Contents
Lesson 3
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Topic 1: Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary
Sources
WHAT IS CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS?
Absolute knowledge of the past through plausible and dependable sources is very vital to the
understanding and learning of the students of their own history.
Content Analysis- utilizes appropriate techniques such as:
1. identify argument
2. compare point of views
3. identify biases
4. claims based on the evidence
Contextual Analysis- having the knowledge of what the source is, who produced it, where, when,
and why it was produced. This process considers the following:
1. Historical context of the source- it refers to the time and place it was written and
considers the situation during that period.
2. Author's background - intent and authority on the subject
3. Source's relevance- determines the importance of the author's written work
READING TIME:
Prior to the coming of the Spaniards, the early native Filipinos had already possessed a rich
culture. It was described in some documents written by the priests and Spanish government
officials who visited the different parts of the archipelago. These sources were described based on
their experiences within the context of their own time.
Bear in mind that the context is an essential factor in order to know the historical importance of the
text. You must consider what is happening in and around the time period of the historical data or
event at hand to create a full picture in order for you to understand the document. Read the excerpt
below from the writings of Fr. Juan De Plasencia entitled "Customs of the Tagalog". His writings
described the people and their social statuses in a time when Spaniards were completely unaware
of our pre-colonial background.
"These people always had chiefs, called by them datos, who governed them and were captains in
their wars, and whom they obeyed and reverenced....
These chiefs ruled over but a few people; sometimes as many as a hundred houses, sometimes
even less than thirty. This tribal gathering is called in Tagalog as barangay. It was inferred that the
reason for giving themselves this name arose from the fact ... that when they came to this land, the
head of the barangay, which is a boat, thus called… became a dato. And so, even at the present
day, it is ascertained that this barangay in its origin was a
family of parents and children, relations and slaves.
In addition to the chiefs... there were three castes: nobles, commoners, and slaves. The nobles
were the free born whom they call maharlica. They did not pay tax or tribute to the dato, but must
accompany him in war, at their own expense. Moreover, when the dato went upon the water those
whom he summoned rowed for him.
If he built a house, they helped him and had to be fed for it. The same was true when the whole
barangay went to clear up his lands for tillage. The lands which they inhabited were divided among
the whole barangay, especially the irrigated portion, and thus each one knew his own....
The chiefs in some villages had also fisheries, with established limits, and sections of the rivers for
markets. At these no one could fish, or trade in the markets, without paying for the privilege, unless
he belonged to the chief's barangay or village.
The commoners were called aliping namamahay. They are married, and serve their master,
whether he be a dato or not, with half of their cultivated lands. They accompanied him whenever he
went beyond the Island and rowed for him. They live in their own houses and are lords of their
property and gold. Their children inherit it and enjoy their property and lands....
The slaves are called aliping saguiguilir (saguiguilid). They serve their master in his house and on
his cultivated lands and may be sold. The master grants them, should he see fit, and providing that
he has profited through their industry, a portion of their harvests, so that they may work faithfully.
For this reason, servants who are born in the house of their master are rarely, if ever, sold. That is a
lot of captives in war, and of those brought up in the harvest fields."
On the other hand, according to Fr. Francisco Colin, a Jesuit priest, the Visayan people had a
different term designated to each social class.
"There are three kinds and classes of people: the chiefs, whom the Visayans call dato and the
Tagalogs maginoo; the timauas, who are the ordinary common people, called maharlica among the
Tagalogs; and the slaves, called oripuen by the Visayans and alipin by the Tagalogs....
...The most general origin of those slaveries was interest and usury. If payment was not made
when promised, the debtor remained a slave until he paid. That happened often, because the
interest or increase continued to accumulate just so long as the payment was deferred. Other
slaveries were due to tyranny and cruelty. For slave were made either in vengeance on enemies, in
the engagements and petty wars that they waged against one another, in which the prisoners
remained slaves, even though they were of the same village and race. The worst thing is that all
those who had been made slaves by war, or for punishment of debts, were rigorously regarded as
such, as slaves for any kind of service or slavery, and served inside the house. The same was true
of their children, in the manner of our slaveries, and they could be sold at will. The Tagalogs
called such true slaves sanguiguilir, and the Visayans halon.
