Readings in Philippine History College of Education

Chapter 2
Understanding Perspectives

Learning Outcomes

1. Discuss the context, content, and perspective of different kinds of primary sources
2. Determine the contribution of different kinds of primary sources in understanding Philippine
history
3. Identify the historical importance of primary sources
4. Develop critical and analytical skills with exposure to primary sources

Lesson Proper

The historian’s primary tool of understanding and interpreting the past is the historical
sources. Historical sources ascertain historical facts. Such facts are then analyzed and interpreted
by the historian to weave historical narrative. Historical sources are written by various authors with
different perspectives.

1.Perspective
refers to the point of view of the said writer who was a witness to the event. It provides
primary information about the author’s work. It sets up the opinion, attitude, and
background of the writer. It is especially vital to history, since the authors of primary sources
have their own takes of the events. Though historical sources are important in the writing of
history, the historian is careful in using these sources as the writer may be biased or
prejudiced on the subject, he/she is discussing. Since the authors of primary sources have
their own takes of the events.

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

Not only should we seek to understand the events that end up to a historical moment
(the cause-and-effect), but we need to examine the world in which the event took place, too.
We know that circumstances one has experienced in life can affect the way in which one
views the world depending on a range of factors including age, gender, social positions, belief
and values. As a result, each person has his or her unique biases. Consider, too, that the
people of the past had different views, too. They looked upon the world around them in a
different way than we do as a result of the times they lived through, and we must take that
into consideration in order to understand their decisions.

Determining a source perspective is to know who the creator of the source was.
Conduct a background research on who created the source and find out details about them.
In doing so, you’ll be able to understand how they viewed the past. Look into their
Nationality, social status, political perspective, culture, and education.

2. Historical Methodology

Historical Methodology comprises certain techniques and rules that historians follow
in order to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing history. It is also the
process of critically examining and analyzing the records of the past and survivals of the
past. (Gottschalk, 1969) Sources, i.e. records from and of the past, form the basis of
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Readings in Philippine History College of Education
historical research by providing historians with the evidence which enables them to make
claims about the past. Since every source has a past of its own, historians must first
examine the history of their sources (a process known as source criticism) before turning to
source interpretation.

Historical Analysis

 Select the subject to investigate

 Collect probable sources of information on the subject
 Look out for many varied evidences of the activities engaged in by people who
lived in the past.
 It is necessary at this point to be familiar with the different types of historical
sources (Primary and Secondary Sources) which you may avail of as you
conduct your data collection.
 Examine sources genuineness/ criticize your sources
 Extract credible particulars
 Once individual pieces of information have been assessed in context,
hypotheses can be formed and established by historical reasoning. It includes
assembling a body of historical data and its presentation in terms of objective
truth and significance.
Importance of the historical methods
1. It throws light on present and future trends.
2. It enables understanding of and solutions to contemporary problems to be sought in
the past.
3. Understanding the importance and repercussions found in cultures.
4. Reevaluation of the historical data and facts already presented

Sources, i.e. records from and of the past, form the basis of historical research by
providing historians with the evidence which enables them to make claims about the past.
Since every source has a past of its own, historians must first examine the history of their
sources (a process known as source criticism) before turning to source interpretation. In
order for a source to be used as evidence in history, basic matters about its form and content
must be settled.

3.External and Internal Criticism

Evaluating sources entails two kinds of criticism. The first one is External criticism
and the second is Internal criticism. External Criticism examines the authenticity of the
document or the evidence being used while Internal Criticism examines the truthfulness of
the content of the evidence.

The establishment of the validity of the data generally involves the dual process of
internal and external criticism. However, the best tool in the detection of frauds is the
investigator's common sense.

A. What is External Criticism?

"External criticism is concerned with the genuineness of the document itself, whether it
really is what it purports to be whether it reads to the original". It is aimed at establishing the
authenticity or genuineness of the data. It may involve chemical and physical tests of the
material data of ink, paint, paper, metal, cloth, etc.

