UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Introduction:
Who you are and what you are is said to be a product of your own
childhood and our own past is obviously the prologue of our own present. The
term “past” is always synonymous to the study of history. Every time we open our
history classes in elementary and high school, we are always taught on the
introduction to the subject from the meaning down to the relevance or importance
of studying it. The first unit of this module is no ordinary to that of your teachers in
your elementary or high school years but the manner of introducing is deeper in
approach. For sure, you can still remember that the teaching of Philippine History
in your elementary and high school years were chronological in approach with the
division from the Precolonial period, Colonial periods down to the present day
Fifth Republic.

Unit Outcomes:
At the end of the unit, you must have:
1. Explained the importance of studying history;
2. Differentiated primary to that of secondary sources of history;
3. Evaluated primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance;
4. Presented different theories concerning the peopling of the Philippines in early
periods;
5. Described the Philippine cultures prior to Spanish occupation; and
6. Analysed the importance of studying the formation of the Filipino nation.

Topics:

 Introduction to History: Its Meaning, Sources and Importance

 The Philippines and Its People
 Our Malayan Heritage

Lesson 1: Introduction to History: Its Meaning, Sources and Importance

Lesson Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, you must have:

1. Defined history and its relations with other branches of Social Sciences;
2. Differentiated primary to that of secondary sources; and
3. Discussed the importance of studying history.
Activate
“If given a chance to go back in time and witness an event in the past, what
would it be and why?”
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

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 Have you reflected on your own answer? Did you provide an event in our
country’s history or your own personal account? Once in your life, you possibly
thought also of a possibility of riding in a time machine or teleporting back in time.
The reality, however, is more muddled.
The idea of returning back in the past is only one of the concepts expected
of you in dealing with history. With this, it is now time for you to learn more of the
underlying content in dealing with the introductory unit.

Acquire
Meaning of History
So what exactly is the meaning of history?
Providing definition to history has the traditional and modern definitions. In
its traditional form- we always use its simplest meaning, ‘the study of the past or
the record of the past.” Traditional historians from the concept of record of the
past also conforms to the notion of “no written records, no history” isolating the
discipline solely to the literatures or written accounts. Modern historians
contradicts the idea of isolating the discipline to written records alone, they would
have it defined as the interpretative and imaginative study of records of the past
may it be written or unwritten with the main goal of enlightening or finding answers
to human existence.
Dictionary.com define history as the branch of knowledge dealing with past
events and as a continuous, systematic narrative of past events as relating to a
particular people, country, period, person, etc., usually written as a chronological
account; chronicle.
The word history has entered the English language in 1390 with the
meaning of "relation of incidents, story". The study of history is Greek in origin, it
came from a word ἱστορία (historía) which means "inquiry", "knowledge from
inquiry", or "judge". As used by Greek philosopher Aristotle, history meant a
systematic account of a set of natural phenomena, whether or not chronological
factoring was a factor in the account… by its most common definition, the word
history now means, “the past of mankind.”… (Gottschalk, 1950). With history as
one contribution by the Greeks the man named Herodotus also has the
recognition as the “Father of History” due to his contribution in the field and his
book he published entitled, “the Histories”.
History is a branch of Social Science. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines
Social Science as a branch of science that deals with the institutions and
functioning of human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals
as members of society. History being a branch of Social Science is also arguably
labelled as the “Queen of Social Sciences.” Other branches of Social Sciences
includes Economics, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Geography,
Sociology, Political Science and other disciplines that connects human and
society as the main subject itself.
As you continue to read and tackle the content of this module, you will be
encountering questions about the different events in our country’s history that will
allow you to reflect on the very essence of studying it. The several questions that
you are to encounter in the study of history can be answered by historiography.

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In the early modern period, the term historiography meant "the writing of history"
or the history of history, and historiographer meant "historian". Historiography was
more recently defined as "the study of the way history has been and is written –
the history of historical writing", which means that, "When you study
'historiography' you do not study the events of the past directly, but the changing
interpretations of those events in the works of individual historians."
You are more likely confused with the difference between history and
historiography. Just remember the simplest definitions of the two. History is the
study of the past while historiography is the history itself. Thus, historiography
widens your own understanding of history.

Sources of History
One of the requirements expected of you for you to earn a degree in this
university is for you to publish your own book or let’s say a thesis. In dealing with
your own research, we include it in our Review of Related Literatures our
supporting researches from different references. We classify them according to its
reliability, credibility and provenance. This is where the sources of history will help
in distinguishing it.
We have several sources of history depending on the references you will
follow. But we will be using the simplest and easiest types of sources. The
Primary and the Secondary.
So what is the difference between primary source and secondary source?
A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or
created during the time under study. These sources were present during an
experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event while a
secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are
one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have
pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.
Examples of Primary Sources are original documents (excerpts or
translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news
film footage, autobiographies, official records. Creative works: Poetry, drama,
novels, music, art. Relics or Artifacts: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings. The
best examples of Secondary Sources are publications like textbooks, magazine
articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries and encyclopédias. 
There is another source which can be considered as tertiary source and
these are called general references. General references help point to the reader
to a primary or secondary source. Examples of tertiary source are information
found in the card catalogue about a book or a document, your thesis, dissertations
and abstracts of books will also fall under general references.
In dealing with research and of the study of history, you are always
expected to rely first on the use of primary sources more than the secondary
source but it doesn’t mean that secondary sources are not important.

Why Study History?

Before you read the importance of studying history, I would like you first to
provide a brief answer to this question.

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 If you are to become a figure from the past, who would it be and why ?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________
Did you select a person close to you? A historical figure or a fictional one? A
figure in our country or a figure famous in the world?
You are possibly counting yourself as one of those who hates the idea of
memorization- memorizing the dates, names and facts. The idea of memorization
or let’s say remembering are inevitable in the study of history. But you need to
ponder that the very reason of knowing the figures from the past is that without
history great people are more likely to be forgotten.

So why do you need to study history ?

The new teaching of history as mentioned in the introduction is different to
that of the approach you grew up with way back when you were in the basic
education. You can possibly remember how the process of teaching was in a
chronological manner. The new Readings in Philippine History allows you to go
back to the past by reading the actual primary sources of the story of our nation.
You are expected to return back to the actual time for you to grasp the event.
Many of the accounts that tackle about our own history are also coming from
foreign writers, hence, their own perspective are much in focus than that of our
own. You are expected to deal with contradicting and conflicting primary sources
but it is your responsibility in the end to develop critical thinking for you to come
up with a conclusion that is factual or even close to truth.
These are some of the common reasons why studying history isimportant :
1. History Helps You Understand OUR WORLD
 You cannot understand people if you do not understand their past. This
is where an adage, do not judge a book by its cover is most applicable
with.
 You cannot understand our community if you do not know how it came
to be. Kindly look at the changes in your own place through the years
and you will notice how change is truly inevitable. We have those who
are experiencing change in a faster phase and those who are
experiencing it slowly.
 You cannot understand our nation without history. History is the
discipline that will allow you to have the understanding of the present
status of the nation today. Our curious questions about, why the
Philippines was said to be from one of the richest countries in Asia is
now lagging compared with our neighboring countries? Why corruption
is rampant and poverty is sporadic could also look at our history or
experiences in the past as the basis in providing answers to these
questions.
 You cannot understand our world if you do not understand history. Why
we have two Koreas? Why China and the US are not in good terms?
With the many social and political issues surrounding the international

