Controversies and Conflicting Views in Philippine History

The Need for Studying Controversies and Conflicting Views

Many years ago, an NFO Trends Survey showed that only 37 percent of the 1,420 respondents
aged 7 to 21 years old, were able to sing the Philippine National Anthem and only 28 percent
could recite the old version of "Panatang Makabayan" of the many Filipinos, hence, they could
only name up to 2 heroes- and other matters. The conclusion is that the Filipino youth, in
general, had a "very shallow knowledge and appreciation of the country's history and cultural
heritage. Every student in Philippine history should therefore be able to know. understand and
critically analyze various controversies and conflicting views because these may affect their
lives as Filipinos and citizens of the contemporary society.

Controversies and Conflicting Views

It has also been said that "The Philippines had one past but many histories" is true on this case.
Different authors and writers of Philippine history books vary in their description on the physical
feature, its location, number of islands, land area. river systems, mountains, site of the first
mass, cry of Balintawak among others. With these conflicting views in certain events and
situations, they are subject for debate.

The following are the Controversial Issues:

1. The Philippines Physical Features

Pepito M. Capito prepared a list of controversial issues in Philippine history. He got the
information from the book of Pedro A. Gugelonca who happened to be the author's history
professor in FEU. These controversies are:
1.) Number of islands and islets in the Philippines

Different authors of history books had different views on the number of islands and islets. Here
are the conflicting views on the number of islands and islets.
(a) Molina-7,083 islands
(b) Agoncillo and Alfonso-7,000 islands
(c) Alip-7,108 islands
(d.) Zaide-7,083 islands
2.) Number of named islands and unnamed islands

(a) Agoncillo and Alfonso- 3,000 named islands and 4,000 unnamed islands
(b.) Alip-2,773 named islands, the rest are still unnamed islands.
(c) Zaide-different data in his own books
(1) Philippine History for Catholic Schools and the Republic of the Philippines, 1963-2,773
(2) Philippine Political and Cultural History 1957-2,782 (d) The Filipino Histories-2,000 islands
have been named.
(e.) Google, Wikipedia- 5.000 islands are yet to be named

3.) Location of the Philippines

(a) Zafra-Philippines is located about 700 miles or 1126.54 km from the mainland of Asia.
(b.) Molina-Philippines is located southeast of its Asiatic mainland.
(c) Alip-Philippines lies 700 miles or 1126.56 km to the southeast of the Asia mainland.
(d) Zaide-Philippines is a sprawling archipelago fringing the southeastern rim of the Asian
Continent.

4.) Location of the Philippine Deep or sometimes called Philippine Trench, Mindanao Trench or

Mindanao Deep.

This is the third deepest in the world which is located on the coast of the
Philippines. Its length is 1,320 km (820 miles) and a width of about 30 km (19 miles). This is
located in Luzon Trending southeast to the northern Malubes Island of Halmahera, Indonesia.
Galatea Depth, its deepest point, has a depth of 10,540 meters (5.760 fathoms: 34,580 feet).
(a) Molina-Philippine Deep or Philippine Trench which is formed east of Mindanao is the second
lowest region of the earth.
(b.) Zaide -It is the lowest region in the world, an ocean depth east of Mindanao (cited in his
book Philippine History for Catholic High Schools)
(c.) Zaide- It is the lowest part of the earth situated about 15 miles (24.1402 km) northeast of
Mindanao. It is 34,218 feet (10.4296-46 km) below sea level (cited in his book Philippine
Political and Cultural History).
(d.) Zaide-It is the second lowest place in the world and is located 72.4205 km (45 miles) east of
Northern Mindanao. It is 35,400 feet or 10.78992 km deep (cited in his book Philippine History)
(e.) Agoncillo-It is the second deepest sea in the world which is located on the coast of
Mindanao and with a depth of 35,440 (10.802112 km).
(f.) Google- the Philippine Deep has a depth of 34,580 feet or 10.539984 kilometers.
5.) Longest river in the world

Fact: The longest. The largest and widest river in the

Philippines is the Cagayan River or Rio Grande de Cagayan. It is located in the northwestern
part of Luzon that traverses the provinces of Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.
Small streams that originate from Balete Pass. Cordillera, Caraballo and Sierra mountains meet
other streams and rivers and flow to the Cagayan River.
The Rio Grande de Mindanao or Mindanao River is the second largest river located on the
southern part of Mindanao. It has a length of 373 kilometers (232 miles). Its headwaters are in
the mountains of impasugong. Bukidnon, south of Gingong City in Misamis Oriental what is
called the Pulangi River joining the Kabacan River where it becomes the Mindanao River.

Disagreement Among the Authors of Philippine History

a.) Alip- Cagayan River is the longest river in the Philippines.

b.) Molina-Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in the Philippines.
c.) Benitez-Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in our country.
d.) Zaide- The longest river is Cagayan River (cited in his book Philippine History for Elementary
Schools).
e.) Zaide- The longest river is the Rio Grande de Mindanao (cited in his book Philippine History
for High Schools).
f.) Google Rio Grande de Cagayan is the longest and widest river in the Philippines whereas
Rio Grande de Mindanao or Mindanao River is the country's second largest river system with a
length of 373 kilometers:

6.) Straits - It is a naturally formed, narrow but navigable watering that connects two larger
bodies of water.
Disagreement among the authors in Philippine History as to the number of straits in the
Philippines.
a.) Molina-There are 8 landlock straits in the Philippines.
b.) Agoncillo-There are 20 landlock straits.
c) Zaide- There are 8 landlock straits.
d.) Google-There are 22 straits.

