Handouts Philippine History

The Beginning of History

• History comes from the Greek word historia which originally means “to inquire”. It eventually
assumed the meaning of a story or the chronological records of significant events. History is a very
broad subject because it encompasses both past and current events that unfold before us and become part
of our lives.
• History is a very broad subject because it encompasses both past and current events that unfold before
us and become part of our lives. History is concerned with the totality of human experiences— past and
present.
• It deals with the study of politics, economics, sciences, society, religion, and the civilization of the
past.
• History is concerned with the totality of human experiences— past and present.
• History records not only the story of people, their wars and struggles, but also the way they
interacted with other people, traded their wares, built their homes, worshipped their gods, and
how they lived and died.
• It answers questions such as: “What happened?” “When did it happen?” How did it happen?”
“Why did it happen?” “Where did it happen?” “How did it affect the course of event?”

History and other Related Discipline

• Anthropology is the scientific study of human beings in relation to distribution, origin, classification
and relationship of races, physical characteristics, environmental and social relations, and culture.
• Archeology is the scientific study of the material remains of historic and pre- historic peoples by
analysis of fossils, artifacts, and relics of past human life.
• Anthropologist and Archeologist have a difficult task of searching, investigating, and studying
societies long dead and gone so we may understand how the different things around us come into
existence and developed.
• Geology is the science that studies the physical history of the earth, the rocks, and the minerals that
composed the earth and the physical changes that it had undergone.
• Geologist interpret the sequence of the earth’s crust, which contains evidences of the geological history
of the earth through rock formations.
• Sociology is the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of
organized group of human beings.
• Cartography is the science or art of making map.
• Political Science is a social science concerned mostly with the description and analysis of political
activity and behavior and especially, government institutions and processes.
• Philosophy is a discipline comprising the general beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or
group. Economics is a social science concerned mainly with the description and analysis of
production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
• Geography is the science that deals with the earth and its life especially the description of land, sea, air,
and the including man and his industries.
• Psychology is the science that studies the mind and behavioral characteristics of an individual or group.
• Technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with industrial arts, applied science, and
engineering. Its practical purpose is to provide objects necessary for human sustenance and comfort.
• Linguistics is the science of languages including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and
semantics.
• Literature is the body of oral and written works produced in a particular language, country, or age,
including writing as excellent form of expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest.
• Humanities is the branch of learning that investigates human concerns and aspirations as opposed to
natural processes. It includes the study of visual arts (drawings, painting, and sculptures) performance
arts and music.

The Archipelago’s Name

• During the pre-spanish era, early Chinese traders and geographers already knew the Philippines.
• Sung Dynasty sources in 982 A.D. referred the islands as Ma-yi.
• Ma-yi.- means land
• Chau- Ju-Kua, a Chinese trade official, gave a detailed account of his travel to various parts of the
islands in 1225, which he called Ma-i.
Ma-i – Philippine name before.
• In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan named the islands, Islas De San Lazaro (Archipelago of St. Lazarus)
when he first set foot on our native soil. Many other names have been given to the archipelago.
• The name Philippines came from the word Filipinas given by the Spanish navigator Ruy Lopez de
Villalobos in 1543 in honor of Prince Philip of Austrias, who became King Philip II of Spain,
successor to King Charles I.
• The word Felipina was at first given by Villalobos’s men to refer to Leyte and Samar. Later, it was
given to the whole archipelago.
• In 1571, Fr. Juan J.Delgado, a Jesuit historian called Manila, Pearl of the Orient since it became a
rich outlet of Asian trade even prior to the coming of the Spaniards in the archipelago.
• Dr. Jose Rizal, the country’s foremost hero, gave the name Pearl of the Orient Seas to his native land
on the eve of his execution in 1986.
• The name Filipinas first appeared in a rare map published in Venice in 1554 by Giovanni Battista
Ramusio, an Italian geographer.
• The Spanish Filipinas or Felipinas was later changed to Philippine Islands (P.I.) during the American
colonial era. It was renamed Republic of the Philippines (R.P.)after the recognition of its independence
in 1946.
• There were some Filipinos who proposed new names for the Philippines since the name of our country
was given by the colonizers. Artemio Ricarte, a Katipunan general, wanted it to be called the Rizaline
Republic, after Jose Rizal.
• Former President Ferdinand Marcos proposed the name Maharlika (also the name of his guerrilla
group in World War II), after his dream of making this nation great again.

