1

CHAPTER 6: LOCAL HISTORY

Introduction
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on
the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely
national history writ small but a study of past events in a given geographical but one that is based on a
wide variety of documentary evidence and placed in a comparative context that is both regional and
national. Historic plaques are one form of documentation of significant occurrences in the past and oral
histories are another.

One of the major problems in the writing of Philippine history stems from inadequate knowledge
of historical conditions in the rural Philippines. The problem is further complicated by a tendency to
treat society as a monolithic structure susceptible to outside influence and change at a uniform rate.
Consequently, it has proved difficult to judge accurately the impact on Philippine society of such
phenomena as colonialism, the Revolution of 1896 and national politics in the twentieth century.

This chapter will lead the students to critically evaluate and initiate promotion of local history,
and preserving our national patrimony and cultural heritage.

Target Learning Outcomes

LO1. Relate their familiarization with the political, social and cultural tradition that helps shape the
character of the Filipino nation at the different stages of its historical development.
LO2. Analyze the context, content and perspective of different kinds of primary sources and the
credibility, authenticity, provenance and their contributions in understanding Philippine history.
LO3. Manifest interest in local history and concern in promoting and preserving our country’s national
patrimony and cultural heritage.
LO4. Evaluate the political, economic, social, cultural development, struggles and accomplishments of
the Filipinos for the welfare of the nation in relation to current social issues and problems of the
present society.
LO5. Propose recommendations/solutions to present-day problems based on their understanding of
root causes and their anticipation of future scenarios.
LO7. Effectively communicate, using various techniques and genres, their historical analysis of a
particular event of Issue that could help others understand the chosen topic.
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LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this lesson, the student should be able
to:
LESSON: 1 1. Articulate basic knowledge on local history.
2. Determine the connections between local
history and major national and international
IMPORTANCE OF events.
3. Appreciate the importance of promoting and
LOCAL HISTORY preserving local history.

STARTING POINT
Studying history to most of us means studying history on a grand scale. The rise and fall of
civilizations, the progress of major social and economic changes, everything in short that affects whole
countries, peoples and world events. The big picture of history as given by these studies is vitally important,
but it is worthwhile to remember that those major processes and events we learn about were made up of
individuals, families, locales and communities that all played their part in shaping and being shaped by
history.

WARMING UP
Do you agree with the saying; “let bygones be bygone”? Justify your answer. What can you say about this
saying? How this saying is related to our quest of knowing our past.

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

Local History as a Microcosm

Local history contains a wealth of details and stories
that help reveal how societal changes impacted the lives of
ordinary people. It can be seen as a ‘microcosm’ or
representation of large patterns on a small scale. The
automobile transformed society in many ways such as making
transportation and communication far easier. By investigating
local history, you can find documents such as accounts of the
first cars in a town, what people thought of them, and how they
changed the lives of the community. History writ large can tell
you about events like when after fleeing Russia for China, they
again had to seek refuge when the Maoist revolutionary army
was about to take over Shanghai, while local history can show
the impact of this crisis on individuals, such as the life of the
Russian refugees in Tubabao, Guiuan E. Samar. Learning about Century-old Guiuan church rises again
local history turns the grand patterns of historical change into 6 years after Typhoon Yolanda.
concrete stories that tell of the lives of individuals. It is thus
Source: sinirangan.com
vital to increasing one’s understanding of historical processes.

(Continued on next page)

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What is Local History?

- It is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local
community.
- It is often documented by local historical societies or groups that form to preserve a local historic
building or other historic site.
- Local history tends to be less documented than other types, with fewer books and artifacts than that
of a country or continent.
- Before there was national history - there was local history. National histories actually sprouted from
contributions from local history.
- Local history provides the vital task of putting the meaningful essence of community in space and
time.

