Module 1: LEARNING HISTORY

What is History? To make sense of history, it is necessary to first understand what it

is all about. Many people think that history is merely lists of names, dates, places
and “important” events. However, history or the study of history is more than just
knowing and memorizing facts. It is a historian’s duty to draw insights from the ideas
and realities that have shaped the lives of men and women and the society. And in
understanding these ideas, a historian (or, in fact, a student of history) can
comprehend how situations happened, identify their elements, and think of how
these situations can solve today’s pre-dicaments and help plan for the future. The
study of history, therefore, is the study of the beliefs and desires, practices, and
institutions of human beings. With this definition, history becomes an active factor in
the study of Philippine society. It also includes a look into the development of
Philippine culture through time especially with the influences of the colonial period
that would eventually shape the present Philippine identity. Why Study History? An
examination of the past can tell us a great deal about how we came to be who we
are. It means looking at the roots of modern institutions, ideas, values, and
problems. Studying history allows us to gain valuable perspectives on the problems
of our modern society. Many problems, features, and characteristics of modern
Philippine society can be traced back to historical questions on our colonial past, as
well as our pre-colonial culture.Dec 31,2017 Looking at the past teaches us to see
the world through different eyes－appreciating the diversity of human perceptions,
beliefs, and cultures. Different and/or new perspectives will enable us to analyze
critically the present contexts of society and beings.

Meaning of “History”
The Meaning of “History”
Excerpts from Understanding History: A Primer of Historical Method by Louis
Gottschalk (1950, New York: Knopf, p. 17)

The English word history is derived from the Greek noun istoia, meaning learning. As
used by the 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…. In the course of time, however, the equivalent Latin word scientia
(English, science) came to be used more regularly to designate non-chronological
systematic accounts of natural phenomena; and the word history was reserved
usually for accounts of phenomena (especially human affairs) in chronological order.

By its most common definition, the word history now means, “the past of
mankind.”…

Module 2: UNDERSTANDING SOURCES

What is Sources?
What is Sources?
What is Sources?
In his work, Understanding History, Gottschalk (1950) discusses the importance of
sources for the historian’s work:

The historian, however, has to use many materials that are not in books. Where
these are archeological, epigraphical, or numismatical materials, he has to depend
largely on museums. Where there are official records, he may have to search for
them in archives, courthouses, government libraries, etc. Where there are private
papers not available in official collections, he may have to hunt among the papers of
business houses, the muniment rooms of ancient castles, the prized possessions of
autograph collectors, the records of parish churches, etc. Having some subject in
mind, with more or less definite delimitation of the persons, areas, times, and
functions (I.o, the economic, political, intellectual, diplomatic, or other occupational
aspects) involved, he looks for materials that may have soe bearing upon those
persons in that area at the time they function in that fashion. These materials are his
sources. The more precise his delimitation of persons, area, time and function, the
more relevant his sources are likely to be. (52－53)

It is from historical sources that our history is studied and written. But in analyzing
them, several methodologies and theories were used by historians to properly study
history and glean from the sources what is, for them, a proper way of writing history
to enhance and disseminate national identity.

Primary sources are materials produced by people or groups are either participants
or eyewitnesses to the event. These sources range from eyewitness accounts,
diaries, letters, legal documents, official documents (government or private), and
even photographs.

Examples primary sources:

1. Photographs that may reflect social conditions of historical realities and

everyday life

2. Old sketches and drawings that may indicate the conditions of life of
societies in the past

3. Old maps that may reveal how space and geography were used to emphasize
trade routes, structural build-up, etc.

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 1. Map showing the Katipunan movement by D.A. Navarro

4. Material evidence of the prehistoric past like cave drawings, old syllabaries,
and ancient writings

5. Statistical tables, graphs, and charts

6. Oral history or recordings by electronic means of accounts of eyewitnesses

or participants: the recordings are then transcribed and used for research.

7. Published and unpublished primary documents, eyewitness accounts, and

other written source

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 2. Front page of The Sunday Tribune published

February 10, 1935 featuring the approval of the Constitution of the Philippine
Commonwealth

Secondary Sources

Gottschalk simply defines secondary sources as “the testimony of anyone who is not
an eyewitness－that is of one who was not present at the event of which he tells”
(p. 53). These are books, articles, and scholarly journals that had interpreted primary
sources or had used them to discuss certain subjects of history

Module 3 - Magellan’s Voyage Around the World

UNDERSTANDING PERSPECTIVE

Historical sources are written by various authors with different perspectives.

Perspectives refers to the point of view of the said writer who was a
witness to the event. Though historical sources are important in the writing of
history, the historian is careful in using these sources as the writer may example,
missionary chronicles or narratives that were written by the religious missionaries
who came to the Philippines to spread Christianity in the islands usually referred to
the early Filipinos as barbarians or uncivilized. This, of course, is not true as it is
known that Filipinos already had a form of civilization and had contact with Asian
neighbors before the Spaniards arrived.
Different participants who also wrote their accounts can also give varied opinions
and statements about a single event. For example, the Philippine Revolution of 1896
can be read from the point of view of the Filipinos and from the side of the
Spaniards. The same event can be viewed from the lens of foreigners who were in
the Philippines at that time and were just passive observers. In any case, reading a
historical event from the points of view of all side will enable us to form our own
studies about the said event.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Historical Context

One of the benefits that the Europeans gained from the Crusades was the discovery
of some products that were not available in their home country. These included
porcelain, silk, incense, herbs, perfumes, fabrics, carpets, spices, and other oriental
products. Of all these Asian products, spices became the most expensive and in-
demand commodity among Europeans because of their numerous uses such as food
preservation, flavor enhancement, and even medicine. Since spices were a very
lucrative commodity, many merchants aspired to monopolize their supply and
distribution in the European markets.

Asian goods reached Europe either via the Silk Road or the Arabian-Italian trade
route. Both routes were expensive and oftentimes disrupted by wars, natural
calamities, and bandits. The closing of the land route of the Spice Trade with the
conquest by the Ottoman Empire of Contantinople (present-day Turkey and the
“gateway to the West” then) in 1453 forced European kingdoms to look for ways to
purchase spices directly from the source. They decided to explore the oceans to look
for a way to the famed Spice Islands.

Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal put up a maritime school that trained sailors
who would later discover an eastern route going to the Spice Island (the modern-day
Moluccas Islands) and other islands in Southeast Asia via the Atlantic Ocean and the
Indian Ocean. This route enabled them to trade directly with the producers of spices
and other Oriental goods. The numerous economic benefits it gave to Portugal made
other monarchs envious and prompted them to search for a new trade route to Asia.
This led to the discovery of many territories previously unknown to the Europeans,
though inhabited already and known to other races.

The marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (1469)
coupled with the victory of the Catholic monarchs over the Moors in the Battle of
Granada (1492) resulted in the rise of Spain as a world power. With the domestic
problems already under control, Spain started to explore their economic options
outside the Iberian Peninsula. Inspired by the success of Portugal, they aspired to
have a fair share in the spice trade. They financed the trans-Atlantic voyages of
Christopher Columbus (1492 to 1502) which resulted in the discovers of the
territories on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Decades later, the Spanish
monarch also supported the plan of Ferdinand Magellan to go to the Easy by sailing
westward, a proposal that Portugal refused to finance.

The Magellan-Elcano expedition left the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda in Seville on

August 20, 1519 with around 270 men of different nationalities. One of its main
objectives was to search of a new maritime path to the Spice Islands that would not
violate Spain’s treaty with Portugal. Along the way, the expedition suffered natural
and man-made challenges and out of the five ships that left Spain only three reached
the Philippines were marked with hospitality and cordial exchanges of goods. The
local inhabitants traded with them and some were even converted to Christianity.
Lapu-lapu, the chieftain of Mactan, refused to trade with the Spaniards and when
Magellan learned this, he waged war with him. Despite their superiority in term of
arms and training, the Spaniards lost the battle and one of the casualties was
Magellan himself. When the survivors returned to Cebu, they were also
treacherously attacked by their former allies. This prompted them to leave the
island. By that time, their number was just enough to man two ships, the Victoria
(now under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano) and the Trinidad The expedition
finally reached the Spice Islands and Managed to purchase a large amount of spices
before leaving. Unfortunately the Trinidad and her crew were captured by the
Portuguese on their journey back.

On September 7, 1522, Elcano and 17 survivors arrived in Spain aboard the ship
Victoria. One of them was Antonio Pigafetta, the assistant of Magellan who kept a
journal that became the main source of what we know about the first encounter of
the Spaniards and the Filipinos.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

About the Author

Antonio Pigafetta (1491-c.1534), born around 1490 in the town of Vicenza, Venice,
Italy was the eldest son of Goivanni Pigafetta to second wife Angela Zoga. He studied
astronomy, geography, and cartography and during his younger years worked in the
ships owned by the Knights of Rhodes.

His biographers described him as a well-educated young man possessing an avid

curiosity of the world around him. He joined the delegation of Monsignor Francesco
Chieregati when the latter was assigned as Papal Nuncio to Spain in 1519. It was
during this time when Pigafetta became acquainted with the lucrative spice trade
and heard the news of the voyage to be undertaken by Ferdinand Magellan. After
getting the approval of the Spanish sovereign, he left Barcelona and went to Seville.
He presented his credentials to Magellan and to the Casa de la Contratacion, the
office in charge of voyages to the New World. He was admitted as one of the
sobresalientes (supernumeraries), or men coming from prominent families who will
join the trip for the love of adventure and for the advancement of military service.
Pigafetta survived the challenges and catastrophes that the expedition encountered
along the way, including being wounded in the Battle of Mactan. He was among the
18 survivors who returned to Spain on September 6, 1522 aboard the Victoria with
Juan Sebastian Elcano.

From Seville, Pigafetta reported to his Majesty King Carlos V and gave him a
handwritten account of what happened to them during the journey before returning
to his native Italy. Very little is known as to what happened to him during the latter
part it of his life except on some accounts that he joined the Knights of St. John of
Jerusalem in its battle against the Turks. He died sometime in 1534.

ABOUT THE BOOK

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. When he returned to
Italy, many of his associates asked him to write a formal account of the Magellan
expedition and have it published. He followed their advice and, after doing it, he
presented his draft to Pope Clement VII, Philippe de Villiers L'Isle-Adam
(grandmaster of the Knights of Rhodes) and to Louis of Savoy (mother of King Francis
I of France), hoping that they would help him finance its publication. Unfortunately,
he was unable to find a financier who would pay the deposit required by the printer
because by that time, the accounts of Maximilianus Transylvanus and Peter Martyr
were already out and interest on Magellan expedition had died down. Sometime in
1536, a condensed version of his manuscript was published in Venice by Jacques
Fabre.

The original journal of Pigafetta did not survive time. What was handed down to us
are copies of the manuscript that were never printed in his lifetime. Three of them
were in French and two are kept in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. The third one
was originally owned by British collector Sir Thomas Phillipps. Later, Beinecke Rare
Book bought it and it is now kept in the Manuscript Library of Yale University in New
Haven. The fourth copy was written in mixed Italian, Spanish, and Venetian
languages and could be found in the Ambrosian Library in Milan. In 1800, Carlo
Amoretti published an Italian version and the following year a French version came
out in Paris. An English version was published in 1819. James Alexander Robertson
made his own English version of the Ambrosian copy and it appeared in The
Philippine Islands opus (Volume 33) as well as in a separate edition.

Of the four known primary sources that dealt with the Magellan expedition,
Pigafetta's account is the longest and most comprehensive. It recounted the
individual fates of the five ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago, and
Victoria) that comprised the Magellan expedition. It narrated lucidly how they
gallantly survived the unforeseen problems and challenges, such as shortage of food,
various types of diseases, the crew's lack of confidence in Magellan's leadership, and
the hostile attitude of the people they encountered during the journey. Pigafetta's
account also included maps, glossaries of native words, and geographic information
and descriptions of the flora and fauna of the places they visited.
Pigafetta's travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine
historiography. His writing provided us a glimpse of the political, economic, and
social conditions of the islands in the Visayan region during the 16th century. He
described vividly the physical appearance, social life, religious beliefs, and cultural
practices of the people they encountered in the islands of Samar, Leyte, and Cebu.
His account also contains data about the economic activities of the local folks and
the goods they offered for trade. He got all this information through the help of
Magellan's slave/interpreter, Enrique de Malacca. Pigafetta likewise gave us an
eyewitness account of the death of Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.