7.) Coastline - It is also called seashore where the land meets the seas or oceans, or a line that
forms the boundary between the land and the ocean, sea or lake.
Disagreement Among the Authors

a.) Zaide- The Philippine coastline is thrice longer than the US coastline with 10.850 statute
miles or 17,461.382 statute kilometers.
b.) Molina- The Philippine coastline is 11,44 statute miles or 18,470,605 statute kilometers.
c.) Alip- The Philippine coastline is nearly 11.000 miles or 17.702.784 kilometers.
d.) Benitez - The Philippine coastline is 11.440 statute miles or 18.410.895 statute kilometers.

8.) Mountains- Mt. Apo is the highest mountain in the Philippines but historians disagree or
differ in their data on the height of Mt. Apo.
a) Agoncillo-Mount Apo is 9,600 feet or 2.92608 kilometers high.
b.) Alip-Mount Apo is 9,699 feet or 2.956 plus kilometers high.
c.) Zaide-Mount Apo is 9.690 feet or 2.9535 kilometers high.
d.) Google-Mount Apo is 2.954 kilometers high.

9.) Mount Pulag or sometimes called Mount Pulog is the third highest mountain in the
Philippines and Luzon's highest peak at 2,922 meters above sea level. It borders between the
province of Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Viscaya.
a) Agoncillo - Mount Pulag is the second highest peak in Luzon with 8.481 feet (2.585009 kms)
high
b.) Alip-Mt. Pulag is 9.606 feet high (2.927 kms) high
c.) Google-Mt. Pulag is 2.922 kilometers high
The second highest mountain is Mt. Dulong-Dulong with a peak of 2,936 meters. The fourth is
Mt. Kitanglad Ranges (2,899 meters) with Mt. Piapayungan Range 2.890 meters.

Site of the First Mass

Decades after the debate on where the Catholic mass in the Philippines took place has
remained unsolved, local Butuan historians asked the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) to resolve the first mass controversy in the city's favor (Macarinas, 2012).
Local historians in Butuan City believed that the first site of the Catholic mass took place in
Mazawa, a place in Butuan now called Masao not in Limasawa Island in Leyte as stated in
history books.
Local historians and residents of the Butuan City Heritage Society (BCHS) headed by Greg
Hontiveros said that the "honor" belongs to the city of Butuan and not in Leyte. He also
requested the CBCP to investigate the first mass controversy since the event is very symbolic
and important to the church.
Here is the detailed historical presentation of the BCHS account of the controversy:
"On March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday. Friar Pedro Valderama celebrated mass together with
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his man. With the Spaniards were the ruler of
Mazaun Rajah Siasis and his brother Rajah Colambu, the rulers of Butuan. Afterwards they
planted a cross on the highest hill and stayed in the area for seven days and helped in the rice
harvest for two days together with more than hundreds of its Rajah's men."
Father Joesilo Amalla, curator of Butuan Diocesan Liturgical Museum likewise believed that the
site of the first mass was in Butuan, not in Limasawa because the people who attended the
mass harvested rice for two days, meaning that the place was a huge agricultural area and
Limasawa island was not an agricultural area and therefore there is nothing to harvest there.
Amalla further stated.

He also pointed out that one important piece of evidence is the YaleCodex, which according to
Magellan history scholars, is more impressive than the Ambrosiana Codex. used in the past to
justify both claims. He further stated that the document (referring to the Yale Codex) is now kept
at Yale University while the other for French manuscripts are in the French National Library.
Another proof, according to Fr. Amalla uses the versions of Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's
voyage chronicles, because there are subtle indicators that can be used.
However, on March 31, 1998, the National Historical Institute chose to adopt the finding of the
Gancayco Panel which dismissed the Gines de Mafra account as fake and forthwith unilaterally
reverted. The discussion to pre- de Mafra context was back to whether the site of the first mass
was Limasawa, the isle without anchorage, or Butuan, which is not an isle.
Another evidence to prove that the first Catholic site was held somewhere in Butuan and not in
Limasawa Island was the historical account of Josilito Monsoon Ramirez Jr., a local historian
and writer.
(1) There was no island named Limasawa in 1521. On that event, Pigafetta recorded today's

Limasawa as Gatighan Island, between Bohol and Panaon south of Leyte. Magellan never

landed in Gatighan. The name Limasawa appeared only in 1667. Historia de Mindanao, by

Combes. Pigafetta saw these islands ON THEIR WAY OUT FROM MAZAUA after their

departure on April 4, after the first mass was celebrated on March 31.

(2) They went to Mazaua from Suluan, by sailing, as recorded, downwards - west. From Suluan,
Limasawa can be reached by sailing northwest - but that's not their course. They sailed

downwards-west.
(3) Upon their departure, they sailed northwards for Cebu. Had they been in Limasawa, that

direction would have landed them in Ormoc of Leyte.

The Cry of Balintawak

Cry of Balintawak or Cry of Pugad Lawin. Where did Andres Bonifacio cry? The Cry of

Balintawak is a contrived controversy. For nearly a century, the Cry of Balintawak or Cry of

Pugad Lawin has been the subject of many controversies. It is considered as a turning point of

Philippine History. The main focus of the controversy is the date and place of Bonifacio Cry.

There were five dates of the cry- August 20, 23, 24, 25 and 26 and five different venues for the

first cry: Balintawak, Pugalawin. Kangkong. Bahay Toro and Pasong Tamo.

The first issue: It has been widely accepted and believed that the first cry of the revolution took

place in Balintawak. Caloocan on August 23, 1896.

The second issue: The cry occurred towards the end of August 1896 and that all the places

mentioned above are in Caloocan (now a city) which in this time was a district of Balintawak.