Qualities of a Historical Event to be classified as Local History

- It must be an original work not a recycling or rehashed work that has been written countless of times.
It should present new information or at least a new perspective, insight or interpretation.
- It must deal with a subject of historical value. Note everything which happened in the past is worth
researching. History is an academic discipline in which we look back where we came from, how
things changed and what particular path we have taken for what persons and why we are where we
are now
- The history of a region or a province can be best researched by the people of the locality themselves.

Reasons Why You Should Know Your Local History

- As we've already suggested, studying local history provides the student with increased interest in the
larger subject of history.
- The study of local history gives the student a better sense of realism. It's a body of information that
can be relevant to the students' own surroundings.
- The study of local history, then, might encourage preservation. It will make us aware of our own links
to the past.
- Basically, we would like the student to analyze data with a critical eye and be motivated enough to
begin to question that data. To help in this process, we need to introduce new ways of thinking about
data, as well as some new terminology.

The Importance of Local History in Philippine History

It is unfortunate that a vast number of Filipino laymen lack interest or understanding of Philippine
history. This may have been brought about by an inadequate background in history and a general tendency
on the part of the people to be less conscious of the value of the past to their present life. Or, maybe, such
ignorance or apathy may have resulted from the dearth of materials, especially on local history which is closer
to the hearts and minds of the people.

The critical importance of local history in the

Ruins of old Hernani Church built in
1884
Source: msgrloperobredillo.blog.com
understanding and the writing of a truly national history
cannot just be ignored. The rationale behind the need to
come up with local history is the realization of the
unrepresentative and limited nature of Philippine history.
What is generally considered to be the history of the
Filipino people is essentially the history of Central Luzon,
most especially the Tagalogs. Important events and
developments, including personages, particularly in the
Visayas and Mindanao, are, at best, mentioned in passing
and, at worst, altogether left out.
(Continued on next page)
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The consequence, in this respect, is the misrepresentation of Philippine history by not taking into full
account the unique differential character of the historical and cultural experiences of the various ethnic
groups in scattered geographical units of the country.

Historians -- both Filipino and foreign -- are not altogether to be blamed for the kind of Philippine
histories they have come up with. The problem lies in the nature of Philippine historiography which was. for
some time, tied up to the rigid limitations of Western criteria or standards; that is, historical writing has to be
based on written sources. "No document, no history," as the saying goes. In fact, even in the use of written
sources, primary materials were the only ones considered to be reliable. Because of this, the absence of
written materials done by Filipinos in their own localities has largely been instrumental in limiting the tasks of
national historians. Thus, whatever data have been incorporated by them in Philippine history have been
derived from colonial sources which are, in the first place, regarded as biased sources. In short, national
historians have been handicapped by this adherence to a generally accepted historical approach which offers
very little information and undertaking for a people whose view of their history and struggles is, perhaps,
mostly found in their oral literature.

It should be borne in mind that the nation is made up of its parts - the regions, provinces, cities, and
municipalities - and the nation's history must be the sum total of the histories of its parts. No town or
province exists independently of the nation, and vice-versa. And, just as the auto mechanic understands the
entire machine only if he knew the specific parts, so also national history becomes intelligible only in the
whole context of local history. Simply put, and ,naturally, of crucial importance is the realization that interest
in the study and understanding of Philippine history mainly hinges on one's appreciation of his/her own
town's history.

Local history is expectedly closest to the people's heart and consciousness because it reflects their
own identity, experiences and aspirations. It is the interpretative recreation of the past of their locality,
embracing its political, social, economic, and cultural life. This includes the development of the institutions in
the geographical unit and the successes and failures of its people. Thus, in order to understand and,
consequently, appreciate Philippine history, one should first know the history of his own locality and its
contributions to regional development and over-all nation-building. One may never achieve a fuller
understanding of the Filipinos and the Philippines if he failed to study the history of his/her town, city,
province or region.

