READINGS IN

PHILIPPINE
HISTORY

Submitted to:
Dr. Marcelina Dumo

Submitted by:
Galvez, Mari Angeli R.
Pascua, Jennifer N.
Raceles, Madonna E.

May, 2019
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER 1: Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources,
and Methodology

Definition and Subject Matter .......................................... 2

Questions and Issues in History....................................... 2
History and the Historian................................................. 3
Historical Sources............................................................ 4

CHAPTER 2: Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary

Sources in Philippine History

First Voyage Around the World by Magellan

by Antonio Pigafetta ....................................................... 7
The KKK and the Kartilya ng Katipunan .......................... 8
The Proclamation of the Philippine Independence............. 9
Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era .......... 10

CHAPTER 3: Philippine History: Spaces for Conflict and Controversies

Making Sense of the Past: Historical Interpretation........... 13

Case Study 1: The First Catholic Mass
in the Phiippines ............................................................ 14
Case Study 2: The Cavity Mutiny...................................... 15
Case Study 3: The Rizal’s Retraction ................................ 15
Case Study 4: The Cry of Rebellion ................................... 16

CHAPTER 4: Social, Political, Economic, and Cultural Issues in

Philippine History

Evolution of the Philippine Constitution ............................ 19

Policies of Agrarian Reform ................................................ 21
Evolution of Philippine Taxation ........................................ 22

CHAPTER 5: Doing History: A Guide for Students

Online Historical Research ................................................. 27

Historical Research in Libraries and Archives ..................... 27
Life Histories and Biographical Research ............................ 28
Local and Oral History ....................................................... 29
History through Historical Shrines and Museums .............. 30
 Chapter 1:
Introduction to History:
Definition, Issues, Sources,
and Methodology
Definition and Subject Matter

History has always been known as the study of the past. For some, it
is considered as notorious for it’s just merely memorization of dates, places,
names, and events from distant eras that gives a shallow understanding to
its respective contexts and its relevance to people’s lives. However, history
has deeper meaning on the importance of it to human civilization.
History was derived from the Greek word historia which means
“knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation.” In the classical Latin
in the early part of twentieth century, historia known as the account of the
past of a person or of a group of people through written documents and
historical evidences. Historians write about the lives of important individuals
like monarchs, heroes, saints, and nobilities. It was also focused on writing
about wars, revolutions and other important breakthroughs for around
2,400 years. Traditional historians lived with the mantra of “no document,
no history”. It means that unless a written document can prove a certain
historical event, then it cannot be considered as a historical fact.
Moreover, history is not only limited to written documents, like
government records, chroniclers’ accounts or personal letters but also on the
valid historical sources. Valid historical sources can be in written form or by
word of mouth since not all civilizations have keep written records like the
peasant families or indigenous groups who were not given much thought
about being registered to government records. A few of these examples are
oral traditions in forms of epics and songs, artifacts, architecture, and
memory.

Questions and Issues in History

History is the study of the past, the events that happened in the past,
the causes of such events and the history itself, which leads history as a
discipline, a complex and dynamic inquiry that produced various
perspectives regarding different questions like: What is history? Why study
history? and History for whom? These questions can be answered by a
historiography. Historiography is the history of history. Historiography not
just let you learn facts but also provide better understanding of the historian
contexts. It also includes deep analyzation and critical thinking in collecting
important things which can help to inspire people keep their good practices
and be able to use to make sense of the present and in the future.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, any history entails written
documents to claim that a particular knowledge is true. This thought is
called positivism. The ilustrados like Jose Rizal, Isabelo de los Reyes, and

2
Padre Paterno wrote history, intended for the Spaniards for them to realize
that Filipinos are people of their own intellect and culture. However,
American historians find it uncivilized in their publications. And so,
Americans intended to justify their colonization of the islands not just by
means of undermining the Philippines’ sovereignty, but as a civilizing
mission to fulfil what they called “white man’s burden”.
Meanwhile, post colonialism emerged in the twentieth century when
colonized nations grappled with the idea of creating their identities and
understanding their societies against the shadows of their colonial past.
Also, criticizes the methods, effects, and idea of colonialism which the
colonial powers created and taught to their subjects. With that, history was
confronted by problems. One of which is the accusation that the history is
always written by powerful colonial victors and the more dominant player.
For instance, the history of the Second World War in the Philippines always
depicts the United States as the hero and the Imperial Japanese army as the
oppressors. Filipinos who collaborated with the Japanese were called as
traitors or collaborators. However, a more thorough historical investigation
will reveal a more nuanced account of the history than a simplified narrative
story of a hero versus a villain.

History and the Historian

We all know that it is impossible to get an exact and accurate account
of the past for we cannot go back to the past. And so, history is written with
agenda or is heavily influenced by the historian whom has the only access
representation of the past through historical sources and evidences.
Therefore, it is a historian’s job not just to seek historical evidences and facts
but also to interpret these facts by giving meaning to these facts, and
organize them into a timeline, establish causes, and write history. A
historian is influenced by his own context, environment, ideology, education
and influences among others. This entails the methodologies he will use, the
relevance of the facts and as well as the form of his writings.
Moreover, history is always subjective and thus requires a rigor of
research and historical methodology which comprises certain techniques and
rules in order to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing
history like the rules applied in cases of conflicting accounts in different
sources. In that sense, historical claims and arguments in their historical
writings influenced by the historian’s inclinations were still valid because it
used reliable evidences and employed correct and meticulous historical
methodology. Aside from that, when it uses an oral account as data, then it
needs to validate the claims by comparing and corroborating it with written
sources to back up his claim so that the historian will not be biased to his

3
judgment . At some point, history became inclusive and started collaborating
with other disciplines like geography, anthropology, archaeology, and
linguistics. Annales School, a school of history in France challenged the
canons of history. This school did away with the common historical subjects
that were almost always related to the conduct of states and monarchs. And
had been advocated the people and classes that were not reflected in the
history of the society provided with space in the records of mankind.

Historical Sources
Historian’s most important research tools are historical sources.
Historical sources can be classified into primary and secondary sources. The
classification of sources depends on the historical subject being studied, and
not on the period when the source was produced or the type of the source.
Primary sources are sources produced at the same time as the event, period,
or subject being studied. Most common examples are archival documents,
artefact, memorabilia, letters, census, and government records. Furthermore,
to study the Commonwealth Constitution Convention of 1935, as an
example, primary sources can include the minutes of the convention,
newspaper clippings, Philippine Commission reports of the U.S.
Commissioners, records of the convention, the draft of the constitution, and
even photographs of the event.
On the other hand, secondary sources are sources produced by an
author who used primary sources to produce the material. These are
historical sources which studied a certain historical subject. To concretize it
further, on the subject of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, students can
read Teodoro Agoncillo’s Revolt of the masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the
Katipunan published originally in 1956. The Philippine Revolution happened
in the last years of the nineteenth century while Agoncillo published his work
in 1956, which makes the Revolt of the Masses a secondary source. Aside
from that, a textbook is also classified as a secondary source, a tertiary
source even.
Moreover, both primary and secondary sources are useful in writing
and learning history. And so, to avoid deception and to come up with the
historical truth, historians and as well as the students of history need to
thoroughly scrutinize these historical sources by conducting an external and
internal criticism of the source such as external criticism and internal
criticism. External criticism is the practice of verifying the authenticity of
evidence by examining its physical characteristics; consistency with the
historical characteristic of the time when it was produced; and the materials
used for the evidence. The quality of the paper, the type of the ink, and the

4
language and words used in the material are examples of the thing that will
be examined when conducting external criticism.
Internal Criticism, on the other hand, is the examination of the
truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the author of the
source, its context, the agenda behind its creation, the knowledge which
informed it, and its intended purpose. Internal criticism entails such reports
to be manipulated and analysed for war propaganda. Validating historical
sources is important because the use of unverified, falsified, and untruthful
historical sources can lead to equally false conclusions.
The task of the historian is to look at the available historical sources
and select the most relevant and meaningful for history and for the subject
matter. Also, historian organizes the past that is being created so that it can
offer lessons for nations, societies, and civilization. Furthermore, historian
seeks for the meaning of recovering the past to let the people see the
continuing relevance of provenance, memory, remembering, and historical
understanding for both the present and the future.
In addition, Philippine historiography underwent several changes
since pre-colonial period until the present and is through communal songs
and epics that they passed orally. The pre-colonial society was a luminous
age that ended with darkness when the colonizers captured their freedom. A
pantayong pananaw (for us-from us perspective), a new guiding philosophy
for writing and teaching history introduced by a Filipino historian Zeus
Salazar gives importance in facilitating an internal conversation and
discourse among Filipinos about our own history, using the language that is
understood by everyone.

