RPH

Module 1: Basic Concepts, Importance, and Ways in Understanding History

A Fundamentals in Understanding History

History

● “record of the past” or “record of the human past from time written records
began to appear”

● “reconstruction of the past, the study of events concerning people in the past” or
“interpretative and imaginative study of surviving records of the past, either
written or unwritten, in order to determine the meaning and scope of human
existence” is the modern definition of history (Funtecha & Padilla, 2010).
● the traditional definition implies “no record, no history”
● The words reconstruction, interpretation and imagination (a scientific
imagination based on evidence, not on anything that any person imagines) had
been included in the definition to provide wider meaning and scope in the study
of the human past.

Historia

● A Greek word that originally meant inquiry, the act of seeking knowledge,
as well as, the knowledge that results from inquiry (Gottschalk, 1950).
 2

● It means that not all that was told is historical unless it was carefully
studied and investigated and supported by facts and evidence.

Importance of History (Funtecha & Padilla, 2010)

● Bridging the gap between the present and the past;

● Explaining the causes of things and events;

● Projecting the future;

● Interpreting condition of a given space and time;

● Promoting nationalism and patriotism

Sources of History

● Different sources of information are required to gain extensive knowledge on a

particular topic (Asuncion & Cruz, 2019)

Historical sources

● at their most basic level, these are something that tells us about history.
● It may be a document, a picture, a sound recording, a book, a cinema film, a
television program or an object (Rank, S.M. 2020).

Source

● according to Gottschalk (1950), is anything or anyone that tells us about history

ranging from eyewitnesses, memoirs to artifacts.

Division of Historical Sources

1. Primary Sources
 3

● include documents or artifacts created by a witness to or participant in an

event.
● They can be first-hand testimony or evidence created during the time
period that you are studying.
● Examples include diaries, letters, interviews, oral histories, photographs,
government documents, etc.
2. Secondary Sources
● refer to the testimony of anyone who is not an eyewitness – that is, of
one who was not present at the event of which he tells (Gottschalk,
1950).
● These are books, articles, and scholarly journals that had interpreted the
primary sources or had used them to discuss certain subjects of history
(Torres, 2018).
3. Tertiary Sources
● compilation of secondary sources and/or primary sources.
● Examples of tertiary sources are encyclopedia, almanacs, dictionary, etc.

Conspiracy

● Generally, there is no history if there is no source and, if there is so called

“history” without a source or with a “source” but not a legitimate source, it is
what we call “Conspiracy”
● To avoid deception and to arrive with the historical truth, it is important to
thoroughly examine these stories (Candelaria & Alphora, 2018).

It was suggested by Candelaria & Alphora (2018) that source should undergo internal
and external criticism, especially the primary source.
 4

Source Criticism and Contextual Analysis

(Candelaria & Alphora , 2018)

External Criticism

● is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining the

following:
○ 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 to be examined when conducting external criticism of a
document are:
○ the quality of the paper,
○ the type of ink,
○ and the language and words used in the material, among others.

Internal Criticism

● the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence (provenance for

Gottschalk).
● It looks at the content of the source and examines the circumstance of its
production.
● looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the:
○ author of the source
○ its context
○ the agenda behind its creation
○ the knowledge which informed it
○ intended purpose, among others (Candelaria & Alphora, 2018).
 5

Context Analysis (Torres, 2018)

● considers the time and place the historical documents were written, as well as,
the situation or the circumstances during that time.
● Works pertaining to events in the past are analyzed by also taking into account
the author of the document, person’s biographical background, role in the event,
and the intent for writing the document.

The two other questions to consider when doing context analysis are as follows:

(1) How authoritative is the account/source?

(2) How is it relevant today?

Historian

● The task of the historian is to look at the available historical sources and select
the most relevant and meaningful subject matter for study.
● It is the historian’s job to seek for the meaning of recovering the past to let the
people see the continuing relevance of provenance, memory, remembering and
historical understanding for both the present and the future (Candelaria &
Alphora , 2018)

Module 2: Analysis of Historical Events

The Philippine Revolution

Guillermo Masangkay (Torres, 2018)

● a friend and fellow Katipuneros of Andres Bonifacio

● In 1932, he recounted his experiences as a member of the revolutionary
movement.
 6

● He said that the First Cry happened in Balintawak on August 26, 1896, in an
interview with the Sunday Tribune magazine

On His Account:

