Readings in Philippine

History
A. Meaning and Relevance of History

B. Primary and Secondary Sources

C. Test of Authenticity and Credibility

What? (Bakit?)
When? (Kailan?)
Where? (Saan?)
Ano ba ang “kasaysayan”?
- Nagmula sa salitang Griyego na “historia”

- Sa wikang Tagalog, ang pinagmulan ng salita ay “saysay”

- Walang tigil na pag –aaral upang maunawaan ang nakaraan at

ang kahulugan nito (American Historical Assoc.)

“history is a systematic account of a set of natural phenomena” -

Aristotle

- It is also an investigative work because people aim to satisfy

their thirst for truth

- A chronological record of significant events (M. Webster)

Collingwood
Ayon kay Dr. Zeus Salazar:

- Nagpapakita ng katangian ng isang lahi

“Ang Kasaysayan ay salaysay na may saysay

para sa isang grupo ng tao na may kakanyahan,
identidad na nakasandig sa sariling wika at
kalinangan”

- Ang pagpapahalaga sa kasaysayan ay

nakabatay kung kanino ito isinasalaysay at
para kanino ito isinasalaysay

*kwentong may saysay*

 Hindi maaaring ang
Kasaysayan ay “gawa – gawa”
Lamang, nararapat na ito ay
May mga saligan
not everything which happened in the past were recorded and/or
documented. Therefore, history does not create narration of past
events; rather a recreation of past events based on available
materials.
Classification and Types
Of
Historical Sources
…students can infer that historical sources are
not only confined to written documents but
also to artifacts and ecofacts

Sources are defined as artifacts that have

been left by the past
 Written Sources
A. Primary Source

“the testimony of an eyewitness, or of a

witness by any other of the senses, or of a
mechanical device like the Dictaphone–that is,
of one who or that which was present at the
events of which he or it tells.” – Louis
Gottschalk

*the author is present

 Written Sources
A. Primary Source
- Diaries
- Audio recordings
- Artifacts
- Letters
- Newspapers
- Articles
- Documents – birth certificate, marriage
contracts and death certificates
- Visual sources: photographs and videos
 Written Sources
B. Secondary Source

“the testimony of anyone who is not an

eyewitness–that is, one who was not present
at the events of which he tells.”

- Louis Gottschalk

- *the author is not present

- Relied on the primary sources
 Written Sources
B. Secondary Source
bibliographies,
commentaries,
annotations,
dictionaries,
encyclopedias,
journal articles,
magazines,
monographs, textbooks.
Unwritten Sources
A. Archaeological

B. Oral (myths , legends)

C. Material (photographs,
Personal belongings)
Aside From written documents:

(1)relics,
(2)what we can call as remains,
(3)as the testimonies of witnesses of the past
(ORAL HISTORY)
The Repositories of
Historical Sources
 Philippine Depositories
National Library of the Philippines

- Filipiniana Division
- Microfilm Section
- Historical Data Papers
- Philippine Revolutionary Records
 Philippine Depositories
Archival Records – University of Santo
Tomas
 Philippine Depositories
Archival Records – Nat’l Archives of the Phils.
 Philippine Depositories
Archival Records – Archdiocesan Archives of
Manila
 Philippine Depositories
Archival Records – Manila
Observatory
Philippine Depositories
Institutions
University of the Philippines Main Library in
Diliman Quezon City;

Ateneo de Manila University’s Rizal Library

Historical Collection of the United States

Embassy in Loyola Heights, Quezon City;

De La Salle University Libraries in Ermita,

Manila.
 Philippine Depositories

Other depositories are the centers established by

local historical networks

- Makukuhanan ng mga talang pangkasaysayan

na may kaugnayan sa mga pueblos o provincia
para sa pag –aaral ng lokal ng kasaysayan
 Spanish Depositories
1. Archivo General de Indias (Seville)

2. ArchivoHistorico Nacional (Madrid)

3. Museo Naval de la Ministerio de Marina (Madrid)

4. Real Academia de la Historia (Madrid)

5.
6. .Biblioteca Nacional de Espana (Madrid)

7. Archivo de Ministerio de AsuntosExteriores (Madrid)

- Portal de Archivos Españoles (PARES)

 Mexican Depositories
- Archivo General de la Nacion de Mexico

British Depositories
American Depositories
1. National Archives and Records Service (NARS)
2. Library of Congress (Washington D.C.)
3. Ayer Collection of the Newberry Library (Chicago,
Illinois)
4. Lily Library (Bloomington, Indiana)
5. Harvard University
6. Stanford University
7. University of Michigan
3 minutes water break /
C.R. Break
Test of Authenticity &
Credibility
- sources must be examined and should be
dealt with high regard in order to ascertain
the accuracy of information for the greater
benefit of the readers

“Sources are said to be worthless if

they are not used by historians”

“History is a relevant and moralizing

discipline that is why it must always be
objective and accurate”
Methods of History
the process of thoroughly examining and critically
analyzing the records and survivals of the past

Historiography
Historiography refers to the process of
reconstructing historical data that have already
been tested by the method
*writing of history books, researches such as
theses and dissertations or articles for
publications or for lectures
 Test of Authenticity (why?)
- In history, It is more important to use primary
sources than secondary sources for it provide raw
data that have not been subjected to the
interpretation of historians

- Real accounts versus hoax stories – e.g. Maragtas

Code by Pedro Monteclaro

- Alteration of history to moderate or restrain the

impact

- Avoid misleading sources – misinformation and

miseducaiton

*to avoid false claims

 Test of Credibility
- One must perform internal criticism (authenticity)
in order to determine its credibility to tell if the
source is worthy to use in his / her study

*For a source to be regarded credible, the historian

must be able to discern the following:

1. Competence of the source in telling the truth

2. Willingness of the source in telling the truth
3. Adequacy of data relayed by the source
4. Reliability of the source when corroborated by
other independent sources.
When to consider disagreeing
With a source
1. Two sources disagree with each other

2. If sources or witnesses do not agree with

ceratin points

3. If the source or witness is hostile

4. If the source holds orientation from one

school of thought or philosophy
“Biases”
- primary sources contain biases

- must be minimized to avoid

“yellow journalism”
Application