TOPIC: Local History, Oral History, and Indigenous Practices

Learning Objectives:
Explain the meaning and importance of local and oral history, museums, historical
shrines and indigenous rite and rituals in the development of Filipino identity;
Elaborate on the role played by local and oral history, museums, historical shrines,
and indigenous rite and rituals in appreciating the past of the Filipino nation and
people;
Demonstrate interest in studying, researching on, and writing local and oral
history;

1 What is Local and Oral History?

Tan (1997) refers to local history as that category of historical writing which emphasizes
a specific or limited aspect of national life, geographic or otherwise. It deals with the history of
villages, barrios, towns, cities, provinces, regions as well as the personalities and contributors to
their political, economic, social, and cultural development.
Sturtevart pointed out that local history is focused on the description of past culture of a
certain place based on written documents with specific chronologies.
Simply defined, local history is the collective experiences of a group of people while
oral history is a methodology where first hand reminiscences of historical events of an
eyewitness are recounted through the intervention of a historian, and as pointed out by Sturtevart,
the historiography of groups that do not know how to read and write which center on traditions
and languages which are shown in epics, legends, genealogies, and the stories of the towns.

Oral history, on the other hand, is a kind of history which exists not written literature but
in oral traditions, narratives and personal experiences, which are passed on orally from
generation to generation like folklore (kwentong bayan) epic poems, beliefs, customs and
traditions.
According to Tan, oral history is vital in the integration of Philippines society and is
definitely one way of bringing out diverse communities together.
Agoncillo, on the other hand, referred to oral history as history based not only on
interviews with old men and women of certain place regarding events that they allegedly
witnessed in their earlier years but more significantly with government officials and private
individuals who were directly or indirectly involved in the occurrence of certain events.
Louis Starr, one of the founders of oral history movement defined it as “a primary
source material obtained by recording the spoken words – generally by means of planned, pre-
recorded interviews – of persons deemed to harbor hitherto unavailable information worth
saving.
Oral history is important in the study of local history because it brings enormous
potentialities to the researcher. Sousa Maia (1991) stated through it, important fringes of the
population can be incorporated in history which would be condemned to silence in any other
situation, for the simple reason that they did not have any written documents, thus with oral
history, people, like the minorities and women, are given a voice.
2 What is the Importance of Local and Oral History to National
Development?
Relating the meaning of local and oral history to the present, Tan wrote that local and
oral history are basic to autonomy. He stated:
Autonomy implies an exercise of freedom with limited control or influence
from the national government. It means more room for local initiatives to develop
and for local potentials to progress. More importantly, it encourages creative and
innovative responses to development from people with special talents and
potentials. Autonomy allows the locality and its people to plan their life and
implement programs and projects to achieve their goals. Consequently, the
localities are expected to ultimately shape their future, create their identities and
evolve their own traditions.
It is at this stage of searching and rediscovering local potentials and
resources for progress that the localities also rediscover the richness of their own
heritage that has been literally taken for granted and even hidden for a long time.
Tan stressed that in all the processes generated by local initiatives in an atmosphere of
meaningful freedom, the role of local history is vital.
Pointing to the definition of history as simply an organized record of the meaningful past,
he emphasized that as such, it becomes the essential reservoir of local data and memories of
events, realities, and things that constitute the essence of local life. It is from this reservoir that
the people can draw patriotic strength in times of crisis, inspiration in moments of despair and
directions in periods of ambiguities and dilemma.
We can only understand better our national history if we know the history of our own
locality. We can appreciate more struggles of our great men if we know their roots and the places
where they originated from and if we know the men from our localities who contributed in the
making of our national history. The study of local and oral history helps in assessing the
capability of a place or a group of people; in discovering and propagating local traditions and
culture; in enriching and deepening one’s appreciation of his origin; in becoming proud of his
roots.
The emergence of local history as an area of investigation is significant because of the
following (Cruz);
1. It may probably lead to revision of interpretations in major areas in Philippine
history
2. Can be the basis for the broader thesis about national history
3. May revolutionize methodologies and stimulate conceptual innovations that will
revitalize history as a discipline
4. Focus attention on the “history of the people” or history “from bottom up”