The report of Pigafetta is quite long and is not presented here in its entirety. The
excerpts are limited to the narration of what happened to the expedition upon
reaching the Philippines—front the time they landed on Homonhon up to the Battle
of Mactan. Since Pigafetta and Enrique de Malacca were not natives of the Visayan
region, there were inaccuracies in the information about and the spelling of the
names of places they visited. Thus, the correct equivalent and translation are
provided in this book to make the excerpts understandable to contemporary
students.

Excerpts from Magellan's Voyage Around the World

At dawn on Saturday, March sixteen, 1521, we came upon a high land at a distance
of three hundred leagues from the islands of Latroni—an island named Zamal [i.e.,
Samar]. The following day, the captain-general desired to land on another island
which was uninhabited and lay to the right side 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 sawa boat coming toward 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... seeing that they were reasonable men, ordered food to be set
before them, and gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, bells, ivory, bocasine, and
other things. When they saw the captain's 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 more delicate, and two cocoanuts
[coconuts]. They had nothing else then...but rice, and cocoanuts and many articles of
food within four days.

Cocoanuts are the fruit of the palm tree. Just as we have bread, wine, oil, and
vinegar, so those people get everything from that tree. They get wine in the
following manner. They bore a hole into the heart of the said palm at the top called
palmito [i.e. stalk], from which distils a liquor which resembles white must [mist].
That liquor is sweet but somewhat tart, and [is gathered] in canes [of bamboo] as
thick as the leg and thicker. They fasten the bamboo to the tree at evening for the
morning, and in the morning for the evening. That 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 the 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 make therefrom a powder
that is useful to them. Under that shell there is a white marrowy substance one
finger in thickness, which they eat fresh with meat and fish as we do [with] bread;
and it has a taste resembling the almond. It could be dried and made into bread.
There is a clear, sweet water in the middle of the 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 wish to make1 oil, they take
that cocoanut, and allow the marrowy substance 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 in 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
marrowy substance and then mixed the scrapings with its own water which we
strained through a cloth, and so [we] obtained milk like goat's milk. Those palms
resemble date-palms, but although not smooth they are less knotty than the latter. A
family of x [10] persons can be supported on two trees, by utilizing them week about
for the wine [by utilizing one of them during one week and the other during the
other 8 days 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 front that place. Their own
island was called Zuluan 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 his 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 tried to
jump out of the ship. They made signs to us that the abovesaid articles grew in that
place where we 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 [Homonhon]; but inasmuch as we found
two springs there of the clearest water, we called it Acquada da li buoni Segnialli
(i.e., "the Watering-place of good Signs"), for there were the first signs of gold which
we found in those districts. We found a great quantity of white coral there, and large
trees with fruit a trifle smaller than the almond and resembling pine seeds. There are
also many palms, some of them good and others bad. There are many islands in that
district, and therefore we called them the archipelago of San Lazaro, as they were
discovered on the Sabbath [Sunday] of St. Lazarus. They lie in x degrees of latitude
toward the Arctic Pole, and in a longitude of one hundred and sixty-one degrees
from the line of demarcation.
At noon on Friday, March 22, those men came as they had es promised us in two
boats with cocoanuts, sweet oranges, jar of palm-wine and a cock, in order to show
us that there were fowls in that district. They exhibited great signs of pleasure at
seeing us. We purchased all those articles from them. Their seignior an old man who
was painted [i.e., tattooed]. He wore two gold earrings [schione] in his ears, and the
others many gold armlets on their arms and kerchiefs about [on] their heads. We
stayed there one week, and during that time our captain went ashore daily to visit
the sick, and every morning gave them cocoanut water from his own hand, which
comforted them greatly. There are people living near the island who have holes
[earrings] in their ears so large that they can pass their arms through them. Those
people are caphri, that is to say, heathen. They go naked, with a soft cloth woven
from the bark of a tree about their privies, except some of the chiefs who wear
cotton cloth embroidered with silk at the ends by means of a needle. They are dark,
fat, and painted. They anoint themselves with cocoanut and with beneseed oil, as a
protection against the sun and wind. They have very black hair that falls to the waist,
and use daggers, knives, and spears ornamented with gold, large shields, fascines,
javelins, and fishing nets that resemble rizali [a fine thickly woven net used for
fishing]; and their boats are [just] like ours.

*****

Next day, holy Friday, the captain-general sent his slave, who acted as our
interpreter, ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he had any food to have it
carried to the ships; and to say that they would be well satisfied with us, for he [and
his men] had come to the island as friends and not as enemies. The king came with
six or eight men in the same boat and entered the ship. He embraced the captain-
general to whom he gave three porcelain jars covered with leaves and full of raw
rice, two very large orade [dorado] and other things. The captain-general gave the
king a garment of red and yellow cloth made in the Turkish fashion, and a fine red
cap; and to the others (the king's men), to some knives and to others mirrors. Then
the captain-general had a collation spread for them, and had the king told through
the slave that he desired to be casi casi with him, that is to say, brother. The king
replied that he also wished enter the same relations with the captain-general. Then
the captain showed him cloth of various colors, linen, coral [ornaments], and many
other articles of merchandise, and all the artillery, some of which he had discharged
for him, whereat the natives were greatly frightened.

*****
Pieces of gold, of the size of walnuts and eggs, are found by sifting the earth in the
island of that king who came [whom I led] to our ships. All the dishes of that king are
of gold and also some portion of his house, as we were told by that king himself.
According to their customs he was grandly decked out [molto in ordine], and the
finest looking man that we saw among those people. His hair was exceedingly black,
and hung to his shoulders. He had a covering of silk on his head, and wore two large
golden earrings fastened in [to] his ears. He wore a cotton cloth all embroidered with
silk, which covered him from the waist to the knees. At his side hung a dagger, the
haft of which was somewhat long and all of gold, and its scabbard of carved wood.
He had three spots of gold on every tooth, and his teeth appeared as if bound with
gold. He was perfumed with storax and benzoin. He was tawny and painted [i.e.,
tattooed] all over. That island of his was called Butuan and Calagan [Caraga]. When
those kings wished to see one another, they both went to hunt in that island where
we were. The name of the first king is Raia Colambu, the second Raia Siaui.

Early on [in] the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter-day, the captain-
general sent the priest with some men to prepare the place where the Mass was to
be said; together with the interpreter to tell the king that we were not going to land
in order to dine with him, but to say mass. Therefore the king sent us two swine that
he had had killed. When the hour for mass [had] arrived, we landed with about fifty
men, without our body armor, but carrying our other arms, and dressed in our best
clothes. Before we reached the shore with our boats, six pieces were discharged as a
sign of peace. We landed; the two kings embraced the captain-general, and placed
him between them. We went in marching order to the place consecrated, which was
not far from shore. Before the commencement of [the] mass, the captain sprinkled
the entire bodies of the two kings with musk water. The mass was offered up [During
the Mass, we made our offerings]. The kings went forward to kiss the cross as we
did, but made no offerings. When the body of our Lord was elevated, they remained
on their knees and worshipped Him with clasped hands. The ships fired all their
artillery at once when the body of Christ was elevated, the signal having been given
from the shore with muskets. After the conclusion of Mass, some of our men took
communion....Then he [they] had a cross carried in and the nails and a crown, to
which immediate reverence was made [to which they made immediate reverence].
He told the kings through the interpreter that they were the standards given to him
by the emperor his sovereign, so that wherever he might go he might set up those
tokens. [He said] that he wished to set it up in that place for their benefit, for
whenever any of our ships came, they would know that we had been there by that
cross, and would do nothing to displease them or harm their property [property:
doublet in original MS.]. If any of their men were captured, they would be set free
immediately on that sign being shown. It was necessary to set that cross on the
summit of the highest mountain, so that on seeing it every morning, they might
adore it; and if they did that, neither thunder, lightning, nor storms would harm
them in the least. They thanked him heartily and [said] that they would do
everything willingly. The captain-general also asked them whether they were Moros
[Muslims] or heathen, or what was their belief. They replied that they worshiped
nothing [had no other worship] but that they raised their clasped hands and their
face to the sky, and that they called their god "Abba." There at the captain was very
glad, and seeing that, the first king raised his hands to the sky, and said that he
wished that it were possible for him to make the captain see his love for him. The
interpreter asked the king why there was so little to eat there. The latter replied that
he did not live in that place except when he went hunting and to see his brother, but
that he lived in another island where all his family were. The captain-general had him
asked [asked him] to declare whether he had enemies, so that he might go with his
ships to destroy them and to render them obedient to him. The king thanked him
and said that he did indeed have two islands hostile to him, but that it was not then
the season to go there. The [That]captain told him that if God would again allow him
to return to those districts, he would bring so many men that he would make the
king's enemies subject to him by force. He said that he was about to go to dinner,
and that he would return afterward to have the cross set up on the summit of the
mountain. They replied that they were satisfied, and then forming in battalion and
firing the muskets, and the captain having embraced the two kings, we took our
leave.

After dinner we all returned clad in our doublets, and that afternoon went together
with the two kings to the summit of the highest mountain there. When we reached
the summit, the captain-general told them that he esteemed highly having sweated
for them, for since the cross was there, it could not but be of great use to them. On
asking which port was best to get food, they replied that there were three, namely,
Ceylon [Leyte], Zubu [Cebu], and Calaghann [Calagan], but that Zubu was the largest
and the one with most trade. They offered of their own accord to give us pilots to
show us the way. The captain-general thanked them, and determined to go there,
for so did his unhappy fate will. After the cross was erected in position, each of us
repeated a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria, and adored the cross; and the kings did
the same. Then we descended through the cultivated fields, and went to the place
where the balanghai was. The king had some cocoanuts brought in so we might
refresh ourselves. The captain asked the kings for pilots, for he intended to depart he
following morning, and [said] that he would treat them as if they were the kings
themselves, and would leave one of us as hostage. The kings replied every that every
hour he wished the pilots were at his command, but that night the first king changed
his mind, and in the morning when we were about to depart, sent word to the
captain-general, asking him for love of him to wait two days until he should have his
rice harvested, and other trifles attended to. He asked the captain-general to send
him some men to help him, so that it might be done sooner; and said that he
intended to act as our pilot himself. The captain sent him some men, but the kings
ate and drank so much that they slept all the day. Some said to excuse them that
they were slightly sick. Our men did nothing on that day, but they worked the next
two days.
*****

Those people were heathens, and go naked and painted. They wear a piece of cloth
woven from a tree about their privies. They are heavy drinkers. Their women are
clad in tree cloth from their waist down, and their hair is black and reaches to the
ground. They have holes pierced in their ears which are filled with gold. These
people are constantly chewing a fruit which they call areca, and resembles a pear.
They cut that fruit into four parts, and then wrap it in the leaves of their tree which
they call betre [i.e., betel]. Those leaves resemble the leaves of the mulberry. They
mix it with a little lime, and when they have chewed it thoroughly, they spit it out. It
makes the mouth exceedingly red. All the people in those parts of the world use it,
for it is very cooling to the heart, and if they ceased to use it they would die. There
are dogs, cats, swine, fowls, goats, rice, ginger, cocoanuts, figs [i.e., bananas],
oranges, lemons, millet, pancium, sorgo, wax, and a quantity of gold in that island. It
lies in a latitude of nine and two-thirds degrees toward the Arctic Pole, and in a
longitude of one hundred and sixty-two degrees from the line of demarcation. It is
twenty-five [leagues] from the Acquada, and is called Mazaua [Limasawa].

We remained there seven days, after which we laid our course toward the
northwest, passing among five islands, namely Ceylon, Bohol, Canighan, Baybai, and
Gatighan. In the last-named island of Gatighan, there are bats as large as eagles. As it
was late we killed one of them, which resembled chicken in taste. There are doves,
turtle-doves, parrots, and certain black birds as large as domestic chickens, which
have a long tail. The last.-mentioned birds lay eggs as large the goose, and bury them
under the sand, through the great heat of which they hatched out. When the chicks
are born, they push up the sand, and come out. Those eggs are good to eat. There is
a distance of twenty leguas (leagues] from Mazaua to Gatighan. We set out
westward from Gatighan, but the king of Mazaua could not follow us (closely]; and
consequently, we awaited him near three islands; namely Polo [Poro], Ticobon
[Pasijan], and Pozon [Pason]. When he caught up with us he was greatly astonished
at the rapidity with which we sailed. The captain-general had him come into his ship
with several of his chiefs at which they were pleased. Thus did we go to Zubu from
Gatighan, the distance to Zubu being fifteen leguas.

