05 Handout 3
05 Handout 3
05 Handout 3
SUMMARIZED READINGS
Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr.: The Pacto de Sangre in the Late Nineteenth-Century Nationalist Emplotment of
Philippine History
During the earlier conquest, Ferdinand Magellan did the blood compact with Rajah Humabon in hopes of
winning the trust of the natives of the pre-colonial era. Magellan helped Humabon deal with the Barangay in
Mactan, which led to Magellan's death and eventual retreat of the Spanish explorers.
Since Magellan's death, many explorers ventured forth. Every explorer, save Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, failed.
Upon his arrival, he did the blood compact, this time with Rajah Sikatuna of Bohol (Ocampo, 2013). This
eventually began the conquest of both land and faith to the natives, winning out the natives in their Pontifical
and Royal missions.
To the Spaniards, since they partook in the blood compact, they made a solemn oath to "help" their native
brothers and form an unbreakable brotherhood between nations, to which the pre-colonial Filipinos were
clueless of the deceit in this pact.
To the Filipinos, since the pre-colonial Philippines were wrapped in civil conflicts with other tribes and/or
barangays, the concept of divide et impera [Lat. divide and rule] was easily applied by the
Spanish conquistadores. And the blood pact that the Spaniards made enabled them to rally their native "allies"
to fend off their "rebellious brethren" of their noble cause.
• This was further explored by the ilustrados as a contractual agreement between Spain and the
Philippines, treating both parties as equals. This made the Filipinos swear an oath of loyalty to the king
of Spain and, simultaneously, had become Spaniards in essence (Aguilar, 2010).
According to the historians, the blood compact is a peace treaty between Spain and the pre-colonial Filipinos
so that the "sins of the past," i.e. Magellan's fleet, might be forgiven and start a new relationship since Magellan's
fleet are majorly Portuguese (since both Spaniards and Portuguese "looked alike"). This demonstrated
Legaspi's diplomacy and tact, as well as Sikatuna's trusting nature (Ocampo, 2013).
• They dismissed the argument posited by the ilustrados since the pre-colonial Philippines
was more than a warring cluster of diversified beliefs and cultures, which made them impossible
to be a united country even before the arrival of Spain -- and before the Katipunan.
Rizal was driven to do this research after completing Noli Me Tangere. He realized the importance of the past
to study and understand the present time by scrutinizing what has transpired and learned from them (Ocampo,
1998).
In the source, Morga wrote that the Sucesos's main objective was to provide a view for the Spanish readers of
their deeds in discovering, conquering, and converting the natives. It also explained how they have amassed
wealth from the various kingdoms from the conquered and converted indios.
• Rizal, however, argued that Spain hadn't conquered all since only several islands were conquered and
converted. As a testament, Mindanao was mostly unconquered by the Spaniards.
• At his dedication, Rizal hoped to reawaken the feelings of patriotism within every Filipino that might
come upon and read on his work.
Each page has at least two (2) annotations provided by Rizal, including typographical errors. He was fervent in
defending the culture of the pre-colonial Filipinos. This led to de Morga's observations being somewhat naïve
to the Filipino culture.
• This makes Rizal somewhat biased as well, considering that the study of history must be unbiased and
informative when appraising other materials.
• He also attacked the church, which somehow condemned the Roman Catholic religion. Catholicism
also bore great deeds to the country, including the passage of secularization and providing public school
education to the Filipinos.
Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr.: Cockfights and Engkantos: Gambling on submission and resistance
The cultural and social aspects of cockfighting and local beliefs in supernatural creatures (i.e., engkanto) in the
Philippines, especially on Negros Island, are examined in this chapter of Aguilar's book, Clash of Spirits.
According to him, these occurrences serve as symbols for broader conflicts in society between deference to
and opposition to colonial authority. Cockfighting is a representation of local defiance and deference to authority.
Cockfighting and belief in engkantos (supernatural beings) are cultural manifestations of rebellion and survival
in the face of oppression, and Aguilar connects these rituals to larger societal themes of dominance.
Rafael emphasized how the establishment of a colonial power dynamic relied heavily on confession. Filipinos
had to submit to the Spanish priests, who acted as a bridge between the local populace and the Christian God,
in order to confess. This procedure served as a kind of political control in addition to being a spiritual practice.
In order to establish moral and social authority, the priests urged Filipinos to reveal their darkest innermost
feelings and transgressions.
