Philippine History: Spaces for Conflict and Controversies Learning Objectives: |. To interpret historical events ‘using primary sources «To recognize the multiplicity of interpretation than can be read from a historical text. « Toidentify the ‘advantages and disadvantages of employing critical wee in interpreting historical events aasigh petaary sues sto demonstrate ability to argue for or against « particular issue sing primary SOUrceS- In this chapter, We will analyze four historiographical problems in pratippine history 8 8D attempt to apply what we have learned thus far Phthe work of a historian and the process of historical inquiry. Earlier, we have bee introduced to history as a discipline, the historical method, and fhe content and context analysis of primary sources. T " i the Sto be defined before proceed Se eae rene eens cs eding to the historical analysis of problems in peseory are interpretation and multiperspectivity.Interpretations of the past, therefore, ¥ primary aouree, whenit was ead-and eo ee eae aia wre must be well equipped to recognize different types of a iesaltace why these may differ from each other, and how to critically sift nae interpretations through historical evaluation. Interpretations of historical qvents change over time; thus, itis an important skill for 8 student of history to track these changes in an attempt to understand the past. 7 poom purportedly written by Jose Rizal dis probably one of Rizal's most prominent that this poem, with the kanyang salita/mahigit zal, and worse, the is all unassailable. “Sa Aking Mga Kabata” is when he was eight years old an wronks. There is no evidence to support the lsim wey immortalized ines “Ang hindi magmas! 3 we hayop at malansang isda” was written by Ri evidence against Rizal's authorship of the poem seem: useript of the poem handwritten by Rizal. The ook by Hermenegildo Cruz. Crus 1 Beato Francisco, who claimed Saturnino Raselis. 1 his writings, and “] of having a close friend bY the ‘There exists no mam poem was first published in 1906, in a ‘om Gabriel taid he received the poem fr ‘n 1884 from Rizal's close friend, Rizal never me more importantly, person of Raselis. a cas oraam ot ie ae attribution of the poem 19 Rizal. The poem Was referred to the word Ee aipyann,” Babi wae Oe that he first ‘encountered the word through @ tranalatson of Rizal SAT ‘«g Amor Patrio,” WI “kalayahan.” (cpears ae ee wa: es .s mother, Teo earting from his MO appointment it BIS difficulty reveals more about the wrongful 's written in Tagalog and ‘mented in Rizal's letters Marcelo H. del Pilar’s shere it was spelled as 1g Tagalog, he was educated in y dora Alonso. Later on, he would Sa i in expressing himself in his exp native tongue: ‘The poem's sP* » and “Uy ti tthe use of letters “k’ and “w” to .d by Rizal as an adult, If it should use the original elling is also suspect sepia” respectively was suggeste sm was indeed written during his time, the ‘span 1, orthography that was prevalent in his time. CChapter3 Philppine History: Spaces for Coli and ControversiesMany of the things we accept as “true” about the past might not be the case anymore; just because these were taught to us as “facts” when we were younger does not mean that it is set in stone—history is, after all, a construct. And as a construct, it is open for interpretation. There might be conflicting and competing accounts of the past that need one’s attention, and can impact the way we view our country’s history and identity. It is important, therefore, to subject to evaluation not only the primary source, but also the historical interpretation of the same, to ensure that the current interpretation is reliable to support our acceptance of events of the past. Multiperspe eS ee is nena 2 With several possibilities of interpreting the past, another important concept that we must note is 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 CES agree on, P*°Viding more evidence for those 48 Retina neDifferent kinds of sources also provide di i tcl document may note diferent aspect the pet aan of an ordinary person on the same event, Different historic] annie sen different historicel truths, and while this may be a burdensome sort forthe historian, it also renders more validity to the historical scholarship, Pie ‘Taking these in close regard in the reading of historical interpretations it provides for the audience a more complex, but also a more complete and richer understanding of the past, Case Study I: Where Did the First Catholic Mass Take Place in the Philippines? The popularity of knowing where the “firsts” happened in history has been an easy way to trivialize history, but this case study will not focus on the significance (or lack thereof) of the site of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines, but rather, use it as a historiographical exercise in the Utilization of evidence and interpretation in reading historical events. Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass, In fact, this has been the case for three centuries, culminating in the erection of a monument in 1872 near Agusan River, which commemorates the expedition’s arrival and celebration of Mass on 8 April 1521. The Butuan claim has been based on a rather elementary reading of primary sources from the event. Toward the end of the nineteenth century and the start of the dered century, together with the increasing scholarship on the history of the ippines, a more nuanced reading of the available evidence was made, Thich brought to. Hight more considerations in going against the more accepted inter ae of the first Mass in the Philippines, made both by arpre' Spanish and Filipino scholars. : 3 Te must be noted that there are only Fe PURO leona "fer to in identifying the site of the fre Pata elias ofthe inci fone of Magellan's ship, aids Neteiaiti 'sco Albo, a pilot of one ° th Sebastian Elcano on the ship Vietoria after thy: nivors who returned Wit TS other, and the more complete, was the ae, tcumnavigated the aie viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage Spee Rie {ike Albo, was a member of the Magellan World), Pigafetta 2 che events, particularly, ofthe first Mass, tion and an eyewitness sper or Conic and Controresies 9 Chapter 3| POPPrimary Source: Albo’s Log Source: “Diario 6 derotero del viage de Magallanes desde el cabo se S. Agustin en el Brazil hasta el regreso a Espana de la nao Victoria, escrito por Frandsco Albo,” Document no. xxii in Collecién de viages y descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Espaiioles desde fines del siglo XV, Ed. Martin Fernandez de Navarrete (reprinted Buenos Aires 1945, 5 Vols.) IV, 191-225. As cited in Miguel A. Bernad “Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence” 1981, Kinaadman: A Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol. I, 1-35. 1 On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly course from Ladrones, they saw land towards the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they did not approach it. They found later that its name was Yunagan. ‘They went instead that same day southwards to another small island named Suluan, and there they anchored. There they saw some canoes but these fled at the Spaniards’ approach. This island was at 9 and two-thirds degrees North latitude. Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited island of “Gada” where they took in a supply of wood and water. The sea around that island was free from shallows. (Albo does not give the latitude of this island, but from Pigafetta’s testimony, this seems to be the “Acquada” or Homonhon, at 10 degrees North latitude.) From that island they sailed westwards towards a large island names Seilani that was inhabited and was known to have gold Geilani — or, as Pigafetta calls it, “Ceylon” — was the island of Leyte.) Sailing southwards along the coast of that large island of Seilan- th ey turned southwest to a small island called “Mazava.” That island is also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North. The people of that island of Mazava were very good, There the Spaniards planted a cross upon a mountain-top, and from thet? they were shown three islands to the west and southwest, whet? they were told there was much gold. “They showed us how the 3 ‘was gathered, which came in small pieces like peas and lentils Readings in Philippine History9. They sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at the town (la villa) of Subu where they stayed many days and obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact with the local king. 10. ‘The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the islands of Suluan and Mazava. But between Mazava and Subu, there were so many shallows that the boats could not go westward directly but has to go (as they did) in a round-about way. It must be noted that in Albo's account, the location of Mazava fits the lcation of the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte, 9°54'N. ‘Ako, Albo does not mention the first Mass, but only the planting of the cross ‘pon a mountain-top from which could be seen three islands to the west and ‘outhwest, which also fits the southern end of Limasawa. Primary Source: Pigafetta’s Testimony on the Route of Magellan’s Expedition rf Source: ir and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine uurce: Emma Blair an¢ ‘ted in Miguel A. Bernad, “Butuan Islands, Vols. 88 and 34, he First Mass in the Philippines: A Limasawa? The Site of 1, Kinaadman: A eJournal of Southern Reexamination of Evidence” 1961 Philippines, Vol. IIL, 1-85. ease) ii fe 1 Jb 1521 - ‘Magellan's expedition so a a : sceatey, 16 eae ‘hich was some 300 leagues westward ind” named “Zam! janas) Islands. Ladrones (now the Mari ¢ following day” after sighting Zamal Sunday, March 17 = [Th yor island which was ed” and Island, they landed 07° 5 above-mentioned islam: pals Which lay “to the Fitba on their sated esng sath ight” wy its for the sick me (To the “right” here WO" yp two tent " southwest.) There the! “ined for them. The name ofthis island 5 the crew and had ® pes Caf and Cntroveie st chagrin eewas “Humunu” (Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degrees North latitude. On that same day (Sunday, March 17), Magellan named the entire archipelago the “Islands of Saint Lazarus,” the reason being that it was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned for the Mass and the liturgical Office was the eleventh chapter of St. John, which tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Monday, March 18 ~ In the afternoon of their second day on that island, they saw a boat coming towards them with nine men in it, An exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food supplies, and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other supplies in “four days.” ‘There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon. Also they saw there some indications that there was gold in these islands. Consequently Magellan renamed the island and called it the “Watering Place of Good Omen’ (Acquada la di bouni segnialli). Friday, March 22 — At noon the natives returned. This time they were in two boats, and they brought food supplies. Magellan's expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday of the following week, March 25. Monday, March 25 ~ In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day (March 25) was the feast-day of