Other slaves were called namamahay, for they did not serve their master in all capacities, nor
inside his house; but in their own houses, and outside that of their masters. They were bound,
however, to obey their master's summons either to serve in his house and its repair, and in the
seasons of sowing and harvest. They [also had] to act as his rowers when he went out in his boat,
and on other like occasions, in which they were obliged to serve their master without any pay."
Reference:
Amvida M., Delos Santos, A., Maliban, N., Ramos, O., & Umali, V., (2018). Reading in the
Philippine History. Jodeh Publishing
TOPIC 2: Historical Importance of Text in Understanding Philippine
History
WHAT IS HISTORICAL TEXTS?
Historical text is an important part of the past and without it, memories, stories, and characters
have less meaning. In analyzing historical events and during the time when cameras and
smartphones are unknown, text can help us imagine the narratives of people's behavior.
In more technical terms, historical text refers to the social, religious, economic and political
narratives during particular time in a certain place. Basically, it is all the details of the time and
place in which a situation occurs, and those details enable us to Interpret and analyze works and
events in the past.
READING TIME:
The arrival of the Spaniards during the 16th century ushered in a three-hundred-year long process
of colonization of the Philippines. You have been taught before that the primary goal of the Spanish
conquistadores was to gather spices and other resources from the islands of Moluccas. Their
motive, however, turned into something greater in importance – to spread Christianity.
Although the indoctrination by the Spaniards was reluctantly accepted by the natives, an event
unfolded in Mactan, Cebu that defined who we are as Filipinos today. The battle that ensued
between the forces of Magellan against the brave people of Lapu-Lapu was recorded by the
chronicler of the Spanish expedition, Antonio Pigafetta (c. 1491 - C. 1534).
Read the following excerpt and find out what really transpired during the famed "Battle of Mactan."
"On Friday, April twenty-six (1521), Zula, a chief of the island of Matan (Mactan), sent one of his
sons to present two goats to the captain-general [Magellan), and to say that he would send him all
that he had promised, but that he had not been able to send it to him because of the other chief
Cilapulapu, who refused to obey the king of Spain. He requested the captain to send him only one
boatload of men on the next night so that they might help him and fight against the other chief. The
captain-general decided to go thither with three boatloads. We begged him repeatedly not to go,
but he, like a good shepherd, refused to abandon his flock. At midnight, sixty men of us set out
armed with corselets and helmets, together with … some of the chief men....
We reached Matan three hours before dawn. The captain did not wish to fight them but sent a
message to the natives... to the effect that if they would obey the king of Spain, recognize the
Christian king as their sovereign, and pay us our tribute, he would be their friend; but that if they
wished otherwise, they should wait to see how our lances wounded. They replied that if we had
lances, they would have lances of bamboo and stakes hardened with fire.
They asked us not to proceed to attack them at once but to wait until morning so that they might
have more men. They said that to induce us to go in search of them; for they had dug certain pit
holes between the houses in order that we might fall into them.
When morning came forty-nine of us leaped into the water up to our thighs and walked through
water for more than two crossbow flights before we could reach the shore. The boats could not
approach nearer because of certain rocks in the water. The other eleven men remained behind to
guard the boats. When we reached land, those men had formed in three divisions to the number of
more than one thousand five hundred persons. When they saw us, they charged down upon us
with exceedingly loud cries, two divisions on our flanks and the other on our front. When You sent
the captain saw that, he formed us into two divisions, and thus did we begin to fight."
As the Spaniards successfully founded their colonial government, they began instituting politico-
economic policies. Since the natives were living in numerous areas scattered and away from one
another, the colonial government gathered them and placed them under one community. This
process is called reducción (reduction). An excerpt from the report of Bishop Domingo de Salazar
is provided to you for better understanding.
"...since the Indians are thinly scattered and are settled amid rivers and marshes where they are
found with much difficulty. Hence it is very desirable that the encomenderos do as they are here
commanded, and not wait for the religious or ecclesiastics, who cannot do it with the same facility
as can the encomenderos. Moreover, since the removal of the Indians from their former homes is a
thing very odious to them, and they change their homes very unwillingly and with much hardship, it
would be better that they be vexed with the encomendero than with the minister-who has to teach
them, and through whom they have to learn love, and who in all things strives for their good. The
same is true of building churches and monasteries.
