Chapter 6: Annotation of Antonio Morga's Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas

Antonio de Morga's "Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas"

A first-hand account of the early Spanish colonial venture into Asia

Mexico (1609)

Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas was published in ?

personal experiences

Morga's work was based on __________, or documentation from eye-witnesses of the events described. Moreover, as he tells the readers himself. survivors from Legazpi's expedition were still alive while he was preparing his book in Manila.

layman

As a lawyer, it is apparent that Morga would hardly fail to seek such evidence. It is the first history of the Spanish Philippines to be written by a ________, as opposed to the religious chroniclers.

(note: this term is a nonordained male member of a Church.)

conquistadors

Filipinos have found it a useful account of the state of their native culture upon the coming of the __________

(note: this term were Spanish and Portuguese explorers, soldiers, and adventurers who conquered and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Asia)

definite biases

Rizal noted that Morga has ________ and would often distort facts or even rely on invention of statements to fit his defense of the Spanish conquest.

1493 to 1603

Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas contains essays that describe events in the Philippine islands from _____ to ______, most notably in 1565. The author explores the political, social, and economic aspects of Spain and its colonies.

First Chapter - Of the First Discoveries of the Eastern Islands

Second Chapter - Of the Government of Dr. Francisco de Sande

Third Chapter - Of the Government of Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa

Fourth Chapter - Of the Government of Dr. Santiago de Vera

Fifth Chapter - Of the Government of Gomes Perez Dasmariñas

Sixth Chapter - Of the Government of Don Francisco Tello

Seventh Chapter - Of the Government of Don Pedro Acuña

Eight Chapter - An Account of the Philippine Islands

The book consists of eight (8) chapters namely:

Of the First Discoveries of the Eastern Islands

First Chapter

Of the Government of Dr. Francisco de Sande

Second Chapter

Of the Government of Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa

Third Chapter

Of the Government of Dr. Santiago de Vera

Fourth Chapter

Of the Government of Gomes Perez Dasmariñas

Fifth Chapter

Of the Government of Don Francisco Tello

Sixth Chapter

Of the Government of Don Pedro Acuña

Seventh Chapter

An Account of the Philippine Islands

Eight Chapter

Antonio de Morga (1559-July 21, 1636)

was a Spanish lawyer and a high-ranking colonial official for 43 years, in the Philippines from 1594 to 1604, and in New Spain and Peru.

20 years

Morga was president of the Audencia for ___ years

Audiencia

As Deputy Governor in the Philippines, Morga restored the ________, He took over the function of a judge or odor.

Dutch corsairs

Morga also took command of Spanish ships in a 1600 naval battle against _______, but suffered defeat and barely survived.

Sucesos

In the "______" he narrated the history of wars, intrigues, diplomacy, and evangelization

Rizal

_____ argued that the conversion and conquest were not 15 widespread as portrayed because the missionaries were only successful in conquering a portion of the population of individual islands.

He speculated that the people of the islands were economically self-sufficient and prosperous. Further, he was convinced that they had a dynamic community. Rizal asserted that the conquest of Spain contributed to the decline of the rich traditions and culture of the Philippine natives.

These and other misconceptions written by Morga, and of course, Rizal being an earnest seeker of truth himself, annotated the "Sucesos" so he could "objectively" describe the conditions in the Philippines when the Spaniards came to conquer the islands. Interestingly, this would not possibly materialize without the persuasion and support from his friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, who fittingly wrote the prologue of his annotated version.

economically self-sufficient and prosperous

Rizal speculated that the people of the islands were ____________ and ________. Further, he was convinced that they had a dynamic community.

decline

Rizal asserted that the conquest of Spain contributed to the _____ of the rich traditions and culture of the Philippine natives.

Cebu

Morga: "The first island conquered and colonized by the Spaniards was ______.

Sugbu

Rizal : "______, in the dialect of the country."

bahaques

Morga: "a strip of colored cloth wrapped about the waist and passed between the legs, so that it covered the privy parts, reaching half-way down the thigh; these are called ________."

Bahag

Rizal : "______, a richly dyed cloth, generally edged with gold among the chiefs."

Morga

Whose perspective?

"Winter and summer for the rains generally last in all these islands from June until September. The summer lasts from October to the end of May, with clear skies and fair winds at sea."

Rizal

Whose perspective?

"Morga considers the rainy season like winter and the rest of the year as summer. However, this is not very exact, for at Manila, in December, January, and February, the thermometer is lower than in August and September."

Morga

Whose perspective?

"... they prefer to eat salt fish which begin to decompose and smell."

Rizal

Whose perspective?

"The fish that Morga mentions does not taste better when it is beginning to rot; all, on the contrary, it is bagoong and all those who have eaten it and tasted it know it is not or ought not to be rotten."