GE 2

Readings
the in
Philippine
History

MODULE 2
Prepared by:

RONA JANE R. SANCHEZ

, LPT
GE1 INSTRUCTOR

HISTORY: DEFINITION, ISSUES, SOURCES,

LESSON
2 AND METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces history as a discipline and as a narrative. It presents the definition of the
history, which transcends the common definition of history as the study of the past. This chapter also
discusses several issues in history that consequently opens up for the theoretical aspects of the discipline.
The distinction between the primary and the secondary sources is also discussed in relation to the
historical subject matter being studied and the historical methodology employed by the historian.
Ultimately, this chapter also tackles the task of the historian as the arbiter of facts and evidences in making
his interpretation and forming historical narrative.

History has always been known as the study of the past. As a students of general education often
dreaded the subject for its notoriety in requiring you to memorize, dates, places, names, and events from
distant eras. This low appreciation of the discipline may be rooted from the shallow understanding of
history’s relevance to their lives and to their respective contexts. While the popular definition of history as
the study of the past is not wrong, it does not give justice to the complexity of this subject and its
importance to human civilization.

For you students, it is high time you do away with the misconception that history is a boring field
of study. You may have been victims of the stereotypes appropriated to history as it has been taught in the
classroom for centuries. Realize that by studying history, we situate ourselves in the story of the nation, a
necessary endeavor to be able to know more about our identity and find out how we can help solve the
problems of today and move forward to the future.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• explain the meaning of history as an academic discipline and to be familiar with the underlying
philosophy and methodology of the discipline;
• apply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and analyzing
existing historical narratives; and
• critically examine and assess the value of historical evidences and sources.

CONCEPT NOTES

History is about life in the past and tells us about the people who lived in a different time.
When we study history we can find out about the lives of ordinary people and famous people. We
find out about what their clothes were like and about the kind of homes, food, tools and technology
they had. History also tells us about battles, wars and famines that happened in the past.

HISTORIANS

People who study history have to look for clues about life long ago. They are called
historians. Historians ask questions and try to find evidence about life in the past. They examine the
past by searching for clues in the writings and pictures that they find, and in other things like
clothing, tools and ornaments that still remain today. All these clues or pieces of evidence have to be
interpreted and explained and then recorded. Sometimes there is little evidence left behind and this
can make it difficult to understand the past.

HISTORICAL SOURCES

Sources that includes documents, artifacts, archaeological sites, features, oral transmissions,
stone inscriptions, paintings, recorded sounds, images (photographs, motion pictures), and oral
history. Even ancient relics and ruins, broadly speaking, are historical sources.

1. Primary sources, resources produced at the same time as the event, period or subject being
studied.

A primary source provides direct or first-hand evidence about an event, object,

person, or work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness
accounts, and results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and
video recordings, speeches, and art objects. Interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and Internet
communications via email, blogs, and newsgroups are also primary sources.

Some examples of primary sources:

• archives and manuscript material

• photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, films
• journals, letters and diaries
• speeches
• scrapbooks
• published books, newspapers and magazine clippings published at the time
• government publications
• oral histories
• records of organizations
• autobiographies and memoirs
• printed ephemera
• artifacts, e.g. clothing, costumes, furniture
• research data, e.g. public opinion polls

For example, if a historian wishes to study the Commenwealth Constitution Convention

of 1935, his primary sources can include the minutes of the convention, newspaper clippings,
Philippine Commission reports of the US Commissioners, records of the convention, the draft
of the Constitution, and even photographs of the event. Eyewitness accounts of convention
delegates and their memoirs can also be used as primary sources. The same goes with other
subjects of historical study. Archival documents, artifacts, memorabilia, letters, census, and
government records, among others are the most common examples of primary sources.
 2. Secondary sources are those sources which were produced by an author who used primarly
sources to produce the material. In other words, secondary sources are historical sources which
studied a certain historical subject.

