Readings in Philippine History

UNIT 2
SPANISH COLONIZATION
TO THE PRESENT

Figure 4. The Main Academic Building of PUP and its environs. (PUP Memorabilia).

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 Lesson 1 

CHRONICLES ABOUT THE 16TH CENTURY FILIPINOS: THE FIRST VOYAGE

AROUND THE WORLD AND THE CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

Introduction

The so-called Age of Exploration and Discovery which commenced between the 15th
th
and 16 centuries is considered by most historians as the turning point in the development of
Philippine history. In 1521, Magellan accidentally reached the Philippines which marked the
succeeding expeditions by subsequent explorers and by the conquest of the Philippines by
Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The arrival of Legaspi in 1564 and his effective
occupation of Cebu in 1565 started the 333-year rule of the Spaniards in the Philippines. This
lesson hopes to give the students an overview on the various events and turning points which
helped in shaping the course of the history the country.

This unit and its lessons include certain discussions on the expeditions commenced
by Spanish navigators, initial impressions made by the Spaniards towards the natives, the
resistance of the Filipinos against colonial rule, and the eventual foundation of the present-
day Republic of the Philippines. The flow of discussion is somewhat peculiar. Unlike the usual
method of teaching history which is based solely on chronology of events, the sequencing of
the topics is thematic and shall challenge the critical thinking ability of the students. This
lesson which is focused on the Magellan Expedition and the Customs of the Tagalogs will look
into the state of the Philippines through the narratives made by the chroniclers in the 16th
century.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Determine the importance of the Philippines for the economic gains of Spain.
2. Develop concepts on the state of the Philippines during the initial East-West
encounter in the first quarter of the 16th century.
3. Evaluate the authenticity and credibility of sources based on provenance and
critical evaluation of content.

THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

Antonio Pigafetta and His Background

The author of the account for this topic is Antonio Pigafetta who lived sometime
between 1491 and 1531. Hailed from Vicenza, he was an Italian scholar and explorer who
belonged to a rich family. This allowed him to have the means to study astronomy, geography
and cartography. Being a member of a rich and influential family, Pigafetta was able to make

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his way and become the chronicler of the Magellan Expedition. He was among the 18 crew
members who were able to return to Spain out of the approximately 270 crew members of the
ill-fated expedition.

Apart from de Moluccis Indicis of Maximilianus Transylavanus, Pigafetta’s account is

the main source for most of the knowledge we have about Magellan and Elcano’s voyage.
The difference between the two sources is that Pigafetta’s account is a primary source
because he was with Magellan during the expedition while Transylavanus’ account is primarily
a compilation of interviews from some of the surviving crew of the same voyage. However,
what makes Pigafetta strange is that his name is nowhere to be found in any official document
in the Casa de Contratacion in Seville, Spain. The Casa is significant because prior to the
establishment of the Council of Indies in 1524, all matters pertaining to overseas expeditions
was handled by this crown agency. Historian Martin Fernandez de Navarrete in his Coleccion
de los Viages y Descubrimientos que Hicieron por mar los Espanoles, Volumen IV tells of the
name Antonio Lombardo. The volume suggests that Pigafetta was referred to as the person
Antonio who came from Lombardy, the neighboring state of Vicenza. Vicenza, where
Pigafetta is said to have come from, was a dominion of Venice from 1404 until the end of the
eighteenth century.

Background of Pigafetta’s Account

What is written in Pigafetta’s account? The account narrated Magellan’s expedition

from its launching until its return to Spain. Apart from the description of the various groups of
peoples which the expedition encountered, as well as the hardships and struggles they
encountered during the voyage, the account narrated Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines, his
initial exploits, the friendships he established with the natives and his eventual death. The
account also includes the subsequent trials that the surviving crew endured before they were
able to return to Spain. To scholars, Pigafetta’s account serves as an important eye-witness
account on the first circumnavigation of the globe.

How was the account written? There are four known manuscripts or versions of
Pigafetta’s account. One version which is located at the Ambrosiana Library in Milan is written
in Italian. Three other versions were written in French. The first French version titled Le
Voyage et Navigation was found in Paris sometime in 1525. This version was translated into
Italian in 1536 with the title Il Viaggio fatto dagli Spagnivoli. Subsequently, it was included in
the first volume of Navigationi et Viaggi published in 1550 by Giovanni Battista Ramusio. This
French version had been the basis of subsequent translations to different languages.

According to Giovanni Battista Ramusion, ‘the traditional understanding has been that
Pigafetta first wrote a brief summary of events in Italian, which he presented to Louise de
Savoy, the mother of King Francis I of France, at the behest of whom Jacques Antoine Fabre
prepared a translation to French, which was published as a translation of French, which was
published as the c. 1525 first edition. According to this tradition, Pigafetta later composed a
more complete version, in either French or Italian (McCarl, 2019).

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Summary and Highlights of the Account

Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition left Seville, Spain on August 10, 1519, although their
actual voyage started on September 20, 1519. There were five ships that comprised his fleet.
These were the Victoria, Concepcion, San Antonio, Santiago, and Trinidad along with some
270 crew members. The expedition was able to reach the West African coast prior to the
crossing of the Atlantic. They then reached Brazil and other parts of the South America in the
Atlantic. While exploring the southern portion of the South American continent, the Spanish
captains who had resentment towards their Portuguese leader made a mutiny. The mutiny,
though, was quickly crushed later.

On October 21, 1520, after more than a year of naval voyage, Magellan was able to
discover a passage which connects two great bodies of water, the Atlantic and the newly-
discovered Pacific Ocean. This passage was named as the Strait of Magellan. During this
time, however, only three out of the five original ships were able to cross the passage because
the ship San Antonio deserted the voyage by reversing its course while the ship Santiago was
wrecked by a strong squall in the Brazilian coast. The crew members of the expedition
experienced horrible conditions while crossing the Pacific Ocean. It was even described that
some of the men were forced to eat the leathers of their gears and garments and ropes, mice
and saw dusts just to keep them alive. Their agony ended when they were able to replenish
their stocks in Guam on March 6, 1521. They initially called the island as the Island of Sails
but later changed it to Isla de Ladrones when natives stole a boat from the ship Trinindad.
Ladrones, a Spanish term, means thief in English.

On March 16, 1521 they were able to land in the island of Zamal (Samar). Their arrival
coincided with the day of the Feast of St. Lazarus that is why Magellan named the islands that
he and his men saw as the Archipelago of St. Lazarus. They then went to Humunu
(Homonhon) where they met the rulers of Butuan and Caraga, Rajah Siagu and Rajah
Colambu. On March 27, 1521, they left Homonhon and reached Masao (Mazaua?) in Butuan
on the following day. Magellan and Rajah Colambu made a blood compact as a sign of their
friendship. On March 31, 1521, Fr. Pedro de Valderrama offered a mass. The crew later
installed a cross on the mountains, signifying the conquest of the land.

From Homonhon, the expedition through the assistance of Colambu sailed to Cebu
where they met Rajah Humabon on April 7, 1521. Although reluctant at first, Humabon
welcomed Magellan and their friendship was cemented through a blood compact. On April
14, 1521, a mass was officiated in Cebu and a cross was once again erected as a sign of
conquest of the land. Magellan invited the natives to be baptized, an invitation they gladly
accepted. Along with Humabon and his wife were the more than 800 natives who were
baptized. Humabon was christened Fernando while his wife was christened Juana. As a
gesture of friendship, an image of the child Jesus (Santo Nino) was given as a gift by Magellan
to Juana. This image is revered in Cebu by multitudes of devotees until the present time.

Not all of the chieftains in Cebu wanted to establish friendship with Magellan. Lapu-
lapu, the chief of Mactan refused to accept the Spaniards. Apart from Lapu-lapu, another chief
in Mactan named Zula wanted to defeat the former. Zula sought the assistance of Magellan,
who without hesitation agreed to fight Lapu-lapu. Magellan was too confident that they could
defeat Lapu-lapu to the point that he refused the offer of Humabon for help. A group of sixty
men arrived in Mactan on April 27, 1521. Out of this number, eleven were left behind to man
the ships while fourty-nine waded towards the shore. Magellan and his men were
overwhelmed by Lapu-lapu’s warriors. The Mactan warriors totaling to more than 1,050
formed three divisions to repel the Spaniards. The foreigners where shot with arrows, bamboo

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lances and stones. A poisoned arrow hit Magellan on his leg. It was only then when he
ordered a retreat. A bamboo lance then hit his arms while a javelin struck his back, causing
him to fall facing downwards. Upon seeing the death of their leader, the Spaniards soon
retreated to their ships. The surviving crew of the voyage requested that the body of Magellan
be handed to them which, unfortunately, the natives denied. For them, the body was an
accolade and a symbol of their valor and victory.

The horrors experienced by the Spaniards did not end there. Humabon was quite
disenchanted with the defeat of the Spaniards that he connived with Enrique, the slave of
Magellan who was abused by Duarte Barbossa, the successor of Magellan as the leader of
the expedition, to kill the remaining Spaniards. He invited the remaining Spaniards to have a
dinner with him in his palace. Twenty-six Spaniards went to feast, and while they were eating,
they were treacherously killed by the natives. Out of this number, twenty-four were killed,
including Duarte Barbossa, Juan Serrano, and Pedro de Valderrama, the priest who baptized
them.

The remaining crew members quickly left Cebu and started their voyage to return
home. On their way southwards, they were able to reach Palawan, Brunei, Mindanao, and
Moluccas. They then decided that the two remaining ships–Trinidad and Victoria would take
two different routes. The Trinidad which was commanded by Gomez de Espirera would cross
again the Pacific in the hope of reaching Mexico while the Victoria which was commanded by
Sebastian de Elcano would sail to Spain by crossing the Indian Ocean and the African coast.
The Trinidad was not able to complete its goal for it was captured by the Portuguese in
Moluccas. The Victoria, on the other hand, was able to return to Spain on September 6 1522,
after 2 years, 11 months and 16 days. Out of the 270 original crew members of the expedition,
only eighteen, along with four Indians survived the journey.

CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS

Juan de Plasencia and His Background

The author of the Customs of the Tagalogs is Juan de Plasencia, a Franciscan friar
who came from Extremadura, Spain. As a religious missionary, he adopted the life of poverty
and the life offered for the purpose of preaching and helping the poor. He is among the first
batch of missionaries who came to the Philippines in 1578. He was assigned to different
mission areas in Luzon, particularly in Laguna and the present-day provinces of Quezon,
Bulacan and Rizal. He became the custos or superior of the Franciscans in the Philippines
from May 23, 1584 until 1588. He later died in Laguna in 1590.

Background of the Document

Written in Nagcarlan, Laguna and finished on October 21, 1589, the Costumbres de
los Tagalos (Customs of the Tagalogs) was among the series of accounts written by various
friar-missionaries and colonial officials during the early years of Spanish occupation in the
Philippines. These accounts were attempts to know and describe their new subjects more.

Plasencia was ordered by the king of Spain to write an account that described the
natives in the areas assigned to his Order. As Plasencia was not able to primarily witness all

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of the events he would describe, he collected information from old men and individuals whom
he thought as most able—all of whom were known to him. Thereafter, he weeded out much
foolishness in order to obtain the simple truth regarding native practices on government,
administration of justice, inheritances, slaves and dowries. It became clear that Plasencia
was tasked to account his observations of the natives so that the colonizers would have a
basis in effectively dealing with the former.

Excerpts Taken from the Document

On Government and Social Organization. The Tagalogs were ruled by their chiefs called
by them as datos (spelling in the account). They governed and served them as their captains
in times of war. They were obeyed and revered to a point that any offense committed against
their person or word spoken against their wives and children were severely punished.
Plasencia likened the datos to the knights of the Spaniards. Their communities were referred
to as barangay, a term which was drawn from the boat they used to reach these islands.
Barangays were small communities composed of thirty up to one hundred families.

Next to the datos were the Maharlicas (nobles) who were required to accompany the
dato especially in times of war. This was their main duty, especially because they were not
required to pay taxes or tributes. Apart from accompanying the dato in his exploits, the
maharlicas had to pay their own expenses such as food, clothing, armor and their boat to be
used in war. Next were the commoners which Plasencia referred to as the Aliping
Namamahay. Although they lived in their own houses while serving their masters, one
privilege they could enjoy was their immunity from being sold to anyone. Moreover, they
could also be inherited by their master’s son although they could not be brought with him
should the son wish to transfer to another barangay.

The last level belonged to the slaves. Plasencia identified them as Aliping Sa
Guiguilir/Guiguilid who were usually the captives in war and enslaved together with their
children. They lived with their master and served as farmers in their master’s field. Since
they were slaves, they could be sold, including their children. If any of the Sa Guiguilir
happened to possess gold beyond the sum of his value as slave and could pay it to his master,
then he could ransom himself and become a Namamahay or a commoner. The price for
ransom could not go below five taels. If the agreement with his master went beyond the
minimum ransom price or ten taels for that matter, then he could be totally free.

The difference between the Aliping Namamahay and the Aliping Sa Guiguilir should
be noted because in page 168 of the book, a confusion between the two terms was
encountered. Many were classed as slaves even when they were really not. The Indians,
seeing that the alcalde mayor did not understand this, adopted the custom of taking away the
children of the Aliping Namamahay, making use of them as Aliping Sa Guiguilir, as servants
in their households which was considered illegal. If the Aliping Namamahay would appeal to
justice, it would be proven that he was an alipin like his father and mother before him. And
whether or not he was indeed an Aliping Namamahay, his status would be taken in the context
of Aliping Sa Guiguilir. Without further declaration, he would be considered as an alipin at
once, thus becoming a Sa Guiguilir who could also be sold elsewhere. The Aliping Sa
Guiguilir, together with their master, could be transferred to another barangay by virtue of
inheritance, provided that he and his master would remain in the same village.
On Marriage. These are the different situations concerning marriage among the Maharlicas,
Aliping Namamahay and Aliping Sa Guiguilir.

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Situation 1: Those who were considered Maharlicas both on their paternal and maternal sides
could continue to enjoy their status forever. If, for instance they became slaves,
it happened because of marriage.

Situation 2: If the Maharlicas had children among their slaves, the children and their mothers
would be considered freemen.

Situation 3: If the Maharlicas had children with the female slaves of another Maharlica, the
female slave would be compelled, when pregnant, to give her master half of a
gold tael because of her risk of death, and for her inability to work during
pregnancy. In this case, the child would be considered half-free due to his father.
If his father would not supply him with food and hence would not recognize him,
the child would be considered totally as slave.

Situation 4: If a free woman had children by a slave, the children would be regarded as
freemen, provided that he was not the free woman’s husband.

Situation 5: If a Maharlica and a slave—whether Namamahay or Sa Guiguilir—married, their

children would be classified according to birth order: odd birth order (first, third,
fifth, etc.) would inherit the status of the father while the even birth order (second,
fourth, sixth, etc.) would inherit the status of the slave mother. If the child was
the only offspring, he would be regarded as half-free, half-slave.

The classification of the children was irrespective of their sex. What was evident was
those who inherited the status of the mother would work as slaves. If, in case, the last child
were an odd birth, the child would consider as half free and half slave.

After marriage, the Maharlicas could not move from one barangay to another without
paying a certain amount of fine in gold. The fine ranged from one to three taels and also a
banquet sponsored for the entire barangay. This fine was larger or smaller according to the
inclination of the different villages. Failure to pay the fine might result to a war between the
barangays, the one where he left and the other where he would live anew. This tradition was
equally applied to men and women, except that when a man from a certain barangay would
marry a woman from another, their children would later on be divided equally between the two
barangays.

On Loans. The debtors were condemned to a life of toil because of the excessive interest
added to their debts. As a result, debtors were plunged into difficulty until they became slaves,
together with their children. In order to earn a living, sometimes their debt was sold to other
people, so the debtor had to pay more debt and had to experience an increasingly pitiful state.

On Inheritance. Though legitimate children could inherit equally, there were some situations
wherein the mother or father showed favoritism by bestowing more gold or gifts to a child. The
dowry they gave to a son in order to marry the dato’s daughter was not included in the partition
of the inheritance. In like manner, the property that was provided by the parents to their child
could not be considered inheritance, unless it was declared a necessity and not for
accumulating a wealth. If a man had a child by one of his slaves, their children would not
inherit anything. Instead, his legitimate child would be bound to free the slave and must give
her a tael or a slave. A man’s child from another woman would inherit everything when there
was no legitimate child with the wife. However, if it happened that the man died without an
heir—legitimate or natural, the inheritance could be acquired by his parents, grandparents or
the closest relative in their absence.

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On Inheritance of Adopted Children. The adopted child could inherit twice of the amount
paid in his adoption. For example, if one tael of gold was paid upon a child’s adoption, he
should be given two taels of inheritance by the adopting parents thereafter. Children whose
fathers died before their adoption could not inherit anything from the adopting parents. The
rule was simple: the arrangement on inheritance stopped at the death of their biological
fathers.

On Investigations and Punishments. Investigations made and sentences passed by the

dato should take place in the presence of the people of the barangay. If any of the litigants
felt aggrieved, an arbiter would be unanimously chosen from another village or barangay, be
he a dato or not. The arbiter must be known of his integrity as fair and just by rendering
rational judgment according to their customs. If the controversy was between two chiefs, they
had to convoke judges who would serve as arbiters in order to avoid going into war. The
same procedure would be applied if the disputants came from two different barangays. This
convocation would always involve the serving of wine by the complainant to the individuals
present.

The account of Plasencia proved the adherence of the Filipinos to moral standards.
They had laws by which they could condemn a man of low birth to death if he insulted the
daughter or wife of a chief. They condemned no one to slavery, unless the person merited
the penalty of death. They also killed witches after they had made some recompense to the
injured persons. The children of the witches and their accomplices would become the slaves
of the chief. All other offenses were punished by fines in gold which, if not paid with
promptness, the offender would be compelled to serve the aggrieved until payment would be
made.

The payment of fine had to be done on the following day, so the offender had to
surrender half of his cultivated lands and that of his produce to his master in exchange for
money. The master, in turn, would provide him and his children with food and clothing, thus
remaining him and the children to servitude until such time that he could compensate the debt.
If he could pay his debt, his master would claim that he fed and clothed his children and should
also be paid thereof. In this way, he would keep possession of the children if the additional
payment could not be met promptly.

The last scenario became an unsettled problem usually on the part of the debtor, the
reason why he and his children would remain as slaves. If the debtor had some relatives or
friends who could pay for him, he would be obliged to render half of his services to them until
he could settle his payment. The services to be rendered would not be in the context of being
an Aliping Sa Guiguilir but within that of Aliping Namamahay. If the creditor could not or
refused to serve his creditor then he would have to pay twice the amount of what was
previously lent to him. In this way, slaves were made by debt by being a Sa Guiguilir if they
served the master who was favored by the judgment or by being an Aliping Namamahay when
they served the person who lent them money to pay the value of their offense.

On Marriage Dowries. Dowries were given by the men to the women's parents. If the parents
were still alive, they could enjoy the dowry given to them. If the dowry was not consumed by
the parents because of death of the parents, the wife and her siblings would equally inherit it
in addition to the rest of the estate. If the wife, at the time of her marriage, did not have a
living father, mother or grandparents, she would enjoy the dowry by herself. As regards to
unmarried women, their customs would not allow them to own a property—be it an estate or
a dowry. This is because their labors were usually considered as devotion to their parents.

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When the sons were about to get married, their fathers would bestow instantly upon
them the half of the dowries that they should give to the parents of their brides. Failure to
provide dowries would require a certain sum which varied according to the practice of the
barangays or the individual’s affluence. The fine was at its heaviest when the groom or the
bride would withdraw from the marriage because the nuptial was a pre-arranged affair by their
parents who previously died. In this scenario, the dowry had to be returned by the family of
the bride. If the parents of the bride were alive, the fine was heavier because it was thought
that her parents wanted her to marry for the sake of financial gains alone.