3 How One Can Start Writing Local and Oral History?

Venturing on writing a local history is neither easy nor difficult. What is important is that
one who is doing it, has the passion, the genuine interest in what he is embarking on. But even if
one has the passion and the genuine interest, it is also necessary that he is equipped with the
knowledge on how to go about it.
1. Know what he would like to research on and write about
One may start with a question about a particular place, etc. A research outline will be
a very helpful instrument in making the research and writing of a particular local and
 oral history easy and an enjoyable undertaking. One who is vent on researching and
writing on local and oral history must also equipped himself with preliminary or little
knowledge of what he is researching on and writing about. Thus, initial reading and
inquiry on the topic he will work on must be done by the researcher.
2. Methodology to be used
Library and archival work or research based on documents which include not only
written ones but photographs, taped interviews, video documentation, art work, which
are stored in the library and archives or in institutions like the church, government
offices, military camps and private collection are abundant.
3. What and who will be the sources of the data
These will provide the answer to what you are researching on and will be writing
about. A review of literature related to what one is working on will lead the
researchers to other sources of data. The sources may be written or non-written. Non-
written sources are may be in the form of artefacts, or those objects belonging to
material culture such as old jars, photos, houses or buildings, monuments, caves,
rituals and other material things which could give details on what is being researched
on.
Aside from the artefacts, oral tradition can be good sources of data also. Folklore,
epics, riddles, proverbs and stories of old folks about an event, place or customs/habit
that have been tape recorded, videoed and written through interviews are rich sources
of information one is desiring to obtain about his local and oral history research.
4. Analysis of data
Very important and crucial in the writing of local and oral history. A researcher must
always bear in mind that not all data gathered are reliable. The sources of data should
be evaluated to find out if they are genuine and reliable. In this aspect, there is a
strong need for the researchers to consult the experts in the validation of the
documents and artifacts used as sources in the research.
Local history must be of lasting value. Apilado gave the following characteristics
for it to be considered a good historical account:
a. It must be an original work, not a rehash or a recycling of historical facts which
have been written about a countless times. It could either present new
information, through the use of primary sources, or provide new insights or
interpretation to familiar information;
b. It deals with a subject matter which is of historical value or “may saysay”. A
historical account must be able to show the following: where we came from; how
things changed; what particular path was taken and for what reasons; why we are
where we are now; and
c. It must meet basic academic standards expected of any written work, which
includes good grammar, clarity of presentation or narrative and proper attribution
through a bibliography or foot/endnotes for it to be more credible.

4 What are the definition and historical development of Museums?

Museum as defined in the Statutes of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) is
an non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the
public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and
intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for purposes of education, study and
enjoyment.
Museum refers to buildings in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural
interest are stored and exhibited. It is an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study, and
display of valuable objects. It is a building where a large number of interesting and valuable
objects, such as work of art or historical items are kept, studied, and displayed to the public.
 Museum is a Latin word derived from the Greek word mouseion, which means place for
the muses or for study, which in Roman times were restricted to places for philosophical
discussion, and a place of contemplation, where all the fields of human knowledge were
attempted to be put together into one place with its library its most famous feature complemented
with a collection of artifacts. It claimed descent from the Museum in Alexandria established in
the 3rd century B.C. by Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, as a
prototype university with its college of scholars and its library having the greatest collection of
manuscripts numbering to 400, 000 scrolls at that time. This library became the center of
Hellenistic culture and is considered as the most important museum of antiquity (Murray, 1904).