Further, the new native settlement can be described in as much as how our present-day town or
city is organized: a plaza complex can be located at the center of the surrounding settlement; and
across it are the church and the ayuntamiento (municipal/city hall) facing each other.
Reference:
Amvida M., Delos Santos, A., Maliban, N., Ramos, O., & Umali, V., (2018). Reading in the
Philippine History. Jodeh Publishing
Topic 3: Examining the Author's Argument and Point of View
HOW TO EXAMINE THE AUTHOR'S MAIN ARGUMENT AND POINT OF VIEW?
When dealing with and studying historical sources, you need to be cognizant of documents'
sources and their author’s point of view. Point of view refers to perspective of the author toward a
particular person of issue that has been shaped over a period of time due to his/her experiences,
motives, beliefs, origin, age, gender, social status, and ideology.
You might mistakenly feel that primary sources are historical facts, that there are no biases, and
are absolutely accurate. To effectively analyze the point of view, you must treat or consider the
documents as personal interpretations and not facts.
In analyzing author's argument and point of view, you should ask yourselves the following
questions:
1. Who is the speaker/source? (Age, gender, profession/work,
social status, etc.)
2. What is the occasion? (Circumstances, current situation, place, time, etc.)
3. Who is the intended audience? (Written privately or written to be read/heard by others)
4. What is the purpose? (Motives, beliefs, ideology, etc.)
5. What is the subject? (Topic, content, ideas)
6. What is the tone? (Emotions, etc.)
READING TIME:
The Filipinos have consistently struggled for their independence from the colonizers. Since the
early revolts have numerous motives, the 1896 Philippine revolution spearheaded by Andres
Bonifacio and his Katipunan, hoped for a better cause which is freedom. Let us examine the words
and texts that motivated the Katipunan's struggle for independence and helped them come up
with an armed revolution.
Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya
sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa?
Alin pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala.
Ulit-ulitin mang basahin ng isip
at isa-isahing talastasing pilit
ang salita’t buhay na limbag at titik
ng isang katauhan ito’y namamasid.
Banal na pag-ibig pag ikaw ang nukal
sa tapat na puso ng sino’t alinman,
imbit taong gubat, maralita’t mangmang
nagiging dakila at iginagalang.
Pagpupuring lubos ang nagiging hangad
sa bayan ng taong may dangal na ingat,
umawit, tumula, kumatha’t sumulat,
kalakhan din nila’y isinisiwalat.
Walang mahalagang hindi inihandog
ng pusong mahal sa Bayang nagkupkop,
dugo, yaman, dunong, katiisa’t pagod,
buhay ma’y abuting magkalagot-lagot.
Bakit? Ano itong sakdal nang laki
na hinahandugan ng buong pag kasi
na sa lalong mahal kapangyayari
at ginugugulan ng buhay na iwi.
Ay! Ito’y ang Inang Bayang tinubuan,
siya’y ina’t tangi na kinamulatan
ng kawili-wiling liwanag ng araw
na nagbibigay init sa lunong katawan.
Sa kanya’y utang ang unang pagtanggap
ng simoy ng hanging nagbigay lunas,
sa inis na puso na sisinghap-singhap,
sa balong malalim ng siphayo’t hirap.
Kalakip din nito’y pag-ibig sa Bayan
ang lahat ng lalong sa gunita’y mahal
mula sa masaya’t gasong kasanggulan.
hanggang sa katawan ay mapasa-libingan.
Ang nangakaraang panahon ng aliw,
ang inaasahang araw na darating
ng pagka-timawa ng mga alipin,
liban pa ba sa bayan tatanghalin?
At ang balang kahoy at ang balang sanga
na parang niya’t gubat na kaaya-aya
sukat ang makita’t sa ala-ala
ang ina’t ang giliw lampas sa saya.
Tubig niyang malinaw sa anaki’y bulog
bukal sa batisang nagkalat sa bundok
malambot na huni ng matuling agos
na nakaka aliw sa pusong may lungkot.
Sa aba ng abang mawalay sa Bayan!
gunita ma’y laging sakbibi ng lumbay
walang ala-ala’t inaasam-asam
kundi ang makita’ng lupang tinubuan.
