Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

Readings in Philippine History (GEC 2A)

TOPIC III
CONTROVERSIES AND CONFLICTNG VIEWS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Learning Objectives

After studying this topic, the student will be able to:

1. Share the known story about the event.

2. Determine the provenance or source of the story and why it was written.
3. Identify the author or the writer of the controversies and conflicting views.
4. Highlight all the authors’ main argument and explain why.
5. Share the important learning or connection of the topic in your appreciation of Philippine
History.

Many years ago, an NFO Trends Survey showed that only 37% of the 1, 420 respondents
aged 7 to 21 years old, were able to sing the Philippine National Anthem and only 28% could recite
the old version of “Panatang Makabayan.” Of the many Filipino heroes, they could only name up
to 2 heroes – and other matters. The conclusion is that the Filipino youth, in general, had a “very
shallow knowledge and appreciation” of the country’s history and cultural heritage.

Every student in Philippine History should therefore be able to know, understand and
critically analyze various controversies and conflicting views because these may affect their lives
as Filipinos and citizens of contemporary society.

It has been said the Philippines had “one past but many histories” is true in this case.
Different authors and writers of Philippine history books vary in their description of the
Philippine’s physical features, its location, number of islands, land area, river systems, mountains,
site of the first mass, cry of Balintawak among others. With these conflicting views in certain
events and situations, they are subject for debate.
 Republic of the Philippines
President Ramon Magsaysay State University
Readings in Philippine History (GEC 2A)

Filipino Historians

A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it.
Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as
relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is concerned
with events preceding written history, the individual is a historian of prehistory. Some historians
are recognized by publications or training and experience. “historian” became a professional
occupation in the late nineteenth century as research universities were emerging in Germany and
elsewhere.

Antonio M. Molina Teodoro A. Agoncillo Gregorio F. Zaide Nicolas A. Zafra

Controversies and Conflicting Views in Philippine History

The Philippine Physical Features

Pepito M. Capito prepared a list of controversial issues in Philippine history. He got the
information from the book of Pedro H. Gagelonia – who happened to be the author’s history in
FEU in 1963. These controversies are:

1. Number of Islands and Islets in the Philippines

Different authors of history books had different views

on the number of islands and islets. Here are the
conflicting views on the number of islands and islets.

a. Molina – 7,083 islands

b. Agoncillo and Alfonso – 7,000
c. Alip – 7,100
d. Zaide – 7,083
e. Ariola – 7,100
 2. Number of Named Islands and Unnamed Islands

a. Agoncillo and Alfonso – 3,000 named islands and 4,000

unnamed islands
b. Alip – 2,733 named islands, the rest are still unnamed islands
c. Zaide – different data in his own books

(1) Philippine History for Catholic Schools and the Republic of the
Philippines, 1963 – 2,773 (named islands?)

(2) Philippine Political and Cultural History, 1957 – 2,782 (named

islands?)

d. Gagelonia, The Filipino Historian – 2,000 islands have been

named
e. Google, Wikipedia – 5,000 islands are yet to be named

3. Location of the Philippines

a. Zafra – Philippines is located about 700 miles or 1126.54 kms. from the mainland China
b. Molina – Philippines is located southeast of the Asiatic Mainland
c. Alip – Philippines lies about 700 miles or 1126.54 km to the southeast of the Asia Mainland
d. Zaide – Philippines is a sprawling archipelago fringing the southeastern rim of Asia Mainland

4. Location of the Philippine Deep or sometimes called

Philippine Trench, Mindanao Trench or Mindanao Deep.