5 What is the importance of Museums?

Interest in museums should be stimulated among our people, particularly the youth.
Museums are rich depositories of culture. Since learning should not only be confined inside the
classrooms, teachers, therefore, should integrate museum objects with classroom teaching as an
interdisciplinary approach to education. Museum visits teach students to love our country, know
our history and appreciate our identity as a people.
Science museums offer a closer look at real specimens of nature and technology; natural
history museums offer a window into the natural world; art museums provide glimpses at our
cultural understanding through artwork in different periods and foster creative inspiration;
technology museums teach us where all of the gadgets we use come from, how things work and
push people to think about engineering; history museums teach us to learn from our mistakes, to
have a glimpse of the old life, to learn about the past and to know our cultural heritage.
Museum helps people understand the world by using objects and ideas to interpret the
past and present and explore the future. It preserves and researches collections, and makes
objects and information accessible in actual and virtual environments.
People learn things in museums they could never learn from school or by just going about
their normal lives. Museums are like the tangible Internet. An eye-opening, immersive global
learning experience.
The traditional role of museums is to collect objects and materials of cultural, religious,
and historical importance, preserve them, research into them, and present them to the public for
the purpose of education and enjoyment.
Museums help promote and preserve our cultural heritage; they are store house of old
artifacts, sculptures, art objects, history and heritage.
Museums teach critical thinking, empathy and other generally important skills and
dispositions. A visit to museum would increase the cultural knowledge of students.
Museums are institutions that care for a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic,
cultural, historical, or scientific importance. They serve researchers and specialists as well as the
general public.

