READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
historical fiction written in 1913 by Jose E. Marco
Recognize the multiplicity of interpretation that can be read
from a historical text.
Demonstrate the ability to formulate arguments in favor or
against a particular issue using a primary source
Geoffrey Barraclough defines history as the attempt to
discover, on the basis of fragmentary evidence, the significant
things about the past. He also notes the history we read,
though based on facts, is strictly speaking, not factual at all
but a series of accepted judgments. Such judgments of
historians on how the past should be seen make foundation
of historical interpretation
Two Key Concepts in Historical Analysis
1. Interpretation
Interpretations of the past vary according to who
reads the primary source, when it was read and how it was
read. As a student of history, we must be well equipped to
recognized different types of interpretations, why these may
differ from each other, and how to critically sift these
interpretations through historical evaluation. Interpretations
of historical events change over time; thus it is an important
skill for a student of history to track changes in an attempt to
understand the past.
2. Multiperspectivity
This can be defined as a way of looking at historical
events, personalities, developments, cultures and societies
from different perspectives. This means that there is a
multitude of ways by which we can view the world and each
could be equally valid and at same time equally partial as
well. Historical writing is, by definition, biased, partial, and
contains preconceptions. The following are some ways a
historian may fail in his historical inference, description and
interpretation.
 Historian decides on what source to use, what
interpretation to make more apparent, depending
on what his end is.
 Historians may misinterpret evidence, attending to
those that suggest that a certain event happened
and then ignore the rest that goes against the
evidence.
 Historians may omit significant facts about their
subjects, which makes the interpretation
unbalanced.
 Historians may also provide a single cause for an
event without considering other possible causal
explanations of said event
The Code of Kalantiaw
 Is a mythical legal code in the epic history Maragtas
 In 1968 it was proved a hoax when William Henry
Scott defended his research on pre-Hispanic sources
in the Philippine History
 William Henry Scott attributed the code to a
titled Las Antiguas Leyendas de la Isla de Negros

Sa Aking Mga Kabata
 Is a poem purportedly written by Jose Rizal when he
was eight years old
 One of Rizal’s prominent works
 With immortalized lines “Ang hindi magmahal sa
kanyang salita/mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda.
 The poem was first published in 1906 in a book by
Hermenegildo Cruz-said he received a poem from
Gabriel Beato Francisco who claimed to have
received it in 1884 from Rizal’s close friend,
Saturnino Raselis
 Teodora Alonso mother of Rizal and educated him in
spanish
Case Study 1: Where did the First Catholic Mass take place in
the Philippines?
Controversies between Limasawa and Butuan/Masao
Butuan
 Site of the first mass near Agusan River on April 8,
1521
 1872: A monument to commemorate the site of first
mass on the Philippines was erected in Butuan
 1953: the people in Butuan asked the Philippine
Historical Committee to rehabilitate the monument
or place a marker on the site
 On the basis of this objection monument was re-
erected but the marble slab stating the site of the
first mass was removed
 Zaide identified Masao in Butuan as the location of
first mass. The basis Zaide’s claim is the diary of
Antonio Pigafetta, chronicle of Magellan’s voyage
Evidence for Masao
1. The name of the place
2. The route from Homonhon-Magellan renamed it
and called it Watering Place of Good Omen
3. The latitude position
4. The geographical features
a. The bonfire
b. The balanghai
c. House
d. Abundance of gold
e. A developed settlement
Limasawa
 Site of the first mass on March 31, 1521, Easter
Sunday, by Father Pedro de Valderrma
 Located at the Southern Leyte
 Jaime de Veyra stated that the first mass was
celebrated in Limasawa not in Butuan
 Historian Pablo Pastell stating by the footnote to
Francisco Colin’s Labor Evangelica that Magellan did
not go to Butuan but from Limasawa to Cebu
 Francisco Albo(pilot of Magellan’s flagship) does not
mention the first mass but he writes that they
erected a cross on a mountain which overlooked
three islands the west and the southwest
 James Robertson agreed with Pastells in a footnote
that Mazua was actually Limasawa
 In the authentic sccount of Pigafetta, the port was
not in Butuan but an island named Mazua (Masawa)
 Father Bernard studied all the Pigafetta’s maps,
which place in Mazua off the southern tip of the
larger island of Leyte., a check with the modern
maps will show that this jibes with Limasawa and not
Masao or Butuan
Evidence for Limasawa
1. The evidence of Albo’s Log-Book
2. The evidence of Pigafetta
a. Pigaffeta’s testimony regarding the
route
b. The evidence of pigaffeta’s map
c. The two native kings
 King of Mazaua who guided
the Magellan expedition to
Cebu
 King of Butuan- brother of the
King of Mazaua acoording to
PIgaffeta
d. The seven days at “Mazaua”
e. An argument from omission
3. Summary of the evidence of Albo and Pigafetta
4. Confirmatory evidence from Legazpi expedition
Case Study 2: What happened in the Cavite Mutiny?