This the third deepest in the world which is located on the east of
the Philippines. Its length is 1,320 km (820 miles) and a width of
about 30 km (19 miles). This is located in Luzon trending southeast
to the northern Maluku Island Haimahera, Indonesia. Galathea
Depth, its deepest point has a depth of 10,540 meters (5,760
fathoms; 34,580 feet)

a. Molina – Philippine Deep or Philippine Trench which is found

east of Mindanao is the second lowest region on earth
b. Zaide – It is the lowest region in the world, an ocean depth east
of Mindanao (cited in his book, Philippine History for Catholic
High Schools)
c. Zaide – It is the lowest part of the Earth situated about 15 miles (24,1420 kms) Northeast of
Mindanao. It is 34,218 feet (10,429646 kms) below sea level. (cited in his book Philippine Political
and Cultural History)
d. Zaide – It is the second lowest place in the world which is located 72,4205 kms (45 miles) east
of Northern Mindanao. It is 35,400 feet or 10,78992 kms deep (cited in his book Philippine
History)
e. Agoncillo – It is the second deepest see in the world and is located 72, 4205 kms (45 miles) east
of Northern Mindanao. It is 35,400 feet (10.802.112 kms)
f. Google – The Philippine Deep Sea has a depth 34,580 feet or 10.539984 kilometers.

5. Longest River in the World – Fact: The

largest, longest, and widest river in the
Philippines is the Cagayan River or Rio
Grande de Cagayan. It is located in the
Northeastern part of Luzon that traverses the
provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela
and Cagayan. Small streams that originates
from Balete Pass, Cordillera, Caraballo and
Sierra Mountains meet other streams and
rivers and flow to the Cagayan River.

The Rio Grande de Mindanao or Mindanao

River is the second largest river located on the
southern part of Mindanao. It has length of 373 kilometers (232 meters). Its headwaters are in the
mountains of Impasugong, Bukidnon, south of Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental, what is called
the Pulang River joining the Kabacan River where it becomes the Mindanao River.

Disagreement Among the Authors of Philippine History

a. Alip – Cagayan River is the longest river in the Philippines

b. Molina – Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in the Philippines
c. Benitez – Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in our country
d. Zaide – The longest river is the Rio Grande de Mindanao (cited in his book Philippine History
for Elementary Schools)
e. Zaide – The longest river is the Rio Grande de Mindanao (cited in his book Philippine History
for High Schools)
f. Google – Rio Grande de Cagayan is the longest and widest river in the Philippines whereas, Rio
Grande de Mindanao or Mindanao River is the country’s second largest river system with a length
of 373 kilometers.

6. Straits – It is a naturally formed, narrow but

navigable waterway that connects two larger
bodies of water.

Disagreements among Authors in Philippine

History as to the number of straits in the
Philippines

a. Molina – There are 8 landlocked straits in the

Philippines
b. Agoncillo – There are 20 landlocked straits
c. Zaide – There are 8 landlocked straits
d. Google – There are 22 straits

7. Coastline – It is also called seashore where land meets the

sea or ocean, or a line that forms the boundary between the land
and the ocean, sea, or lake.

Disagreements among the Authors

a. Zaide – The Philippines coastline is thrice longer than the

U.S. coastline with 10,850 statute miles or 17,461.382 statute
kilometers
b. Molina – The Philippines coastline is 11,446 statute
kilometers
c. Alip –The Philippines coastline is nearly 11,000 miles or
17,702.784 kilometers
d. Benitez – The Philippines coastline is 11,440 statute miles
or 18,419,895 statute kilometers

8. Mountains – Mt. Apo is the highest

mountain in the Philippines but historians
disagree or differ in their data on the height of
Mt. Apo.

a. Agoncillo – Mount Apo is 9,600 feet or

2.92608 kilometers high
b. Alip – Mount Apo is 9,699 feet or 2.956
plus kilometers high
c. Zaide – Mount Apo is 9,690 feet or 2.9535
kilometers high
d. Google – Mount Apo is 2,954 kilometers high

9. Mount Pulag or sometimes as Mount Pulog

is the third highest mountain in the Philippines
and Luzon’s highest peak at 2.922 meters above
sea level. It borders between the province of
Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya:

a. Agoncillo – Mt. Pulag is the second highest

peak in Luzon with 8,481 feet (2.585009 kms)
high
b. Alip – Mt. Pulag is 9,606 feet high (2.927
kms) high
c. Google – Mt. Pulag is 2.9222 kilometers high
Site of the First Mass
Decades after the debate on
where the Catholic mass in the
Philippines took place has
remained unsolved, local
Butuan historians asked the
Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP) to
resolve the first mass
controversy in the city’s favor
(Macarinas, 2012). Local
historians believed that the
first site of the Catholic mass
took place in Mazawa, a place
in Butuan now called Masao,
not in Limasawa Island in
Leyte as stated in history
books.