 The problem of authenticity

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 To spot fabricated, forged, faked documents
 To distinguish a hoax or misrepresentation
 Involves finding out if the source material is genuine and if it possesses textual integrity
(Gay, et al., 1972)
Tests of Authenticity (“Is it genuine?”)
i. Determine the date of the document to see whether they are anachronistic (a
chronological misplacing of persons, events, or customs in regard to each other)
e.g. pencils did not exist before the 16th Century
ii. Determine the author e.g. handwriting, signature, seal
iii. Anachronistic style e.g. idiom, orthography, punctuation Louis Gottschalk,
Understanding History
iv. Anachronistic reference to events e.g. too early, too late, too remote
v. Provenance or custody e.g. determines its genuineness
vi. Semantics – determining the meaning of a text or word
vii. Hermeneutics –(principles of interpretation of ambiguous words)

B. What is Internal Criticism?

Internal criticism deals with the meaning and trustworthiness of the statements that
remain within the document. It is aimed at evaluating the accuracy of the documents
collected. The errors, omissions and additions in documents in copying, printing, and
translation, can be detected by internal criticism. It is also an important factor in
determining the validity of the data. The research worker must make use of both internal and
external criticism for assessing the reliability of the document. The validity of the historical
facts, can sometime be verified by comparing them with the statements of other authors.
 The Problem of Credibility
 Relevant particulars in the document – is it credible?
 Verisimilar – as close as what really happened from a critical examination of best
available sources
Tests of Credibility
i. Identification of the author e.g. to determine his reliability; mental processes,
personal attitudes
ii. Determination of the approximate date e.g. handwriting, signature, seal
iii. Ability to tell the truth e.g. nearness to the event, competence of witness, degree of
attention
4. Content and Context Analysis

Content Analysis

 Content is the material/matter/medium contained within the work that’s available

for audience
 It is a systematic evaluation of the primary source that enable an individual to
present and develop an argument based on his own understanding of the evidence
from his readings.

Contextual Analysis
 Context is the positioning of the content, storyline or purpose that provides value to the
audience.

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 It considers specifically the time, place, situation when the primary sources were
written
 The analysis as well includes the author’s background, authority on the subject and
intent perceptible, and its relevance and meaning to people and society today.

5. Magellan’s Voyage
Author : Antonio Pigafetta
- Studied astronomy, geography, and cartography and during his younger years worked in the
ships owned by the Knights of Rhodes.
- Described as a well-educated young man possessing an avid curiosity of the world around
him.
- Accompanied Ferdinand Magellan in the famous expedition.
-
About the book
Pigafetta kept a detailed journal of what happened to them in from the time they left in
Seville in 1519 until they returned to Spain in three years. When he returned to Italy, many of
his associates asked him to write a formal account of the Magellan expedition and have it
published.
- Unfortunately, he was unable to find a financier who would pay the deposit for the printer.
- A condensed version of his manuscript was published in Venice by Jacques Fabre sometime
in 1536.
- The original journal of Pigafetta did not survive time.
- Of the four known primary sources that dealt with the Magellan expedition, Pigafetta’s
account is the longest and most comprehensive.
- Pigafetta also gave an eyewitness account of the death of Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.

Historical Context

One of the benefits that the Europeans gained from the Crusades was the discovery of some
products that were not available in their home country. Asian goods reached Europe either via
the Silk Road or the Arabian-Italian trade route. Both routes were expensive and often times
disrupted by wars, natural calamities, and bandits. The closing of the land route of the Spice
Trade with the conquest by the Ottoman Empire of Constantinople (present-day Turkey and the
“gateway to the West” then) in 1453 forced European kingdoms to look for ways to purchase
spices directly from the source. They decided to explore the oceans to look for a way to the famed
Spice Islands.
- the Marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand Aragon II of Aragon coupled with
the victory of the Catholic monarch over the Moors in the Battle of Granada resulted in the rise
of Spain as a world power
-The Spanish monarch supported the plan of Ferdinand Magellan to go East by sailing
westward, a proposal that Portugal refused to finance.
- Magellan-Elcano Expedition left the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda in Seville on August 20,
1519 with around 270 men of different nationalities.
- the Spaniards lost the battle at Mactan and one of the casualties was Magellan himself.
-on September 7, 1522, Elcano and 17 survivors arrived in Spain aboard the Victoria.

Relevance of Pigafetta’s travelogue on the Magellan-Elcano Expedition

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Readings in Philippine History College of Education
- Pigafetta’s travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine historiography.
- Proved that the Earth is not flat.
- Demolished the myth that there is boiling water at the Equator.
- Proved the theory that one can go to the East by sailing West.
- They brought to the attention to the Europeans that on the other side of the American
continent exists a large body of water which they named Pacific Ocean.

