UNIT IX.

SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL

ISSUES IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Overview

This unit gives you an overview of various social, political, economic, and cultural issues in
the Philippines. The first topic tackles the ongoing conflicts in Mindanao and Sulu and the
campaign for the self-determination of the Bangsamoro people. It also presents the peace treaties
enacted by the government with Muslim Filipinos.

The second lesson focuses on the lives of some prominent Filipinos who helped shape our
country through their heroic deeds.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the unit, I am able to:

1. Use basic concepts across the domains of knowledge through writing a term paper.
2. Examine the contemporary world from both Philippine and global perspectives.
Lesson Proper

Lesson 1 Government Peace Treaties with Muslim Filipinos

The continuing struggle in Mindanao and Sulu, as well as the existing campaign for the
self-determination of the Bangsamoro people, comes mainly from years of unsettled historical
injustices, which include the forceful incorporation of the Moros into the American colonial
government and the authorization of the government for Christians to migrate to Mindanao at the
turn of the twentieth century.

Moros comes from the Spanish word “Moors” which was a derogatory term for Muslims.
Since then, it has been used to denote Filipino Muslims. ‘Moro’ denotes a Muslim inhabitant and
non-Hispanicized in the ‘unsubjugated’ southern islands. Bangsamoro, on the other hand, is a
combination of “bangsa” and Moro. The term ‘bangsa’ or ‘bansa’ is a Malay word that usually
refers to nations, castes, descent groups or lines, races, or estates. The composite term ‘Bangsa
Moro’, refers to the ‘Moro nation’. It is a recently adopted name that is becoming popular with
people. It refers to the community of Islamized indigenous groups in Mindanao.

Image from:
Mindanaomaps.com

Mindanao is made up of
the large islands south of the
Philippines. Sulu archipelago is
the cluster of 500 islands between
Sulu and the Celebes Sea. It is
necessary to remember that
Mindanao and Sulu are different
but interrelated geographical
entities. At present, Mindanao is
mostly occupied by three groups
of people -- the settlers, the Moros
and the Lumad. Lumad is a
Cebuano Bisayan term which
means “indigenous”. Starting in
1997, the Lumad began referring
themselves as
indigenous peoples in coherence with the practice of international assemblies like the United
Nations, but more particularly, in line with the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of
1997 by the Philippine Congress. The Moros are indigenous to Mindanao and became Muslim
when Arab traders-missionaries came to the region, married into the local population and spread
Islam starting as early as the 14th century, in Tawi-Tawi in the late 14th century, and in Central
Mindanao in the early 16th century. They are, at present, the majority in the five provinces of
Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The third major group includes largely
Christian migrants and descendants who came from Luzon and Visayas.
 The struggle for self-determination of Muslims in Mindanao started when the Philippines
was still a colony of the United States of America. In the 1930s, US authorities persuaded Christian
Filipinos in Luzon and Visayas to migrate to the southern region of Mindanao, which was mostly
occupied by Moros. Because of this migration, the Moros gradually became a minority in many
parts of the outhern Philippines. What finally sparked the Muslim separatist war against the
Philippine state is the Jabidah massacre which happened in 1968. This led to the establishment of
the Moro National Liberation Front (MILF). The MNLF led an insurgency against the Philippine
government. They declared their war of national liberation and their intention to establish the
Bangsamoro Republic in the region that they claimed as their ancestral homeland.

With the help of the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Philippine government and
the MNLF signed the Tripoli Agreement in 1976. Under this agreement, a ceasefire is declared
between the two parties. It provides that Mindanao would still be a part of the Philippines. The
agreement also identified 13 provinces in Southern Philippines where Muslims shall enjoy political
autonomy. However, the Marcos regime refused the agreement, resulting in the resume of the armed
movement. In 1977, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was formed. It is the result of a
series of factional splits because of the members' disagreement with MNLF's decisions. The MILF
did not believe in negotiating with the government.

In 1986, Marcos was forced from power by revolution. The new president, Corazon
Aquino, and the leader of MNLF, Nur Misuari, quickly arranged for a ceasefire, and in January
1987, the MNLF agreed to drop its demand for an independent state in return for regional
autonomy. The MILF, on the other hand, declined to take part in it. In the succeeding year, the
MILF replaced the MNLF in pursuing Moro secession. Under the Republic Act 6734 the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM was created the following year.