Examples of secondary sources include:

• journal articles that comment on or analyse research

• textbooks
• dictionaries and encyclopaedias
• books that interpret, analyse
• political commentary
• biographies
• dissertations
• newspaper editorial/opinion pieces
• criticism of literature, art works or music

For example, on the subject of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, students can read
Teodoro Agoncillo’s Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan
published originally in 1956. The Philippine Revolution happened in the last years of the 19 th
century while Agoncillo published his work 1956, which makes the Revolt of the used
primary sources with his research like documents of the Katipunan, interview with the
veterans of the revolution, and correspondence between and among Katipuneros.

3. Tertiary Sources of information are based on a collection of primary and secondary sources.

Examples of tertiary sources include:

• textbooks (sometimes considered as secondary sources)

• dictionaries and encyclopedias
• manuals, guidebooks, directories, almanacs
• indexes and bibliographies
INTERNAL CRITICISM AND EXTERNAL CRITICISM

Using primary sources in historical research entails two kinds of criticism. The first one is
EXTERNAL CRITICISM and the second is INTERNAL CRITICISM.

1. EXTERNAL CRITICISM

- the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining its physical

characteristics; consistency with the historical characteristics of the time when it was
produced; and the materials used for the evidence

- examples of the things that will be examined when conducting, external criticism of a
document include the quality of the paper, the type of ink, and the language and the words
used in the material among others
 2. INTERNAL CRITICISM

- looks at content of the source and examine the circumstances of its production

- looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidences by looking at the author of the source,
its context, the agenda behind its creation, the knowledge which informed it, and its intended
purpose

- entails that the historian acknowledge and analyze how such reports can be manipulated to be
used as a war propaganda

- validating historical sources is important because the use of unverified, falsified, and
untruthful historical sources can lead to equally false conclusions

TASK: Let’s Check Your Knowledge!

A. Answer the following questions.

1. How important is history for you? Explain your answer.

History is important to study because it helps us all understand ourselves and the world
around us. Every field and topic has a history, from medicine to music to art. Knowing and
understanding history is absolutely necessary, even if the results are not as visible and
immediate.

All people and cultures are living histories. The languages we speak are inherited from
the past. Our cultures, traditions, and religions have all been handed down from
generation to generation. We even get our genetic make-up from those who came before
us. Knowing these connections gives us a basic understanding of the human condition.

History can be a lot of fun to learn about. We have a plethora of films about our past to
prove it. Pirates, treasure, mysteries, and adventures are among the most interesting and
fascinating stories ever told in history. New stories from the past emerge into the
mainstream on a regular basis. Even better, each topic and field has a history. Whatever
piques your interest, there is a history to back it up. Dive a little deeper into the history of
any topic and you might be surprised at what you find.

History can help you develop your skills and transform you into a better version of
yourself as a citizen, student, and person in general.

B. True or False. Write true if the statement is correct. Otherwise, write false.

1. History is the study of the past. True

 2. Historical sources that were not written should not be used in writing history. True
3. The subject of historiography is history itself. True
4. History has no use for the present, thus, the saying “past is past” is true. False
5. History is limited to the story of a hero versus a villain. False
6. Only primary sources may be used in writing history. False
7. There are three types of sources; primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. True
8. External criticism is done by examining the physical characteristics of source. True
9. Internal criticism is done by looking at a source’s quality of paper and type of ink, among
others. True
10. The historians are the only source of history. True

C. Read the following scenarios and classify the sources discovered as PRIMARY, SECONDARY,
or TERTIARY sources. Write your answer on the space provided.

1. Jose was exploring the library in his new school in Manila. He wanted to study the
history of Calamba, Laguna during the nineteenth century. In one of the books, he saw an
old photograph of a woman standing in front of an old church, clipped among the pages.
At the back of the photo was a fine inscription that says: “Kalamba, 19 de Junio 1861.”