Theories on the Origin of Filipinos

• H. Otley Beyer’s Theory Long before the Spanish colonizers came into the Philippines, people with
distinct cultures had already inhabited the islands.
• The Migration Theory of H. Otley Beyer, regarding the people of the archipelago became the most
widely known version in Philippine prehistory. According to Dr. Beyer, the ancestors of the Filipinos
came in waves of migration.
• First to reach the archipelago was the caveman “Dawn Man” type, who was similar to the Java man
and other Asian Homo sapiens of 250,000 years ago. Dr. Beyer called the first Filipino the “Dawn
Man,” for he emerged on the islands at the dawn of time.
• Next to settle in the islands were the aboriginal pygmy group or the Negritos. They were said to
have reached the islands before the land bridges from Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Australia
disappeared.
• They came between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago. They were described to have black skin, darky kinky
hair, round black eyes, flat noses, and with a usual height of 5feet.
• Third to arrive were the seafaring and tool-using Indonesian group who came about 5,000 to 6,000
years ago .They came in two waves of migration, with type A, arriving about 3,000 to 4,000 B.C. and
type B, about 1,500 to 500 B.C.
• Indonesian A was tall, slender with light complexion, and thin lips. Indonesian B was shorter, with
bulky body, dark complexion, and thick lips. They were able to displace the Negritos to the
mountains with their move advanced culture.
• The last to reach the archipelago were the seafaring Malays who introduced the Iron Age culture. They
moved into the islands from 300 B.C. to the 14th and 15th centuries A.D.
• Beyer’s migration theory became popular and unquestioned for quite a number of years. Presently, the
so-called waves of migration is now being dismissed because there is no definite evidence, whether
archaeological or historical, to support it.
• No evidence of any “Dawn Man” type (250,000) years ago) or hominid species have been found in the
country. So far, the oldest human relic discovered is only about 22,000BP.
• In reality, Southeast Asian people shared many customs and traditions without any ethnic group racially
or culturally dominant. It was the Western colonizers who divided the Asian inhabitants into ethnic
groups.
• In place of the waves of migration theory, modern scholars suggest the so-called core population
theory. According to this theory, the inhabitants of the Philippines consist of a core population to which
came accretions of people who moved in from the region.
• The Southeast Asian people who reached the Philippines during prehistoric times became the core
population. Each group, the Indonesians, Malays, and others, stood as equal, without any of them
racially or culturally dominant.
• Landa Jocano’s Theory According to this theory of Landa Jocano, Philippine society developed as
single unitary system.
• Jocano (1975) asserted that our culture developed from within the country and not part of the Southeast
cultural environment. According to him, there were major time categories in the development of the
Filipino culture: Formative; Incipient and Emergent.
• The Formative Period (500,000-250,000 years ago) started when the first hominids arrived in the
Tabon Caves of Palawan. It was during this period when these hominids developed techniques in
grinding and polishing stone tools.
• Moreover, pottery and horticulture were also introduced during this period. It was during the Incipient
Period that notable cultural developments took place.
• Among these developments were the local manufacture of metal artifacts, improvements of
earthenware pottery, acquisition of the form and decorative techniques, and the beginning of long-
distance trade based on the jade and glass ornaments recovered in burial sites.
• Trade further thrived in the Philippines during the Emergent Period. Contract with Southeast Asian
population was expanded and culminated when Indian influenced reached the country in 100 A.D.
• Another distinctive development during the period was the emergence of cultural behavior patterns
among the people and the development of Filipino social organization in terms of politics, economics,
and religion among others.
• Solheim’s Theory This theory propounded by Wilhelm Solheim II (1981) on how ancient people
populated the Philippines in basically a revision of Jocano’s theory.
• There were four different periods in this theory, namely: Archaic Period; Incipient Period;
Formative Filipino Period; and the Established Filipino Period.
• Solheim’s Archaic Period started from the arrival of man in the Islands up to 5000 B.C. On the other
hand, the Incipient Filipino Period began where the Archaic Period ended until 1000 B.C.
• It was during this time that the Nasuntao, a maritime people, traveled from Mindanao Island and
Indonesia to the North, passing through Taiwan to reach South China. The Formative Filipino
Period, however, was from 1000 B.C.
• B.C. to 500 A.D. After this period was the Established Filipino Period, which according to
Solheim’s was from 500 A.D. up to 1521. People during aforementioned time frame were mostly
traders.
National Territory

• The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced
therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction,
• consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the
subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas.
• The waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regard less of their
breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines.
• Territory is defined as the fixed portion on the surface of the earth on which the State settles and over
which it has supreme authority. The components of the territory of the state are the terrestrial, fluvial,
maritime and aerial domains.
 Land Territory (Terrestrial Domain)

