Garcia, Melchizedec G.

BS CHEM 2-1

Making Sense of the Past Historical Interpretation

History is the study of the past, but a more contemporary definition centered on how it impacts the
present through its consequences. Geoffrey Barraclough defines history as “the attempt to discover on
the basis of fragmentary evidences, the significant things about the past.” He also notes, “the history was
read, though based on facts, is strictly speaking, not factual at all, but a series of accepted judgements.”
Such judgments of historians on how the past should be seen make the foundation of historical
interpretation.

The Code of Kalantiaw is a mythical legal code in the epic history Maragtas. Before it was revealed as a
hoax, it was a source of pride for the people of Aklan. In fact a historical marker was installed in the tower
of Batan. Aklan in 1956, with the following text

“CODE OF KALANTIAW. Datu Bendehara Kalantiaw, third Chief of Panay, born in Aklan, established his
government in the peninsula of Batang. Aklan Sakup. Considered the First Filipino Lawgiver, he
promulgated in about 1433 a penal code known as Code of kalantiaw containing 19 articles. Don
Marcelino Orilla of Zaragoza, Spain, obtained the original Manuscript from an old chief of Panay which
was later translated into Spanish by Rafael Murviedo Yzamamey.:”

It was only in 1968 that it was proved hoax, when William Henry Scott, then a doctoral candidate at the
University of Santo Tomas, defended his research in pre-Hispanic sources in Philippine history. He
attributed the code to a historical fiction written in 1913 by Jose E. Marci titled Las Antiguas Leyendas de
la Isla de Negros. Marco attributed the code itself to a priest named Jose Maria Pavon. Prominent Filipino
historians did not dissent to Scott’s findings, but there are still some who would like to believe that the
code is a legitimate document.

Historians utilize facts collected from primary sources of history and then draw their own reading so that
their intended audience may understand the historical event, a process that in essence, “makes sense of
the past.” The premise is that not all primary sources are accessible to a general audience, and without
the proper training and background, a non-historian interpreting a primary source may do more harm
than good-primary source may even cause misunderstandings; sometimes, even resulting in more
problems.

Interpretations of the past, therefore, may vary according to:

-who reads the primary source

-when it was written

“Sa Aking Mga Kabata”

- A poem written by 8 year old Rizal

- Contains the immortalized line “Ang hindi magmahal sa kanyang salita/mahigit sa hayop at
malansang isda.”
- There is no evidence to support the claim that the peom was really written by Rizal and the
evidence against Rizal’s authorship seems all unassailable.
- There exist no Manuscript of the poem written by Rizal.
- Poem was published in 1906 in a book by Hermenegildo Cruz. Cruz said he received the poem
from Gabriel Beato Francisco, who claimed to have received it in 1884 from Rizal’s close friend
Raselis.
- No evidence that Rizal mentioned this Raselis in his writings.
- Poem was written in Tagalog and referred to the word “Kalayaan.” But documents proved that he
first encountered the word through Marcel H. del Pilar’s translation of Rizal’s essay “El Amor
Patrio.” Where it was spelled as “kalayahan”.
- Tagalog is the native tongue of Rizal however he was educated in Spanish by his mother Teodora
Alonso.
- The use of “k” and “w” to replace “c” and “u” is also the suspect since Rizal suggested this when
he is already an adult.

Multiperspectivity
 - a way of looking at historical events, personalities, development, cultures and societies from
different perspectives.

Historical Writing is biased, partial, and contains preconceptions. Historians may:

- misinterpret evidence

- omit significant facts

- impose a certain ideology to their subject, which may not be appropriate to the time period.

- provide a single cause for an event without considering other possible causal explanation.

With multiperspectivity as an approach in history we wmust understand that historical interpretations

contain discrepancies, contradictions, ambiguities and are often the focus of dissent.

Exploring multiple perspectives in history requires incorporating source material that reflect different
views of an event in history.

Case Study 1: Where Did the first Catholic Mass Take Place in the Philippines?

-Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass but this claim has been based on a
rather elementary reading of primary sources from the event.

- There are only two primary sources that historians refer to in identifying the site of the first
Mass. These are: 1.) log kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot of one of Magellan’s ship 2.) Primo Viaggio Intorno
al Mondo( First Voyage Around the World) by Antonio Pigefetta.