The solution, therefore, to the inadequacy of national history is in its revision and enrichment. And,
this is a responsibility not so much of the national historian but of the local people. It is the basic obligation of
every locality to provide a proper and an adequate account of the historical experience of its own people. If
this can be done, this will certainly enrich national history and will correct the impression that Philippine
history is mainly the history of Manila and its surrounding area. Far from fostering regionalism, local history
will make the people understand better and appreciate more their total national experience and heritage as
Filipinos.

Express your expanded understanding of that statement; "before

there was national history - there was local history."
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Assessment: 6.1.1.

1. Write an essay entitled: Why Local History Matters.

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LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES

LESSON 2 At the end of this lesson, the student should be
able to:
1. Identify and define the important people,
places, and events of local history.
SELECTED LOCAL 2. Determine which local historic sites should
be preserved.
HISTORY 3. Appreciate their own role in affecting and
making history

STARTING POINT
It is not enough that we know our history. We must also realize that as agents of social change, we
can contribute to the narrative of the nation by participating in writing about our past and our present.

Let us start the first tool that any student nowadays would use to do research—the Internet. It has
increasingly become the primary means by which anyone would find any information that they need. With a
single click, students are able to access tons and tons of available information. So much information, in fact,
that it would be easy to get lost in all the data available. A simple skill that will get you far in doing historical
research online knows where to look and how to look.

A search in engine website such as Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) or Google (www.google.com) could lead
you to a lot of sources with the right search strings. A search string is a combination of words which you use
to come up with relevant results and lead you to what you are looking for. The more refined your search
string is, the more definite and refined the results will be. Google also provides its own customized platform
for scholarly research called Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com). Google Books
(www.books.google.com) also provides sources for scanned books where you may be able to read some
chapters for free. Wikipedia is the biggest open source encyclopaedia in the whole of cyberspace. It provides
useful launch pad to sources that you may use for research. Philippine government websites (www.gov.ph)
are starting to enrich with sources that may be used for historical research, especially on laws and other
government issuances that may be useful in doing topics of a more contemporary period.

WARMING UP
Conduct an interview with the oldest person in your area about the ancient stories he or she knows
about your community. Write down important information that you can use to find out the history
of your area.

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Types of Local History

The following are classifications of local history:

- Institutional history of schools, corporations, industries, religious group, and the like.
- Biography of a local prominent person
- History of different towns in Eastern Samar
- Local political, social and economic Issues

(Continued on next page)

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Institutional History

A sense of the past is a light that illuminates the present and directs attention toward the
possibilities of the future. Without an adequate knowledge of history—the written record of events
as well as the events themselves—today's events are disconnected occurrences.

The History of ESSU (Eastern Samar State

University)

The Eastern Samar State University

started on June 21, 1959, as the Eastern Samar
National Regional Agricultural School (ESNRAS)
through R.A. 2434. Its pioneer classes started
with 120 students holding sessions in the rented
building in Borongan, Eastern Samar. Before the
school year ended, the school site was relocated
and established in Malbog, a far-flung barrio in
Borongan, reachable only by climbing steep The rented house in Barangay Songco,
mountains and by crossing creeks. Borngan City

