Module I

Basic Concepts and Information

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Module I - Basic Concepts and Information

This module provides basic concepts and information in the study of Readings
in Philippine history. This includes meaning and relevance of history; sources of
history and its types; external and internal criticism; and different kinds of primary
sources.
 Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you should have

a) Learned how to identify the credible and authentic primary sources

b) Made an assessment on the provenance of authentic sources. c)

Differentiated between the primary and the secondary sources

d) Understood the events and its historical facts contained in the primary
account

Pre-Assessment

I. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer and write the letter
of your answer on the space provided before each number.

_____1. Which of the following is the study of man and his achievements from the
beginning of written records to the present time?
 a. Anthropology c. Sociology
b. History d. Paleontology

_____2. Which of the following is the originators of information and data in the
study of history?
a. Sources c. People
b. Documents d. Events

_____3. Which of the following is considered as the lifeblood of history?

a. Batis c. Sources
b. Primary Sources d. Secondary Sources

_____4. Which of the following has these examples like text books, account of
person who does not really witness the events, and the like?
a. Batis c. Sources
b. Primary Sources d. Secondary Sources

_____5. Which of the following is the establishment of authenticity to ensure that

the documents are not mere forgeries or inventions?
a. Internal Criticism c. External Criticism
b. Accuracy d. Scientific Analysis

II. Essay: In not more than 10 sentences, discuss as fully as you can
the difference between the primary and secondary sources.

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Core Content
Meaning and Relevance of History

History can be defined in several ways. It could be defined as a documented

records of man and his society. As a field of study, it is a study of man and his
achievements from the beginning of written records to the present time (Gray, 1956
in De Viana, 2015). History can be defined as everything that has happened or
occurred from the beginning of the time to the last instance. As a record, it is a
documented history of man and his society.
 According to De Viana (2015) in Biong and Grey (2017), history as a record of
events shows the evolution of man and his society and from the age of barbarism to
what he is today.

Sources of History

In the study of Philippine history, sources are called batis which also means
stream or a spring. A batis therefore is the spring of historical information. The usual
batis are documents especially archival documents.

There are some sources which are not written such as relics, fossils, remains,
and memorabilia. Some sources are alive such as living eyewitnesses. When the
researcher uses them in his research, they are always known as respondents or
informants.

Types of Sources. There are two types of sources in the study of history.

Primary sources are considered as the lifeblood of history. They directly talks
about the subject matter. They accounts of people who are direct participants or
eyewitness to an event are primary sources. Examples of primary sources are minutes
of meeting, diaries and journals, autobiographies, and the like.

Secondary sources are documents or works made by individuals who are not
directly involved to the events or made by people who obtained the information from
somebody else or from primary sources. Examples of secondary sources are
textbooks, encyclopedia entries, newspapers accounts of a meeting, and the like.

External and Internal Criticism

All sources of historical data must be subjected to rigorous scientific analysis

to determine both their authenticity and their accuracy. Furthermore, historical data
are subjected to rigorous scientific analysis through external and internal criticism
(Gottchalk, 1969 in Biong and Grey, 2017).

External criticism is the establishment of authenticity. Its purpose is to ensure

that the documents are not mere forgeries or inventions.
Internal criticism, on the other hand, is the establishment of accuracy. Its
purpose is to evaluate the accuracy and the worth of the data. In determining the
accuracy of the data, four factors are to be considered, namely: (a) author’s
knowledge

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and competence, (b) time delay, (c) motives and biases of the author, and (d)
consistency of the data (Biong and Grey, 2017).

Kinds of Primary Sources

1. Human fossils 8. Magazines 15. Memoirs 2. Artifacts 9. Legislative
Journals 16. Personal Account 3. Royal Decrees & Laws 10. Court Records
17. Newspaper 4. Official Reports 11. Court Records 18. Blogs
5. Chronicles 12. Speeches 19. Documentary Films 6. Friar accounts 13.
Personal Letters 20. Recorded Interviews 7. Maps 14. On line databases
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Tasks

Instruction: Read the historical accounts on Tejeros Convention,

and be able to identify the differences between the primary source
from the secondary source.

The discovery of the Katipunan due to the misunderstanding of the two

Katipuneros, Apolonio de la Cruz and Teodoro Patino, made Andres Bonifacio to call
for the Assembly of all the leaders. He arrived in Balintawak and immediately change
the Code of the Katipunan, thinking he might save the society. With a significant
number of Katipuneros, he left Balintawak and proceeded to Pugadlawin. They
assembled in the yard of Juan Ramos. In there, he asked the Katipuneros if they are
willing to fight to the bitter end and the men assured him. With that assurance from
the loyal Katipuneros, Andres Bonifacio ordered to take out their cedulas and tear
them off together with the shouting “ Long Live the Philippines.” This was the event
known as the “First Cry of the Philippine Revolution.”