Is the photograph a primary, secondary, or tertiary source? Primary Source

2. It was Lean’s first day in his first year of college in a big university. His excitement made
him come to class unusually and he found their classroom empty. He explored the
classroom and sat at the teacher’s table. He looked at the table drawer and saw a book
entitled U.G An Underground Tale: The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter
Storm Generation. He started reading the book and realized that it was a biography of a
student leader turned political activist during the time of Ferdinand Marcos. The author
used interview with friends and family of Jopson, and other primary documents related to
his works and life.

Is the book a primary, secondary l, or a tertiary source? Secondary Source

3. Lorena was a new teacher of Araling Pqnlipunqn in a small elementary school in

Mauban, Quezon. Her colleagues gave her the new textbook that she ought you use in
class. Before the class started, Lorena studied the textbook carefully. She noted that the
authors used works by other known historians in writing the textbook. She saw that the
bibliography included Teodoro Agoncillo’s The Revolt of the Masses and The Fateful
Years: Japan’s Adventure in the Philippines, 1941-45. She also saw that the authors used
Ma. Luisa Camagay’s Working Women of Manila During the 19 th Century and many
others.

Is the textbook a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source? Secondary Source

4. Manuel visited the United States for a few months to see his relatives who have lived
there for decades. His uncle brought him on tours around Illinois. Manuel visited the
Field Museum of Natural History where a golden image of a woman caught his eye.
Manuel looked closer and read that the image was called “The Golden Tara.” It
originated from Agusan del Sur and was bought by the museum in 1922. It was believed
to be made prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines.
 Is the sculpture a primary, secondary, or a tertiary source? Primary Source

5. Gregoria loved to travel around the country. She liked bringing with her a travel brochure
that informs her of the different sites worth visiting in the area. Her travel brochure was
usually produced by the tourism department of the province. It shows pictures of
destinations visited by tourist and a few basic information about the place, and some
other information acquired by the office’s researchers and writers.
Is the travel brochure a primary, secondary or a tertiary source? Tertiary Source

References:

Carr, E. (1991). What is History. London, United Kingdom: Penguin.

Lemon, M. (1995). The Discipline of History and the History of thought. New York, United Ststes
of America: Routledge.

Madison,W. Primary,Secondary, Tertiary Sources. Retrieved from

https://lacitycollege.libguides.com/primarysecondary

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Janet_Toland/publication/279943052/figure/fig1/AS:2844
90820 800514@1444839305363/Internal-and-External-Criticism-from-Neuman-2003-p421.png

IDENTIFYING REPRESENTATIVE TEXTS 3

FROM THE REGIONS
LESSON
 The country’s rich repertoire of literary masterpieces may be rooted in the diverse cultural heritage

of the Filipino people. They have produced varied texts because of differences. The mighty roar of the

North and the fiery temperament of the South blended well. The Filipinos speak of the collective

experiences from the people who have gone through difficulties, triumphs, struggles, successes, armed

conflicts, bloodless revolutions, and others. It is the reason why these masterpieces resonated loud and

clear in the Philippine archipelago.

WHAT’S IN

1. What are the different Literary Periods in Philippine Literature?

The different literary periods in Philippine literature include the pre-colonial period, the
Spanish colonial era, the American colonial era and the contemporary period.

2. What are the basic elements of the literary pieces under the Japanese Regime? American
Period? Spanish Period?

The basic elements of Philippine literary works during the Japanese regime, which lasted
from 1941 to 1945, are as follows:

 At the time, the major themes in Filipino poetry included nationalism, country, love,
faith, religion, arts, and life in barrios. In addition, three distinct poems emerged:
Haiku, Tanaga, and Karaniwang.

The basic elements of literary pieces during the American Period, which lasted from 1898
to 1944, were as follows:

 Language shift: The writers switched from Spanish, Tagalog, and various regional
dialects to American English.
 Change in themes: During this time, writers were influenced to write in accordance
with American themes and writing methods.