Local historian and president of the Butuan City Heritage Society (BCHS) Greg Hontiveros
said that the “honor” belongs to the City of Butuan and not in Leyte. He also requested the CBCP
to investigate the first mass controversy since the event is very symbolic and important to the
church.

March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday) – held the first Catholic mass in the Philippines

Friar Pedro Valderrama – celebrant of the first Catholic mass in the Philippines

Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese explorer) & his men, Rajah Siasis (ruler of Mawaza) and
Rajah Colambu (ruler of Butuan)
-the first Catholic mass attendees

Afterwards, they planted a cross in the highest

hill and stayed in the area for seven days and helped in
the rice harvest for two days together with more than a
hundred of the Raja’s men.

Father Joesilo Conalla, curator of Butuan

Diocesan Liturgical Museum likewise believed that the
site of the first mass was in Butuan, not in Limasawa
because the people who attended the mass harvested rice
for two days, meaning that the place was a huge
agricultural area. Limasawa island was not an agriculture
area, therefore there is nothing to harvest there, Amalla
further stated.
 He also pointed out that one important evidence is the Yale Codex, which according to
Magellan’s history scholars, is more impressive than the Ambrosiana Codex used in the past to
justify both claims. He further stated that the document (referring to the Yale Codex) is now kept
at Yale University while the other two French manuscripts are in the French National Library.
Another proof, according to Fr. Amalla are the versions of Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan’s voyage
chronicler, because there are subtle indicators that can be used.

However, on March 31, 1998, the National Historical Institute chose to adopt the finding
in the Gancayco Panel which dismissed the Gines de Mafra account as faked and forthwith
unilaterally reverted the discussion to pre-de Mafra context which was back to whether the site of
the of the first mass was Limasawa, the isle without anchorage, or Butuan, which is not isle.

Another evidence to prove that the first Catholic site was held somewhere in Butuan and
not in Limasawa Island was the historical account of Joelito Monzon Ramirez Jr., a local historian
and writer.

1. there was no island named Limasawa in 1521. On the event, Pigafetta recorded today’s
Limasawa as Gatigham Island, between Bohol and Panaon south of Leyte. Magellan never landed
in Gatigham. The name Limasawa appeared only in 1667, Historia de Mindanao, by Combes.
Pigafetta saw these islands on their way out from Mazaua after their departure on April 4, after the
first mass was celebrated on March 31.

2. They went to Mazaua from Suluan by sailing, as recorded, downwards – west. From Suluan,
Limasawa can be reached by sailing northwest – but that is not their course. They sailed
downwards-west.
3. Upon their departure, they sailed northwards for Cebu. Had they been in Limasawa, that
direction would have landed them in Ormoc of Leyte.

The Cry of Balintawak or Cry of Pugadlawin

The Cry of Balintawak is a contrived

controversy. For nearly a century, the
Cry of Balintawak or Cry of Pugadlawin
has been the subject of many
controversies. It is considered as a
turning point of Philippine history. The
main focus of controversy is the date and
place of Bonifacio Cry. There were five
dates for the cry – August 20, 23, 24, 25,
and 25 and five different venues for the
first cry: Balintawak, Pugadlawin,
Kangkong, Bahay-Toro and Pasong
Tamo.
 The first issue: It has been widely accepted and believed that the first cry of the revolution
took place in Balintawak, Caloocan in August 23, 1896.

The second issue: The first cry was in August 23, 1896 but the exact place is not in
Balintawak but Pugadlawin. Between these two controversies, the Balintawak tradition continues
to thrive.

The third issue: The cry occurred towards the end of August 1896 and that all the places
mentioned above are in Caloocan (now a big city) which in those times was a district of
Balintawak.

But these controversies remain unresolved except in the Philippine History books.

The Philippine National Flag

Before the 1896 revolution, the Filipino had no common flag. It

was only on the height of revolution that started to exist. The Katipunan
generals designed different flags to signify the unit of battalion where
they belong. But, the flags that they created cannot be called as a national
flag.