Source: Tinipigan ESSU Museum

In 1967, the school was resettled to its present site, approximately seven kilometres away
from the capital town of Borongan. ESNRAS’s thrust then was primarily on agricultural science
instruction so as to improve the largely agricultural way of life in the province of Eastern Samar.
Livelihood of Estehanon depended mainly on rice production, coconut farming and fishing using the
traditional practices including the tools used. ESNRAS offered secondary vocational agriculture and
thereby provided training for upgrading traditional agriculture in the area.
In 1973, the school was converted into
Eastern Samar Junior Agricultural College (ESJAC)
in response to the clamour of many parents for
the school to offer collegiate courses. ESJAC
promptly opened a program in Associate
Agriculture. Consequently, a program in B.S. in
Agriculture was instituted with specialization in
Crop Science and Animal Science. Notable was a
sharp rise in enrolment in the ensuing years
reflecting the high demand for the above the
above mentioned programs in the college service
School site in Malbog, Borongan Eastern area. As the enrolment in these degree programs
Samar (Tinipigan ESSU Museum) steadly increased, ESJAC was converted into
Eastern Samar College of Agriculture (ESCA).
Source: Tinipigan ESSU Museum
As the global scenario became highly technological and complex, the state deemed it fit to
convert ESCA into Eastern Samar State College (ESSC) by virtue of Batas Pambansa Bilang 394 on
May 18, 1983. The conversion eventually paved the way to rapid expansion in program offerings
with courses in teacher education, vocational post-secondary education, business and commerce,
engineering and law. (Continued on next page)
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Most recently, the Republic Act 8292 mandated the integration of CHED-supervised institutions (CSI’s)
of the province to be integrated into state colleges and universities. The immensely broadened the services of
the college. ESSC became the ESSC System with the original ESSC campus in Borongan serving as its main
campus. The ESSC System had three external campuses which are strategically situated in the province,
namely, ESSC Can-avid, ESSC Salcedo, and ESSC Guiuan.

On August 7, 2004, the President of the Philippine Republic, her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,
approved and signed Republic Act No. 9312, converting ESSC into Eastern Samar State University (ESSU),
integrating therewith the Maydolong National Agricultural School in Maydolong, Eastern Samar.

The other campuses integrated into the university have their own history to tell. The salient events in
their foundation are:

From merely promoting secondary agricultural education when it was founded on June 18, 1961,
ESSU Can-avid which is located in the northern part of Eastern Samar province, now offers post- secondary
courses, collegiate courses, and is an extension training center for master’s degree courses.

ESSU Guiuan, which was established as a trade school on June 19, 1962, now offers Bachelor’s degree
in, BS Industrial Technology, BS Civil Engineering, BS Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Secondary
Education majors in English, Filipino and Social Studies, Bachelor in Elementary Education, Bachelor of
Technical Vocational Teacher Education, Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education, BS in Business
Administration, BS Information Technology, BS Entrepreneurial Management, Bachelor of Technology, BS in
Accounting Information System, Bachelor of Arts in Communication, BS Criminology, and Master’s Degree
Program such as MAED major in Educational Management, MAED major in Kindergarten, Masters in
Hospitality Management, Masters in Management and Masters in Industrial Technology as extension of the
graduate school of the Main Campus.

Established in 1960 as the Southern Samar

New ESSU Administration Building
National Agricultural School. At present ESSU
Salcedo offers diploma course in Agriculture and
Computer Science, degrees program in
Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural
Homemaking, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Industrial
Education, Secondary Education, Elementary
Education, and Master’s Degree Programs in
Education, Educational Management, and in
Teaching Vocational Educational courses.

Since its establishment in 1962, by virtue of Republic Act No. 3411, ESSU Maydolong continues to
offer basic secondary education curriculum. It has always been a dream of the school to offer courses beyond
the secondary level believing that it is the way by which it could serve fully the community. Thus, in 1974, it
offered a two-year terminal course in agriculture- Associate in Agricultural Technology. In the same year, it
offered the first three years of collegiate courses leading to BS in Agricultural Education major in Agronomy. In
1980, it entered into a consortium with Southern Samar Agricultural College, now ESSU Salcedo, for the
offering of the fourth year of the same course. In 1993, the school was authorized to offer the first two years
of the leadership curriculum of the DAT-BAT programs, but in 1995 the BSAgED course was abolished. In
1196, it also offered a one-year course in Institutional Housekeeping and Home Industry (Apparel) under the
supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). However, in 1997, it
became solely a DepEd supervised school offering secondary course up to the present.
(Continued on next page)
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Today, the university is a true measure of strong leadership, hard work, tenacity, aspirations, and
commitment to public service of all its institutional members, coupled with the unwavering support of
parents, private individuals/groups, local/national government officials, and significant agencies.