Pati na’ng magdusa’t sampung kamatayan
wari ay masarap kung dahil sa Bayan
at lalong maghirap. O! himalang bagay,
lalong pag-irog pa ang sa kanya’y alay.
Kung ang bayang ito’y nasa panganib
at siya ay dapat na ipagtangkilik
ang anak, asawa, magulang, kapatid
isang tawag niya’y tatalikdang pilit.
Datapwa kung bayan ano ang bayan ng ka-Tagalogan
ay nilalapastangan at niyuyurakan
katwiran, puri niya’t kamahalan
ng sama ng lilong ibang bayan.
Di gaano kaya ang paghinagpis
ng pusong Tagalog sa puring nalait
at aling kaluoban na lalong tahimik
ang di pupukawin sa paghihimagsik?
Saan magbubuhat ang paghihinay
sa paghihiganti’t gumugol ng buhay
kung wala ring ibang kasasadlakan
kundi ang lugami sa kaalipinan?
Kung ang pagka-baon niya’t pagka-busabos
sa lusak ng daya’t tunay na pag-ayop
supil ng pang-hampas tanikalang gapos
at luha na lamang ang pinaa-agos
Sa kanyang anyo’y sino ang tutunghay
na di-aakayin sa gawang magdamdam
pusong naglilipak sa pagka-sukaban
na hindi gumugol ng dugo at buhay.
Mangyari kayang ito’y masulyap
ng mga Tagalog at hindi lumingap
sa naghihingalong Inang nasa yapak
ng kasuklam-suklam na Castilang hamak.
Nasaan ang dangal ng mga Tagalog,
nasaan ang dugong dapat na ibuhos?
bayan ay inaapi, bakit di kumikilos?
at natitilihang ito’y mapanuod.
Hayo na nga kayo, kayong nanga buhay
sa pag-asang lubos na kaginhawahan
at walang tinamo kundi kapaitan,
kaya nga’t ibigin ang naaabang bayan.
Kayong antayan na sa kapapasakit
ng dakilang hangad sa batis ng dibdib
muling pabalungit tunay na pag-ibig
kusang ibulalas sa bayang piniit.
Kayong nalagasan ng bunga’t bulaklak
kahoy niyari ng buhay na nilanta't sukat
ng bala-balakit makapal na hirap
muling manariwa’t sa baya’y lumiyag.
Kayong mga pusong kusang inuusal
ng daya at bagsik ng ganid na asal,
ngayon magbangon’t baya’y itanghal
agawin sa kuko ng mga sukaban.
Kayong mga dukhang walang tanging sikap
kundi ang mabuhay sa dalita’t hirap,
ampunin ang bayan kung nasa ay lunas
sapagkat ang ginhawa niya ay sa lahat.
Ipahandog-handog ang buong pag-ibig
hanggang sa mga dugo’y ubusang itangis
kung sa pagtatanggol, buhay ay mapatid
ito’y kapalaran at tunay na langit.
While Bonifacio was the supremo of Katipunan, it was Emilio Jaconto who laid the values that
every Katipunero had to carry with them at all times. Below is Jacinto's "Teachings of the
Katipunan" or sometimes called as "Kartilla".
1. Ang buhay na hindi ginugugol sa isang malaki at banal na kadahilanan ay kahoy (puno) na
walang lilim, kundi (man) damong makamandag.
2. Ang gawang magaling na nagbubuhat sa paghahambog o papipita sa sarili (paghahangad
na makasarili), at hindi talagang nasang gumawa ng kagalingan, ay di kabaitan.
3. Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ang pagkakawang-gawa, ang pag-ibig sa kapwa at ang isukat
ang bawat kilos, gawa't pangungusap sa talagang Katuwiran.
4. Maitim man o maputi ang kulay ng balat, lahat ng tao'y magkakapantay; mangyayaring ang
isa'y hihigitan sa dunong, sa yaman, sa ganda; ngunit di mahihigitan sa pagkatao.
5. Ang may mataas na kalooban, inuuna ang (dangal o) puri kaysa pagpipita sa sarili; ang
may hamak na kalooban, inuuna ang pagpipita sa sarili sa puri.