At noon on Sunday, April seven, we entered the port of Zubu, passing by many
villages, where we saw many homes built upon logs. On approaching the city, the
captain-general ordered the ships to fling their banners. The sails were lowered and
arranged as if for battle, and the artillery was fired, an action which caused great fear
to the people. The captain sent a foster-son of his as ambassador to the king of Zubo
with the interpreter. When they reached the city, they found a vast crowd of people
together with the king, all of whom who were frightened by the mortars. The
interpreter told them that that was our custom when entering into such places, as a
sign of peace and friendship, and that we had discharged all our mortars to honor
the king of the village. The king and all of his men were reassured, and the king had
us asked by his governor what we wanted. The interpreter replied that his master
was a captain of the greatest king and prince in the world, and that he was going to
discover Malucho; but that he had come solely to visit the king because of the good
report which he had heard of him from the king Mazaua, and to buy food with his
merchandise. The king told him that he was welcome [literally: he had come at a
good time], but that it was their custom for all ships that entered their ports to pay
tribute, and that it was but four days since a junk from Ciama [i.e., Siam] laden with
gold and slaves had paid him tribute. As proof of his statement, the king pointed out
to the interpreter, a merchant from Ciama, who had remained to trade the gold and
slaves. The interpreter told the king that, since his master was the captain of so great
a king, he did not pay tribute to any seignior in the world, and that if the king wished
peace he would have peace, but if war instead, war. Thereupon, the Moro merchant
said to the king "Cata raia chita"; that is to say, "Look well, sire. These men are the
same who have conquered Calicut, Malaca, and all India Magiore [i.e., India Major].
If they are treated well, they will give good treatment, but if they are treated evil,
evil and worse treatment, as they have done to Calicut and Malaca." The interpreter
understood it all and told the king that his master's king was more powerful in men
and ships than the king of Portogalo, that he was the king of Spagnia [Spain] and
emperor of all the Christians, and that if the king did not care to be his friend he
would next time send so many men that they would destroy him. The Moro related
everything to the king who said thereupon that he would deliberate with his men,
and would answer the captain on the following day. Then he had refreshments of
many dishes, all made from meat and contained in porcelain platters, besides many
jars of wine brought in. After our men had refreshed themselves, they returned and
told us everything. The king of Mazaua, who was the most influential after that king
and the seignior of a number of islands, went ashore to speak to the king of the
great courtesy of our captain-general.

Monday morning, our notary, together with the interpreter, went to Zubu. The king,
accompanied by his chiefs, came to the open square where he had our men sit down
near him. He asked the notary whether there were more than one captain in that
company, and whether that captain wished him to pay tribute to the emperor, his
master. The notary replied in the negative, but that the captain wished only to trade
with him and no others. The king said that he was satisfied, and that if the captain
wished to become his friend, he should send him a drop of blood from his right arm,
and he himself would do the same [to him] as a sign of the most sincere friendship.
The notary answered that the captain would do it [so]. Thereupon, the king told him
that all the captains who came to that place were wont to give presents one to the
other [i.e., mutual presents between the king and the captain], and asked whether
our captain or he ought to commence. The interpreter told the king that since he
desired to maintain the custom, he should commence, and so he did.
*****

On Wednesday morning, as one of our men had died during the previous night, the
interpreter and I went to ask the king where we could bury him. We found the king
surrounded by many men of whom, after the due reverence was made, I asked it. He
replied, "If I and my vassals all belong to your sovereign, how much more ought the
land." I told the king that we would like to consecrate the place, and to set up a cross
there. He replied that he was quite satisfied and that he wished to adore the cross as
did we. The deceased was buried in the square with as much pomp as possible, in
order to furnish a good example. Then we consecrated the place, and in the evening
buried another man. We carried a quantity of merchandise ashore which we stored
in a house. The king took it under his care as well as four men who were left to trade
the goods by wholesale. Those people live in accordance with justice, and have
weights and measures. They love peace, ease, and quiet. They have wooden
balances, the bar of which has a cord in the middle by which it is held.

At one end is a bit of lead, and at the other marks like quarter-libras [quarter-
pounds], third-libras [third-pounds], and libras [pounds]. When they wish to weigh
they take the scales which has three wires like ours, and place it above the marks,
and so weigh it accurately. They have very large measures without any bottom. The
youth play on pipes made like ours which they call subin. Their houses are
constructed of wood and are built of planks and bamboo, raised high from the
ground on large logs, and one must enter them by means of ladders. They have
rooms like ours; and under the house they keep their swine, goats, and fowls. Large
sea snails [corniolli], beautiful to the sight, are found there which kill whales. For the
whale swallows them alive, and when they are in the whale's body, they come out of
their shells and eat the whale's heart. Those people afterward find them alive near
the dead whale's heart. Those creatures have black teeth and skin and a white shell,
and the flesh is [are] good to eat. They are called laghan [a shellfish].

On Friday we showed these people a shop full of our merchandise, at which they
were very much surprised. For metals, iron and other large merchandise they gave
us gold. For the other smaller articles they gave us rice, swine, goats, and other food.
Those people gave us x pieces of gold for xiiii libras [14 pounds] of iron (one piece
being worth about one and one-half ducados [ducats]). The captain-general did not
wish to take too much gold, for there would have been some sailors who -would
have given all that they owned for a small amount of gold and would have spoiled
the trade for ever. On Saturday, as the captain [king] had promised the king [captain]
to become a Christian on Sunday, a platform was built in [on] the consecrated
square, which was adorned with hangings and palm branches for his baptism. The
captain-general sent men to tell the king not to be afraid of the pieces that would be
discharged in the morning, for it was our custom to discharge them at our greatest
feasts without loading [them] with stones.

On Sunday morning, April fourteen, forty men of us went ashore, two of whom were
completely armed and preceded the royal banner. When we reached land all the
artillery was fired. Those people followed us hither and thither. The captain and the
king embraced. The captain told the king that the royal banner was not taken ashore
except with fifty men armed as were those two, and with fifty musketeers; but so
great was his love for him that he had thus brought the banner. Then we all
approached the platform joyfully. The captain and the king sat down in chairs of red
and violet velvet, the chiefs on cushions, and the others on mats. The captain told
the king through the interpreter that he thanked God for inspiring him to became
[become] a Christian, and that [now] he would more easily conquer his enemies than
before. The king replied that he wished to become a Christian, but that some of his
chiefs did not wish to obey, because they said that they were as good as men as he.
Then our captain had all the chiefs of the king called, and told them that unless they
obeyed the king as their king, he would have them killed, and would give their
possessions to the king. They replied that they would obey him. The captain told the
king that he was going to Spagnia, but that he would return again with so many
forces that he would make him the greatest king of those regions, as he had been
the first to express a determination to become a Christian. The king, lifting his hands
to the sky, thanked the captain, and requested him to let some of his men remain
[with him], so that he and his people might better be instructed in the faith. The
captain replied that he would like to take two of the children of the chiefs with him,
so that they might learn our language, who afterward on their return would be able
to tell the others the wonders [cose] of Spagnia. A large cross was set up in the
middle of the square. The captain told them that if they wished to become Christians
as they had declared on the previous days, that they must burn all their idols and set
up a cross in their place. They were to adore that cross daily with clasped hands, and
every morning after their [i.e., the Spaniards '] custom, they were to make the sign of
the cross (which the captain showed them how to make); and they ought to come
hourly, at least in the morning, to that cross, and adore it kneeling. The intention
that they had already declared, they were to confirm it with good works. The king
and all the others wished to confirm it thoroughly. The captain-general told the king
that he was clad in all white to demonstrate his sincere love toward them. They
replied they could not respond to his sweet words. The captain led the king by hand
to the platform while speaking these good words in order to baptize him. He told the
king that he would call him Don Carlo, after his sovereign the emperor; the prince,
Don Fernando, after the emperor's brother; the king of Mazaua, Johanni; a chief,
Fernando, after our chief, that is to say the captain; the Moro, Christoforo; and then
the others, now one name, and now another. Five hundred men were baptized
before mass. After the conclusion of mass, the captain invited the king and some of
the other chiefs to dinner, but they refused, accompanying us, however, to the
shore. The ships discharged all the mortars; and embracing, the king and chiefs and
the captain took leave of one another.

After dinner the priest and some of the others went ashore to baptize the queen,
who came with forty women. We conducted her to the platform, and she was made
to sit down upon a cushion, and the other women near her, until the priest should
be ready. She was shown [I showed her] an image of our Lady, a very beautiful
wooden child Jesus, and a cross. Thereupon, she was overcome with contrition and
asked for baptism amid her tears. We named her Johanna, after the emperor's
mother; her daughter, the wife of the prince, Catherina; the queen of Mazaua,
Lisabeta; and the others, each children, [with] their [distinctive] names. Counting
men, women, and children, we baptized eight hundred souls. The queen was young
and beautiful, and was entirely covered with a white and black cloth. Her mouth and
nails were very red, while on her head she wore a large hat of palm leaves in the
manner of a parasol, with a crown about it of the same leaves, like the tiara of the
Pope; and she never goes any place without such a one. She asked us to give her the
little child Jesus to keep in place of her idols; and then she went away. In the
afternoon, the king and queen, accompanied by numerous persons, came to the
shore. Thereupon, the captain had mans tromps of fire and large mortars
discharged, by which they were most highly delighted. The captain and the king
called one another brothers. That king's name was Raia Humabon. Before that week
had gone, all the persons of that island, and some from the other islands, were
baptized. We burned one hamlet which was located in a neighboring island, because
it refused to obey the king or us. We set up the cross there for those people were
heathen. Had they been Moros, we would have erected a column there as a token of
our greater hardness, for the Moros are much harder to convert than the heathen.

The captain-general went ashore daily during those days to hear mass, and told the
king many things regarding the faith. One day the queen came with great pomp to
hear Mass. Three girls preceded her with three of her hats in their hands. She was
dressed in black and white with a large silk scarf, crossed with gold stripes thrown
over her head, which covered her shoulders; and she had on her hat. A great number
of women accompanied her, who were all naked and barefoot, except that they had
a small covering of palm-tree cloth before their privies, and a small scarf upon the
head, and all hair flowing free. The queen, having made the due reverence to the
altar, seated herself on a silk embroidered cushion. Before the commencement of
the mass, the captain sprayed her and some of her [the] women with musk
rosewater, for they delighted exceedingly in such perfumes. The captain, knowing
that the queen was very much pleased with the child Jesus, gave it to her, telling her
to keep it in place of her idols, for it was a memory of the son of God. Thanking him
heartily, she accepted it.
*****

One day, the captain-general asked the king and the other people why they did not
burn their idols as they had promised when they became Christians; and why they
sacrificed so much flesh to them. They replied that what they were doing was not for
themselves, but for a sick man who had not spoken now for four days, so that the
idols might give him health. He was the prince's brother, and the bravest and wisest
man in the island. The captain told them to burn their idols and to believe in Christ,
and that if the sick man were baptized, he would quickly recover; and if that did not
so happen they could behead him [i.e., the captain] then and there. Thereupon, the
king replied that he would do it, for he truly believed in Christ. We made a
procession from the square to the house of the sick man with as much pomp as
possible. There we found him in such a condition that he could neither speak nor
move. We baptized him and his two wives, and x girls. Then the captain had him
asked [asked him] how he felt. He spoke immediately and said that by the grace of
our Lord he felt very well. That was a most manifest miracle [that happened] in our
times. When the captain heard him [the man] speak, he thanked God fervently. Then
he made the sick man drink some almond milk, which he had already made ready for
him. Afterward he sent him a mattress, a pair of sheets, a coverlet of yellow cloth,
and a pillow. Until he recovered his health, the captain sent him [every day] almond
milk, rosewater, oil of roses, and some sweet preserves. Before five days the sick
man began to walk. He had an idol that certain old women concealed in his house
burned in the presence of the king and all the people. He had many shrines along the
seashore destroyed, in which consecrated meat was eaten. The people themselves
cried out "Castiglia!" "Castiglia!" and destroyed those shrines. They said that if God
would lend them life, they would burn all the idols they could find, even if they were
in the king's house. Those idols are made of wood, and are hollow, and lack the back
parts. Their arms are open and their feet turned up under them with the legs open.
They have a large face with four huge tusks like those of the wild boar; and are
painted all over.

