1 Readings in Philippine History 1

UNIT 1: MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

1.0. Intended Learning Outcomes

a. Understand the meaning and significance of history.

b. Discuss the difference of primary and secondary sources.

1.1. Introduction

Before we discuss the content of our topic answer first the question below.

Q1. How do you define HISTORY? Write your answer on the space provided
below.

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Studying history allows us to gain valuable perspectives on the problems of our

modern society. Many problems, features, and characteristics of modern Philippine society
can be traced back to historical questions on our colonial past, as well as our pre-colonial
culture.

Studying history is important because it allows us to understand our past, which in

turn allows us to understand our present. Studying history can provide us with insight into
our cultures of origin as well as cultures with which we might be less familiar, thereby
increasing cross-cultural awareness and understanding. History helps us develop a better

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understanding of the world. You can't build a framework on which to base your life without
understanding how things work in the world. History paints us a detailed picture of how
society, technology, and government worked way back when so that we can better
understand how it works now.

The Pearl of the Orient, naturally blessed in resources, in a

strategically important location, should come into its own in the world. And it is our duty as
Filipinos to understand our country's importance and make it part of our collective stance
and sentiment. History nurtures personal identity in an intercultural world. History enables
people to discover their own place in the stories of their families, communities, and nation.
They learn the stories of the many individuals and groups that have come before them and
shaped the world in which they live. (https://bit.ly/38BCoMJ)

History promotes a shared language and other tools and strategies to mobilize history
organizations in the United States around the relevance and value of history. We support
history organizations that encourage the public to use historical thinking skills to actively
engage with and address contemporary issues and to value history for its relevance to
modern life.

WE BELIEVE that history can have more impact when it connects the people, events,
places, stories, and ideas of the past with the people, events, places, stories, and ideas that
are important and meaningful to communities, people, and audiences today.

1.2. Topics/Discussion

1.2.1. Pre-Spanish Period

Man is ancient in the Philippines; his history, complex. Lying on the eastern
margin of the continent of Asia, one of the cradle-lands of mankind, the Philippines
has shared the thousands of years of cultural and racial development which occurred
here. There's evidence that ancient man first came into the Philippines by way of land-
bridges at least one quarter of a million years ago, during the Middle Pleistocene or
“Ice Age” as it is popularly known. But this was only the beginning, the “dawn of
man.” for in subsequent millennia, new races, cultures, and traditions found their way
into the Archipelago, shaping and reshaping the life-ways of the early Filipinos.

Some 50 million years ago, the archipelago was formed by volcanic eruptions.
About 30,000 years ago the earliest inhabitants had arrived from the Asian mainland,
perhaps over land bridges built during the ice ages. By the tenth century A.D. coastal
villagers welcomed Chinese commerce and settlers, followed by Muslim traders from
Borneo. The early inhabitants of the Philippines were Mongoloid descent which are

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predominant today. The gradual spread of Islam from Borneo into the central and
northern islands was interrupted by the arrival of the Spanish Christians.

1.2.2. Spanish Period

The Philippines was claimed in the name of Spain in 1521 by Ferdinand

Magellan, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, who named the islands after King
Philip II of Spain. They were then called Las Felipinas. By the 1830's Spanish culture
and thought had penetrated into Filipino culture to the
extent that the Filipino people began thinking about
liberation from Spain. The government of Spain
developed Filipino agriculture to the point that it was
self-sufficient.

After some attempts at independence, and an

equal number of atrocities on the part of Spain, Filipino
Nationalists began to speak out. One of the most
famous of the time was Jose Rizal. He studied medicine
at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines and
the University of Madrid. Rizal wrote two important
novels that portrayed the abuses of Spanish rule.
Although the books were banned, they were smuggled
into the Philippines and widely read. On the night of his execution, on December 30,
1896, Rizal proclaimed the Philippines "the Pearl of the Oriental Seas". His death is
annually commemorated on December 30.

Rizal's execution gave impetus to the revolution. Although the Filipino rebels,
led by Emilio Aguinaldo, did not win complete independence, the Spanish were not
able to end the rebellion. In December of 1897, negotiations with Spain resulted in the
Pact of Biak-na-Bato. All of the rebels were
granted amnesty and the leaders of the
revolution returned in voluntary exile to
Hong Kong. While in Hong Kong, Aguinaldo
and his compatriots designed what is today
the Philippine national flag.

At the same time that the Philippines

were fighting for independence, Cuba, also a
colony of Spain, was trying to liberate itself
from Spanish rule. Cuba, however, had the
backing of the United States. When the
American battleship, USS Maine, sank in the
Havana harbor, war between the United
States and Spain became imminent.