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 arena, returning back to the events in the past will provide you the idea
of present issues we have today.
2. History Gives You Identity
 Studying history gives people a sense of nationalism. The Philippines is
presently having territorial disputes with claimant countries in the
Spratly’s and with Sabah. Internally, we also have decade long strife
with communists and Muslim separatists in the south. With the many
years that we’ve been facing both internal and external problems. The
experiences of the nation has moulded the people to continually defend
and fight for its sovereignty. History helps you understand current world
affairs and conflicts by understanding the root of the problems
 It gives family and personal identity as well. Who you are and what you
are, one factor is said to be a product of your own experiences in the
past. We also look at our own genealogy in tracing at our identity.
3. History Helps You Understand People
 Culture is relative and the study of history allows us to see our society
and people from other societies are compared. Just imagine for
example of how the shaking of the hands must be monitored when you
go to Muslim provinces. Why it is expected of you to place your right
hand on your right chest after shaking hands with them as a form of
friendship and warm greetings. Or why Ilonggos are having stereotypes
in Mindanao like them being labelled as “tikalon” or “show-off” and how
among Muslims they have their own division among Maranaos,
Maguindanaoans, Tausugs, etc. History can provide clarity to some
existing stereotypes among ethnic groups in the country. This is where
history gives ethnic groups a sense of identity.
 History acts as a “social laboratory”, one of the few ways we can help
predict the future behavior of such a large group.
4. Those That Study and Understand History Become Good Citizens
 It provides national identity. History unites us to have a concept of a
nation, with shared identity united by same language despite the
differences on culture and languages available in the country. It allows
us to better understand who we are and what we are as a nation.
 Provides examples of success, morality and of course the examples of
the opposite. History is significant for it allows us to not forget the
contributions of great people in history. Again without history great
people are forgotten.
 Provides support for making decisions and encourages, “responsible
public behavior, whether as a national or community leader, an
informed voter, a petitioner, or a simple observer.”

Apply
Task: Write your own autobiography using only primary sources such as
documents (e.g. your birth certificate, etc.) and with an interview with your family
members as your reference.

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  Type it in a short bond paper using Tahoma 11
 Single spaced with 1 inch margin on all sides
 Must not be more than 3 pages and not less than 2 pages
 Submit together with your work a copy of the primary source used and
name of the informant whom you conducted interview.

Your life story might not be that long. However, these 15 questions will guide you
in writing an autobiography that you can be proud of.
1. What famous quote can describe your life?
2. Which 3 adjectives can be used to describe you as a person?
3. Who influenced your personal development?
4. What are your best and worst childhood memories?
5. What is your family social and ethnic background?
6. What are your relations with parents and other relatives?
7. What are your main achievements in life?
8. What are the weaknesses that you would like to get rid of?
9. What are your goals for the future?
10. What places would you like to visit and why?
11. What skills would you like to develop and why?
12. What was the most memorable day in your life?
13. What was the most important lesson you have ever learned in your life?
14. What are the most important values in life, in your opinion?
15. Which fault would you never forgive others or yourself?

Name: _______________________________ Score: ______________

Section: ______________________________ Date: _______________

_______________________________________

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Name: ___________________________________ Score: ______________
Section: _________________________________ Date: ______________

Assessment
I. PRIMARY OR SECONDARY
A) Let us see if you can already distinguish primary to that of secondary
sources. You write P if is Primary and S if it is Secondary on the space provided
before the number. Each item is worth one (1) point.

________1. Manunggal Jar ________6. Textbook on Readings in

________2. The Constitution of the Philippine History.
Philippines- the 1987 Constitution ________7. PowerPoint presentation
________3. Diary of Anne Frank on the Voyage of Ferdinand Magellan.
________4. NSO Birth Certificate ________8. The ISAT University
________5. A journal/magazine article Journal on Social Sciences
which interprets or reviews previous ________9. 10 peso- coin and 100
findings  Php. paper bill
________10. Encyclopedia of the
American Civil War

B. IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY (ESSAY)

Choose one and discuss your answer in three to five sentences.
Content is 10 points; Organization is five points, for a total of 15 points.
1. Cite one personal experience and discuss as to how it has greatly impacted
you as a person or as to how it has moulded you to become who you are in the
present.
2. Cite one specific historical event in the past and discuss as to how it gave us
the ‘’Filipino Identity’’.

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LESSON 2: The Philippines and Its People
Lesson Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, you must have:
1. Described the different theories on the origin of the Philippines and of
the Filipino race;
2. Discussed the characteristics of different groups of early Filipinos; and
3. Write a personal reflection on the beginning of the Filipino nation.
Activate
In the preceding lesson, you have learned the meaning of history, the
difference between the primary and secondary sources and the importance of
studying history. Lesson Two will provide you the understanding of the beginning
of Philippines and its people.
In dealing with this lesson, I want you first to complete the statements by
citing unique Filipino attributes and feature of the Philippines.
1. I am a Filipino because ______________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. The Philippines is unique compared to other countries in the world
because ____________________________________________________
3. A Filipino is an Asian because ________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Filipinos are considered Pacific Islanders because ________________
___________________________________________________________
Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, once described Philippine history as “300 years
in a convent and 50 years in Hollywood.” We always associate Philippine history
as a product of series of conquest or colonization from the two Western powers,
Spain and the United States. The argument about our own formation as a nation
is also expounding with us being associated as Hispanic, Asians and Pacific

Islanders.
Figure: Map of Southeast Asia depicting the location of the Philippines

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 (Source: CIA 2003)

Acquire
The Origin of the Philippines
If you are to ask a foreigner about his or her own impression of what a true
Filipino attributes are, majority of them are more likely to provide you answers that
we are predominantly brown in complexion, short in height and with black hair.
Our own concept of a Filipino identity is always conniving to that of what much of
us can see around us. Without us realizing that the kind of people that we have
today is actually a product of intermarriages and interactions with other races from
both the west and the east.
The history of the Philippines is traced back to some 709 thousand years
ago (please refer to Reading 1) contradicting earlier findings of 50, 000 years ago
due to stories of Homo sapiens that did exist in Palawan some 50, 000 years ago
based on archaeological findings in the country.
The Philippines is located slightly above the equator and is situated in the
maritime region of Southeast Asia. Countries and natural bodies of water
surrounding the Philippines in the North is Taiwan, in the West are Vietnam and
the West Philippine Sea, in the South are the Celebes Sea separating it from
Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei and in the East by the Philippine Sea, Pacific
Ocean and Palau. It is one of the largest archipelagoes in the world with 7, 641
islands in the latest census. The Philippines has one of the longest coastlines in
the world with 17, 000 kilometers long with a wide networks of river as well. Some
of the important rivers in the country are Rio Grande de Cagayan, the Agno River,
Abra River, Pampanga River, and Pasig River all in the areas of Luzon and Rio
Grande de Mindanao and Agusan River in Mindanao.
There are several theories that can explain about the beginning of the
Philippines from the legends and fairytales down to the scientific ones. One
legend tells about the story of how islands of the Philippines is a part of a huge
ball of rock that was thrown away by a giant and a legend about the battle
between the sea and the sky. There are several known scientific theories about
the Philippines. First is the Land Bridges Theory. It states that the Philippines
used to be connected to main land Asia via land bridges. After the ice age, the ice
melted and the water level rose and the land bridges vanished. The Philippines
was then isolated from mainland Asia. Another theory is the Tectonic Plate
Theory, this theory explains how major landforms are created as a result of
Earth’s subterranean movements. The theory, which solidified in the 1960s,
transformed the earth sciences by explaining many phenomena, including
mountain building events, volcanoes, and earthquakes. The Philippine Plate is
one of the tectonic plates in the world. One less known theory is the Lost
Continent Theory which states that the Philippines used to be part of a huge
continent which sunk at the bottom of the sea. The remaining parts of this huge
continent are the islands of the Philippines.
The next part of this chapter will tackle about the origin of the Filipino
people.

