CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

Short Semester | Academic Year 2024–2025

READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

HIST 1013

Prepared by:

HIST 1013 INSTRUCTORS

Reviewed by:

CLAIRE T. GUMARANG, MAEd

Political Science and Social Science Department Head

Recommended by:

HERBERT S. CORPUZ, Ed.D.

Academic Dean

Approved by:

LUISA B. AQUINO, Ed.D.

Vice President for Academic
 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
HIST 1013: Readings in Philippine History
Academic Year 2024–2025

Lesson 1: Meaning and Relevance of History

Topic: Meaning and Relevance of History

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Interpret various definitions of history;

2. Differentiate between the traditional and contemporary definitions of history.
3. Discuss the importance of studying history in understanding human experiences, cultural
identity, and societal development.

Lesson Proper:
Human beings in the face of the planet have different actions and interactions with the
occurrences of their physiological needs and environmental change. Most of the time, they act in
accordance to the humanistic needs like thirst and hunger that possibly lead to the development
of their cognitive skills to think on how to meet the needs that being endured by their biological
structure.
Human have invented the spears and bow and arrow to kill an animal for food to ease
their hunger, and molded a mud into a cup like the shape of their palms when they fetch fresh
water from the river. These innovative particular actions are possible product of their creativity on
how to kill an animal for food without risking their lives in an apparent attack or danger, and on
how to keep fresh water in their dwelling areas by imitating the shape of their palm into a cup
made of mud.

Your Thoughts!

“History is not just a catalogue of events

put in the right order like a railway
timetable.” – A.J.P. Taylor

What does the line above mean?

Explain in a layman’s term to better
understand its meaning.

Please proceed to the worksheet of this

module
 MEANING OF HISTORY
What is History? How is it different from other disciplines or other forms of writing? How
is it the same?
History is……
- a recitation of unrelated facts that do not contribute to a larger
story.
- an agreed upon set of facts or a forever-fixed story that is never
subjected to changes and updates.
- a simple acceptance of what is written about a historical topic,
event or person
- a simple historical chronology of famous dates, incidents and
people.
- a strict reliance solely on the past with no examination of how
the past has influenced the present or how it may influence the
future.
- about one absolute truth, one particular perspective, or one set of facts and figures.
- a chronological storytelling in its finest form; it sequentially weaves together many related
historical and contemporary events and ideas that linked to a larger story.
The following are the etymological definitions of history:
Historia (Greek) – Knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation

➤ This definition emphasizes that history is a result of asking questions and investigating facts.
It shows that history is not just about memorizing events, but about understanding them through
careful research and analysis.
Historia (Latin) – An account of the past of a person or of a group of people through written
documents and historical evidences

➤ This highlights that history involves recording and interpreting past events using reliable
sources. It suggests that history is based on documents and evidence that help us reconstruct
what happened and why.

Now that we understand the etymological roots of the word history, it is important to explore how
the concept of history has evolved over time. The meaning of history is not fixed. It changes
depending on the period, perspective, and purpose.

Traditional Definition of History Contemporary Definition of History

 History is the record of the past.  History is the reconstruction of the
 History is a record of the human past past based on available written
from the time written records began to records, oral history, cultural artifacts,
appear. and folk traditions.
 It is the study of events and
developments concerning people in
the past.
 It basically involves collection,
analysis and synthesis of limited
available materials