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On April 25, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain and the commander
of the U.S. Asiatic Squadron, Commodore George Dewey was sent to engage the
Spanish navy in the Philippines. Dewey attacked the Spanish fleet on the morning of
May 1, 1898 from his ship USS Olympia. The battle lasted only a few hours resulting
in the complete destruction of the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay. The American fleet
suffered only minor damage.

The Spanish-American war

officially ended with the Treaty of Paris
on December 10, 1898. However, the
American government was only
interested in Cuba's independence, not
that of the Philippines. By the Treaty,
Cuba gained its independence and
Spain ceded the Philippines, Guam and
Puerto Rico to the United States for the
sum of US$20 million. Given its own
history of colonial revolution,
American opinion was uncomfortable
and divided on the moral principle of
owning colonial dependencies. Having
acquired the Philippines almost by accident, the United States was not sure what to
do with them. On January 20, 1899, President McKinley appointed the First Philippine
Commission (Schurman Commission) to make recommendations.

The Treaty of Paris and subsequent actions by the United States were not well
received by the Filipinos - who were not even consulted. The Philippine War of
Independence began on February 4, 1899 and continued for two years. The United
States needed 126,000 soldiers to subdue the Philippines. The war took the lives of
4,234 Americans and 16,000 Filipinos. The Commonwealth of the Philippines was
established by the United States
government in 1935 with a view to
granting Filipino independence within
10 years.

However, on December 8, 1941

brtitannica.com ten hours after the attack on Pearl
Harbor, the Japanese military invaded
the Philippines. United States forces
under the command of General
Douglas MacArthur withdrew to Java
on December 12, 1941. MacArthur
promised: "I shall return". General
MacArthur kept his promise and
returned with a massive amphibious

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force on the island of Leyte in October of 1944. Over the next four months, U.S. forces,
with the help of Filipino guerrillas routed the Japanese army.

After the war, the United Stated restored the pre-war Commonwealth
government. By 1946 the Philippines had transformed from a Commonwealth to an
independent republic.

Activity 1. List down at least four words that may have the same meaning or context
of the word HISTORY. Use the flowchart below and write your answers inside the circles.

• HISTORY

History is the study of change over time, and it covers all aspects of human society.
It is the study of the past – specifically the people, societies, events and problems of the past
– as well as our attempts to understand them. It is a pursuit common to all human societies.

History can take the form of a tremendous story, a rolling narrative filled with great
personalities and tales of turmoil and triumph. Each generation adds its own chapters to
history while reinterpreting and finding new things in those chapters already written. It
provides a sense of context for our lives and our existence. It helps us understand the way
things are and how we might approach the future. History teaches us what it means to be
human, highlighting the great achievements and disastrous errors of the human race. Thus,
also teaches us through example, offering hints about how we can better organize and
manage our societies for the benefit of all.

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1.2.3. Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources

A primary source is anything that gives you direct evidence about the people,
events, or phenomena that you are researching. Primary sources will usually be the
main objects of your analysis. If you are researching the past, you cannot directly
access it yourself, so you need primary sources that were produced at the time by
participants or witnesses (e.g. letters, photographs, newspapers).

If you are researching something current, your primary sources can either
be qualitative or quantitative data that you collect yourself (e.g. through interviews,
surveys, experiments) or sources produced by people directly involved in the topic
(e.g. official documents or media texts).
Research field Primary source
History • Letters and diaries
• Photographs and video footage
• Official documents and records
• Physical objects
Art and literature • Novels and poems
• Paintings and art installations
• Films and performances
Communication and social studies • Interview transcripts
• Recordings of speeches
• Newspapers and magazines
• Social media posts
Law and politics • Court records
• Legal texts
• Government documents
Sciences • Empirical studies
• Statistical data

A secondary source is anything that describes, interprets, evaluates, or analyzes information

from primary sources. Common examples include:

• Books, articles and documentaries that synthesize information on a topic

• Synopses and descriptions of artistic works
• Encyclopedias and textbooks that summarize information and ideas
• Reviews and essays that evaluate or interpret something

When you cite a secondary source, it’s usually not to analyze it directly. Instead, you’ll
probably test its arguments against new evidence or use its ideas to help formulate your own.

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Primary and secondary source examples

Primary source Secondary source
Novel Article analyzing the novel
Painting Exhibition catalog explaining the painting
Letters and diaries written by a historical Biography of the historical figure
figure
Essay by a philosopher Textbook summarizing the philosopher’s
ideas
Photographs of a historical event Documentary about the historical event
Government documents about a new policy Newspaper article about the new policy
Music recordings Academic book about the musical style
Results of an opinion poll Blog post interpreting the results of the poll

Q2. As a teacher-education student why do you need to study history? Write

your answer on the space provided below.