On Divorce. The pre-colonial Filipinos practiced divorce, contrary to what the present
Filipinos have. Until the coming of the Spaniards, divorce was practiced due to certain
grounds. For instance, when the wife left the husband before giving birth to a child for the
purpose of marrying another, the entire dowry would go to the husband. But when the wife
left him and would not marry another man, the dowry would be returned. When the husband
left his wife, he would lose his half of the dowry.

When the husband and wife had a child, the entire dowry and fine would go to the
child. The dowry for the children would be taken cared by the grandparents or close relatives.
If they were childless and the wife died, the parents would return half of the dowry to the
husband. If the husband was the one who died, half of the dowry would be returned to his
relatives.

The Worship of the Tagalogs, their Gods, their Burials and Superstitions

On the Worship Practices of the Tagalogs. Plasencia noted the absence of temples
consecrated for the performance of sacrifices, the adoration of native idols and the general
practice of idolatry in all the villages or in other parts of the archipelago. Although the Tagalogs
used the term Simbahan which meant a temple or place of adoration, in reality festivals
referred to as pandot or worship were celebrated not in the Simbahan but in the large house
of the chief. There, they constructed a temporary shed on each side of the house, with a roof
called sibi for the purpose of sheltering the assembled people, and to protect them from the
rain.

They also constructed the house in a manner that could accommodate many people,
dividing it into three compartments following the fashion of ships. On the posts of the house,
they set small lamps called sorihile. At the center of the house was placed a large lamp which
was adorned with leaves of the white palm wrought into many designs. They also brought
together many drums, large and small, which they beat successively while the feast lasted for
four days. During this time, the whole barangay or family would unite and join in the worship
which they called nagaanitos. The house, for the above-mentioned period of time, was called
a temple.

On the Tagalog Deities. Among their many idols, there was one called Badhala (Bathala)
whom they especially worshiped. The title seems to signify “all powerful” or “maker of all
things”. They also worshiped the sun which, on account of its beauty, was almost universally
respected and honored by infidels. They worshiped also the moon, especially when it was a
new moon. At which time they held great rejoicings, adoring it and bidding it welcome. Some
of them also adored the stars, although they did not know them by their names with the
exception of the morning star which they called Tala. They knew, too, the seven little goats
(the Pleiades) and, consequently, the change of seasons, which they called Mapolon and

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Balatic. They possessed many idols called lic-ha which were images with different shapes.
At times they worshiped some particular dead men who were brave in war and endowed with
special faculties, to whom they commended themselves for protection in their tribulations.
They had another idol called Dian Masalanta, who was the patron of lovers and of generation.
The idols called Lacapati and Idianale were the patrons of the cultivated lands and of
husbandry. They paid reverence to water lizards called by them as buaya or crocodiles due
to fear of being harmed by them. They were even in the habit of offering these animals a
portion of what they carried in their boats, by throwing it into the water or placing it upon the
bank.

On their superstitious beliefs. If they left their house and met on the way a serpent or rat,
or a bird called Tigmamanuguin which was singing on a tree, or if they chanced upon anyone
who sneezed, they returned at once to their houses. This is because they considered the
incident as an augury that some evil might befall them if they should continue their journey,
especially when the above-mentioned bird sang. This song had two different forms: one was
considered as an evil omen while the other one was a good omen. They also practiced
divination to see whether weapons such as a dagger or knife would be useful and lucky for
their possessor whenever occasions would offer.

Young girls who first had their monthly courses, their eyes were blindfolded for four
days and four nights. In the meantime, their friends and relatives were all invited to share
food and drink. At the end of this period, the catolonan took the young girl to the water, bathed
her and washed her head and removed the bandage from her eyes. The old men claimed that
they did this in order that the girls would bear children and have fortune in finding husbands
whom they liked and who would not leave them widows in their youth.

There were also ghosts, which they called vibit and phantoms which they called
tigbalaang. They had another superstition. If there were any woman died in childbirth, it was
believed that she and the child suffered punishment. At night, she could be heard lamenting.
This was called patianac.

On their Knowledge of Time. The natives had no established division of years, months, and
days. These were determined by the cultivation of the soil, their counting by the moons, and
the different effect produced upon the trees when yielding flowers, fruits, and leaves. All this
helped them in making up the year. The dry and wet seasons were distinguished as sun-time
and water-time.

Plasencia noted that since the Tagalogs became Christians, the seasons were not
really the same all throughout the year for he observed that at “Christmas” would be colder.
The Spaniards, since their advent in the country, had determined the seasons, introduced the
months which were divided into weeks.

On their Sacrifices and Other Forms of Idolatries. Their manner of offering a sacrifice was
to proclaim a feast and offer to the devil what they had to eat. This was done in front of the
idol which they anointed with fragrant perfumes such as musk and civet or gum of the storax-
tree and other odoriferous woods. They praise their idol with poetic songs sung by the
officiating priest, male or female, who is called catolonan. The participants made responses
to the song, beseeching the idol to favor them with those things of which they were in need,
and generally, by offering repeated health, they all became intoxicated. In some of their
idolatries they were accustomed to place a good piece of cloth, doubled, over the idol, and
over the cloth a chain or large, gold ring, thus worshiping the devil without having a sight of
him.

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The devil was sometimes liable to enter into the body of the catolonan, and, assuming
her shape and appearance, filled her with so great arrogance. The devil, being the cause of
it, would seem to influence the catalonan that she seemed to shoot flames from her eyes. Her
hair stood on end, a fearful sight to those beholding and she uttered words of arrogance and
superiority. In some districts, especially in the mountains, when in those idolatries that the
devil incarnated himself and took on the form of his minister, the latter had to be tied to a tree
by his companions, to prevent the devil in his infernal fury from destroying him.

The objects of sacrifice were goats, fowls, and swine, which were flayed, decapitated,
and laid before the idol. They performed another ceremony by cooking a jar of rice until the
water was evaporated, after which they broke the jar, and the rice was left as an intact mass
which was set before the idol; and all about it, at intervals, were placed a few buyos—which
was a small fruit wrapped in a leaf with some lime, a food generally eaten in these regions—
as well as fried food and fruits. All of the above-mentioned articles were eaten by the guests
at the feast; the heads [of the animals], after being offered, as they expressed it, were cooked
and eaten also.

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

On the Priests of the Devil. The first was called catolonan who was either a man or a
woman. This office was an honorable one among the natives and was held ordinarily by
people of rank. This rule was general in all the islands.

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

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

The fourth was called mancocolam, whose duty was to emit fire from himself at night,
once or often each month. This fire could not be extinguished except as the priest wallowed
in the ordure and filth which fell from the houses. And he who lived in the house where the
priest was wallowing in order to emit this fire from himself fell ill and died. This office was
general in the islands.

The fifth was called hocloban which was another kind of witch, of greater efficacy than
the mangagauay. Without the use of medicine, and by simply saluting or raising the hand,
they killed whom they chose. But if they desired to heal those whom they had made ill by
their charms, they did so by using other charms. Moreover, if they wished to destroy the

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house of some Indian hostile to them, they were able to do so without instruments. This was
in Catanduanes, an island off the upper part of Luzon.

The sixth was called silagan who was clothed in white, to tear out his liver and eat it,
thus causing the victim’s death. This, like the preceding, was in the island of Catanduanes.
Let no one consider this a fable because, in Calavan, they tore out in this way through the
anus all the intestines of a Spanish notary, who was buried in Calilaya by father Fray Juan de
Mérida.

The seventh was called magtatangal whose purpose was to show himself at night to
many persons without his head or entrails. In such wise, the devil walked about and carried,
or pretended to carry his head to different places. In the morning, he would return to his body
and remained alive as before. This seemed to me to be a fable, although the natives affirmed
that they saw it because the devil probably caused them so to believe. This occurred also in
Catanduanes.

The eighth they called osuang which was the equivalent of a sorcerer. They said that
they saw him flew and that he murdered men and ate their flesh. This was among the Visayas
Islands and not from the Tagalogs.

The ninth was another class of witch called mangagayoma. This witch could make
charms for lovers out of herbs, stones, and wood which would infuse the heart with love.

The tenth was known as sonat which was the equivalent of a preacher. It was his task
to help a person to die. Likewise, he could predict the salvation or condemnation of the soul.
It was not lawful for the functions of this priest to be fulfilled by others than people of high
standing, on account of the esteem in which he was held. This priest was general throughout
the islands.

The eleventh was the pangatahojan who was a soothsayer and a predictor of the
future. This type of priest was also general in all the islands.

The twelfth was the bayoguin who was signified a cotquean. A cotquean was a man
whose nature inclined toward that of a woman.

All the various kinds of infernal ministers were, therefore, as was stated: catolonan,
sonat (who was a sort of bishop who ordained priestesses and received their reverence, for
they knelt before him as before one who could pardon sins, and expected salvation through
him) mangagauay, manyisalat, mancocolam, hocloban, silagan, magtatangal, osuang,
mangagayoma and pangatahojan.

On the Belief on Death and Other Associated Rituals. Their manner of burying the dead
was as follows: the deceased was buried beside his house. If he were a chief, he was placed
beneath a little house or porch which they constructed for this purpose. Before interring him,
they mourned him for four days and afterwards laid him on a boat which served as a coffin or
bier. He would be placed beneath the porch where a guard was kept over him by a slave. In
place of rowers, various animals were placed within the boat, each one being assigned a
place at the oar by twos. These animals, for example two goats, two deer or two fouls, were
male and female of each species. It was the slave's care to see that they were fed. If the
deceased had been a warrior, a living slave was tied beneath his body until in this wretched
way he died. In the course of time, all would suffer decay and for many days the relatives of
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wearied of it. This grief was also accompanied by eating and drinking. This was a custom of
the Tagalogs.

The Aetas, or Negrillos (Negritos) who were inhabitants of the island had also a form
of burial but different. They dug a deep, perpendicular hole and placed the deceased within
it, leaving him upright with head or crown unburied. On top of the deceased, they would put
half a cocoa-nut which was to serve him as a shield. Then they went in pursuit of some Indian
whom they killed in retribution for the Negrillo who had died. To this end they conspired
together, hanging a certain token on their necks until one of them procured the death of the
innocent one.