4 What are Historical Shrines?

Historical shrines are small areas or monuments dedicated to someone, or a place known
as the site of a historical event; a place or structure esteemed for its importance or centrality as in
history or the arts; a place or structure designed as a monument to someone or something; a
location where an important event in the life of a person, or nation happened.
4.1 Rizal Monument
A memorial to Dr. Jose Rizal, the country’s national hero, located at the Luneta Park
in Manila, is considered as the leading historical shrine in the country. State visitors
 and dignitaries pay their controversy by offering wreaths and silent prayers to the
shrine where the remains of the national hero are interred.
The monument has a standing bronze sculpture of Rizal, with an obelisk made of
unpolished granite set on a stone base. It was designed by Richard Kissling, a French
artist. Its original title was Motto Stella which means “guiding star’ in Latin. It is a
mausoleum type of granite structure, 12.7 or 42 feet in height. Its construction started
in 1908, was completed in 1913, and was opened to the public on December 30,
1913. Earlier, on December 30, 1912, on the occasion of Rizal’s 16 th death
anniversary, a solemn procession from the Ayuntamiento to the Rizal monument was
done. One hundred years after, on December 30, 2012, the Knights of Rizal re-
enacted the transfer of Rizal’s remains to the Luneta monument.
At the pedestal of the monument is a plaque which reads: “To the memory of Jose
Rizal, patriot and martyr, executed at Bagumbayan Field, December Thirtieth 1896.”
4.2 Fort Santiago
A visit to the Philippines will not be complete without going to Fort Santiago in
Intramuros, Manila. It is one of the most important historical shires in Metro Manila.
Located within the once-upon-a-time Walled City or Intramuros as a defense fortress,
it was named after Spain’s patron saint, St. James (Santiago in Spanish)
Fort Santiago is located at the mouth of the Pasig River with a perimeter of 2,030
feet and is nearly triangular in form. This bastioned fort was originally designed by
Architect Gomez Perez Dasmarinas while the design of the renovated fort was done
by Architect Fernando Valdes y Tamon. It was constructed in 1590, was completed in
1593, and underwent renovation in 1733.
Fort Santiago was once a palisaded fort of Rajah Matanda. It was destroyed by
Martin de Goiti in 1570 during the fights with the Muslim natives when they capture
Manila. They started building it after the establishment of the City of Manila under
the Spanish rule on June 2, 1571.
The first fort built by the Spaniards was of palm logs and earth structure which
was destroyed by the Chinese pirates when they invaded Manila under the leadership
of Limahong. After the Chinese had been driven out of the archipelago, the Spaniards
started rebuilding the fort using hard stone. Its ornate gate was constructed in 1714.
The front edifice of the fort was destroyed by the strong earthquake in 1880.
In 1762, the British under the leadership of Brigadier General William Draper and
Rear Admiral Samuel Cornish invaded and captured Manila. The Royal Navy utilized
the fort as its base of operations until April 1764 when a ceasefire between the British
and the Spaniards was agreed.
It was in Fort Santiago where the American Flag was raised on August 13, 1898
to signify the American occupation of the Philippine islands and the start of American
rule. It served as the headquarters of the US Army. The Americans did several
changes in the fort which included the draining of the moats surrounding the fort and
the transformation of the grounds into a golf course.
Fort Santiago was a silent witness to the tortures and deaths of hundreds of
prisoners during the Second World War when its prisons and dungeons were used as
cells for the captured Filipino and American soldiers. During the Battle of Manila in
February 1945, 600 American prisoners of war died of suffocation and hunger in the
dungeons of the fort. Now, the fort, its prison dungeons and the bastion are part of the
historical park which included the Plaza Moriones and several ruins. Housed in the
park are well-preserved legacies from the Spanish colonial period, the memorabilia of
Jose Rizal, and the Rizal Shrine which is the replica of the hero’s house in Calamba,
Laguna.
In 1950, it was declared as a Shrine of Freedom. Now a historical park. Today,
the Intramuros Administration manages its reconstruction, maintenance, and
management.
4.3 The Aguinaldo Shrine
The center of the country’s Independence Day commemoration every June 12.
Built in 1845, this ancestral mansion of Emilio Aguinaldo underwent renovations in
1849 and 1919. An American era Filipino colonial bahay na bato, it has a floor area
of 1, 324 sq. meters and was formerly made of wood and thatch. It was in this house
where Aguinaldo was born on March 22, 1869.
It is a very historic house. It was from its front window where the Philippine
Independence from Spain was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 and the Philippine flag
designed by Aguinaldo was formally unfurled. On the grounds of this house, the San
Francisco de Malabon band played the Philippine National Anthem.
From 1919-1921, Aguinaldo not only worked on the expansion of his ancestral
mansion but also its transformation into a monument to flag and country. He added an
elaborate “independence balcony” where top officials of the land gathered annually to
commemorate the proclamation of Philippine Independence.
The renovated mansion was designed by Aguinaldo himself. It has secret passages
and hiding places for documents and weapons. A truly nationalistic house, antique
furniture filled its interior and the decorations throughout the house are motif of
Philippine flag and other national symbols. Its dining room ceiling is with a raised-
relief map of the Philippines.
Outside the house, Aguinaldo’s 1924 Packard limousine is on display. Behind the
house is a marble tomb where lie the remains of Aguinaldo.
