Course Title:

READINGS IN
PHILIPPINE
HISTORY
First Semester 2020-2021
 Readings in Philippine History

Module 1:
1. Introduction and Overview of the
Topic
1.1 History: Definition, Scope and
Importance
1.2 Sources of History
1.3 Characteristic of History
1.5 Philippine History as a channel in
understanding National Identity

2. Philippines Geographic Setting

 1. Introduction and Overview of the
Topic
1.1 History: Definition, Scope and
Importance
1.2 Sources of History
1.3 Methods of History
1.4 Characteristic of History
1.5 Philippine History as a channel in
understanding National Identity

2. Philippines Geographic Setting

 Readings in Philippine History

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1.Learner is able to define the meaning of
History
2.Learner is able to identify the
characteristic of History
3. Learner is able to discuss the relevance of
studying History in understanding one’s
identity
4.The students must define and identify the
Physical Environment of the Philippines.
 Readings in Philippine History

What is HISTORY?
Is it just the study of past events? Other people
says that “why study the past if we already have the
present?”. In this chapter you will embrace the real
essence of History.
There is a general agreement that history is the
written record of the past, particularly the human past.
This is the most objective and accepted definition of this
branch of knowledge.
 Readings in Philippine History
But history has also an inner meaning. It is a historian
subjective view and interpretation of events, both
global and local, based on his country’s experience.

Ibn Khaldun, the great Arab

thinke of 14th century, he distinguish
between two meanings of history,
one factual, the other speculative
Ibn Khaldun
Filipino Masses
According to Ibn Khaldun, man is the Ref: Official Gazzete

most important ingredient of history on

which everything in the world depends.
 Readings in Philippine History

The inner meaning of history, on the other hand,

involves speculation and attempt to get at the truth,
tricky explanation of the causes and origins of existing
things, and knowledge of the how and why of events.

Gandhi believed in the power of the spirit

of man to shape its environment to some
extent and thus affect the course of history

Mahatma Gandhi
 Readings in Philippine History

History is not just a record of the doing of big men,

of kings and emperors and the like… real history
should deal, not with a few individuals here and
there, but with a people who make up a nation, who
work and by their labor produce the necessaries and
luxuries of life, and who in a thousand different ways
act and react on each other.

The history of man is quite beautiful. It would be

the story of man’s struggle through the ages against
nature and the elements against wild beast and
jungle. It’s the story of man’s struggle for a living.
 Readings in Philippine History

Sources of History
History thus differ from a mere story
in that it is based on some definite
record, account, or source of
information.
There are to kinds of historical
sources, tradition and remains.
 Readings in Philippine History

Traditions are sources that bear some

evidence of a conscious intent to important
information. They includes; (a)oral
tradition, reports (transmitted
orally),legends, saga, ballads, anecdotes;
(b) pictorial representations, genealogy
tables, list of officials, annals, chronicles,
memoirs, biographies, narratives in general.
 Remains are those that have come down to us as Readings in Philippine History
ManunggulJar
mere relics or survivals of past conditions or events.
They are actual survivals of the past in language, in
literature or other expression, in industrial
productions, in laws and customs. Remains of
building, tools and utensils of all kinds, artifacts
left behind by man are important sources. The
scientific study of such relics is archaeology.
 Readings in Philippine History

Characteristic of History
Collingwood has suggested four broad characteristic
of history:

1. That it is scientific, or begins by

knowing something and tells what it
knows.

2. That is humanistic, or asks questions

about things done by men at determine
times in the past.
 Readings in Philippine History

3. That it is rational or bases the

answers it gives on grounds, namely
appeal to evidence.

4. That it is self-revelatory, or
exist in order to tell man what
man is by telling what man has
done.
 Readings in Philippine History
Philippine History as a channel in
understanding National Identity
For Rizal, history offers the key to
national identity and the basis for future
development. Our history will define
who we are and will give the identity
base on interactions and struggles that
we surpassed in the past. In his (Rizal)
writings, he used history to show a
uniquely Filipino culture, one which
evolved through centuries of contact
with other Asians.
 Readings in Philippine History
Note!

History is not merely the work of heroes and great men

(Constantino). The masses of individuals as well as the
social forces generated by collective lives and struggles
have to be included. Men must struggle together to survive
the exigencies of natural or social forces intervening their
development. The associated man, as part of the society,
makes history through his collective lives.

History can serve as a guide to present and succeeding

generations in facing the cahlenges of the times. By projecting
the people’s aspirations, a people’s history will enable us to
grasp the direction of the country’s development and identity
the factors that hold up real progress
 Readings in Philippine History

Indeed, the need for a real people’s

history become more urgent as we Filipinos
search for truly Filipino solutions to the
problems that our country’s facing.