These infidels said that they knew that there was another life of rest which they called
maca, just as if we should say “paradise,” or, in other words, “village of rest.” They say that
those who go to this place are the just, and the valiant, and those who lived without doing
harm, or who possessed other moral virtues. They said also that in the other life and mortality,
there was a place of punishment, grief, and affliction, called casamaan, which was “a place of
anguish;” they also maintained that no one would go to heaven, where there dwelt only
Bathala, “the maker of all things,” who governed from above. There were also other pagans
who confessed more clearly to a hell, which they called, as I have said, casanaan; they said
that all the wicked went to that place, and there dwelt the demons, whom they called sitan.

Plasencia ended his account with this statement: “May the honor and glory be God
our Lord's, that among all the Tagalos [sic] not a trace of this is left; and that those who are
now marrying do not even know what it is, thanks to the preaching of the holy gospel, which
has banished it.”

Activity

1. Using a world and Philippine map, trace the route of the Magellan expedition.
2. Discuss what makes Pigafetta’s account on Magellan’s expedition essential in
understanding pre-16th century Filipinos.
3. Analyze the content of Fray de Plasencia’s account. Focusing on the relation on
the worship and beliefs of the Tagalogs, does the language or description used in
❖
the account suggest bias of any sort? In terms of biases, what makes Morga’s
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas different from that of Fray Plasencia?

❖

References:

de Navarrete, M. F.. (1837). Coleccion de los viajes y descubrimientos que hicieron por
mar los espanoles desde fines del siglo XV. Madrid: Imprenta Nacional.

de Plasencia, J. (1903). Customs of the Tagalogs. In The Philippine islands (Vol. 7, pp.
173–98). Cleveland: A.H. Clark Company.

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Gottschalk, L. (1950). Understanding history. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Howell, M., & Prevenier, W. (2001). From reliable sources: An introduction to historical
methods. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Rosales, A., & Sebastian. R. R. (2008). Historia: Pag-usbong, pakikipagtagpo at pagbubuo.

Manila: Mary Jo Publishing House.

Stearns, P. (1998). Why study history? In American historical association. Retrieved from
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-
archives/historical-archives/why-study-history-(1998).

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 Lesson 2 

KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN

Introduction

The Colonial Period was a harsh phenomenon that compelled an opportunity for the
Filipinos to act in solidarity towards sovereignty. It was the regime which caused Andres
Bonifacio to organize the Katipunan on July 7, 1892. Obliged by the defunct of Rizal’s La Liga
Filipina and the absence of hope on the Reform Movement, Bonifacio had to make options in
order to achieve the freedom dreamed by the whole nation.

With the hope of instilling order and respect among its members, the Katipunan
introduced a set of guiding principles and teachings. To its author, Emilio Jacinto, what was
important for its members was the cognizance of katwiran and kaliwanagan. The existence
of the Kartilya proved the correctitude and adherence of the Filipinos to established principles
and their merit for the regard of humanity.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Explain the need of the Kartilya for the members of the Katipunan.
2. Recognize the relevance of the Kartilya as an ethical-moral guide to the Filipinos
then and now.

The Author and His Background

Ever since, the authorship of the Kartilya has been ascribed to Emilio Jacinto, the
young adviser of Andres Bonifacio and the so-called Brain of the Katipunan. Due to his
brilliance, he rose from the position of fiscal to the rank of a general in the underground
movement. Under the leadership of the Supremo, he served as intelligence director in the
assault made in San Juan del Monte on August 30, 1896 in order to seize a Spanish garrison
in the area. His friendship with Bonifacio allowed him to naturally provide the latter with
weapons and ammunitions, money, printing materials and artistic creations (Filipinos in
History, 1995).

In spite of his failure to finish a university degree, Emilio Jacinto was a man of intellect,
refinement and literary indulgence. He wrote Liwanag at Dilim which contained some essays
about his political and social philosophies. Included in this collection were the essays Sa
Anak ng Bayan, Ang Ningning at ang Liwanag, Kalayaan, Ang Tao’y Magkakapantay, Ang
Bayan at ang mga Pinuno and Ang Maling Pagsampalataya (“Liwanag at Dilim”, n.d.). In the
hills of Majayjay, Laguna where he set up his secret headquarters, he contracted malaria

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which became the cause of his death on April 6, 1899 at the age of 24 (Filipinos in History,
1995).

Figure 5. Photo of Emilio

Jacinto courtesy of
Ambeth Ocampo.
(Retrieved from https://
filipiknow.net/philippine-
history-creepiest-photos/).

The Kartilya ng Katipunan and its Background

The Kartilya is a primary source which contains the oaths and orders that the
katipuneros had to follow. According to the British scholar Jim Richardson (2013), the Kartilya
was sold at four kualta per copy although it was not clear whether the members were
responsible for the payment or their respective chapters. Richardson suspects that the
Kartilya was still used at the time of the revolution against the United States as evidenced by
its version in the Philippine Insurgent Records, bearing the seal used by General Artemio
Ricarte in 1899. Richardson also relates the story that Emilio Jacinto’s Kartilya was seen as
superior by Andres Bonifacio who had intended of his Decalogue to be published and
distributed to the new members. The two documents, he posits however, are different from
one another because Jacinto’s Kartilya expounded aspirations and moral values while that of
Bonifacio enumerated the duties of the katipuneros.

Richardson also claims that the Kartilya took influence from the declaration used by
the masonic lodges in Manila. Following a declaration which is believed to have been written
in Spain, it resembled certain parts or aspects. The statement of purpose of the Kartilya, for
instance, can be identified as an imitation from the other, including the ideal on the equality of
men and women.

The Kartilya resonated the teaching of discipline, virtue and morals to individuals who
wished to join the secret society. It established a foundation that would govern the affairs of
the Katipunan and its members. Anyone who violated the teachings would be punished in
accordance with the gradation of the offense.

Below is the copy of the Kartilya (pp. 131-134) taken from Jim Richardson’s The Light
of Liberty: Documents and Studies on the Katipunan, 1892-1897 published by the Ateneo de
Manila University Press in 2013.

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Activity

1. Write a reflection paper on the relevance of the Kartilya ng Katipunan towards the
realization of the nation’s independence. Your answer should be stated in three
paragraphs of not less than three but not more than five sentences per
paragraph.

2. Choose two of the teachings of the .Katipunan and expound each in one
paragraph by relating personal experiences in life.

❖

References

Andres Bonifacio’s decalogue and the kartilya ng Katipunan. (n.d.). Malacañan Palace
Presidential Museum and Library. Retrieved from http://malacanang.gov.ph/
7013-andres-bonifacios-decalogue-and-the-kartilya-ng-katipunan.

Filipinos in history (Vol. 1). (1995). Manila: National Historical Institute.

Liwanang at dilim. (n.d.). National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nccaofficial/18260917309.

Only the creepiest photos from Philippine history. (2019). FilipiKnow. Retrieved from
https://filipiknow.net/ philippine-history-creepiest-photos/

Richardson, J. (2013). The light of liberty: Documents and studies on the Katipunan, 1892-
1897. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.

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 Lesson 3 

THE DECLARATION OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE

Introduction

After the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the American naval squadron in
Hongkong was instructed by the secretary of the navy to come to the Philippines in order to
challenge and destroy the Spanish fleet. Commodore George Dewey, later to become a Rear
Admiral, was faced by the Spanish fleet coming from the direction of Sangley Point in Cavite.
Though outnumbered by the Spanish fleet, the American squadron was able to defeat the
poorly armed Spanish ships and by mid-day, the Spanish fleet would be brought to a complete
destruction. Eventually, the Spaniards in Cavite hoisted a white flag as a sign of surrender in
the face of humiliating defeat.

Subsequently, Emilio Aguinaldo and his party returned to the Philippines with the belief
that the Americans would help him secure independence from the Spaniards. With this belief,
Aguinaldo and his men were highly spirited. His forces were able to capture not only places
like Imus, Parañaque, Bacood, Las Piñas, Laguna, Batangas, Tayabas up to as far as
Camarines in the South and San Fernando, Macabebe, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Bataan in
the North but also seized thousands of prisoners (Agoncillo, 1990). With these triumphs
against their former colonizers, Aguinaldo established a dictatorial form of government. The
government would direct the course of the revolution and that governance should be based
on decrees he would issue. With a government that could enforce obedience from the people,
Aguinaldo thought of declaring the country’s independence.

Objectives

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

1. Analyze and interpret sources by means of critically reading the Act of the
Proclamation of Philippine Independence.
2. Understand the key issues concerning the Declaration of Philippine Independence.

The Declaration of Philippine Independence

Emilio Aguinaldo, who had become the president of the newly established dictatorial
government, planned to proclaim independence in order to inspire his forces to fight the
Spaniards and to lay down the basis through which other countries would recognize the
independence of the country (Agoncillo, 1990). The proclamation was made on June 12,
1898 in Cavite el Viejo now known as Kawit. On that day, the prominent leaders of the
revolution who gathered in the house of Aguinaldo, proclaimed independence and conferred
upon him numerous powers in order the direct thoroughly the affairs of the government. The
powers granted on him included the right to issue pardon and amnesty proclamations and the
adoption of an official flag (Cortes, Boncan and Jose, 2005).

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The Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino, as the document

is aptly called, was penned and read by Ambrocio Rianzares Bautista before the presence of
thousands of people from the various provinces. The flag which was made in HongKong was
hoisted and waved for the first time and the music of what would become as the Philippine
national anthem was played likewise for the first time. Julian Felipe, the composer, was
instructed that the anthem should sound like a march and exuberant of triumph, that it should
be expressive of a gratitude for the contributions of Spain in the Philippines, and that it should
symbolize the determination of the country and its love for freedom (Molina, 1960).

Commodore George Dewey, the commander of the American naval squadron that
crippled the Spanish fleet commanded by Admiral Montojo, was invited but due to a certain
alibi, he failed to grace the inauguration. Of the ninety-eight people who signed the declaration
document was an American military officer named Colonel L. M. Johnson. (Molina, 1960)
Surprisingly, President Aguinaldo’s signature was nowhere to be found in the document
(Ocampo, 2020). Apolinario Mabini, who arrived right before the start of the inauguration rites
and met Aguinaldo for the first time, was not in favor of the proclamation which he considered
“reckless and premature” (para. 6). To Mabini, it would have been better if the Filipinos
gathered more weapons and ammunitions rather than flaunting their aspiration for
independence.

