Reaction Paper: Rizal on Annotations of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos las Islas Filipinas

There are numerous published works about the Pre-Colonial Philippine History.
However, why did Rizal choose Morga over other Spanish chronicles? Why Rizal did annotate
the book Sucesos las Islas Filipinas?
Sucesos las Islas Filipinas (Events in the Philippines Isles) is a book written and
published by a Spanish lawyer and historian Antonio de Morga in 1609. The book is considered
as one of the most important works in the Philippines in the early history of the Spanish period
because it describes the events inside and outside of the country from 1493 to 1603, including
the history of the Philippines which discusses the political, social and economical aspects of a
colonizer and the colonized country as well.
Rizal’s choice of annotating Morga rather than other contemporary historical accounts
was due to the obvious fact that the book itself was rare. The author, Antonio de Morga was civil
in writing the book as it was written free from religious narratives, full of stories reflecting Rizal
strong anti-clerical bias. Moreover, Rizal thinks that Morga was more sympathetic to the Indios
and he was not only an eyewitness but he plays a huge role in the events he narrated. And
thus, with his dedication to give his fellow Filipino a view of the history of the Philippines, he
copied the work while making annotations. By publishing his annotated version of de Morga’s
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, Rizal intent was not only to provide the Filipino people their early
history, a pre-spanish history but to present to them their own authentic culture and identity.
Aware of most of the books written about the Philippines, he selected the Sucesos because he
considered it necessary to invoke the testimony of an illustrious Spaniard who governed the
destinies of the Philippines in the beginning of her new era and witnessed the last moments of
our ancient nationality.
Rizal wrote several annotations against Morga. His annotations included clarifications
and amplifications of details, refutations of statements and confirmations when checked against
other sources. For instance, According to Morga, civilization here in our country are developed
during the time they came here. Rizal argued on the other hand, that Philippine has already a
lively and prosperous community, he stated that Philippines have a culture of their own before
the coming of the Spaniards, which I agree about Rizal, because long before the Spaniards
came to the Philippines, Filipinos had a civilization of their own. This civilization partly came
from the Malay settlers and partly from their response to the environment. Prior to the coming of
the Spaniards, Filipinos had also their own Government and a well-established simple lifestyle,
a placid life to think of.
Rizal also clarified about things which Morga had said, for example Morga said that
cotton was grown extensively in practically all the islands which the natives sold as thread and
woven fabrics to Chinese and other foreign merchants. They also spun thread from banana
leaves. Rizal clarified, Morga must have meant “sinamay,” which was a woven from abaca
thread that comes from banana trunks not from the leaves.
Rizal also argued with Morga, when he states that during the Spanish colonization that
they conquered the islands in the Philippines, Rizal argued, it was not all the islands but in a
certain island only. Morga stated that the natives who live in the mountain or tribe that they were
not be saved and violence people, on the other hand Rizal argued that they choose to become
violence during the government enters because of strict and brutal way by the friar’s command.
Morga stated that the natives who live in the mountain or tribe that they were not be saved and
violence people, on the other hand, Rizal pointed that they choose to become violence during
the government enters because of strict and brutal way by the friar’s command.
Rizal further contend with Morga in his annotations, in the aspect of gender, Morga said
that men and women are money lover but in contrary Rizal said that we Filipinos find it
everywhere and find ways to survive. In the form of government, Morga said that there are no
queen and king in different islands instead they considered high rank among the natives,
somewhat Rizal agree that there are no such king and Lords.
Rizal also noticed all Morga’s mistakes, Morga misspelled many native names of places,
flora and fauna, and other social classes which Rizal corrected. He also, clarified geographical
locations. For example, Morga said Tendaya island was one of the largest. Fr. Urdaneta said it
was close to Malucho but Fr. Colin vouched it was in the vicinity of Leyte. Other sources
revealed that Tendaya was a person’s name and the island actually never existed.
Rizal’s annotations of Morga’s Sucesos las Islas Filipinas provides background
information of the events and situations we have in the past when we were colonized by the
Spaniards. It corrects what has been distorted about the Philippines due to Spanish conquest,
and proves that Filipinos are civilized even before the coming of the Spaniards. Thus, it is very
important to know and study about the Philippine history to be aware of the facts of events that
happened before and to discern the truthfulness of Morga’s statements about our pasts. As
quoted by Rizal “To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open the books that tell of
her past.”