● A big meeting was held in Balintawak on August 26 at the house of Apolonio

Samson, then the cabeza of that barrio of Caloocan.
● He could remember that Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Aguedo del Rosario, Tomas
Remigio, Briccio Pantas, Teodoro Plata, Pio Valenzuela, Enrique Pacheco and
Francisco Carreon were among those who attended. They were all leaders of the
Katipunan and composed the board of directors of the organization.
● Delegates from Bulacan, Cabanatuan, Cavite, and Morong (now Rizal) were also
present.
● At about nine o’clock in the morning of August 26, the meeting was opened with
Andres Bonifacio presiding and Emilio Jacinto acting as Secretary with a purpose
to discuss when the uprising was to take place.
● Teodoro Plata, Briccio Pantas, and Pio Valenzuela were all opposed to starting
the revolution too early, reasoning that the people would be in distress if the
revolution were started without adequate preparation.
● Plata was very forceful in his argument, stating that the uprising could not very
well be started without arms and food for the soldiers and Valenzuela used
Rizal’s argument about the rich not siding with the Katipunan Organization.
● Andres Bonifacio, sensing that he would lose in the discussion then left the
session hall and talked to the people who were waiting outside for the result of
the meeting of the leaders.
● He told the people that the leaders were arguing against starting the revolution
early, and appealed to them in a fiery-speech to which he was able to convince
the people to revolt.
● Bonifacio then asked the people to give a pledge that they were to revolt by
destroying their cedulas, the sign of slavery of the Filipinos. All of them pledged.
● When the people’s pledge was obtained by Bonifacio, he returned to the session
hall and informed the leaders of what took place outside.
 7

● Hundreds will be shot if the uprising is not to start, so there was no alternative.
The board of directors, in spite of the protest of Plata, Pantas, and Valenzuela,
voted for the revolution.
● And when this was decided, the people outside shouted, “Long Live the
Philippines Republic.”

Teodoro Agoncillo

● a nationally renowned historian

● published an article stating that the first cry of the revolution happened in Pugad
Lawin on August 23, 1896 in 1956.
● He based the dates and location on the account of Dr. Pio Valenzuela who is an
officer of the Katipunan and both an eyewitness and participant in the said
event.

The Article

● The news of the discovery of the Katipunan spread throughout Manila and the
Suburbs.
● Bonifacio, informed of the discovery, secretly instructed his runners to summon
all the leaders of the society to a general assembly to be held on August 24.
They were to meet at Balintawak to discuss the steps to be taken to meet the
crisis.
● That same night of August 19, Bonifacio, accompanied by his brother Procopio,
Emilio Jacinto, Teodoro Plata, and Aguedo Del Rosario, slipped through the
cordon of Spanish sentries and reached Balintawak before midnight.
● Pio Valenzuela followed them on the next day.
● On the 21st Bonifacio changed the Katipunan code because the Spanish
authorities had already deciphered it.
● In the afternoon of the same day, the rebels, numbering about 500, left
Balintawak for Kangkong, where Apolonio Samson, a Katipunero, gave them food
and shelter.
● In the afternoon of August 22, they proceeded to Pugadlawin.
 8

● The following day, in the yard of Juan A. Ramos, the son of Melchora Aquino who
was later called the “Mother of the Katipunan''.
● Bonifacio asked his men whether they were prepared to fight to the bitter end.
● Despite the objection of his brother-in-law, Teodoro Plata, all assembled agreed
to fight to the last.
● “That being the case,” Bonifacio said, “bring out your cedulas and tear them to
pieces to symbolize our determination to take up arms!”
● The men obediently tore up their cedulas, shouting: “Long live the Philippines!”
● This event marked the so-called “Cry of Balintawak,” which actually happened in
Pugad Lawin

The Tejeros Convention

Artemio Ricarte’s Account

● Early on the morning of March 22, men of the day set for the assembly not only
the chiefs of the Magdiwang but also men of the Magdalo. Among the chiefs of
the Magdiwang apart from the Supremo of the Katipunan, were the following:
Mariano, Pascual and Santiago Alvarez; Luciano San Miguel, Mariano Trias
Closas; Severino de las Alas and Santos Nocon. Among those of Magdalo were
Baldomero Aguinaldo, Daniel Tirona, Cayetano Topacio, and Antonio Montenegro.
● The Session opened under the presidency of Jacinto Lumbreras who, in a few
words, explained the purpose of the meeting, Severino de las Alas rose to
address those present and said that before discussing the defense of a small
piece of territory in Cavite, it would be well to consider first the kind of
government then existing in the country, as upon that government would depend
whatever defense might be needed. The chairman replied that from the time the
Katipunan was established the country had been ruled by the Supreme Council,
the provincial and popular councils. He repeated that the purpose for which the
assembly had been called was one of great importance in those critical times,
Andres Bonifacio, with permission of the chair, spoke in support of Lumbreras
and his stand in regard to the government and went to explain the significance
 9