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1.3. Assessment

A. Multiple Choice. Read and understand each question carefully. Choose the letter that
correspond to your answer. Write it on the space provided before each number.

_____ 1. How do history is defined?

a. Is the study of change over a period of time
b. Is the study of unprecedented phenomenon like COVID-19
c. Is the study of events and problems of the past
d. Is an attempt to study the unknown to known for better understanding

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_____ 2. What best describes history?

a. It can take the form of a tremendous story
b. Tell us the way people eat, dress, live, conquer and triumphs
c. It provides us the idea of the different aspects and survival of man
d. It shows how people lived and die during ancient times

_____ 3. What does history promote to mobilize organization like in the United States?
a. A shared language and other tools and strategies for mobilization
b. A monopoly of economic and financial aspects of a society
c. An activity mainly engages of human power and fame
d. A promotion of bilingual and multilingual type of education

_____4. The Philippines was claimed in the name of Spain in ______________.

a. 1511
b. 1521
c. 1531
d. 1541

_____5. What is the nationality of Ferdinand Magellan who named the archipelago after King
Phillip II of Spain?
a. Portuguese
b. Spanish
c. Greek
d. English

_____6. It is believed to be the descent of the early Filipinos which are predominant as of
today.
a. Caucasoid
b. Mongoloid
c. Negriod
d. Polynesians

_____7. What was the significant effect when Dr. Jose Rizal was executed at Bagumbayan?
a. It had silenced the noisy guns and riffles
b. It gave impetus to the revolution
c. It fueled the Battle of Balangiga
d. It resulted to the many revolutions in the region

_____8. The Philippine war of Independence began on February 4, 1899 and continued for__.
a. 1 year
b. 1.5 years
c. 2 years
d. 2.5. years

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_____9. Who was the Commander of the US Asiatic Squadron sent to engage the Spanish
navy in the Philippines?
a. Commodore John Milton
b. Commodore Bradley Hugh
c. Commodore George Dewey
d. Commodore Henry Kennedy

_____10. Mr. B is fond of searching things from the past – simply saying he is a historian.
When he does research, he primarily uses items such as; letters, diaries and physical objects
that is available in cause for his study. What kind of source do Mr. Y uses?
a. Primary
b. Secondary
c. Tertiary
d. Archival Sources

1.4. References

Candelaria, John Lee (2018) Readings in Philippine History. Manila. Rex Bookstore
Aguinaldo, Emilio. (1964) Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan., Manila;C .A. Suntay
Alvarez, Santiago. (1998). Katipunan and the Revolution; Memoirs of a General
Blount James. (1968). The American Occupation of the Philippines, 1898-1912. Malaya Books
Inc.
National Historical Institute (1997) Documents on the Declaration of Philippine
Independence
Agoncillo, Teodoro (2012). History of the Filipino People. 8th Edition
Blair, Emma Helen and James Alexander Robertson (1961). The Philippine Islands
Constantino, Renato, (1975). The Philippines: A Past Revisited
Corpus, Onofre. (1989). The Roots of the Filipino Nation. 2 Volumes
Cabardo, Charo. (2017) Samar’s History and Heritage. Powerpoint Presentation, Samar
Island Heritage
Deflem, M. (2007). Comparative and historical sociology: lecture notes.

Online Sources

https://bit.ly/38BCoMJ
https://www.historyrelevance.com/
https://bit.ly/39rDtFU
https://bit.ly/3nAsSOi

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1.5. Acknowledgement

The images, tables, figures and information contained in this module were taken from
the references cited above.

Disclaimer: The content in and files attached to this module may be privileged and/or confidential
only for all bonafide students of Samar State University – Paranas Campus and are intended only for
authorized recipients of the campus. If you are not its intended recipient, please return this module to
the school authorities. By law, all-in text citations, technical terminologies, phrases, and views and
opinions expressed in this module are those of the acknowledged author/publisher/creator as respect of
the Intellectual Property Rights of the land. Thus, this module is for educational purpose only.

Rubric A

Essay Rubric
5 4 3 2 1
The essay is The essay is The essay is The essay is The essay shows
fully focused consistently sufficiently minimally little or no focus
and contains focused and focused and focused. The and the ideas are
a wealth of contains ample contains some provided unclear,
ideas and ideas and ideas and examples are irrelevant, or
examples. examples. The examples. The vague or general repetitive. The
writer may response is and the response response is
employ rhetorical generally demonstrates incomplete or
strategies or appropriate to minimal too brief.
address the persuasive awareness.
counterarguments. purpose.

C. M. D. Hamo-ay