The traditional and contemporary definitions of history show how the discipline has grown from
simply recording past events to critically reconstructing the past using a variety of sources.
While traditional history focused mainly on written records, contemporary history embraces a
wider range of evidence, including oral traditions and cultural artifacts. This makes the study of
history more inclusive, analytical, and reflective of diverse human experiences.
 WHY STUDY HISTORY?
History- both knowledge of the past and the practice of researching and making sense of what
happened in the past- is critically important to the welfare of individuals, communities and the
future of our nation. According to [Link], the study of history is essential for the
following:
To Ourselves:
Identity- History nurtures personal identity in an intercultural world. History serves as the
trademark of a group of people, distinguishing them from the rest wherever they
are. This distinct identity is unique and you carry with it a profound superiority.
Critical Skills- History teaches critical 21st century skills and independent thinking. The
practice of history teaches research, judgment of the accuracy and reliability
of sources, validation of facts, awareness of multiple perspectives and biases,
analysis of conflicting evidence, sequencing to discern causes, synthesis to
present a coherent interpretation, clear and persuasive written and oral
communication and other skills(processhistory, 2015).
To Our Communities:
Vital Places to Live and Work- History lays the groundwork for strong, resilient communities.
No place really becomes a community until it is wrapped in
human memory: family story, tribal traditions, and civic
consciousness. By way of analogy, even in the bible, the
famous story of the prodigal son illustrates that nothing in
this earth is more precious than the love of a family to a son
who became astray because of material interest. History
would probably bring us to the old memories of the
significant things in the past.
Economic Development- History is a catalyst for economic growth. People are drawn to
communities that have preserved a strong sense of historical
identity and character (processhistory, 2015). Learning from the
many mistakes of our ancestors, we have to really move on and
make a change. History is perhaps attached to our old culture and
beliefs that many would not want to go away. Economic growth is
somehow related to how people effect change such as for
example the old manner of farming and doing things.
To Our Future:
Engaged Citizens- History helps people craft better solutions. At the heart of democracy is
the practice of individuals coming together to express views and make
 action. Students of history become better individuals when they see and
perform their vital roles in the community. When young people go out of
the shells and start engaging themselves to the many programs, activities
and the like of the community, then we can truly say that they are
engaged citizens of their respective place.
Leadership- History inspires local and global leaders. History provides leaders with
inspirations and role models for meeting the complex challenges that face our
communities, nations, and the world. Our national politics can speak of this.
Many of the highest officials of the government started as local leaders such as
mayors, governors etc. This would only show that local governments are the
training grounds of future national leaders.
Legacy- History, saved and preserved, is the foundation for future generations. History is
crucial to preserving democracy for the future by explaining our shared past
(processhistory, 2015).Nothing beats history. We may die. Our ancestors may
die but the only legacy they can leave behind is their experiences and good
stories which are worthy of emulations.

HISTORY DIFFERENTIATED
a. History vs. Past
The past is not the same as history. The past involves everything that ever happened since
the dawn of time- every thought and action of man or woman on earth, every leaf that fell in the
tree and every chemical change in this universe and others.
History by contrast, is a process of interpreting evidence or records from the past in a
thoughtful and informed way. It is the narrative that gives meaning, sense, and explanation to the
past in the present.
b. History vs. Prehistory
History and prehistory show differences between them in their nature and substance. The
main difference between history and prehistory is the existence of records.
c. History vs. Herstory
The word “history” is etymologically unrelated to the possessive pronoun his. Traditionally,
history has been defined as “the study of the past as it is described in written documents.”
Feminists argued that is has been men (“his” “ story”) who usually have been the ones to record
the past.
Herstory, by contrast, is history written from a feminist perspective, emphasizing the role of
women, or told from a woman’s point of view. It is a neologism coined as a pun with the word
“history” as part of a feminist critique of conventional historiography, which in their opinion is
traditionally written as “his story”, e.i., from the masculine point of view. What about women?
Should an event in the past was written down be called “herstory?”(“History,”2018; “Herstory”,
2018)

***END of LESSON 1***

 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
HIST 1013: Readings in Philippine History
Academic Year 2024–2025

Lesson 2: Historical Sources

Topic: Historical Sources

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance;

2. To apply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and
analyzing existing historical narratives;
3. Examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences and sources.

Date Topics Activities or Tasks

August 31 Special Holiday National Heroes Day
September 1-2 Read and analyze lesson on Primary and
Secondary Sources
Read and analyze lesson on Importance of
Historical Sources
September 3 Accomplish learning tasks/activities
September 4 Quiz 1 and 2
September 7 Submit ALL accomplished learning tasks/activities
from Module 1 and 2

LEARNING CONTENT
Introduction:
This part of the module will give you the overview of the different kinds of historical
sources. But before we move to that let me give you the importance of a historical source.
Generally, these sources are considered as the most important research tools for historian.
Most historical source materials can be grouped into four basic categories: documents,
numerical records, oral statements and relics.
Modern historiography defines historical sources as any evidence left by past activities—
including written texts, spoken words, artifacts, and visual or material culture. These sources are
then classified as primary or secondary.
Lesson Proper:

“To be ignorant of what occurred

before you were born is to remain
always a child.”
- Marcus Cicero

Distinction between Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources
A primary source provides direct or first-hand evidence about an event, an object, a
person, or a work of art. These primary sources provide the original materials on which other
research is based and enable students and other researchers to get as close as possible to what
actually happened during a particular event or era. Published materials can be viewed as primary
sources as long as they come from the time period that is being discussed, and were written or
produced by someone with first-hand experience of the event. For instance, the stenographic
notes of a court trial and the news reporter’s account of the trial are primary sources. All physical
objects, including photographs, and cultural institutions and practices are primary sources
themselves and all accounts written about them by those who had actually seen and experienced
are primary sources.
History as an academic discipline heavily relies on primary sources, as evaluated by a
community of scholars, who report their findings in books, articles and papers. As one historian
says, “Primary sources are absolutely fundamental to history”. Generally, a historian capitalizes
on all available primary sources that were created by the people involved at the time being
studied. In reality some sources have been destroyed, while others are not available for research.
The most reliable eyewitness reports of an event may be memoirs, autobiographies, or oral
interviews taken years or even centuries ago. Manuscripts that are sources for classical texts can
be copies of documents, or fragments of copies of documents. For this reason, history is usually
taught in schools using secondary sources.
Historians who are into publishing academic articles with fresh or new perspectives prefer
to go back to available primary sources and to seek new ones. Primary sources, be it accurate or
not, offer new inputs into historical questions and most modern history dwells on archives and
special collections for the purpose of finding useful primary sources. It is then essential to classify
the sources to determine its independence and reliability. In context such as historical writing, it
is indeed advisable to use primary sources but in the absence of one, the author may use the
secondary sources with great caution.
Determine if Primary Source
Ask yourself:
1. Was it produced, written, or painted during a specific time period?
2. Did the person live during the time or event?
Different Kinds of Primary Sources:
Literary or Cultural Sources:
1. Novels, plays, poems (both published and in manuscript form)
2. Television shows, movies, or videos
3. Paintings or photographs

Accounts that describe events, people, or ideas:

1. Newspapers
2. Chronicles or historical accounts
3. Essays and speeches
4. Memoirs, diaries, journals, and letters
5. Philosophical treaties or manifestos

Information about people:

1. Census records
2. Obituaries
3. Newspaper articles
4. Biographies and autobiographies

Finding information about a place:

1. Maps and atlases
2. Census information
3. Statistics
4. Photographs
5. City directories
6. Local libraries or historical societies

Finding information about an organization:

1. Archives (sometimes held by libraries, institutions, or historical societies

Three Types of Written Sources

1. Narrative sources or literary sources tell a story or message. These include diaries, films,
biographies, leading philosophical works and scientific works.
2. Diplomatic sources include charters and other legal documents which observe a set
format.
3. Social documents are records created by organizations, such as register of births and tax
records.
Secondary Sources
Secondary sources generally describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze,
evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. These secondary source materials can be
articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly
journals that discuss or evaluate someone else’s original research. All writings by people who
have never experienced nor observed personally the objects and have based their writings upon
the information gathered from those who have knowledge of the events are secondary sources.
In historiography, when a study of history is subject to historical scrutiny, a secondary
source becomes a primary source. The historian’s publication can likewise be a primary source.
Documentary films are considered secondary or primary sources depending on how much the
film maker modifies the original source.
Whether a source is regarded as primary or secondary in a given context may change,
depending upon the present state of knowledge within the field. For example, if a document refers
to the contents of a previous but undiscovered letter, that document may be considered ‘primary’,
since it is the closest known thing to an original source, but if the letter is later found, it may then
be considered ‘secondary’.
Determine if Secondary Source
Ask yourself:
1. Was it produced, written, or painted after a specific time period?
2. Did the person live after the time or event?

Examples of Secondary Sources:

1. Books with endnotes and footnotes
2. Reprint of artwork
3. A journal or magazine which interprets or reviews previous findings
4. Conference proceedings
5. Literary Criticism
6. Book reviews
Importance of Historical Sources
1. Useful in writing and learning history
2. Can be useful in doing historical research that is important in establishing historical truth.
3. However, a student should not scrutinize these sources to avoid deception. Rather, the
student must dwell on internal and external criticism.