5
 Chapter 2:
Content and Contextual
Analysis of Selected Primary
Sources in Philippine History
First Voyage around the World by Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan’s fateful circumnavigation of the world with an
Italian nobleman, Antonio Pigafetta, began in the sixteenth century. It is one
of the most important primary sources in the study of the pre-colonial
Philippines. This was also a major reference to the events leading to
Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines, his encounter with local leaders, his
death in the hands of Lapulapu’s forces in the Battle of Mactan, and in the
departure of what was left of Magellan’s fleet from the islands. The First
Voyage around the World by Magellan was published after Pigafetta returned
to Italy.
Magellan and Pigafetta reached the Ladrones Islands or the “Islands of
Thieves”, presently known as the Marianas Islands. After ten days, Magellan
decided to land in another uninhabited island for greater security where they
could rest for a few days. After two days, March 18, nine men came and
welcomed them with foods, drinks and gifts. The natives also gave them fish,
palm wine (uraca), figs, two cochos, rice (umai), cocos, and other food
supplies. The people are friendly and willingly showed them different islands.
One of which is the “Watering Place of Good Signs”,Humunu Island
(Homonhon) where you can found the first signs of gold. This island and the
nearby islands are the archipelago of St. Lazarus. On March 25 th, they saw
two ballanghai (balangay), a long boat full of people in Mazzava/Mazua. The
king of the ballanghai (balangay), Raia Siagu, sent his men to the ship of
Magellan to offer a bar of gold and a chest of ginger, but Magellan declined.
Instead, Magellan asked for money for the needs of his ships. Magellan, then
exchanged gifts of robes in Turkish fashion, red cap, and gave the people
knives and mirrors. He further showed the king his other weapons, helmets,
artilleries. Magellan also shared his charts, maps and islands they found.
After a few days, Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother, Raia
Calambu, who was a king of another island named Zuluan and Calagan
(Butuan and Caragua). Raia Calambu was the most handsome of all the men
in the island. He was adorned with silk and gold accessories like a golden
dagger which he carried with him in a wooden polished sheath. His house
and the parts of the ship are made of gold. On March 31 st, an Easter Sunday,
ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore. The king sent two dead
pigs and attended the mass with the other king. After the mass, Magellan
ordered that the cross be brought with nails and crown in place for it would
be beneficial to the people because Spaniards will saw the cross and know
that they had been in that island and would not cause troubles. After seven
days, Magellan moved to the islands of Ceylon (Leyte), Bohol, and Zzubu
(Cebu). Cebu is the largest and the richest of the islands. By April 7 th of the

7
same year, Magellan and his men reached the port of Cebu. The king of Cebu
offered a bit of his blood and demanded that they pay tribute for it was
customary. The following day, Magellan spoke about peace and God. And on
the 14th of April, Magellan spoke to the king and encouraged him to be a
good Christian by burning all the idols and worship the cross instead. And
so, the king of Cebu was baptized as a Christian.
On the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan
(Mactan), asked for a bat full of men to fight the chief named Silapulapu
(Lapulapu). However, Magellan offered three boats and expressed his desire
to go to Mactan himself to fight Lapulapu. Magellan’s total forces are 49 and
the islanders of Mactan were estimated to number 1,500. Magellan died in
the battle because he was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg.
Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. He retaliated and pierced the same
native with his lance in the breast and tried to draw his sword but could not
lift it because of his wounded arm. Magellan attacked with lances, swords,
and even with their bare hands. Magellan’s men elected Duarte Barbosa as
the new captain. They left Cebu and continued their journey around the
world.

The KKK and the Kartilya ng Katipunan

The Kataastaasan Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng
Bayan (KKK) or Katipunan is the most important organization formed in the
Philippine History. It was only the organization that envisioned a united
Filipino nation that would revolt against the Spaniards for the total
independence of the country from Spain. Katipunan created a complex
structure and a defined value system that would guide the organization as a
collective aspiring for a single goal. One of the most important Katipunan
documents was the Kartilya ng Katipunan which was originally titled as
“Manga [sic] Aral Nang [sic] Katipunan ng mga A.N.b.” or Lessons of the
Organization of the Sons of Country. It was written by Emilio Jacinto in 1896
who is a law student at the Unibersidad of Santo Tomas. Jacinto was only 18
years of age when he joined the movement, but, due to his value and
intellect; he became the secretary of the organization and took charge of the
short-lived printing press of the Katipunan.
On April 15, 1897, at the age of 22, Jacinto became the commander of
the Katipunan in Northern Luzon, and later, died of Malaria in the town of
Magdalena, Laguna at the age of 24. The Kartilya can be treated as the
Katipunan’s code of conduct which consists of fourteen rules that instruct
the way a Katipunero should behave, and which specific values should be
uphold. These rules are classified into two groups. The first rules contains
the rules that will make the number an upright individual and the second

8
group contains the rules that will guide the way he treats his fellow men.
And these rules of Kartilya will help in understanding the values, ideals,
aspirations and even the ideology of the organization.

Proclamation of the Philippine Independence

Philippine Independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898. We
commemorate it every year for it signalled the end of the 333 years of
Spanish colonization. The declaration was a short 2,000-word document
which summarized the reason behind the revolution against Spain, the war
for independence and the future of the new republic under Emilio Aguinaldo.
The proclamation commenced with a characterization of the conditions in the
Philippine during the Spanish Colonial period. The document specifically
mentioned abuses and inequalities in the colony such as abuse by the Civil
Guards and the unlawful shooting of prisoners whom they alleged as
attempting to escape. It also condemns the unequal protection of the law
between the Filipino people and the eminent personages. Aside from that,
they also condemn what they saw as the unjust deportation and rendering of
other decision with proper hearing.
Moreover, the proclamation proceeded with a brief historical overview
of the Spanish occupation since Magellan’s arrival in Visayas until the
Philippine Revolution and after the collapse of Pact of Biak-na-Bato. The
document narrates the spread of the movement like an “electric spark”
through different towns and provinces like Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas,
Bulacan, Laguna and Morong and the quick decline of Spanish forces in the
same provinces. The document also mentions Rizal’s execution calling it
unjust to please the greedy body of friars in their insatiable desire to seek
revenge upon and exterminate all those who are opposed to their
Machiavellan purposes when tramples upon the penal code prescribed for
these islands. Also, it narrates the infamous execution of GOMBURZA in the
Cavite Mutiny of January 1872 whose innocent blood was shed through the
intrigues of those so called religious orders.
The proclamation of the independence invokes the establishment of the
republic under the dictatorship of Emilio Aguinaldo. Another detail in the
proclamation is the explanation on the Philippine Flag that was first waved
on the same day. The white triangle symbolizes the Katipunan. The red and
blue colors of the flag are associated with courage and peace respectively.
The original symbolic meaning of something presents the several historical
truths that can explain the subsequent events which unfolded after the
declaration of independence on the 12th day of June 1898.