• The territorial domain refers to the land mass, which may be integrate or dismembered, or partly
bound by water or consist of one whole island.
• It may also be composed of several islands, like the Philippines, which are also known as mid-ocean
archipelagos as distinguished from the coastal archipelagos like Greece.
• The terrestrial domain includes properties of public dominion as well as properties of private
ownership.
• Public dominion – includes those for public use, those for public service, and those for the
development of national wealth (roads, government buildings, forest, and mineral lands)
• Private ownership – consists of patrimonial properties of the government such as lands acquired
through escheat proceedings and of those vested in individuals whether owned singly or collectively.
• Maritime Territory (Fluvial and Maritime Domain)
A. Internal waters Covers all water and waterways on the landward side of the baseline. The coastal
state is free to set laws, regulate use, and use any resource. Foreign vessels have no right of passage
within internal waters.
• Land Boundaries The Philippines has no land boundaries. Nearby neighbors are Taiwan to the north,
Malaysia and Indonesia to the south, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest.
• Disputed Territory
The Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Vietnam hold conflicting claims to portions of the
South China Sea and the Spratly Islands, which are called the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands in the
Philippines. The Philippines also disputes Malaysia’s claim to the state of Sabah.
• Length of Coastline Estimates of the total length of the coastline range from 17,500 kilometers (official
Philippine figure) to 36,289 kilometers (U.S. figure).
• Maritime Claims the Philippines claims a territorial sea of up to 100 nautical miles from the nearest
coastline, an area that includes the entire Sulu Sea and the northern part of the Celebes Sea.
• A presidential decree in 1978 announced additional baselines, which in effect extended the territorial
sea to claim an area up to 285 nautical miles in the South China Sea west of Palawan Island.
• This area encompasses the Spratly Islands. The Philippines also claims its continental shelf to the depth
of exploitation and an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles from its baselines
• Location The Philippines comprises an archipelago of some 7,107 islands located off Southeast Asia,
between the South China Sea on the west and the Philippine Sea on the east. The major islands are
Luzon in the north, the Visayan Islands in the middle, and Mindanao in the south.
• Size The total area is about 300,000 square kilometers, including about 298,000 square kilometers of
land and about 2,000 square kilometers of water.
• The Philippines stretches about 1,850 kilometers from Y’Ami Island in the north to Sibutu Island in
the south and is about 1,000 kilometers at its widest point east to west. The bulk of the population lives
on 11 of the 7,107 islands.
• Topography The Philippines consists of volcanic islands, including active volcanoes, with mostly
mountainous interiors surrounded by flat lowlands and alluvial plains of varying widths along the coasts.
• The elevation ranges from sea level to the highest point of Mount Apo on Mindanao Island, at 2,954
meters above sea level.
• Diverse topography and climate characterize the different areas in the country. While mountain
ranges traverse the major islands, adjacent valleys and plateaus provide a sharp contrast.
• The climatic conditions and degree of weather disturbances differ among the provinces because of
their varied topography and geographic location. The provinces in northeastern Luzon and the
Bicol Region are generally wet and more vulnerable to typhoon than the rest of the country.
• The Visayan regions have generally more rainy days than Luzon and Mindanao. Mindanao, on the
other hand, is almost free from typhoon which makes agriculture a very important industry on that
island.
• Principal Rivers The longest river is the Cagayan (Río Grande de Cagayan) on Luzon, about 350
kilometers in length. Other principal rivers on Luzon include the Abra, Bicol, Chico, and Pampanga.
• The Pasig River is only about 25 kilometers in length but serves as the main waterway, flowing
between Laguna de Bay, the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines, through metropolitan Manila to
Manila Bay. Principal rivers on Mindanao include the Mindanao.
• Climate The Philippines has a tropical marine climate, with the northeast monsoon, which produces a
cool, dry season from December to February, and the southwest monsoon, which brings rain and
high temperatures from May to October.
• Between March and May, hot, dry weather prevails. Temperatures in Manila range from 21 2C to
3 C, with an average annual temperature of 27 C. Temperatures elsewhere in the Philippines have
been recorded at more than 37 C.
• The average monthly humidity ranges from 71 percent in March to 85 percent in September. Annual
rainfall is heavy but varies widely throughout the Philippines, ranging from 965 millimeters
• The Philippines lies astride the typhoon belt and experiences 15 to 20 typhoons a year from July
through October, of which five or six may cause serious destruction and death.
• The Philippines, situated at the Torrid Zone, has a tropical climate with a mean annual temperature of
about 27◦ (about 80◦F). Mountain slopes and peaks found in the archipelago are cooler. The
country has two seasons, dry and wet.
• In most of the islands, rainy season occurs from May to November. During this period, the wind
blows from the southwest. Often, the country experiences typhoons from the months of June to
October. The dry season occurs from December to April, when the wind blows from the northeast.
• When typhoon signal no. 2 is hoisted, classes at the pre-school, elementary, and secondary levels in
all public and private schools are automatically suspended. In 2007, the National Disaster
Coordinating Council (NDCC) issued a memorandum
• stating that information from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) could be used as basis to recommend decisions to the Department of
Education (DEPED) and Commission of Higher Education (CHED) concerning suspension of
classes.
• Natural Resources The major natural mineral resources include coal, cobalt, copper, chromite,
gold, gypsum, iron, natural gas, nickel, petroleum, salt, silver, and sulfur.
• There are lesser deposits of bauxite, lead, mercury, molybdenum, and zinc. Other important
resources are geothermal and hydroelectric power, fish, and timber.
• Landforms: The Philippines has a rugged topography. Its four major lowland plains are the
Central Luzon Plains and Cagayan Valley in Luzon and the Agusan and Cotabato Valley in
Mindanao.
• The biggest lowland plain in the Philippines is Central Luzon where the Provinces of
Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija are located. The mountainous provinces of Zambales
and Bataan are also belonged to this region.
• Central Luzon has been dubbed as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines” because it is the main
supplies of rice in the country. The Central Plain in Luzon is only about 100 ft above sea level.
• Our country has seven major mountain ranges. These mountain ranges run in the same general
direction as the islands, which is from north to south.
• The Central Cordillera is the most prominent range. The Sierra Madre Mountains is the longest
Mountain range in the country. It extends along the Pacific coast from northern to central Luzon
(Cagayan Province to Laguna).
• In the southwestern part of northern Luzon are the rugged Zambales Mountains. There are also
several mountain ranges in Mindanao. The Diwata Mountains that run along the eastern coast are
the most famous.