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 Source: https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org

The First Cry of the Philippine Revolution was the onset of the Spanish-Filipino
Revolution as known as the Philippine Revolution of 1896 in which the first skirmishes
was in Pasong Tamo.

With the discovery of the Katipunan, resulted to the opposing stand of the two
Katipunan factions, namely: the Magdalo and the Magdiwang. The Magdalo faction
stand firm in the changing of the Katipunan since it was already discovered by the
Spaniards. On the other hand, the Magdiwang group stand firm that the Katipunan
should remain despite the Spaniard had discovered it.

The Revolution had started. There was a need to unite and focus to the
common enemy, the Spaniards.

To unite the conflicting factions of the Katipunan and to solve the issue at
hand, their leaders, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo agreed to hold the
Tejeros Convention. The venue of this convention is given below:

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Source: https://cavite.gov.ph Tejeros Convention Site

Tejeros Convention is the event in the history whose purpose is to unite the
two conflicting factions of the Katipunan, by electing the new set of officers who will
be recognized by both factions. The meeting started with Jacinto Lumbreras as the
presiding officer. During the meeting, heated arguments were exchanged by the
conflicting factions whether the Katipunan be changed or remained. Due to this, the
presiding officer called for an hour recess to cool off the heads of those Katipuneros.
After the recess, Andres Bonifacio took over as Presiding Officer.

Now, you are task to compare the primary source and the secondary source
of the above-mentioned event, Tejeros Convention. One account was written by
Santiago V. Alvarez, a Katipunan general and was present during the Meeting as the
primary source. The other account was written by Teodoro A. Agoncillo, a well-
known historian, as the secondary source.

For this historical event, the following references are provided where you can
read the primary and secondary accounts of Tejeros Convention:

*Alvarez, Santiago, (1992). The Katipunan and the Revolution: Memoirs of a

General. Loyola Heights, Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.

*Biong, Ryan D. and Evelyn J. Grey (2017). Readings in Philippine History.

Iloilo City: Malones Printing Press & Publishing House.

*Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (2002). The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of

Bonifacio and the Katipunan. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press

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After reading the accounts on Tejeros Convention one by Santiago Alvarez
“Memoirs of General” the primary source and the other one is by Teodoro Agoncillo’s
“Revolts of the Masses” the secondary source, be ready to do this activity.
 Compare the accounts from both primary source and the secondary source.
By doing this activity, you may know the difference of the primary sources from the
secondary sources.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources Tejeros Convention (1897)

Primary Source: Secondary Source:
Santiago Alvarez Teodoro Agoncillo’s
“Memoirs of A “Revolt of the Masses”
General”

Author’s background

When was the

account written?

Mention of Date (s)

Mention of Place

Key personal ties

Sequencing of events

Differences between
2 accounts

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Independent Activity

Instruction: In this time of COVID 19 pandemic, many

information are spreading in mass media, both in print and
broadcast media, about the corona virus. Basing from the lesson
cited above, you are asked to do the following:
a. Give at least 2 examples of primary sources and the
corresponding secondary sources derived from them.
b. Identify the differences of facts or information in the
primary source with its corresponding secondary source.

Your output for this activity will be submitted together with your
output in your Task. The submission will depend on your Professor’s
instruction.
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Post- Assessment

I. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer and write the

letter of your answer on the space before each number.

_____1. The study of man and his achievements from the beginning of written
records to the present time is
a. Anthropology c. Sociology
b. History d. Paleontology

_____2. This refers to the originators of information and data in the study of history
a. Sources c. People
b. Documents d. Events

_____3. One of the types of historical sources considered as the lifeblood of history
a. Batis c. Sources
b. Primary Sources d. Secondary Sources

_____4. Historical sources such as text books, account of person who does not really
witness the events, and the like
a. Batis c. Sources
b. Primary Sources d. Secondary Sources

_____5. This refers to the establishment of authenticity to ensure that the

documents are not mere forgeries or inventions?
a. Internal Criticism c. External Criticism
b. Accuracy d. Scientific Analysis

II. Essay: In not more than 10 sentences, discuss how the

primary sources differs from the secondary sources.
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References

Alvarez, Santiago, (1992). The Katipunan and the Revolution:

Memoirs of a General. Loyola Heights, Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila
University Press

Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (2002). The Revolt of the Masses: The Story

of Bonifacio and the Katipunan. Quezon City: University of
the Philippines Press

Biong, R. D., Erebaren, G.C and Evelyn J. Grey (2017). Readings in Philippine
History. Iloilo City: Malones Printing Press & Publishing House.

De Viana, Augusto V. (2013). Stories Rarely Told. New Day Publishers, Quezon City,
Philippines .

Gottschalk, Louis. (1969). Understanding History: A Primer of

Historical Method. New York: Alfred A. Knopf

Grey, Evelyn J., From a Normal School to a Comprehensive University. Unpublished

Dissertation. West Visayas State University. Iloilo City, Philippines.

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