The basic elements of Philippine literary works during the Spanish regime were:

 The Filipino alphabets known as "Alibata" were replaced by the Roman Alphabet.
 European legends have been incorporated into Filipino songs and corridos.
 Folk songs grew in popularity.

3. What are changes in Literature during the 21st Century?

Another distinction of twenty-first-century literature is that modernists, as opposed to

traditional writers, write in free verse with no rhyme scheme or format. If you mean
traditional literature, ancient literature was primarily oral, didactic, and mythical, full of
romanticism and idealism.
.

CONCEPT NOTES
,<<

Imagery is a poetic element that tries to create a picture in the mind of the reader or a mental

image through the use of figural language. It represents objects, places, ideas, or even actions that appeal

to the senses of the readers.

ACTIVITY

Gabu by Carlos
A. Angeles

The battering restlessness of the sea

Insists a tidal fury upon the beach
At Gabu, and its pure consistency
Havos the wasteland hard within its reach.
Brutal the daylong bashing of its heart
Against the seascape where, for miles around,
Farther than sight itself, the rock- stones part
And drop into the elemental wound.
The waste of centuries is grey and dead
And neutral where the sea has beached its brine,
Where the spilt salt of its heart lies spread
Among the dark habiliments of Time.
The vital splendor misses. For here, here
At Gabu where the ageless tide recurs
All things forfeited are most loved and dear.
It is the sea pursues a habit of shores.

1. What image does the poem, Gabu, try to create?

The image that the poem, Gabu try to create is the representation of life, how life started
and how it ends.

2. Which word or group of words from the poem helps you form this image? Explain your answer.
The poem begins with a general attitude toward describing the devastation caused by the
"battering restlessness of the sea" in the first stanza. The sea, as we know it, is a popular
metaphor for life. However. It is depicted as something that "insists a tidal fury upon the
beach," with words like "sea" and "beach" denoting life, happiness, and a general tone of
positivity. When we think of the sea and the beach, we usually think of the beautiful
sunsets we see while we're peacefully reading a book or drinking wine with a loved one,
having meaningful conversations that take our minds off the harsh realities of life.
However, the poem completely contradicts all of those lovely thoughts about the sea and
the beach right from the start.

WHAT IS IT

A Taste of Philippine Poetry

Located in the northwest of Luzon, the Ilocos Region or Region 1 is comprised of four
provinces, namely: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan. It is bordered to the west
by the turbulent South China Sea, to the east by the Cordillera Administrative Region, the
northeast and southeast by Cagayan Valley and the South by Central Luzon. Most of the
inhabitants of the Ilocano homeland are concentrated along a narrow coastal plain. Because of
geographical boundaries, these people often experience heavy rains and violent typhoons,
especially during rainy seasons.
 The region, then, takes pride in long stretches of white sand and clear waters alongside its rich
cultural heritage. What you are about to read is a poem written by a Carlos Palanca Memorial
Awardee in Poetry in 1964, Carlos A. Angeles. His collection of poems entitled, Stun of Jewels,
also bagged him the Republic Cultural Heritage Award in Literature in the same year.

A Moment of Silence

Gabu depicts a coastline in Ilocos that is constantly experiencing the battering restlessness
of the sea. The water that comes back to the shore seems furious and ruthless with its daylong
bashing, which havocs the wasteland. Being an archipelagic country, the Philippines knows the
importance of water and the sea.

A Taste of Tagalog Essay

More popularly known now as the CALABARZON referring to the provinces of Cavite,
Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, Region IV-A is home to Tagalog- speaking people in the
Philippines. Recognized all over the country for their bravery and fearlessness in battles,
CALABARZON has participated actively in the country’s fight for freedom and democracy. It
is home to many Philippine heroes foremost, and among them are Rizal of Laguna, Mabini of
Batangas, and Aguinaldo of Cavite.