Who is Ambrocio Rianzares Bautista?

According to the book Filipinos in History (1995) by the then National Historical
Institute, Ambrocio Rianzares Bautista, or Don Bosyong as he was popularly known to many,
was born on December 7, 1830 in Biñan, Laguna. He finished a Bachelor of Laws degree
from the University of Santo Tomas. Among the legal luminaries who became his
contemporaries were Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano, Chief Justice Florentino Torres and
well-known lawyer Rafael del Pan.

A distant relative of the Rizal family, he served as their first lawyer concerning the
Calamba Hacienda Case. However, he backed out from the case for fear of being denounced
by the Dominican friars, the administrators of the Hacienda. Later on, the case was taken
over by Felipe Buencamino who also eventually gave it up because Jose Rizal had come up
with a different agenda against the Spaniards (Quibuyen, 2008).

Bautista became an officer of the Rizal-established La Liga Filipina. During the

Philippine Revolution, he was a contributor to the patriotic newspaper La Independencia. In
fact, he was one of the “most wanted” by the Spanish authorities because of his participation
in underground movements. He was arrested, imprisoned in Fort Santiago, released and,
subsequently, given a general amnesty by Governor General Primo de Rivera in accordance
with the Pact of Biak-na-Bato (Filipinos in History, 1995).

When Aguinaldo had returned from his exile in HongKong in May 1898, Bautista
became one of the first individuals who offered his service. He became Aguinaldo’s political
adviser. As principal adviser, he convinced Aguinaldo to constitute a dictatorial regime instead
of a constitutional government, arguing among others that the latter best suited the exigencies
of the times. However, after the proclamation of independence, Apolinario Mabini became
the principal adviser of Aguinaldo (Filipinos in History, 1995).

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The Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino

The declaration of Independence became somewhat contentious because of the

absence of Aguinaldo’s signature and the failure to promulgate or ratify it instantly thereafter.
It is likewise controversial because of certain provisions which were opposed by Mabini.
Read-through the whole text of the English version made by Sulpicio Guevara, the author of
The Laws of the Philippine Republic (The Laws of Malolos) 1898-1899, for your
comprehension and analysis.

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Activity

After reading the Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo

Filipino, do this activity by answering the following questions.

A. SOURCING THE DOCUMENT

Questions Responses

1. Is the document/ source

a primary source? Why?
2. Do you think the author
is credible as far as the
document is concerned?
Why?
3. For whom do you think
the document was
intended? Why do you
think it was written

B. COMPREHENSION

4. What are the author’s

main arguments?

5. Give an example of
historical fact (absolutely
indisputable) that we
learn from this
document.
6. What do you think are
some pieces of
information that should
have not been included
in the document? Why
do you think so?

C. INTERPRETATION

7. Does the evidence in

this document offer any
information that you did
not know before? What
is this information?

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8. Does the evidence

support or contradict
anything you have
learned from a book,
textbook or some other
sources? What might
this be?
9. What information
should you counter-
check with other
sources?
10. Does this source
broaden or deepen your
understanding of its
period? How?

❖

References

Agoncillo, T. A. (1990). The history of the Filipino people (8th ed.). Garotech Publishing.

Cortes, R. M., Boncan, C. P., & Jose, R. T. (2000). The Filipino saga: History as social
change. Quezon City: New Day Publishers.

Guevara, S. (1972). The laws of the Philippine republic (The laws of Malolos) 1898-1899.
Manila: National Historical Institute.

Molina, A. M. (1960). The Philippines through the centuries (Vols. 1 & 2). UST Cooperative.

Filipinos in history (Vol. 1). (1995). Manila: National Historical Institute. .

Ocampo, A. R. (2020, June 19). Where’s Aguinaldo’s signature. Retrieved from https://
opinion.inquirer.net/130929.

Quibuyen, F. C. (2008). A nation aborted: Rizal, American hegemony and Philippine

nationalism. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.

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 Lesson 4 

THE MALOLOS CONSTITUTION AND THE FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

Introduction

The proclamation of Philippine independence was led by Emilio F. Aguinaldo on June

12, 1898. Thereafter, Aguinaldo became the president of the revolutionary government. He
then issued several decrees reorganizing the government in the liberated provinces including
the election of delegates to the Revolutionary Congress to draft a constitution.

The Revolutionary Congress was formally opened at the church of Barasoain in

Malolos, Bulacan. The draft of the constitution was promulgated by President Aguinaldo on
January 21, 1899 and was known as the Malolos Constitution.

The constitution provided for three branches of the government: Executive,

Legislative, and Judiciary. As representatives of the different provinces, the Congress elected
Aguinaldo as President of the Philippines. He was inaugurated on January 23, 1899 and on
the same day the First Republic of the Philippines was formally established.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Analyze the context, content and perspective of the Malolos Constitution.

2. Determine the contributions of the Malolos Constitution and the First Philippine
Republic to the present-day government.
3. Appreciate the importance of constitution in developing love of country and
patriotism.

The Malolos Constitution and Congress

The Malolos Constitution and the First Philippine Republic can be traced back from
the 1896 Philippine Revolution. It started after the establishment of Katipunan, a secret
society, which aimed to attain independence for the Philippines. It was led by the president
of the Supreme Council; the most well-known of whom was Andres Bonifacio.

Since political and other differences arose between the two factions of the
organization, the Magdalo, and the Magdiwang, the Tejeros Convention was held on March
22, 1897. The purpose of the convention was to reconcile their differences. Among the
decision was to dissolve the Katipunan while establishing a revolutionary government.
Elections were held for its officers: Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President and Bonifacio

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was elected Director of the Interior. Initially, Bonifacio accepted his position, but was insulted
when Daniel Tirona objected. As a result, Bonifacio declared the proceedings of the Tejeros
Convention null and void and established a new government. This was seen as an act of
treason and Bonifacio was charged with refusing to recognize the newly established
revolutionary government. He was arrested and sentenced to death in Maragondon, Cavite.

As the new leader, Aguinaldo continued the revolution against the Spaniards. By the
latter part of 1897, Aguinaldo was forced by the advancing Spanish forces to retreat to the
mountains of Biak-na-Bato in Bulacan.

With the intention of ending the Philippine Revolution, Aguinaldo and the Spanish
government entered into an agreement known as the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 15,
1897. The agreement provided that the Filipino revolutionaries would go into exile in Hong
Kong and surrender their weapons in exchange for financial indemnities and pardons. In
Hong Kong, Aguinaldo and his companions established a junta which worked towards the
continuation of the revolution and the gaining of freedom from the Spaniards.

After the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Aguinaldo returned to the

Philippines and continued the revolution. Philippine Independence was formally proclaimed
on June 12, 1898. Thereafter, Aguinaldo established a revolutionary government and was
named its president. He then issued a proclamation creating a revolutionary congress to draft
the constitution for the government.

On September 15, 1898, the revolutionary congress was convened in Malolos,

Bulacan to draft the constitution. The convention was later on called as the Malolos Congress.
The Congress was composed of both appointed and elected delegates who represented all
of the provinces of the Philippines. After several amendments, Aguinaldo approved and
promulgated the Malolos Constitution on January 21, 1899. The Malolos Constitution became
the first Philippine constitution and the first republican constitution in Asia. It was composed
of ninety-three articles divided
into fourteen titles, with transitory
provisions in eight further articles,
and with one un-numbered
additional article.

On January 23, 1899, the

First Republic of the Philippines
was inaugurated in Malolos. It
also marked the start of the
Presidency of Emilio Aguinaldo as
the first president of the Republic
of the Philippines. The full text
(pp. 65-77) of the Malolos
Constitution published in the book
The Malolos Congress
(“Constitution”, 2003) is indicated Figure 6. The Malolos Congress which convened at the
below. Barasoain Church in September 1898. (Retrieved from
https://www.barasoainchurch.org/malolos-congress).

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Activity

1. Research and prepare a matrix of the members of Malolos Congress who

drafted the constitution. Identify their personal backgrounds by showing
whether they became the predecessors of the present-day politicians and
elites.

2. Make a three-paragraph reflection paper on the significance of First

Philippine Republic and Malolos Constitution in the present-day
government.

❖

References

1899 constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. (n.d.). The LawPhil Project. Retrieved
from https://lawphil.net/consti/consmalo.html

Araw ng republikang Pilipino, 1899. (n.d.). Official Gazette. Retrieved from https://www.
officialgazette.gov.ph/araw-ng-republikang-filipino-1899/

Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. (2003). Manila: National Historical Institute.

Documents of the 1898 declaration of Philippine independence. (1997). National Historical

Institute. Retrieved from http://nhcp.gov.ph/the-first-philippine-republic/

The first Philippine republic. (n.d.). National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Retrieved from https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-first-philippine-republic/

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 Lesson 5 

VISUAL SOURCES IN THE STUDY OF HISTORY

Introduction

In this lesson, visual sources to be tackled are photographs, paintings, cartoons and
video documentaries. These materials are dependable sources of historical information. In
the past, visual sources were usually credible. Even if editing applications are rampant
nowadays, visual sources with established credibility are still very blatant in revealing
episodes of history.

Visual sources, including sketches, posters, advertisements and three-dimensional

arts, are considered primary sources. These sources elicit information and ideas about the
period they were created. Ways of life and world view among others are highly embedded in
these sources; that is why historians value them at par with written sources. Visual materials
like archaeological finds prove the existence of human habitations and cultures at a time when
written records were inexistent. Whether these sources are old or new, what is important for
the scholar or historian is to evaluate these sources, primarily that excellent scholarship
requires thorough understanding and critical analysis of what they evoke as something to be
true at a given time. Besides, as Umberto Eco once said, “Civilization is now accustomed to
think in images” (quoted from Holt, 2002; p. 22).

Objectives

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

1. Know that visual sources are valuable sources of historical information.

2. Examine visual sources critically in order to have a reliable account.
3. Appreciate the paintings of Luna and Amorsolo as representations of history.

