CHAPTER

VI
ANNOTATIONS OF ANTONIO
MORGA’S SUCESOS DE LAS
ISLAS FILIPINAS

WRITTEN REPORT
MISLANG, GIAN DG.
PARAYAOAN, LUCY M.
SARMIENTO, ARNIÑA C.

SUBMITTED TO:
MA’AM JUDITH MANIPON CALANGIAN

SEPTEMBER 02, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

REPORT OBJECTIVES

DR. MORGA AND HIS ‘SUCESOS’

RIZAL’S ANNOTATION OF THE BOOK

THE PREFACE 2

SOME IMPORTANT ANNOTATIONS

3
THE VALUE OF RIZAL’S ANNOTATIONS

APPENDICES 7

REFERENCES 9

ANNOTATIONS OF ANTONIO MORGA’S SUCESOS DELAS

ISLAS FILIPINAS

OVERVIEW
"Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas" (Events of the Philippine Islands) is a
historical account written by Antonio Morga, published in 1609. The work
provides a detailed narrative of the history, culture, and society of the
Philippines during the early Spanish colonial period. Morga's account is
significant as it offers insights into the indigenous peoples, their customs,
and the impact of Spanish colonization.

OBJECTIVE OF THE REPORT

 To assess how Rizal revised errors in Morga’s account to enhance
historical accuracy.
 To explore how Rizal highlighted pre-colonial Filipino achievements to
foster national pride.
 To evaluate Rizal’s efforts to make Morga’s work accessible and to
deepen understanding of Filipino history.
  To analyze how Rizal’s annotations discreetly supported social and
political reforms.

DR. MORGA AND HIS ‘SUCESOS’

Antonio de Morga (1559-1636)
o A prominent colonial administrator, lawyer, and historian from Spain
who spent 43 years working in Peru, New Spain, and the Philippines
o Served as deputy governor in the Philippines from 1594 to 1604, when
he restored the audencia* and assumed the role of judge.
o In 1609, after being transferred to Mexico, he released Sucesos de las
islas Filipinas.
o Sucesos de las islas Filipinas, written between 1493 and 1603, is
regarded as one of the most important works on the early history of
Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
o It addresses the political, social, and economic facets of indigenous
peoples' and colonists' lives.
o The work consists of 8 chapters* and has two volumes*

RIZAL’S ANNOTATION OF THE BOOK

o Jose Rizal criticized Spanish colonization for deteriorating the
Philippines' rich culture, arguing that natives were economically self-
sufficient and thriving, seeking reliable accounts of the Philippines
before colonization.
o Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt – a knowledgeable Filipinologist and a
friend of Rizal who recommended Dr. Morga’s Sucesos de las islas
Filipinas
o 1888-1889 - Rizal spent years researching Morga's book at the British
Museum in London, relying on hand-copying the entire 351 pages due
to lack of high-tech copying technology.
 o March 1889 – Rizal moved from London to Paris, where he continued
his annotation of the Sucesos at the Bibliotheque Nationale*,
publishing it in 1890.
o Rizal analyzed the Sucesos, addressing typographical errors and
enlightening statements. For instance, he criticized Morga's description
of ancient Philippine natives' culinary preferences* on page 248 of the
book.

THE PREFACE
Rizal highlights Morga's work as a crucial historical document that
provides insights into the Philippines' early history and culture. He criticizes
Spanish colonial practices and emphasizes the need for Filipinos to
understand their heritage. Rizal believes Morga's account inspires national
pride and awareness among Filipinos, shedding light on colonial rule and
promoting a deeper appreciation of Filipino identity and history.

Rizal has three purposes in annotating Antonio Morga’s work:

1. To awaken the consciousness of Filipinos regarding their glorious

past
2. To correct the Philippines due to the Spanish conquistador
3. To prove that Filipinos are civilized even before Spaniards came

SOME IMPORTANT ANNOTATIONS

Austin Craig (1872-1949) an early biographer of Rizal translated into
English some of the more important of Rizal’s annotations in the Sucesos.