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THE FIRST FILIPINOS
Who were the first people to live in the Philippines? Where did they come
from? What happened to them? These are some of the curious questions we
have in dealing with the origin of the Filipino people.
There are three main sources on the origin of the Filipino people. These
are the Biblical, Legendary and the Scientific Theories. First is the Biblical
Theory. Kindly ponder on these questions first: Do we have a mention of the term
“Philippines” in the Bible? What about the term “Filipino”? The answers? No! Then
why is it that we have a Biblical Theory on the beginning of Filipinos if we don’t
have it mentioned in the bible? Fr. Francisco Colins, a Jesuit historian wrote that
the first settlers of our country was Tharsis, son of Javan and great grandson of
Noah, together with his brothers and their descendants of these Biblical
characters settled in the parts of the world that we now know as Asia, including
the islands of the Philippines. Another theory is the legendary or mythological.
There are also various legends and fairy tales about the origin of the first Filipino,
but these were just the imaginary stories told to us by old folks to little children to
keep them interested in their past. Two of the known stories are the Racial
Superiority of the Brown People, depicting the creation of Bathala of the three
pairs of clay, the black, white and brown and the origin of the Malakas and
Maganda from a bamboo.
Next theory will fall on the Human Theory of Evolution, classified into two-
the Core Population Theory and the Migration Theory. Core Population Theory
states that the ancient Filipinos already inhabited and also migrated from the
islands to other parts. In 1962, there was a human skull found in the caves of
Tabon in Palawan. The discovery of the fossils proves that there was already
existence of humans in the Philippines more than 20, 000 years ago. The
Philippines has been proved by early scholars to be a clean geographical slate
until occupied by ancient peoples through a series of waves of migration. The
immigration routes, we are told, were through land and sea routes. These early
people also represented different racial stock. (Jocano, 1998).
Dr. Henry Otley Beyer’s migration theory regarding the peopling of the
Philippines became the most widely known version of the prehistoric period of the
country. He states that the first people who came to the Philippines arrived in
stages of waves or waves of migration. The first to reach the archipelago was the
caveman “Dawn Man” type, similar to the Java Man and Peking Man and other
fossils of Homo sapiens discovered in Asia about 250, 000 years ago. Dr. Beyer
called the first Filipino the “Dawn Man”, for his emergence on the islands at the
dawn of time (Halili, 2004). These are the different waves and order of migrants
from the accounts of Dr. Beyer as summarized by F. Landa Jocano:
1. The primitive type of people similar to the Java Man of 250, 000 years
ago.
2. The Negritos and other primitive Australoid- Sakai type between 25, 000
and 30, 000 years ago. About 9.5% of the 20 th century population is said to have
descended directly from this group.

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 3. The sea-travelling and stone- using Indonesian “A” who came via rafts
and plank- built boats who came about 5, 000 to 6, 000 years ago.
4. The seafaring group from Indo-China and South China coast to Luzon
and Formosa (Taiwan) via good- sized dugouts who came about 1,500 BC.
5. The more advanced group, a terrace-building people from Central Asia
who came arrived from between 800 and 500 BC.
6. The civilized Malays, who came by dugouts via Borneo, Palawan and
Mindoro from whom a majority of the contemporary population descended;
between 300 and 200 BC.
7. The people who came to our country during the Christian era, known as
the modern Asians.
The Negritos
Any student of history that has the knowledge of the beginning of the first
people in our country would say that the first to inhabit the Philippines were the
Negritos. Thus, their conclusion is leading with the idea that they are the true
aborigines of our own country. Relying on the account of Dr. Beyer, in the
disappearance of the Dawn Man came the Negritos who arrived between 25, 000
to 30, 000 years ago through land bridges. The Negritos are generally
characterized as small in height as they were less than five feet tall. They were
called by the Spaniards as “Negritos” or little black people because they had black
skin, short kinky hair, thick lips and flat noses. The concept of an advanced or
civilized society was not yet in existence during this period. They wore little
clothing and had no government, no writing and no permanent homes. They
wandered in the forests and lived by hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants and
fruits. They typically lived in a lean-to, a type of shelter due to their nomadic
lifestyle. They used the bow and arrow for hunting. Today, there are still Negritos
in the hills of Zambales, Panay and Negros. The island province of Negros is
actually named after the Negritos. They are known as Ati, Aeta, or Ita.
The Negritos have a lot of contributions that they can truly be proud of
especially in the formation of Filipino society and culture. When you go to Negrito
communities in our country, the earlier characteristics of the Negritos provided to
you is more likely to confuse you too. In the discussion of indigenous people in
the Philippines, in the latter part of this module you will dig and analyze at the
reasons behind the marginalization that they are experiencing despite the many
contributions that they have in the formation of our nation.
The Indonesians
Aside from the Negritos, the Indonesian settlers had also come in two waves
about 3, 500 to 5, 000 years ago coming from the waters of Indonesia. The name
Indonesia was derived from the term Indos Nesos (Indian Islands) and
popularized as Indonesia from 1881 to 1884 by the German geographer Adolf
Bastian (Jocano, 1998). In the account of Dr. Beyer, he labelled the two types of
Indonesians who came to the Philippines; the Indonesian Type A and Type B. The
Indonesian “A” type was slender, fair complexioned, sharp and with thin-faced,
with deep-set eyes. The Indonesian “B” type, who came later (about 1500 BC),
was shorter in height, but larger in build, darker in complexion with well-
pronounced jaws, a broad rectangular face, large thick nose, large mouth, thick

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lips and large firmly set eyes. About 12% of the population are said to have
descended from Indonesian “A” group and 3 percent from the Indonesian “B”
group. Indonesians are generally characterized as a group that started to live in
permanent homes. They used fire to cook their food and lived by hunting, fishing
and farming. They also painted their bodies with colorful figures.
Today, the Indonesian minority tribes are found in some interior parts of our
country. They are the Apayaos, Gaddangs, Ibanags, and Kalingas of Northern
Luzon; the Tagbanuas of Palawan; and the Bagobos, Manobos, Mandayas,
Bukidnons, Tirurays and Subanuns of Mindanao.
The Malays
The Malays came after the Indonesians, about 2000 years ago. They also
arrived in boats called balangay from Southeast Asia. They were medium in
height, brown- skinned, with dark eyes, flat noses and straight black hair. They
drove the Indonesians into the forests and lived in the lowlands. The Malays were
more civilized than the Indonesians. They lived in larger villages and had
government, writing, music, arts and sciences. They lived by agriculture, fishing,
mining and trading.
The history of the coming of the Malays was best depicted in the story of
“Maragtas” or the coming of the 10 Bornean Datus to the island of Panay. But as
to the authenticity and reliability of the account, much of it are still in question.
Majority of Filipinos today come from the Malay or brown race. Thus, there are
Muslim Malays in Mindanao, Jolo and Palawan. And there are Christian Malays in
the whole country. There are also Malay tribes like the Igorots, Ifugaos, Bontoks,
and Tinggians of Luzon.