Rafael also talked about Filipino subversion and resistance in this confessional interaction. Native Americans
frequently used a variety of strategies, such as evasion or indirectness in their confessions, rather than fully
caving in to the demands of the colonists. By using these tactics, they were able to participate in the confession
while undermining its power, illustrating the intricate relationships between resistance and acquiescence under
colonial control. By demonstrating how the physical and metaphorical imposition of a foreign language aided
the colonial process by altering native identities and subjectivities, Rafael's work links confession to more
general problems of translation and cultural change.
Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr.: Romancing Tropicality: Ilustrado Portraits of the Climate in the Late Nineteenth
Century
The illustrations of José Rizal, Marcelo H., and others are examined by Aguilar. While living overseas in Europe,
del Pilar and Antonio Luna saw the Philippines' tropical climate. Their works show a complicated interplay
between the climate of their homeland and the story of Spanish colonization.
Aguilar talked on the ilustrados' reactions to European representations of the tropics as a place of both paradise
and decay. Instead of portraying the tropics as a place that encouraged indolence or backwardness, these
Filipino intellectuals adopted a romanticized vision of them as a wellspring of creativity and genius. For example,
in his well-known Brindis speech, Rizal complimented the tropical environment and attributed the creative
success of Filipino painters Juan Luna and Félix Resurrección Hidalgo to it.
But their impressions of the Philippines were also influenced by their experiences in Europe. The ilustrados
missed the warmth and comfort of the tropics while in Spain, and Aguilar emphasized their sense of isolation.
For example, Antonio Luna's works express his dissatisfaction with Spain's dry nature in contrast to the
Philippines' lush surroundings. Del Pilar also bemoaned the chilly, dismal Spanish winters and expressed
homesickness.
Thus, the study contended that the ilustrados' romanticization of the tropical environment of the Philippines had
two (2) functions:
1. It was a method to express Filipino identity and competence in reaction to colonial denigration, and
2. A critique of colonial governance.
Since they presented the Philippine environment as a facilitator of national greatness rather than a barrier, this
viewpoint on climate became essential to their anticolonial rhetoric. As a result, the ilustrados infused their works
against colonial power with political and cultural meaning by reflecting on the atmosphere of their homeland
through their experiences in Europe.
De Morga discusses the founding of Spanish towns, the early interactions between the Spanish and the native
population, and the expeditions of Spanish explorers such Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Volume 1. It details
important occurrences like the creation of Manila, the settling of Cebu, and the spread of Christianity. De Morga
talks on the numerous difficulties that the Spanish colonists had to deal with, including the need to appease the
native populations, pirate raids, and the Spanish crown's economic goals.
The text also examines the Catholic Church's involvement in colonization, emphasizing missionaries' attempts
to convert the indigenous people to Christianity. De Morga also gives thorough explanations of local
governance, customs, and interactions between the local aristocracy and the colonists.
Later historians, such as José Rizal, have cited and translated this work because they believe it is a vital source
for comprehending the early years of Spanish colonialism and the colonial past of the Philippines. As a Spanish
colonial administrator, De Morga's viewpoint provides important context for understanding the tactics,
achievements, and difficulties of Spain's Pacific imperial aspirations.
Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr.: Tracing Origins: Ilustrado Nationalism and the Racial Science of Migration
Waves
This study explores how, in the late 19th century, racial science influenced Filipino national identity. Aguilar
examined how ilustrados (i.e., educated Filipino elites), such as José Rizal, used European racial theories —
specifically, Ferdinand Blumentritt's migration-waves hypothesis — to create a sense of national identity and
history.
According to this 19th-century migration hypothesis, the Philippines was successively populated by waves of
racial groups, including Negritos, Malays, and Indonesians, each of whom drove the preceding group into more
isolated regions. To refute colonial narratives of Filipino inferiority, Rizal and his contemporaries accepted the
idea of a "third wave" of more "civilized" Malays, which they linked with themselves. Despite colonial depictions
of Filipinos as racially inferior, the ilustrados aimed to create an image of Filipinos as being able to attain the
same degree of civilization as their colonizers by associating themselves with this "advanced" group.
Aguilar, however, also criticized the discriminatory nature of this nationalist endeavor, which excluded
indigenous mountain peoples, Negritos, and Moros (i.e., Muslim Filipinos), who were viewed by the ilustrados
as "uncivilized" and hence not included in the nation-building narrative. The Philippines' conception of national
identity has been impacted for a long time by this racially biased approach to identity construction.
According to Aguilar's analysis, the ilustrados created a complicated legacy that entwined nationalism with
scientific racism. While they opposed colonial racism, they also strengthened some racial hierarchies in their
own quest for national identity.