Readings in

Philippine History
CHED’s objective:

To expose students to
different facets of Philippine
history through the lens of
the eyewitnesses.
 Traditional approach to
History

narration of past events, arranged chronologically

Who, what when, where = basic facts

leads to memorization; lack of appreciation

usually political; centered in nation’s capital; big people and big events; wars

what is important: why

history vs. chronicle

 Old Curriculum Readings in Philippine History
1. Spoon-feeding of data. 1. Teach students how and
where to gather/find
data.
2. Narration of past
2. Teaching students how
events, arranged to “read”, evaluate and
chronologically. Leads interpret primary
to memorization sources.

3. Usually political; 3. Highlight the role and

centered in nation’s importance of local
capital. history.
 Historical thinking as a
method
• Instead of teaching facts, teach skills and
methods.

• emphasis on primary sources

• ability to analyze and interpret sources,

place in context and come up with
interpretations/conclusions and test them
Asking questions and working
with primary sources
• Historical thinking - “set of literary skills for evaluating and
analyzing primary source documents to construct a meaningful
account of the past”

• Not spoonfeeding basic data, but teaching students how to read,

evaluate and interpret primary sources.

• Historians know as part of their craft to evaluate sources: who

wrote it? When? For what purpose? How reliable? what does it
reveal about the writer and his/her times? what can one extract
from the source?

• How to teach this to students so they can discover for themselves?

Historical Method – process
of critically examining and
analyzing the records and
survivals of the past
•External Criticism- checking the
sources’ authenticity
•Internal Criticism- checking the
sources’ validity
A primary source is a document or
physical object which was written
or created during the time under
study.
External Criticism-
checking the sources’
authenticity
Internal Criticism-
checking the source’s
validity
When historians discuss the past, they use
frameworks like political, economic, social and
cultural.

Frameworks like political, economic, social and

cultural allow historians to write about society
with greater depth, precisions and complexity
while avoiding generalization.
 Jose Rizal's admission record to the
Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in the
University of Santo Tomas (1878-1879).
This gives lie to the story that Rizal had
to hide his real last name "Mercado"
when he enrolled in UST. (UST Archives)
• Specimen of the writing
of the early Filipinos
called Baybayin from
the UST Archives. This
brittle sheet of paper is
one of the irreplaceable
treasures found at the
University of Santo
Tomas
 Diaries, speeches, manuscripts
letters, interviews, news film
footage, autobiographies, official
records
History without sources is unthinkable,
but not all historical works with
sources are commendable.

The original "manuscript" of Rizal's last

poem later entitled "Mi Ultimo Adios" This
is now preserved in the vault of the
National Library of the Philippines along
with the other writings of Jose Rizal and
the original manuscripts of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Letters as a primary
source
 Royal Fort of Santiago, 29 December 1896
Source: National Historical Commission

Mr. P. R.

My dear brother,

It has been four years and a half that we have

not seen each other or have we addressed one
another in writing or orally. I do not believe this
is due to lack of affection either on my part or
yours but because knowing each other so well,
we had not need of words to understand each
other.
Now that I am going to die, it is
to you I dedicate my last words
to tell you how much I regret to
leave you alone in life bearing
all the weight of the family and
of our old parents!
I assure you, brother, that I die
innocent of this crime of rebellion.
If my former writings had been
able to contribute towards it, I
should not absolutely deny it, but
then I believe I expiated my past
with my exile.
I think of how you have worked to
enable me to have a career. I believe
that I have not tried to waste my
time. My brother: if the fruit has been
bitter, it is not my fault; it is the fault
of circumstances. I know that you
have suffered much because of me: I
am sorry.
Tell our father that I remember him, but how? I
remember my whole childhood, his tenderness
and his love. Ask him to forgive me for the pain
I have unwillingly caused him.

Your brother,

José Rizal
Other examples of Primary source:

RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing,

buildings

CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art

 De La Salle College, St. La Salle
Building, post-World War II
The building is apparently being
repaired but war damage can still be
seen on the facade as well as debris
from the Battle of Manila. Military
vehicles can be seen parked in front of
the building on what is apparently the
driveway. Photo taken from Taft
Avenue. The main facade is blocked by
the tree but the entrance to the
building can be seen.
 The entrance door of the Intramuros campus of the University of Santo
Tomas. The door on the left is the university portal after the renovations
of 1937 during the XXXIII Eucharistic Congress. The one on the right is
the door after the Battle of Manila in 1945. This entrance was later
dismantled and transferred to the Sampaloc campus. It is now the Arch
of the Centuries.
 •
Remnants of one of
the entrances of the
old University of
Santo Tomas
building in
Intramuros, ca. l950.
 Internees of the Santo
Tomas Internment Camp
stand in front of the
University of Santo Tomas
Main Building the morning
following the liberation of
the camp by the US Army
on February 3, 1945 prior
to the Battle of Manila.
The original Espana Gate of the University of Santo Tomas,
ca. 1940s. Take note that the gate has two pedestrian
entrances. The campus at that time was still enforcing the
separate sex rule: Men on one side, Women on the other.
Construction of the Rizal Monument
in Switzerland, 1911.
The original name of the monument
was “Motto Stella” by Richard Kissling
which won second prize in a contest
for a monument to the national hero
in 1905. Construction began in 1908
and three years later, it was shipped
to the Philippines. In December, 1911,
the remains of Jose Rizal were
transferred to the proposed site of
the monument and placed in the
foundation. The completed
monument was unveiled on
December 30, 1913.
 University of Santo Tomas Student Handbook, ca. 1930s
Student handbooks were issued to the UST students as part of
the administration's reminders for the rules and regulations of the
university to its students. The handbook here shows part of the
strict guidelines for being with the women students at the time
when the university started accepting females.
 Photograph of an
original copy of the
La Solidaridad.
Contrary to popular
belief, it was only the
size of a 8x11 bond
paper. This is one of
several copies found
in the UST Archives
The letter bears no date

To my family,
I ask you for forgiveness for the pain I cause
you, but some day I shall have to die and it is
better that I die now in the plentitude of my
conscience.
Dear parents and brothers: give thanks to God
that I may preserve my tranquility before my
death. I die resigned, hoping that with my death
you will be left in peace. It is better to die than to
live suffering. Console yourselves.
I enjoin you to forgive one another the little
meanness of life and try to live united in peace and
good harmony. Treat your old parents as you
would like to be treated by your children later. Love
them very much in my memory.
Bury me in the ground. Place a stone and a cross
over it. My name, the date of my birth and of my
death. Nothing more. If later you wish to surround
my grave with a fence, you can do it. No
anniversaries. I prefer Paang Bundok.
Have pity on poor Josephine.
___________
Interview of Ambeth Ocampo to one of the descendants
of Rizal

“The body was found to have been buried directly

into the earth, without a coffin. Nevertheless, the
clothes were still recognizable, though whatever my
Lolo Jose had hidden in his shoes had long rotted
away. A vertebra showing a bullet wound was kept in
a glass and silver cup in Lola’s house.”
PACO CEMETERY – Where Rizal was first buried after the execution
 Collecting/ Studying/ Writing/
Gathering of Analyzing the Narrating of
Historical validity of the data
Data
history

Availability of data - language barrier

No Data ( Writing Culture)
Churches - The author’s background
Govt. Institutions (intent), authority on the
- Intramuros
Administration subject.
UST - biases in history starts
Local Govts. (Old provinces)
with the historian
- History is never objective