Figure: Depiction of the Newly Discovered 800 year-old Butuan “Mother Boat” (Balangay)
excavated in 2012 (Source. Via GMA News Online
Name:_______________________________ Score: ______________
Section: _____________________________ Date: _______________
Apply
Reflection Paper
You are expected to select one from the three options and provide your own
views.

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 1. “Unity in Diversity” – the Philippines have more than 180 languages, 80
provinces, 17 geographical regions and different ethnic and religious
compositions.
2. How come Filipinos have varied physical features?
3. “He who does not look back to where he came from will not know where he
is going.”
Name: _________________________________ Score: ______________
Section: ________________________________ Date: _______________
Assessment
Directions: Fill in information in the different boxes provided by citing
the characteristics of the three groups of Early Filipinos.

Precolonial Negritos Indonesians Malays

Filipinos
Economic Life

Unique
Characteristics

Desirable Traits

Physical
Characteristics

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Reading 1:
A discovery almost lost to time: Kalinga's Archaeological
Tr e a s u r e
By Jamie Joie Malingan

SITIO GREENHILLS. The rolling grassland in the small town of Rizal, Kalinga

keeps a collection of artifacts that tells a story of the past.
(PIA)--A plain, open grassland in a remote provincial town. Who would've
thought that a rolling pasture land in the municipality of Rizal, Kalinga keeps a
collection of records that tells a story of the past?
In the recent years, the small area in Sitio Greenhills, Barangay San Pedro
in Rizal, Kalinga made international headlines with a big discovery that can rewrite
history.
The Elephant Hill
But before all the media attention started in 2014, the site has already been
a subject of archaeological research and studies since 1935.
"The first discovery was in 1935. Then series of excavations
were conducted but there were only some years that they have successful finds,
"said former Rizal Mayor Marcelo de la Cruz, Jr.
Scientists have already unearthed a rhino lower jaw in 1935 and an
elephant fossil and tusk in 1971 and 2001. The latter finds earned the area the
nickname ‘The Elephant Hill.’
Because of these series of discoveries, then President Ferdinand Marcos
declared the site as an archaeological reservation through Presidential Decree
No. 1109 on March 28, 1977.
Rewriting History

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 Although it has been years since experts started to excavate and uncover
fossils in the area, it was only in 2014 that they found a critical link to better
understand the history of the Philippines and the world. "Our archaeological site
came into the limelight in 2014 when they discovered a 75% rhino fossil
(Rhinoceros philippinensis) intact," said Maila Depalog who is the designated
Municipal Tourism Officer.
The almost-complete rhino fossil was found to have cut marks which are
signs of butchering. In the same layer point that the rhino fossil was discovered,
stone tools were also present. 
In an article of T.Ingicco, et, al. published in the science journal Nature in
2018, the rhino fossils from Rizal were described to have "percussion marks
presumably made with the intention to smash the bones and gain access to the
marrow."
Aside from the rhino, fossils of animals like the elephant, turtle, deer, and
lizard were also uncovered. This set of evidence which are dated 709 thousand
years ago indicates the possibility earlier existence of "pre-modern hominins" in
the country.
Creating Opportunities
Rizal's fossils did not only open realizations for the scientific community but
also created various opportunities for the locals.
The municipality looks into archeo-tourism as one of the possibilities to
improve livelihood opportunities for the local community while protecting the
archaeological area.
"In the economic aspect, there will be a time when visitors will come to see
the site and who will be there to entertain them if not the locals," said Depalog.
Still in the process of developing and promoting the archaeological area
and the idea of archeo-tourism, the site has already accommodated visits from
national and regional offices and schools.
"They can capitalize on that positioning that it is an archaeological site. The
story about it is good. Can you imagine that they found a breakthrough in terms of
finding the origin of humans," explained Department of Tourism Cordillera OIC
Jovi Ganongan.
Ganongan recommends that since the area is still under study, the
municipality can come up with educational activities about the findings to promote
the rhino fossil story and the archaeological reservation.
"They can have a museum tour, for instance. They can put up a marker for
the excavation sites. It is about the story behind that digging," she added.

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BUTCHERED?  The Rhino fossils, now kept at the National Museum, have "percussion marks
presumably made with the intention to smash the bones and gain access to the marrow."
A Community Affair
While Sitio Greenhills has long been an area of archaeological study under
the care of the National Museum, residents were alarmed when the diggings
resumed in 2014.
"At first the residents, especially here in Barangay San Pedro, were against
the excavations because of suspicions of treasure hunting," said Depalog.
After several information, education, and communication campaigns, the
locals started to understand the purpose of the project. The team of
archaeologists also hired some of the residents to help in the excavations. This
also helped remove the uncertainties the community had for the study.
"My experience as working with the team of scientist is that it is only the
bones that they get. After the digging, they always return the soil back," shared
Jose Batungkig, the caretaker of the Elephant Hill site who is also a local in the
place.

Moving Forward
"They did not stop the farmers to work in their fields but the problem is that
archaeological reservation has no clear delineation of boundaries," said
Batungkig.
The municipality has already forwarded a request for the delineation of the
archaeological reservation to the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources. A clear definition of the boundaries of the archaeological area will
strengthen the protection of the site by preventing the expansion of agricultural
activities and building of permanent structures.
Keeping History for the Future
More than 80 years passed since the first discovery was made in The
Elephant Hills, the local government unit and the community in Rizal, Kalinga
continue to find ways to promote and preserve this part of history.
“For me, I will protect the site because it will be for the improvement of
Rizal, especially Barangay San Pedro. Maybe we, the elders, will die but our

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16
children will reap the benefits of this project in the future,” said Batungkig.
(JDP/JJPM-PIA-CAR)

References:
Alonso, R. (2014). The Castles of Batanes. [Online] philSTAR.com. Available at:
http://goo.gl/xWY2Tc [Accessed 27 Aug. 2014].

Furay, Conal; Salevouris, Michael J. (1988). The Methods and Skills of History: A

Practical Guide. Harlan Davidson. p. 223. ISBN 0-88295-982-4.
Gottschalk, Louis. (1969). Understanding History: A Primer of Historical Method.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf
Jocano, Felipe Landa (1998). Anthropology of the Filipino People I: Filipino
Prehistory: Rediscovering Precolonial Heritage. Philippine Center for Advanced
Studies.