the Incarnation, also called the feast of the Annunciation and therefore “Our Lady's Day.” On this day, as they were about to weigh anchor, an accident happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributed his narrow escape from death as grace obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast-day. The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was “toward the west southwest, between four islands: namely, Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien.” Very probably “Cenalo” is @ misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta in his map calls “Ceilon” and Albo calls “Seilani”: namely the island of Leyte. “Hiunanghan” (a misspelling of Hinunangan) seemed to Pigafett® to be a separate island, but is actually on the mainland of Leyte (ie,, “Ceylon’). On the other hand, Hibuson (Pigafetta’s Ibusson) is an island east of Leyte's southern tip. Readings in Pipe HistoryThus, it is easy to see what Pigafetia meant by sailing “toward the west southwest” past those islands, They left Homonhon sailing |. They remained seven days on Mazaua Island. 12. dey APA — They lft Masa, ound ot Cae, Thy wee suided thither by the king of Mazaua who sailed in his own boat. Their route took them past five “islan ids” namely: “Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatighan.” : * Sunday, April 7 — At noon they entered (i2b¥) Te had taken them three days to be Pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta’s i My gg ct Corroborate each other. Pigafetta fave more details on what “ring their weeklong stay at Mazeus, ™&ry Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua h ig, ime Blair and James Alexander The Philippine vit Vola 38 and pur eeat et A. Bemad, “Butuan aiaaawa? ‘The Se eh eee, Gnloat cae x 1,'nation of Evidence” 1981, Kincadman: 4 Journal of Souther “Pines, Vol. If, 1-86. . Carer | Pad er Chl ac‘Thursday, March 28 - In the morning they anchored near an island where they had seen a light the night before a small boat (boloto) came with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some trinkets as presents. The natives paddled away, but two hours later two larger boats (balanghai) came, in one of which the native king sat under an awning of mats. At Magellan’s invitation some of the natives went up the Spanish ship, but the native king remained seated in his boat. An exchange of gifts was effected. In the afternoon that day, the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer to shore, anchoring near the native king's village. This Thursday, March 28, was Thursday in Holy Week, ie., Holy Thursday. Friday, March 29 ~ “Next day. Holy Friday,” Magellan sent his slave interpreter ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he could provide the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they had come as friends and not as enemies. In reply the king himself came in a boat with six or eight men, and this time went up Magellan's ship and the two men embraced. Another exchange of gifts was made. ‘The native king and his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of Magellan's expedition as guests for the night. One of the two was Pigafetta. Saturday, March 30 — Pigafetta and his companion had spent the previous evening feasting and drinking with the native king and his son. Pigafetta deplored the fact that, although it was Good Friday, they had to eat meat. The following morning (Saturday) Pigafetta and his companion took leave of their hosts and returned to the ships. Sunday, March 31 - “Early in the morning of Sunday, the last of ‘March and Easter day,” Magellan sent the priest ashore with some men to prepare for the Mass, Later in the morning Magellan landed with some fifty men and Mass was celebrated, after which a cross was venerated. Magellan and the Spaniards returned to the shiP for the noon-day meal, but in the afternoon they returned ashor? to plant the cross on the summit of the highest hill, In attendance both at the Mass and at the planting of the cross were the king of Mazaua and the king of Butuan. Sunday, March 31 On that same afternoon, while on the sum of the highest hill, Magellan asked the two kings which ports b should go to in order to obtain more abundant supplies of food the? Readings in Piipine HistryFatt were available in that island. They replied that there were three ports to choose from: Ceylon, Zubu, and Calagan. OF the three, Zubu was the port with the most trade. Magellan then said that he wished to go to Zubu and to depart the following morning. He asked for someone to guide him thither. The kings replied that the sildie would be available “any time:* (But Dicer that evenizay ties king of Mazaua changed his mind and said that he would himself conduct Magellan to Zubu but that he would first have to bring the harvest in. He asked Magellan to send him men to help with the harvest. 6 Monday, April 1 ~ Magellan sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was done that day because the two kings were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before. 7 Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3 — Work on the harvest during the “next to days," ie, Tuesday and Wednesday, the 2nd and 3rd of April. 