1872

1. Pardo deTavera’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny

2. Plauchut’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny

According to Pardo De Tavera

-the incident was merely a mutiny by Filipino soldiers and

laborers of the Cavite arsenal to the dissatisfaction arising
from the draconian policies of Izquierdo (abolition of
privileges and prohibition of the founding of the school of
arts and trades.
An Excerpt from Pardo de Tavera’s Account of the Cavite
Mutiny

“. . .Filipinos had great hopes of an

improvement in the affairs of their
country. . .”
“. . .The Friars feared that their power in
the colony would soon be complete a
thing of the past.”
An Excerpt from Plauchut’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny

“. . .The arrival in Manila of Gen. Izquierdo

put a sudden end to all dreams of reforms
. . .Such a policy must really end in a
strong desire on the part of the other to
repress cruelly. .”
Case Study 3: Did Rizal retract?

• The great volume of Rizal’s lifework was committed to

this end, particularly the more influential ones, Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
• Such document purportedly exists, allegedly signed by
Rizal a few hours before his execution . This document,
referred to as “The Retraction,” declares Rizal’s belief in
the Catholic faith, and retracts everything he has
written against the Church.

Primary Source: Rizal’s Retraction

Source: Translated from the document found by Fr. Manuel

Garcia, C.M. on 18 May 1935

I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I

was born and educated I wish to live and die.

I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings,

publications and conduct has been contrary to my
character as son of the Catholic Church. I believe and I
confess whatever she teaches and I submit to whatever
she demands. I abominate Mansory, as the enemy which is
of the Church, and as a Society prohibited by the Church.
The Diocesan Prelate may, as the Superior Ecclesiastical
Authority, make public this spontaneous manifestation of
mine in order to repair the scandal which my acts may
have caused and so that God and people may pardon me.

Manila 29 of December 1896

Jose Rizal
The four iterations of the texts of this retraction:
• Published In La Voz Espaᾓola and Diario de Manila on
the day of the execution, 30 December 1896.
• The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, on the
magazine La Juvented, a few months after the
execution, 14 February 1897 by Fr. Vicente Balaguer.

The Balaguer Testimony

According to his statement, Rizal woke up several times,

confessed four times, attended a mass, received
communion, and prayed the rosary, all of which seem out
of character.

Primary Source: Eyewitness Account of the Last Hours of

Rizal

Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia

stationed in Fort Santiago to report on the events during
the [illegible] day in prison of the accused Jose Rizal,
informs me on this date of the following:

At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death

row accompanied by his counsel, Señor Taviel de Andrade,
and the Jesuit priest [Jose] Vilaclara. At the urgings of the
former and moments after entering, he was served a light
breakfast. At approximately 9, the Adjutant of the
Garrison, Señor [Eloy] Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted
anything.
He replied that at the moment he only wanted a prayer
book which was brought to him shortly by Father
[Estanislao] March.

Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for

a long while with the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara,
regarding religious matters, it seems. It appears that these
two presented him with a prepared retraction on his life
and deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about the
matter until 12:30 when Rizal ate some poached egg and a
little chicken. Afterwards he asked to leave to write and
wrote for a long time by himself.

At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel

and Rizal handed him what he had written. Immediately
the chief of the firing squad, Señor [Juan] del Fresno and
the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, were informed.
They entered death row and together with Rizal signed the
document that the accused had written. It seems this was
the retraction.

From 3 to 5:30 in the afternoon, Rizal read his prayer

book several times, prayed kneeling before the altar and in
the company of Fathers Vilaclara and March, read the Acts
of Faith, Hope and Charity repeatedly as well as the
Prayers for the Departing Soul.
 At 6 in the afternoon the following persons arrived and
entered the chapel; Teodora Alonzo, mother of Rizal, and
his sisters, Lucia, Maria, Olimpia, Josefa, Trinidad and
Dolores. Embracing them, the accused bade them farewell
with great strength of character and without shedding a
tear. The mother of Rizal left the chapel weeping and
carrying two bundles of several utensils belonging to her
son who had used them while in prison.

A little after 8 in the evening, at the urgings of Señor

Andrade, the accused was served a plate of tinola, his last
meal on earth. The Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure and
Fathers March and Vilaclara visited him at 9 in the evening.
He rested until 4 in the morning and again resumed
praying before the altar.

At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived

at the prison accompanied by his sister Pilar, both dressed
in mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed
by a military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain.
Donning his formal clothes and aided by a soldier of the
artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the woman who had
been his lover were performed at the point of death (in
articulo mortis). After embracing him she left, flooded with
tears.
 • The retraction of Rizal remains to this day, a
controversy, many scholars agree that the document
does not tarnish the heroism of Rizal.

Case Study 4: Where did the Cry of Rebellion happen?

• In the Philippines, this happened in August 1896,
northeast of Manila, where they declared rebellion
against the Spanish colonial government.

Different Dates and Places of the Cry

Various accounts of the Cry give different dates and places.

1. A guardia civil, Lt. Olegario Diaz identified the Cry to

have happened in Balintawak on August 25, 1896.

2. Teodoro Klaw, a Filipino historian, marks the pllace to

be in Kangkong, Balintawak on the last week of August
1896.
3. 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 August 24,
1896.
4. Pio Valenzuela, known Katipunero and privy to many
events concerning the Katipunan stated that the Cry
happened in Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896.
5. Historian Gregorio Zaide identified the Cry to have
happened in Balintawak on 26 August 1896.
6. Teodoro Agoncillo puts it at Pugad Lawin on 23 August
1896, according to statements by Pio Valenzuela.
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 the cabeza of that
barrio of Caloocan. Among those who attended , I
remember, were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del
Rosario, Tomas Rremigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata,
Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco, and Francisco Carreon.
They were all leaderrs 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 Emilio Jacinto acting as secretary. The purpose was
to discuss when the uprising was to take place. Teodoro
Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all
opposed to starting the revolution too early. . . Andres
Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion
then, left the session hall and talked to the people, who
were waiting outside for the result of the meeting of the
leaders.
He told the people that the leaders were arguing
against starting the revolution early, and appealed to
them in a fiery speech in which he said: “You remember
the fate of our countrymen who were shot in
Bagumbayan. Should we return now to the towns, the
Spaniards will only shoot us. Our organization has been
discovered and we are all marked men. If we don’t start
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 bee 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, Ramon
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 above,
there is disagreement among historical witnesses as
to the place and time of the occurrence of the Cry.
Using primary and secondary sources, four places
have been identified: Balintawak, Kangkong, Pugad
LAWIN, AND Bahay Toro, while the dates vary: 23,
24, 25, or August 1896.
UNIT V:
DOING HISTORY: A GUIDE FOR
STUDENTS
Doing Historical Research Online

In the technology world, we always use to do research

and the first tool that we use for research is the
Internet.

What is Cyberspace?
• It is a place where virtual data us passed around and
stored.
• It is where individuals share information, exchange
ideas, and communicate with each other right in the
comfort of their own homes.

Where do you look?

• Search engines like Yahoo! Or Google could lead you
to a lot of sources with the right search strings.

Platforms
• Google also provides its own customized platform for
scholarly research (Google Scholar) and Google
Books for sources of scanned books.

• There are also websites that you may use to legally

download scanned copies of books and other
materials for free, especially those books with
expired copyright and are public domain. Project
Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) and the oldest
digital library in the world.
• Another online archive you may use is Internet
Archive (www.archive.org), an online library that
originally sought to archive web history.

• The Philippine government websites (www.gov.ph)

are starting to be enriched with sources that may be
used for historical research, especially on laws and
other government issuances that may be useful
when doing topics of a more contemporary period.