Reading and Understanding Visual Sources for Historical Writing

Visual sources can tell a lot of ideas regarding the people and the environment that
surround them. This occurs even if the persons who view them really know the meaning they
exude or not. However, the historian is not just a person who simply looks at visual materials
as mementos of past experiences or decorations in walls. Rather, he is a scholar who sees
them as valuable sources of historical information. To him, a picture or a painting dwells upon
a historical context from which it was created. And whether or not the creator was conscious
of his material as a source of historical information in the future is essentially immaterial. What
is more important is that the material becomes a potent tool through which events and ideas
in the past could be conveyed to the next generation and beyond.

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Reading and understanding visual sources in history, though, is not only purveyed
upon what a historian wants to understand and interpret based on mere speculations and
unwarranted ideas. For instance, it is precarious to imagine that a picture entails power
relationship or colonial differences between culture groups which are perceived to be of
unequal bearing, unless there is a hard evidence that guarantees the claim. By hard evidence,
it is meant that there is a tangible proof that provides facts. These facts should elicit
connection between the visual sources and the interpretation as they guide the course
towards such an interpretation. Hence, the historian should be properly equipped with the
know-how on the examination of visual sources—i.e., photographs, paintings, cartoons and
video documentaries.

Basic Guide on How to Examine Photographs, Paintings, Cartoons

and Video Documentaries

Nowadays, the “No document, no history” is no longer convincing as there are tangible
and intangible sources of data. This is also the reason why History as a discipline depends
on Archaeology, Anthropology and the allied social sciences. Of the two, the tangible kind of
source is usually easier to consider and examine because of its vivid representation or
enunciation of past ideas and realities. This representation is called historiophoty (White,
1988).

How should a historian examine a photograph, painting, cartoon or a video

documentary then? Examining each form of source is not exactly done as how the others are
scrutinized. And since, the visual sources that are used in history cannot interpret themselves
the way their creators clearly can, it is important to accurately find out the ideas and realities
they represent in order not to misinform the reading public. The following points are the
common grounding through which the aforementioned visual sources can be examined.

On the Question of Subject. It is important to know the subject of the visual source. The
subject pertains to what the visual source is all about. What is equally important is if the
source shows its subject literally or through a subtext or a concealed meaning. To situate it
in its proper historical standpoint, the period or date when the source was created must be
determined. It must be remembered that the period or date serves as the initial determinant
of the material as a primary source or not. After identifying the subject, the historian has to
ponder if, indeed, the source contributes to a better understanding of its period.

On the Question of Facts. When a historian invokes the word fact, what he means is a piece
of information which cannot be disputed by available sources. A factual piece of information
therefore leaves no room for doubt; it leaves no room for uncertainty. When a black-and-
white photograph which was taken in the late 19th century or in the early years of the American
regime shows young men in the arrabales of Manila who usually wore straw hats, white shirts
that buttoned below the lower neckline and white loose pants—and usually barefooted, the
historian cannot just set aside that the information seen are factual, especially when they are
corroborated by other photos taken likewise in that period which depict the same kind of
clothing or by written testimonies that describe such a clothing.

After establishing the factuality of the details and, hence, credibility of the source, the
historian has to ascertain if the facts can strengthen perception or knowledge of that time.

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On the Question of Intended Observers or Audience. Asking the question, “Who are the
supposed observers of the photograph?” can give an impression of the kind of perspective it
illustrates. Perspective pertains to the position from which the subject of the material is
expressed. By means of distinguishing its perspective, certain biases can be observed
thereafter.

If the source is intended solely for an observer or a group of observers, the historian
can have a better impression of its perspective and certain biases. In looking at a visual
material, however, what is most important usually to the historian is not the perception of the
observer or audience, rather it is the reason why the creator made the material,
notwithstanding if he intended it as a reference for posterity. The reason of the creator is of
most value to the historian because it can lead the latter to the discovery of ideas and past
realities that the material intends to convey.

On the Question of Purpose. Who is the photographer? Where did he come from? What
was his career or educational background? These questions would properly settle the
perspective from which a visual source should be seen, especially after distinguishing its
emphasis. In distinguishing the intent of the source, the historian has to inquire succinctly on
its provenance or what the lawyers aptly call custody. In written sources, for example, the
provenance of Rizal’s retraction document can be questioned relative to why it was not
revealed publicly right after his death. Even if the intent of the creator of the visual material is
difficult to determine, the historian should try his best to discover a surmise of it. By
determining the purpose through which the material was made, the historian would be able to
spot the biases in it.

On the Question of Context. Just like any other written source, every visual material belongs
to a particular context. As discussed in Unit 1, Lesson 2, context involves the time, space and
the prevailing practices of the people who made the object. If a certain visual material is
analyzed and interpreted separately from its milieu, period and existing traditions, the material
is detached from its value or meaning. This is because the object is made in relation to the
kind of environment it had, the period which is characterized by the kind of existing creativity
and technology, and the prevailing practices that largely influenced the people. The value
and meaning of a material are good wellsprings of analysis and interpretation.

Other Factors Involved. The historian should be smart enough to see and consider the
relevance of other elements which might lead to the thorough understanding of the visual
source. Elements as images, colors, lines, etc., might be of some help in understanding the
whole piece. How do these elements help the historian in understanding the object and
whether they conform to a certain milieu is yet another task which he needs to undertake.

Distinction of the Visual Sources

A photograph is an image that is produced through the use of a camera. It is created

by a light falling on a light-sensitive surface. The image it captures is a minute yet exact
representation of reality. Painting, on the other hand, is a portrayal of reality based on the
distinct perception or interpretation of its brush master. A cartoon or what is interchangeably
called caricature is a representation of reality, often in a grotesque or exaggerated form, in
order to transcend satirical, sarcastic or burlesque connotations of social events. Although a
cartoon is grotesque or exaggerated, it cannot just simply be dismissed as unworthy of

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historical consideration. It must be noted that a cartoon represents the opinion of a greater
public—and that itself is a good starting point for a historical study of a certain period.

A video documentary is the most interesting among the forms of visual sources being
discussed here. This is because a video documentary is a moving picture that actually shows
or at least immortalizes what happened at a certain past. Unless it has been altered, it is the
most reliable source because a material of this type combines moving images, audio and
effects which make its depiction of reality more effective.

Photograph Painting Caricature Video

Documentary
It captures a minute It imitates a part of It represents an It depicts moving
part of reality in an reality in a not so opinion about a reality. episodes of reality
exact yet still form. exact form. effectively in a vivid
audio-visual form.
It is the objective still It is the creative It represents a part of It is the exact
reproduction of reality. imitation or reality in a seemingly reproduction or at
representation of exaggerated form least close
reality based on the (e.g., parody and representation of
perception of its artist. sarcasm) moving episodes of
reality.

Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era, 1901-1941 by

Alfred McCoy and Alfredo Roces

A political cartoon is an illustration that translates editorial themes into satirical,

sarcastic or burlesque connotations with the typical view of arousing the attention of
authorities and institutions. Political cartoons play a vital in role in the political discourse of
societies (Britannica, n.d.). These cartoons reveal the popular perception of societies
concerning events that confronted societies. The richness of these cartoons reflects in turn
the vibrance of freedom of the press and of expression that societies enjoy.

In the Spanish Period, there was a censorship of the press in spite of the sneaking
desire of the propagandists to widen the public scope of their mouthpiece, La Solidaridad.
The friars primarily prohibited the import of reading materials from Europe in order to protect
their welfare in the country. In the American Period, however, newspapers and magazines
gained prominence, especially when almost all of the country was totally placed under
American control. Although the Filipinos were initially restricted by certain measures as the
Sedition Law of 1901 and the Brigandage Act of 1902, political views were gradually
expressed through the local dailies. Bit by bit, the dailies became unashamed in conversing
events about Philippine societies, more particularly the authorities and institutions. Evidence
to this was the many political cartoons that obvious criticized and condemned the practices in
Greater Manila and the provinces.

Authored by Alfred McCoy and Alfredo Roces, the book Political Cartoons: Political
Caricature of the American Era, 1901-1941 (1985) tackles the political cartoons published in
local newspapers and magazines at the time of the occupation of the United States in the
Philippines. “The political cartoons in this book cover the era when the American colonizers
first introduced a ‘free press’, when a new-found style of press freedom developed. The

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American era was also the time when artists went through financially lean years, and
fortunately, graphic artwork in the press put a bit more rice on their plates. The cartoons were
the artist’s response to the times” (p. 7).

The Authors of the Book

Alfred W. McCoy is an American historian who currently teaches at the University of

Wisconsin—Madison. He finished his BA in European History from Columbia University, MA
in Asian Studies at the University of California—Berkeley and Ph.D. in Southeast Asian
History at Yale University. Among his notable scholarships are: In the Shadows of the
American Century: The Rise and Decline of US Global Power (2017), Beer of Broadway
Fame: The Piel Family and Their Brooklyn Brewery (2016), Torture and Impunity: The U.S.
Doctrine of Coercive Interrogation (2012), Endless Empire: Spain’s Retreat, Europe’s Eclipse,
America’s Decline (2012), Policing America’s Empire: The United States, the Philippines, and
the Rise of the Surveillance State (2009) and An Anarchy of Families: State and Family in the
Philippines (2009).

Dr. McCoy has written extensively on the Philippines and Southeast Asia. He got
interested on the theme of the book when he was doing his dissertation. In a span of ten
years, he collected copies of these cartoons from original copies stored in the Library of
Congress of the United States, the Australian National Library, the National Library of the
Philippines and other institutions (McCoy and Roces, 1985).