1872- a historic year of two events: the Cavite Mutiny
and the martyrdom of the three priest. Mariano Gomez,
Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA-is the
collective name of the three martyred priests.)
Cavity Mutiny- a major factor in the awakening of
nationalism among the Filipinos
 Four Accounts of the Cavity Mutiny
1. Excerpts from Montero’s Account
2. Excerpts from the Official report of
Governor Izquerdo
3. Excerpts from Pardo de Tavera
4. Excerpts from Edmund Plauchut
 Jose Montero Y Vidal- a profile Spanish
historian documented the event and
highlighted it is an attempt the indios to
overthrow the Spanish government in the
Philippines
 Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquerdo’s official report
magnified the event and made use of it to
implicate the native clergy
 Dr. Trinidad Hermenigildo Pardo de Tavera-
a Filipino scholar and researcher wrote the
Filipino version of the bloody incident in
Cavite
 Edmund Plauchut a French writer
complemented with Tavera’s account and
analyzed the motivations of the 1872 Cavity
Mutiny
Case Study 3: Did Rizal Retract?
Jose Rizal
-identified as a hero of the revolution for his writings that
center on ending colonialism and liberating Filipino minds to
contribute to creating the Filipino nation.
-Two important novel of Rizal was Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo
The Retraction- the document that declares Rizal’s belief in
the Catholic faith, and retracts everything he wrote against
the Church
Case Study 4: Where did the cry of rebellion happen?
El Grito de Rebelion/Cry of Rebellion, prominent Filipino
Historian Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the event when
Bonifacio tore the Cedula or tax receipt before the
Katipuneros who also did the same.
Different Dates and Places of the Cry
Lt. Olegario Diaz a guardia civil identified the Cry to have
happened in Balintawak on August 25 1986
Teodoro Kalaw a Filipino Historian mark the place to be in
Kangkong, Balintawak on the last week of August
Santiago Alvarez a Katipunero and son of Mariano
Alvarez,leader of the Magdiwang Faction in Cavite, put the
cry in Bahay Toro in Quezon city on August 24, 1896.
Pio Valenzuela known Katipunero and privy to many events
concerning the Katipunan stated that the Cry happened in
Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896.
Teodora Agoncillo put it at Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896
Guillermo Masangkay a Katipunan General, Bonifacio’s
childhood friend and eyewitness , the rebellion was held on
August 26, 1896 in Balintawak at the House of Apolonio
Samson.
Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion and Ramon
Villegas claim that the event took place in Tandang Sora’s
barn in Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City, on August 24,
1896.
Gregoria De Jesus-wife of Supremo Andress Bonifacio and the
“Lakambini of the Katipunan”,custudian of the secret
documents, seal and some weapons of the Katipunan.
According to her version the First Cry occurred near Caloocan,
on August 25, 1896.
Four Places of the Cry
1. Balintawak
2. Pugad Lawin
3. Kangkong
4. Bahay Toro
The dates of the cry vary : 23, 24, 25, or 26 August 1896
According to Milagros Guerrero, Emmanuel Encarnacion and
Ramon Villegas all these are in Balintawak then part of
Caloocan now in Quezon city.

As for the dates, Bonifacio and his troops may have been
moving from one place to another to avoid being located by
the Spanish government, which could explain why there are
several accounts of the cry.