The mansion was declared a national shrine on June 18, 1964, the year when
Aguinaldo died at the age of 94. The declaration was through RA No. 4039 signed by
former President Diosdado Macapagal.
4.4 The Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City
An imposing shrine. A visit to it should be a MUST for every Filipino. Designed
by Guillermo Tolentino, the monument was inaugurated on November 30, 1933 by no
less than former First Lady Aurora Quezon. This monument which is considered as
one of the most beautiful works of art in the country has twenty-three figures depicted
in tableaus narrative of the Philippine Revolution. Among the figures are those of
Emilio Jacinto and the three martyred priests, Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora.
The historic monument is a fitting tribute to Andres Bonifacio whose indomitable
courage in rallying his countrymen to rise in arms against the cruel colonizers paved
the way for the armed struggle which the abused colonized people resorted to in order
to attain liberty and free themselves from the injustice being inflicted unto them.
Looking back at the construction of this enduring landmark, it was in 1929 during
the commemoration of the 66th birth anniversary of Bonifacio that the cornerstone of
the monument was ceremoniously installed by former First Lady Aurora Quezon.
Thereafter, a contest for the design and construction of the monument was held.
Thirteen artists hiding under aliases submitted their designs. The winning design,
entitled Batang Elias won the contest. It was done by then UP Professor Guillermo
Tolentino.
The amount of P 125, 000. 00 was given to Tolentino for the construction of the
monument. Assisted by a team of sculptors and artists, specifically, Anastacio Caedo
and Francisco Ricardo Monti, Tolentino worked on this monument for three years.
One of the figures in the monument is that a winged figure of victory, which
represents the triumph of the Filipino nation against the tyranny of the Spaniards. It
rises 45 feet in the air nestled on a granite tower pedestal. In the Gomburza image, Fr.
Burgos is seen still in the garrotte with his face covered with sheet. Another image is
that of a Katipunero with his bolo in the act of rushing to the enemies while men and
women lie prostrate on the ground and grieving parents cradling their dead children.
Still, another moving image is that depicting the Filipino people suffering under the
 Spanish rule, the Katipuneros rising up in action, a man tearing his cedula which was
then a symbol of vassalage to Spain, another man rising his bolo start a fight, and
another man drawing his blood from his arm as his oath to the Katipunan. At the
center of the monument is Andres Bonifacio with his trusted Emilio Jacinto and a
Katipunero carrying a flag.
In the monument, the Bonifacio of Tolentino is described as: “done in the
classical sense expressing almost no emotion – a cool, calculating even serene leader
in the thick of battle. No deaf to the horror and rage that surrounded him but drawing
strength from them, holding them close and in a calm center.
4.5 Dambana ng Kagitingan
Also known as the Mount Samat National Shrined. Located in the summit of
Mount Samat in Pilar, Bataan, is a towering white cross, where inscribed in the
Shrine of Valor the following: “To the memory of these brave warriors whose blood
soaked every rock on this land so that this nation might endure, this humble shrines is
consecrated. Our mission is to remember.”
It was in Bataan where the gallant Filipino and American soldiers took their last
stand against the Japanese. Known in history as the Battle of Bataan, it lasted for
three months culminating in the Fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942, and then the
infamous Bataan Death March endured by 60, 000 to 80, 000 Filipino and American
prisoners of war.
The Mount Samat cross stands 300 feet facing east and overlooking the
colonnade. It has a brass door decorated with bas-relief done by National Artist for
Sculpture, Napoleon Abueva with Lorenzo Castillo. An elevator brings the shrine
visitors for the viewing gallery which is located in the arms of the cross, the base of
which is decorated with bas-relief sculptures of Filipino heroes.
The story of the Battle of Bataan is inscribed on the marble walls on both eneds of
the marble colonnade adorned with stained glass triptych entitled Call to Arms,
Supreme Sacrifice and Peace done by Cenon Rivera.
This national shrine is dedicated to the fallen Filipino and American heroes during
the Second World War.
4.6 The Sultan Kudarat Monument
An imposing sculpture in front of the Capitol building of the province of Sultan
Kudarat in Mindanao. The monument is in honor of Maguindanao’s most powerful
and hero whose bravery spared the whole of Mindanao from being conquered by
Spain and conversion of the natives to the Catholic faith.
4.7 The Blood Compact Shrine
Shrine commemorating the blood compact or sanduguan between Datu Sikatuna and
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi which occurred in 1565. Done by Napoleon Abueva, the
monument is a commemoration of the start of the relationship of the natives of the
archipelago with the Spaniards.
4.8 Leyte Landing Monument
Located in Palo, Leyte and done by artist Anastacio Caedo. In the monument are
seven double life-sized bronze statues of these famous historical personalities:
General Douglas MacArthur, President Sergio Osmena, Lieutenant General Richard
Sutherland, Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo, Major General Courtney Whitney,
Sergeant Francisco Salveron, and CBS Radio correspondent William J. Dunn. The
monument was inaugurated on October 20, 1981, thirty-four years after MacArthur
and company landed in Leyte to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese forces,
which was a fulfillment of MacArthur’s pledge, “I shall return”.
The landing in Palo, Leyte started the naval battle between the Japanese Imperial
Navy and the US Navy aided by the Australian Royal Navy.