There are many villages in that island. Their names and those of their chiefs are as
follows: Cinghapola and its chiefs, Cilaton, Ciguibucan, Cimaningha, Cimatichat, and
Cicanbul; one, Mandaui and its chief, Apanoaan; one Lalan, and its chief, Theteu;
one, Lalutan, and its chief, Tapan; one Cilumai; and one, Lubucun. All those villages
rendered obedience to us, and gave us food and tribute. Near that island of Zubu
was an island called Matan [Mactan], which formed the port where we were
anchored. The name of its village was Matan, and its chiefs were Zula and Cilapulapu
[Lapu-lapu]. That city [village] which we burned was in that island and was called
Bulaia

*****
On Friday, April twenty-six, Zula, chief of the island of Mactan, sent one of his sons to
present two goats to the captain-general, and to say that he would send him all that
he had promised, but that he had not been able to send it to him because of the
other chief, Cilapulapu, who refused to obey the king of Spagnia. He requested the
captain to send him only one boatload of men on the next night, so that they might
help him and fight against the other chief. The captain-general decided to thither
with three boatloads. We begged him repeatedly not to go, but he, like a good
shepherd, refused to abandon his flock. At midnight, sixty men of us set out armed
with corselets and helmets, together with the Christian king, the prince, some of the
chief men, and twenty or thirty balanghais. We reached Matan three hours before
dawn. The captain did not wish to fight then, but he sent a message to the natives by
the Moro to the effect that if they would obey the king of Spagnia, recognize the
Christian king as their sovereign, pay us our tribute, he would be their friend; but
that if they wished otherwise, they should wait to see how our lances wounded.
They replied that if we had lances they had lances of bamboo and stakes hardened
with fire. [They asked us] not to proceed to attack them at once, but to wait until
morning, so that they might have more men. They said that in order to induce us to
go in search of them; for they had dug certain pitholes between the houses in order
that we might fall into them. When morning came, forty-nine of us leaped into the
water up our thighs, and walked through water for more than two crossbow flights
before we could reach the shore. The boats could not approach nearer because of
certain rocks in the water. The other eleven men remained behind to guard the
boats... When they saw us, they charged down upon us with exceeding loud cries,
two divisions on our flanks and other two on our front. When the captain saw that,
he formed us into two divisions, and thus did we begin to fight. The musketeers and
crossbowmen shot from a distance for half an hour, but uselessly for the shots only
passed through the shields which were made of thin wood and the arms [of the
bearers]. The captain cried to them, "Cease firing! Cease firing!" but his order was
not all heeded. When the natives saw that we were shooting our muskets to no
purpose, crying out, they [were] determined to stand firm, but they [and] redoubled
their shouts. When our muskets were discharged, the natives would never stand still
but leaped hither and thither, covering themselves with their shields. They shot so
many arrows at us and hurled so many bamboo spears (some of them tipped with
iron) at the captain-general, besides pointed stakes hardened with fire, stones, and
mud, that we could scarcely defend ourselves. Seeing that, the captain-general sent
some men to burn their houses in order to terrify them. When they saw their houses
burning, they were roused to greater fury. Two of our men were killed near the
houses, while we burned twenty or thirty houses. So many of them charged down
upon us that they shot the captain through the right leg with a poisoned arrow. On
that account, he ordered us to retire slowly, but the men took to flight, except six or
eight of us who remained with the captain. The natives shot only at our legs, for the
latter were bare; and so many were the spears and stones hurled at us, that we
could offer no resistance.The mortars in the boats could not aid us as they were too
far away. So we continued to retire for more than a good crossbow flight from the
shore, always fighting up to our knees in the water. The natives continued to pursue
us, and picking up the same spear four or six times, hurled it at us again and again.
Recognizing the captain, so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet off
his head twice, but he always stood firmly like a good knight, together with some
others. Thus did we fight for more than one hour, refusing to retire farther [further].
An Indian hurled a bamboo spear into the captain's face, but the latter immediately
killed him with his lance, which he left in the Indian's body. Then, trying to lay hand
on sword, he could draw it out halfway because he had been wounded in the arm
with [by] a bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves
upon him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which
resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face
downward, when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears
and with their cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our
true guide. When they wounded him, he turned back many times to see whether we
were all in the boats. Thereupon, beholding him dead, we, wounded, retreated, as
best as we could to the boats which were already pulling off. The Christian king
would have aided us, but the captain charged him before we landed, not to leave his
balanghai, but to stay to see how we fought. When the king learned that the captain
was dead, he wept. Had it not been for that unfortunate captain, not a single one of
us would have been saved in the boats, for while he was fighting, the others retired
to the boats. I hope through [the efforts of] your illustrious Lordship that the fame of
so noble a captain will not become effaced in our times. Among other virtues which
he possessed, he was more constant than ever in the greatest adversity. He endured
hunger better than all the others, and more accurately than any man in the world did
he understand sea charts and navigation. And that this was the truth seen openly,
for no other had had so much natural talent nor the boldness to learn how to
circumnavigate the world, as he had almost done. That (The] battle was fought on
Saturday, April twenty-seven, 1521. The captain desired to fight on Saturday,
because it was the day especially holy to him. Eight of our men were killed with hint
in that battle, and four Indians, who had become Christians and who had come
afterward to aid us, were killed by the mortars of the boats. Of the enemy, only
fifteen were killed, while many of us were wounded.

HISTORICAL CONTENT
During the first century of Spanish rule, the colonial government had difficulty in
running local politics because of the limited number of Spaniards who wanted to live
outside of Intramuros. This situation forced Spanish officials to allow Filipinos to hold
the position of gobernadorcillo. To ensure that the gobernadorcillos would remain
loyal to the Crown, the friars assigned in the parishes were instructed to supervise
and monitor the activities of the former. Hence, the friars ended up performing the
administrative duties that colonial officials should have been doing at the local level.
They supervised the election of the local executives, helped in the collection of taxes,
were directly involved in educating the youth, and performed other civic duties.
Consequently, the friars became the most knowledgeable and influential figure in
the pueblo.

The friars who were assigned in mission territories were required periodically to
inform their superiors of what wasr happening in their respective areas. They
prepared reports on the number of natives they converted, the people's way of life,
their socio-economic situation, and the problems they encountered Some of them
submitted short letters while others who wrote long dispatches. On top of the
regular reports they submitted, they also shared their personal observations and
experiences. Plasencia's Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalogs (Customs of the
Tagalogs, 1589) is an example of this kind of work. It contains numerous information
that historians could use in reconstructing the political and socio-cultural history of
the Tagalog region. His work is a primary source because he personally witnessed
the events and his account contained his observations.

There were other friars and colonial officials who also wrote about the Filipinos
which could further enrich our knowledge of Philippine history during the early part
of the Spanish period. For example, Miguel de Loarca, an encomendero of Panay
wrote his Relacion de las Islas Filipinas (1582) and described the Filipinos' way of life
in the Western Visayas area. Lieutenant Governor Antonio de Morga wrote Sucesos
de las Islas Filipinas which provides information about the state of the Philippines in
the latter part of the 16th century. The other Spanish missionaries who continued
the historiographical tradition were jeuan Fr Pedro Chirino S.J. (Relacion de las Islas
Filipinas, 1604), Fr. Juan Delgado S.J. (Historia General, 1751), Fr. Francisco Colin S.J.
(Labor Evangelica, 1663), and Fr. Francisco Ignacio Alcina S.J. (Historia natural de
sitio, fertilidad y calidad de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas, 1668). Most of what we
know about Philippine history during the first century of the Spanish period were
derived from the accounts of the Spanish friars.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fray Juan de Plasencia (Joan de Portocarrero, real name) was a member of the
Franciscan Order who came together with the first batch of missionaries to the
Philippines in 1578. He and a fellow, Franciscan Fray Diego de Oropesa, were
assigned to do mission works in the Southern Tagalog area. Plasencia also helped in
the foundation and organization of numerous towns in Quezon, Laguna, Rizal, and
Bulacan. His continuous interaction with the people he converted to Christianity
enabled him to write a work titled Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalogs
(Customs of the Tagalogs, 1589) where he vividly described the political, social,
economic, and cultural practices of the Filipinos before they were introduced
Catholisism.

Plasencia did not limit himself to the task of administering the sacraments and
baptizing new converts. He believed that catechism or explaining the basic tenets of
Catholic faith is another very important function of a missionary. His biggest
challenge at that time was how to make the articles of faith comprehensible to
people who have never heard of Christ or the Catholic Church. He wrote the
Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Española y Tagala which later became the first printed
book in the Philippines in 1593. He used it as reading material for those Filipinos who
wished to deepen their faith in the newly-accepted religion. Plasencia died in Liliw,
Laguna in 1590.

ABOUT THE TEXT

The original document of Customs of the Tagalogs is currently kept in the Archivo
General de lndias (A.G.I.) in Seville, Spain. A duplicate copy of it is kept in the Archivo
Franciscano lbero-Oriental (A.F.I.O.), in Madrid, Spain. An English translation
appeared in Volume VII of the Blair and Robertson's The Philippine Islands. Another
English translation was published as part of the volume for precolonial Philippines in
the second series of the Filipiniana Book Guild. The excerpts presented below is from
the latter version.

Excerpts from Customs of the Tagalogs

This people always had chiefs, called by thorn datos, who governed them and were
captains in their wars, and whom they obeyed and reverenced. The subject who
committed any offense against them, or spoke but a word to their wives and
children, was severely punished.

These chiefs ruled over a few people; sometimes as many as a hundred houses,
sometimes even less than thirty. This tribal gathering is called in Tagalog a barangay.
It was inferred that the reason for giving themselves this name rose from the fact (as
they are classed, by their language, among the Malay nations) that when they came
to this land, the head of the barangay, which is a boat, thus called—as is discussed at
length in the first chapter of the first ten chapters—became the dato. And so, even
at present day, it is ascertained that the barangay in its origin was a family of
parents, children, relations and slaves. There were many of these barangays in each
town, or at least, on account of wars, they did not settle far from one another. They
were not, however, subject to one another, except in friendship and relationship.
The chiefs, in their various wars, helped one another with their respective barangays.

In addition to these chiefs, who corresponded to our knights, there were three
castes: nobles, commoners, and slaves. The nobles were the freeborn whom they
call maharlica. They did not pay tax or tribute to the dato, but must accompany him
in war, at their own expense. The chief offered them beforehand a feast, and
afterward they divided the spoils. Moreover, when the dato went upon the water
those whom he summoned rowed for him. If he built a house, they helped him, and
had to be fed up for it. The same was true when the whole barangay went to clear
up his lands for tillage. The lands which they inhabited were divided among the
whole barangay, especially the irrigated portion, and thus each one knew his own.
No one belonging to another barangay would cultivate them unless after purchase or
inheritance. The lands on the tingues, or mountain ridges, are not divided, but
owned in common by the barangay. Consequently, at the time of the rice harvest,
any individual of any particular barangay, although he may have come from some
other village, if he commences to clear any land may sow it, and no one can compel
him to abandon it. There are some villages (as, for example, Pila de Laguna) in which
these nobles, or maharlicas, paid annually to the dato a hundred gantas of rice. The
reason of this was that, at the time of their settlement there, another chief, upon his
arrival, bought with his own gold; and therefore the members of his barangay paid
him for arable land, and he divided it, among those whom he saw fit to reward. But
now since the advent of the Spaniards, it is not so divided.
*****

The commoners are called aliping namamahay. They are married, and serve their
master, whether he be a dato or not, with half of their cultivated lands, as was
agreed upon in the beginning. They accompanied him wherever he went beyond the
island, and rowed for him. They live in their own houses, and are lords of their
property and gold. Their children inherit it, and enjoy their property and lands. The
children, then, enjoy the rank of their fathers, and they cannot be made slaves (sa
guiguilir) , nor can either parents or children be sold. If they should fall by
inheritance into the hands of a son of their master who was going to dwell in
another village, they could not be taken from their own village and carried with him;
but they would remain their native village, doing service there and cultivating the
sowed lands.