A Taste of Creative Nonfiction

The island of Visayas is one of the major geographical divisions in the Philippines, the
other two being Luzon and Mindanao. It is divided into Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas.
The Visayas region is comprised of several islands circling the Visayan Sea. Its people, therefore,
share a sea-based culture and tradition that may be rooted in a strong religious foundation.

The dwelling place of many festivals such as the Ati-Atihan, Di-nagyang, Sinulog,
Pintados, and Maskara, the Visayas may indeed be considered as one of the cradles of Philippine
civilization.
 ACTIVITY : Graphic Organizer

DIRECTIONS: Delve deeper into the poem Gabu by Carlos A. Angeles using the graphic organizer. You
may re-read the poem to get the details that would complete the organizer.

Title of the Text: Gabu

Author: Carlos A. Angeles

QUESTIONS RESPONSE

TOPIC The text is all about "Gabu" and its

representation of life. The poem discusses
What is the text all about? how life, like the sea, can be restless and
temporal, but that it also longs for calm,
permanence, and stability.
SITUATION The setting in referred or being described in
the text is the "Gabu," which depicts a
coastline in llocos Norte that is constantly
What is the setting referred to or described in battered by the sea's restlessness.
the text?
CLIENT The text was written for everyone who reads
it, so there are no specific target readers.
Who is the target group of readers of the text? Everyone has a unique set of skills, values,
beliefs, and attitudes because of a variety of
How would you describe the group in terms of factors, including the environment in which
skills, values, beliefs and attitudes? they live and their age experiences.

PURPOSE The text was written to demonstrate how life

Why was the text written? What does it hope to a never-ending cycle of roughness and
achieve especially among its client?
PERSONA
Who is the voice behind the text? What is
known about him or her?
resembles the sea. The poem follows the
relationship between the shore and the sea as
smoothness, similar to how life confronts the
never-ending cycle of problems, but was also
caress by the experiences brought about it
that makes life meaningful.
The text aims to inform everyone that, while
life is full of challenges, problems, and ups
and downs, just as the sea finds calm and
stability once it reaches the shore, so can we.
The voice behind the text is Carlos A.
Angeles.
Carlos A. Angeles is an awardee of Carlos
Palanca Memorial Award in Poetry in 1964. He
also bagged the Republic Cultural Heritage
Award in Literature in the same year for his
collection of poems entitled, Stun of Jewels.
 ACTIVITY : Reflect On Me

DIRECTION: Read and answer the questions.

Aug 2009 by SIGLIWA

Salubungin ang (Bagong) Daluyong ng mga Agos sa Disyerto

SA PANAHONG tila natutuyuan ang mga linang ng panitikan noong gitnang bahagi ng dekada
’60, dumaloy ang mga akda nina Efren R. Abueg, Dominador B. Mirasol, Rogelio L. Ordo-ñez,
Edgardo M. Reyes at Rogelio R. Sikat, sa aklat katipunang Mga Agos sa Disyerto.

Unang buhos ng daluyong ay noong 1964 at isang dekada ang lumipas, muling umalon at binasa
ang namimitak na lupain ng panitikang Filipino nang mailimbag ang ikalawang edisyon ng Mga
Agos sa Disyerto noong 1974.

Huling sargo ng daluyong ng Agos ay 16 na taon ang nakararaan, nang lumabas ang ikat-long
edisyon nito noong 1993.

Ngayon, sa panahong sampu isang pera ang patakbuhing literaturang patuloy na lumuluoy sa
diwa at kaluluwa ng mga Pilipino, muling nagbabanta ang pagbugso ng mga Agos sa Disyerto.

1. In what language was the text, Mga Agos sa Disyerto written? How does it affect to the message the text
is trying to convey?

The text Mga Agos sa Disyerto is written in Filipino Language. The message of the text
conveyed neatly depending on how the readers understand the meaning behind the text.
It’s not about the language being used rather it is how readers feel upon reading the text.