Websites:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/11-things-you-should-know-
about-the-filipino-culture/
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/
historical-archives/why-study-history-(1998)
https://pia.gov.ph/features/articles/1027937
UNIT 2: CONTENT AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED
PRIMARY SOURCES
Introduction:
In the first unit, you had it defined and discussed the meaning,
importance and sources of history. You are informed of the significance of
understanding and interpreting the past through the primary sources. This is
where your skills on analysing sources will come in. The second module will
introduce to you some of the selected primary sources in Philippine history. This
unit will focus on historical events that brought about the seeds of Filipino
nationalism and will deepen your understanding of our forefathers struggle in the
formation of a nation.
In the first unit of this module, it was defined that primary sources
speaks about the original written or material based accounts. Through primary
sources and applying historical research you are provided of the clarity on some
of the issues using different forms of criticisms may it be internal or external
criticisms. External criticism speaks about the authenticity of the document or
evidence used, if it is fabricated or not while the internal criticism examines the
truthfulness of the content of the evidence.
We are now at a period wherein people can easily be deceived by what
they read and see in different social media platforms. Historical revisionists are
also investing on their machineries in creating a propaganda or a medium where
they will be judged differently despite of the bad reputations and negative
contributions they have in the past. As a student of history, it is your responsibility
to be provided of truthful and factual information and most importantly to critique

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17
events in a constructive and contextual way. For sure if you are to be asked what
the meaning of the three stars in the flag is you will provide Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao. Or the symbolism of the red and blue in the flag you will provide peace
and war as its meaning? Imagine all of these information as factual only to realize
as historically inaccurate!
This unit will give you the idea of how events took place as a product of
its time, its people and its environment from the views or perspectives of the
actual authors themselves.

Module Outcomes: At the end of the unit, you must have:

1. Analysed the context, content, and perspective of different kinds of primary

sources;
2. Determined the contribution of different kinds of primary sources in
understanding Philippine history;
3. Developed critical and analytical skills with exposure to primary sources.
Topics:
 First Voyage Around the World (of Magellan) by Antonio Pigafetta
 The Kartilya of the Katipunan by Emilio Jacinto
 The Act of Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino People (Acta de la
Proclamacion de la Independencia Del Pueblo Filipino)
 The Philippines during the American Period from the Caricatures Compiled
by Alfred McCoy
 The Speech of Corazon Aquino Before the US Congress

Lesson 1: First Voyage around the World (of Magellan) by Antonio Pigafetta

Lesson Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students must have:
1. Discussed the factors that inspired European explorations and
discoveries in the 15th century;
2. Examined the content of Magellan’s Voyage around the World as
narrated by Antonio Pigafetta; and
3. Explained the importance of the account in the understanding of
Philippine history.

Activate

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 The Crusade Spices of Asia

Seal of the Spanish Empire

What can you say about the pictures?
What do you remember upon seeing these pictures?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
______________
The story behind the three
pictures are very connected with this
lesson as it will provide answers to
the motives of the Europeans in

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19
sailing to the east via westward route. More likely, looking at the title of this
lesson, you are curious with the story of Ferdinand Magellan and how he had
experience a tragic fate in the hands of people from Mactan. We always connect
also the name Magellan with Lapu- lapu and we always label and perceive Lapu-
lapu as the first hero of the land who is young, bulky or muscular chieftain of
Mactan who killed Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.
This lesson will provide you the idea and answers from some of your
curious questions like: How Magellan was killed in Mactan? Who killed
Magellan? Does Lapu-lapu was also killed in the battle? What truly happened in
the battle? Was it truly Lapu- lapu who killed Magellan? How come bolos and
spears won against riffles and cannons? Does Lapu-lapu was truly a young,
bulky chieftain as represented in his monuments? Does language was a barrier
between the locals and the Europeans? How the natives reacted to meeting the
Spanish fleet for the first time? With the many questions you have in dealing with
one of the most interesting subjects in Philippine history, you will be guided by
the account of an Italian chronicler who sailed together with Ferdinand Magellan
on his voyage, one of the 18 circumnavigators and survivors, Antonio Pigafetta.
Acquire
God, Gold and Glory. The three G’s were like a ring- a- bell to us every
time we open the discussion of the
Figure. Illustration of Antonio Pigafetta
coming of the Europeans to our
(Source: Wikimedia Commons) country. But it is noteworthy to
remember that there is more to it in
dealing with the journey of Magellan and it wasn’t an easy journey at all for more
than 250 navigators who sailed for the unknown route for the first time.
Now, you are ready to sail back in time to see other reasons why the
Spaniards and other Europeans were so interested to navigation, explorations
and discoveries in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Factors that Motivated European Exploration and Colonization
Before the 15th century, Europeans were afraid to venture in the high seas
due to lack of necessary navigational instruments. However, with the discovery of
compass, astrolabe, sextant and the printing of more detailed and credible maps,
they became confident to explore uncharted lands. Spain and Portugal, two
rivalling Catholic empires in the Iberian Peninsula were among the pioneers in
these ventures.
The crusades, or the religious wars waged by the Christians against the
Muslims to regain the Holy Land introduced the Europeans to the wealth and
culture of the east. The Europeans were awed with the elegance of eastern gems
and textiles. These discoveries as the collateral result of the crusades awaken
the European interest to establish trade relations with Asians.
In past, the Europeans used the caravan routes or silk route in travelling to
China or other parts of Asia. Important trade arteries used by merchants
connected Europe to Asia. However, the war between the Christians and
Muslims resulted to its closure, especially the caravan routes controlled by the
Muslim Turks. Left with no other alternative, the Europeans have to examine the
possibility of using the sea routes in going to Asia. In fact, there were earlier

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explorers who also crossed the uncertain and perilous seas to reach the other
parts of the world. Most them were missionaries, travellers and traders, among
them was Marco Polo. Marco Polo was a Venetian explorer who gained access
to China. His experiences and observations of the wealth and advanced culture
of China further awakened the interest of the Europeans to Asia.
Trade between the Asians and Europeans was not a new venture. As
mentioned earlier, it existed before using the caravan routes. The Asians,
spearheaded by the Arabs brought priced products to Europe and sold them with
sky high prices. The most sought after Asian products by the Europeans were
the spices. They discovered that the spices added flavour to their bland food as
well as it can preserve meat for quite a long time. Imagine yourself living that
time, especially during winter and eating unflavoured food? However, the use of
spices enhanced the flavour of the food, especially chilies that heated up their
physical body amidst the cold European air. The European craving for spices was
the reason for funded expeditions to bring back the priced product. A writer once
said spices can buy kingdoms. Can you imagine how expensive the spices then?
In 1453, the Muslim Turks conquered Constantinople and closed the trade
routes. Only the Venetians had the privilege to continue trade contacts with the
Muslims. As a result of this privilege, the Venetians had the monopoly of trade of
products from the east. Since Venice is very far from the Iberian Peninsula
where Spain and Portugal is located, these Iberian countries explored alternative
ways to reach the east themselves- the source of the most coveted spices.
Asia became the focus of the European powers. As a result, banks and
lending institutions provided the most needed funds for exploration to the east.
Those who have feasible plans for expedition can easily avail capitalization for the
venture. In fact the Magellan voyage took funds from Jacob Fugger, a German
banker.
The reconquista, a religious movement aimed to regain the territories
occupied by the Muslims also paved way for the Spaniards and Portuguese to
reach Asia. The reconquista started with the successful campaign of the Iberian
Catholics to destroy Islam in Spain and Portugal in 1492. The spirit of reconquista
continued between the two rivals in their subsequent exploration to look for
territories and to convert the inhabitants to Catholicism.