The slaves are called aliping sa guiguilir. They serve their master in his house and on
his cultivated lands, and may be sold. The master grants them, should they see fit,
and providing that he has profited through their industry, a portion of their harvests,
so that they may work faithfully. For these reasons, servants who are born in the
house of their master are rarely, if ever, sold. That is the lot of captives in war, and of
those brought up in the harvest fields....

The difference between the aliping namamahay and the aliping sa guiguilir, should
be noted; for, by a confusion of the two terms, many have been classed as slaves
who really are not. The Indians seeing that the alcaldes-mayor do not understand
this, have adopted the custom of taking away the children of the aliping
namamahay, making use of them as they would of aliping sa guiguilir, as servants in
their households, which is illegal, and if the aliping namamahay should appeal to
justice, it is proved that he is an alipin as well as his father and mother before him
and no reservation is made as to whether he is aliping namamahay or aliping sa
guiguilir. He is at once considered an alipin, without further declaration. In this way
he becomes a sa guiguilir, and is even sold. Consequently, the alcaldes-mayor should
be instructed to ascertain, when anyone asks for his alipin, to which class he belongs,
and to have the answer put in document that they give him.

In these three classes, those who are maharlicas on both father's and mother's side
continue to be so forever; and if it happens that they should become slaves, it is
through marriage, as I shall soon explain. If these maharlicas had children among
their slaves, the children and their mothers became free; if one of them had children
by a slave-woman of another, she was compelled, when pregnant, to give her master
half of the gold tael, because of her risk of death, and for her inability to labor during
the pregnancy. In such case half of the child was free—namely, the half belonging to
his father, who supplied the child with food. If he did not do this, he showed that he
did not recognize him as his child, in which case the latter was wholly a slave. If a
free woman had children by a slave, they were all free, Provided he were not her
husband.
If two persons married, of whom one was a maharlica and the other a slave, whether
namamahay or sa guiguilir, the children were divided; the first, whether male or
female, belonged to the father, as did the third and fifth; the second, the fourth, and
the sixth fell to the mother, and so on. In this manner, if the father were free, all
those who belonged to him were free; if he were a a slave, all those who belonged to
him were slaves; and the same applied to the mother. If there should not be more
than one child he was half free and half slave. The question here concerned the
division, whether the child were male or female. Those who became slaves fell under
the category of servitude which was their parent's, either namamahay or sa guiguilir.
If there were an odd number of children, the odd one was half free and half slave. I
have not been able to ascertain with certainty when or what age the division of
children was made, for each one suited himself in this respect. Of these two kinds of
slaves the sa guiguilir could be sold, but not the namamahay and their children, nor
could they be transferred. However, they could be transferred from the barangay by
inheritance, provided they remained in the same village.

The maharlicas could not, after marriage, move from one village to another, or from
one barangay to another, without paying a certain fine in gold, as arranged among
them. This fine was larger or smaller according to the inclination of the different
villages. running from one to three each and a banquet to the entire barangay.
Failure to pay the fine might result in a war between the barangay where the person
left and the one which he entered. This applied equally to men and women except
that when one married a woman of another village, the children were afterwards
divided equally between the two barangays. This arrangement kept them obedient
to the dato, or chief, which is no longer the case—because if the dato is energetic
and commands what the religious fathers enjoin him, they soon leave him and go to
other villages and other datos, who endure and protect them and do not order them
about. This is the kind of dato that they now prefer, not him who has the spirit to
command. There is a great need of reform in this, for the chiefs are spiritless and
faint-hearted.

Investigations made and sentences passed by the dato must take place in the
presence if those in his barangay. If any of the litigants felt himself aggrieved, an
arbiter was unanimously selected from another village or barangay, whether he
were a dato or not; since they had for this purpose some reasons, known as fair and
just men, who were said to give true judgment according to their customs. If the
controversy lay between two chiefs, when they wished to avoid war, they also
convoked judges to act as arbiters; they did the same if the disputants belonged to
two different barangays. In this ceremony they always had to drink, the plaintiff
inviting the others.
They had laws by which they condemned to death a man of low birth who insulted
the daughter or wife of chief; likewise witches of the same class.

They condemned no one to slavery, unless he merited the death penalty. As for the
witches, they killed them, and their children and accomplices became slaves of the
chief, after he had made some recompense to the injured person. All other offenses
were punished by fines in gold, which, if not paid with promptness, exposed the
culprit to serve, until the payment should be made, the person was aggrieved, to
whom the money was paid. This was done in the following way: Half the cultivated
lands and all their produce belonged to their master. The master provided the culprit
with food and clothing, thus enslaving the culprit and his children until such time as
he might amass enough money to pay the fine. If the father should by chance pay his
debt, the master then claimed that he has fed and clothed his children, and should
be paid therefor. In this way he kept possession of the children if the payment could
not be met. This last was usually the case, and they remained slaves. if the culprit
had some relative or friend who paid for him, he was obliged to render the latter half
his service until he was paid—not, however, service within the house as aliping sa
guiguilir, but living independently, as alipin namamahay. If the creditor were not
served in this wise, the culprit had to pay double of what was lent him. In this way
slaves were made by debt; either sa guiguilir, if they served the master to whom the
judgment applied; or aliping namamahay, if they served the person who lent them
wherewith to pay.

****.

Dowries are given by the men to the women's parents. If the latter are living, they
enjoy use of it. At their death, provided the dowry has not been consumed, it is
divided like the rest of the estate, equally among the children, except in the case the
father should care to bestow something additional upon their daughter. If the wife,
at the time of her marriage, has neither father, mother; nor grandparents, she
enjoys her dowry—which in such a case, belongs to no other relative or child. It
should be noticed that unmarried women can own no property, in land or dowry, for
the result of all their labors accrues to their parents.

In the case of a divorce before the birth of the children, if the wife left the husband
for the purpose of marrying another, all her dowry and an equal additional amount
fell to the husband; but if she left him, and did not marry another, the dowry was
returned. When the husband left his wife, he lost half of the dowry, and the other
half was returned to him. If he possessed children at the time of his divorce, the
whole dowry and the fine went to the children, and was held for them by their
grandparents or other responsible relatives.

In the matter of marriage dowries which fathers bestow upon their sons when they
are about to be married, and half of which is given immediately, even when they are
only children, there is a great deal more complexity. There is a fine stipulated in the
contract, that he who violates it shall pay a certain sum which varies according to the
practice of the village and the affluence of the individual. The fine was heaviest if,
upon the death of the parents, the son or daughter should be unwilling to marry
because it had been arranged by his or her parents. In this case the dowry which the
parents had received was returned and nothing more. But if the parents were living,
they paid the fine, because it was assumed that it had been their design to separate
the children.

II

Worship of the Tagalogs

In all the villages, or in other parts of the Filipinas Islands, there are no temples
consecrated to the performing of sacrifices, the adoration of their idols, or the
general practice of idolatry. It is true that they have the simbahan, which means a
temple or place of adoration; but it is because, formerly, when they wished to
celebrate a festival, which they called pandot or "worship," they celebrated it in a
large house of a chief. There they constructed, for the purpose of sheltering the
assembled people, a temporary shed on each side of the house, with a roof called
sibi, to protect people from the wet when it rained. They so constructed the house
that it may contain people—dividing it after the fashion of ships, into three
compartments. On the posts of the house they set small lamps, called sorihile, in the
center of the house they placed one large lamp, adorned with leaves of the white
palm, wrought into many designs. They also brought together many drums, large
and small, which they beat successively while the feast lasted, which was usually
four days. During this time the whole barangay, or family, united and joined in the
worship which they called nagaanitos. The house, for the above-mentioned period of
time, was called a temple.

Among their many idols there was one called Bathala, whom they especially
worshipped. The title, seems to signify "all powerful," or "maker of all things." They
also worshipped the sun, which, on account of its beauty, is almost universally
respected and honored by the heathens. They worshipped too, the moon, especially
when it was new, at which time they had great rejoicings, adoring it and bidding it
welcome. Some of them also adored the stars, although they did not know them by
then names, as the Spaniards and other nations know the planets—with the
exception of the morning star they called Tala. They knew, too, the "seven little
goats" [The Pleiades]—as wee call them—and, consequently, the change of seasons,
which they call Mapolon; and Balatic, which is our Greater Bear. They Possessed
many idols called lic-ha, which were images with different shapes; and at times they
worshipped any little trifle, in which they adored, as did the Romans, some particular
dead an who was brave in war and endowed with special faculties, to whom they
commended themselves for protection in their tribulations. They had another idol
called Dian Masalanta, who was the patron of lovers and of generation. The idols
called Lacapati and Idianale were patrons of the cultivated lands and of husbandry.
They paid reverence to water-lizards called by them buaya or crocodiles, for fear of
being harmed by them. They were even in the bait of offering these animals a
portion of what they carried in their boats, by throwing it into the water, or placing it
upon the bank.
They were, moreover, very liable to find auguries in things they witnessed. For
example, if they left their house and met on the way a serpent or rat, or a bird called
tigmamanuguin which was singing in the tree, or if they chanced upon anyone who
sneezed, they returned at once to their house, considering the incident as an augury
that some evil might befall them if they should continue their journey—especially
when the abovementioned bird sang. This song has two different forms: in the one
case it was considered an evil omen; in the other, as a good omen, and then they
continued their journey. They also practiced divination, to see whether weapons,
such as dagger or knife, were useful and lucky for their possessor whenever occasion
should offer.

These natives had no established division of years, months, and days; these are
determined by the cultivation of soil, counted by moons, and the different effect
produced upon the trees when Yielding flowers, fruits, and leaves: all this helps them
in making up a year. The winter and summer are distinguished as sun-time and
water-time--the latter term designating winter in those regions, where there is no
cold, snow, or ice.

*****

Their manner of offering sacrifice was to proclaim a feast, and offer to the devil what
they had to eat. This was done in front of an idol, which they anoint with fragrant
perfumes, such as musk and civet, or gum of the storax-tree and odoriferous woods,
and praise it in poetic songs sung by the officiating priest, male or female, who is
called catolonan. The participants made responses to the song, beseeching the idol
to favor them with those things of which they were in need, and generally, by
offering repeated healths, they all become intoxicated. In some of the idolatries they
were accustomed to place a good piece of cloth, doubled, over the idol, and over the
cloth a chain or large gold ring, thus worshipping the devil without having sight of
him. The devil was sometimes liable to enter into the body of the catolonan, and,
assuming her shape and appearance, filled her with so great arrogance—he being
the cause of it—that she seemed to shoot flames from her eyes; her hair stood on
end, a fearful sight to those beholding, and she uttered words of arrogance and
superiority. In some districts, especially the mountains, when in those idolatries the
devil incarnated himself and took on the form of his minister, the lane, had to be tied
to a tree by his companions, to prevent the devil s his infernal fury from destroying
him. This, however, happened but rarely. The objects of sacrifice were goats, fowls,
and swine, which were flayed, decapitated, and laid bare before the idol. They
performed another ceremony by cooking a jar of rice until the water was
evaporated. After which they broke the jar, as the rice was left as an intact mass
which was set before the idol and all about it, at intervals, were placed a few buyos
—which a small fruit scrapped in a leaf with some lime, a food generally eaten in
these regions—as well as fried food and fruits. All tin above-mentioned articles were
eaten by guests at the feast; the heads [of animals], after being "offered," as they
expressed it, were cooked and eaten also.
The reasons for offering this sacrifice and adoration in addition to whatever personal
matters there might be, the recovery of a sick person, the prosperous voyage of
those embarking on the sea, a good harvest in the sowed lands, a propitious result in
wars, a successful delivery in childbirth, and a happy outcome in married life. If this
took place among people of rank, the festivities lasted thirty days.

The distinctions made among the priests of the devil were as follows: The first, called
catolonan, as above stated, was either a man or woman. This office was an
honorable one among the natives, and was held ordinarily by people of rank, this
rule being general in all the islands.