8 Thursday, April 4 — They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu Using the primary sources available, Jesuit priest Miguel A Bernad in work Butuan or Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in ihe Philippines Reexamination of Evidence (1981) lays down the argument that in the ‘ta account, a erucial aspect of Butuan was not mentioned—the river. oa tiverine settlement, situated on the Agusan River. The beach of isin the delta of said river. It is a curious omission in the account of "Wer, which makes Part of a distinct characteristic of Butuan’s geography “med to be too important to be missed. tua mate ©f Exploration is a period of competition among Buropean rs lng, CORQUer and colonize lands outside their original domains. emu’ the goal was to find alternative routes by sea to get to Asia, rene it Source of spices and other commodities. Existing routes to Asia es ally tay aid Kind asad wsry etbenaive. A aaa Fouite taiagae means Cay "Peans could access the spice trade directly, greatly reducing * traders. Spain's major foray into the exploration was through waa Ther Columbus, who proposed to sail westward to find a shorteut Yeragy -° Was able to reach the Americas, which was then cut-off from hy, tthe known world. ‘ ip to jerica, Mexico, and South America in NSeee aa Be ce able to reach the Philippines and Chapter 3|Philipine Histor paces for Conflict and Controversies 55claim it for the Spanish crown. Later on, other European rulers would compete with the activities of exploring and conquering lands. It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan's death, the survivors ofhis expedition went to Mindanao, and seemingly went to Butuan In this instance, Pigafetta vividly describes a trip in a river. But note thay this account already happened after Magellan's death, Case Study 2: What Happened in the Cavite Mutiny? The year 1872 is a historic year of two events: the Cavite Mutiny and the martyrdom of the three priests: Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, later on immortalized as GOMBURZA. These events are very important milestones in Philippine history and have caused ripples throughout time, directly influencing the decisive events of the Philippine Revolution toward the end of the century. While the significame i unquestioned, what made this year controversial are the different sides to the sory, a battle of perspectives supported by primary sources In thie naa Study, we 200m in to the events ofthe Cavite Mutiny, « major factor in the ‘wakening of nationalism among the Filipinos of that time Spanish Accounts of the Cavite Mutiny Primary : Mutiny Source: Excerpts from Montero’ Source: dose Montero y Vidal, of 1872,” in Gregorio Zaide am piling History, Volume 7 73, “Spanish Version of the Cavite Mutiny id Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 26> The aboliti fe of ae rntvileges enjoyed by the laborers of the Cavite aren inaeras ae the tribute Was, according to some, the cause of UUNGTE were, however, other causes. Readings Pipa tery‘The Spanish revolution which overthrew propaganda carried on by an unbridled press against ‘monarchical pringple,attentatory [ee] of the most ancred respects towers dethroned majesty; the democratic and republican books an pamphlets; the speeches and preachings of the apostles of these new ideas in Spain, the outbursts of the American publicists and the criminal Policy of the senseless Governor whom the Revolutionary government sere cy govern the Philippines, and who put into practice thes ideas were ths determining circumstances which gave ri ilipinos, the iden of attaining their independence. It was towards this goal thee they started to work, with the powerful assistance of a certain section ofthe native clergy, who out of spite toward friars, made commvn ease with the enemies of the mother country, @ secular throne; the At various times but especially in the beginning of year 1872, the authorities received anonymous communications with the information {hata great uprising would break out against the Spaniards, the minute the fleet at Cavite left for the South, and that all would be assassinated, including the friars, But nobody gave importance to these notices, The conspiracy had been going on since the days of La Torre with utmost S*crecy. At times, the principal leaders met either in the house of Filipino Spaniard, D. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, or in that ofthe native Priest, Jacinto Zamora, and these meetings were usually attended by the curate of Bacoor, the soul of the movement, whose energetic character and immense wealth enabled him to exercise a strong influence. Primary Source: Excerpts from the Oficial Report of Governor Iequierdo on the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 Source: Rafael Izquierdo, “Official Report on the Cavite Mutiny,” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 281-286. -It seems definite that the insurrection was motivated and prepared the native clergy, by the mestizos and native lawyers, and by those wn here as abogadillos... ae ir crimi ji tested agai The out their criminal project, prot s injuste of the government in nt avin the provinces for their ao eae an teint the usury that some practice in oun thatthe Finance department gives crop owners who have to sell them ata k Sane Sar ed the rebellion by protesting what they called anaes vy having obliged the workers in the Cavite arsenal to pay stice of 5 apr 3 Ppp Hate Se Conf adConri Edtribute starting January 1 and to render personal service, from which they were formerly exempted... Up to now it has not been clearly determined if they planned to establish a monarchy or a republic, because the Indios have no word in their language to describe this different form of government, whose head in Filipino would be called hari; but it turns out that they would place at the head of the government a priest... that the head selected would be D, Jose Burgos, or D. Jacinto Zamora... Such is... the plan of the rebels, those who guided them, and the means they counted upon for its realization. It is apparent that the accounts underscore the reason for the “revolution”: the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of the Cavite arsenal such as exemption from payment of tribute and being employed in polos y servicios, or force labor. They also identified other reasons which seemingly made the issue a lot more serious, which included the presence of the native clergy, who, out of spite against the Spanish friars, “conspired and supported” the rebels. Izquierdo, in an obviously biased report, highlighted that attempt to overthrow the Spanish government in the Philippines to install a new “hari” in the persons of Fathers Burgos and Zamora. According to him, native clergy attracted supporters by giving them charismatic assurance that their fight would not fail because they had God’s support, aside from promises of lofty rewards such as employment, wealth, and ranks in the army. In the Spaniard’s accounts, the event of 1872 was premeditated, and was part of a big conspiracy among the educated leaders, mestizos, lawyers, and residents of Manila and Cavite. They allegedly plan to liquidate high- ranking Spanish officers, then kill the friars. The signal they identified among these conspirators of Manila and Cavite was the rockets fired from Intramuros. The accounts detail that on 20 January 1872, the district of Sampaloc celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Loreto, and came with it were some fireworks display. The Caviteiios allegedly mistook this as the signal t0 commence with the attack. The 200-men contingent led by Sergeant Lamadrid attacked Spanish officers at sight and seized the arsenal. Izquierdo, upo™ learning of the attack, ordered the reinforcement of the Spanish forces in Cavite to quell the revolt. The “revolution” was easily crushed, when the Manilefios who were expected to aid the Cavitefios did not arrive. Leaders of the plot were killed in the resulting skirmish, while Fathers Gomez, Burgo 58Jamora were tried by a court-martial and se oa who were implicated such as Joaquin parte oe Fugdor, ose and Pio Basa, and other Filipino lawyers were eM trom the practice of law, arrested, and sentenced to life imminent the Marianas Island. Izquierdo dissolved the native siginarts anti = and ordered the creation of an artillery force composed exclu erties, Peninsulares. sively by On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as threat to Filipinos never to attempt to fight the Spaniards again. Differing Accounts of the Events of 1872 Two other primary accounts exist that seem to counter the accounts of Izquierdo and Montero. First, the account of Dr. Trinidad Hermenegildo Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino scholar and researcher, who wrote a Filipino version of the bloody incident in Cavite. Primary Source: Excerpts from Pardo de Tavera’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny Source: Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, “Filipino Version of the Cavite Mutiny,” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 274- 280. This uprising among the soldiers in Cavite was used as a powerful level by the Spanish residents and by the friars... the Central Government in Madrid had announced its intention to deprive the friars in these islands of powers of intervention in matters of civil government and of the direction and management of the university... it was due to these facts and promises that the Filipinos had great hopes of an improvement in the affairs of their country, while the friars, on the other hand, feared that their power in the colony would soon be complete a thing of the past. ..Up to that time there had be and the only aspiration of the people was education advancement of the country : was merely a mutiny by Filipino ‘0 the dissatisfaction arising from on no intention of secession from Spain, to secure the material and According to this account, the incident soldiers and laborers of the Cavite arsenal 4 ne for Confit and Controversies 59the draconian policies of Izquierdo, such as the abolition of privileges and the prohibition of the founding of the school of arts and trades for Filipinos, which the General saw as a smokescreen to creating a political club. ‘Tavera is of the opinion that the Spanish friars and Izquierdo used the Cavite Mutiny as a way to address other issues by blowing out of proportion the isolated mutiny attempt. During this time, the Central Government in Madrid was planning to deprive the friars of all the powers of intervention | in matters of civil government and direction and management of educational | institutions. The friars needed something to justify their continuing dominance in the country, and the mutiny provided such opportunity. However, the Central Spanish Government introduced an educational decree fusing sectarian schools run by the friars into a school called the Philippine Institute. The decree aimed to improve the standard of education in the Philippines by requiring teaching positions in these schools to be filled by competitive examinations, an improvement welcomed by most Filipinos, Another account, this time by French writer Edmund Plauchut, complemented Tavera’s account and analyzed the motivations of the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. Primary Source: Excerpts from Plauchut’s Account of the Cavite Mutiny Source: Edmund Plauchut, “The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 and the Martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za,” in Gregorio Zaide and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 7 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 251-268, General La Torre... created a junta composed of high officials. including some friars and six Spanish officials... At the same time there was created by the government in Madrid a committee to investigate the same problems submitted to the Manila committee. When the two finished work, it was found that they came to the same conclusions. Here is the summary of the reforms they considered necessary to introduce: 1. Changes in tariff rates at customs, and the methods of collection- 2. Removal of surcharges on foreign importations. 