o Governor Morga was the first to write and publish Philippine history*.
o Dr. Morga aimed to preserve the Roman Catholic religion in the
Philippines.
o Spanish ships discovered and conquered kingdoms in remote areas.
o Columbus, Magellan, and subsequent expeditions included Negroes,
Moluccans, and even from the Philippines and Marianes Islands.
o The concept of the true God is now considered presumptuous, with no
nation or religion claiming exclusive rights to the Creator.
o Spanish conversions in the Philippines were not as widespread as
claimed, with only a portion of the population converted.
o Filipinos were not unprotected before the Spaniards, leading to many
insurrections due to government unprotection.
o The eighth chapter of Morga history reveals the advanced civilization
of Pre-Spanish Filipinos.
o Spanish sovereignty over islands was established through compacts,
treaties, and alliances*.
o The discovery, conquest, and conversion of Filipinos resulted in
significant Spanish bloodshed.
o Ancient Filipinos had an army, navy, artillery, and advanced warfare
equipment.
o The Molucca Islands* did not fall to the Portuguese due to inaccuracies
in nautical instruments.
o Cebu, which Morga calls "The City of the Most Holy Name of Jesus,"
was at first called "The village of San Miguel."
o The Holy Child of Cebu image was given by Italian chronicler Antonio
Pigafetta to the Cebuano queen*.
o Villalobos'* expedition named Tendaya, now Leyte, and extended the
name to the entire archipelago.
o Raja Soliman*, also known as Rahang mura, was a young king in the
Philippines.
o A native fort at Pasig River mouth was built, reinforced with hardwood
posts and brass cannons, called “harigues” or “haligui”.
o Legazpi's* arrival was misunderstood due to the 1570 Goiti and
Salceda attack on Manila.
o The Spaniards were 16 hours behind Europe in timekeeping, leading to
a discrepancy until 1844.
o The Bisayas, were known as "The land of the Painted People" or
Pintados*
o The Spaniards retained the native name for the new archipelago
capital, Maynila.
o Salcedo, a grandson of Legaspi, was a key figure in the Philippine
conquest.
o Li Ma-hong's* failed Manila attack led to his expedition to Pangasinan.
o Ferdinand Magellan led a Spanish expedition to restore Sirela, with
over 1,500 Filipino soldiers participating.
o Captain Gabriel de Rivera* was the first Filipino envoy to present the
archipelago's needs to the Spanish King.
o A Filipina exposed a conspiracy by former Manila and Pampanga chiefs
to the Spaniards, resulting in the deaths of many involved.
o A skilled Filipino was responsible for casting artillery for Manila's new
stone fort before the arrival of the Spanish.
o Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas* protected Manila by a massive
stone wall and established Fort Santiago at no cost to the royal
treasury.
o The early wooden cathedral and a stone house for the bishop were
constructed, reflecting a prioritization of ecclesiastical over civil
interests.
o Manila cannon works produced limited large artillery after Panday
Pira's* death, indicating a skill gap among Spaniards and his
successors.
o Relations with China, Japan, and Cambodia ended over a century ago
due to religious interference.
o Governor Dasmariñas' expedition to conquer Ternate involved two
Jesuits leaching information and his fleet of 200 ships carrying
Filipinos, known as "Indians."
o A 1625 missionary record indicates that the Spanish King arranged
with Philippine religious orders to win over the Japanese, thereby
gaining the title of King of Japan.
o In 1599, Datus Sali and Silonga launched the first recorded Philippine
piracy.
o The Moro piracies* continued for over two centuries, resulting in
200,000 people sold to slavery or killed.
o During Japan's invasion, the islands sent expeditions to Tonquin and
Cambodia, leaving the Philippines helpless.
o Morga discovered the bodies of five Spaniards killed in Dutch ship
battle and silver boxes containing prayers and invocations, possibly
the origin of modern tulisanes.
o The Philippines exported silk to Japan during Morga's time, leading to
the best quality.
o Governor Pedro de Acuña's* failed expedition against the Moros is
criticized for its failure due to the country's lack of arms and inability to
defend against tulisanes.
o The Moluccas depopulated the country and bankrupted the treasury,
leading to Spain keeping the Philippines.
o The Tagalog aristocracy was dispossessed and relocated to Malate,
now Manila.
o Morga's claim that no Filipino province or town resisted conversion
may be true, as conversions required Filipinos and soldiers.
 o The Spaniards were accustomed to hold natives as slaves, with the
Southern pirates almost proving that they were the first aggressors in
the piratical wars.

