Importance of Philippine History

IMPORTANCE OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Philippine History helps us develop a better understanding of the world. You can't build a
framework on which to base your life without understanding how things work in the world.
History paints us a detailed picture of how society, technology, and government worked way
back when so that we can better understand how it works now. The value of history is Identity.
History nurtures personal identity in an intercultural world. History enables people to discover
their own place in the stories of their families, communities, and nation. They learn the stories of
the many individuals and groups that have come before them and shaped the world in which
they live.
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. Our export-oriented
economy, for example, can be traced back to the ending of the galleon trade and the
subsequent liberalization and tying of the country to the world market, coupled with the lack of
industrial advancement in the islands. This and other lessons can be uncovered by digging
deep into the country’s past. This also applies to other countries’ histories, and while studying
the past may not actually present a solution to current problems or directly answer questions,
they lend new and alternative perspectives to current situations and allow us to further
understand current problems.
History as a discipline allows us to see beyond textbooks and see the past through new lenses.
There were times in the Spanish colonial period where the clergy and religious orders assigned
to the country were the ones causing misery to the Filipinos, while there are times when the
Church truly cared for the natives and the government was the one doing the people harm. This
is an interesting part of our history that sadly reaches the textbooks in a boring, oversimplified
version that says all the Spanish were bad. If we cling to what the textbooks tell us then we will
already have a wrong understanding of Philippine history. The study of history allows us to see
beyond the standard textbook and to the primary source itself, interpreted into new and
alternative viewpoints. Philippine history is a unique narrative of colonialism, reaction, and
revolution. It is also a culturally diverse country from precolonial times. There’s an emerging
trend to study the social history of the country and uncover more stories beyond the usual
stories taught in schools across the country. The country’s experience of colonialism, the rise of
nationalistic feelings, and the people’s subsequent reaction may allow us to gain more
perspectives on nationalism and revolutions.
Learning Philippine history is still and will always be relevant. The fact that we are a true
blooded Filipinos, the fact that every generation was and will always be a product of history,
history will always be a relevant subject regardless of what course a student takes up. The
Philippines was controlled by foreign colonizers for almost 400 years. History can tell us that
during the colonization period Filipinos were not taught their own history but rather were taught
the history of colonizers WHILE they were in our country. Sadly, Filipinos were likes parrots.
Filipinos were forced and trained how to memorize dates, persons, places and events without
even understanding what they memorized. As a new breed of historians, teachers of history
must not only be limited to questions of who, what, were and when. Teaching history should go
beyond dates, persons, places etc. Teaching the HOW’s and the WHY’s of history would train
the student show to think critically. Furthermore, teaching history through contextualization
would develop in students a deep sense of understanding of their origins and would develop in
them active participation, not only in classroom discussion, but also in performing their role as
citizens of our country.

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IMPORTANCE OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY

understand current problems.

alternative viewpoints. Philippine history is a unique narrative of colonialism, reaction, and

perspectives on nationalism and revolutions.

citizens of our country.

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