Here is Pugay’s detailed historical account in the controversial

Philippine National Flag.

Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo aspired to established a new nation to be

signified by a flag and an anthem during the second phase of the
Philippine Revolution. With this, he himself made the sketch of the flag
that he submitted to Dona Marcella Agoncillo who was then living at
535 Morrison Hill Road in Hong Kong. In sewing the flag, Mrs.
Agoncillo was assisted by her daughter Lorenza and by Delfina Herbosa
Natividad. After five days of hard work, the flag was delivered to
Aguinaldo who went back to Philippines on 17 May 1898 through S.S.
McCulloch. The flag as described by the maker herself was “made from
fine silk with a white triangle at the left containing a sunburst with eight
rays at the center, a five-pointed star at each angle of the triangle, an
upper stripe of dark blue and a lower stripe of red. The white triangle
stood for the Filipinos’ for equality; the blue color stood for peace, truth
and justice; and the red stood for patriotism and valor. The sunburst of
eight rays represented the first eight provinces to take up arms against
Spain, and the three stars symbolized Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.”

Philippine Flag was Banned

Just like our country and its constitution, the Philippine flag also experienced different
controversies. When the Americans took over the Philippines in 1898, mutual distrust among the
Filipinos and Americans started. This prompted the Philippine Commission to enact the Flag Law
of 1907 that forbade the Filipinos to use or display the Philippine flag anywhere, even inside
Filipino homes. The Filipinos responded with bitter protests as they saw the Flag Law as a violation
of the fundamental principle of free expression.

Several factors were done by Filipino legislators to repeal the law, but to no avail. In 1919,
Senator Rafael Palma sponsored the Senate Bill No. 1, a bill repealing the Flag Law of 1907
following Gov. Gen Francis Harrison’s recommendation that the law should be repealed since the
distrust between the Filipinos and the Americans no longer exists. On October 24 1919, Act No.
2871 was approved and signed by Gen. Harrison; thus, the Flag Law of 1907 was repealed.

Inclusion of a 9th Ray or Crescent in the Flag

In the early part of 1970, appeals for the inclusion of an additional ray or a crescent in the
Philippine flag created another issue. House Bill No. 7725 sponsored by Rep. Sultan Omar
Dianalan of the 1st District of Lanao del Sur petitioned for the addition of 9th ray in the rays of the
sun in the Philippine flag to symbolize the Moslems and the cultural minorities who fought the
Spaniards and waged war against them. Other groups proposed that a crescent be placed beside
the sun as a form of tribute to the pre-colonial post.

The Blue Color of the Flag

The repeal of the Flag Law of 1907 gave reason for the Filipinos to be jubilant, however, it created
a new controversy concerning the true color of
the flag’s blue field. The issue was raised as
early as mid-1970’s until mid-1980’s. through
studies it appeared that the conflict in the
shades of blue might have resulted from the
alleged hasty preparations of the flag that was
used for the Flag Day of Mach 26, 1920
following the repeal of Flag Law. The
quartermaster was said to have run out of light
blue cloth and used dark blue instead similar
to the one used for the American Flag.

Specification of the blue color of the original

flag through a documented interview of Emilio
Aguinaldo by the historian Teodoro Agoncillo was noted before the former’s death. In an
interview, Aguinaldo specified that the blue color of the flag is “bughaw” neither azul oscuro noe
azul marino.

Juan Luna’s painting of the flag on May 21, 1899 in “Monograph” illustrated the flag in China
blue, not navy blue

Mariano Ponce in his letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt described the blue color of the blue color of
the flag “as blue as the sky” symbolizing hope.

Salvador Vivencio del Rosario’s in his article “La Bandera de la Patria “published in October 1899
where he stated that the flag’s color was “color celeste” (color of the sky).

1943, The Philippine Flag wore a bright royal blue during the inauguration of the Japanese –
sponsored Republic.

