CHAPTER 1 Knowing Philippine History

1. Understanding History
It is by the possession and transmission of a culture that man differs from the
other animals, and the first culture began with the first culture began with ht
habitual use of tools articulate speech (Pulmer, ed.1965:16). For some writers like
Nick Joaquin, History as culture is not merely a chronological reconstruction of the
past nor an analytical interpretation of past events, but a process of creation or a
formation of culture, specifically a national culture.
In its broadest meaning, history is the study of past events. It generally
presents the known past. What is unknown is yet to be retrieved. The recording and
analysis of experiences of a society comprise the totally of a peoples history.
In analyzing history, the use of correclated disciplines is necessary to
understand the reasons and consequences of human actions. By referring to
philosophies of history, the theories of some great thinkers should be considered. In
the investigation and interpretation of the past, these theories could explain how
and why events happen in societies.
Arnold Toynbees challenge and response theory is base4d on the idea
that man responds to the situation placed before him. His actions are based on his
thoughts. Thus, the societys way of facing the challenges depending upon its
capabilities uncovers the pattern of the societys history. Mankinds approach in
coping with challenges determines history.
The 12-volume series of A study of history (1934-61) is based on the
Toynbees thesis that history reflects the progress of civilizations and societies. He
viewed the past as a succession of civilizations rather than political entities. For
him, there were patterns in the histories of various civilization for w/c he came to
the conclusion that there appears to be laws governing the lives of human
civilization. The general pattern shows the growth, breakdown, And eventual
dissolution of a particular civilization leading to the formation of a new one. Based
on his hypothesis, the failure of a civilization to survive was the result of its inability
to respond to challenges.
Under various circumstances. A power will wish to extend its influence at the
expense of another. The threatened power will then reevaluate the challenge and
adopt the course of action to curb the strategy of the opposing power.
To illustrate, the prehistoric men had shown their ability to respond to the
challenges of surviving amidst the conditions of the environment. The use of crude
stone tools, then later, highly polished ones, and those made4 from metal and the
other raw materials like clay soil, shows the capacity of human beings to devise
material equipment for subsistence.

The preservation of the mans material equipment is another challenge that

people have to face. Cultural artifacts made of wood, barks of trees, and other
organic materials decompose more rapidly in hot in humid regions. Many of the
objects behind vy ancient societies are no lo0nger existing as part of archeoligiocal
record because they have disintegrated over time. This predicament gives an
incomplete view of the past. The rersponse include various kinds of information and
techniques on how to preserve the material legacy of ancient past. Some of them
are best kept in their original sites like caves that wre used for habitation in the
past. While, items such as potsherds (small fragments of pottery), devices made of
the stone, metal, bones, and teeth (covered with hard enamel) can most likely
survive and be presently known and retrieved through the untiring efforts of
archaeologists.
In the struggle of dauntless Filipinos to regain the lost rights and freedom
during the Spanish era, the propagandists and revolutionaries responded to colonial
oppression by resisting. The challenge was posed by the colonial subjugation of the
Filipinos, generally characterized by injustice and corruption. The response was
defiance to the prevailing rule.
Mans actions are notr just involuntary movements especially when time
allows himto plan his next action. These responses pass through the process of
reasoning and analysis. Often, he deals with other people to discuss on how to
answer a certain situation.
Associated with the aforementioned premises, the exchanged theory of Alvin
Scaff may be carefully though about. His exchange theory refers to the systematic
statement of principles that govern the exchange of goods (tangible goods like
property or money and tangible gods like peace or prestige) between individuals,
between groups, between organizations, and even between nations. This is based
on thwe idea of reciprocacity. Alliances of people, communitiesa as well as nations
are rooted in the idea of interchange.
There are some motivational forces found in the society affecting the actions
of people involved in the situation . A case in point is the barter system, used in
business transactions because there was no currency during those days. Aside
from domestic trading existing amongt the barangays and the islands, early
Filipinos also engaged in foreign trade with China, Japan, Siam(now
Thailand),Borneo Sumatra,Cambodia, and other islands of old Malaysia.
Another example in relation to this theory, Mrs. Corazon Cory Aquino, wife of
the slain opposition leader, was chosen as the presidential standard bearer amidst
high expectations that she would free all political prisoners, abolish censorship of
the media, and institute legal proceedings to recover ill-gotten wealth taken by
corrupt public servants once elected into office.

For Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1831), an idea is the moving force of History.
However, man has tasks to do so that events may happen. Hegels role of
historical man follows a principle, which he called Weltgiest or world spirit, which
embodies ideals like patriotism, heroism, and unity. Since historical individuals are
ideals and man follows his ideal, this thought, which is guided by a particular ideal
becomes what Hegel called as Geisteswissenchaften or the world of spirit of
thought. This area of thought is the thesis. This combines with a particular situation
or matter called Naturwissenchafen, the antithesis or the complete opposite of the
Geisteswissenchaten. By the combination of the thesis and antithesis, man achieves
the synthesis, which is the historical reality.
Applying this theory in history, there were guerilla fighters in World War II
who were guided by their sense of duty and responsibility to lead the people during
the warfare. The situation was the Japanese invasion. The combination of their
thoughts like patriotism and heroism resulted to their historical acts, manifested
through their deeds and exploits in the battles that were fought against the
Japanese forces during the war era.
In understanding history, another theory to be considered is the materialist
concept of history or economic theory by Karl Marx, another German
philosopher. He asserts that the prevailing economic system determines the form of
societal organization and the political and intellectual history to economic motives.
For him, human interrelations depend on the material conditions of their production.
The struggle to maintain life is the most enduring motivation for any human activity.
To cite an instance, the intensification of inter-island contacts and the
increasing specialization in craftsmanship by early dwellers were brought about by
economic consideration. Centuries of trade and personal relations with Southeast
Asian neighbors led to the enrichment of Filipino life and culture. As more dwellers
traded with foreign merchants, influences in the field of commerce, science,
religion, language, and the arts became more evident as they were transmitted to
other members of the society.
Another example is the Spanish colonial era. It has been said that the three
primary motives for vast exploration of lands were for God, gold, and glory, but the
main incentive was for economic reasons. Colonies are the important sources of raw
materials and opportunities for investment. Spain was at the height of its power in
the 16th century since it exercised political and economic control in its several
colonies.
Another approach to historical studies is the method of historiography developed by
Ferdinand Braudel (1902-1985), considered the father of historical structuralism.
According to Braudel, human actions are not only based on human decisions but
also on structures that may be natural (like topography and natural resources) or
man-made (like existing laws and technological devices). For example, men build

houses for shelter. Even if they want to consider the availability of resources, the
budget of the clients, and the building site, to name a few. Furthermore, the
introduction of new technology literally transforms societies and thereby, history.
In the Braudellian approach, to achieve total hisy\tory is to integrate all aspects of
mans past. This involves the study of history in its total view made possible by
examining the circumstances underlying such political, economic, social, and
cultural events.
The pioneers of Philippine nationalist historiography generally wrote in Spanish, and
occasionally, in Tagalog. The group in Spain included the Filipino propagandists Jose
P. Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, as well as Pedro Paterno, T>H>
Pardo de Tavera, Gregorio Sancianco y Gozon, and among others.
For Rizal, history offers the key to national identity and the basis for future
development. In his writings, he used history to show uniquely Filipino culture, one
which evolved through centuries of contact with other Asians. He edited Dr. Antonio
de Morgas Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas. His annotations of Sucesos was his major
historical work. He depicted the destructive effects of western colonization on early
Filipino societies.
Teodoro Agoncillo (1912-1985) is considered as the father of Filipino
nationalist historiography. He wrote the conditions of the Philippine past by
analyzing the conditions of the masses. His efforts in rewriting history like other
contemporary historians were reactions to the traditional presentations of Philippine
history, being colonial and elitist.
Philippine history is a peoples history. As defined by Renato Constantino,
history is the recorded struggle of people for ever increasing freedom and for
newer and higher realization of the human person. It is not about the story of man
as the individual, but man as the associated man. Man interacts with nature and
with other men, thus, consciously changing his own perspective and to some
extent, the system of environment.
Based on Constantinos supposition that Philippine history is a story of
struggle, the study has to be reassessed with a nationalist perspective in the
interest of objectivity. This is to allow the modern Filipino to form a clear picture of
his ancestors conditions and sentiments form the point of view of Filipino writers to
correct some historical impressions made by colonial historiography tending to
racial bias.
History is not merely the work of heroes and great men as elucidated by
Constantino in his book, The Philippines: A Past Revisited. He pointed out that the
masses of individuals as well as the social forces generated by collective lives and
struggles have to be included. Men must struggle together to survive the exigencies

of natural or social forces intervening their development. The associated man, as

part the society makes history through his collective lives.
Constantino further mentioned that history is not necessarily presenting a
long, unbroken chain of events. It illustrates movement of people and ideas over
time and space. They may even be in conflict with one another. It is now the task of
the historian to weave particular events into a total view so that these experiences
can be summed up and analyzed.
However, for Wilhelm Dilthey (1883-1911), absolute objectivity is
inconceivable. Since people grow up in cultural environments, they have imbibed
the prevailing worldview in addition to their own nature. The worldview that they
have developed are colored with perspective from which people understand their
environments and the events that happen. Clearly, this results to subjectivity
according to Dilthey.
In conclusion, history can serve as guide to present and succeeding
generations in facing the challenges of the times. By projecting the peoples
aspirations, a peoples history will enable us to grasp the direction of the countrys
development and identify the factors that impede real progress. Truly, the need for
a real peoples history becomes more urgent as we Filipinos search for truly Filipino
solutions to the problems besetting our country.
2. Sources of History