3. Reduction of export fees. Readings in Phlippine History4, Permission for foreigners to reside in the "real estate, enjoy freedom of worship, transports flying the Spanish flag, Philippines, buy and operate commercial 5. Establishment of an advisory council to inform the Minister of Overseas Affairs in Madrid on the necessary reforms to be implemented. 6. Changes in primary and secondary education. 7. Establishment of an Institute of Civil Administration in the Philippines, rendering unnecessary the sending home of short. term civil officials every time there is a change of ministry. 8. Study of direct-tax system. 9. Abolition of the tobacco monopoly. ~The arrival in Manila of General Izquierdo... put a sudden end to all dreams of reforms... the prosecutions instituted by the new Governor General were probably expected as a result of the bitter disputes between the Filipino clerics and the friars. Such a policy must really end in a strong desire on the part of the other to repress cruelly. In regard to schools, it was previously decreed that there should be in Manila a Society of Arts and Trades to be opened in March of 1871... to repress the growth of liberal teachings, General Izquierdo suspended the opening of the school... the day previous to the scheduled inauguration, The Filipinos had a duty to render service on public roads construction. and pay taxes every year. But those who were employed at the macstranza of the artillery, in the engineering shops and arsenal of Cavite, were exempted from this obligation from time immemorial... Without preliminaries of any kind, a decree by the Governor withdrew from such old employees their retirement privileges and declassified them into the ranks of those who worked on public roads, The friars used the incident as a part of a larger conspiracy to cement thei ‘r dominance, which had started to show cracks because of the discontent ofthe Filipinos. The: "y showcased the mutiny as part of a greater conspiracy tthe Philippines by Filipinos to overthrow the Spanish Government, intentionally, and more so, prophetically, the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 Wesulted in the martyrdom of GOMBURZA, and paved the way to the *evolution culminating in 1898. Chapter 3 Phiipine History: Space for Conc nd Controversies aThe GOMBURZA is the collective name of the three martyred Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who woe ade the masterminds of the Cavite Mutiny. They were PRE ata priests charged with treason and sedition. It is believed that the S} aa clergy connected the priests to the mutiny as part of a Seadincr a stifle the movement of secular priests who desired to have their 4 parishes instead of being merely assistants to the regular friars, The GOMBURZA were executed by garrote in public, a scene purpéitad witnessed by a young Jose Rizal. : ‘Their martyrdom is widely accepted asthe dawn of Philippine nationalism in the nineteenth century, with Rizal dedicating his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to their memory: “The Government, by enshrouding your trial in mystery and pardoning your co-accused, has suggested that some mistake was committed when your fate was decided; and the whole of the Philippines, in paying homage to your memory and calling you martyrs, totally rejects your guilt. ‘The Church, by refusing to degrade you, has put in doubt the crime charged against you.” Case Study 3: Rizal Retract? ‘Jose Rizal is identified as a hero of the revolution for his writings thet lonialism and liberating Filipino minds to contribute great volume of Rizal's lifework wa® the more influential ones, Noli Me vilify not the Catholic religion, center on ending col to creating the Filipino nation. The committed to this end, particularly 1 Tangere and El Filibusterismo. His essays but the friars, the main agents of injustice in the Philippine society Tt is understandable, therefore, that any piece of writing from Rizal that recants everything he wrote against the friars and the Catholic Church in the Philippines could deal heavy damage to his image as ® prominer Filipino revolutionary. Such document purportedly exists, allegedly sie! by Rizal a few hours before his execution. This document. referred to “The Retraction,” declares Rizal’s belief in the Catholic faith, and retra everything he wrote against the Chureh. Primary Source: Rizal's Retraction ‘Source: Translated from the document found by Fr. Manuel GaelsCM. on 18 May 1935 Ideclare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and educated I wish to live and die. Iretract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct has been contrary to my character as son of the Catholic Church. I believe and I confess whatever she teaches and I submit to whatever she demands. I abominate Masonry, as the enemy which is of the Church, and as a Society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan Prelate may, as the Superior Ecclesiastical Authority, make public this spontaneous manifestation of mine in order to repair the scandal which my acts may have caused and so that God and people may pardon me. Manila 29 of December of 1896 Jose Rizal ‘There are four iterations of the texts of this retraction: the first was published in La Voz Espafiola and Diario de Manila on the day of the execution, 30 December 1896. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, in the magazine La Juventud, a few months after the execution, 14 February 1897, from an anonymous writer who was later on revealed to be Fr. Vicente Balaguer. However, the “original” text was only found in the archdiocesan archives on 18 May 1935, after almost four decades of disappearance. The Balaguer Testimony Doubts on the retraction document abound, especially because only ‘Ohe eyewitness account of the writing of the document exists—that of the Jesuit friar Fr. Vicente Balaguer. According to his testimony, Rizal woke up several times, confessed four times, attended a Mass, received communion, and prayed the rosary, all of which seemed out of character. But since it is the only testimony of allegedly a “primary” account that Rizal ever wrote 4 retraction document, it has been used to argue the authenticity of the document. The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia —“¢ Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigil Another eyewitness account surfaced in 2016, through the research of fessor Rene R. Escalante. In his research, documents of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia included a report on the last hours of Rizal, written by Federico ae The report details the statement of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia to ‘oreno, Chapter 3|Phiipin History: Space for Conic and Controversies “8 atPrimary Source: Eyewitness Account of the Last Hours of Riza} Source: Michael Charleston Chua, “Retraction ni Jose Rizal: Mga Bagong Dokumento at Pananaw,” GMA News Online, published 29 December 2016. Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed in Fort Santiago to report on the events during the [illegible] day in prison of the accused Jose Rizal, informs me on this date of the following: At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Sefior Taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest Vilaclara, At the urgings of the former and moments after entering, he was served a light breakfast. At approximately 9, the Assistant of the Plaza, Sefior Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted anything. He replied that at the moment he only wanted a prayer book, which was brought to him shortly by Father March, Sefior Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it seems. It appears that these two presented him with a prepared retraction on his life and deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about the matter until 12:30 when Rizal ate some poached egg and a little chicken. Afterwards he asked to leave to write and wrote for a long time by himself. ‘At 9 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him what he had written. Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Sefior del Fresno and the Assistant of the Plaza, Sefior Maure, were informed. They entered death row and together with Rizal signed the document that the accused had written. } At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison ... dressed in mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed by # military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal clothes and aided by a soldier of the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the woman who had been his lover were performed at the point of death (in articulo mortis). After embracing him she left, flooded with tears. ‘This account corroborates the existence of the retraction document giving it credence. However, nowhere in the account was Fr. Balaguer mentioned, which makes the friar a mere secondary source to the writing the document. “a Readings in Philippine HistorythoreractionofRialremainsto this day, controversy: many scholars, agree thatthe document does not tarnish the heroism of Rizal, Hi, beers remained solidified to Filipinos and pushed them to continue the tet ce wich eventually resulted i indepandsucs Seiad Rizal’s Connection to the Katipunan is undeniable—in fact, the precursor of the Katipunan as an organization is the La Liga Filipina, an organization Rizal founded, with Andres Bonifacio as one of its members, But La Liga Filipina was short-lived as the Spaniards exiled Rizal to Dapitan. Former members decided to band together to establish the Katipunan a few days after Rizal's exile on 7 July 1892, Rizal may not have been officially part of the Katipunan, but the Katipuneros showed great appreciation of his work toward the same seals. Out of the 28 members of the leadership of the Katipunan (known as the Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng Katipunan) from 1892 to 1896, 13 were former members of La Liga Filipina. Katipuneros even used Rizal's name as a password, In 1896, the Katipuneros decided to inform Rizal of their plans to launch the revolution, and sent Pio Valenzuela to visit Rizal in Dapitan. Valenaucla’s accounts of his meeting with Rizal have been greatly doubted by many scholars, but according to him, Rizal objected to the Plans, saying that doing so would be tantamount to suicide since it would be difficult to fight: the Spaniards who had the advantage of military Tattces: He added that the lenders of the Katipunan must do everything they could to prevent the spilling of Filipino blood. Valenzuela informed Rizal that the revolution could inevitably break out if the Katipunan Were to be discovered by the Spaniards. Rizal advised Valenzuela that the Katipunan should first secure the support of wealthy Filipinos to strengthen their cause, and suggested that Antonio Luna be recruited to direct the military movement of the revolution. Case Study 4: Where Did the Cry of Rebellion Happen? —SS Study 4: Where Did the