The second was called mangagauay, or witches who deceived by pretending to heal
the sick. These priests even induced maladies by their charms, which in proportion to
the strength and efficacy of witchcraft, are capable of causing death. In this way, if
they wished to kill at once they did so; or they could prolong life for a year by
binding to the waist a live serpent, which was believed to be the devil, or at least his
substance. This office was general throughout the land. The third was called
manyisalat, which is the same as mangagauay. These priests had the power of
applying such remedies to lovers that they would abandon and despise their own
wives, and in fact could prevent them from having intercourse with the latter, lithe
woman, constrained by these means, were abandoned, it would bring sickness upon
her; and on account of the desertion she would discharge blood and matter. This
office was also general throughout the land.

The fourth was called mancocolam, whose duty it was to emit fire from himself at
night, once or oftener each month. This fire could not be extinguished; nor could it
be thus emitted except as the priest wallowed in the ordure and filth which falls
from the houses; and he who lived in the house where the priest was wallowing in
order to emit this fire from himself fell ill and died. This office was general.

The fifth was called hocloban, which is another kind of Witch, of greater efficacy than
the mangagauay. Without use of medicine, and by simply saluting or raising the
hand, they killed whom they chose. But if they desired to heal those whom they,
made ill by their charms, they did so by using other charms. Moreover, if they
wished to destroy the house of the same Indian hostile to them, they were able to
do so without instruments. This was in Catanduanes, an island off the upper part of
Luzon.

The sixth was called silagan, whose office it was, if they saw anyone clothed in white,
to tear out his liver and eat it, thus causing his death. His, like the preceding, was in
the island of Catanduanes. Let no one, moreover, consider this a fable; because in
Calavan, they tore out in this way through the anus all the intestines of a Spanish
notary, who was buried in Calilaya by father Fray Juan de Merida.

The seventh was called magtatangal, his purpose was to show himself at night to
many persons, without his head or entrails. In such wise the devil walked about,
carried, or pretended to carry, his head to different places; and, in the morning,
returned it to his body—remaining as before, alive. This seems to be a fable,
although the natives affirm that they have seen it, because the devil probably caused
them to believe. This occurred in Catanduanes.

The eighth they called osuang, which is equivalent to "sorcerer," they say that they
have seen him fly, and that he murdered men and ate their flesh. This was among
the Visayas Islands; among the Tagalogs these did not exist.

The ninth was another class of witches called mangagayoma. They made charms for
lovers out of herbs, stones, and wood which would infuse the heart with love. Thus
did they deceive the people, although sometimes, through the intervention of the
devil, they gained their ends.

The tenth was known as sonat, which is equivalent to "preacher." It was his office to
help one die, at which time he predicted the salvation or condemnation of the soul.
It was not lawful for the function of this office to be fulfilled by others than people of
high standing, on account of the esteem in which it was held. This office was general
throughout the islands.

The eleventh, pangatahojan, was a soothsayer, and predicted the future. This office
was general in the islands.

The twelfth, bayoguin, signified a "cotquean," a man whose nature inclined toward
that of a woman.

Their manner of burying the dead was as follows: the deceased was buried beside
his house; and, if he were a chief, he was placed beneath a little house or porch
which they constructed for this purpose. Before interring him, they mourned him for
four days; and afterward laid him on boat which served as a coffin or bier, placing
him beneath the porch, where guard kept over him by a slave. In place of rowers,
various animals were placed within the boat, each one being assigned a place at the
oar by twos—male and female of each species being together—as for example two
goats, two deer, or two fowls. It was the slave's care to see that they were fed. If the
deceased hod been a warrior, a living slave was tied beneath his body until in this
way he died. In course of time, all suffered decay; and for many days the relatives of
the dead man bewailed him, singing dirges, and praises of his good qualities, until
they weaned of it. This grief was accompanied by eating and drinking. This was a
custom of the Tagalogs....

These infidels said that they knew that there was another life of rest which they
called maca, just as if we should say “paradise," or, in other words, “village of rest.”
They say that those go to this place are the lust, and the valiant. and those who lived
without doing harm, or who possessed moral virtues. They said also, that in the
other life and mortality, there was a place of punishment, grief, and affliction called
casanaan, which was a “place of anguish," they also maintained that tie would go to
heaven, where there only dwelt Bathala, "the maker of all things," who governed
from above. There were also other pagans who confessed more clearly to a hell,
which they called, as I have said, casanaan; they said that all the wicked went to that
place, and there dwelt the demons, whom they called sitan.

*****

There were also ghosts, which they called vibit; and phantoms, which they called
tigbalaang. They had another deception—namely, if any woman died in childbirth,
she and the child suffered punishment; and that, at night, she could be heard
lamenting. This is called patianac. May honor and glory be to God our Lord, that
among the Tagalogs not a trace of this is left; and that those who are now marrying
do not even know what it is, thanks to the preaching of the holy gospel, which has
banished it.

Module 5: The Kartilya of the Katipunan

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The first move towards independence began on July 7.1892 when the Katipunan was
established by Andres Bonifacio. This was a result of the failure of the Reform
Movement in Spain in which Filipinos attempted to demand reforms for the
Philippines from the Spanish government. Bonifacio saw the futility of the efforts of
the Filipino propagandists and organized an underground movement against Spain.

The Kataastaasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or KKK

was a revolutionary society that espoused independence and freedom for the
Philippines through force of arms. Its main objective was separation of the
Philippines from Spain and, at the same time, the development of the Filipinos as
citizens of their own nation once independence was achieved. The latter was done
through the written works by Bonifacio and fellow Katipunero, Emilio Jacinto, who
wrote a number of poems and essays for the society members.

The recruitment process of the Katipunan followed the Masonic initiation rites while
its structure was said to be based on Rizal's aborted reformist organization, the La
Liga Filipina. The new members of the society were indoctrinated with the Katipunan
rules and its teachings that emphasized the value of the love of one's country and
fellow Filipinos.

BOUT THE AUTHOR

FIGURE 6. Emilio Jacinto

About the Author

 Emilio Jacinto was born on December 15, 1875 in the district of Trozo in Tondo,
Manila. He was the son of Mariano Jacinto, a bookkeeper, and Josefa Dizon. Living a
life of poverty, Jacinto still managed to get a good education. He finished his
elementary education in a private school then took up his secondary education at
the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He later studied law at the University of Santo
Tomas where he developed a love of reading and improved his skills in Spanish.
Unfortunately, he had to stop his studies when the Philippine Revolution began in
1896.

Jacinto joined the Katipunan in 1894 at the age of 18 and took the symbolic name
Pingkian. It was during this time that he developed his nationalistic ideals. Through
his enthusiasm and ideas, Jacinto became a guiding light to the members of the
society. He wrote the Kartilya as well as the oath of the Katipuneros. He also edited
the Katipunan newspaper, Kalayaan, and was the author of several literary writings
using the pen-name "Dimas Ilaw." He served the Katipunan in different capacities
such as secretary, fiscal, editor, and later was appointed General by Bonifacio in
1897. He also served as an adviser appointed the Supremo.

After the death of Bonifacio in Cavite in 1897, Jacinto continued the fight against the
Spaniards even after the following the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. He was wounded in a
battle against Spaniards in Magdalena, Laguna and was captured. Upon
investigation, Jacinto was released after he managed to convince the Spanish
soldiers he was a spy in their service when he showed them a military pass issued to
a man he killed several months ago. Jacinto quickly went into hiding in Manila. There
he sent a letter to Apolinario Mabini in Malolos, Bulacan stating his plan to continue
his law studies at the newly-established Literary University of the Philippines. But
this plan was discontinued when Jacinto had to go back to Laguna to lead his fellow
patriots in the war against the new enemy, the Americans. He established his
headquarters in the town of Majayjay where he, unfortunately, contracted malaria.
He died on April 6, 1899.

ABOUT THE TEXT

In his study of the Katipunan history and its documents, Jim Richardson said that
“the Kartilya is the best known of all Katipunan texts” and that it is “the only
document of any length set in print by the Katipunan prior to August 1896 that is
known to be still extant.” The Kartilya was printed as a small pamphlet that was
derived from the Spanish cartilla which the primer used for grade schools during the
Spanish period. And like the cartillas, this document served as the primary lessons
for the members of the Katipunan.

The Kartilya presents not only the teachings for the neophyte Katipunero but also
the guiding principles of the society. These teachings are expected from the
members even after the attainment of freedom from the colonizers. The Kartilya
ends with a document of affirmation by the member to the society’s teachings.
 The Kartilya was not just a document for the Katipunan. Its importance today
is predicated on the teachings that embodied the moral and nationalistic principles
of a nation that fought for independence. These principles are relevant as the sense
of nationhood still holds true when the cultural and historical values of every Filipino
are threatened by the onslaught of foreign influences brought about by today’s
globalization.

Kartilya ng Katipunan
Tagalog Text

KATIPUNAN NANG MANGA

A.N.B.

SA MAY NASANG MAKISANIB SA KATIPUNANG ITO

Sa pangangailangan na ang lahat na nag-iibig pumasok sa katipunang ito ay

magkaroon ng lubos na pananalig at kaisipan sa mga layong tinutungo at mga
kaaralang pinaiiral, minarapat na ipakilala sa kanila ang mga bagay na ito at nang
bukas makalawa’y huwag silang magsisi at tuparing maluwag sa kalooban ang
kanilang mga tutungkulin.
Ang kalagayang pinag-uusig ng katipunang ito ay lubos na dakila at mahalaga;
papag-isahin ang loob at kaisipan ng lahat ng Tagalog1 sa pamamagitan ng isang
mahigpit na panunumpa upang sa pagkakaisang ito’y magkalakas na iwasak ang
masinsing tabing na nakabubulag sa kaisipan at matuklasan ang tunay na landas ng
Katwiran at Kaliwanagan.
Dito’y isa sa mga kauna-unahang utos ang tunay na pag-ibig sa bayang
tinubuan at lubos na pagdadamayan ng isa’t isa.

Maralita, mayaman, mangmang, marunong, lahat dito’y magkakapantay at

tunay na magkakapatid.
Kapag karakang mapasok dito ang sinuman, tatalikdang pilit ang buhalhal na
kaugalian at paiilalim sa kapangyarihan ng mga banal na utos ng katipunan.
Ang gawang lahat na laban sa kabanalan at kalinisan, dito’y kinasusuklaman;
kaya’t sa bagay na ito’y ipinaiilalim sa masigasig na pakikibalita ang kabuhayan ng
sinumang nag-iibig makisanib sa katipunang ito.
Kung ang hangad ng papasok dito’y ang tumalastas lamang ng mga kalihiman
nito, o ang ikagiginhawa ng sariling katawan, o ang kilalanin ang mga naririto’t nang
maipagbili sa isang dakot na salapi, huwag magpatuloy sapagkat dito’y bantain
lamang ay talastas na ng makapal na nakikiramdam sa kanya at karaka-rakang
nilalapatan ng mabisang gamut na laan sa mga sukaban.
Dito’y gawa ang hinahanap at gawa ang tinitingnan; kaya’t hindi dapat
pumasok ang di makagagawa, kahit magaling magsalita.
Ipinauunawa din na ang mga katungkulang ginaganap ng lahat ng napaaanak
sa katipunang ito ay lubhang mabibigat, lalong lalo na kung gugunitain na di
mangyayaring maiiwasan at walang kusang pagkukulang na di aabutin ng kakila-
kilabot na kaparusahan.
 Kung ang hangad ng papasok dito ay ang siya’y abuluyan o ang ginhawa’t
malayaw na katahimikan ng katawan, huwag magpatuloy sapagkat mabigat na mga
katungkulan ang matatagpuan, gaya ng pagtangkilik sa mga naaapi at madaluhong
na pag-usig sa lahat ng kasamaan. Sa bagay na ito ay aabutin ang maligalig na
pamumuhay.