Source:
Eastern Samar State University
Address: Brgy. Maypangdan, Borongan City, Eastern Samar, Philippines
Email: info2essu.edu.ph

Biography of a Local Prominent Person

The Life and Works of Eugenio Daza

Eugenio Daza y Salazar (1870- 1954) was a Filipino
revolutionary.

Daza was born in Borongan, Eastern Samar, on 15

November 1870, to Juan Cinco Daza and Magdalena
Campomanes Salazar. He married Carolina Cinco, from
Catbalogan, Samar, and they had seven children: Gabriel,
Carlota, Cirilo, Jesus, Rosario, Maria and Juan.

Records at the NHCM reveal that he earned a

degree in education in 1888 at Escuela Normal de
Maestros in Manila, a Jesuit institution, and taught at the Congressman Eugenio Daza (left) and
Borongan Municipal School. After five years, he President Emilio Aguinaldo (right)
established his own school under Spanish administration. Source: en.wikipedia.org

During the 1896 revolution against Spain, he joined the revolutionary forces in Samar. During
the Philippine-American war in 1899, Daza was appointed Commander of the revolutionary forces in
Eastern Samar.

He was one of the leaders in the Balangiga attack on September 28, 1901, where Filipinos
succeeded against the American forces, in Eastern Samar. The Battle of Balangiga, which Daza
architectured, was referred as one of the bloodiest chapter in the history of American Army in the
Philipines and it won him the title as the Brain of the Balangiga massacre. In 1907, Daza was elected
as Representative of the Samar's 3rd District to the First Philippine Assembly.

Eugenio Daza, well known as Lolo

Enyong, died at 84 in Calamba, Laguna, on
December 16, 1954. He was buried in his home
town, per his wish, and his remains were
brought and buried in Borongan on December
29 of the same year. A bronze monument was
built in his honour in Borongan.

Eugenio S. Daza Monument, Rawis Rd, Source: https://peoplepill.com

Borongan (en.wikipedia.org)

(Continued on next page)

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The Brief History of Eastern Samar

In 1967, the newly created province elected its first set

of officials and on January 2,1968, the provincial board had its
inaugural session in the Borongan Town Hall which served as
the temporary provincial capitol. Eight months later, the formal
inauguration of the new province of Eastern Samar took place.

Before its existence as an independent province, places

which now form part of Eastern Samar played important roles
in the history of the country. It was in Eastern Samar where
Ferdinand Magellan landed in Homonhon Island in the town of
Guiuan on March 16, 1521, in what is now officially recognized
as the discovery of the Philippines by the Western World.
Magellan called the place Zamal

Sustained contact with Western civilization occurred as

early as 1596. Jesuit missionaries worked their way from the Jesuit Priest in front at the main
western coast of the island of Samar and established mission entrance of the old Borongan
Cathedral
centers in what is now Eastern Samar territory.
Source: sinirangan.com

On September 28, 1901, Filipino rebels in the

US soldiers who survived a surprise attack during
the Philippine-American war posing with one of
the bells of Balangiga, Philippines, 1901-1909
Source: visiteasternsamar.com
town of Balangiga attacked and almost wiped out
American troops billeted in the municipal building
and church convent. Now known in history books as
the “Balangiga Massacre Day”, the incident triggered
a ruthless pacification campaign by US forces aimed
at turning the entire island of Samar into a “howling
wilderness.” It was during this campaign that
American soldiers took the Balangiga Bells from the
Balangiga church as war trophies. The bells remain
on display at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne,
Wyoming.

On October 17, 1944, US Army rangers landed

on the island of Suluan in Guiuan where they fought
their first battle on Philippine territory three days before
General Douglas MacArthur stormed the beaches of
Leyte.

