Chapter 2: Content and Contextual
Analysis of selected Primary Sources
• “First Voyage Around the World” by Antonio Pigafetta
• “Customs of the Tagalogs” by Fray Juan de Plasencia
• “Kartilya ng Katipunan” by Emilio Jacinto
• “Mga Gunita ng Himagsikan” by Emilio Aguinaldo
• “Acta de la Proclamacion de la Independencia del
Pueblo Filipino” by Ambrosio Bautista
• “Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the
American Era” by Alfred McCoy and Alfredo
Roces
• “Filipino Grievances Against Governor Wood” by
Commission on Independence
• “President Corazon Aquino’s Speech Before the
U.S. Congress (September 18, 1986)”
• “Raiders of the Sulu Sea (Film)”
• “Works of Luna and Amorsolo (paintings)”
1. Content Analysis
• Identification of the historical importance of
the text
Title of
Primary
Source
Background/Biog
raphy of Author/s
Reason/s of
writing this
Primary Source
Highlights of its
Content
2. Contextual Analysis
• Examination of author’s main argument or
point of view
Title of
Primary Source
Main Argument Bias Importance in
Understanding
Philippine History
“First Voyage Around the
World”
(“Primer Viaje en Torno del Globo”)
SPAIN PORTUGAL
Historical background
• Written by Antonio Pigafetta
in one of the five ships that
first circumnavigate the world
• It covers the time when
Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet
“Armada de Molucca” started
the voyage (1519) until it was
successfully went back to Spain
• The copies of this account was presented by Pigafetta to
Pope Clement VII, King Francis I’s mother, etc.
• His original diary was lost and
not known in what language
it was written
• Survived in 4 manuscript
versions; 1 Italian
(Carlo Amoretti) and
3 French
MARCH 17, 1521 (originally March 16)
• Arrival in “Zamal” (Samar) particularly in the
island of “Humunu” (Homonhon)
• Magellan called it “Acquada da li buoni
Segnialli” (Watering place of God Signs)
• The district was called “Las Islas de San Lazaro”
(Islands of Saint Lazarus)
MARCH 18, 1521 (originally March 17)
• Magellan and his men landed in Humunu and
saw by native boatmen from Suluan Island who
gave them foods.
• Transaction made through Magellan’s slave
interpreter, “Enrique” (of Malacca)
MARCH 22, 1521 (originally March 21)
• The boatmen return to Magellan’s location and
gave two boats of foods
Magellan at Malacca
(1505)
Magellan went back to
Portugal with Enrique (1511)
MARCH 30 (originally March 29)
“Umangkla ang barko namin sa isla ng Mazaua, malapit sa bahay ng
Rajah nito (Rajah Siagu) at umakyat ng barko ang Rajah at sila
Magellan kung saan sila’y nagpalitan ng regalo.
Nag-almusal at ipinasyal ni Magellan ang Rajah sa paligid ng
kanyang barko at ipinakita ang kanyang mga armas. Gayundin ako
at isang kasama ay sumama sa Rajah at sa Balanghai, kami ay
pinakain ng baboy, pinainom ng alak at pinakita ng hari ang
kanilang palasyo at nagpakain pa.”
MARCH 31 (originally March 30)
“Bumalik kami sa aming mga barko kasama ang kapatid ng Rajah
ng Mazaua, ang Rajah ng Butuan-Calagan na si Colambu, ang
pinakamaayos na lalaking nakita namin.”
APRIL 1, 1521 (originally March 31)
• First mass in the Philippines was happened in
“Mazaua”
• Attended by Magellan, Rajah Kolambu, Rajah
Siagu (Siaui) and local islanders
APRIL 8, 1521
• Magellan went to Zubu (Cebu) and met Rajah
Humabon
• The rajah wanted Magellan and his men to pay
tribute to them but told his translator Enrique
that they are working for King of Spain and
threatened him a war
APRIL 15, 1521 (original April 14)
• Held a mass on Humabon’s place where
attended by 800 local members
• Magellan gave Hara Humamay an image of Sto.
Niño
• Humabon became “Carlos” and Humamay
became “Juana”
APRIL 27, 1521 (originally April 26)
• Rajah Zula told Magellan that Matan’s (Mactan)
chieftain Cilapulapu (Lapulapu) refused to obey
the King of Spain
• Zula requested Magellan to send him only one
boatload of men to fight Cilapulapu but Magellan
APRIL 28, 1521 (originally April 27)
• 60 of Magellan’s men set out armed with
corselets and helmets and 20-30 Balanhais
loaded by Rajah Humabon’s men went to
Matan to attack Cilapulapu
• The local islanders had lances of bamboo and
stakes hardened with fire
• “Battle of Mactan”
happened
“Organisado ang paglusob ng mga tiga-Mactan habang nagsisigawan. Isang
grupo kada tagiliran ng mga Espanyol at isa sa harap na tila tatsulok. Nang
magpaputok ng mga kanyon at riple ang mga Espanyol, nakahanda na ang mga
kalasag ng mga ito. Gayundin, kanya-kanyang tago ang mga mandirigma upang
makaiwas, malinaw na malinaw na sila’y handa sa atake. Hindi nakayanan ng
mga Europeo ang mga pana, sibat, putik at bato na dumapo sa kanila.
At matapos nito’y iniutos ni Magellan na magsunog ng mga bahay ng mga taga-
Mactan na siyang lalong ikinagalit ng mga ito. At natutunan ng mga
mandirigmang taga-Mactan na puntiryahin sa paa ang mga kalabang
nakabaluti.
Tinamaan si Magellan ng panang may lason sa kanang binti, pero sinabi nitong
bumalik na sa mga barko. Sa katapusan ng laban si Magellan ay tinamaan ng
sibat sa mukha ngunit nakalaban pa, nasugatan pa braso at nakampilan pa sa
kaliwang binti. Sa kanyang pagbagsak, pinagtulungan na siya ng mga tiga-
Mactan. At nang makita ng mga kasama na patay na si Magellan, sila’y
nagsiatrasan, dala-dala ang iba pang mga sugatan.”
Other contents of Pigafetta’s manuscript:
• Lifestyle of early Filipinos in Visayas
• First vocabulary of Visayan words ever penned by a
European
• Description of early Visayan music
• Evidence that the world is round
• Re-discovery of Pacific Ocean
“Redencion presupone
virtud, virtud sacrificio,
sacrificio amor!”
(Redemption presupposes virtue; virtue sacrifice,
sacrifice, love!)
-Padre Florentino (El Filibusterismo, 1891)
Thank you!
Yosef Eric C. Hipolito, LPT, MA
Historian, Philippine Historical Association
[email protected]
