ANNOTATION OF ANTONIO

DE MORGA: SUCESOS DE
LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS

GROUP 4 REPORT
HURVY CAUILAN  MARC JOHN CELOS  AIRA CAUILAN  ANGELICA
CARBONEL
ANTONIO DE MORGA SANCHEZ GARAY

• He was a soldier, historian and a lawyer, an

explosive combination, especially if one was also
a high-ranking colonial bureaucrat. 

• Antonio de Morga was born in 1559 in Sevilla,

Spain, 38 years after Magellan was killed by
Lapu-lapu and his men for meddling in the
internal affairs of the rajahs and datus of Cebu. 
 During the most productive 40 years of his life, Morga was sent to the
most significant outposts of the Spanish overseas empire: He served
the Vice-Royalty (Virreinato) of Nueva España (Mexico), the Vice-
Royalty of Peru and across the Pacific at the gateway to Asia, the
Captaincy-General (Capitanía General) of the Philippines.
 In the Philippine colony, Dr. de Morga was a fearsome oidor means a
“Judge of the Royal Audiencia”
 In 1609, his book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, was published in
Mexico.
SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS

• One of the most important works of the Philippines about the

colonization of Spain, published by Antonio De Morga in Mexico
1609

• The book is based on the experienced and observation of Antonio De

Morga.

• Annotated by Jose Rizal with a prologue by Dr. Ferdinand

Bluementritt.
Purpose of Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas

Morga (1609) wrote that the purpose for writing Sucesos

was so he could chronicle “the deeds achieved by our
Spaniards, the discovery, conquest, and conversion of the
Filipinas Islands – well as various fortunes that they have
from time to time in the great kingdoms and among the
pagan people surrounding the islands.”
WHAT LEADS JOSE RIZAL TO SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS
FILIPINAS?

• Rizal was an earnest seeker of truth and this marked him as historian.
• He had a burning desire to know exactly the condition of the
Philippines when the Spaniards came ashore to the islands.
• His theory was that the country was economically self-sufficient and
prosperous.
• He believed that the conquest of the Spaniards contributed in the part
to the decline of the Philippine’s rich tradition and culture.
THREE MAIN PREPOSITIONS OF RIZAL’S
ANNOTATION OF MORGA’S SUCESOS

o Awaken the consciousness of the Filipinos of their glorious

ways of the past.
o Correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to
Spanish conquest.
o Prove that Filipinos are civilized even before the coming of
the Spaniards.
 Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris was the publication in 1890 of
his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos, which he wrote in the British
Museum. It was printed by Garnier Freres. The prologue was written by
Professor Bluemetritt upon the request of Rizal.

 Rizal dedicated his new edition of Morga to the Filipino people so that
they would know of their glorious past.

“Paris, Liberia de Garnier Hermanos, 1890”

 The Philippines Within a Century – article written by Rizal which
he expressed his views on the Spanish colonization in the Philippines
and predicted with amazing accuracy the tragic end of Spain’s
sovereignty in Asia.
 The Indolence of Filipinos – other essay of Rizal is also prestigious
work of historical scholarship. It is an able defense of the alleged
indolence of the Filipino.
- Rizal made a critical study of the causes why his people did not
work hard during the Spanish regime. His main thesis was the Filipinos
are not by nature indolent.
 International Association of Filipinologists - association proposed by
Rizal to establish taking advantage of world attention which was then
focused at the Universal Exposition in 1889 in Paris and have its
inaugural convention in the French capital.
International Association of Filipinologists
Formation: January 1889
Dissolved: August 1889
Legal status: dissolved
Purpose: To study the Philippines in scientific and historical views
Headquarters: Paris, France
Region served: Europe and Philippines (intended)
Membership: defunct
International Association of Filipinologists
Official language: Spanish, French, German
President: Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt
Secretary: Dr. José Rizal
Remarks Defunct organization, dissolved in the mid-1889
 The idea of an association to invest Filipino self-identity came upon Dr. José
Rizal before the end of 1888. This was due to the incoming International
Exposition of 1889 in Paris, France that many people will observe the beauty
of Philippine culture. According to his announcement letters written in London
on December 31, 1888:
 In his June 22, 1889 letter to Marcelo H. del Pilar written in
Paris, Dr. Rizal also said that the grace of God and Fate is
betrothed upon them and to their fellow Filipinos, too, and they
should have the right to be free because "they have the just cause
and justice for the country”
 Rizal proposed the idea of having an established International
Association of Filipinologists and have its inaugural convention
on Paris. In a letter dated January 14, 1889, Rizal broached the
idea to his friend, Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt who gladly
supported him.
 Project for Filipino college in Hong Kong - another magnificent
project of Rizal in Paris in which also fizzled out was his plan to
establish a modern college in Hong Kong.
 
Project for Filipino College in Hong Kong and financial.
Aim: To train and educate men of good family means in accordance to
the demands of modern times and circumstances
Mariano Cunanan – promised to raise P40,000 as initial payment of the
college
 Por Telefono – another satirical work as reply to another
slanderer, Fr. Salvador Font, who was masterminded the
banning of his Noli, in the fall of 1889.

- It was published in booklet form un Barcelona, 1889, this

satirical pamphlet under the authorship of “Dimas Alang”
is a witty satire which ridicules Father Font
 Shortly after New Year, Rizal made a visit to London. It
may be due to two reason:

(1)To check up his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos with

the original copy in the British Museum
(2)To see Gertrude Beckett for the last time
 GROUP REPORTER:

HURVY CATLYN CAUILAN

MARC JOHN CELOS
AIRA SHAINE CAUILAN
ANGELICA CARBONEL

THANK YOU! 