of the letter “K” in the center of the sun of the flag, which stands for liberty, as
has already been said in the description of the insurgent flag. Severino de las
Alas again addressed the meeting and said that neither the letter “K” on the flag,
nor the flag itself, has anything to do with the character of the government then
existing that is to say, whether it was a monarchy or a republic. Bonifacio replied
that the Katipuneros, from the president of the Supreme Council to the most
significant members, recognized the principles of Union, Fraternity, and Equality,
on which account it was the very clear that the government of the Katipunan was
rigorously republican in form.
● Antonio Montenegro rose and spoke in support of the De las Alas suggestion and
in a louder voice than usual said that unless some definite understanding was
arrived at regarding the matter, the insurgents were mere groups of tulisanes, or,
much worse, brutes.
● These last words of Antonio Montenegro wounded the pride of Santiago Alvarez,
who rose with glaring eyes and, addressing Montenegro, said: “We insurgents of
Cavite and especially of the Magdiwang Government recognized and obey the
government established by the Katipunan; if you wish to establish any other kind
of government suited to your fancy, retire to your province and conquer territory
from the Spanish government as we have done here, and establish there
whatever government you like, and no one will interfere with you…”
● The session broke up in disorder, but one hour later, when the passion of the
adherents of Santiago Alvarez and Antonio Montenegro had been pacified, it
convened against under the presidency of Andres Bonifacio because Jacinto
Lumbreras said that inasmuch as they were discussing a subject which was
provided for in the call for the meeting, but which concerned the establishment
of a general government for the insurrection, he ought not to preside at the
continuation of the meeting. Then Andres Bonifacio was chosen by the
acclamation to be the president of the meeting.
● Order being restored, Bonifacio opened the session: As you wish to establish a
supreme government to direct the insurrection, abolishing that already organized
by the Katipunan and agreed upon in the Imus Assembly.
 10

● I, as Supremo of the Supreme Council of the Katipuan, agree to your just

petitions; but I must first invite you all to join us in recognizing a principle upon
which we must based our decisions in this or in any other session; this principle
is that we respect and obey in everything the vote or decision of the majority.”
Those present signified their unanimous conformity and the Philippine Republic
was agreed upon and proclaimed amid repeated and enthusiastic applause. They
then proceeded to the election of the following officers of the Republic:
President, Vice-President, Captain General, and Directors of War, Interior, State,
Finance, Commerce and Justice….
● Ballots were then distributed and one hour later the votes were counted. As a
result of this vote, Emilio Aguinaldo was elected President of the Republic
defeating Andreas Bonifacio and Mariano Trias. The result was proclaimed amidst
applause.
● They then proceeded to the election of a Vice-President, Severino de las Alas
remarked that inasmuch as Andres Bonifacio had secured the second largest
number of votes in the election for President, he should be proclaimed Vice
President. No one expressed a wish to speak in favor or against the suggestion
of De las Alas, wherefore the chairman ordered that the election be proceeded
with, and this being done it resulted in a majority of votes being cast for Mariano
Trias Closas as against Andres Bonifacio, Severino de las Alas, and Mariano
Alvarez.
● They then immediately proceeded to the election of a Captain-General. The
secretary of this session, Artemio Ricarte, was elected by a large majority over
Santiago Alavarez. Ricarte rose and protested against his own election… Those
present disapproved of the protest viva voce, and the chairman called the
meeting to order saying that as night was falling, it was advisable to continue the
election for the other position. It was unanimously proposed and approved that,
to cut short the voting, those who favored any person for a position should stand
on one side, and those who favored other person should stand on the other side
in groups, and in that way, they vote for a Director of War, Emiliano Reigo de
Dios…
 11