The Voyage of Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan (Fernao Magalhaes) was a Portuguese explorer
whose voyage reached the Far East and subsequently the Philippines. He knew
where Mallaca was and what can be gained from the area for he was with the
Portuguese when they conquered Malacca in 1511. When the King of Portugal
did not agree on his planned exploration to the east, he presented the same to the
King of Spain. He convinced King Carlos I of Spain regarding his plan, whom the
King readily agreed. By virtue of the Treaty of Tordesillas, he planned to reach
Moluccas (considered as the spice island) by westward route and to discover the
way from Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

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 Figure: Image of Ferdinand Magellan and illustration of the Battle of Mactan
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Magellan voyage left the port of San Lucar de Barrameda in Seville on
August 20, 1519 with 270 crew. Also with him was his assistant, Sebastian del
Cano and Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of the voyage. Pigafetta kept a
detailed journal of what happened to them from the time they left Seville in 1519
until they returned to Spain three years after.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage around the World
Below is an excerpt of Pigafetta’s account as the Magellan expedition first
set foot in the island of Homonhon and the story of the encounter between Lapu-
lapu and Magellan:
... the right of the above-mentioned island, in order to be more secure, and
to get water and have some rest. He had two tents set up on the shore for the
sick and had a sow killed for them. On Monday afternoon, March 18, we saw a
boat coming towards us with nine men in it. Therefore, the captain-general
ordered that no one should move or say a word without his permission. When
those men reached the shore, their chief went immediately to the captain general,
giving signs of joy because of our arrival. Five of the most ornately adorned of
them remained with us, while the rest went, to get some others who were fishing,
and so they all came. The captain general seeing that they are reasonable men,
ordered food to set before them, and gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, bells,
ivory bocasine and other things. When they saw the captains courtesy, they
presented fish, a jar of palm wine which they call uraca (i.e. arrack), figs more
than one palmo long, (i.e. bananas), and others which were smaller and delicate,
and two cocoanuts (coconuts). They had nothing else then, but made us signs
with their hands that they would bring umay or rice and cocoanuts and many
articles of food within four days.
Cocoanuts are fruit of the palm tree. Just as we have bread, wine, oil, and
milk so those people get everything from that tree. They get wine by boring into
the hole into the heart of the said palm and at the top called palmito (i.e. stalk),
from which distils a liquor which resembles white mist. That liqour is sweet but
somewhat tart, and is (gathered) in canes (of bamboo) as thick as the legs and
thicke. They fasten the bamboo to the tree at the evening for the morning, and in

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the morning for the evening. The palm bears a fruit namely, the cocoanut, which
is as large as the head or thereabouts. Its outside husk is green and thicker than
two fingers. Certain filaments are found in that husk, whence is made cord for
binding together their boats. Under that husk, there is a hard shell, much thicker
than the shell of the walnut, which they burn and made into powder that is useful
to them. Under that shell of the walnut, which they burn and made into powder
that is useful to them. Under that shell is a white marrow substance one finger in
thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish s we do to bread; and it taste
like the almond. It could be dried and made into bread. There is a clear, sweet
water in the middle of that marrowy substance which is very refreshing. When
that water stands for a while after having been collected, it congeals and
becomes like an apple. When the natives which to make oil, they ate that
cocoanut and allow the marrowy substance and the water to putrefy. Then they
boil it and it becomes oil like butter. When they wish to make vinegar, they allow
only the water to putrefy, and then place it under the sun, and a vinegar results
like (that made from) white wine. Milk can also be made from it for we made
some. We scraped that marrow substance and then mix the scrapings with its
own water which we strained using a cloth, and so obtained milk like goats milk.
Those palms resemble date palms, but although not smooth they are less knotty
than the latter. A family of (x) persons can be supported on two trees, by utilizing
them week about for the wine; for if they did otherwise, the trees would dry up.
They last a century.
Those people became very familiar with us. They told us many things,
their names and those of some of the islands that could be seen from that place.
Their own island was called Zuluan (an island located southeast of Samar) and it
is not very large. We took great pleasure with them, for they were very pleasant
and conversable. In order to show them greater honor, the captain general took
them to his ship and showed them all their merchandise – cloves, cinnamon,
pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold and all the things in the ship. He had some
mortars fired for them, whereat they exhibited great fear, and tied to jump out of
the ship. They made signs to us that the above said articles grew in that place
where they were going. When they were about to retire they took their leave very
gracefully and neatly, saying that they would return according to their promise.
The island where we were is called Humunu (or Homonohon, an island south of
Samar and east of Suluan. Pigafetta called it Acquda da li buoni Signiaili or
Watering place of Good Signs because he saw signs of gold there)...

On the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan
(Mactan) went to see Magellan and asked him for a boat full of men so that he
would be able to fight the chief named Silapulapu (Lapulapu). Such Chief,
according to Zula, refused to obey the king and was also preventing him from
doing so. Magellan offered three boats instead and expressed his desire to go to
Mactan himself to fight the said chief. Magellan’s forces arrived in Mactan in
daylight. They numbered 49 in total and the islanders of Mactan were estimated to
number 1,500. The battle began. Pigafetta recounted:

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 “when we reached land we found the islanders fifteen hundred in number,
drawn up in three Squadrons; they came down upon us with terrible shouts. Two
squadrons attacking us on the flanks, and the third in front. The captain then
divided his men in two bands. Our musketeers crossbow-men fired for half an
hour a distance, but did nothing, since the bullets and arrows, thought they
passed thought their shields made of him wood, and perhaps wounded their
arms, yet did not stop them. The Captain shouted not to fire, but he was not
listened to, the islanders seeing that the shots of our guns did them little or no
harm would not retire, but shouted more loudly, and springing from one side to
the other to void our shouts, they at the same time drew nearer to us, throwing
arrows, javelins, spears hardened in fire, stones, and even mud, so that we could
hardly defend ourselves. Some of them cast lances pointed with iron at the
captain-general.”
Magellan died in that battle. The natives, perceiving that the bodies of the
enemies were protected with armors, aimed for their legs instead. Magellan was
pierced with a poisoned in his right leg. A few of their men charged at the natives
and tried to intimidate them by burning an entire village but this only enraged the
natives further. Magellan was especially targeted because the natives knew that
he was the captain general. Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. Magellan
retaliated and pierced the same native with his lance in the breast and tried to
draw his sword but could not lift it because of his wounded arm. Seeing that the
captain has already deteriorated, more natives came to attack him. One native
with a great sword delivered a blow in Magellan’s left leg, brought him face down
and the natives ceaselessly attacked Magellan with lances, swords, and even with
their bare hands. Pigafetta recounted the last moments of Magellan:

“Whilst the Indians were thus overpowering him, several times he turned
round towards us to see if we were all in safety, as though his obstinate fight had
no other object than to give an opportunity for the retreat of his men.”