6. Sa taong may hiya, salita'y panunumpa.
7. Huwag mong sayangin ang panahon; ang yamang nawala'y mangyayaring magbalik;
ngunit panahong nagdaan nay di na muli pang magdadaan.
8. Ipagtanggol mo ang inaapi;kabakahin (labanan) ang umaapi.
9. Ang taong matalino'y ang may pag-iingat sa bawat sasabihin;matutong ipaglihim ang dapat
ipaglihim.
10. Sa daang matinik ng buhay, lalaki ang siyang patnugot ng asawa at mga anak; kung ang
umaakay ay tungo sa sama, patutunguhan ng inaakay ay kasamaan din. (Ang simula nito
ay obserbasyon sa ugnayan ng babae at lalaki sa panahon ng Katipunan; para sa
kasalukuyan, iminumungkahing ipalit ang sumusunod: "Sa daang matinik ng buhay, ang
mga magulang ang patnugot ng mag-anak; kung ang umaakay ay tungo sa sama, and
patutunguhan ng inaakay ay kasamaan din.)
11. Ang babae ay huwag mong tingnang isang bagay na libangan lamang, kundi isnag
katuwang at karamay (ng lalaki) sa mga kahirapan nitong buhay; gamitin mo nang buong
pagpipitagan ang kanyang (pisikal na ) kahinaan, alalahanin ang inang pinagbuhatan at
nag-iwi sa iyong kasanggulan.
12. Ang di mo ibig gawin sa asawa mo, anak at kapatid, ay huwag mong gagawin sa asawa,
anak at kapatid ng iba.
13. Ang kamahalan ng tao'y wala sa pagkahari, wala sa tangos ng ilong at puti ng mukha, wala
sa pagkaparing kahalili ng Diyos, wala sa mataas na kalagayan sa balat ng lupa: wagas at
tunay na mahal na tao, kahit laking gubat at walang nababatid kundi sariling wika, yaong
may magandang asal, may isang pangungusap, may dangal at puri, yaong di nagpaaapi't
di nakikiapi; yaong marunong magdam-dam at marunong lumingap sa bayang tinubuan.
14. Paglaganap ng mga aral na ito, at maningning na sisikat ang araw ng mahal na kalayaan
dito sa kaaba-abang Sangkapuluan at sabungan ng matamis niyang liwanag ang
nangagkaisang magkakalahi't magkakapatid, ng liwanag ng walang katapusan, ang mga
ginugol na buhay, pagod, at mga tiniis na kahirapa'y labis nang matutumbasan.
Though Bonifacio and Jacinto did not see the fruits of their struggles, on June 12, 1898, Emilio
Aguinaldo, along with the generals of the revolution, declared the independence of the Philippines
in Kawit, Cavite.
"And having as witness to the rectitude of our intentions, the Supreme Judge of the Universe, and
under the protection of the Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, the United States of America, we
do hereby proclaim and declare solemnly in the name and by authority of the people of these
Philippine Islands,
That they are and have the right to be free and independent; that they have ceased to have any
allegiance to the Crown of Spain; that all political ties between them are and should be completely
severed and annulled; and that, like other free and independent States, they enjoy the full power to
make War and Peace, conclude commercial treaties, enter into alliances, regulate commerce, and
do all other acts and things which an Independent State has a right to do....
And, lastly, it was resolved unanimously that this Nation, already free and independent as of this
day, must use the same flog which up to now is being used, whose design and colors are found
described in the attached drawing, the white triangle signifying the distinctive emblem of the
famous Society of the Katipunan' which by means of its blood compact inspired the masses to rise
in revolution; the three stars, signifying the three principal Islands of this Archipelago-Luzon,
Mindanao and Panay where this revolutionary movement started; the sun representing the gigantic
steps made by the sons of the country along the path of Progress and Civilization; the eight rays,
signifying the eight provinces-Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna,
and Batangas-which declared themselves in a state of war as soon as the first revolt was initiated;
and the colors of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating the flag of the United States of North
America, as a manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great Nation for its disinterested
protection which it lent us and continues lending us."
Reference:
Amvida M., Delos Santos, A., Maliban, N., Ramos, O., & Umali, V., (2018). Reading in the
Philippine History. Jodeh Publishing