2. What did the text aim to accomplish?

To encourage people specifically students to be excited about literature.

AC
TIVITY : Theme’s Up

DIRECTION: Read the following text and answer the question.

Anger/ Resentment

CONCLUSION : WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

<

1. Imagery is a poetic element that tries to create a picture in the mind of the reader

or a mental image through the use of figurative language.

2. Gabu depicts a coastline in Ilocos that is constantly experiencing the battering restlessness of

the sea.

3. Panahon na muling Padaluyin ang Agos is a persuasive essay that focuses on the potent

capacity of a national language to arouse patriotism and love of country and its people.

4. The Dreamwaevers is a text written by a feminist Filipina who strongly promotes women’s

rights.
 CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF
LESSON SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES
4
IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

In this chapter, we are going to look at a number of primary sources from different historical

periods and evaluate these documents’ content in terms of historical value, and examine the context of

their production. The primary sources that are we going to examine are Antonio Pigafetta’s First Voyage

Around the World, Emilio Jacinto’s Karilya ng Katipunan, the 1898 Declaration of Philippine Cartoons:

Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941), and Corazon Aquino’s Speech Before the US

Congress. These primary sources range from chronicles, official documents, speeches, and cartoons to

visual arts. Needless to say; different types of sources necessitate different kinds of analysis and contain

different kinds of analysis and contain different levels of importance. We are going to explore that in this

chapter.

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• to familiarize oneself with the primary documents in different historical periods of the Philippines;

• to learn history through primary sources; and

• to properly interpret primary sources through looking at the content and context of the document.

What is Historical Interpretation?

Historical interpretation is the process by which we describe, analyze, evaluate, and create an
explanation of past events. We base our interpretation on primary [firsthand] and secondary [scholarly]
historical sources. We analyze the evidence, contexts, points of view, and frames of reference. Yes, it is a
complicated process, but historical thinking improves with practice. Interpretation might explore causality
(what made something happen), processes (revolutions, economic depressions), conflicts (social class,
race, gender), historical outcomes (effects of past events), or many more topics (creative thinking).

Historical Interpretation requires synthesizing (combining) a variety of evidence, primary and

secondary (critical thinking). Historical thinking involves the ability to arrive at meaningful and persuasive
understandings of the past by applying all the other historical thinking skills, by drawing appropriately on
ideas from different fields of inquiry or disciplines and by creatively fusing disparate, relevant (and
perhaps contradictory) evidence from primary sources and secondary works. Additionally, synthesis may
involve applying insights about the past to other historical contexts or circumstances, including the
present. These insights (secondary sources) may come from social science theories and perspectives and/or
the writings of other historians (historiography).

ANOTHER VIEW OF HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

ADAPTED FROM RICHARD DREW

Interpretations are in essence thoughtful efforts to represent and explain past events. Interpretations
include 3 vital elements:

1. Purposeful, thoughtful efforts--Interpretations are conscious reflections on the past,

not simply irrational spur-of-the-moment opinions. Take time to apply logic and
organization to your explanation of the past-not merely emote or react to the evidence.

2. Representations--Interpretations are efforts to give an audience an image or

description of the event/issue being focused on. We cannot recreate the past perfectly,
but we can try to represent faithfully how events transpired by ground our version in
the historical evidence.

3. Past events--Interpretations are the reflections of those of us studying the past, not of
the participants in those events. We refer to the collection representations of the past
done by historians as historiography. The views of participants from the past
constitute our primary sources or historical evidence. Without the process of reflection
removed from the event by time the creator of the view is inevitably partially
influenced by the impact the person/event had on them.

Put these 3 elements together, linking them to the historical evidence surrounding your
topic. The result will be a defensible, intelligible historical interpretation.

