READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

CHAPTER 1: MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

Introduction
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, the act in
accordance to their humanistic needs like thirst and hunger that possibly lead them to the
development of their cognitive skills to think on how to meet the needs that being endured by
their biological structure. Human beings might invent the spears, bow, and arrow to kill an
animal for food to ease their hunger, and molded a mud into a cup alike in the shape of their
palms when they fetch fresh water from the river. These particular innovative actions are the
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 freshwater in their dwelling areas by imitating
the shape of their palm into a cup made of mud. The cup, tears, bow, arrow served as the
extension of humans' arms and body as a straightforward machine that possesses power through
their inserted effort and force.
Human beings in the past also responded in the uncontrollable environmental phenomena like
volcanic eruptions, storms, tidal waves, rains, and thunders which gave them the feeling of fears
and danger that might lead them to think on how to protect themselves from all of those. They
learned to hide in the caves that provided them the feeling of security from volatile weather that
also serve as dwelling place that protected them from the scorching heat of the sun and dousing
raindrops. And eventually, living on the cave possibly give them the idea to build houses which
the shape is mostly like a cave.
Through the course of time across the oceans and continents on earth, the aforementioned
humanistic and natural phenomena might lead human beings to invent the first machine, to write
the first symbol, to domesticate animals, to plant and crop seeds, to stay in one place and stop
wandering, and eventually founded the first community that rose into civilization. They evolved
and continuously invented in accordance to their needs. Human beings through thousands of
years never stop innovating their tools to make their lives comfortable. They searched in every
corner of the world for the possible resources that they can use to meet their needs which in the
aftermath caused them to make wars and civilization. One civilization led the downfall to
another civilization; an empire colonized another empire; a kingdom destroyed nearby kingdoms,
and men declared war against his fellow men to have the resources for his multiplying needs.
Some of these occurrences are written in the history of human kind. History might be written on
the papyrus, walls, temples, coliseums, sphinx, obelisk, and other monumental relics of the past.
Ancient scribes and writers wrote the most critical event in their time for memoriam, but the
written texts eventually become the reference to understand the following events.

The present civilization has the glimpse of the past in so many referential books for them to
decide for the exciting events that happen in the past that shaped the present and possibly affect
READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

the future. The day after yesterday is significant for the people to understand why they are doing
a specific task in the present and how it will affect the coming days because the day after
tomorrow is also vital for humanity whom always want to leave a footprint through their
collective knowledge for the next generation. They want their legacy to be inherited and be used
by their predecessors for a belief that man live on earth in a glimpse of an eye and because of
this they want to be immortalized by time.
These are the reasons why humanity invented the social science of history that deals with the
study of past events. The past is intriguing and not only will you learn so much from it through
the process of exploration, research, and discovery. But you're also going to explore different
worlds, times, places, people and times. History lets you travel through a world of books,
documents, artifact, digital media, and images to places. Studying history is excellent at
developing attributes for life and a range of skills for employment, and it provides you with
curiosity and creativity to understand the world (UCCHistory).
Primary and Secondary sources
History is being written based on the actual evidence , manuscripts , and written documents
which provide sources of historical information . There are two categories of historical data:
Primary sources:
It provides direct or first-hand about an event, object, person, or the work of art .
It contains "first-hand" knowledge about historical events, figures, and people.
It provides compelling and direct evidence of human activity.
These are the things that were created or in use during the period which is being studied.
These sources are actual records that have survived from the past.

Secondary sources:
It is something that was not made by someone or by a group of people who participated
in the historical era which is being studied.
These are usually created by historians and scholastic writers based on their interpretation
of the primary sources.
These are sources of historical data which are created later or after the historical event
which is being studied and provided by the people who were not present in that event.
It describes, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process
primary sources.

Examples of Primary and Secondary Sources:

READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Evaluating Historical Data

There are two ways on how to examine historical sources for the scholastic writers and historians
to validate the authenticity of the sources that they have collected to be used as the reference of
the historical account that they are going to publish. These are Internal and External Criticism.
Internal Criticism
It looks within the data itself to try to determine the truth-facts and the reasonable
interpretation.
It includes looking at the personal data provider's apparent or possible motives.
It indicates the accuracy, trustworthiness , and integrity of the materials to which
historical data will be based.
External Criticism
It applies experimental science to certify authenticity of the material that holds the data in
which historical information will be based.
READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

It entails such physical and technical tests as the dating of paper when a document is
written.
It involves knowledge of when certain things existed, or it supports the claim whether it
is possible or impossible to exist.
It evaluates the authenticity and genuineness of data.
Internal and external criticisms are both critical in studying history for it is society's collective
memory. Every historian scrutinizes the evidence of the past to describe past events with
accuracy. Historians play a significant role in our society in the sense that they are the keepers of
the most critical events in the history of his generation and the previous generation.
Go says it is close related to the notion that history is a road to self-knowledge is the belief that
to comprehend the present, one must study the past. History is vital for understanding the issues
and problems that presently confront the world. Of course, this is not to say that history can have
the answers or solution to present day problems. To some extent, all historical events are unique
because history never precisely repeats itself. Even the study of close historical parallels will not
provide specific solutions to current problems. But to attempt to handle contemporary issues
without seeking to know the relevant factual background is highly undesirable and, perhaps,
dangerous.
As it is regarded that history is essential in protecting the true identity of a certain race, state, and
country every primary and secondary source that serve as a relics of the past must have
adequately evaluated through the process of science and thorough investigation with the aid of
internal and external criticism.
"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events are resemble
those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have
been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and does necessarily have the same
results." - (Niccolo Machiavelli)