OBJECTIVES OF RIZAL IN REWRITING PHILIPPINE HISTORY
To prove that Filipinos are civilized even before the coming of the Spaniards.
To awaken the consciousness of the Filipinos regarding the glorious ways of the past.
To correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to Spanish conquest.
ANTONIO de MORGA
Spanish lawyer and a government official during the 17th Century
Historical Anthropologist
Author of Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas
Wrote the first lay formal history of the Philippines conquest by Spain.
He is a doctorate in Canon and Civil Law
Rizal's choice of annotating Morga's work among all other early chronicles written by Spaniards is not
coincidental. Historian Ambeth Ocampo provides five reasons behind Rizal's choice.
The first reason, according to Ocampo, was the fact that Morga's work in its original Spanish edition was
rare. In fact, the original Spanish text had never been reprinted in full until Rizal published his
annotations in 1889.
Second, unlike other early Spanish chronicles written by ecclesiastics, Morga was a civil administrator
and therefore provided a secular view of historical events during the early Spanish colonial period.
This second reason relates to Rizal's belief that a secular account was more credible than those written
by religious missionaries, which is the third reason for his choice.
Fourth, it was more sympathetic towards the natives in contrast to the biased accounts written by the
friars.
Finally, Morga's work was a fitting choice because he was an eyewitness to historical events that
occurred in the Philippines during the period of early Spanish colonization.
SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS
The work consists of 8 Chapters:
Of the first discoveries of the Eastern islands
Of the government of Dr. Francisco de Sande
Of the government of Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa
Of the government of Dr. Santiago de Vera
Of the government of Gomes Perez Dasmariñas
Of the government of Don Francisco Tello
Of the government of Don Pedro de Acuña
An account of the Philippine island
Comparison of views between Morga and Rizal
Geography
MORGA
The Philippines was regarded as Oriental Islands by Morga, wherein these 'islands' are described to be
vast and noteworthy. Some of the known Islands were Luzon, Mindoro, Tendaya, Capul, Leyte, Samar,
Cebu. Mindanao, etc. As
RIZAL
The Island Tendaya, as annotated by Rizal, is difficult to determine since the island might relate to either
the chief Tandaya or rather the southeastern region of Samar known as Ibabao or ZibabaoIndigenous
People
Indigenous People
Morga
The natives of Luzon are tribes from which they cannot be assume to be safe, as they are bound of
pacifying in either good or violent means.
Natives such as Bisaya draws tattoo patterns first before putting black powder where to blood oozes
Rizal
They will always pick violence in response to those who do not submit to the friars until the government
is involved due of their cruel ways.
Rizal agreed to his views bound to the relations in Mindanao Island.
Clothing
Morga
They wore "Bahaque" around their waists, and their brows were wrapped with a potong.
Rizal
Bahag is a rich colored cloth and quite often with gold stripes and they put moro style like a turban.
Drinking
Morga
Native people consume a lot of alcohol. During wedding feasts, they all become drunk.
Rizal
Rizal cited Fr. Colin, who said that while it is common knowledge that they drink a lot, they can always
find their way home after a party or a feast, no matter how inebriated they look to be.
FOOD
MORGA
They prefer to eat salt fish which begin to decompose and smell.
The ordinary food of the natives is very small fish which they call "Laulau."
RIZAL
It is called "Bagoong" and all those who have eaten it and tasted it know that it is not or ought to be not
rotten.
It seems that Morga refers to "Tawilis" or "Dilis" which is eaten by natives in large quantities.
Government
Morga
There were no kings, queens, or lords to govern over the many barrios or provinces.
Rizal
It stated that the Philippine island at that time considered to have chiefs within its natives.
LIFESTYLE AND MORAL PRINCIPLES
MORGA
Men and women are money loving and in capitals so when there is a price, they yield.
Bathing their body on rivers or streams regardless of their age.
RIZAL
We find it everywhere in the world even in Europe.
Indios have hygienic customs which is the proper way of taking a bath.
Marriage family & Household
Morga
The groom provides a dowry that his parents gave him. Until she inherits from her parents, the bride
does not have anything.
The house where the parents and children lived is called bahandin.
The wife married to a native man is called Inasawa
Rizal
A Filipina wife supports her husband without being considered a burden.
In Tagalog, a house is called pamamahay.
It is then cited that Asawa is the counterpart term that Morga noted.
Religion/Healers
Morga
There was no priest or religious leader to deal with religious concerns. They believed in idols and
superstitions, which they were led to believe by the devil in order to predict whether the ill person
would live or die.
Rizal
There was a priest called Catalona or Baybayin
CUSTOM FOR THE DEAD
MORGA
They buried their dead in their own houses keeping their bodies and bone for a long time in boxes and
venerating their skulls.
RIZAL
We find it much more natural and pious to venerate the remains of our loved ones than those fanatical
martyrs whom we have no dealings and who probably will never remember us.
ECONOMY
MORGA
Cotton is raised through the island which they sell and trade as threads.
The natives of the islands sell the artifacts to the Japanese.
Igorots kept their golds buried in the ground.
RIZAL
They also have cotton and not just rice.
Rizal agreed, it is very interesting history shaped and valued with the price of one hundred offered for
one of them.
Rizal agreed.
System of Writing & Literature
Morga
It was determined that writing was commonly used across the pre-hispanic Philippines. That all Indios
could read and write their language at a basic level.
Rizal
Rizal stand its point that there is writing system, he went one step further and made an assumptions
that there was a great value of written literature in the Philippines.
Artillery
Morga
At the time, Governor Santiago de Vera had built an artillery workshop, which was managed by
Pandapira, an elderly indio.
Rizal
Panday Pira was described as an Indio who already knew how to build cannons before the Spaniards
arrived.
Ship-Building Industry
Morga
Filipino boats large enough to transport one hundred rowers on the border (vanda) and thirty troops on
top" were described (pelea).
Rizal
It was said that the Philippines produced ships of about 2000 tons with ancient techniques at the time.
He then went on to critique the environmental cost of Spanish boat construction.
FERDINAND BLUMENTRITT
•A historical use of hindsight
Strong anticlerical bias