Theodore Roosevelt once

said “The more you know
about the past, The better
you are prepared for the
future”.
 Readings in Philippine History
Philippine Geographic Setting
Right where we are is a place
called Philippines, our native
land!. It is one of more than 180
countries in the world. The
people who live and belong to
this country are called "Filipinos."
If your parents were born in this
country, and you were also born
here, then very likely you are a
Filipino.
 Readings in Philippine History

As Filipinos we should love and know

our country well. Now, in order to know
a country well, we study its history
because history is the story of a country
and its people. God, Land and People.
There are three important parts about
knowing a country's his- tory. These are:
(1) God, (2) People, and (3) Land. The
Philippines is blessed in all three ways.
 Readings in Philippine History

1. God- God loves the Filipinos and put them in a

rich and beautiful land. God also gave the Filipinos the
"gift of faith" to know Him and to serve Him. God has a
special plan for our land and our people. God has
helped the Filipinos in many times of natural
calamities and social troubles. The Bible has prom-
ised that "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord"
(Psalms 33:12).
2. People- Men, women, and children who make up the
Filipino nation are very fortunate. Only the Filipinos have
the most knowledge of God's Word and His Son Jesus as
compared to the other Asian, African, or Middle Eastern
nations. Only the Filipinos have a rich and unique cultural
heritage of Asian, Latin, European and American influences.
No other nation in the world has this rich cultural heritage.
We are the bridge between East and West. We are the only
Christian nation in Asia, so we will take the Gospel to the
other non- Christian nations. Land. We have one of the
most
 3. Beautiful and richest lands in the
world. The Philippines is rich in natural
resources like oil, gas, minerals,
farmlands, and forests. Visitors from all
over the world come to see the
wonderful scenic spots in our country. If
we take care of these natural resources,
we will become a very prosperous land.
 Readings in Philippine History

Origin of the Philippines

As, Christians, we believe that the land forms were made by God as part of
his creation. Therefore, the Philippines was a part of God’s creation of the
world. After the Great Flood in the time of Noah, many continents and islands
appeared. So the descendants of Noah spread out to many parts of the world.
The other religion of some tribes in the Philippines explains the origin of this
land by telling “legends”. Legends or myths are stories that are not true.
Scientist have different opinions about the origin of the country. Some geologist
claim that it was a remnant of a prehistoric continent called “Mu or Lemuria” in
the Pacific Ocean. Due to volcanic eruptions or earthquakes, this vast continent
sank beneath the ocean, other geologists believe that the country has a volcanic
origin.
 Readings in Philippine History

Location
The Philippines lies in Southeast Asia, a little above the equator, between
latitudes 4°23’N and 21°25’ N and longitude 116°E and127°E. It is bounded in the
east by the Pacific Ocean, in the west by the South China Sea, in the north by the
Bashi Channel, in the south by the Zulu and Celebes Seas. The location of the
Philippines is important and this is why God placed our people in this part of the
world. The Philippine location is important because:

1. It is the only Christian nation in the non-Christian Asian world.

2. It is a melting pot of races and cultures with a unique heritage from Asia,
Europe, Latin America, and North America.
3. It is the bridge that links the Oriental and occidental worlds.
4. It is at the crossroads of Asia’s air and sea routes.
 Readings in Philippine History

Area
According to the Constitution, the national territory of the Philippines
includes: islands, adjacent seas and submarine areas and the air space above.
The total land area of the Philippines is 300,780 sq. km, or 0.2% of the world’s
land mass. The land area of the Philippines is bigger than United Kingdom,
almost as large as Italy, and slightly smaller than Japan.

The biggest island group is Luzon (141,395 sq. km); the second Mindanao
(101, 999 sq. km); and the third Visayas (56,606 sq. km). The 11 main islands
and their areas are: Luzon (104, 687 sq.km); Mindanao (94, 630 sq.km); Samar
(13, 080 sq.km); Negros (12, 709 sq. km); Palawan (11, 785 sq. km); Panay (11,
515 sq.km); Mindoro (9, 735 sq.km); Leyte (7,214 sq. km); Cebu (4,422 sq.km);
Bohol (3,864 sq. km) and Masbate (3, 269 sq. km).
 Readings in Philippine History

Recently, the area has been increased due to the

government’s claim to the Kalayaan (Spratly) Islands and the
law of the sea treaty. On June 11, 1978, President Ferdinand
Marcos signed the Decree No. 1596, declaring the Kalayaan
(Spratly) Islands as part of the Philippines, to be
administered as a municipality of the province of Palawan.
The government claims it due to its proximity and strategic
and economic importance. But this cluster of islands in the
South China Sea is also claimed by Malaysia, Vietnam and the
two Chinas.
 Readings in Philippine History

Natural Resources
The natural resources of a country include soil, plant and animal life, fish and marine
resources, minerals, energy sources, and scenic beauties of nature. The Philippines, though
small, has rich natural resources. This should not delude us into thinking that we can do
whatever we like to our environment. The experience of more developed countries, like
Japan and the United States, which appear as models of growth to other countries, is that
development can cause serious damage to the environment. At this stage in the Philippine
History, there is sufficient time and the experience of others from which to learn how to
balance the quest for progress with the need to protect our natural resources.
 Readings in Philippine History

Interesting Facts about the Philippines

 The capital of the Philippines is Manila
 The Philippines has three group of islands- Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
 The northernmost island is Y’ami and the southernmost island is Saluag.
 The largest Island is Luzon, followed by Mindanao and Samar
 The Philippines has the world’s longest discontinuous coastline (34, 600
km)
 There are 61 bays and harbors and 20 straits.
 Manila Bay is the largest bay in the Philippines and the finest harbor in
Asia
 San Juanico Strait is the world’s narrowest strait. It lies between Samar
and Leyte.
 There are seven major mountain ranges in the Philippines.
 The highest mountain is Mt. Apo (9,690 ft.) in Mindanao.
 There are 132 main rivers. The longest river is the Cagayan River (20,000
km), in Luzon.
 There are 59 lakes. The largest lake is the Laguna de Bay in Luzon
 There are 50 volcanoes, 13 of which are still active.
 Mt. Mayon in Bicol has the world’s most perfect cone.