Eastern Samar became an independent province

by virtue of Republic Act No. 4221 which Congress
Old Capitol Building of Eastern Samar approved on June 19, 1965 dividing the existing
Source: pna.gov.ph) province of Samar
into three separate provinces, namely; Northern Samar, Western Samar, (subsequently renamed Samar) and
Eastern Samar. A plebiscite held simultaneously with the November 1965 general election upheld the
conversion of Eastern Samar into a separate province. (Source: https://easternsamar.gov.ph)

(Continued on next page)

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Local Socio-Political Issues

This article was published in the facebook page Eastern Samar History and Culture by a local historian
Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, Chair of the Diocesan Commission on the Cultural Heritage of the Church, Diocese of
Borongan.

According to Msgr. Robredillo, a good number of Eastern Samar

municipalities have been celebrating their founding anniversaries, but
some have the correct dates, others have gotten them wrong. Among the
wrong ones are those of Guiuan, Maslog and Quinapondan. Examples of
municipalities that have the right dating are Oras, Salcedo and San Julian.

RIGHT. As we have already noted in previous posts, Oras was

separated from Paric (Dolores) on December 13, 1849; San Julian gained its
independence from Sulat, its mother municipality, on August 4, 1863.
Salcedo was constituted a municipality independent from Guiuan on Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo
December 5, 1862. (msgrloperobredillo.blog.com)

WRONG. On the other hand, Maslog could not have been made into a municipality on June 19, 1965,
because as late as 1967, its status was still that of a municipal district.

The Republic act that supposedly made it a municipality (RA 4221) actually pertains to the creation of
the province of Eastern Samar. Quinapondan could have been created a municipality only on October 17,
1946 because even before the coming of the Americans, it already existed as a municipality, as indicated in
several Spanish documents (see my post on this page on November 2, 2016 and especially on October 16,
2013 below). But Guiuan has the distinction of probably being the only municipality in the whole country, if
not in the whole world, that observes its founding anniversary on a movable date (every first Sunday of
October)-already a sufficient evidence that its supposed date of foundation rests on every shaky grounds How
indeed can a birthdate be movable.

The Pulahanes Movement

The Pulahanes (literally “those wearing red), also known as Dios-Dios, were the members of the
religious revival of Philippine beliefs that developed in the Visayas prior to the Philippine Revolution. At its
peak, it numbered around 10,000-15,000 adherents. The movement was severely crippled during the
Philippine Revolution after the Philippine Constabulary took over Patrols in Samar, when the US military
declared the island as “pacified”.

Pulahanes practiced a syncretic religious revival centered mostly on Philippine mythology and Folk
Catholicism. Individual beliefs include the use of anting-antings as well as the revival of the babaylan
(Indiginous fighting techniques such as eskrima were also utilized in the elite and ferocious combat style).
They practiced a form indigenous martial art called Derobio Eskrima and they specialized using a heavy
crescent-shaped bolo knife in their battles. Religious rituals using bottles of holy oil, prayer books such as the
Bible, consecrated anting-antings, as blessings before a bottle.

Americans have described Pulahanes as notorious fighters and are expert in hand-to-hand combat.
War cries were also common among fighters. They have also been described as “lacking in strategy” due to
their high casualty figures in the battle such as Massacre in Dolores. They have been the subject of many laws
passed during the early American colonial period and have often been accused of “banditry”.

(Continued on next page)

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The Pulahans were more of religious organization made up of Waray people. “Pula” in waray means
“red”….. also in Tagalog. They wore red trousers also, but this organization went as far back as the early
1890”s prior to the Philippine Revolution. They have no connection to Aguinaldos “Red Brigade” or Bonifacio’s
Katipunan… the Pulahans were just crazed religious fanatic killers who wore red… not just in their trousers but
other clothing as well. Although, we do believe many of them participated in the revolution and Gen Lukban
recruited many of them in Samar. They were responsible for the plotting of the Balangiga Massacre. They
believe more in their religious sect than anything else… they would go so far as killing women and children.
Also, in one US officers report, they mentioned this group have no special tactics or strategy skill, they just
exploded out in the hordes of bolo rushes. To this day Waray people are considered ruthless fighters.