9
Cartoons: Political Caricatures of the American Era
(1900-1941)
Political Cartoons and Caricatures are recent art form which veered
away from the Classical art by exaggerating human features and poking fun
at its subjects. It is a technique used by the print media as a form of social
and political commentary which targets persons of powers aid authority.
Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing opinions through the use of
symbolism, the society during the American period and a broad image of
society and politics under the United States. In the book Philippine Cartoons:
Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941) by Alfred McCoy and
Alfredo Roces, compiled political cartoons published in Newspaper dailies
and periodicals. One of which is about The Independent on May 20, 1916
which shows a politician from Tondo. This implies that the Filipino politics at
that time did not understand well enough the essence of democracy and the
accompanying democratic institutions and processes. Another cartoon is The
Independent on June 16, 1917 that aimed as a commentary to the workings
of Manila Police at that period. Aside from that, the commentary on the
precedent cases of colorum automobiles in the city streets was also depicted.
It is due to the fatal accidents involving colorum vehices and taxis occurred
oftenly.
Moreover, a cartoon also depicted a cinema which implies the “sexual
revolution” that occurred in the 1930’s. It disturbed the conserved Filipino
mindset by engaging in daring sexual activities in public spaxes like
cinemas. And lastly, The Independent on November 27, 1915 was also
published. It was the caricature of Uncle Sam riding a chariot pulled by
Filipinos wearing school uniforms. It depicts that patronage also became
influential and powerful not only between clients and patrons but also
between the newly formed political parties composed of the elite and United
States.

Revisiting Aquino Speech

Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino was functioned as he symbol of the
restoration of democracy and the overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship in
1986 through the EDSA People Power which considered as the “cheapest
revolution” ever. In her speech, it talks of her family background and Ninoy,
her husband who served as the real leading figure of the opposition at that
time. Cory talked about Ninoy’s toil and suffering at the hands of the
dictatorship that he resisted. The ideology or the principles of the new

10
democratic can also be seen in the said speech. Cory then proceeded on her
peace agenda which involves political initiatives and re-integration program
to persuade insurgent to leave the country side and return to the
mainstream society to participate in the restoration of democracy. Also, she
enumerates the challenges of the Filipino people as trying to build the new
democracy such as persisting communist insurgency and economic
deterioration.
As seen in her speech, she decided to build and continue with the
alliance between the Philippine and the United States to effectively
implement an essentially similar foreign policy to that of the dictatorship.
And lastly, Cory ended her speech by thanking America for serving as home
to her family.

11
 Chapter 3:
Philippine History: Spaces
for Conflict and Controversies
Making Sense of the Past: Historical Interpretation
History, in a more contemporary definition, is centered on how it
impacts the present through its consequences. According to Geoffrey
Barraclough, history is as the “attempt to discover on the basis of
fragmentary evidence, the significant things about the past”. He also notes
that history which is based on facts is a series of accepted judgments.
Historians utilized facts collected from primary sources to draw their own
reading which intended for the audience to understand the historical event, a
process that in essence, “makes sense of the past”. To concretize it further,
The Code of Kalantiaw, a mythical legal code in the epic history Maragtas,
was revealed as a hoax in 1986 but still, some would like to believe that the
code is a legitimate document. Also, the “Sa Aking Mga Kababata” which
purportedly written by Jose Rizal, when he was 8 years of age. As a matter of
fact, there exists no manuscript of the poem handwritten by Rizal. Also, he
never mentioned writing this poem anywhere in his writings.
Furthermore, criticism of the poem reveals more about the wrongful
attribution of the poem to Rizal such as the poem was written in Tagalog and
referred the word “kalayaan” which he referred as well in “El Amor Patrio”
where it was spelled as ‘kalayahan”. The poem’s spelling is also suspects the
use of letters “k” and “w” to replace “c” and “u” respectively.
Interpretations of the past, therefore, vary according to who reads the
primary source, when it was read and how it was read Interpretations of
historical event change overtime; thus, it is an important skill to track
changes in an attempt to understand the past. This entails that the things
we accept as “true” about the past might not be the case anymore. And so,
historians must ensure the relevance of the events happened in the past.

Multiperspectivity
Another important concept of history is multiperpectivity.
Multiperspectivity is a way of looking at historical events, personalities,
developments, cultures, and societies from different perspectives. This means
that there is a multitude ways which we can view the world that is equally
valid and equally partial as well. Historical writing is biased, partial, and
contains preconceptions. So, historians decide on what sources to use, what
interpretation to make more apparent, depending on what his end is.
With multiperspectivity as an approach in history, historical
interpretations contain discrepancies, contradictions, ambiguities and are
often the focus of dissent. Exploring multiperspectives in history requires
incorporating varied source materials that may create space for more

13
investigation and research, while providing more evidence for those truths
that these sources agree on.
Different kinds of sources also provide different historical truths which
renders more validity to the historical scholarship and also a more complete
and richer understanding of the past

Case Study 1: The First Catholic Mass in the Philippines

This case study will not focus on the significance (or lack thereof) of
the site of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines, but rather, use it as a
historiographical exercise in the utilization of evidence and interpretation in
reading historical events.
Butuan has long been believed as the site of the first Mass for three
centuries, which commemorates the expedition’s arrival and celebration of
Mass on 8 April 1521. The Butuan claim has been based on a rather
elementary reading of primary sources from the event. However, a more
nuanced reading of the available evidence was made in the start of twentieth
century that brought light of the first mass in the Philippines, made both by
Spanish and Filipino scholars.
There are two primary sources that historians refer to in identifying
the site of the first Mass. One is the log kept by Francisco Albo, a pilot of one
of Magellan’s ship and one of the 18 survivors who returned after
circumnavigating the world. The other, and the more complete, was the
account by Antonio Pigafetta, Primo viaggio intorno al mondo (First Voyage
Around the World).
In the primary source noted in Albo’s account, the location of Mazava
fits the location of the island of Limasawa, at the southern tip of Leyte,
9°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. It must
be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta’s testimonies coincide and
corroborate each other. Pigafetta gave more details on what they did during
their weeklong stay at Mazaua.
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 in the delta of said river. It is a curious omission in the account of the
river, which makes part of a distinct characteristic of Butuan’s geography

14
that seemed to be 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.

Case Study 2: Cavite Mutiny

The year 1872 is a historic year of two events: the Cavity Mutiny and
the martyrdom of the three priests GOMBURZA (Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora). These events are very important milestones in
Philippine history and have caused ripples throughout time, directly
influencing the decisive events of the Philippine Revolution toward the end of
the century. In this case study, we zoom in to the events of the Cavite
Mutiny, a major factor in the awakening of nationalism among the Filipinos
of that time.
Two accounts corroborated with each other. One is the documentation
of Jose Montero y Vidal, a Spanish historian, which centered on how the
event was overthrowing the Spanish government in the Philippines. His
account of the mutiny was criticized as woefully biased and rabid for a
scholar. The other is the official report written by Governor General Rafael
Izquierdo which implicated the native clergy, who were then, active in the
movement toward secularization of parishes.
It is apparent that the accounts underscore the reason for the
“revolution”: the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the workers of the Cavite
arsenal such as exemption from payment of tribute and being employed in
polos y serviciosi, or force labor. The “revolution” was easily crushed, when
Manile~ nos that were expected to aid the Cavite~ nos did not arrive. Leaders of
the plot were killed in the resulting skirmish, while Fathers Gomez, Burgos,
and Zamora were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to be executed. It is
also believed that the Spanish clergy connected the priests to the mutiny as
part of conspiracy to clergy the movement of secular priests who desired to
have their own parishes instead of being merely assistants to the regular
friars. On 17 February 1872, the GOMBURZA were executed to serve as a
threat to Filipinos never to attempt to fight the Spaniards again.