Nonetheless, numerous personalities maintained that the color of the flag is navy blue or
dark blue. The daughter of the flag-maker named Marcella Agoncillo believed that it was not sky
blue or light blue but dark blue. She also argued that, if there was error in the color of the flag,
why did Aguinaldo never question it during in his lifetime? Her description was supported by
Teodoro Kalaw’s description of the flag.

Arturo Tolentino raised that the flag that was used and adopted by the 1935 and the 1973
Constitution, which was colored dark blue should be maintained because it was the one which was
“consecrated and honored by the people” and the change of its color or shade is a violation of law.
February 25, 1985, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Executive Order No. 1010 which changed
dark blue to a lighter shade, lighter than navy blue but darker than the sky blue or azure which is
the basis of the true shade of blue in the Philippine Flag.

Where is the Original Flag?

In his letter to Captain Baja dated June 11, 1925,

Aguinaldo mentioned that in their Northward retreat during
the Filipino-American War, the original flag was lost
somewhere in Tayug, Pangasinan. Some people believed
that the original that was hoisted during the proclamation
of independence on june12, 1898 was the one stored in the
Aguinaldo Museum at Baguio City. It cannot be denied that
the said flag was authentic and a contemporary of the
original flag but experts found out that its materials was
made of combined silk and cotton fabric, not fine silk as
stated by the flag-maker herself in “Philippine Herald”
published in October 1929. There were also reports that the
first original flag of the Philippines was returned in July
1957 by US Ambassador Charles E. Bohlen.
 Very recently, American War Commission Public
Relations Director Rudy Asercion noticed a Philippine flag in
an American Trophy Room of the San Francisco War Memorial
Building. He then asked if the flag in San Francisco could be
the same flag sewn by Agoncillo in 1898. Looking at the flag
closely, it was made of fine silk but the sun has 12 rays while
the original has eight; it has six-pointed stars while the original
had five-pointed stars; the sun and stars in the original flag were
sewn by hand while the San Francisco flag has a painted sun
and stars; and most importantly, the original flag had a plain
blue field while the San Francisco flag has a printed blue field
with a floral design. While the flag was proven to be authentic
and was really used during the Filipino-American war, it is
definitely not the original Philippine flag of 1898. Until today,
the whereabouts of the original flag of 1898 remains mystery.

Antonio Luna’s Assassination

Who really ordered Luna’s murderer? Is Aguinaldo a hero

or a traitor? History books blamed Aguinaldo as the mastermind
in the death of General Antonio Luna. Luna suffered over 30
wounds from bolos, bayonets, and bullets. Was the death of Luna
under the command and order of Aguinaldo?

1. General Antonio Luna, lieutenant commander of the Filipino

Army has been assassinated by order of Aguinaldo. He was
stabbed to death by a guard selected by Aguinaldo to kill him.
Investigation of the incident proved that Luna had been killed and
General Otis, the American Governor-General, had authentic
information regarding the death of the “insurgent general.”

2. Another information says that Ney, a guard of Aguinaldo, by

order of General Aguinaldo purposely insulted Luna and forced a
quarrel. One report says that Luna was shot before Ney stabbed
him.

3. Pedro Paterno, one of the Filipino leaders believed that Aguinaldo ordered the killing of Luna.
The assassination, he recalled, was similar to the fate of Bonifacio in Cavite province. Both Luna
and Bonifacio were rivals of Aguinaldo for the leadership of the Filipinos.

4. General Luna was exceedingly unpopular among the Filipino troops on account of his stubborn
and dictatorial manners, and very little regret was expressed at his death. Luna and Aguinaldo were
unable to agree as to the manner of conducting the campaign against the Spanish authorities and it
is said that Aguinaldo was afraid he would be assassinated by Luna’s order.
 On the other hand, those who believed that it was not Aguinaldo who ordered the death of
Luna, but it was Luna’s fault and men who assassinated him expressed the following views:

1. Emilio “Jun” Abaya, former Transportation Secretary and great grandson of Aguinaldo had to
defend his great grandfather. He said that Luna was not assassinated on order of Aguinaldo.

2. Professor Xiao Chua of De La Salle University noted that there is no valid evidence to support
the claims that Aguinaldo had Luna killed. According to Professor Chua, there are various
accounts on Luna’s death, including one by Pedro Janolino, Aguinaldo’s men from Kawit who
was one of the people who killed Luna.

