MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Social Sciences and Humanities

Marawi City

HISTORY DEPARTMENT

MODULE 2: Analysis of Pigaffeta’s Chronicle on Magellan’s Arrival in the Archipelago

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Learners examine the chronicle on the islands of the archipelago, and its condition
during the 16th century, seen in the eyes of Pigafetta - the chronicler of the “Magellan’s
Expedition” in 1519-1521;
2. Learners verify the background of Pigafetta and the aspirations of Magellan and his
expedition vis-a-vis their perception on the islands and its people; and
3. Learners distinguish the biases and ethnocentric tendencies of Pigafetta as he chronicled
or described the islands and the people in the Archipelago.
4. Learners become mindful not to commit the mistake of doing “presentism” and
“anachronism” in analyzing the context and content of a primary source.

UNLOCKING TERMS:
The Archipelago - when used in this module would mean the Philippine islands when it was not
yet named by the Spanish colonizers.
Las Islas Filipinas - the name given to the archipelago by the 3rd Spanish Expedition (1542), in
honor of King Philip II, which later came to be known as Philippines.
Chronicler - a person who writes accounts of important or historical events.
Voyage - a long journey involving travel by sea or in space
Expedition - a journey or voyage undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose,
especially that of exploration, scientific research, or war.
Colonizer - a country that sends settlers to a place and establishes political control over it.
Ladrones - thieves/burglar
Ethnocentrism - the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. a
tendency to view other ethnic or cultural groups from the perspective of one's
own.
Globalization - that which promotes and increases interactions between different
regions and populations around the globe
Presentism - uncritical adherence to present-day attitudes, especially the tendency to interpret
past events in terms of modern values and concepts.
Anachronism - an act of attributing a custom, event, or object to a period to which it does not
belong.

LEARNING MATERIALS:
1. A copy of the Summary of Pigafetta’s Chronicle of the Voyage of Magellan
2. YouTube link of the International Conference: “Beyond the Magellan History” , the talk
given by Dr. Danilo Gerona.

ACTIVITY
1. Access and read the Pigafetta’s Chronicle of Magellan’s Voyage translated by Lord
Stanley of Alderly. From paragraph 71-105 only. Press the control button of your laptop
or the “CTRL”, and click your mouse on the URL below. Read from paragraph 71 to
105 only. Take some notes. You may also search for the written document or other
youtube audio account. This will help you answer the following question to make your
2nd paper for GEC 105.
The First Voyage Round the World/Pigafetta's Account of ...
en.wikisource.org › wiki › Pigafetta's_Account_of_Ma...
2. You may also access this link for additional information. Click and watch:
https://www.facebook.com/magellanelcano2020.psu/videos/1174785099575496/

PROCESS QUESTIONS:
Answer the following questions as your guide based on the above activity you have undertaken.
Write your answers and submit them to the “google drive” of our “google classroom”. Please
follow the deadline. Answer directly and succinctly.

1. From the research of Dr. Danilo Gerona of the Partido State University, what was the
background of Pigafetta as a chronicler? What were the goals of the Spaniards in coming
to the east?
 2. What do you find most interesting or striking in the account of Pigafetta about the islands
and people they came upon in the archipelago? Why do you find it interesting or striking?
3. How did Pigafetta describe the natural environment of the islands?
a. What were the islands very much in abundance with?
b. What were the islands very much lacking, from the perspective of Pigafetta and
his companions?
4. Did the background of Pigafetta influence his description of the islands and the people?
How?
5. How did Magellan become involved in local politics or conflicts? What was the consequence he
suffered?
6. What can you say about Magellan as the leader of the first Spanish Voyage to have reached the
Archipelago?
7. If there is any takeaway we can get for the pride for us Filipinos of the natives (whom we
consider our ancestors) as they engaged in the drama of the coming of the Europeans to their
islands, what would it be?
8. Why do you think some scholars described Magellan as the first to circumnavigate the world,
almost?
9. How do you think Magellan’s Expedition contributed to the knowledge of the Geography of the
world?
10. What can you say about Pigafetta as a chronicler or as an observer, or as an author of a historical
account?

IMPORTANT FACTS:
1. The voyage of Magellan proved the world is spherical.
2. Magellan’s arrival on the islands of the archipelago paved way for more Spanish arrivals:
a. The Saavedra Expedition (1527)
b. The Villalobos Expedition (1542) - gave the archipelago its name “Las Islas
Filipinas”
c. The Legazpi Expedition (1564) - successfully established a Spanish Colony in
Luzon, thus began the Spanish Colonial Rule in Luzon, Visayas, and some parts
of Mindanao.
3. Magellan met his death in the hands of the natives in Mactan under the leadership of
Lapu-lapu who would be hailed a hero by the Filipinos.
4. The encounter of the people in the archipelago, who are in the east with those who are
from the west, would change the history of the islands: its name, its culture, its economy,
its political set-up and more importantly the relationship of the Christianized natives in
the northern and central part of the archipelago with those of the Islamized natives in the
south.
5. Magellan’s expedition proved that the world is spherical and laid down the foundation of
what we now are experiencing the globalized world.