Primary Source: Albo’s Log

1.) On the 16th of March (1521) as they sailed in a westerly course from Ladrones, they saw land
towards the northwest; but owing to many shallow places they did not approach it. They found
later that its name was Yunagan.
2.) They went instead that same day southwards to another small island named Suluan, and there
they anchored. There they saw some canoes but these fled at the Spaniards’ approach. This island
was at 9 and two-thirds degree North latitude.
3.) Departing from those two islands, they sailed westward to an uninhabited island of “Gada” where
they took in a supply of wood and water. The sea around that island was free from shallows/
4.) From the island they sailed westwards towards a large island names Seilani that was inhabited
and was known to have gold. (Seilani-or, as Pigafetta calls it- “Ceylon” 0 ws the island of Leyte.)
5.) Sailing southwards along the coast of the large islands of Seilani, they turned southwest to a small
island called “Mazara.” That island is also at a latitude of 9 and two-thirds degrees North.
6.) The People of that island Mazava were very good. There the Spaniards planted a cross upon a
mountain-top, and from there they were shown three islands to the west and southwest, where
they were shown three islands to the west and southwest, where they were told there was much
gold. “They showed us how the gold was gathered, which came in small pieces like peas and
lentils.”
7.) From Mazava they sailed northwards again towards Seilani. They followed the coast of Seilani in
a northwesterly direction, ascending up to 10 degrees of latitude where they saw three small
islands.
8.) From there they sailed westwards some ten league, and there they saw three isletd. Where they
dropped anchor for the night. In the morning they sailed southwest some 12 leagues, down to a
latitude of 10 and one- third degree. There they entered a channel between two islands, one of
which was called “Matan” and other “Subu.”
9.) They sailed down that channel and then turned westward and anchored at the town (la villa) of
Subu where they stayed many days and obtained provisions and entered into a peace-pact with
the local king.
10.) The town of Subu was on an east-west direction with the islands of Suluan and Mazava. But
between Mazava and Subu, there were so many shallows that the boats could not go westward
directly but has to go (as they did) in a round-about way.

It must be noted that in Albo’s account, the location of Mazava fits the location of the island of Limasawa,
at the southern tip of Leyte, 90 54’N. Also, Albo does not mention the first Mass, but only the planting of
the cross, upon a mountain-top from which could be seen three islands to the west and southwest, which
also fits the southern end of Limasawa.
Primary Source: Pigafetta’s Testimony on the Route of Magellan’s Expedition

1.) Saturday, 16 March 1521- Magellan’s expedition sighted a “high land” named “Zamal” which was
some 300 leagues westward of Ladrones (now the Marianas) Islands.
2.) Sunday, March 17- “The following day” after sighting Zamal Island, they landed on “another island
which was uninhabited” and which lay “to the right” of the above-mentioned island of “Zamal.”
There they set up two tents for the sick members of the crew and had a sow killed for them. The
name of this island was “Humunu”(Homonhon). This island was located at 10 degrees North
latitude.
3.) On that same day (Sunday, March 17), Magellan named the entire archipelago the “Islands of
Saint Lazarus,” the reason being that it was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned
for the Mass and the liturgical Office was the eleventh chapter of St. John, which tells of the raising
of Lazarus from the dead.
4.) Monday, March 18- In the afternoon of their second day on that island, they saw a boat coming
towards them with nine men in it. An exchange of gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food
supplies, and the men went away, promising to bring rice and other supplies in “four days”
5.) There were two springs of water on that island of Homonhon. Also they saw there some
indications that there was gold in these islands. Consequently Magella renamed the island and
called it the “Watering Place of Good Omen” (Acquada la di bouni segniali)
6.) Friday, March 22- At noon the native returned. This time they were in two boats, and they brought
food supplies.
7.) Magellan’s expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March 17, to the Monday
of the following week, March 25.
8.) Monday, March 25- In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the island of
Homonhon. In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day (March 25) was the feast day of the Incarnation
also called the feast of the Annunciation and therefore “Our Lady’s Day.” On this day, as they were
about to weigh anchor, an accident happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the water but was rescued.
He attributed his narrow escape from death as grace obtained through the intercession of the
Bleesed Virgin Mary on her feast-day.
9.) The route taken by the expedition after leaving Homonhon was “towards the west southwest,
between four islands namely: Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Albarien.” Very probably “Cenalo
is a misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what Pigafetta in his map calls “Ceilon” and Albo calls
“Seilani”; Namely island of Leyte. “Hinunangan” seemd to Pigafetta to be separated island, but it
is actually on the mainland of Leyte. On the other hand , Hibuson is an Island east of Leyte’s
southern tip.

Thus, it is easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing “towards the west southwest” past those
islands. They left Homonhon sailing westward towards Leyte, them followed the Leyte coast
southward passing between the island of Hibusan on their portside and Hiunangan Bay on their
starboard, and then continued southward, then turning westward to “Mazaua”.