3. Antonio Abad who interviewed Pedro Janolino said that it was he who killed Luna by self-
defense. This was the statement of Janolino:

“When Antonio Luna was coming down the stairs, nakita nya na galit na galit si Antonio
(referring to Luna). Sino ang nagpaputok? Asked Luna.
According to the interview with Janolino, Janolino was so afraid so that Luna might kill
him and his men that they killed him first.

Is Aguinaldo still be considered a hero or a traitor?

It is not easy to dismiss Aguinaldo’s role in Philippine

history given the controversies surrounding his leadership. If one
looked at it, he has roles in the making of the Philippine flag, the
production of the national anthem, and his role in the revolution
against the Spaniards and Americans. But just like other men, he
had also some mistake, and the mistakes must be taught and
analyzed by every Filipino.

Rizal’s Retraction
Controversy

Rizal’s retraction letter

was discovered by Father
Manuel Garcia, C.M in 1935.
From this time on, the letter’s content has become a favorite
subject of dispute among history writers, history professors, and
academicians. The retraction letter dated December 29, 1896 was
said to have been signed by Rizal himself

Upon analysis of the two versions of Rizal’s letter, it can

be shown that there are different words used and some words are
missing in the second version. At any rate, whether Rizal truly resigned his Catholic faith is still a
controversy. However, there are groups who believed or did not believe that Rizal retracted.
Believers of Rizal’s retraction had the following arguments:

1. The retraction document (letter) is authentic having judged by a foremost handwriting expert,
Teodoro Kalaw and handwriting experts are known and recognized in our courts of justice.

2. Eleven (11) witnesses saw Rizal wrote his own retraction, signed a Catholic prayer book and
recited Catholic prayers and kissed the crucifix before his execution.

3. Rizal’s 4 confessions were certified by 5 eyewitnesses, 10 qualified witnesses, 7 newspapermen,

and 12 historians and writers.

4. Aglipayan bishops, masons, and anti-clerics

witnessed Rizal’s signing of the retraction document.

5. The head of the Spanish Supreme Court notarized

his retraction letter.

6. Being Catholic, he was buried inside the sacred

grounds of Pako (now Paco) Catholic Cemetery.

7. The retraction letter was not forged because

witnesses were present while Rizal was signing it.

8. Rizal retracted his masonry because he wanted to

be at peace when he dies.

9. Direct evidence which have a greater weight need

to prove Rizal’s retraction than just circumstantial
evidence.

Non-believers of Rizal’s retraction had the following arguments:

1. There is no certificate of Rizal’s catholic marriage to Josephine Bracken

2. There is an allegation that the retraction document was a forgery. There are two versions of the
retraction letter with some words missing in the second document. Which document is authentic?
Where these documents written in Spanish, English, or Filipino? Since the signing of the
document, if it’s true, would have been written in Spanish, not in English. There was no mention
that the original writing is Spanish and translated in English.

3. The document was not in Rizal’s own handwriting according to Senator Palma.

4. The retraction letter is not in keeping with Rizal’s character and mature beliefs.
 SUMMARY

Issues and controversies in history places students at the center of the great debates and
conflicts in global history. It brings history to life not as a mere recitation of names and dates but
as a set of turning points where the future hung in the balance and opinions raged on all sides. By
exploring the issues as the key players saw them, or, in some cases, as historians have interpreted
them, the database will build a deeper understanding of how historical events and conflicts have
shaped world history.

The goal of issues and controversies in history is to present history as a dynamic process
of controversies, conflicts, and issues that people debated and experienced and ultimately made
choices about. The “issues and controversies” approach will help personalized the engagement
with global perspectives, reminding students and teachers that world history doesn’t have to take
a distanced point of view, but rather can also be about linking local individual actions and events
to the larger global experience. Students will learn that in spite of the vastness of the past, the daily
lives of individuals also comprise the building blocks of world history and that the choices made
by individuals – be they merchants, rulers, farmers, or slaves – have shaped world history for
thousands of years.