● The election of a Minister of the Interior proceeded in the same way, with the
result that Andres Bonifacio was elected… In the midst of the acclamation that
was accorded Andres Bonifacio, Daniel Tirona demanded the floor and said:
“Fellow countrymen: The position of Minister of Interior is a very important one
and should not be occupied by a person who is not a lawyer. We have in our
province a lawyer Jose del Rosario; hence we must protest against the election
of the person elected and acclaimed.” Thee, shouting at the top of his voice, he
cried: “Let us vote for Jose del Rosario, the lawyer!”
● Bonifacio’s pride being wounded, he rose and spoke thus: “Have we not agreed
that we shall obey the will of the majority, whatever might be the social position
of the person elected?” Having said this, he asked Daniel Tirona to repeat what
he had said, or to apologize to the assembly for the insult offered to the person
elected, because up to that time not one of these elected was fitted by reason of
his culture for the position to which he had been designated. As Tirona tried to
hide himself among the crowd, without paying attention to what Bonifacio
demanded of him, the latter drew his revolver and was about to fire at Tirona,
but secretary of the session (Ricarte) seized his hand and the incident passed
without more ado. As those present were about to leave the room, Bonifacio said
in a loud voice: “I, as a president of the session, and also as president of the
supreme council of the Katipunan as you all know, declare this assembly closed,
and annul everything that has been done therein.” He then left, followed by his
adherents.

Teodoro Agoncillo’s Description

● As months passed by and as the rebels found themselves on the receiving end of
the armed power with the Spaniards, their leaders thought it timely and wise to
call another meeting of both factions in order to solve their internal problem.
Consequently, on March 22, 1897, the two factions again met at Tejeros, a barrio
of San Francisco de Malabon. The convention was held at the estate-house of
the friars which the rebels had captured earlier.
 12

● The session opened at about two o’clock in the afternoon with Jacinto
Lumbreras, a Magdiwang, as president officer, and Teodoro Gonzales, Madiwang,
as secretary. Severino de las Alas, a Magdiwang, took the floor and suggested
that the convention assembled should solve the problem of whether anew
government should be established to take the place for the Katipunan. This
suggestion led to one heated argument after another until both camps almost
came to blows. Lumbreras sensed the seriousness of the situation and
immediately called for a recess to cool off the hotheads. After an hour, the
session resumed with Bonifacio as chairman. To resolve the issue, he prudently
acceded to the wish of some that a new government be established to replace
the Katipunan. However, he stated, the principle that the will of the majority
should be respected and obeyed must be followed. The convention adopted this
principle unanimously.
● With this thorny question resolved, the Republic of the Philippines was
proclaimed. Before the election, Bonifacio reminded the convention that whoever
should get elected to any position should be respected. This proposal was
approved and the election got underway. Elected were:

Emilio Aguinaldo ……………………………………………….. President

Mariano Trias ………………………………………………….…. Vice-President

Artemio Ricarte ………………………………………………….. Captain-General

Emiliano Reigo de Dios………………………………………… Director of War

Andress Bonifacio ……………………………………………….. Director of the Interior

● When Bonifacio was being proclaimed, Daniel Tirona, a Magdalo, stood up and
said: “The position of Director of the Interior is an exalted one and it is not
proper that a person without a lawyer's diploma should occupy it. We have in our
province a lawyer, Jose Del Rosario!” Bonifacio was hurt and felt that he was
 13

insulted, for it had been previously agreed that whoever got elected was to be
respected. He demanded, therefore, that Daniel Tirona retract what he said. But
Tirona, instead of apologizing to Bonifacio, disappears from the scene. Bonifacio
in his anger whipped his pistol and was about to fire at Tirona when Ricarte held
his arm, thus preventing what might have been a tragic affair. The people began
to leave the hall, and Bonifacio, still angry, cried aloud: “I, as chairman of this
assembly, and as President of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan, as all of
you do not deny, declare this assembly dissolved, and I annul all that has been
approved and resolved.” With this statement, he left the hall, followed by his
men.

Module 3: Gray Area in Philippine History

The Death of Juan Luna

● continues to be a controversy in Philippine History.

● The unending debate on the role of Emilio Aguinaldo in the assassination of Luna
is still a grey area in the Philippines history.
● This is, despite of the evidences such as:
○ the “claim of self-defense” of Captain Janolino of Kawit Company
○ gossips against Luna’s intention of overthrowing the Aguinaldo’s
government
○ the role of his Mother “Trinidad Aguinaldo” saying “Nagalaw pa ba ‘yan?”
from the testimonies of eyewitness in Cabanatuan
● Recently, additional evidence had been recovered of the lost telegram of Emilio
Aguinaldo summoning Luna to attend the formation of the new Cabinet which
makes the narrative of historians correct that Aguinaldo did really summoned
Luna to Cabanatuan.
 14

Death of Antonio Luna

(Taken from Agoncillo’s History of the Filipino People pages 221-222)

Of all the Filipino soldiers of the period, Antonio Luna was the best prepared to fight the
American enemy. He was educated in Europe and studied a little with an unruly temper
that made me fear and hate him. When the Filipino-American Armed clash broke out,
he saw the necessity of instilling discipline into the minds of the men, most of whom
were peasants or men of no training at all. His plan to recapture Manila was brilliantly
conceived, but the lack of cooperation of Kawit Company resulted from Military
insubordination, but Aguinaldo did not follow his advice. Luna, of course, the
disciplinarian that he was, resented Aguinaldo’s partiality.

