1. Antonio Pigafetta. First Voyage Around the World, (pp.

23-48)
[Chronicle]

Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian nobleman, wrote the book of chronicles

of contemporary voyagers and navigators of the sixteenth century.
Pigafetta's travelogue is a key primary source in the study of the
Precolonial Philippines. He documented his firsthand observations and
overall impressions. He described the native people, foods, and islands
they had visited. Then they discovered Guam, but unfortunate events
occurred, so Magellan and his troops flew away and set fire to the natives
of Guam, naming it the Land of Thieves. They later arrived on the island of
Homonhon and described it as a good sign because it is like a paradise
surrounded by water. Later, they met Rajah Humabon of Cebu, who
demanded that they pay tribute as is customary, but Magellan refused,
claiming that he was the captain himself and thus would not pay tribute to
other kings. The chief of the island of Mactan, Zula, sent his sons to
present a gift to Captain General (Ferdinand Magellan), as promised, but
he was unable to do so due to Chief Lapu-Lapu, who refused to obey the
king of Spain. The captain general decides to sail away with three boats.
Antonio Pigafetta’s begs him not to, but he insists. According to Antonio
Pigafetta, he was a good shepherd who did not want to abandon his flock.
They arrived in Mactan three hours before dawn, at midnight. Their captain,
Ferdinand Magellan, refused to fight and instead sent a message to the
natives. They said they would be their friend if they obeyed the king of
Spain, recognized the Christian king as sovereign, and paid tribute, but
then other things happened, and the other group wanted them to see their
lance. Magellan died in the battle, Pigafetta and other soldier who survive
from the battle then continue to travel the world.

2. Juan de Plasencia, Customs of the Tagalogs, (Garcia 1979, pp.

221-234) [Friar account]
Customs of Tagalog from the book of Juan de Plasencia was a
Spanish Franciscan friar. On July 2, 1578, he was among the first group of
Franciscan missionaries to arrive in the Philippines. The King of Spain
tasked him with documenting the customs and traditions of the colonized
("natives") based on, arguably, his own observations and judgments. He
spent the majority of his missionary life in the Philippines, where he
founded several towns on the island of Luzon and wrote several religious
and linguistic books, most notably the Doctrina Cristiana (Christian
Doctrine), the first book printed in the Philippines. Customs of the Tagalogs
is part of a larger monograph written by chroniclers of Spanish expeditions
to the Philippines in the early 16th and 17th centuries. They first appeared
in Blair and Robertson's 55-volume "The Philippine Islands (1903)" and the
"Philippine Journal of Sciences (1958)". "The Customs of the Tagalogs" is
primarily concerned with government, justice administration, slaves,
inheritance, and dowries. In his account, Juan de Plasencia stated that
each Barangay, a tribal gathering of 30-100 families and their slaves, had
their own Dato, who governed the people and was the captain in their wars,
followed by the Maharlikas, commoners, and slaves. Plasencia described
the division of children between the married Maharlika and slaves
(Namamahay or Sa Guiguilid). Plasencia also mentioned the native
Tagalogs' dowry system, in which men gave dowries to the women's
parents before marriage. Furthermore, Plansencia mentioned Tagalog
worship, noting that the Filipinos do not have temples, but instead have
what they call Simbahan, which means "a place of adoration," because this
is where they gather when they want to do a feast called Pandot or
Worship. He also mentioned that Filipinos worship idols and one of themis
what they call Bathala which signifies "all powerful" or "maker of all things".
They also revere the sun, moon, and even the stars. They worshiped LIC-
HA, Dian Masalanta (the patron of lovers), Lacapati and Indianale (patrons
of cultivated lands), and they also paid homage to Buayas. He stated that
Filipinos are prone to seeing auguries in what they witness and also
practice divination. Furthermore, the manner of burying differs depending
on the status of the deceased, as Plasencia described. They also
distinguish between devil priests such as Catolonan, Sonat, Mangaguay,
Manyisalat, Mancocolam, Hocloban, Silagan, Magtatangal, Osuan,
Mangagayoma, and Pangatahojan. Filipinos also believe in ghosts, which
they refer to as Vibit, Tikbalang, and Patianac. However, he noted that
such beliefs had already been eradicated by the teaching of the holy
gospel. This account of Juan de Plasencia supports the claim that Filipinos
had their own set of traditions, customs, practices, beliefs, and government
in place before the Spaniards colonized the Philippines. He provided
information that can help today's generation understand our history and
discover practices that are no longer practiced. Even today, some 16th-
century practices are still practiced by some ethnic groups in the
Philippines, such as the Bagobo system, which requires the bride-to-father
be's to make a return present equal to one-half of whatever is agreed upon
as dowry, and there are still people, particularly the elders, who believe in
the existence of tikbalang and tiyanak. Even the concept of a Barangay can
be found in today's generation. Our customs and practices have undeniably
changed over time, but there are still remnants of our past that remain and
will continue to remind us of our origin. It is an honor to learn about our
history and discover how rich the Philippines was in terms of customs,
beliefs and practices.

Discuss the following :

Importance of the text - Since history acts as a guide for every Filipino's
current and future ambitions, the development of mechanisms that
preserve and repeat our spoken utterances, allowing them to be
transmitted by someone other than ourselves, has continued our march
towards becoming a knowledge-based, hierarchical society. improves our
sense of nationality. A text shall be defined as a communication event that
fulfills seven textuality characteristics.

The Author’s Background – Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio

Pigafetta a Famous Italian traveler born in Vicenza around 1490 and died
in the same city in 1534. He studied astronomy, geography and
cartography. He Had a hand written account of the expedition entitled “
THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD”
The author's background includes their age, gender, geographic area,
ethnicity, cultural experiences, religious experiences, social position,
personal wealth, sexuality, and every other information about the individual
who authored or published the work. Gender, ethnicity, and financial class
all have a significant influence on their writing. As a result, the more you
know about the author, the more you will grasp the core messages of their
body of work.
The Context of the document - The context of the document refers to the
occasion or event that educates the reader about why and how a document
was created, as well as providing meaning and clarity to the intended
message. Context cues in a literary work build a relationship between the
writer and the reader, providing a better knowledge of the writer's goal and
direction. Context refers to the occasion, or scenario, that educates the
reader about why and how a document was created.

The contribution to understanding Philippine history - Historical writings are

used as a reference for their current and future objectives in the
contribution to comprehending Philippine history. Learning about the
nation's history aids in recognizing the sacrifices and accomplishments of
national heroes. This will assist us in understanding our history and where
we originated from. It informs us about the culture and customs of our
nation. It allows us to enjoy the natural beauty and richness of the
Philippines. Understanding our past can assist us in solving challenges in
the present and future.

Christian C. Comot
BSEE-1B