5 What are Indigenous Customs and Rituals?

 The term indigenous was derived from the Latin word indigena which means native. It
was formed by combining the Old Latin term indu which means “in” or “within” and is most
often used to describe the native inhabitants of the place. The English dictionary defined it as
naturally existing in a place or country rather than arriving from another place. This term was
first used in 1646.
The United Nations defined the term indigenous in terms of persons, as inheritors and
practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment and who
have retained social, economic, cultural, and political characteristics that are distinct from those
of the dominant societies in which they live.
Customs, on the other hand, is defined as a traditional and widely accepted way of
behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place or time while ritual
refers to a religious service or other ceremony which involves a series of actions performed in a
fixed order such as baptism. It is a sequence of activities involving gestures, performed in a
sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence which may be prescribed by the
traditions of a community, including a religious community, and is characterized but not defined
by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacred symbolism, and performance.
Rituals sustain the spiritual and social life of the indigenous Filipinos. Closely attuned to
nature, believing in the spirits that keep their environment fruitful and their selves alive, the
ethnic Filipinos enact these rites – almost with instrumental music, chanting, and often dancing –
as “part of communal life cycle, but they also serve as a popular medium of dramatic expression
and entertainment that reflects the people’s nature, culture, and aspirations.”
Despite the Philippines being colonized for almost four hundred years by western powers
(Spain and USA), the indigenous customs and rituals of our people survived among our
indigenous peoples living in the hills of Luzon, Mindoro, Palawan, and Mindanao. They have
developed their cultures and their unique ways of life, a part of Filipino heritage which the
colonizers failed to extinguish.
Reverence for the land and oral traditions are emphasized in the customs and rituals of
our indigenous people like the six ethno-linguistic peoples in the Mountain Province popularly
known as Igorots. These peoples are composed of six tribes generally found in the four
provinces, a result of the subdivision of Mountain Province in 1966. The Ibaloy and the
Kankanai tribes live in Benguet, the southernmost province; Ifugao, eastern flank of the
Cordillera Mountain is the domain of the Ifugaos; Kalinga-Apayao, the northernmost and the
most accessible of the four provinces is the habitat of the Kalinga and Apayao tribes; and the
Mountain Province, the central portion of the region, is the home of the Bontocs.
These mountain tribes are loose homogenous groups who share enough socio-cultural
traits. “For the most part, their lives are lived in the villages situated next to their rice fields They
share common religious beliefs, generally animistic, and make offerings to household gods
called anitos, in the course of which dancing occurs. The tribesmen danced around a sacred idol
or fire, in cleared areas of the villages. Ritual dances are integral part of the way of life of the
indigenous people. These dances, they believe, are the material world’s connection to the
spiritual world. Thus, they have the life cycle dances which celebrate the person’s birth, baptism,
courtship, wedding, and death; and their occupational dances transform defence and livelihood
activities to celebratory performances.