External Criticism
The practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining its physical
characteristics. This also refers to the genuineness of the document a researcher used in a
historical study. Some questions that illustrate external criticism include: Who was the author,
what was his/her qualifications, personality, and position? How soon after the events was the
document written and how was the document was written and is it related to other document?
Internal Criticism
This is the examination of truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the
document to determine its authenticity. This is referred to as the textual criticism, it involves factor
such as competence, good faith, position, and bias of the author (Sanchez, 1980). It also involves
determining the intention of the source of data while external criticism conducts document
analysis using science.
 To simplify, the authenticity of the document is determined by external criticism, whereas
credibility is established by internal criticism.
The purpose of criticism is to validate historical sources that tend to manipulate conclusions which
are indeed deceptive in the analysis and study of history. We don’t entertain lies in studying
history.
*** END of LESSON 2***
 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
HIST 1013: Readings in Philippine History
Academic Year 2024–2025

Lesson 3: The Tabon Caves and Callao Man

Topic: Repositories of primary sources and different kinds of primary sources which
examines the topics in:
 Robert Fox, The Tabon Caves
 Armand Salvador Mijares,Callao Man

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Apply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and
analyzing existing historical narratives.
2. Examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences and sources.
3. Explain the importance of history in the social and national life of the Philippines.

Introduction:

The first kind of sources relies on remains that offer the researchers a clue about the past
simply by virtue of their existence. The wooden columns found at the date of a prehistoric
settlement testify for example to the existence of people and tell to historians something about
their culture. The pegs or dowels they used to fasten building materials further enlighten scholars
about their technical skills and artistic capacities. By comparing their artefacts with those with
other places historians can further learn something of their commercial or intellectual relations.

In contrast the testimonies are the oral or written reports that describe an event, whether
simple or complex such as the record of property exchange. The author of such testimonies can
provide the historians information about what happened, how and what the circumstances the
event occurred and why it occurred.

The primary responsibilities of the historians to distinguish for readers carefully between
information that comes literally out of the source itself. To examine the different historical facts in
our history we try to see a glimpse of some of the writings of well-known historians and evaluate
the manner on how they presented the different historical events.
Lesson Proper:
THE TABON CAVE
by Robert B. Fox

Who is Robert Bradford Fox?

He was an anthropologist and leading historian on the prehispanic Philippines. Fox

actively served the National Museum of the Philippines
from 1948 to 1975. In the 1960s, he led a six- year
archaeological research project in Palawan, focused
mainly on the caves and rockshelters of Lipuun Point in
the southern part of the island. Its most outstanding site
is the Tabon Cave complex, the large main cave where
the only Pleistocene human fossils in the Philippines
were found.

The Tabon Cave

During the initial excavation of Tabon Cave, June and

July 1962, the scattered fossil bones of at least three
individuals were excavated, including a large fragment
of a frontal bone with the brows and portions of the
nasal bone. These fossil bones were recovered at the
rear of the cave along the left wall. Unfortunately, the
area in which the fossil human bones were recovered
had been disturbed by Magapode birds.

It was not possible in 1962 to establish the

association of these bones with a specific flake
assemblage, although they were provisionally
related to either Flake Assemblage II or III.
Subsequent excavations in the same area now
strongly suggest that the fossil human bones were
associated with Flake Assemblage III, for only the
flakes of this assemblage have been found to date
to this area of the cave, the available data would
suggest that Tabon Man may be dated from
22,000 to 24,000 years ago. But, only further
excavations in the cave and chemical analysis of
human and animal bones from disturbed and
undisturbed levels in the cave will define the exact age of the human fossils.

The fossil bones are those of Homo sapiens. These will form a separate study by a
specialist which will be included in the final site report from Tabon Cave. It is
important to point out. However because of a recent publication (Scott 1969), that
a preliminary study of the fossil bones of Tabon Man shows that it is above average
in skull dimensions when compared to the modern Filipino. There is no evidence
that Tabon Man was "... amass brainy individuals..." (Scott 1969, 36). Moreover,
Scott's study includes many misstatements about the Tabon Caves. Always the
problem when writers work from "conversation."