Di kaila sa kangino pa man ang mga nagbalang kapahamakan sa mga Tagalog

na nakaisip nitong mga banal na kabagayan (at hindi man) at ang mga pahirap na
ibinibigay ng naghaharing kalupitan, kalikuan, at kasamaan.
Talastas din naman ng lahat ang pangangailangan sa salapi na sa ngayo’y isa
sa mga unang lakas na maaasahang magbibigay-buhay sa lahat. Sa bagay na ito,
kinakailangan ang lubos na pagtupad sa mga pagbabayaran – piso sa pagpasok at sa
buwan-buwan ay sikapat. Ang salaping ito’y ipinagbibigay-alam ng nag-iingat sa
tuwing kapanahunan, bukod pa sa mapagsisiyasat ng sinuman kailanma’t ibigin. Di
makikilos ang salaping ito kundi pagkayarian ng karamihan.
Ang lahat ng ipinagsaysay ay dapat gunitain at mahinahong pagbulay-bulayin
sapagkat di magagnap at di matitiis ng isang walang tunay na pag-ibig sa tinubuang
lupa at tunay na adhikaing tangkilikin ang Kagalingan.
At nang lalong mapagtimbang ang sariling isip at kabaitan, basahin ang
sumusunod na

MGA ARAL NG KATIPUNAN NG MGA A.N.B

Ang kabuhayang hindi ginugugol sa isang malaki at banal na kadahilanan ay kahoy na

walang lilim kundi man damong makamandag.

Ang gawang magaling na nagbubuhat sa pagpipita sa sarili at hindi sa talagang

nasang gumawa ng kagalingan ay di kabaitan.

Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ang pagkakawanggawa, ang pag-ibig sa kapwa, at ang

isukat ang bawat kilos, gawa’t pangungusap sa talagang Katwiran.

Maitim man o 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.

Ang may mataas na kalooban, inuuna ang puri kaysa pagpipita sa sarili; ang may
hamak na kalooban, inuuna ang pagpipita sa sarili kaysa puri.

Sa taong may hiya, salita’y panunumpa.

Huwag mong sayangin ang panahon: ang yamang mawala’y mangyayaring magbalik,
ngunit ang panahong nagdaan na’y di na muling magdadaan.
Ipagtanggol mo ang inaapi at kabakahin ang umaapi.

Ang taong matalino’y ang may pag-iingat sa bawat sasabihin; at matutong ipaglihim
ang dapat ipaglihim.

Sa daang matinik ng kabuhayan, lalaki ay siyang patnugot ng asawa’t mga anak; kung
ang umaakay ay tungo sa sama, ang patutunguhan ng inaakay ay kasamaan din.

Ang babae ay huwag mong tingnang isang bagay na libangan lamang kundi isang
katuwang at karamay sa mga kahirapan nitong kabuhayan; gamitin mo nang buong
pagpipitagan ang kanyang kahinaan at alalahanin ang inang pinagbuhata’t nag-iwi sa
iyong kasanggulan.

Ang di mo ibig gawin sa asawa mo, anak, at kapatid ay huwag mong gagawin sa
asawa, anak, at kapatid ng iba.

Ang kamahalan ng tao’y wala sa pagkahari, wala sa tangos 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.

Paglaganap ng mga aral na ito ay maningning na sumikat ang araw ng mahal na

Kalayaan dito sa kaabang-abang Sangkatauhan at sabugan ng matamis niyang
liwanag ang nangagkaisang magkalahi’t magkakapatid ng ligayang walang katapusan,
ang mga ginugol na buhay, pagod, at mga tinis na kahirapa’y labis nang natumbasan.

Kung ang lahat ng ito’y matarok na ng nag-iibig pumasok at inaakala niyang

matutupad ang mga tutungkulin, maitatala ang kanyang ninanasa sa kasunod nito.

Note: The teachings are followed by a form to be filled out with name, hometown,
age, occupation, status, and address. The Kartilya concludes with a brief undertaking
to be signed by the person who intends to join the association.

English Translation

ASSOCIATION OF

THE SONS OF THE PEOPLE

To Those Who May Desire to Affiliate with this Association

In order that those who wish to join this Association may have a thorough
knowledge of its purposes and of its existing regulations, it is necessary that these be
published, to the end that they may not to-morrow or the day after repent, and that
they may perform their duties cheerfully.

This Association pursues a very high and great object: the union in ideas and purpose
of the Filipinos, by means of a strong oath, in order that this union may become the
force that shall tear the dense veil which obscures intelligence, and may find the
path of Reason and Light.

One of the first rules here is: true patriotism and genuine mutual aid.

Poor, rich, ignorant, wise: all are equal and are true brethren.

Once in the Association, the member will abandon all disorderly life and place
himself under the orders and rules of the Association.

All acts incompatible with dignity and involving moral turpitude are repugnant here,
hence the antecedents of the applicant will first be submitted to a searching
investigation.

If the applicant merely wishes to know the secrets of the Association, or joins from
personal bravado or in order to become acquainted with the members and sell them
for a mess of pottage, he will not prosper: the mere attempt at treachery will be
frustrated by the many who are watching him, and he will immediately receive the
deserved punishment meted out to traitors.

Here only acts are demanded and taken into account, hence no one must join who is
not willing to act, however willing he may be to talk.

It is also announced that the duties to be performed by the members are

exceedingly hard, especially if one remembers that their performance cannot be
evaded and that there will be no violation, knowingly committed, to which a rigorous
penalty will not be applied.

If the applicant merely desires relief or wishes to lead an easy life, let him desist,
because he will encounter very exacting duties, such as the protection and defense
of the oppressed and the most tenacious effort to investigate and prosecute all that
is evil: for this reason he will lead a life of hard work and constant worry and distress.

Nobody is unaware of the evils with which are threatened the Filipinos who thought
out things so sacred (and even those that are not), and the suffering prepared for
them by the predominating cruelty, error, and criminality.

A matter of public knowledge is also the need of ready money, in our days the
principal factor of general prosperity; for this reason the punctual payment of the
dues is required: one peso as admission fee and twelve and a half centimos monthly
dues. The custodian of the funds will from time to time render an account to the
members, besides the right of each member to examine and revise the accounts,
should he so desire, at any moment. These funds can be expended only by resolution
of the majority.

All this must be considered and thought over well, as it cannot be performed or
patiently borne by any person not a true patriot and a real defender of the Good.

And for a better understanding, read the following:

Teachings of the Katipunan of the Sons of the People

The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without
shade, if not a poisonous weed. -

To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue.

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.

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.

The honorable man prefers honor to personal gain, the scoundrel, gain to honor.

To the honorable man his word is sacred.

Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered, but not the time lost.

Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field.

The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

Sources:

Emilio Jacinto by Epifanio delos Santos, The Philippine Review, June 1918, Volume 3,
Number 6

Introduction/Overview
The first phase of the Philippine Revolution a stalemate between the Spaniards and
the Filipino rebels. In December 1897, a truce was declared between the two forces
with the Filipino leaders, led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, agreeing to be exiled to Hong
Kong while the Spaniards paid an indemnity for the damages caused as a result of
the conflict Aguinaldo. The truce, however, lasted for only a few months before it
collapsed. The renewed conflict would have been disastrous for the Filipinos if not
for the deteriorating diplomatic relations between Spain and the United States over
the another revolution in Cuba. This eventually led to the Spanish-American War in
1898 and the arrival of a new colonizer to the Philippines—the Americans.

Even before the Battle of Manila in 1898, Aguinaldo had already been meeting with
the Americans in Singapore. He talked with consul E. Spencer Pratt regarding US-
Filipino collaboration against the Spaniards before he went back to Hong Kong to
meet up with Commodore George Dewey, commander of the Asiatic Fleet.
Unfortunately, Dewey had already left for the Philippines to attack the Spanish fleet
following America's declaration of war against Spain in April.

Aguinaldo remained in Hong Kong and met with the American consul general
Rounseville Wildman. He paid Wildman a total of N17,000 to purchase rifles and
ammunition. A first shipment worth £50,000 was made but the other half was never
delivered. Wildman never returned the money given to him.

On May 19, 1898, Aguinaldo finally returned to the Philippines on board the U.S.
cruiser McCulloch. Aguinaldo conferred with Dewey on Philippine conditions and
was supplied with arms captured from the Spaniards. From his headquarters in
Cavite, Aguinaldo announced the resumption of the revolution against the Spaniards,
thus beginning the second phase of the revolution. The Filipinos immediately flocked
to the province to loin the army. By the end of May, Aguinaldo was in command of
an army of 12,000 troops.
 On May 28, the Filipino forces won their first victory in AlaPan, Imus. The newly-
made Filipino flag was hoisted in AlaPan then later unfurled at the Teatro Caviteño in
Cavite Nuevo (now Cavite City) in front of the Filipinos and captured Spanish
soldiers. A group of American officers and soldiers also witnessed the ceremony.

Earlier, on May 24, Aguinaldo announced the creation of the dictatorial

government. The formation of this type of rule was a necessity because the growing
nation needed a strong leader. He emphasized that the dictatorship was only
temporary as it would be a prelude to the establishment of a republican form of
government.

On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence from Spanish rule at
a ceremony in his house in Kawit, Cavite. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista read the
declaration that was later signed by 177 persons, including an Armerican military
officer. The Philippine National Anthem, then known as “Marcha Nacional Filipina,”
composed by Julian Felipe, was played by the Banda de San Francisco de Malabon
and the Philippine flag was again unfurled.

Elections for a pamahalaang panghihimagsik were held in Barrio Tejeros, San

Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) on March 22, 1897. Aguinaldo was elected
President with Mariano Trias (Vice-President), Artemio Ricarte (Captain-General),
Emiliano Riego de Dios (Director of War), and Andres Bonifacio (Director of the
Interior). But the elections were disrupted following a protest over Bonifacio's
educational qualification for such a position. Bonifacio angrily declared the result of
the elections null and void and walked out. The Magdalos, however, considered the
election binding and the new government was founded. When Bonifacio tried to put
up his own government with an armed group, he was arrested and tried for sedition.
Found guilty, the Supremo and his brother Procopio were executed on May 10,
1897.

The internal dissent caused by Bonifacio's death weakened the Katipunan further.
The Spanish troops regained momentum and Aguinaldo was forced to retreat to the
mountains of Biak-na-Bato. But the Spaniards soon realized that going after the
rebels in their mountain hideout was futile. A stalemate ensued that was broken
only by a truce proposal to which the rebels agreed. In exchange for an indemnity,
amnesty, and colonial reform, Aguinaldo and his officers went into exile in Hong
Kong in December 1897.
The Spanish-American War in 1898 eventually changed Philippine history. After the
Americans won the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898, Aguinaldo returned to the
Philippines with their help and announced the resumption of the revolution against
Spain. After winning several victories against the Spaniards, he declared Philippine
independence on June 12, 1898.

But the Filipinos soon realized that the Americans were to become their new
colonizers. After the Spanish defeat in 1898, the United States began to send fresh
troops to the Philippines. In 1899, Aguinaldo convened a Congress in Malolos,
Bulacan in which the delegates wrote a Constitution and established the Philippine
Republic with Aguinaldo as President in January 1899.

Three weeks later, the continuing friction with the Americans erupted into a conflict
in February 1899. The Philippine-American War eventually ended in 1901 with the
capture of Aguinaldo. Soon after, he pledged allegiance to the United States and for
a time was back in the limelight when he ran for the presidency of the Philippine
Commonwealth but lost to Manuel L. Quezon.

During World War II, Aguinaldo was charged by the Japanese with collaborating with
the Americans but was later freed in a general amnesty. As a private citizen, he
devoted his time to the cause of veteran revolucionarios until his death at the age of
94 on February 6, 1964.

CONTEXT ANALYSIS
On June 10, 1896 Gen Emilio Aguinaldo issued a one-sentence decree appointing his
Auditor General of War, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, as a "special commissioner' to
write the Act of the Declaration of the Independence. The result was a sixteen-page
document that contained the aspirations of freedom from Spanish rule, the sacrifices
made, and the revolution that resulted from it. It was the text of this declaration that
was read in Kawit in the afternoon of the celebration of the declaration of
independence. Copies of the document were made and distributed. However, there
was a problem in determining how many witnesses really signed the declaration. The
copies classified under Philippine Revolutionary Papers (PRP) in the National Library
had varying numbers. Later research by historian-writer Jim Richardson placed the
total number of signees at 177.