Case Study 3: Rizal’s Retraction

Jose Rizal is identified as a hero of the revolution for his writings (Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo) that center on ending colonialism and
liberating Filipino minds to contribute to creating the Filipino nation. Any
piece of writing from Rizal recants everything against the friars and the
Catholic Church in the Philippines which referred to as “The Retraction”.

15
 There are four iterations of the text of this retraction: the first was
published in La Vos Espa~ nola and Diario de Manila on 30 December 1896,
the day of the execution. The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain, in
the magazine of La Juventud, a few months after the execution.14 February
1897, from an anonymous writer who was later on revealed to be Fr. Vicente
Balaguer. However, the “original” text was only found in the archdiocesan
archives on 18 May 1935, after almost four decades of disappearance.
According to Balaguer testimony, Rizal woke up several times,
confessed four times, attended a Mass, received communion and prayed the
rosary, all of which seemed out of character. It has been used to argue the
authenticity of the document. Another testimony is of Cuerpo de Vigilancia
which included a report on the last hours of Rizal. This account corroborates
the existence of the retraction document, giving t credence.
The retraction of Rizal remains to this day, a controversy; many
scholars, however, agree that the document does not tarnish the heroism of
Rizal. His relevance remained solidified to Filipinos and pushed them to
continue the revolution, which eventually resulted in independence in 1898.

Case Study 4: Cry of Rebellion

In the late nineteenth century, “El Grito de Rebelion” or “Cry of
Rebellion” marks the start of revolution which happened in August 1896 in
northeast of Manila, where they declared rebellion against the Spanish
colonial government. These events are important markers in the history of
colonies that struggled for their independence against their colonizers.
Teodoro Agoncillo, a Filipino historian, emphasizes the event when
Bonifacio tore the cedula or tax receipt before the Katipuneros who also did
the same. Some writers identified the first military event with the Spaniards
as the moment of the Cry, for which, Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned an
“Himno de Balintawak” to inspire the renewed struggle after the Pact of the
Biak-na-Bato failed.
From the eyewitness accounts presented, there is indeed marked
disagreement among historical witnesses as to the place and time of the
occurrence of the Cry. Using primary and secondary sources, four places
have been identified: Balintawak, Kangkong, Pugad Lawin, and Bahay toro,
while the dates vary: 23, 24, 25, or 26 August 1896.
Valenzuela’s account should be read with caution: He once told a
Spanish investigator that the “Cry” happened in Balintawak on Wednesday,
26 August 1896. Much later, he wrote in his Memoirs of the Revolution that
it happened at Pugad Lawin on 23 August 1896. Such inconsistences in

16
accounts should always be seen as a red flag when dealing with primary
sources.
According to Guerrero, Encarnacion, and Villegas, all tehese places are
in Balintawak, then part of Caloocan, now, in Quezon City. As for the dates,
Bonifacio and his troops may have been moving from one place to another to
avoid being located by the Spanish government, which could explain why
there are several accounts of the Cry.

17
 Chapter 4:
Social, Political, Economic,
and Cultural Issues in Philippine
History
Evolution of the Philippine Constitution
Constitution is the set of fundamental principles or established
precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed
which means to be a part of a whole, coming together of distinct entities into
one group, with the same principles and ideals. These principles define the
nature and extent of government.
The Constitution of the Philippines, the supreme law of the Republic of
the Philippines, has been effect since 1987. There were only three other
constitutions that have effectively governed the country: the 1935
Commonwealth Constitution, the 1973 Constitution, and the 1986 freedom
Constitution. But, there were also earlier constitutions attempted by Filipinos
in the struggle to break free from the colonial yoke.
Malolos Constitution (1899), known as the Constitucion Politica de
Malolos written in Spanish. It follows the declaration of independence from
Spain on June 12, 1898 and transformed the dictatorial government to a
revolutionary government on 23rd of June. The constitution was convened in
Barasoain Church in Malolos (now Malolos City, Bulacan) presided by Pedro
Paterno as the president and Gregorio Araneta as vice president. However,
Malolos Constitution was opposed by Apolinario Mabini, the Prime Minister
of the revolutionary government. This was ratified on November 29, 1898,
signed into a law on December 23, and approved on 20 January
1899.Malolos Constitution was sanctioned by President Emilio Aguinaldo on
January 21, and promulgated on January 22.
Malolos constitution is anchored in democratic traditions that
ultimately had their roots in American soil, modelled on the constitutions of
France, Belgium, and Latin American countries. It states that the people
have exclusive sovereignty, basic civil rights separated the church from the
state, and called for the creation of an Assembly of Representatives which
would act as the legislative body.
The 1935 Commonwealth Constitution was written with an eye to
meeting the approval of the United States Government as well, so as to
ensure that the U.S would live up to its promise to grant the Philippines
independence and not have a premise to hold onto its “possession” on the
grounds that it was too politically immature and hence, unready for full, real
independence and shall be known as the Republic of the Philippines. Also, it
was provided for unicameral National Assembly and the President was
elected to a six-year term without re-election. The 1935 Commonwealth
Constitution adopts the Regalian Doctrine or the Principle of State ownership
for all its natural wealth and provides for the proper utilization of such

19
wealth by its citizens. Whereas, the Filipino people, imploring the aid of
Divine Providence, in order to establish a government that shall embody their
ideals, conserve and develop their patrimony of the nation, promote the
general welfare, and secure to themselves and their posterity the blessings of
independence, under a regime of justice, liberty, and democracy do ordain
and promulgate this constitution.
The Ferdinand Marcos Constitution (1973), on 24 August 1970,
Congress enacted RA No. 6132, otherwise known as the Constitutional
Convention Act, for the purpose of convening a Constitutional Convention.
While in the process of drafting a new Constitution, President Ferdinand
Marcos declared Martial Law on 21 September 1972. The draft constitution
was submitted to the Citizen’s Assemblies from January 10 to 17, 1973 for
ratification. On 17 January 1973, President Marcos issued Proclamation
No.1102, announcing the Ratification of the Constitution of the Republic of
the Philippines. This composed of a preamble and 17 articles, provides for
the shift from presidential to parliamentary system of government. The 1935
Commonwealth Constitution retains the independence of the Commission on
elections and establishes two independent constitutional bodies [Civil Service
Commission and the Commission on Audit] as well as the National Economic
Development Authority [NEDA]. This constitution was further amended in
1980 and 1981. In the 1980 amendment, the retirement age of the members
of the judiciary was extended to 70 years.
And lastly, the 1986 Freedom Constitution, Corazon Aquino issued
Proclamation No. 3 declaring a national policy to implement the reforms
mandated by the people, protecting their basic rights, adopting a provisional
constitution, and providing for an orderly translation to a government under
a new constitution. This constitution followed the People Power Revolution
which ousted Ferdinand Marcos as president. The Proclamation No. 9
creating a Constitutional Commission (popularly abbreviated as “Con Com”
in the Philippines) framed new constitution which took effect during the
Marcos Martial Law regime. The 1986 Freedom Constitution appointed 50
members to the commission, including several former congressmen, a former
Supreme Court Chief Justice (Roberto Concepcion), a catholic Bishop
( Teodoro Bacani) and film director (Lino Brocka). The constitution finished
the draft charter within four months after it was convened. The issues were
heatedly debated during the sessions, including on the form of government
to adopt, the abolition of the death penalty, they continued retention of the
Clark and Subic American military bases, and the integration of economic
policies into the Constitution. ConCom completed their task on October 12,
1986 and presented the draft constitution to President Aquino on October
15, 1986. On February 11, 1987, the new constitution was proclaimed,

20
ratified and took effect. The Freedom constitution establishes the Philippines
as a “democratic and republican state” where “sovereignty resides in the
people and all government authority emanates from them”.