The KKK and the “Kartilya Ng Katipunan”

Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) or

Katipunan is ostensibly the most imperative association that shaped Philippine history. While
hostile to frontier developments, endeavors, and associations had just been built up hundreds of
years preceding the establishment of the Katipunan, it was just this association that imagined the
accompanying;

1. A united Filipino nation that would revolt against the Spaniards for the total independence
of the country from Spain.
 2. Previous armed revolts had already occurred before foundation of the Katipunan, but none
of them envisioned a unified Filipino nation revolting against colonizers.

Katipunan created a complex structure and a defined value system that would guide the organization
as a collection aspiring for single goal. One of the most important Katipunan documents was the Kartilya
ng Katipunan. The original title of the document was “Manga Aral Nang Katipunan.” The document was
written by Emilio Jacinto in the 1896. Jacinto was only 18 years old when he joined the movement. He
was a law student at the Universidad de Santo Tomas.

Despite his youth, Bonifacio recognized thevalue and intellect of Jacinto that upon seeing that
Jacinto’s Kartilya was much better than the Decalogue he wrote, he willingly favored that the Kartilya
be distributed to their fellow Katipuneros. Jacinto became the secretary of the organization and took
charge of the short-lived printing press of the Katipunan.

Bonifacio then formed an underground secret society through the use of secret codes and passwords
called the Katipunan in 1892. The Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
(Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation) provided the rallying point for the people’s
agitation for freedom, independence and equality.

Figure 1. Bonifacio Cry of Pugadlawin

The Katipunan patterned its initiation rites after the Freemasonry, which Bonifacio was a
Freemason. The organization had its own structure, law system, and system of government. Symbols,
crypto logic languages, clandestine rituals marked the Katipunan’s operations. From the society’s
inception, Bonifacio was one of the Chief Officers and in 1895, he became the Presidente Supremo.

Figure 2. Katipunan seal with Andres Bonifacio’s

The Katipunan rapidly developed in fame and by 1896 had in excess of 30,000
individuals. It was on this same year that the Spanish provincial experts found the presence of
the mystery society and were thinking about strides to destroy it. Bonifacio then again
together with his different individuals were arranging how best to rebel against the Spanish.

On August 23, 1896, Bonifacio and his kindred Katipuneros tore their cedulas (living
arrangement authentication) which was set apart as the noteworthy "Cry of Balintawak"
which really happened in Pugadlawin. Along these lines, it is additionally called "Sigaw
ng Pugadlawin".

This denoted the start of the Philippine unrest. Be that as it may, the Katipuneros endured
a noteworthy annihilation when they met the capability of the Spaniards. They understood
they gravely required weapons and ammo. Clearly the underlying clashes of the Katipunan
were strategic botches.

The Katipunan Organizational Structure

The commanding structure of the Katipunan involved three positions of enrollment, with
new individuals beginning as "katipon", at that point climbing to "kawal" and in the end to
"bayani." Members were to pay an extra charge of one genuine fuerte, a unit of money
equivalent to 1/8 of a silver genuine peso, and month to month duty and different expenses paid
only to the Benefit Fund and gathered at each session or meeting.

KATIPON (Member)

OUTFIT:
Black hood, with a triangle of white
ribbons, inside of which were the letters
Z.LI. B.

PASSWORD: Anak ng Bayan

MONTHLY DUES:
One real fuerte (old money), or 1.5 centimos, or 20 cuartos

May be promoted to Kawal upon recruiting several new members.

KAWAL (Soldier) OUTFIT:

1. Green hood, with a triangle of white lines. At

the three angles were the letters Z. LI. B.
 2. Suspended from the neck was a green ribbon with a medal, with the letter K in the
ancient Tagalog script inscribed in the middle.

PASSWORD: Gom-Bur-Za

MONTLY DUES: Twenty centavos

May be promoted to Bayani upon becoming an officer.

BAYANI (Patriot)

OUTFIT:

1. Red mask with white triangle, inside of which was the following: K.K.K.Z.LI.B.

2. Red sash with green borders.

PASSWORD: Rizal

MONTLY DUES:

Two real Fuertes (old money), or 25 cintimos, or 40 cuartos

 MGA ARAL NG KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN
(The Katipunan Code of Conduct)

• The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without a shade, if
not a poisonous weed.