Pigafetta also said that the king of Cebu who was baptized could have sent
help but Magellan instructed him not to join the battle and stay in the balangay so
that he would see how they fought. The king ordered the people of Mactan gifts
of any value and amount in exchange of Magellan’s body but the chief refused.
They wanted to keep Magellan’s body as a memento of their victory. Possibly you
are wondering how the fleet of Magellan has managed to conduct masses, talked
with the natives and met the different chieftains. The answer was because of the
interpreters brought by Magellan from Malacca to Spain, one of them is Henry
(Enrique). It was mentioned by Pigafetta that one of the reasons on the failure of
the supposed talk between Magellan and Lapu-lapu and their aspiration to leave
Cebu after the battle was due to the betrayal of Henry as he told the king of Cebu
that they intended to leave as quickly as possible. Allegedly, Henry told the king
that if he followed the slave’s advice then the king could acquire the ships and the
goods of Magellan’s fleet. The two conspired and betrayed what was left of
Magellan’s men. The king invited these men to a gathering where he said he
would present the jewels that he would send for the King of Spain. Pigaffeta was

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not able to join the twenty-four men who attended because he was nursing his
battle wounds. It was only a short time when they heard cries and lamentations.
The natives had slain all of the men except the interpreter and Juan Serrano who
was already wounded. Serrano was presented and shouted at the men in the ship
asking them to pay ransom so he would be spared. However, they refused and
would not allow anyone to go to the shore. The fleet departed and abandoned
Serrano. They left Cebu and continued their journey around the world. In
September 6, 1522, through the leadership of Sebastian del Cano, the ship
Victoria officially arrived at the Spanish port of Sanlucar de Barrameda, becoming
the first ship to circumnavigate the world. With 270 men who set sail with
Magellan in 1519 only 18 survived the voyage with Antonio Pigafetta counted.
Relevance
Pigafetta’s chronicle was a great contribution to European historical writing
for it recorded as an eyewitness the experiences and accomplishments of the
Magellan-Elcano expedition. If Pigafetta did not survive and his chronicles was
not published, the achievements and contributions of Magellan’s expedition to
history, geography and navigation would have not been known. It must not be
forgotten that the Magellan expedition resulted to important discoveries and
achievements such as:
1. Proved that the earth is not flat but an oblate sphere
2. Debunked the myth of a boiling water at the equator
3. Completed the circumnavigation of the world
4. Confirmed that the Portuguese route is not the only way to the Spice Island
5. Proved that theory that the east can be reached using the westward route
6. Made known the existence of the Pacific Ocean
7. The Philippines became known to the Europeans
On the part of Philippine historiography, the chronicle of Pigafetta was a great
contribution to the knowledge about the Visayan islands in the 16 th century. The
chronicle gave insight on the life of the Visayans at the time of the arrival of
Magellan. Noteworthy to mention as recorded in the chronicle are some leaders
that time, livelihood, agricultural activities, food production, social and cultural
practices and religious beliefs.
Interestingly, the excerpts presented in this module, exhaustively discussed
the importance of coconuts in the life of the early Visayans. As an indigenous flora
in the islands, the coconut is among the peoples main source of food, vinegar, oil
and even cordage for binding. The chronicles further gave hints that most sought
after spices by the Europeans were also grown and produced in the islands.
The chronicle also provided for the beginning of Christianity, the baptism of
Rajah Humabon, the first mass and the story of the popular image of Sto. Nino.
The Filipino innate hospitality can be noticed in the chronicle. They were reported
to have shown friendly attitude to the Spaniards. On the contrary there were
others that were not happy with the coming of the westerners, among them was
Lapu- lapu as depicted in the Battle of Mactan.
These information from the chronicle of Antonio Pigafetta are valuable
source materials in the study and understanding of Philippine history. Let us not
forget that writings about the early Filipinos prior to the 17 th century are scarce.

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The work of Pigafetta and the succeeding chroniclers enriched Philippine
historiography

Name: _______________________________ Score: ______________

Section: ______________________________ Date: _______________
Apply
Document Analysis: Analyzing a Written Document
You choose one event from the voyage of Magellan and you are expected
to describe it as if you are explaining to someone who can’t see it. 
1) Who wrote it? __________________________________

2) When is it from?____________________________

3) What is it talking about?________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

4) What was happening at the time in history this document was created?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Name: _______________________________ Score: ______________

Section: ______________________________ Date: _______________
Assessment

Write a critical essay based on the excerpts of Antonio Pigafetta’s work, First
Voyage around the World. Write your essay discussing a) the importance of the
text; b) background of the text author; c) context of the document; and 4)
contribution to the understanding of Philippine history.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
______________________
Lesson 2: The Kartilya of the Katipunan by Emilio Jacinto
Lesson Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, you must have;
1. Examined the content and context of the document;
2. Determined the main teachings and guiding principles of the Kartilya;
and
3. Recognized the importance of the Kartilya to the past and today.
Activate:
Can you identify the people in the following pictures?

He was known as the Supremo:

____________________________________

He wrote the Kartilya of the

Katipunan:_______________________________

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 He was considered as the Sublime
Paralytic:________________________________

Were you able to identify them?

What is common among them?
All of them were leaders and known figures of both the Katipunan and the
Revolution. Katipunan was a secret organization, whose leadership spearheaded
the 1896 Revolution.

In understanding the Kartliya, you also have to read about the Katipunan.
In the following narrative you will know the history of Katipunan and the
importance of the Kartilya.

Acquire:
The Katipunan and its Kartilya
The Katipunan was founded as a secret organization. It was popularly
known as the KKK from the three letters that stands for the name of the
organization – Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng
Bayan. Its formal founding was on the night of July 7, 1892 in 314 Calle Azcarraga
(now Claro M. Recto) in Tondo, Manila. Coincidentally, it was also the same date
when Jose Rizal was exiled in Dapitan as ordered by Gov. Gen. Eulogio Despujol.
The founding of the Katipunan was led by Andres Bonifacio together with Deodato
Arellano, Ladislao Diwa, Teodoro Plata, Valentin Diaz and Jose Dizon.
The Katipunan had three aims: political, moral and civic. The political aim
was to gain independence from Spain through a revolution. Its moral aim was to
teach good moral and right conduct and its civic aim was to unite all the people for
mutual support and cooperation in times of need.
The hierarchy of the Katipunan
was divided into three councils:
Kataas-taasang Sanggunian
(Supreme Council), Sangguniang
Bayan
(Municipal Council). The
Sangguniang Hukuman (Judicial
Council) took charged of the judicial
matters in the organization.
The Katipunan patterned some
of its characters from masonry, such
as the degree of membership,
rituals and the use of of members
code/symbolic names. Recruitment
ierarchy of the used the triangular method, a
ee councils of the method where in each of the three
acanang.gov.ph) members have to recruit two new members.

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 However, this method was slow
considering that the time for a revolution
is running out. They changed to initiation
method which started in October of 1892.
Members were categorized in to three
degrees. The first was the Katipon and
uses its same name as password. A
Katipon may be promoted to a Kawal that
uses the password GOMBURZA. When
he finally became one of the council
leaders, he can move on to the highest
rank, the Bayani and uses Rizal as
password.
To concretize the moral aim of the Katipunan, Bonifacio wrote the
Decakologo and Emilio Jacinto wrote the Kartilya ng Katipunan – the code of
conduct of the Katipunan. The word “kartilya” was derived from the Spanish word
cartilla which was the primer used for grade school during the Spanish period.
Like the Spanish cartilla, the Kartilya ng Katipunan was used to instruct the
katipuneros. It is worthy to know first that the author of the Kartilya, Emilio Jacinto
was only 18 years old at the time when he joined the Katipunan in 1896.