Policies on Agrarian Reform

Agrarian reform is essentially the rectification of the whole system of
agriculture, an important aspect of the Philippine economy. Agrarian reform
is centered on the relationship between production and the distribution of
land among farmers. It is also focused on the political and economic class
character of the relations of production and distribution in farming and
related enterprises, and how these connect to the wider class structure.
Spaniards colonized the country and brought a system of pueblo
agriculture, where rural communities, often dispersed and scattered in
nature, and organized into a pueblo and given land to cultivate. The Spanish
crown awarded tracts of land to the religious orders; repartamientos for
Spanish military as reward for their service; and Spanish encomenderos,
those mandated to manage the encomienda or the lands given to them,
where Filipinos worked and paid their tributes to the encomendero.
Encomienda system was an unfair and abusive system because Filipino
farmers working the land were made to sell their products at a very low price
or surrender their products to the encomenderos, who resold this at a profit.
From this encomienda system, the hacienda system developed in the
beginning of the nineteenth century as the Spanish government implemented
policies that would fast track the entry of the colony into the capitalist world.
The hacienda system was developed as a new form of ownership.
After the Spanish colonization, the Americans would signal a new era
of colonialism and imperialism in the Philippines. The Americans were aware
that Filipinos are landlessness and so, they pass several land policies to
increase the small landholders and distribute ownership to a bigger number
of Filipino tenants and farmers. The Philippine Bill of 1902 provided
regulations on the disposal of public lands. A private individual may own 16
hectares of land while corporate landholders may have 1,024 hectares.
Americans were also given rights to own agricultural lands in the country.
However, landownership did not improve during the American period; in fact,
it even worsened, because there was no limit to the size of landholdings
people could possess and the accessibility of possession was limited to those
who could afford to buy, register, and acquire fixed property titles. Through
that, many Filipino hacienderos were forced to return to tenancy and
forcefully took over lands who could not afford to pay their debts. The system
introduced by the Americans enabled more lands to be placed under

21
tenancy, which led to the widespread peasant uprisings, such as the
Colorum and Sakdal Uprising in Luzon. The Sakdal (or Sakdalista) Uprising
was a peasant rebellion in Central Luzon which is about the issues in land
ownership and tenancy in the country.
During the years of the Commonwealth government, the situation
further worsened as peasant uprisings increased. President Quezon laid
down a social justice program focused on the purchase of haciendas, which
were to be divided and sold to tenants. His administration created the
National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC) to assign public defenders to
assist peasants in court battles for their rights to the land. The
administration of President Roxas passed Republic Act No. 34 to establish a
70-30 sharing arrangement between tenant and landlord, respectively, which
reduced the interest of landowners’ loans to tenants at six percent or less.
Under the term of President Elpidio Quirino, the Land Settlement
Development Corporation (LASEDECO) was established to accelerate and
expand the resettlement program for peasants. This later on became the
National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) under the
administration of President Ramon Magsaysay. A major stride in land reform
arrived during the term of Diosdado Macapagal through the Agricultural
Land Reform Code (Republic Act No. 3844). This code abolished share
tenancy in the Philippines and prescribed a program to convert tenant-
farmers to lessees and later on owner cultivators.
Presidential Decree No. 27 or the Code of Agrarian Reform of the
Philippines became the core of agrarian reform during the Marcos regime. On
22 July 1987, Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation 131 and Executive
Order 229, which outlined her land reform program. In 1988, the Congress
passed Republic Act No. 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law
(CARL), which introduced the program with the same name (Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program or CARP). It enabled the redistribution of
agricultural lands to tenant-farmers from landowners, who were paid in
exchange by the government through just compensation and allowed them to
retain not more than five hectares. Under the term of President Ramos, CARP
implementation was speeded in order to meet the ten-year time frame,
despite limitations and constraints in funding, logistics, and participation of
involved sectors.
The same problems have plagued its implementation: the powerful
landed elite and the ineffectual bureaucracy of the Philippine government.
Until these two challenges are surmounted, genuine agrarian reform in the
Philippines remains but a dream to Filipino farmers who have been fighting
for their right to landownership for centuries.

22
Evolution of Philippine Taxation
Taxation is a reality that all citizens must contend with for primary
reason that governments raise revenue from the people they govern to be
able to functionally fully. Taxation, as a government mechanism to raise
funds, developed and evolved through time, and in the context of the
Philippines, we must understand that it came with our colonial experience.
The arrival of the Spaniards altered a subsistence economy, for which
they imposed the payment of tributos (tributes) from the Filipinos. The
purpose is to generate resources to finance the maintenance of the islands,
such as salaries of government officials and expenses of the clergy.
Reduccion was introduced by the Spaniards by creating pueblos, to collect
revenue from the Filipinos. Exempted from payment of tributos were the
principals: alcaldes, gobernadores, cabezas de barangay, soldiers, and
members of the civil guard, government officials, and vagrants. In the
sixteenth century, the Manila-Acapulco trade was established through the
galleons, a way by which the Spaniards could make sure that European
presence would be sustained.
In 1884, the payment of tribute was to put to a stop and was replaced
by a poll tax collected through a certificate of identification called the cedula
personal. Payment of the cedula is progressive and according to income
categories and also it is being paid by person, not by family. Two direct taxes
were added in 1878 and imposed on urban incomes. Urbana is a tax on the
annual rental value of an urban real estate and industria is a tax on salaries,
dividends, and profits. These taxes were universal and affected all kinds of
economic activity except agriculture, which was exempt to encourage growth.
Forced labor was a character of Spanish colonial taxation in the
Philippines and was required from the Filipinos. Through the polo system,
male Filipinos were required to provide labor for 40 days a year (reduced to
15 days a year in 1884). They may opt out by paying the fallas or three pesos
per annum. The polos would be called prestacion personal (personal services
by the second half of the nineteenth century.
Under the American colonization, the Internal Revenue Law of 1904
was passed as a reaction to the problems of collecting tax. It prescribed ten
major sources of revenue: licensed taxes on firms dealing in alcoholic
beverages and tobacco, excise taxes on alcoholic beverages and tobacco
products, taxes on banks and bankers, document stamp taxes, the cedula,
taxes on insurance and insurance companies, taxes on forest products,
mining concessions, taxes on business and manufacturing, and occupational
licenses. In 1913, the Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act was passed, resulting

23
in a reduction in the revenue of the government as export taxes levied on
sugar, tobacco, hemp, and copra were lifted. In 1914, an income tax was
introduced; in 1919, an inheritance tax was created; and in 1932, a national
lottery was established to create more revenue for the government. However,
these new creations were not enough to increase government revenues.
During the Commonwealth period, income tax rates were increased in
1936, adding z surtax rate on individual net incomes in excess of 10, 000
pesos. Income taxes were also increased. In 1937, the cedula tax was
abolished, but in 1940, a residence tax was imposed on every citizen aged 18
years old and on every corporation.
The economic situation was so problematic that by 1949, there was a
severe lack of funds in many aspects of governance, such as the military and
education sectors. The impetus for economic growth came during the time of
President Elpidio Quirino through the implementation of import and
exchange controls that led to import substitution development. While the
succeeding presidencies of Magsaysay, Garcia, and Macapagal promised to
study the tax structure and policy of the country through the creation of a
Tax Commission in 1959 by means of Republic Act No. 2211 to make a way
for a more robust and efficient tax collection.
Under the Marcos authoritarian regime, the tax system remained
regressive and unresponsive. During the latter part of the Marcos’s years
(1981-1985), the tax system was still heavily dependent on indirect taxes. As
Corazon Aquino took the helm of the government after the EDSA Revolution,
she reformed the tax system through the 1986 Tax Reform Program. The aim
was to improve the responsiveness of the tax system, promote equity by
ensuring that similarly situated individuals and firms bear the same tax
burden, promote growth by withdrawing or modifying taxes that reduce
incentives to work or produce, and improve tax administration by simplifying
the tax system and promoting ta compliance. A major reform in the tax
system introduced under the term of Aquino was the introduction of the
value-added tax (VAT). The VAT law was signed in 1986 and put to effect in
1988. While it was a reliable source of revenue for the government, new tax
laws would reduce its reliability as legislated exemptions grew.
The Ramos administration ventured into its own tax reform program in
1997 through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which was
implemented to make the tax system broad-based, simple, and with
reasonable tax rates; minimize tax avoidance allowed by existing flaws and
loopholes in the system; encourage payments by increasing tax exemption
levels, lowering the highest tax rates, and simplifying procedure; and
rationalize the grant of tax incentives, which was estimated to be worth

