Historiography and History: Comprehensive Study Notes (Philippine History)

Meaning and Definitions of History

History is said to be the “mother” of all disciplines in the social sciences.
It is the “chronological record of past significant events” (Webster’s vest pocket dictionary, Springfield; Merriam Webster Inc.).
History can mean narrating one’s own experience (Oakeshott, 2003).
It may also mean an account of one’s own interpretation of past experiences or “the subjective process of his own re-creation of the past events” (E. H. Carr, 2009).
Carr (2009) also defines history as “an inquiry conducted by the historian in the series of past events into which he digs” (referred to as “history-as-actuality” by Gottschalk, 1969).
There are multiple ways to discuss history; at least $3$ approaches to historiography are identified: (1) history from above, (2) history from below, and (3) pantayong pananaw.

History from Above

Historically regarded as the realm of the powerful: the ruling class, the famous, the colonizers, and the wealthy.
The perspectives and actions of ordinary people were often considered insignificant and not worth mentioning as history.
Example: Chronicles written by explorers after invasions could be considered “history from above.”
Case: Fray Juan de Plasencia, an Italian priest sponsored by the Spanish king, wrote the book “Customs of the Tagalogs,” describing daily life and the social classes of early colonial society.

History from Below

Emerged as a counter-movement to “history from above,” emphasizing the perspectives of the oppressed and marginalized.
Disregard for ordinary people's history led to the rise of the “history from below” movement.
Associated with British Marxist historian E. P. Thompson and German historian Hans Ulrich Wehler (via Ka-May Cheng, 2012).
This movement asserts that workers, women, immigrants, and minorities have their own respective stories.

Pantayong Pananaw

Aims to write national history from a Filipino perspective: history written by Filipinos about Filipinos, using Filipino standards, and interpreted exclusively by Filipinos.
Bagong Kasaysayan is an offshoot of this philosophy (Reyes, 2002).
Prof. Zeus Salazar argues that Filipino history becomes more meaningful when re-written, described, and narrated by Filipinos themselves (Reyes, 2002).
Key point: Pantayong pananaw situates the story of Filipinos as interpreted through their own culture and heritage; the first two approaches are foreign-origin; Pantayong pananaw is Filipino.

Historiography: Definition and Scope

Historiography refers to the writing of history using any of the approaches defined above.
It involves historical writing culled from many sources to avoid biases.
Definition (Howell and Prevenier, 2001): the writing of history, a study of its methodology, and the sources used by the historian.
Sources may be categorized as: documents, relics (or remains), artifacts, or testimonies of witnesses to the past (Howell & Prevenier, 2001).
Documents include ordinances, letters, written laws, statutes, resolutions, personal data, testimonies, etc.
A sample historical artifact: Magellan’s Cross (as part of material culture in Cebu).

Testimonies and Non-Documentary Evidence

Testimonies refer to oral and written reports describing an event; may include speeches, commentary, or remarks by nobility about a historical event.
If sources are insufficient, researchers may supplement with other material or non-material sources.
Testimonies could be recorded, becoming documents.
Relics/Remains are immovable objects (e.g., buildings, ruins, churches); artifacts are portable items (e.g., eating implements, cooking devices, work implements, fossils).
Example mentions: Manunggul Jar (Tabon Cave, Palawan); Magellan’s Cross (Cebu).
These objects provide clues about the past simply by existing in a place.
Pyramids in Lima, Peru example illustrates how artifacts and relics help understand inhabitants’ skills and purposes for construction.

Historiography as a Field of Study

Historiography is the writing of history, a study of its methodology, and the retelling of one’s own significant experiences.
Understanding history becomes more exciting as one learns to identify different sources of history.

Sources in History

Historians rely on evidence (records) that survived through time to reconstruct the past.
Historical Method (Candelaria and Alporha, 2018): process of verifying sources, dating them, locating their place of origin, and identifying their intended function.
Historical Source types include two broad categories:
- (a) Primary Sources
- (b) Secondary Sources
Other classifications include: (a) written and non-written, (b) published or unpublished, and (c) textual, oral, or visual sources.