In several instances during the hostilities, Luna showed his terrible temper. He
ordered that houses occupied by American be burned. At another time, he ordered the
shooting of civilians who violated military rules. More serious, however, was his order to
arrest the members of the Cabinet who disagreed with him in political matters. He
slapped Felipe Buencamino, Sr. and accused his son, Joaquin, of cowardice. Even
Mabini, the peaceful man that he was, complained against Luna and even suggested to
Aguinaldo that the tempestuous general be replaced. Luna, then, won many enemies
who may or may not sound reasons to hate him.

Early in June 1899 when Luna was at Bayambang, Pangasinan, preparing the
defenses for the expected battle with the enemy, he received a telegram asking him to
see Aguinaldo at his headquarters in Kabanatuan. Leaving Bayambang with his aide,
Colonel Francisco Roman, and some soldiers, he arrived at the convent of Kabanatuan,
which served as Aguinaldo’s headquarters, early in the afternoon of June 5. One of the
guards was a member of Kawit Company whom Luna had earlier recommended for
punishment. He slapped the sentry and went directly upstairs. There he found
Buencamino, whom he hated and heated words were exchanged between the two.
Luna was reported to have insulted not only Buencamino but also Aguinaldo who earlier
in the day had gone to San Isidro to inspect the troops. A rifle report was heard and
Luna rushed downstairs to upbraid the soldier who fired the shot. Near the stairs, a
 15

group of men belonging to the Kawit Company ganged up on him. Some stabbed him
with daggers, while others fired at him. Luna retreated to the street, whipped his pistol
and fired, but missed his target. Colonel Roman came to his succor, but he, too, was
mowed down. Luna fell on the convent yard, muttering “Cow. . . ards! As. . . sa. .
.ssins!” He received no less than forty wounds. He was buried the next day with honors
due his rank. But his assassins were never investigated; nor were they punished for
their high crimes.

The Battle of Tirad Pass

● the battle between the Filipinos under General Gregorio del Pilar and the
Americans under Major Peyton March in Northern Luzon, Philippines on
December 2, 1899.
● This resulted in a successful delay in the Advancement of the American troops in
the Northern part of the country and to help Aguinaldo not to be captured by the
enemies but, later on, he was captured.
● Militarily, the Battle of Tirad Pass was a death for the Filipinos, but strategically, it
was a successful battle to delay Americans pursuit of Aguinaldo.
● In the battle, controversies arise regarding the loyalty of Del Pilar whether he
fought the battle out of his love for his country or his loyalty to one person,
Emilio Aguinaldo.
● Now, this is the narrative on The Battle of Tirad Pass copied from Teodoro
Agoncillo’s book “History of the Filipino people”.

The Battle of Tirad Pass

(Taken from Agoncillo’s History of the Filipino people pages 225-227)

In Aguinaldo’s flight to the north, his rear guard commander, General Gregorio del Pilar,
noted the advantageous terrain of Tirad Pass. He, therefore, suggested that in order to
halt the American temporarily he would stay behind and make a last stand at the Pass.
He thought that such a battle would necessarily delay the Americans and give
Aguinaldo, on the other hand, sufficient time- to widen the distance between him and
 16

the pursuing enemy. Aguinaldo approved Del Pilar’s suggestion with much regret, for
the young Del Pilar, the “boy general” of the armed forces, had been loyal to him.

Tirad Pass was 4,500 feet high and commanded a good view for miles around.
The trail leading to it was so narrow that only one man at a time could clamber up the
hill. Del Pilar ordered his sixty men to build trenches on both shoulders of the Pass
where they could see the movement of the enemy below. At ten o’clock on the night of
December 1, 1899. Aguinaldo received Del Pilar’s report that the Americans had arrived
at the town of Concepcion.