24
531.7 billion pesos in 1994. The government in the term of Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo had look for additional sources of revenue, and in 2005, the
Expanded Value-Added Tax (E-VAT) was signed into law as Republic Act
9337.
As President Benigno Aquino III succeeded President Arroyo in 2010,
the administration ventured into the adjustment of excise tax on liquor and
cigarettes or the Sin Tax Reform, motivations for which was primarily fiscal,
public health, and social order-related considerations. Republic Act 10351
was passed, and government revenues from Alcohol and tobacco excise taxes
increased.
The administration of the new President Rodrigo Duterte promised tax
reform particularly in income taxes as it vowed to lower income tax rates
shouldered by working Filipinos. The present income tax scheme of the
country is the second highest in Southeast Asia. It is hoped that reforms in
the country's tax policy will result in the much-desired economic
development that will be felt even by the lowest classes in society.

25
26
 Chapter 5:
Doing History: A Guide for
Students
Online Historical Research
Internet is the mostly used tool any student would use to do research
for it access tons of available information. Cyberspace as well is a great
source for research if you know how to use it. In doing historical research
online, you must know where to look and how to look information. There are
search engine websites such as Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) or Google
(www.google.com) that would lead you to a lot of sources with the right
search strings. Search strings are combination of words that you use to come
up with relevant results.
Google also provides own scholarly research called Google Scholar
(www.scholar.google.com). It contains electronic journal articles, materials
from institutional repositories, and book chapters from many different
sources. Google Books (www.books.google.com) also provides sources for
scanned books which can help you read some chapters for free. Meanwhile, a
simple search online is all you need in finding the data you needed. And
most often, one of the first results that will come out will be pages from
Wikipedia. Wikipedia is the biggest open source encyclopedia in the whole
cyberspace. It has 40 million articles in 293 languages. Anyone could
contribute or edit articles that make the site unreliable.
There are also websites you may use to legally download scanned
copies of books and other materials for free. One of which is Project
Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org), the oldest digital library in the world with
more than 50,000 items in its collection which include many works
concerning the Philippines such as the Doctrina Cristiana (first published
book in the Philippines). Another online archive you may use is Internet
Archive (www.archive.org), an online library that sought to archive web
history and contains 279 billion web pages, 11 million books and texts, four
million audio recordings, three million videos, one million images, and
100,000 software programs.
Philippine government websites (www.gov.ph) are starting to be
enriched with sources that may be used for historical research, on laws and
other government issuance. Websites of newspaper, magazines, broadcasting
stations and other media outlets usually keep an archive of their articles
from a particular site.

Historical Research in Libraries and Archives

Research in libraries and archives is necessary in the study of history
as these are repositories of primary and secondary sources that allow us to
create narratives of the past through accepted methods of historical

27
scholarship. Libraries and archives provide more variety of sources in
different formats such as books, journal articles, newspapers, magazines,
photographs, and even audio and video recordings.
Nowadays, the digital version, Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)
yield the holdings of the library related to what you are searching for.
Searching by subject will give you list of sources, primary and secondary, to
aid in creating a preliminary biography. However, a problem could arise
when the search yields too many results. The catalog lists down all kinds of
materials available based on the subject used in the search such as books,
journals, maps, and other materials. And so, do not limit yourself to using
books and other published materials when you may able to utilize other
forms of sources.The National Library of the Philippines in Ermita, Manila
provides a rich treasure trove of materials in Philippine history, especially in
their Filipiniana section.
Research in archives may be a lot more difficult and proved to be too
advanced, because it provides you with many sources not available in the
usual libraries. The National Archives of the Philippines in Manila is an
agency of the government collecting, storing, preserving, and making
available records of the government and other primary sources pertaining to
the history and development of the Philippines such as materials about
Spanish colonialism.
The libraries in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon
City have collections particularly in the Main Library in Gonzales Hall that is
rich in resources especially the Filipiniana section, serials, theses, and
dissertations. Other university libraries are also accessible to the public. The
Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City holds the American Historical
Collection, a rich source for the American period in the Philippines. The
University of Santo Tomas in Espa ~ na, Manila, the oldest Catholic university
has the collections from the sixteenth century.
Private libraries and institutions also have archives such as the Family
History Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which has
a generous resource for research on genealogies. The Chinben See Memorial
Library in Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center offers resources on Chinese
and Filipino-Chinese in the Philippines and in the Southeast Asia. The
Archdiocesan Archives of Manila has immense Church data sources.

Life Histories and Biographical Research

Studying history is always focused on history of nations and different
collectives. Life history is an oft-neglected sub discipline of history because it
is seen as trivial to larger narratives of nations, societies, and civilizations.

28
Individual is a significant contributor to various historical breakthroughs
across periods of time. Individuals make up societies and individual actions
can cause large-scale social change. Individual’s influence can span
centuries and generations. Their lives, exploits, and legacies had a huge
impact in the society where they belonged. Nevertheless, writing life history
should not be limited to great individuals like heroes, prophets, or world
leaders. Ordinary individuals should also be able to locate themselves in the
pages of history in the larger social life.
Life history is not an easy task due to different factors that affected the
life of the person. Life history of an individual will also lead to questions
about his family and genealogy, person’s socioeconomic status, religious
belief, character, interests, and values. Institutions where the individual
belonged should also be looked at in studying his life history. Other aspects
that may also be studied are sector, ethnic group, and culture.
Understanding all of these make sense of the facts and established
connections about different aspects of the individual’s life in order to
understand the person that he has become.

Local and Oral History Research

The history’s coverage is always expansive and taught in broad strokes
of historical periods, of large spaces, and of prominent personalities. Little is
known about the sub discipline of local history. Local history is the study of
the history of a particular community or a smaller unit of geography. Local
historians study the history of local institutions like churches, the local
economies, local heroes, and local events. Thus, it is a broad and dynamic
field of inquiry that aims to have an in-depth understanding of a certain
locale.
Local history can serve a balancer of tendencies by showing the
peculiarities in certain locales in a particular nation, region, or continent. It
can provide new and alternative interpretations on the different aspects of a
nation’s history and also facilitates a historical narrative from the. Thus,
local history is not just aimed at opposing the discourse in the national
histories but is also a tool for enriching these national narratives.
Doing local history is not an easy task. Historians are often faced with
challenges in locating sources for local and specific objects of study. Sources
abound on subjects of national importance but tend to be scarce on local
subjects. So, this limitation should encourage historians to innovate and
recreate local history methodology and this is oral history. Oral history is
important in the midst of scarcity in written sources, historical documents,
and other material evidences. This method uses oral accounts of historical

29
subjects, witnesses, members of the communities and primarily relies on
memory. Memory is seen as something that is faulty and inaccurate;
therefore, positivist historians should criticize the methods of oral history.
Oral history is important in writing the history of underprivileged
sectors and communities like the urban poor or indigenous people for it left
out on records. Historians therefore search for alternative methods that will
capture the experience and collective pasts of these communities. Local and
oral history are important endeavors in the development and enrichment in
the discipline of history toward a more holistic, inclusive, and progressive
study of the past.