The Act of Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino People

In the town of Cavite-Viejo, Province of Cavite, this 12th day of lune 1898:

Before me, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, War Counselor and Special Delegate
designated to proclaim and solemnize this proclamation of Independence by the
Dictatorial Government of the Philippines, pursuant to, and by virtue of a Decree
issued by Dictator Don Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy,

The undersigned assemblage of military chiefs and others of could not attend, as
well as the representatives of the various towns,

Taking into account the fact that the people of this country are already tired of
bearing the ominous yoke of Spanish domination,

Because of arbitrary arrests and abuses of the Civil Guards who cause deaths in
connivance with and even under the express f orders of their superior officers who
at times would order the shooting of those placed under arrest under the pretext
that they attempted to escape in violation of known Rules and Regulations, which
abuses were left unpunished, and because of unjust deportations of illustrious
Filipinos, especially those the instigation decreed by General Blanco at the instigation
of the Archbishop and the friars interested in keeping them in ignorance for egoistic
and selfish ends, which deportations were carried out through processes more
execrable than those of the Inquisition which every civilized nation repudiates as a
trial without hearing,

Had resolved to start a revolution in August 1896 in order to regain the

independence and sovereignty of which the people had been deprived by Spain
through Governor Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who, continuing the course followed by
his predecessor Ferdinand Magellan who landed on the shores of Cebu and occupied
said Island by means of a Pact of Friendship with Chief Tupas, although he was killed
in battle that took place in said shores to which battle he was provoked by Chief
Kalipulako of Mactan who suspected his evil designs, landed on the Island of Bohol
by entering also into a Blood Compact with its Chief Sikatuna, with the purpose of
later taking by force the Island of Cebu, and because his successor Tupas did not
allow him to occupy it, he went to Manila, the capital, winning likewise the
friendship of its Chiefs Soliman and Lakandula, later taking possession of the city and
the whole Archipelago in the name of Spain by virtue of an order of King Philip II, and
with these historical precedents and because in international law the prescription
established by law to legalize the vicious act of private property is not recognized,
the legitimacy of such revolution cannot be put in doubt which was calmed but not
completely stifled by the pacification proposed by Don Paterno. Don Emilio
Aguinaldo as President of the Republic established in Biak-na-Bato and accepted by
Governor-General Don Fernando Primo de Rivera under terms, both written and
oral, among them being a general amnesty for all deported and convicted persons;
that by reason of the non-fulfillment of some Squadron of the terms, after the
destruction of the Spanish Squad by the North American Navy, and bombardment of
the plaza of Cavite, Don Emilio Aguinaldo returned in order to initiate a new
revolution and no sooner had he given the order to rise on the 31st of last month
when several towns anticipating the revolution, rose in revolt on the 28th, such that
a Spanish contingent of 178 men, between Imus and Cavite Viejo, under the
command of a major of the Marine Infantry capitulated, the revolutionary
movement spreading like wild fire to other towns of Cavite and the other provinces
of Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, and Morong, some of them with
seaports and such was the success of the victory of our arms, truly marvelous and
without equal in the history .of colonial revolutions that in the first mentioned
province only the Detachments in Naic and Indang remained to surrender; in the
second, all Detachments had been wiped out; in the third, the resistance of the
Spanish forces was localized in the town of San Fernando where the greater part of
them are concentrated, the remainder in Macabebe, Sexmoan, and Guagua; in the
fourth, in the town of Lipa; in the fifth, in the capital and in Calumpit; and in the last
two remaining provinces, only in their respective capitals, and the city of Manila will
soon be besieged by our forces as well as the provinces of Nueva Eaja, Tarlac,
Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, and some others in the Visayas where the
revolution at the time of the pacification and others even before, so that the
independence of our country and revindication of our sovereignty is assured.
And having as witness to the rectitude of our intentions Supreme Judge of the
Universe, and under the protection of the Powerful and Humanitarian Nation, the
United states of America, we do hereby proclaim and declare solemnly in the name
and by authority of the people of these Philippine Islands,

That they are and have the right to be free and independent. that they have ceased
to have any allegiance to the Crown of Spain; that all political ties them are and
should be completely severed and annulled; and that, like other free and
independent States, they enjoy the full power to make War and Peace, conclude
commercial treaties, enter into alliances, regulate commerce, and do all other acts
and things which an Independent State has a right to do,

And imbued with firm confidence in Divine Providence, we hereby mutually bind
ourselves to support this Declaration with our lives, our fortunes, and with our most
sacred possession, our Honor.

We recognize, approve, and ratify, with all the orders emanating from the same, the
Dictatorship established by Don Emilio Aguinaldo whom we revere as the Supreme
Head of this Nation, which today begins to have a life of its own, in the conviction
that he has been the instrument chosen by God, in spite of his humble origin, to
effectuate the redemption of this unfortunate country as foretold by Dr. Don Jose
Rizal in his magnificent verses which he composed in his prison cell prior to his
execution, liberating it from the Yoke of Spanish domination,

And in punishment for the impunity with which the Government sanctioned the
commission of abuses by its officials, and for the unjust execution of Rizal and others
who were sacrificed in order to please the insatiable friars in their hydropical thirst
for vengeance against and extermination of all those who oppose their Machiavellian
ends, trampling upon the Penal Code of these Islands, and of those suspected
persons arrested by the Chiefs of Detachments at the instigation or the friars,
without any form nor semblance of trial and without any spiritual aid of our sacred
Religion; and likewise, and for the same ends, eminent Filipino priests, Doctor Don
Jose Burgos, Don Mariano Gomez, and Don Jacinto Zamora were hanged whose
innocent blood was shed due to the intrigues of these so-called Religious
corporations which made the authorities to believe that the military uprising at the
fort of San Felipe in Cavite on the night of January 21, 1872 was instigated by those
Filipino martyrs, thereby impeding the execution of the decree-sentence issued by
the Council of State in the appeal in the administrative case interposed by the
secular clergy against the Royal Orders that directed that the parishes under them
within the jurisdiction of this Bishopric be turned over to the Recollects in exchange
for those controlled by them in Mindanao which were to be transferred to the
Jesuits, thus revoking them completely and ordering the return of those parishes, all
of which proceedings are on file with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which they
are sent last month of last year for the issuance of the proper Royal Decree which, in
turn, caused the growth of the tree of liberty in this our dear land that grew more
and more through the iniquitous measures of oppression, until the last drop from
our chalice of suffering having been drained, the first spark of revolution broke out in
Caloocan, spread out to Santa Mesa and continued its course to the adjoining
regions of the province where the unequalled heroism of its inhabitants fought a
one-sided battle against superior forces of General Blanco and General Polavieja for
a period of three months, without proper arms nor ammunitions, except bolos,
pointed bamboos, and arrows.

Moreover, we confer upon our famous Dictator Don Emilio to enable him to
discharge the duties of Government, including the prerogatives of granting Pardon
and amnesty,

And, lastly, it was resolved unanimously that this Nation, already free and
independent as of this day, must design and colors the white triangle are found
described in the attached drawing, flag which up to now is being used, whose
triangle signifying the distinctive emblem of the famous Society of the "Katipunan"
which by means of its blood compact inspired the masses to rise in revolution; the
three stars, signifying the three principal Islands of this Archipelago—Luzon,
Mindanao, and Panay where this revolutionary movement started; the sun
representing the gigantic steps made by the sons of the country along the path of
Progress and Civilization; the eight rays, signifying the eight provinces—Manila,
Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas—which
declared themselves in a state of war as soon as the first revolt was initiated; and the
colors of Blue, Red, and White, commemorating the flag of the United States of
North America, as a manifestation of our profound gratitude towards this Great
Nation for its disinterested protection which it lent us and continues lending us.

Introduction/Overview
Introduction

President Corazon C, Aquino was invited tp deliver a Speech before the United States
Congress on September 18, 1986, in recognition of the peaceful EDSA revolution
which ousted former President Ferdinand Marcos and paved the way for Aquino to
become the president

Historical Context
During the 1986 snap presidential election which was announced by former
President Marcos, Philippine began to falter in the middle of accusations of
corruption and bas publicities by Marcos and his cronies. Rumors about the health
condition of Marcos was circulated in social media that he was sick and it was
followed by the opinion of the U.S. Government that he was losing the mandate of
the Filipino people.

The opposition wanted to field their own candidates against Marcos but soon
realized that they would not stand a chance against Marcos if they would not unite
and choose a common candidate. It was decided that Ninoy’s widow, Corazon
Aquino would run as president with opposition leader, Salvador Laurel as her
running mate.
As a result Marcos won in the snap election and declared him the winner of the
election. But opposition believed that there would be cheating that resulted
casualties of those who joined the rallies and resulted many protest from the
opposition.

February 22, Marcos’ Defense Minister and Armed Forces of the Philippines Vice-
Chief of Staff announced their defection from the Marcos government. This led to
what now known as four-day People Power Revolution and Corazon became the
President of the Philippines.

The People Power Revolution caught the imagination of the world. We are now
heading to the hands of our new leader. President Aquino began to lead the country
and believed for a big change in our country. In September 1986. She went on a
state visit to the United States where she spoke before the U.S. Congress to ask for
financial aid to the Philippines and conferred with then President Ronald Reagan.
She also met American businessman to convince them to invest in the Philippines.
The nine-day visit was deemed a success by Filipino and American newsmen.

Background of the Author

Maria Corazon “Cory” Aquino Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (January 25, 1933-
August 1, 2009) became president of the Philippines because of the 1986 EDSA
Revolution – the nonviolent revolution that ousted President Ferdinand Marcos. She
was the wife of the assassination opposition figurehead during the martial law era,
Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino. Jr. She served as the 11th President of the Philippines and
named by Time magazine as “Woman of the Year” in 1986. In 1999. She was chosen
by the Time magazine as one of the 20 Most Influenced Asians of the 20th century.
Prior to becoming the President, she had not held any elective office. She died on
August 1, 2009 due to colorectal cancer.

Introduction/Overview
Introduction

Illustrations, drawings, and photographs play a large part in the study of history.
These sources have stories to tell and enable us to distinguish details that give us
insights into something beyond the texts. They are also a record of the past useful
for historians. Photographs and illustrations reflect social conditions of historical
realities and everyday life and indicate the situations of past societies. Editorial
cartoons, on the other hand, are sources of political expression or propaganda in the
historical era in which they came out.

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons
 FIGURE 11. El Candidato Longino

The satirical cartoon from the July 27, 1907 issue of the Lipang-Kalabaw (Lipak-
Kalabaw), a weekly satirical magazine published in Manila, shows Philippine
Assembly candidate Dominador Gomez as the Roman centurion Longinus delivering
the final spear blow to the crucified freedom fighters (from left) Macario Sakay,
Francisco Carreon, Julian Montalan, and Lucio de Vega, who were all sentenced to
death for banditry by the American government. Gomez was instrumental in the
surrender of Sakay and his men but the latter were subsequently arrest' in spite of
assurances of safe conduct by the government. Gomez was later blamed for the
death of Sakay and many believed that he betrayed the Filipino rebels to the
Americans.

FIGURE 12. Popular Manifestation in Honor of the Triumphant Candidate of the

Southern District of Manila, Fernando Ma. Guerrero, 11th of August, 1907
A cartoon from the magazine Lipang-Kalabaw depicts the festivity or parade of
Filipinos celebrating the election of their popular candidate, Fernando Ma. Guerrero,
who ran for the Philippine Assembly held that month. The momentous occasion,
however, had dire results. Americans who witnessed the event were bothered by the
massive show of support by Filipino patriots and the singular display of the American
flag amidst banners and Philippine flags.

Irked by the patriotic display, the Philippine Commission passed on August 23, 1907,
Act No. 1696 otherwise known as the Flag Law, which banned the public display of
the Philippine flag and other patriotic banners. When the Philippine Assembly opened
at the Manila Grand Opera House in September, only the American flag could be
seen—an ironic display for an otherwise Philippine legislative body.

Other Illustrations/Cartoons

The following illustrations or cartoons appear in the booklet Watch for the
Saboteurs sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Philippines published in
1951. Then President Elpidio Quirino wrote to the League saying that the booklet
graphically shows the defects of both the individual and the society. His letter which
appears in the booklet is reproduced below:

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 13. Letter of Pres. Elpidio Quirino theLeague of Women Voters of the
Philippines

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 14. Cover pageof the booklet Watch for the Saboteurs
From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 15. Inside pages of the booklet (1)

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 16. CInside pages of the booklet (2)

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 17. CInside pages of the booklet (3)

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 18. CInside pages of the booklet (4)

From the private collection of Emmanuel Encarnacion

FIGURE 19. CInside pages of the booklet (5)