Numerous valleys can be found between the mountains. Cagayan Valley is the
biggest valley in the country. A large portion of its land is used for farming tobacco.

Highest Mountains in the Philippines

1 Mt. Apo 2,956 m Davao and North Coptabato
2 Mt. Dulang-Dulang 2,938 m Kitanglad Range, Bukidnon
3 Mt. Pulag 2,922 m Cordillera Range, Benguet
4 Mt. Kitanglad 2,899 m Kitanglad Range, Bukidnon
5 Mt. Tabayoc 2,842 m Cordillera Range, Benguet
6 Mt. Kalatungan 2,824 m Kalatungan Range, Bukidnon
7 Mt. Ragang 2,815 m Piapayungan Range, lanao del
Sur
8 Mt. Maagnaw 2,742 m Kitanglad Range, Bukidnon
9 Mt. Singkalsa (Timbak) 2,717 m Cordillera Range, Benguet

• The biggest peak in Luzon is Mount Pulag (9,604 ft) in Benguet. The highest peak in the Philippines
is Mount Apo in Mindanao (9,689 ft).
• Our country has around 200 volcanoes, 22 of which are active. The most is active is Mount Mayon in
Albay province. It is well-known for its near perfect cone. The second most active is Taal Volcano in
Batangas.
• It is also the smallest volcano in the world. It is found in the middle of the lake. Other active
volcanoes are Mount Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin Island, Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon, and Mount
Kanlaon in Negros Oriental.
• The famous Plateaus are the Benguet Plateau and Baguio City in Northern Luzon and bukidnon
Plateau in the south. The Bukidnon Plateau is well-known for its delicious pineapples.
• The Peninsulas are the historic Bataan and Bicol Peninsulas in Luzon and the Zamboanga and
Davao Peninsulas in Mindanao.
• The most famous hills in the country are the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, which are listed as one of the
wonders of the world. They number around 1,776 hills.
• They have round shape and are covered with lush green grass during the rainy season. During the
dry season, they turn into chocolate brown, hence the name.

Active Volcanoes in the Philippines

Active Volcanoes in the Philippines

Luzon Visayas Mindanao
Taal, Batangas Hibok-Hibok, Camiguin Matutum, Cotabato
Pinatubo, Zambales Island Ragang, Cotabato
Mayon, Albay Canlaon, Negros Oriental Calayo, Bukidnon
Banahaw, Lucena City Bilioran, Biliran
Isarog, Camarines Sur
Bulusan, Sorsogon

Inactive Volcanoes in the Philippines

Mt. Apo in Davao Mt.
Arayat in Pampanga
Mt. Corregidor in Bataan
Mt. Kitanglad in Bukidnon
Mt. Makiling in Laguna
Mt. Malinao in albay
Mt. Mariveles in Bataan
Mt. Silay in Negros

• Land Resources: Our land is a very important resources because about 70% of Filipinos rely on it for
sustenance and livelihood.