According to some officer’s report, these groups would wave a white flag in front of them during
battle, “believing” it would shield them from American bullets. But when they really think about it, waving a
white flag means you surrender and not to shoot… and when the Americans stopped firing they may have
believed the waving of their white flag is working and warding off bullets. As ignorant as these cults were they
were a forced to be reckoned with, and most people feared them.

Waving a white flag can mean surrender or a flag of truce to talk. It can be used by both sides, one to
say surrender or the other that is surrendering.

But still, it would stop firing from the other

"Papa" Faustino Ablen on a picture taken after
his capture, Ablen was one of the most
important leaders of the Pulahanes of the
southern part of the Philippines, he leaded a
group which cult was called " Dios- Dios".
Source: http://www.watawat.net
Dolores Massacre
Although the Balangiga Massacre is well known
in our history books, few people are aware that there
was also massacre in Dolores, Eastern Samar.
side to see what the white flag is about. This is
what everyone knows is the general “rule” in war.
Wave a white flag, truce or surrender. But these
pulahanes, did not know that. They were mostly
made up of uneducated illiterate high landers who
knew nothing of the rules of war. They honestly
believed the white flag was their anting-anting. On
their white flags were some inscriptions (and
maybe symbols) on it; according to some other
sources, the flags were white, a red cross in the
middle and red too.
(Source: http://www.watawat.net)

At the height of the Pulajan rebellion, when

virtually the whole island of Samar was controlled y
Enrique Dagohob and Isidro Pompac alias Otoy, the
American government did not send the US Army to the
province. Instead, it organized the Philippine Scouts to
Dolores’ River
battle with the Pulajanes. Contrary to the creation
created, the Philippine Scouts were not “Boy Scouts”; Source: sinirangan.com
they were part of the regular US Army. (Continued on next page)
 13

The group was headed by an American officer, but the east of the company was composed of the
Filipino soldiers. In 1904, intelligence reports indicated that the Pulajanes had a concentrated force near
Dolores; they were believed to be completely armed with Krags captured from the Company C that was
massacred in Balangiga. Accordingly, Lt. Hendrix, who was supposed to establish a base in San Ramon
(Arteche), had orders to cross the Oras Rivers and proceed cautiously to the Dolores river. There, he was
supposed to make junction with the 37th Company of Philippine Scouts, scouting from the interiors along the
Dolores River toward the east, and with 38th Company scouting from the south.

But before they could make the rendezvous, the 38th Company, on December 12, met an
overwhelming force of about 1,000 Pulajan fighters who attacked from the rear and flanks under the
command of Pedro de le Cruz. The company composed of 38 soldiers, headed by Lt. Stephen Hayt, was
entirely destroyed, except for a sergeant who escaped, bearing fearful bolo wounds, and reported the
massacre to the government of Taft.

Source: Facebook Page, Eastern Samar History and Culture

My Life History. Write your autobiography using only primary

sources. Attach a copy of primary source you used when you submit
your autobiography.

Assessment: 6.2.1

1. Eyewitness Interview. Identify an eye witness to certain historical events in your own locality (World
War II, Martial Law, EDSA Revolution, big typhoons, and related calamities, among others). Devise
your own questionnaire, interview the eyewitness, and transcribe the interview.

Assessment: 6.2.2

1. Shrine/Museum Visit. Visit a local historical shrine or museum. Document your visit with pictures.
Write a reflection paper or persuasive essay promoting preservation or restoration of those historical
landmarks of your locality.
 14

REFERENCES:

1. Readings in Philippine History: Selected Historical Texts presented with a commentary. By Horacio de
la Costa, S.J. Manila: Bookmark, Inc., 1965. [xii], 351. Sources, Index, n.p. - The Background of
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