Alfredo Roces was the editor-in-chief of the ten-volume Filipino Heritage. He also
authored some books which include Amorsolo, 1892-1972 (1975), Looking for Liling: A Family
History of World War II Martyr (2000), Medals and Shoes (co-authored with Irene Roces,
1992), Culture Shock! (co-authored with Grace Roces, 1992) and Drawings (1975). His
interest on Philippine graphic started in his childhood. He introduced co-author Alfred McCoy
to his personal collections of Lipag Kalabaw. He earned his Bachelor in Fine Arts degree from
Notre Dame University in Indiana, USA. He also wrote numerous articles on Philippine arts
and letters and designed the logo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Alfredo Roces was the recipient of the prestigious Ten Outstanding Young Men
(TOYM) Award in 1961, Journalist of the Year Award in 1971 from the Citizens Council for
Mass Media and Artist of the Year Award from the Art Association of the Philippines in 1975
(McCoy and Roces, 1985).

The Content of the Book

The book contains cartoons from various dailies that toughly ridiculed the
transformation of the country, especially its capital city, on certain respects. It conveys how
the Filipino politicians had become arrogant and abusive to the powers vested in them. The
City of Manila, for example, was depicted by political cartoons as a classic example of haven
for political dynasty, abuse and corruption. While the social practices in Manila were changing
as the results of retrofitting to conform it to the ways of the new colonizers, the provinces were
the object of satirical representations. Newspaper cartoons depicted the appalling situation
of the peasants, their battle cries from their landlords, the prevalence of illegal activities and
the snobbish and condescending attitude of returning students from Manila.

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Although the country was being accustomed to a new system of governance, Spanish
colonial influence was still resilient. While Governor-General William Taft was so desirous
about the separation between the Church and the State, he thought that Catholicism served
as the catalyst for the civilization of the country. The newspapers and magazines, on the
other hand, were very sensitive to the sickening attitude of many friars so that the cartoons of
their editorial commentaries mocked the alleged hypocrisy of these Church ministers.

Since the United States introduced its cultural colonialism at the same time, the
Filipinos were educated on American system of governance and on the rudiments of the
English Language. Even if the English Language was considered socially democratizing
among Filipinos, there was a wide array of distinctions with respect to their American
counterparts while they were heavily burdened with responsibilities. For instance, The
Independent and Bag-ong Kusog depicted the distinctions in their respective October 23,
1915 and November 9, 1928 issues. The cartoons opined that while the American employees
in the Philippines were paid adequately, their Filipino counterparts were struggling with low
incomes, to think that they did most of the blue-collar routines.

Figure 7. Equal Work, Unequal Salary, Why? (left) from The Independent which was published in its November
29, 1915 issue and American Worker/Filipino Worker (right) from Bag-ong Kusog published in its
November 9, 1928 issue. (McCoy and Roces, 1985).

The public’s perception of colonial relationship was exemplified in certain editorial

cartoons in the book. At the onset of the American regime, the colonial government could
hardly resolve the differences between the American officials and the emerging Filipino
bureaucrats. Eventually, however, the skeptical Filipino bureaucrats gradually learned how
to collaborate with the aggressive and pretentious Americans especially that they aspired to
gain independence from the United States. The cunning and opportunistic American officials
were revealed by the cartoonists in grotesque and exaggerated images represented by Uncle
Sam.

A classic rendering on this was the cartoon published by Lipag Kalabaw, a satirical
Tagalog Magazine published weekly, on November 14, 1908. The cartoon interpreted the
rumor pertaining to the suppression of freedom of speech by illustrating an unequal
relationship between the Filipino who interrogates Uncle Sam. The Filipino who is
represented by Juan dela Cruz appears to be serious in a standing and enduring manner

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while Uncle Sam is comfortably seated in a gesture that does not seem to value the former’s
concern. Power relationship in the cartoon is seen in the sizes of the images and their
respective appearances. The cartoonist expressed subtly his contempt and yearning for
retribution by elongating the nose of Uncle Sam.

Figure 8. Tanong na Makahulugan from Lipag Kalabaw which was published in its November 14, 1908 issue.
(McCoy and Roces, 1985).

At the onset of the American Period, the friars who were put into hot seats by the
furious pen of the cartoonists because of the political authority they still held. In the later
years, public opinion shifted to the Chinese. They became the subject of public wit and anger
due to their beguiling scheme of increasing profit out of the agony of the consumers. In just
five years, the price per cavan of rice increased more than three times—i.e, from P4.70 to to
P5.90 (McCoy and Roces, 1985). The anti-Chinese sentiments were sustained for several
years primarily due to the rice crisis in 1919 and its impact thereafter. Public opinion against

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the Chinese waned when anti-Japanese sentiments grew because of the alarming threat
posed by the Japanese in Northeast Asia and their subsequent annexation of Manchuria.

The dynamics of Philippine politics was tackled in the book. The Jones Law of 1916
added turbulence in the political scene by establishing the Philippine Senate that would entail
more competition and bickering to the already controversy-infested Philippine Assembly.
Apart from the hullabaloos of local politics, the principal figures of national politics were highly
involved in key issues. Manuel Luis M. Quezon and Sergio S. Osmeña, Sr. became the
subject of lampoons because of their insatiable involvement in independence missions. The
Partido Nacionalista was split into two factions and, later on, Osmeña was cunningly defeated
by Quezon through the latter’s Tydings-McDuffie Act.

While the Philippines was to become a semi-independent nation, the exploitations and
worthlessness of certain public officials were more and more evident. The Free Press, as
such, became intense of its portrayals of the idiosyncrasies and contemptible parasitic
practices of the bureaucrats and legislators. It described them through cartoons as traitors of
public interests and as exploiters of the people. The political controversies did not elude the
merciless pen of the cartoonists until the menace of Japanese advancement in Northern
China.

During the turbulent and the apparent stable times of the American Period, cartoons
became effective avenues in expressing public opinions. The cartoonists’ sardonic
representations of key issues were critical commentaries on the phenomena wrought by
American occupation, exploitative or worthless gestures of Filipino officials and the challenges
brought about by other foreigners as the Chinese and the Japanese. The harsh judgments
of the cartoonists evoked a fully developed sense of nationalism which aimed at a better
country for the Filipinos.

The Paintings of Juan Luna and Fernando Amorsolo

Juan Luna is remembered because of his Parisian Life and his monumental
masterpiece Spoliarium. He was born in Badoc, Ilocos Norte in 1857. He took up Bachelor
of Arts in Ateneo Municipal. His initial training in arts took place under the supervision of the
Spanish painter Agustin Saez. Later on, he became a seafarer after studying navigation of
the high seas at the Academia Nautica de Manila which he eventually gave up in order to
pursue a career in arts. (Filipinos in History, 1990) He became an apprentice to the Filipino
painter Lorenzo Guerrero at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura. In 1877, he traveled to Spain
and continued his studies at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (“Museo”,
n.d.). To continue his studies in fine arts, the City Government of Manila agreed to fund his
studies abroad with the condition that he will send one historical painting every year so that
the Ayuntamiento would be able to increase its collection of masterpieces (Filipinos in History,
1990).

Back in Spain, he traveled in many European cities in order to gain insights from the
paintings displayed in their museums. Indeed, he would become ultimately a master of the
brush that he would produce such masterpieces as La Muerte de Cleopatra (The Death of
Cleopatra), España y Filipinas (Spain and the Philippines), La Batalla de Lepanto (The Battle
of Lepanto), Peuple et Roi (People and King) and El Pacto de Sangre (The Blood Compact)
among others. His La Batalla de Lepanto which won the gold medal in the Barcelona
Exposition of 1888 is considered as his greatest masterpiece as it captures the admiration

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and recognition of art experts. This is because of Luna’s exact depiction of the impact of the
collision of ships in the naval battle that took place in Lepanto. Peuple et Roi which was
supposed to be an entry for the Universal Exposition in Chicago in 1892 is said to be the next
best of his works, followed by his Spoliarium which won the gold medal in the Universal
Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1884.

The Spoliarium

The term spoliarium means an obscured chamber in the Roman Coliseum where the
fallen bodies of gladiators were taken and stripped of their armors and weapons before
disposal. At a size of 4.22 x 7.675 meters, it is the largest painting in the Philippines (“National
Museum Collection”, n.d.). It tells of the horrible doom of the gladiators after their attempt to
save their lives from being mercilessly killed by wild animals or warriors in the arena of the
Coliseum.

With a beaming amount of light towards the center of the painting, Luna was able to
give emphasis to a shocking scenario in the spoliarium. The light highlighted the mangled
cadavers in the middle ground which epitomized the absence of equality and value of human
life in Rome, contrary to the ideas offered by the greatest social thinkers and philosophers of
the ancient world. Sensing the allegorical meaning evoked by the painting, Rizal described
Luna’s painting, including Felix R. Hidalgo’s Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho,
as “the essence of our social , moral and political life: humanity in severe ordeal, humanity
unredeemed, reason and idealism in open struggle with prejudice, fanaticism and injustice….”
(Guerrero, 2007, p. 121) To honor to Luna and Hidalgo, he said in his speech that “Genius
knows no country, genius sprouts everywhere...” (Zaide, 2018, p. 102).

The exquisite combination of light and darkness called chiaroscuro aroused a more
dramatic effect in the painting. The painting is characterized by a dark atmosphere in the
background which exudes a gloomy sensation amidst the horrendous scene. Taking it from
Rizal, the Spoliarium, indeed, represented the atrocious condition of the Philippines.

Fernando Amorosolo is one of the Filipino painters known for landscape and
historical masterpieces, including paintings about women in the rural areas and portraits of
influential individuals. He was named National Artist in Painting in 1972 for the countless
masterpieces he created.

He was born in Manila in 1892 and studied at an art school named Liceo de Manila in
1909. He also enrolled at the School of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines which he
finished with honors in 1914. While a student at the university, Amorsolo did sketches for
publications just to earn money. After his graduation, he joined the Bureau of Public Works
as draftsman and, later, at the Pacific Commercial Company where he served as its chief
artist. Because of his unusual brilliance, he became a part-time instructor in his alma-mater
in the succeeding three years before he would go to Spain and study at the Academia de San
Fernando in Madrid. Through the study grant, he was able to go to New York. There he
learned cubism and impressionism which would become the movements that would influence
his paintings later on.

The Bombing of the Intendencia and the Burning of Manila

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During the Second World War, Fernando Amorsolo shifted from painting landscapes
to the horrific outcomes of the war. The Bombing of the Intendencia, the customs building
during the Spanish Period, was done at his house while observing the annihilation which
caused the deaths of thousands of people. And just like the Bombing of the Intendencia, the
painting, The Burning of Manila, was made at the height of the Japanese conquest. The
masterpiece shows the destruction of Manila as evidenced by the incessant burning of the
capital city.