6 What are some of the indigenous rituals in the Philippines?

In the Philippines, there are more or less 175 ethno-linguistic groups. Each of them has
its own form of indigenous rituals characterized as animistic, collectively referred to as
bathalism. Since these ethno-linguistic groups speak different languages, they also use different
terms to describe their religious beliefs, rituals, and practices.
 Below is a table presenting some of the indigenous rituals in the Philippines:
Ethnic Group/ Place Ritual/s Descriptions of Rituals
Chanting and dancing around the altar
are performed by women. The women
dance the dugso, while the baylan does
Bukidnon Hinaklaran
the chanting. The rituals can last for six
hours to assure the blessings of the
spirit, a good harvest or a good fortune.
Worship of their anito and their great
god Kabunian.
This ritual is a prayer for rain and
everyone’s well-being.
Led by a medium referred to as
mandadawak or alpogan, they pour out
blood over or ties around the pinaeng,
Tinguian (Abra) Pinauban
stones of unusual shape found at the
entrance of the village. They believe
that the spirit of Kabunian once entered
the stones. The male participants pray
the diam or dimdimi, and make a pig
cry for the gods to hear, while the
women dance around and sing the
salidumay.
Observed to drive away the evil spirits
that cause sickness, where the shaman
and the relatives of the sick person,
surrounded him/her. He/she is covered
with red cloth. The shaman and the
relatives, with their bows and arrows,
spears and sticks, threatened the spirits
Aetas (Zambales) Anituan
to go away. If the threats failed, they
talk with the spirits, appeasing them
with gifts and food. The ritual is
declared effective when the red cloth is
pulled away. Everyone will then join in
the celebratory dance of shuffling
walks, shaking, and skipping around.
Believed that they descendent from the
union of sun and moon, thus, they hold
various rituals as ways of courting the
favors of environmental spirits. In
performing their anito baylan ritual,
Mandayas (Davao) each of the female baylan holds a red
scarf and a small kalasag (shield) with
beads and shell attachments. They
shuttle around in curves and circles,
moving forwards and backwards,
spinning and shaking in a trance in the
sound of gongs and drums.
 Rituals rule their daily life, such as the
observance of gin-um, a four day-ritual.
In the observance of their ritual, they
are dressed colorfully in their tie-dyed
Bagobos (Davao) Pamulak Manobo t’nalak clothes and adorn themselves
with elaborate ornaments.
Bagobos healing ritual has the female
baylan officiating before a tall altar
with incense.
Nobody is allowed to leave their homes
and everyone is restricted from
carrying out household chores. This
Tungo
ritual is declared by the village chief
after the performance of the sacrificial
rite called baki.
Done when a child is born, especially if
Ifugaos he/she is a first born. This is a
sacrificial ritual organized by the
family within the first five days after
the birth of the child. Relatives of the
Amung
family are gathered to ask the gods to
make the newborn healthy, the mother
well, and the family wealthy. No
outsider is allowed to visit the newborn
until the amung is held.

7 Enrichment Activity
Now that you are acquainted with local history and oral history, please answer the
activity below.

My Reflection.
Is there a ritual you have observed being practiced by the elders in your family? How about in your
community? Narrate and discuss here those rituals

5 Reflection/ Analysis
7 Assessment
Directions: Read the statements very carefully. Write TRUE if the statement is true. Otherwise,
write FALSE in the space provided.
1. In the last 50 years the functions of museums, a greater emphasis has been placed on
exhibitions, interpretations, learning, and audiences.
2. Recently, historians have become more engaged by objects as new technology has
resulted in digitized collections being made available through archaeological
excavations.
3. The overall in charge of a museum is the librarian.
4. Museums today are viewed in many different ways.
5. The future direction of historical interpretation in museums is uncertain.
6. Museums are agents of both human record and “absence” in the portrayal of history.
7. History in museums inevitably becomes the focus of special interest groups.
8. In the past, museum settings had been misconstrued and their philosophies
misrepresented by people and scholars as well, especially in London.
9. Museums all over the world serve a wide range of purposes.
10. Museums by nature only offer formal education to the public through various
collections and knowledge.
11. Certain museums provide for a specialist audience – for example, children, societies,
universities, or schools.
12. Museums provide vital evidence of static experience and encounters in the world.
13. Scholars who were fascinated by the museums in the past made little or no attempt at
examining it socio-cultural impact.
14. Museums have become firmly entrenched in one civilized and informed societies
alone.
15. Sometimes museums are classified according to the source of their funding.

8 References
● Candelaria, John Lee P. and V.C. Alporha (2018). Readings in Philippine History First
Edition. Rex Book Store.
● Ligan, Victoria O., L.C. Apsay, L.C. Espino, C.S.T. Porras, E.D. Salinas, and J.J.
Lemana (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Mutya Publishing House, Inc.
● Rosales, Amalia C., R.R. Sebastian and J.R.B Viray (2020). Understanding Philippine
History: Readings and Discourse. Lorimar Publishing Inc.