CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL

ANALYSIS OF SELECTED
PRIMARY SOURCES IN
PHILIPPINE
HISTORY

GE 2- READINGS IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY

MODULE 2
FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD BY
MAGELLAN BY ANTONIO PIGAFFETA
WHO IS ANTONIO PIGAFETTA?
- born around 1940 in the town of Vicenza, Venice,
Italy
- studied astronomy, geography, and cartography, and
during his younger years, he worked in the ships.
- was described as a well-educated young man
possessing an avid curiosity about the world around
him
 Pigaffeta’s account is the longest and
comprehensive and the fate of five ships,
Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago,
and Victoria. His writings provided a glimpse
of the political, economic, and social
conditions of the islands in the Visayan
region. He describes the physical appearance,
social life, religious beliefs, and cultural
practices.
THE KKK AND THE KARTILYA NG
KATIPUNAN
The Kataastaasan,
Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng
mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) is the
most important organization formed
in Philippine history. It was the only
organization that envisioned (1) a
united Filipino nation that would
revolt against the Spaniards for (2)
the total independence of the
country from Spain.
KARTILYA OF THE KATIPUNAN BY EMILIO
JACINTIO
-The original title was “Manga [sic] Aral Nang
[sic] Katipunan ng mga A.N.B.” or “Lessons
of the Organization of the Sons of Country”
The kartilya can be treated as the Katipunan’s
code of conduct. It contains fourteen rules
that instruct the way a Katipunero should
behave and specific values should he uphold.
The first group contains the rules that will
make the member an upright individual and
the second group contains the rules that will
guide the way he treats his fellow men.
TRANSLATED VERSION OF KARTILYA

I. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and

reasonable purpose is a tree without a shade,
if not a poisonous weed.
II. To do good for personal gain and not for its
own sake is not virtue.
III. 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 and
reasonable.
IV. 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
V. The honorable man prefers honor to
personal gain, the scoundrel, gain to honor.
VI. To the honorable man his word is sacred.
VII. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be
recovered, but not the time lost.
VIII. Defend the oppressed and fight the
oppressor before the law or in the field.
IX. The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping
secrets.
X. On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and of the
children, and if the guide
leads to precipices, those whom he guides will also go there.
XI. 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 weakness will increase thy
interest in her and she
will remind thee of the mother who bore thee and reared thee.
XII. 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.
XIII. Man is not worth more because he is a
king, because his nose is aquiline and his color
white, nor 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 word, 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.
XIV. When these rules of conduct shall be
known to all and 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 race, the
lives of those who have gone before, the
fatigues, and the wellpaid suffering will
remain. If he who desires to enter has
informed himself of all this and believes he
will be able to perform what will be his duties,
he may fill out the following application for
admission."
PROCLAMATION OF THE PHILIPPINE
INDEPENDECE
Philippine Independence proclaimed June
12, 1898 in the province of Cavite and it
signaled as the end of the 333 years of Spanish
colonization. The declaration was a short
2,000 word document, which summarized the
reason behind the revolution against Spain,
the war for independence, and the future of
the new republic under Emilio Aguinaldo.
The proclamation commenced with a
characterization of the conditions in the
Philippines during the Spanish colonial
period. The document specifically mentioned
abuses and inequalities in the colony.
“…Taking into consideration, that their
inhabitants being already weary of bearing
the ominous yoke of Spanish domination,
because of arbitrary arrests and harsh
treatment practiced by Civil Guards to the
extent of causing death with the connivance
and even with the express orders of their
commanders, who sometimes went to extreme
of ordering the shooting of prisoners under
the pretext that they attempting to escape, in
violation of the provisions of Regulations of
their Corps, which abuses were unpunished,
and on account of
 the unjust deportations, especially those
decreed by General Blanco, of imminent
personages and of high social position, at the
instigation of the Archbishop and friars
interested in keeping them out of the way for
their own selfish and avaricious purpose,
deportations which are quickly brought about
by a method of procedure more execrable
than that of the Inquisition and which every
civilized nation rejects on account of a
decision being rendered without a hearing of
the persons accused.”
The proclamation of independence also
invokes that the established republic would be
led under the dictatorship of Emilio
Aguinaldo. The first mention was at the very
beginning of the proclamation. It stated:
 “In the town of Cavite-Viejo, Province of
Cavite, this 12th day of June 1898, before me,
Don Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Auditor of
War and Special Commissioner appointed to
proclaim and solemnize by the Dictatorial
Government of these Philippine island, for the
purposes and by virtue of the circular
addressed by the Eminent Dictator of the
same Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy”
The same repeated towards the last part of the
proclamation. It states:
“We acknowledge, approve, and confirm together
with the orders that have been issued therefore, the
Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo
whom we honor as the Supreme Chief of this Nation,
which this day commences to have a life of its own, in
the belief that he is the instrument selected by God, in
spite of his humble origin, to effect the redemption of
this unfortunate people, as foretold by Dr. Don Jose
Rizal in the magnificent verses which he composed
when he was preparing to be, liberating it from the
Yoke of Spanish domination, and in punishment for
the impunity which their Government allowed the
commission of abuses by its subordinates.”
Another detail in the proclamation that is worth looking
at is its explanation on the Philippine flag that was
first waved on the same day. The documentary
explained:
“And finally, it was unanimously resolved that this
Nation, independent from this day, must use the same
flag therefore, whose design and colors and described
in the accompanying drawing, the white triangle
represents the distinctive emblem of the famous
Katipunan Society which by means of its blood
compact urged on the masses of the people to
insurrection; the three stars, represent the three
 principal Islands of this Archipelago - Luzon,
Mindanao, and Panay where the revolutionary
movement started; the sun represents the gigantic
step made by the son of the country along the path of
Progress and Civilization; the eight rays, signifying
the eight provinces - Manila, Cavite, Bulacan,
Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and
Batangas - which declares themselves in a state of
war as soon as the first revolt was initiated; and the
colors of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating the
flag of the United States of America, as a
manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this
Great Nation for its disinterested protection which it
lent us and continues lending us.”
A GLANCE AT SELECTED PHILIPPINE
POLITICAL CARICATURE IN ALFRED
MCCOY’S PHILIPPINE CARTOONS:
POLITICAL CARICATURE OF THE
AMERICAN ERA (1900- 1941)
Political cartoons and caricature are a rather recent
art form, which veered away from the classical art by
exaggerating human features and poking fun at its
subject. Cartoons became an effective tool of
publicizing opinions through heavy use of symbolism,
which is different from a verbose written editorial
and opinion pieces. The unique way that a caricature
represents opinion and captures the audience’s
imagination is a reason enough for historians to
examine these political cartoons
This was
published in The
Independent on
May 20, 1916.
The cartoon
shows a politician
from Tondo,
named Dr.
Santos, passing
his crown to his
brother-in-law,
Dr. Barcelona. A
Filipino guy was
trying to stop
Santos because it
is not his to begin
with.
Isidoro De Santos was elected to represent
Manila’s First District at the Philippine
Assembly of 1912. Manila’s First District
encompasses Tondo, San Nicolas, and Binondo.
He became the Chairman of the Health
Committee and member of other committees
such as Appropriations, Navigations, and
Committee on City of Manila. Isidoro ran under
the Partido Nacionalista.
 When Isidoro’s term came to an end, his
brother-in-law Dr. Santiago Barcelona ran as the
next representative of Manila’s First District. It
was widely criticized and controversial for being
a political dynasty and was even a subject of a
political cartoon published in The Independent
newspaper dated May 20, 1916. Barcelona lost
to Antonio Montenegro, a former secretary of
Foreign Affairs in the Republic of Biak-na-Bato.
This was also published by The Independent on June 16, 1917. This
was drawn by Fernando Amorsolo and was aimed as a commentary to
the workings of Manila Police at that period. Here we see a Filipino
child who stole a skinny chicken because he had nothing to eat. Then a
man wearing a salakot was grabbing the police officer, telling him to
leve small-time pickpockets and to turn at great thieves instead
CORAZON AQUINO’S SPEECH BEFORE THE
U.S. CONGRESS
“Cory” Cojuangco Aquino functioned as the
symbol of the restoration of democracy and
the overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship in
1986. The EDSA people power put
Philippines in the international spotlight for
overthrowing a dictator through peaceful
means. Cory was able to capture the
imagination of the people whose rights and
freedom had long been compromised
throughout the Marcos regime.
Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=9bavnuT4RlU