MNLF came to a peace settlement with the Ramos administration which gave the ARMM
limited self-rule over the most impoverished Muslim regions in the south in 1996. Later that year,
Nur Misuari was elected as the governor of the autonomous region. In 1997, MILF signed a
ceasefire agreement and started peace talks with the Ramos administration. However, major
fighting outbreaks caused discontinuance of the peace talks. When President Joseph Estrada was
elected in 1999, he halted all the peace talks and pronounced an all-out war against the MILF. Two
months after Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed the presidency, the Philippine government and the
MILF signed the Agreement of the General framework for the resumption of peace between the
armed separatist group and the government. The peace, however, didn't last long since in 2003,
President Arroyo declared war against the MILF after the alleged bombing by the militant group of
the Davao International Airport and the Sasa Wharf. The peace talks with MILF continues, and
discussions on ancestral domain pact for the expansion of ARMM took place in 2004. Several
efforts were exerted and finally in 2008, the Philippine Government and the MILF signed the
Memorandum Agreement-Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).

In 2010, When President Benigno S. Aquino III assumed office, he arranged a new
negotiating panel to continue peace talks with the MILF. Two years after, the government and the
MILF panels announced an agreement to create a new autonomous political entity to replace the
ARMM. Several rounds of peace talks took place while the Bangsamoro Basic Law was being
drafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. However, in 2013, Nur
Misuari launched an attack in Zamboanga City because he disapproves the current peace talks
between the government and the MILF. The discussions on the proposed BBL began at the 16th
Congress. The 16th Congress ended without having passed the BBL, which will be deliberated
again under a new president. In 2017, under the Duterte administration, new members were
included in the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, and the final version of the BBL was made.
Duterte proclaimed the passing of the BBL as urgent. After long deliberation and after the BBL
was passed on both Houses, Duterte finally signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 2018. The
following year, after the plebiscite voting, the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers announced
that the BOL is "deemed ratified", replacing ARMM with Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao.

Lesson 2 Biographies of Prominent Filipinos

Because of its rich historical background, it’s not a surprise that the Philippines
recognizes prominent figures who fought for the country. Numerous people have offered their
lives to help the country gain and maintain independence.

Jose Rizal – born Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y

Realonda on June 16, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna. He
was the seventh of the eleven children of Francisco
Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda. The
Mercado family were known to be landowners who
rented their land to the friars in Laguna.

In 1872, he studied at Ateneo Municipal de

Manila. Excelling in all his subjects, he earned the
degree Bachiller en Artes Sobrasaliente (Bachelor of
Arts with highest honors). He also studied Agriculture
while simultaneously enrolling in Philosophy, then
Medicine at the Royal and Pontifical Universidad de
Santo Tomas in Manila. He obtained his degree of
“Land Surveyor and Agricultural Expert” from
Ateneo, but because of unpleasant experiences of
discrimination, he
continued his studies in both Medicine and
(Image credits to: Esquire Philippines)

Philosophy and Literature at the Universidad Central de Madrid in Spain. There, he

completed his Licentiate in Medicine in 1884 and Licentiate in Philosophy and Literature in 1885.
He also studied under Professor Otto Becker, a renowned eye specialist.

While in Europe, Rizal met other Filipino émigré and formed the Propaganda Movement.
At the age of 26, Rizal published his first novel, Noli Me Tangere in Berlin, Germany. The novel
was largely considered the bible of Philippine literature. It introduced for the first time the idea of
a singular community as Filipinos. However, this novel was banned from the Philippines,
penalizing anyone who owned a copy of it. Despite the banning of his first novel, Rizal wrote his
second, El Filibusterismo, and published it in 1891.
 Rizal journeyed back to the Philippines in 1892. What followed after his return to the
Philippines was his arrest and deportation to Dapitan. While in exile, Rizal practiced
ophthalmology and operated his mother’s right cataract. He also met Josephine Bracken who later
became his common-law wife.

On his voyage to Spain to serve in Cuba, he was arrested in his cabin for being an
accomplice of the Katipunan, having Andres Bonifacio name him as a member of the organization
without his consent. He was sentenced to death “for the crime of having founded illicit associations
and for having incited and promoted rebellion. He was then executed in public by firing squad on
December 30, 1896.