• To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue. o It is rational to be
charitable and love one's fellow creature, and to adjust one's conduct, acts and words to what
is in itself reasonable.

• Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in knowledge, wealth
and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by nature.

• The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor.

• To the honorable man, his word is sacred.

• Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost.

• Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field. o The prudent
man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.

• On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman (“parents”) and the children, and if the
guide leads to the precipice, those whom he guides will also go there.

• Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful companion who will
share with thee the penalties of life; her (physical) weakness will increase thy interest in her
and she will remind thee of the mother who bore thee and reared thee.

• What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers and sisters, that do not unto
the wife, children, brothers and sisters of thy neighbor.

• Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is aquiline, and his color white,
not because he is a priest, a servant of God, nor because of the high prerogative that he enjoys
upon earth, but he is worth most who is a man of proven and real value, who does good,
keeps his words, is worthy and honest; he who does not oppress nor consent to being
oppressed, he who loves and cherishes his fatherland, though he be born in the wilderness and
know no tongue but his own.

• When these rules of conduct shall be known to all, the longed-for sun of Liberty shall rise
brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe and its rays shall diffuse everlasting joy
among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the lives of those who have gone before,
the fatigues and the well-paid sufferings will remain. If he who desires to enter (the
Katipunan) has informed himself of all this and believes he will be able to perform what will
be his duties, he may fill out the application for admission.
 Figure 3. Katipunan Flag

The Proclamation of the Philippine Independence

The Philippine Declaration of independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II
el Viejo (present-day Kawit, Cavite), Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the
Declaration of independence (Spanish: Acta de la proclamación de independencia del pueblo
Filipino), Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the
sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain.

The Proclamation on June 12

Independence was declared on June 12, 1898 around four and five in the evening in Cavite at
the ancestral home of General Emilio Aguinaldo somewhere in the range of 30 kilometers South
of Manila.

The occasion saw the spreading out of the National Flag of the Philippines, made in Hong
Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, and Delfina Herboza, and the execution of the
Marcha Filipina Magdalo,as the national song of praise, now known as Lupang Hinirang, which
was formed by Julián Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon marching band.

The Act of the Declaration of Independence was organized, written, and read by Ambrosio
Rianzares Bautista in Spanish. The Declaration was signed by ninety-eight people, among them
an American army officer who witnessed the proclamation. The last passage expresses that there
was a "stranger" (stranger in English translation — extrangero in the original Spanish, meaning
foreigner) who joined the proceedings, Mr. L. M. Johnson, described as "a citizen of the U.S.A, a
Coronel of Artillery". The proclamation of Philippine independence was, however, propagated
on 1 August, when many towns had already been organized under the rules laid down by the
Dictatorial Government of General Aguinaldo] Later at Malolos, Bulacan, the Malolos Congress
modified the declaration upon the determination of Apolinario Mabini who objected to that the
original proclamation fundamentally placed the Philippines under the protection of the United
States.
 Figure 4. Philippine Flag

ACTIVITY: Let’s Make It!

DIRECTIONS: Identify a primary source in Philippine history from the examples provided in
this chapter. Write a short essay discussing the following:

• Importance of the text

• Background of the text’s author
• Context of the document, and
• The text’s contribution to understanding Philippine history.

References

Antonio, Eleonor D., Dallo, Evangeline M. at et al... ; 2010; Kayamanan (kasaysayan

ng Pilipinas); Sampaloc, Manila; Rex Book Store, Inc.

Agoncillo, Teodoro A.; 2010; Philippine History; South Triangle, Quezon City; C & E Publishing,
Inc. 3.
Candelaria, John Lee P., Alporha, Veronica C: Reading in Philipiine History; Sampaloc Manila:
REX Bokk Store, Inc.