Homo sapiens is unquestionably of great antiquity in Asia. The

Niah skull is securely dated to about 38,000 B.C., bring"...much the
earliest Homo sapiens (modern man) found so Far East" [Harrison
(1964) 179]. Tabon man may be tentatively dated to about 22,000 to
24,000 years ago. The controversial keilor cranium found near
Melbourne, Australia is claimed to date to about 16,000 B.C. [Shutler
(1865), 2; McCarthy 91961), 147].

Keilor cranium
The writer believes that the first major movement of Homo sapiens into the Philippines
occurred with the exposure of the Sunda shelf during the last glacial beginning, according to
various estimates, some 45,000 to 55,000 years ago, the land bridge of the
previous Riss Glacial, estimated as terminating between 100,000 to 130,000
years ago, would appear to be too early for any significant movements of
modern man into the islands at that time. Further excavations in Tabon Cave
and other areas of Palawan during 1969-70, the receipt of additional C-14
dates and more detailed geochronological studies of the Quezon area and
the rest of Palawan will greatly help to clarify the geologic events of the late Niah skull
Pleistocene in Palawan and their relationship to the upper Paleolithic
cultures.

Pleistocene is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago,
spanning the world's most recent period of repeated glaciations.
Riss Glaciation: the second youngest glaciation of the Pleistocene epoch in the traditional,
quadripartite glacial classification of the Alps.
Carbon 14 dating: a way of determining the age of certain archeological artifacts of a biological
origin up to about 50,000 years old. It is used in dating things such as bone, cloth, wood and
plant fibers that were created in the relatively recent past by human activities.
 But certainly history has an unending discovery of what might really happen in the past or
what might be the origin of the things around us. Like the recorded earlier species of the Homo
sapiens which was the Homo erectus who may have lived here in Cagayan Valley as early as
400,000 BC together with now extinct species like the pygmy elephant, rhinoceros, giant turtle
and crocodile. For many years we believe to Homo erectus as the oldest species of homos until
Professor Armand Mijares revealed the discovery on what we call now the Homo luzonensis found
inside Callao Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan.

CALLAO MAN
by Armand Salvador B. Mijares

Who is Armand Salvador B. Mijares?

He is a University of the Philippines Associate Professor Armand Salvador B. Mijares, who
led an international multidisciplinary team in discovering the newest human species here in
Cagayan Valley. The project that led to the discovery of Homo luzonensis was funded by the
Wenner-Gren Foundation, the Leakey Foundation Research Grant, and the University of the
Philippines via the Enhanced Creative Work and Research Grant in cooperation with the National
Museum of the Philippines, the Cagayan Provincial
Government, and the Protected Area Management Board-

Peñablanca.
His group started excavating in the year 2003 but later stopped for they did not find anything, for
Southeast Asian archeologist would only excavate cave sites up to two meters. But later in the
year 2004 when a discovery in Indonesian island was found it prompted Prof. Armand to dig
deeper, luckily little by little they are unveiling another account of history from the fossils that
they have discovered.
 This latest discovery uncovers another story in our history. For as we connect one from
the other, we will be able to know what possibly is the root of our ancestors.

*** END of LESSON 3***

REFERENCES
Textbooks

Amvida, M, Maliban, N., Ramos, O. and Umali, V. (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Jo-deh
Publishing

Galicia, R., Palencia, M and Solmerano, E. (2018). Readings in Philippine History. FASTBOOKS
Educational Supply, Inc.

Martinez, R. et. Al (2018). The Readings in the Philippine History. Mindshapers co. Inc.

Corpuz, R. et. Al (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Mindshapers co. Inc.

Online Reference

Process, [Link]

Imagine Easy Solutions (2014) Understanding Primary & Secondary Sources, retrieved from
[Link]
(2020)

Photograph Courtesy of © Callao Cave Archaeology Project. (2019, April 10). New species of
ancient human discovered in the Philippines. Retrieved September 01, 2020, from
[Link]
discovered-luzon-philippines-homo-luzonensis/

Encarnacion, A. (2019, April 11). UP-led international team discovers new human species in the
Philippines. Retrieved September 01, 2020, from [Link]
international-team-discovers-new-human-species-in-the-philippines/

Learning Materials

1. Worksheets (teacher-made)