THE VALUE OF RIZAL’S ANNOTATION

The value of Rizal’s annotation of Sucesos is immense. He provided the

Filipino readers with rich annotative footnotes concerning Philippine culture
and society, along with complete scholarly referenced resources and full
citations. Rizal also proved and showed that the Philippines was in advance
civilization prior to Spanish conquest.

The noble purpose of Rizal working on Morga’s book is stated in some

of his statements in his Preface “If the book succeeds to awaken your
consciousness of our past, already effaced from your memory, and to rectify
what has been falsified and slandered, the I have not worked in vain, and
with this as a basis, however small it may be, we shall able to study the
future.”
APPENDICES
2 Volumes (p.1) the first was in Paris on two main sites known
published in 1609 in Balli, Mexico respectively as Richelieu and
City by Casa de Geronymo while François-Mitterrand
the English translation was
Captain Gabriel de Rivera (p.4)
published in 1868 in London.
A Spanish commander, known for
8 Chapters (p.1) Sucesos de las raiding Borneo and the Malacca
Islas Filipinas is a comprehensive coast, was the first Philippine
eight-chapter report on Magellan envoy to discuss the needs of the
and Legazpi's expeditions, archipelago with the Spanish King.
government administration, and
Cebuano Queen (p.3) wife of
the Philippines Islands.
Rajah Humabon–baptized as Don
Audencia (p.1) in the kingdoms of Carlos Valderrama, is a mysterious
late medieval Spain, a court figure with a disputed real name,
established to administer royal with some suggesting Hara
justice. Morga took over the Humamay or Amihan.
function of judge or ‘oidor’
Compacts, Treaties, and
Bibliotheque Nationale (p.2) Alliances (p.3) Treaties and
national library of France, located compacts were crucial for
legitimizing Spanish claims, general of the Philippines from
avoiding conflicts with other 1590 to 1593, and was a member
powers, securing local alliances, of the Order of Santiago.
and managing trade and resources,
Governor Pedro de Acuña (p.5)
thereby consolidating Spanish
a Spanish military officer and
control over new territories.
colonial official in the New World
Governor Gomez Perez and Philippines, serving as the
Dasmariñas (p.4) Dasmariñas eleventh governor from 1602 to
served as the seventh governor- 1606.
Legazpi (p.4) Miguel Lopez de Panday Pira (p.4) The
Legazpi, a Spanish explorer, Kapampangan blacksmith who
established Spain's dominance went from making cannons for
over the Philippines until the 1898 Rajah Sulayman to becoming the
Spanish-American War, founding Spanish Army's official cannon
the first Spanish settlement in maker.
Cebu City and establishing Manila
Philippine Native’s Culinary
as the capital.
Practices (p.2) Morga described
Li Ma-hong (p.4) was a Chinese that the natives prefer to eat salt
pirate and warlord who invaded the fish that decompose and smell.
northern islands of the Philippines Whilst Rizal argued that the fish
and also established a short-lived mentioned was not rotten rather it
kingdom in Pangasinan. is bagoong and should not be
rotten.
Molucca Island (p.3) The Spice
Islands, northeast of Indonesia, Pintados (p.4) has native practice
were renowned for their production of decorating their bodies with
of mace, nutmeg, cloves, and tracing made with fire, similar to
pepper, with trade beginning in the tattoos.
Middle Ages.
Raja Soliman (p.3) sometimes
Morga was first to write and referred to as Rajah Sulayman;
publish Philippine History (p.3) Crown Prince of Luzon, commanded
Morga's work relies on personal Luzonian forces in 1570's Manila
experiences, eyewitness testimony, battle against Spanish forces,
and survivors from Legazpi's praised for his aggressiveness due
expedition, as he, as a lawyer, to youth.
would seek such evidence.
Villalobos (p.3) Ruy López de
Moro Piracy (p.5) led to Villalobos, a Spanish explorer,
widespread misery, hindered social failed to colonize the Philippines in
and material growth, and 1544 due to poor navigation and
significantly impacted the socio- resource management, but is
psychological relationship between credited with naming Leyte
Moro and Christianized inhabitants. "Philippine Island”
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