 The problem that every historian confronts is that the evidence

they rely on is likely to be fragmented, incomplete and even

contradictory. The result is, each historian’s conclusions are
1. God - Psalm 33:12 influenced by the evidence they have selected from what is
 Only Christian nation in Asia. available and from how they interpreted it.
2. People  And from whatever a historian only has will be the only thing that
 most knowledge of God’s word he can use to connect him to the past.
 rich and unique cultural heritage Nature of History
3. Land 1. History is a study of the present in the light of the past.
 Philippines is rich of natural resources. 2. History is the study of man.
GENERAL INFORMATION 3. History is concerned with man in time.
The other names before “Philippines” 4. History is concerned with man in space.
1. Ma-yi - land of gold 5. History provides an objective record of happenings.
2. Maniolas - Greek mapmaker named by Claudius Ptolemy 6. History is multisided.
3. Archipelago of St. Lazarus 7. History is a dialogue between the events of the past &
4. Felipinas - named by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in honor of Crown progressively emerging future ends.
Prince Felipe. 8. History is not only narration but it is also an analysis.
5. Philippine Islands 9. Continuity and coherence are the necessary prerequisites of
6. Republic of the Philippines history.
Pearl of the Orient Seas - the most popular nickname for the Philippines 10. History is relevant.
Location 11. History is comprehensive.
• Y’ami – northermost island; Relevance & Functions of History
• Saluag – southernmost island 1. History helps us understand people & societies.
• Balabac Island - westernmost island; 2. History contributes to moral understanding
• Pusan Pt., - easternmost island 3. History provides identity.
Philippine Location is important because: 4. Studying history is essential for good citizenship.
1. It is the only Christian nation in the non- 5. History is useful in the world of work.
Christian Asian world; HISTORICAL METHOD
2. It is a melting pot of races and cultures;  The process of critically examining and analyzing the records
3. It is the bridge that links the oriental and Occidental worlds; and survivals of the past.
4. It is at the crossroads of Asia’s air and sea routes.  To study objectively (intention of acquiring detached and
5. It is the bastion of democracy in Asia. truthful knowledge independent of one’s personal reactions) a
National Territory of the Philippines thing must first be an object and must have an independent
 Islands resistance outside the human mind). Most of history is based on
 adjacent seas the human mind since most of history is based upon recollection
 submarine areas (written or spoken history).
 air space above  In reconstruction, only a part of what was observed is
Shape & Size remembered, only a part of what was remembered is recorded,
• 300,780 sq. miles – total land area of the Philippines only a part of what was recorded survives, only a part of what
• 7, 107 islands – archipelago survived comes to the historian’s attention.
• 2, 773 islands; 1, 190 islands  Only of a part of what is credible has been grasped, only a part
Definition of History of what has been grasped can be expounded and narrated by
• History was derived from the Greek word “istoria” which means the historian.
“knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation”. HISTORICAL SOURCES
• As a discipline it existed for around 2,400 years and is as old as Objects from the past or testimony concerning the past which historians
mathematics and philosophy. use to create their own depiction of the past.
Various Historians 1. According to Form
 “History is the record of what one age finds worthy of note in  Written Sources - Published materials (books, journals etc.) and
another.”---Burckhardt manuscript (handwritten and unprinted like archival materials
 “History, in its broadest sense, is everything that ever and memoirs)
happened.”---Henry Johnson  Non-written Sources -Oral history, artifacts, fossils, etc.
 “The value & interest of history depend largely on the degree in 2. According to Origin
which the present is illuminated by the past.” --- V.S. Smith Primary Sources
 “History is the story of man’s struggle through the ages against  Testimony of an eyewitness
Nature and the elements; against wild beasts & the jungle &  It must have been produced by a contemporary of that is narrated.
some of his own kind who have tried to keep him down and to It is a document or physical object written or created during the
exploit him for their own benefit.”--- Jawaharal Nehru time under study. These sources were present during an experience
History or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event.
Provides us significant records of events of the past, a meaningful story of Secondary Sources
mankind depicting the details of what happened to man and why it  Interpret and analyze primary sources
happened.  They are one or more steps removed from the event. Examples are
THE MEANING OF HISTORY printed textbooks.
 The English word history is derived from the Greek word “istoia” Historical Sources
meaning learning Historical sources - an object from the past or testimony concerning the
 According to Aristotle, history is the systematic account of a set past which historian’s use to create their own depiction of the past.
of natural phenomena whether or not chronological ordering  Written Sources: are published materials (books, journals etc.)
was a factor in an account, and this is considered as natural and manuscript (handwritten and unprinted like archival
history. As time passed, the equivalent Latin word “scientia”, materials and memoirs)
which is science in English later was used more to designate non-  Non-written Sources: Oral history, artifacts, fossils, etc.
chronological systematic accounts of phenomena. Primary Sources
 Presently, the word “history” means the “past of mankind”. • Testimony of an eyewitness.
History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. • It must have been produced by a contemporary of that is
 History in German is “Geschichte”, meaning, “that which has narrated.
happened”. This means that the word implies that history • It is a document or physical object written or created during the
teaches and we may learn from the lessons of history. time under study.
 With the definition of history, it brings man to a recognition that • These sources were present during an experience or time period
history cannot be reconstructed, that the past of mankind, much and offer an inside view of a particular event.
of it, is beyond recall. And that even the best of our memories Secondary Sources
cannot re-create our past.  Interpret and analyze primary sources.
 The reconstruction of the total past of mankind is the total goal  They are one or more steps removed from the event. Examples
of historians which, however, is unattainable. Historians will never are printed textbooks
really know everything that happened in the past. Kinds of Primary Sources
 A historical record
 Records of social observations
 Chronicles
 Human Fossils (remains of ancient man imbedded in the earth
such as bones, hair, skin etc.)
 Artifacts ( cultural evidences of man in the past such as tools and
implements)
 Records of Detective Investigations
 Royal Decrees and Laws
 Official Reports
 Maps
 Memoirs or Autobiographies
 Personal accounts: record of interviews
 Newspapers & Magazines: reports of correspondents
 Legislative journals
 Court Records
Repositories of Primary Sources
National Archives of the Philippines National Library of the Philippines

Both primary and secondary sources are useful in writing and learning
history. However, they need to scrutinize thoroughly these document to
avoid deception and to come up with the historical truth.
Other Repositories of Primary Sources are the libraries of various universities
in the Philippines such as the University of the Philippines, the Ateneo de
Manila Rizal Library and Museum, the American Historical Collection in
ADMU, and the University of Sto. Tomas Central Library and Museum.
Historical criticism
- Settles matters on the form and content of a source
External Criticism
Deals with the problem of authenticity: to spot hoaxes, fakes, forgeries and
fabrications.
Tests of Authenticity are:
 Determine the date if it is Anachronistic: a material, skill or culture
does not exist at that time.
 Determine the author in the uniqueness of his handwriting or
signature
 Determine the provenance or custody: genuineness
 Determine the Semantics, meaning of a text or word
 Determine the Hermeneutics, the ambiguities (the branch of
knowledge that deals w/ interpretation, especially of the Bible)
Internal Criticism
 It deals with the problem of credibility.
The tests of credibility are:
 Determine the Character of the Author, his reliability, and his
Ability and Willingness to tell the truth
 Determine the Corroboration, historical facts rest upon the
testimony of two or more reliable witnesses
Historical Method
The process of critically examining and analyzing the records and survivals
of the past
 The historian is many times removed from the events under
investigation
 They rely on surviving records
 History is a reconstruction