Sultan Kudarat – he was the seventh leader of the

Maguindanao Sultanate. He was recognized as the
most powerful Muslim ruler in the Philippines. He
fought the Spanish invaders and rallied the other
Muslim leaders to maintain their hold on the Islam
Faith as well as defend their respective territory
from foreign incursions. He was not only a great
leader, but he also allied with the Dutch East India
Company for trade.

(Image credits to: xiaochua.net)

Macario Sakay – is one of the founding members

of the Katipunan. He attempted to form his own
Republic known as “Republika ng Katagalugan”
where he was the President. However, the US
government did not recognize his government and
thus declared him an outlaw under the Bandolerism
Act. He and his followers were later on arrested and
executed by the American authorities as bandits.
Macario Sakay was executed on September 13,
1907, by hanging.

(Image credits to: 8list.ph)

 Juan Luna – he was born in Badoc, Ilocos Norte
on October 23, 1857. He is considered one of the
greatest Filipino artists in Philippine history with a
number of masterpieces such as the Spoliarium and
the Blood Compact. Being friends with Jose Rizal
has sparked Philippine nationalism and pride in
him. His works are known to be dramatic and
dynamic, with its focus on romanticism and realism
art styles. His works usually
contained political commentaries.

(Image credits to: Politiko Metro Manila)

Vicente Sotto – he entered politics in 1902 when he

ran for the municipal councillorship of Cebu and
won. In 1907, he was elected as a mayor despite his
absence during the election. He also resisted
Americanization by championing the local
language. He is also known to be the Father of
Cebuano language and letter. He penned the Press
Freedom Law or the Sotto law.

(Image credits to: Esquire Philippines)

Fernando Amorsolo – is the national Artist for Visual

Arts. His paintings usually depict the life in
countryside which are significant in the development
of the formation of Filipino sense of self and identity.
(Image credits to: Esquire Philippines)

Ninoy Aquino – Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr.; he is a

known critic of then President Ferdinand Marcos.
His assassination is believed to have caused the
middle class to protest against the Marcos
administration which led to the EDSA Revolution.

(Image credits to: Inquirer.net)

References

Buendia, R. (2006). Mindanao Conflict in the Philippines: Ethno-Religious War or Economic

Conflict. In The Politics of Death: Political Violence in Southeast Asia (pp. 147-187). Lit
Verlag Berlin.

Corpuz, O. D. (2006). The roots of the Filipino nation (Vol. 1). Quezon City: University of the
Philippines Press.

Diaz, P. (2003). Understanding Mindanao Conflict. MindaNews.

Gavilan, Jodesz. (2019). “From Peace Talks to Plebiscite: The Road to the New Bangsamoro
Region. Rappler 23 January. Retrieved from https://rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/timeline-
peace-talks-plebiscite-road-new- bangsamoro-autonomous-region-muslim-mindanao

FERNANDO-AMILBANGSA, L. (2005). UKKIL: Visual arts of the sulu archipelago.

Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila Press.

Isidro, A. E. (1989). Philippine History: Reassessed (pp. 133-136). Manila: Integrated

Publishing House.

Lapeña, J. (2011). José Protacio Rizal (1861–1896): Physician and Philippine national hero.
Singapore Med J, 52(6), 390-393. Retrieved from
https://apamedcentral.org/Synapse/Data/PDFData/0022SMJ/smj-52-390.pdf N. (n.d.).

Montiel, C., Rodil, R. B., & De Guzman, J. M. (2012). The Moro Struggle and the
Challenge to Peace-building. In Handbook of ethnic conflict: International
perspectives (pp. 71-92).

Museo ni Juan at Antonio Luna. Retrieved from http://nhcp.gov.ph/museums/juan-luna-

shrine/U.S. Senate. (n.d.).

A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THESENATE HONORING THE

SACRIFICE OF MACARIO SAKAY AND ALL OTHER FILIPINOS WHO GAVE UP
THEIR LIVES IN THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR FOR OUR FREEDOM (F. N.
Pangilinan & A.
Pimentel Jr., Authors) [S. Res. 623 from 14th Congress of the Philippine Republic
Cong., 2nd sess.].Vicente Y. Sotto. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/vicente_sotto.htm