6. Customs of the Tagalog

Historical Content

During the first century of Spanish rule, the colonial government had difficulty in running
local politics because of the limited number of Spaniards who wanted to live outside of Intramuros.
So the Spanish officials allow Filipinos to hold the position of gobernadorcillos (Miguel Lopez de
Legaspi in 1565). Hence, the friars ended up performing the administrative duties that colonial
officials should have been doing at the local level. They supervised the election of the local
executives, helped in the collection of taxes, were directly involved in educating the youth, and
perform other civic duties. Consequently, the friars became the most knowledgeable and influencial
figure in the pueblo. Every mission assigned to these friars were reported to the superiors. Some of
them submitted letters while others who were keen observers and gifted writers wrote long
dispatches. On top of the regular reports they submitted, they also shared their personal
observations and experiences. Plasencia’s Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalogs (Custom
of the Tagalogs, 1589) is an example of this kind of work. It contains numerous information that
historians could use in reconstructing the political and socio-cultural history of the Tagalog region.
His work is a primary source because he personally witnessed the events and his account contained
his observation.

Miguel de Loarca, an encomendero of Panay wrote his Relacion de las Islas Filipinas (1582)
and describe the Filipinos’ way of life in the Western Visayas area and more Filipinos who wrote a
lot from history.

About the Author

Fray Juan de Lasencia (Joan de Portocarrero, real name) was a member of Franciscan Order
who came together with the first batch of the missionaries to the Philippines in 1578. He and a
fellow Franciscan Fray Diego de Oropesa, were assigned to do mission works in the Southern
Tagalog area, (Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal,
Romblon and Aurora and the highly urbanized City of Lucena.)

About the Text

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

7. The Kartilya of the Katipunan

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

Early Flag of the Katipunan

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

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

About the Author

Emilio Jacinto was born on December 15, 1875 in district of Troza in Tondo, Manila. He was
the son of Mariano Jacinto, a bookkeeper, and Josefa Dizon. Living a life of poverty Jacinto still
managed to get a good education. He finish his elementary education in a private school then took
up his secondary education at the Colegio de San Juan de Lettran. He later studied law at the
University of Santo Tomas where he developed a love of reading and improved his skills in Spanish.
Jacinto joined the Katipunan in 1894 at the age of 18 and took the symbolic name Pingkian. He
serves as a guiding light to the members of the society. He wrote the Kartilya as well as the oath of
the Katipuneros. He also edited the Katipunan newspaper, Kalayaan, and was the author of several
literary writings using the pen-name “Dimas Ilaw”.

About the Text

In the study of the Katipunan history and its documents, Jim Richardson said that “the
Kartilya is the best known of all Katipunan texts” and that it is “the only document of any length set
in print by the Katipunan prior to August 1896 that is known to be still extant.” The Kartilya was
printed as a small pamphlet that was distributed to the members of the Katipunan. The Kartilya
presents not only the teachings for the neophyte Katipunero but also the guiding principles of the
society. The Kartilya was not just a document for the Katipunan. Its importance today is predicated
on the teachings that embodied the moral and nationalistic principles of a nation that fought for
independence.

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Readings in Philippine History College of Education
8. Speech of President Corazon C. Aquino Before the Joint Session of the United States
Congress, September 18, 1986

Historical Context

The gradual downfall of the dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand E. Marcos began with
the assassination of his political rival, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., on August 21,
1983 moments after the latter returned from exile in the United States.

About the Speaker

Maria Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino was born on January 25, 1933 to wealthy and
politically prominent family in Tarlac. She graduated from Mt. Vincent College in New York in 1954.
a year later she married a popular young politician Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. She live the life of a
politician’s wife, remaining in the background and raising their family of five children while her
husband’s career as a prominent opposition politician grew during the Marcos administration.

In January 1987, Cory Aquino was named the TIME Magazine’s 1986 Person of the year. She
return in the limelight in 2001 supporting the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada in what
later became known as EDSA 2. in 2006, she was listed in the TIME Magazine’s issue called “60
YEARS OF ASIAN HEROES.” She died on August 1, 2009.

About the Speech

The invitation to speak before the joint session of the U.S. Congress was extended to
President Aquino seven months after she assumed office. The task of writing the speech was given
to Cory’s Executive Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, Jr. who, in an interview years later,
admitted that he was unable to finish it in time for the occasion. It was Cory who finished the draft
and it was this speech that she delivered before the U.S. Congress. It ran for half an hour and was
interrupted by several applauses and ended with a standing ovation by both the senators and
congressmen.