Annotations of Morga

Rizal's Purpose
• Rizal annotated Morga's work to provide a history of the Philippines from a
Filipino perspective, in contrast to the biased Spanish colonial accounts.
• He aimed to correct distortions about the Philippines due to the Spanish
conquest and awaken Filipinos' consciousness about their pre-colonial past
• Rizal wanted to prove that Filipinos were a civilized people before the arrival of
the Spaniards, challenging the notion of Filipino inferiority.
Rizal's Approach
• Rizal extensively annotated Chapter 8 of Morga's work, which covered "An
Account of the Philippine Islands"
• His annotations covered topics like the Philippines' topography, natural
resources, languages, customs, and more
• Rizal drew on the research of Ferdinand Blumentritt, a German ethnographer, to
supplement his annotations
Significance and Impact
• Rizal's annotated version of Morga's work was influential in developing a sense
of Filipino national identity and consciousness by challenging colonial narratives
• While some of Rizal's historical claims were flawed, his work was groundbreaking
in providing a Filipino perspective on the country's history
Summary
Through his extensive annotations of Antonio de Morga's 17th century chronicle
"Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas", Jose Rizal aimed to rewrite the history of the
Philippines from a Filipino viewpoint. Rizal sought to correct the biased and distorted
accounts of Spanish colonial historians, which portrayed indigenous Filipinos as
primitive and inferior.
By highlighting the Philippines' rich cultural heritage, advanced civilizations, and
autonomous societies prior to Spanish colonization, Rizal challenged the notion of
Filipino inferiority. He drew on the research of the German ethnographer Ferdinand
Blumentritt to supplement his annotations, which covered topics like the Philippines'
geography, natural resources, languages, and customs.
While some of Rizal's historical claims were flawed, his annotated version of Morga's
work was groundbreaking in providing a Filipino perspective on the country's past. It
played a significant role in developing a sense of Filipino national identity and
consciousness by challenging the dominant colonial narratives. Rizal's work was
influential in awakening Filipinos' pride in their pre-colonial heritage and rejecting the
derogatory labels imposed by the Spanish.