10.) Thursday, March 28- In the morning of Holy Thursday, March 28, they anchored off an island
where the previous night they had seen a light or a bonfire. That island “lies in a latitude nine and
two-thirds towards the artic pole and in a longitude pf 162 degrees from the line of demarcation.
It is twenty-five leagues from the Acquada, and is called Mazaua.”
11.) They remained 7 days on Mazaua Island.
12.) Thursday, April 4- They left Mazaua, bound for Cebu. They were guided thither by the King of
Mazaua who sailed in his own boat. Their route took them past five “islands” namely: Ceylon,
Bohol, Canighan, Baibai, and Gatinghan.”
13.) At GAtinghan, they sailed westward to the three islands of the Camotes Group, namely, Poro,
Pasihan and Ponson. Here the Spanish ships stopped to allow the king of Mazaua to catch up with
them, since the Spanish ships were much faster than the native balanghai.
14.) From the Camotes Islands they sailed southwards towards “Zubu.”
15.) Sunday, April 7- At noon they entered the harbor of Zubu. It has taken them three days to
negotiate the journey from Mazaua northwards to the Camotes Island and then southwards to
Cebu.

It must be pointed that both Albo and Pigafetta’s testimonies concide and corroborate each other.
Pigafetta gave more details on what they did during their weeklong stay at Mazaua.

Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua

1.) Thursday, March 28- In the morning they anchored near an island where they had seen a light
thr night before a small boat came with eight natives, to whom Magellan threw some trinket as
presents. The natives paddled away, but two hours later two larger boats came, in one of which
the native king sat under an awning of mats. At Magellan’s invitation some of the natives went up
the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer to shore, anchoring near the native king’s
village. This Thursday, March 28, was Thursday in Holy Week.
2.) Friday, March 29-“Next day, Holy Friday,” Magellan sent his slave interpreter ashore in a small
boat to ask the king if he could provide the expedition with food supplies, and to say that they
had come as friends not as enemies. In reply the king himself came in a boat with six or eight men,
and this time went up Magellan’s ship and two men embraced. Another exchange of gifts was
made. The native king and his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of
Magellan’s expedition as guests for the night. One of two was Pigafetta.
3.) Saturday, March 39- Pigafetta and his companion had spent the previous evening feasting and
drinking with the native king and his son. Pigafetta deplored the fact that, although it was Good
Friday they had to eat meat. The Following morning Pigafetta and his companion took leave of
their hosts and returned to the ships.
4.) Sunday, March 31- “Early in the morning of Sunday, the last of March and Easter day.” Magellan
sent the priest ahore with some men to prepare for the Mass. Later in the morning, Magellan
landed with some fifty men and Mass was celebrated, after which a cross was venerated.
Magellan and the Spaniards returned to the ship for the noon-day meal, but in the afternoon they
returned ashore to plant the cross on the summit of the highest hill. In attendance both at the
Mass and at the planting of the cross were the king of Mazaua and King of Butuan.
5.) Sunday, March 31- On that same afternoon, while on the summit of the highest hill, Magellan
asked the two kings which posts he should go to in order to obtain more abundant supplies of
food than were available in that island. They replied that there were three ports to choose from:
Ceylon, Zubu, and Calagan. Of the three, Zubu was the port with the most trade. Magellan then
said that he wished to go to Zubu and to depart the following morning. He asked for someone to
guide him thither. The kings replied that the pilots would be available “at any time”. But later that
evening the king of Mazaua changed his mind and said that he would himself conduct Magellan
to Zubu but that he would first have to bring the harvest in. He asked Magellan to send his men
to help with the harvest.
6.) Monday, April 1- Magellan sent men ashore to help with the harvest, but no work was done that
day because the two kings were sleeping off their drinking bout the night before.
7.) Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3- Work on the harvest during the “next to days,” i.e.
Tuesday and Wednesday, the 2nd and 3rd of April.
8.) Thursday, April 4- They leave Mazaua, bound for Cebu.

Using the primary sources available, Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in his work Butuan or Limasawa:
The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence (1981) lays down the
argument that in the Pigafetta account, a crucial aspect of Butuan was not mentioned—the river.
Butuan is a riverine settlement, situated on the Agusan River. The beach of Masao is in the delta of
said river. It is a curious omission in the account of the river, which makes part of a district
characteristic of Butuan’s geography that seemed to be too important to be missed.

Age of Exploration

- A period of competition among European rulers to conquer and colonize lands outside their
original domains. Initially, the goal was to find alternative routes by sea to get to Asia, the main
source of spices and commodities. Existing routes to Asia were mainly by land and cost very
expensive. A sea route to Asia means that Europeans could access the spice trade directly, greatly
reducing costs for traders. Spain’s major foray into the exploration was through Christopher
Columbus, who proposed to sail westward to find a shortcut to Asia. He was able to reach the
Americans, which was then cut-off from the rest of the known world.

Spain colonized parts of the North America, Mexico, and South America in the sixteenth century.
They were also able to rach the Philippines and claim it for the Spanish crown. Later on, other
European rulers would compete with the activities of exploring and conquering lands.

It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan’s Death, the survivors of his expedition
went to Mindanao and seemingly went to Butuan. In this Instance, Pigafetta vividly describes a
trip in a river. But note that this account already happened after Magellan’s death.