Below is the Kartilya in its original Tagalog text:

I. Ang kabuhayang hindi ginugugol sa isang malaki at banal na

kadahilanan ay kahoy na walang lilim, kundi damong makamandag
II. Ang gawang magaling na nagbubuhat sa pagpipita sa sarili, at hindi sa
talagang nasang gumawa ng kagalingan, ay di kabaitan. 
III. Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ang pagkakawang gawa, ang pagibig sa
kapua at ang isukat ang bawat kilos, gawa’t pangungusap sa talagang
Katuiran.
IV. Maitim man at maputi ang kulay ng balat, lahat ng tao’y
magkakapantay; mangyayaring ang isa’y higtan sa dunong, sa yaman, sa
ganda…; ngunit di mahihigtan sa pagkatao.
V. Ang may mataas na kalooban inuuna ang puri sa pagpipita sa sarili;
ang may hamak na kalooban inuuna ang pagpipita sa sarili sa puri.
VI. Sa taong may hiya, salita’y panunumpa.
VII. Huag mong sasayangin ang panahun; ang yamang nawala’y
magyayaring magbalik; nguni’t panahong nagdaan na’y di na muli pang
magdadaan. Value of time
VIII. Ipagtanggol mo ang inaapi, at kabakahin ang umaapi.
IX. Ang taong matalino’y ang may pagiingat sa bawat sasabihin, at
matutong ipaglihim ang dapat ipaglihim. 
X. Sa daang matinik ng kabuhayan, lalaki ay siyang patnugot ng asawa’t
mga anak; kung ang umaakay ay tungo sa sama, ang patutunguhan ng
iaakay ay kasamaan din. 

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 XI. Ang babai ay huag mong tignang isang bagay na libangan lamang,
kundi isang katuang at karamay sa mga kahirapan nitong kabuhayan;
gamitan mo ng buong pagpipitagan ang kaniyang kahinaan, at alalahanin
ang inang pinagbuhata’t nagiwi sa iyong kasangulan. 
XII. Ang di mo ibig na gawin sa asawa mo, anak at kapatid, ay huag mong
gagawin sa asawa, anak, at kapatid ng iba.
XIII. Ang kamahalan ng tao’y wala sa pagkahari, wala sa tangus ng ilong
at puti ng mukha, wala sa pagkaparing kahalili ng Dios wala sa mataas na
kalagayan sa balat ng lupa; wagas at tunay na mahal na tao, kahit laking
gubat at walang nababatid kundi ang sariling wika, yaong may magandang
asal, may isang pangungusap, may dangal at puri; yaong di napaaapi’t di
nakikiapi; yaong marunong magdamdam at marunong lumingap sa bayang
tinubuan.
XIV. Paglaganap ng mga aral na
Figure: Illustration depicting the triangle ito at maningning na sumikat
method of recruiting members of the KKK ang araw ng mahal na Kalayaan
(Source: malacanang.gov.ph
dito sa kaabaabang
Sangkalupuan, at sabugan ng matamis  niyang liwanag ang
nangagkaisang magkalahi’t magkakapatid ng ligaya ng walang katapusan,
ang mga ginugol na buhay, pagud, at mga tiniis na kahirapa’y labis nang
natumbasan. Kung lahat ng ito’y mataruk na ng nagiibig pumasuk at
inaakala niyang matutupad ang mga tutungkulin, maitatala ang kaniyang
ninanasa sa kasunod nito.
Below is the translated version of the rules in Kartilya:
I. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a
tree without shade, if not a poisonous weed. -
II. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue.
III. It is rational to be charitable and love one's fellow-creature, and to
adjust one's conduct, acts, and words to what is in itself reasonable.
IV. Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in
knowledge, wealth, and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by
nature.
V. The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain, the scoundrel, gain
to honor.
VI. To the honorable man his word is sacred.
VII. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered, but not the time lost.
VIII. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the
field.
IX. The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.
X. On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and of the
children, and if the guide leads to precipices, those whom he guides will
also go there.
XI. Thou must not look upon woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful
companion who will share with thee the penalties of life; her weakness will
increase thy interest in her and she will remind thee of the mother who
bore thee and reared thee.

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 XII. What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers and
sisters, that do not unto the wife, children, brothers, and sisters of thy
neighbor.
XIII. Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is
aquiline and his color white, nor because he is a priest, a servant of God,
nor because of the high prerogative that he enjoys upon earth, but he is
worth most who is a man of proven and real value, who does good, keeps
his word, is worthy and honest; he who does not oppress, nor consent to
being oppressed, he who loves and cherishes his fatherland, though he be
born in the wilderness and know no tongue but his own.
XIV. When these rules of conduct shall be known to all and the longed-for
sun of Liberty shall rise brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe
and its rays shall diffuse everlasting joy among the confederated brethren
of the same race, the lives of those who have gone before, the fatigues,
and the well-paid suffering will remain. If he who desires to enter has
informed himself of all this and believes he will be able to perform what will
be his duties, he may fill out the following application for admission.

So what can you say? Would you say that the Kartilya is still applicable
today? You will better appreciate it if you continue with the last reading of this
lesson.

RELEVANCE:
The Kartilya ng Katipunan by Emilio Jacinto serves as a guide for the rules
and principles of the Katipunan to be read and strictly followed by its new
members.
The Kartilya is a classic work. Although it was written in the 19 th century,
the relevance of its message still applies to the present times. Reading and
critical analysis of the text revealed four important insights.

 One’s life must have a purpose and must not be wasted.

 Moral virtue and honor should guide actions
 All men are equal
 Defend the oppressed, protect and respect the women

The guiding principles of the Kartilya is useful for living in the midst of the
present challenging times. Often we question the virtue of the actions of our
leaders, whether it was done with sincerity or with selfish interests. For it seems
that self- interests prevail over character and honor. Words according to the
Kartilya are a righteous man’s bond. However, today where information is
accessible to everyone, pronouncements from our leaders are not binding
anymore. All are lip service and are not put into action. If we live to the tenets of
the Kartilya, today must have been worth living.
Here are some reasons on why it is relevant to Philippine History:
1. The text is one of the few recorded texts around that time. It allows us
today to have a glimpse on the ideologies of the Katipunan and its members. This

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allows us to learn more about the goal.
2. It encouraged involvement of the masses as well to join with the
revolution and bring a sense of nationalism to practice in any form. This leads up
to the independence of the Philippines.
Name: _______________________________ Score: ______________
Section: ______________________________ Date: _______________
APPLY:
Rewrite a portion or one principle of the Kartilya ng Katipunan in such a
way that it encourage millennials like you to practice its teachings. Post it in your
Facebook or Social Media account and see how your friends will respond to it.

For example:

Don’t waste time; lost wealth maybe recovered, but time lost is lost forever.
Agree ka dito Besh? Anong masa-say mo?

1). Which code from the Kartilya did you choose? Why did you choose that code?
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2). What was the predominant reaction from your followers? Was it more of likes,
hearts, laugh, wow, sad or angry reactions?
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3). Reading at the reactions of your friends, can you provide your own realization
by having their comments or reactions as your basis?
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Name: _______________________________ Score: ______________
Section: ______________________________ Date: _______________

ASSESSMENT:

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 After reading and analyzing the Kartilya ng Katipunan, please answer this
question in an essay of no more than 500 words.
As a student, how will you embody the main teachings and the
guiding principles of the Kartilya? Concretize your answers through
examples and by citing specific lines from the document.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

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