1. In your own words, discuss the content of Antonia Morga’s Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas.

Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas has long been regarded as a valuable work. It was first
published in Mexico in 1609, and it has been re-edited multiple times since then. It offers a firsthand
description of the early Spanish colonial venture into Asia. It was believed that the original book
contains a true description of the Filipinos' true identity, which has never been told before in Philippine
history. In the 5th to 11th centuries, the Philippines had a well-established monarchy known as
Maharlika, but it was colonized by the Spaniards for more than 330 years. Rizal annotated this book
because it was rare and straightforward, and he believed Morga was a more objective author than the
other religious writers.

Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas has 8 chapters. The first chapter talks about Magellan's and Legazpi's
seminal expeditions. The 2nd chapter through the 7th chapter was all about the chronological report on
the government administration under various Governors-General. Morga interrogated survivors of
Legazpi's mission in Manila in the eighth chapter and also the last chapter, which is a general "account of
the Philippine Islands, the natives there, their antiquity, customs, and government, both during their
paganism and after their conquest by the Spaniards. in addition to this information about the content of
the book, Morga describes the Philippines as empty and inhabited, but it was contrasted by Rizal
because he believes that the Philippines is not deserted and that it has been livable since before the
Spaniards arrived because there are people who lived and came first in the island. Morga also mentions
in his book that Filipinos eat beef and fish after it has begun to root and stink. On the other side, Rizal
believes that Spaniards, like any other nation, regard cuisine that they are unfamiliar with disdain. He
emphasized that the fish mentioned by Morga is bagoong, which is salted and fermented.

In conclusion, Morgas' book Sucesos De las Islas Filipinas aims to convey knowledge about the
Philippines to European readers. The book also features Filipino customs, traditions, etiquette, and
religion as witnessed by the author during the Spanish colonial period. Compare with other books
written by the Spanish it has also a piece of misleading information and bias about the Philippines and
the Filipinos. Rizal tried to annotate it by giving a short explanation or by adding a note to the text or
image. Rizal wants to seek the truth about the Philippines and try to correct others most especially
Spaniards that the Philippines are economically self-sufficient and prosperous and it has a rich tradition
and culture.