Planting Rice (1951)

Another notable painting of Amorso is Planting Rice. This painting would become the
icon that would serve as a model to a generation of painters later on. The book A Portfolio of
60 Philippine Masterpieces claims that the site chosen for the painting were the ricefields
situated east of the San Juan River (DECS, 1989). Though somewhat intriguing, the presence
of a man plucking a guitar in the middle ground explains that the hardworking farmers become
unmindful of fatigue. It must be remembered that the certain folksongs were collectively
composed by farmers while working in the field for such a reason likewise.

What is remarkable in the painting is the dominance of women over the men. This
simply means that women in the rural areas can get along with men at work without prejudice.
Moreover, their very presence affirms the essence of rice as provider of life to people.
Women, by giving birth to children, serve also as the source of human life. Altogether, the
painting shows the serene and pastoral atmosphere of the landscape and the simple yet
hardworking character of the farmers.

Figure 9. The
painting Planting
Rice (1951) by
Fernando
Amorsolo.
(Retrieved from
https://pensievemi
ndniche.wordpress
.com/2014/11/01/p
lanting-rice-1951-
by-fernando-
amorsolo/).

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Activity

Read articles published by reputable online sources regarding the Japanese

Occupation of the Philippines and make an editorial cartoon that conveys the popular
opinion of the people at that time.

❖

References

Alfred McCoy. (n.d.). University of Washington Department of History. Retrieved from

https://history.wisc.edu/people/mccoy-alfred-w/

DECS. (1989). A portfolio of 60 Philippine art masterpieces. Instructional Materials

Corporation.

Holt, E. M. (2002). Colonizing Filipinas: Nineteenth-century representations of the Philippines

in western historiography. Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Knieper, T. (n.d.). Political cartoon. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/

topic/political-cartoon

McCoy, A., & Roces, A. (1985). Philippine cartoons: Political caricature of the American era,
1901-1941. Vera-Reyes, Inc.

Planting rice (1951) by Fernando Amorsolo. (2014). Ms. Pensive. Retrieved from
https://pensievemindniche.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/planting-rice-1951-by-
fernando-amorsolo/

National museum collection. (2014). National Museum. Retrieved from https://

www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nationalmuseumbeta/Collections/Spoliarium.html

Museo nina Juan at Antonio Luna. (n.d.). National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Retrieved from https://nhcp.gov. ph/ museums/juan-luna-shrine/

Filipinos in history (Vol. 2). (1990). Manila: National Historical Institute.

Pascual, Mc Donald M. (2020). Reading and understanding visual sources [PowerPoint

slides].

White, H. (1988). Historiography and Historiophoty. In American historical review (Vol. 93,
No. 5, pp. 1193-1199). Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/1873534?seq=1

Zaide, G. F., & Zaide, S. M. (2018). Jose Rizal: Life, works and writings (3rd Ed.). New Day
Publishers.

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 Lesson 6 

RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA: A DOCUMENTARY PRESENTATION

Introduction:

As described by the Spaniards, piracy in the area surrounding the Sulu Sea was
rampant until the 19th century as a result the colonial government’s attempt to subdue
Mindanao. It was in the middle of that century when the Spaniards continually engaged the
Muslims whom they called Moros in order to stop the latter’s illegal acts. One striking battle
took place in 1848 when the Spaniards sent an expedition to Balanguingui through a fleet of
small warships commanded by General Jose Ruiz. The Spaniards, though, failed to repeal
the Moro piracy which existed until the beginning of the 20th century.

Learning Outcomes:

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

1. Analyze the context, content, and perspective of different kinds of primary sources
and determine how they affected the history of the Filipino people;
2. Determine the contribution of the different types of primary sources in
understanding Philippine History; and
3. Develop critical and analytical skills as they are exposed to primary sources.

Background of the Film

The Raiders of the Sulu Sea is a documentary film produced by Lim Suat Yen,
Zuzanita Zakaria and Yeon-Hwa Kim. Other producers include the Oakfilms3 based in
Singapore for Q Channel, as well as the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel
for international releases. It was directed by Idzwan Othman and was originally released in
2008. It was subsequently produced by Looking Glass International based in Victoria,
Australia in 2013.

In coming up with the film, the production team sought the assistance of the following
contributors:

• Icelle Gloria D. Borja-Estrada who is considered as Zamboanga City’s premiere

artist, working as a painter and sculptor. She also worked as an executive assistant in
the Office of the City Mayor with the task of overlooking the City Hall restoration.

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• Dr. Samuel K. Tan who is regarded as foremost authority on Filipino Muslim history.
He served as chairperson of the National Historical Institute and focused most of his
studies in understanding the history and culture of the Muslims in the Philippines

• Dr. Barbara Watson Andaya who is a professor of Asian Studies at the University of
Hawai’i and director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. Her career has
involved teaching and researching in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the
Netherlands and, since 1994, Hawai’i. She maintains an active teaching and research
interest across all Southeast Asia. But her specific area of expertise is the western
Malay-Indonesia archipelago.

• Dr. Julius Bautista Bautista who is an associate professor at Kyoto University. His
research interests include the anthropology of religion, pedagogy, and Southeast
Asian culture and history, especially the Philippines and Timor Leste.

• Dr. Margarita Cojuangco who is known for her work in helping Muslim communities.
She did a research on the history of Sama in the Sulu archipelago.

• Mr. Halman Abubakar who served as a municipal councilor in Jolo at the time of the
filming of the documentary. A Tausug descendant from Sulu, he is an expert on the
martial arts of Silat which uses significant and historic Tausug bladed weapons.

Synopsis of the Film

The documentary film can be divided into four main points: (1) the presence of a
flourishing commercial activities in Southeast Asia which prospered in the Sulu Sea; (2) the
so-called Moro Piracy and the warships used by the native ‘pirates; (3) the slave-raiding
activities; and, (4) the defense of Zamboanga.

The main setting of the documentary is the Spanish fort of Zamboanga. Strategically
located in the southernmost tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Spaniards hoped that
Zamboanga would serve as an outpost to check the Muslim attacks in the Visayas and Luzon.
History would prove that in most part, Zamboanga was inefficient in defending the other parts
of the Philippines simply because the Muslims easily bypassed it and went directly to their
target areas. However this did not mean that the lone outpost was exempted from Muslim
raids. It is worth noting that there was no single Muslim in Mindanao, contrary to the popular
belief of other Filipinos, who knew only a little about the ethnic composition of the area.

There were three primary ethnic groups which led the raids: the Samal Balangingi, the
Ilanuns and the Tausugs. Most of the colonial historical accounts consider these groups as
brutal pirates and bandits. However from their ethnic point-of-view, they were freedom fighters
who wanted to halt the Spaniards from expanding towards their domains. Since their
communities were situated along the coasts of the Sulu Archipelago, it was no wonder that
these groups were excellent mariners and sailors. They were feared by almost all of the
coastal inhabitants of the Philippine archipelago because of their strength and fierceness in
combat and the weapons, as well as the fast and efficient ships, they used. However, apart
from the goal of defending their lands against Spanish colonial rule, these groups were also
notorious for their slave-raiding activities.

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The documentary narrates the brutality of these Moro pirates. One recorded brutality
was their act of making a hole through the palms of their captives and putting a string into it
to prevent them from escaping. These captives would then be ransomed or sold as slaves in
other trading outposts in Southeast Asia. They could also be made as boat rowers in raiding
the Sulu Sea. Slave raids were considered as economic activities and were sanctioned by
the Sultan of Sulu under the premise of defending the territorial reach of Islam and the
elimination of the presence of the Catholic Spaniards in the archipelago.

Spanish accounts of the era narrated the ships utilized by the Muslims in their raiding
activities, to wit:

▪ Juanga/Joanga/Lanong. These were large ships that measured around 24 to 27

meters long with wide hull and wide keel for stability. It used three large cloth sails
that was collapsible. It had cannons mounted at the bow and could carry around 100
to 150 men including a master or captain, a steersman, warrior-sailors, as well as
slaves to serve as oarsmen.

▪ Garay. As compared to the Juangas, these vessels were smaller but known for their
fastness and maneuverability. These were principally used by the Samals and were
built from bamboo, wood, and nipa palm.

▪ Salipsipan. These were considered as support vessels and were designed primarily
to access littoral or shallow water conditions. The raiders would usually hide their
bigger vessels by using these ships. They pretended as fishermen so that they could
not draw the attention of their target captives and could convince them that they are
harmless.

On the other hand, the weapons that the Muslims used in their raiding activities
included the following:
▪ Barong. These were single-bladed weapons made of thick-tempered steel and
measures at approximately one meter long. The Muslims would prefer this during a
close hand-to-hand battle.

▪ Kris or Calais. These weapons were used either for warfare or as a ceremonial
symbol. It was unique because it was a double-edged sword that was either smooth
or wavy. It was a dreadful and savage weapon since it did not only stab the opponent,
rather it slashed the flesh and penetrated it, leaving most of the time a fatal result. The
nobles and other high ranking Muslim officials would usually use this weapon.

▪ Kampilan. These weapons were primarily used by the Ilanuns and were much longer
and heavier than the previous two swords.

▪ Body Armor. Wealthy Muslims used bodily armors that were made from carabao
horn and/or steel plates which, in turn, were molded to fit the body of its user. A chain
link was used to hold it to the warrior’s body.

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Activity

Watch the documentary film Raiders of the Sulu Sea in Youtube through the
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtJ1mZdX10. Read likewise Dr. Cesar
Adib Majul’s book titled Muslims in the Philippines: Past, Present and Future
Prospects make a timeline of the Moro Wars.

❖

References:

Majul, C. A. (1971). Muslims in the Philippines: Past, present and future prospects. Manila:
Converts of Islam Society of the Philippines.

Yen, L. S., Zakaria, Z., & Kim, Y. (Producers). (2013). Raiders of the Sulu sea. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtJ1mZdX10.

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