History through Historical Shrines and Museums

There exists venues where we can experience history, and these are
through historical shrines and museums. These venues for living history
provide us a certain level of authority and trustworthiness that could impact
the way we view the past. Through interacting with artifacts such as World
War II rifle or the clothes of a Filipino hero which give us better imagination
of the past that goes beyond the mere letter and words we read and
painstakingly memorize. Experiencing these artifacts directly will make
historical events more real for us that will aids with retention of the learning
later in life.
Historical shrines and museums serve as portals to the past. It is
essential to do a background reading on the place when planning to visit so
that you may know what to expect and you can situate the importance of the
place. You should also look for historical marker which put up by the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP, or formerly
National Historical Institute or NHI) because they provide you the basic
details on what makes a certain site historical. These markers ensure that
the site where it is located is of historical and cultural value to the nation.
Shrines and museums are a lot more interactive now, aided by the
available technology. Therefore, this is the great chance to watch the videos,
listen to the sounds and enjoy the experience which will make you analyze,
interpret, criticize and evaluate these artifacts.

30
 History of Municipality of Naguilian, La Union

Originally part of Pangasinan, its name is derived from the Iloko word “Nag-
ili-a”, which means the place where people from other places come to stay.
“Nag” is a prefix which denotes past action, “Ili” means town and “an” is a
word which modifies the word “ili”. Putting the three together, it becomes
“NAGILIAN”. This was later modified as “NAGUILIAN”.

Naguilian has an area of 8,740 hectares. It is bounded on the northwest by

the City of San Fernando, on the Northeast by Bagulin, on the west by the
town of Bauang, on the south by Aringay, on the southwest by Caba, on the
Southeast by Sablan, Benguet and on the east by the town of Burgos.

Due to increasing population density, a barangay of immigrants drifted to

the shore of La Union and begun building the town of Bauang at the south of
the river, now called Bauang River, and settled thereat. Hundreds of years
passed and the population increased. The families who had small land to till
migrated to new territories. They found a valley at the back of the river and
then reached the fertile valley of Naguilian, then still part of Bauang. They
built a colony at the fork of the two rivers and began developing the territory.

The Catholic Church in Naguilian was constructed in 1739 after the

Spaniards established their authority thereat. The centennial of the Catholic
Church was held in 1839 which marked the separation of the town of
Naguilian from the town of Bauang.

When La Union was created as a province in 1850, Naguilian was one of the
twelve towns that formed the province.

Built in areas of the towns are generally clustered linearly around the
barangay roads. Agricultural land areas are situated in the valleys which are
planted with rice, corn, tobacco, sugarcane and other crops. Forest areas
command a large portion of land areas. Barangay Casilagan was declared by
the Bureau of Forestry as a potential watershed area.

Naguilian is also known for being the home of the original Basi where the
tradition of Basi making dates back to the World War II era. With the help of
the local government, this industry has been revived and is now one of the
main sources of income of the Province.

Aside from Basi, Naguillian is also known for its thriving woodcraft industry
in Cabaritan Norte and Sur, Dallipaoen, and Al-alinao Norte while barangays
Bancagan and Daramuangan can boast of its bamboocraft industry.

31
 PROFILE OF MUNICIPALITY OF
NAGUILIAN LA UNION

Endowed with rich natural resources,

Naguilian is largely an agricultural town.
Its fertile land yields rice, tobacco, root
crops, vegetables and sugarcane which
produces two of the municipality’s famous
products, vinegar and basi. The original
Iloco basi, Naguilian’s sugarcane wine is
incomparable in its sweet and robust taste. Aside from sampling the wine,
visitors may also get a glimpse on how it’s made by visiting the Naguilian
Agricultural Complex.

Hike and rejuvenate the senses at Tuddingan Falls, Sangbay Falls, and San
Antonio Mini Rice Terraces or meditate in the serenity of St. Augustine
Church and Mary Consolatrix Monastery. Head over to Barangay Lioac
where some of the best silver products are made or head over to the town
center at Barangay Ortiz, where woodcrafts, leather products and knitted
garments are also sold.

Naguilian is easily accessible with buses regularly plying the Naguilian

Highway to and from Baguio City and La Union. The town holds its Basi
Festival from May 1 to 8, simultaneous with St. Augustine’s Pastoral Fiesta
every 5th of May.

QUICK FACTS
Land Area: 10,086.85 hectares
Population: 50,000
Number of Barangays: 37
Classification: First Class Municipality
Average Annual Income: Php 76,533,560.26
Politically Subdivided into 37 Barangays

32
 BARANGAYS IN MUNICIPALITY OF NAGUILIAN, LA UNION

Aguioas Gusing Norte

Al-alinao Norte Gusing Sur

Al-alinao Sur Imelda

Ambaracao Norte Lioac Norte

Ambaracao Sur Lioac Sur

Angin Balecbec Mangungunay

Bancagan Mamat-ing Norte

Baraoas Norte Mamat-ing Sur

Baraoas Sur Nagsidorisan

Bariquir Natividad

Bato Ortiz

Bimmotobot Ribsuan

Cabaritan Norte San Antonio

Cabaritan Sur San Isidro

Casilagan Sili

Dal-lipaoen Saguidan Norte

Daramuangan Saguidan Sur

Guesset Tuddingan

33
 The History of Luna La Union

The Town of Luna was formerly

called Namacpacan. “Namacpacan”
is an ilocano word which means “one
who had given food.”

Based on early records, Namacpacan

was a visita (a settlement with a
church but is visited by non-resident
clergies whose headquarters are at
the cabecera) of Purao, now Balaoan,
as early as 1587. It was a
settlement along the camino real
(national road) from Vigan to Manila and travelers stopped and refresh
themselves at that place. The era of restaurants was not yet introduced
during that time, and so the families of that town offered the travelers food
and shelter, hence, the name of the place.

The settlement grew and on November 25, 1690, Namacpacan was founded
as a town ans parish with St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and martyr, as
patroness. Since then, the town and patronal fiesta have always been
celebrated every November 25. The original site of the town was in
Darigayos, as settlement with a small cove which served as a harbor for sea-
going vessels. In 1741, the parish was transferred to the place where it is
now.

The town of Luna has become a by-word especially among catholic devotees
because of the several miracles that are attributed to our Lady of
Namacpacan. Our lady of Namacpacan is a beautiful image of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. It was in 1871 when a galleon that came all the eay from
Mexico to deliver a statue of the Blessed Virgin to the Immaculate
Concepcion Seminary in Vigan, Ilocos sur, stopped by Darigayos to sek cover
from the stormy weather. According to traditional accounts, when the storm,
is over, the galleon could not proceed to its destination because the sea
became rough and unnavigable whenever the crew launched the vessel.
They decided to bring the statue to Vigan by land. While making
preparations, the statue was brought to the convent. The church at that
time was undergoing repairs on the damaged portions brought about by a
strong earthquake.

The following morning when the trip to Vigan was commence, the men could
not move the statue from the place where it stood. Fray Camilo Naves, an
Augustinian priest, interpreted this as a message that the Blessed Virgin
wanted her statue to remain in the parish. Negotiations were made with

34
Church authorities who ordered the statue from Spain. It was agreed that
the Catholics from Namacpacan would reimburse all expenses incurred and
the parishioners contributed joyously and generously to the extent of selling
portions of their fields to raise the amounts. An altar at the northern portio
side of the church was constructed to house the statue of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, Our Lady of Namacpacan.