Cry Momentous events swept the Spanish colonies in the late nineteenth Sentury, including the Philippines. Journalists of the time referred to the Phrase “El Grito de Rebelion” or “Cry of Rebellion” to mark the start of these revolutionary events, identifying the places where it happened. In the Philippines, this happened in August 1896, northeast of Manila, where they declared rebellion against the Spanish colonial government. These events Chapter 3 | Philippine History: Spaces for Conflict and Controversies 6are important markers in the history of eolonies that struggled for th independence against their colonizers. - ‘The controversy regarding this event stems from the identification of the date and place where the Cry happened. Prominent Filipino historian Teodoro Agoncillo emphasizes the event when Bonifacio tore the cedula or tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also did the same. Some writers identified the first military event with the Spaniards as the moment of the Cry, for which, Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an “Himno de Balintawak’ to inspire the renewed struggle after the Pact of the Biak-na-Bato failed. A monument to the Heroes of 1896 was erected in what is now the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos (EDSA) Avenue and Andres Bonifacio Drive-North mn on until 1962, the Cry of Balintawak was Diversion road, and from thei shosen for celebrated every 26th of August. The site of the monument was cl an unknown reason. Different ales eran lecer iE C9 Various accounts of the Cry give different dates and places. A guardia civil, Lt Olegario Dia, identified the Cry to have happened in Balintawak oe 25 August 1896, Teodoro Kalas, Filipino historian, marks the place to bee Kangkong, Balintawak, on the last week of August 1896. Santiago Alvar a Katipunero and son of Mariano Alvarez, leader of the Magdiwang fast? in Cavite, put the Cry in Babay Toro in Quezon City on 24 August 1896. Pio Valenzuela, known Katipunero and privy to many events concerning the Katipunan stated that the Cry happened in Pugad Lawin on 23 Augus 1996. Historian Gregorio Zaide identified the Cry to have happened i Balintawak on 26 August 1896, while Teodoro Agoncillo put it at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896, according to statements by Pio Valenzuel® Research by historians Milagros Guerrero, Bmmanuel Encarnacion, Ramon Villegas claimed that the event took place in Tandang Sor: a's barn Gulod, Barangay Banlat, Quezon City, on 24 August 1896. Primary Source: Accounts of the Cry in Gregorio 286 Guillermo Masangkay Volume Source: Guillermo Masangkay, “Cry of Balintawak” ‘and Sonia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 307-309. Readings in Philippine History rrOn August 26th, a big meeting was held in Balintawa Apolonio Samson, then cabeza of that b; who attended, I remember, were Bonif, I, at the house of #r7!0 of Caloocan. Among those Buedo del facio, Emilio Jacinto, A, Rosario, Tomas Remigio, Briccio Pantas, T: start the uprising, the Spaniards will get us anyway. What then, do you say?” “Revolt?” the people shouted as one. Bonifacio then asked the People to give a pledge that they were to til He told them that the sign of slavery of the Filipinos w the cedula tax charged each citizen. “If it is true that you are ready to Rol... Lwant to see you destroy your cedulas. It willbe a sign that all of us have declared our severance from the Spaniards.” ere (sic) Pio Valenzuela Source: Pio Valenzuela, “Cry of Pugad Lawin,” in Gregorio Zaide and nia Zaide, Documentary Sources of Philippine History, Volume 8 (Manila: National Book Store, 1990), 301-302. The fist place of refuge of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Procopio nifacio, Teodoro Plata, Aguedo del Rosario, and myself was lintawak, the first five arriving there on August 19, and I, on August } 1896. The first place where some 500 members of the Katipunan "et on August 22, 1896, was the house and yard of Apolonio Samson at Chapter | Philppine History Spce for Conte end Contoveren 6Kangkong. Aside from the persons mentioned above, among those who were there were Briccio Pantas, Alejandro Santiago, Ramon Bernardo, Apolonio Samson, and others. Here, views were only exchanged, and no resolution was debated or adopted. It was at Pugad Lawin, the house, store-house, and yard of Juan Ramos, son of Melchora Aquino, where over 1,000 members of the Katipunan met and carried out considerable debate and discussion on August 23, 1896. The discussion was on whether or not the revolution against the Spanish government should be started on August 29, 1896... After the tumultuous meeting, many of those present tore their cedula certificates and shouted “Long live the Philippines! Long live the Philippines!” From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed marked disagreement among historical witnesses as to the place and time of the occurrence of the Cry. Using primary and secondary sources, four places have been identified: Balintawak, Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and Bahay ‘Toro, while the dates vary: 23, 24, 25, or 26 August 1896, Valenzuela’s account should be read with caution: He once told a Spanish investigator that the “Cry” happened in Balintawak on Wednesday, 26 August 1896. Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs of the Revolution that it happened at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896, Such inconsistencies in accounts should always be seen as a red flag when dealing with primary sources. According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all these places 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.