The Americans under Major March pursued Aguinaldo relentlessly, for only the
capture of the wily Filipino leader could end Filipino resistance to American Rule. In the
morning of December 2, March proceeded with his men, 300 strong against Tirad Pass.
From atop the Pass, the Filipino defenders fired at the advancing enemy, who had not
so far pinpointed the exact position of the Filipinos. Through Januario Galut, a Christian
Igorot, the Americans found a secret trail to the top and using its advantage surprised
Del Pilar and his men. It was 11:30 in the morning and the sun was mercilessly betting
down upon the bodies of the dead and the wounded. In a matter of minutes, the
Filipino defenders were overcome by the enemy. Del Pilar, wound in the shoulder,
ordered his remaining men to escape. Then he strove to escape by a narrow trail, but
as he mounted his white horse a Krag rifle rang out through the neck. Then they looted
the dead body for souvenirs.

Del Pilar’s body was left by the roadside for two day until its odor forced some
Igorots to cover it with dirt. On his diary, which Major March found, Del Pilar had
written:

“The General [Aguinaldo] has given me the pick of all the men that can be spared and
ordered me to defend the pass. I realize what a terrible task has given me. And yet I
felt that this was the most glorious moment of my life. What I do is done for my
beloved country. No sacrifice can be too great.”
 17

The afternoon of the battle, Aguinaldo received the fatal news. All the members
of the Aguinaldo party, said one of the soldiers in his diary, “shed bitter tears and all
wanted to fight the Americans.”

Module 4: The Period of Reckoning

Martial Law
● Declared on September 21, 1972 by Marcos through Proclamation No. 1081
which placed the entire country under the military for the reason that there is a
state of lawlessness that had gripped the country and placed the Filipino people
in danger.
● refers to the replacement of civil rule by military rule.
● may be characterized by curfews, the dispensation of military tribunal rulings on
civilians, and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.

writ of habeas corpus

○ refers to “having the body” in Latin,

○ a citizen’s protection against unlawful imprisonment
○ This is suspended in times of crisis to expedite justice

● Marcos used several events to justify martial law

● Threat to the country’s security was intensifying following the re-establishment of
the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1968. Supporters of CPP’s
military arm, the New People’s Army, also grew in numbers in Tarlac and other
parts of the country
● The alleged attempt on the life of then Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile
gave Marcos a window to declare Martial Law. Marcos announced the emergency
rule the day after the shooting incident
● Marcos also declared insurgency in the south caused by the clash between
Muslims and Christians, which Marcos considered as a threat to national security.
 18

The Muslims were defending their ancestral land against the control of Christians
who migrated in the area. The minority group organized the Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF) in Malaysia and pushed for the autonomy of Mindanao
from the national government.

EDSA Revolution
● The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) People Power’s Revolution was a
bloodless revolution which erupted on February 25, 1986 and marked a
significant national event in Philippine history.
● It gives the Filipino people the true power of democracy by the successful efforts
to oust a tyrant through demonstration and prayers.
● The EDSA Revolution was one of the most important events that shaped our
country’s history.
● Because of their great desire for change, millions of Filipinos gathered together,
supported each other, and made a dictator step down from power.
● Not only did it free the Philippines from dictatorship, it also became a clear proof
of how collective efforts from people who want change can create an enormous
and powerful difference (Garcia, 2018).

The Marawi Crisis

● The Siege of Marawi was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Lanao del
Sur that started on May 23, 2017 until October 17, 2017, when President Duterte
declared the liberation of Marawi City after 153 days of fighting, between
Philippine government security forces and militant groups.
● The Marawi Siege posed a serious national and regional security concern
because it would rekindle another Moro insurgency and potentially attract would
would-be jihadists to make urban siege as a template to conduct similar attacks
in neighboring countries in the Southeast Asia (Divinagracia, E. (2018).
● The terror attack was catastrophic in nature that the Philippine Government
declared Martial Law in Mindanao to contain the terrorist threat.
 19

● It had caused severe human suffering with several hundreds of militants, soldiers
and civilians killed, thousands were injured, and hundreds of thousands
displaced.
● The effects of the urban attack were reverberating so that the cost of
rehabilitation reached in the billions of dollars (Ibid.).
● The siege that happened in Marawi City was a result of three main factors
namely: the terrorist organization, the operational environment, and the urban
environment.
● It has strategic implications for national and regional security. The Marawi Siege
highlights the need for the Philippines to develop a holistic approach by
integrating the different instruments of national power to defeat, deny and
prevent the resurgence and expansion of terrorism in urban centers across the
Philippines (Ibid.).