On October 18, 1906, during the incumbency of Governor Joaquin Luna and
Namacpacan Mayor Primitivo Resurreccion Novicio, the name of the town
was changed to Namacpacan to Luna by virtue of Philippine Commission Act
No. 1543. It was the first town that altered its name since the creation of the
province in 1850. The change was based on the request of the municipal
council which was subsequently approved and endorsed by the Provincial
Board of La Union, in honor of the famous Luna brothers: Antonio, the
General and Juan, the Painter, whose mother Doña Laureana Novicio Luna,
was a native of the locality.

During the Liberation period or the later part of the Japanese occupation,
the general headquarters of the United States Armed Forces in the
Philippines, Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL) was transferred from Alibangsay,
Bagulin to Daringayos. Here, a military camp name after American solider
Private Grafton Spencer was established. At Camp Spencer, the USAFIP-NL
planned their operations and mapped out strategies for the capture of
General Yamashita. It was also at Camp Spencer where Yamashita was held
prisoner before he was executed at the Los Baños Prisoner of War Camp.

Darigayos was likewise the landing site of the United States Navy submarine
named “GAR” that unloaded 25 tons of ammunition, arms, communication
equipment and supplies for the USAFIP-NL. This rendezvous, only seven
kilometers from the nearest Japanese garrison in Balaoan, was coordinate
and supervised by Major Parker Calvert of the USAFIP-NL with the
cooperation of the Filipino-American forces and the townspeople of Luna.

The main occupation of the people is agricultural farming. Rise is planted

twice or thrice a year in some areas. In between cropping, people plant
vegetables and root crops. Next to farming, fishing is the most important
occupation of the residents of Luna especially the inhabitants along the
coastal areas. Various kinds of fishes and different species of edible sea weed
and sea shells abound in the seawater of Luna.

Other source of livelihood, especially along the coastal barangays, is stone

picking of different sizes and colors. These stones have found market not
only in the country but also abroad,

35
Luna is also home to the famous Ilocano delicacies bibingka and tupig.
Damili products (clay products) of various kinds are made in barangay
Barrientos.

List of Barangays in Luna La Union

Alcala Magsiping Rimos No. 3

Ayaoan Mamay Rimos No. 4

Barangobong Nagrebcan Rimos No. 5

Barrientos Nalvo Norte Rissing

Bungro Nalvo Sur Salcedo

Busel-Busel Napaset Santo Domingo Norte

Cabalitocan Oaqui No. 1 Santo Domingo Sur

Cantoria No. 1 Oaqui No. 2 Sucoc Norte

Cantoria No. 2 Oaqui No. 3 Sucoc Sur

Cantoria No. 3 Oaqui No. 4 Suyo

Cantoria No. 4 Pila Tallaoen

Carisquis Pitpitac Victoria

Darigayos Rimos No. 1

Magallanes Rimos No. 2

36
Tourists Attractions

Luna is also known for its beaches, particularly

in Nalvo Sur and Darigayos. Beach shades,
cottages and resorts are found in these
barangays. The municipality is also known for its native delicacies and
pottery products which are comparable to San Juan's. The town is a
pilgrimage site as it enshrines the Apo Baket Namacpacan, a wooden Marian
image.

On the beach of barangay Victoria rests the ruins of an old Spanish watch
tower, locally named as Balauarte. The tower was intended to guard the
shores of the town primarily from Muslim and pirate attacks during the
Spanish period. During World War II, the tower served as the communication
tower post for a temporary airfield for the USAFIP-NL forces. Due to years of
quarrying within the site of the tower (1980 to 2000), the coastline receded
and sea waves severely damaged the foundation of the tower, which
eventually caused major damage to its structure. At present, efforts were
initiated to preserve the tower from further damage.

37
HISTORY OF SAN FERNADO CITY LA
UNION

San Fernando was founded in 1786 (the

“cabecera” or provincial capital-seat of
La Union province in 1850). The City’s
origin, San Vicente de Balanac and San
Guillermo de Dalangdang, the 2 settlements during Spanish times, were
attacked by pirates and headhunters.

In 1759, Augustinian friar, Padre Jose Torres fused these 2 settlements to

Pindangan (dry fish),. where a church with San Guillermo the Hermit as the
patron saint. This Church is now the Cathedral of St. William the Hermit. A
massive 1860’s earthquake destroyed the church which was later rebuilt.

In the 1896 revolt until in 1898, the Spanish garrison of San Fernando was
attacked by Filipino insurgents under Manuel Tinio y Bundoc and Mauro
Ortiz whereby, the Spaniards were finally ousted.

In the First World War, the last battle of San Fernando was fought during the
Japanese occupation at Barangay Bacsil. The Bacsil Ridge Monument was
built on the site in the city (northwestern portion of the Town Plaza) The
victory ebabled the establishment of the United States Army Base, Base M at
Poro Point (a build up area for the Japan invasion). The town was liberated
in 1945.

38
 List of Barangays in San Fernando City La Union

Abut Cadaclan

Apaleng Calabugao

Bacsil Camansi

Bangbangolan Canaoay

Bangcusay Carlatan

BarangayI (Poblacion) Catbangen

BarangayII(Poblacion) Dallangayan Este

BarangayIII (Poblacion) Dallangayan Oeste

BarangayIV (Poblacion) Dalumpinas Este

Baraoas Dalumpinas Oeste

Bato Ilocanos Norte

Biday Ilocanos Sur

Birunget Langcuas

Bungro Lingsat

Cabaroan (Negro) Madayegdeg

Cabarsican Mameltac

39
Masicong Poro

Nagyubuyuban Puspus

Namtutan Sacyud

Narra Este Sagayad

Narra Oeste San Agustin

Pacpaco San Francisco

Pagdalagan San Vicente

Pagdaraoan Santiago Norte

Pagudpud Santiago Sur

Pao Norte Saoay

Pao Sur Sevilla

Parian Siboan-Otong

Pias Tanqui

Tanqui

40
 Tourist Attractions

 Poro Point
o Poro Point Special Economic and Freeport Zone [1] (formerly
American Military Base – Wallace Air Station)
o Thunderbird Resorts
o Boardwalk
 The La Union Botanical Garden (8 kilometers from the city) – is a
10 hectare garden (Barangay Cadaclan), the home of various species of
rare plants and a sanctuary of wild animals.
 Battle of Bacsil Ridge Marker
 Pindangan Ruins (Barangay Parian)
 Hobbitat Forest Park
 Poro Point Baywalk (Brgy. Poro)
 Seven Hills
o Capitol Hill (Barangay II) home of the Provincial Capitol
o Pagoda Hill also known as Filipino-Chinese Friendship Park or
Chinese Pagoda (Barangay II)
o Heroes’ Hill & Freedom Park Stairway (153 steps) located at the
eastern portion of Capitol Hill
o Bethany Hill (Barangay II)
o Mirador Hill (Barangay II)
o Mariner's Hill (Barangay Catbangen)
o Miracle Hill (Barangay Pagdaraoan)
 Christ the Redeemer (25 foot statue, Reservoir Hill, Barangay I)
 Poro Point Lighthouse

41
 Moro Watch Tower (Barangay Carlatan)
 La Union Science Centrum & Museum (LUSCM has 5 Galleries:
Kadaklan Burial Site and Environmental Gallery, Museum, Dark
Room, Main Science Gallery and Portable Planetarium (Barangay
Cadaclan)
 Ma-Cho Temple
 Tomb of Unknown Soldier (Barangay Madayegdeg)
 Cathedral of St. William the Hermit (Barangay II, Poblacion)[2]
 Kasay Marine Sanctuary: 30 hectares MPA, featuring the 50 years
old Giant clam or Tridacna gigas (Barangay Canaoay)
 Children’s Park (Barangay II, City Plaza)
 10.6 hectares Engineered Sanitary Landfill (Barangay Mameltac) [14]
 La Union Trade Center (beside the City Hall)

42
43