Primary Sources

Definition: a source of historical data described as first-hand; raw and unprocessed; close and direct connection to the subject under study.
Provides the participant’s point of view and contemporaneity.
Notable quotation by Louis Gottschalk (1969):

"Only a part of what was observed in the past was remembered by those who observed it; only a part of what was remembered was recorded; only a part of what was recorded has survived; only a part of what has survived has come to the historian’s attention; only a part of what has come to their attention is credible; only a part of what is credible has been grasped, and only a part of what has been grasped can be expounded or narrated by the historian."
Examples in the provided material include eyewitness testimonies, government documents, letters, personal data, etc.

Secondary Sources

Definition: a source of historical data that has undergone filtration and interpretation by others.
Information has been screened, interpreted, organized, rephrased, judged, and simplified to create accessible materials.
Examples: history textbooks; printed materials (serials, periodicals) that interpret prior research.

Other/Mixed Sources

Mixed sources contain both eyewitness accounts and statements from others (family members, secondary narrators).
Examples include diaries and newspapers (local or tabloids), community newspapers.
Rizal’s Notebook is an example of a primary source often accessed through secondary channels.
Angono Petroglyph and other visual artifacts may appear alongside written records.

Historical Criticism: External and Internal

Before using evidence, historians apply historical criticism to verify reliability.
External criticism involves dating, locating origin, and identifying purpose or function; internal criticism assesses credibility, consistency, and consistency with other sources.
The goal is to ensure sources are trustworthy and contextual.

Why Should We Study History?

History is a record of past significant events; it helps us understand who we are, our roots, ancestry, culture, heritage, and the legacies that shape us.
It provides a basis for current governance policies and laws; development plans are crafted with knowledge of the past.
History is past lessons; learning from them helps avoid repeating mistakes and to aim for a better future.
Bantay Kasaysayan (organization of history professors) summarizes this as: “Ang kasaysayan ay mahalaga kung ito’y magagamit sa kasalukuyan upang magsilbing paalala, at babala, kung ito’y pahahalagahan upang mapatigil o mapahinto ang katanghan (katangahan) ng kahapon na maulit pa sa ngayon at sa hinaharap.”
This translates to using history as a reminder and warning to prevent repeating past folly in the present and future.

Takeaways

History is a record of past significant events; it can be eyewitness accounts, declarative records, or retellings by non-participants.
Historiography is the science of writing history and its methods, with at least $3$ approaches: $3$ approaches = history from above, history from below, pantayong pananaw.
Sources for writing history are five kinds: primary source, primary testimony, secondary source, secondary testimony, and others (mixed sources).
These sources include documents, records, statutes, photographs, birth and death certificates, artifacts, relics, and others.
Understanding and studying one’s past is relevant because governance policies and laws are based on historical knowledge; it helps prevent mistakes and informs a better future.

Exercises Summary (Primary vs Secondary)

The lesson introduces an exercise to identify whether statements/sources are Primary (P) or Secondary (S):
Examples include love letters, veteran testimonies, biographies, encyclopedia descriptions, diaries, newspapers, videos, speeches, government memoranda, etc.
The exercise underscores the distinction: Primary sources are first-hand and unfiltered; Secondary sources have undergone interpretation and filtering; Mixed sources combine elements of both.

The Path Forward in Historiography

Students are encouraged to identify a primary source from the lesson that could be used in writing their life history and to explain why it qualifies as a primary source.
The course emphasizes practical application of source evaluation and critical thinking in historical writing.

References

Candelaria and Alporha (2018). Readings In Philippine History. Rex Bookstore, Manila, Philippines.
Evangelista, Oscar L. (2002). Building the National Community: Problems and Prospects and Other Historical Essays. New Day Publishers, Inc. Quezon City.
Gottshcalk, Louis (1969). Understanding History: A Primer on Historical Method. A. A. Knopf Publishing, New York.
Howell, Martha and Walter Prevenier. (2001). From Reliable Sources: An Introduction to Historical Methods. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York.
Ka-May Cheng, Eileen. (2012). Historiography: An Introductory Guide. Continuum International Publishing Group. London, England.
Reyes, Portia L. (2002). Pantayong Pananaw and Bagong Kasaysayan in the New Filipino Historiography: A History of Filipino Historiography as an History of Ideas. Unpublished doctorate dissertation. UP Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.
Additional sources and photo-attributions referenced throughout (e.g., Manunggul Jar, Magellan’s Cross).