SUBJECTIVE OR OBJECTIVE?

This perspective would find few adherents today. It has become painfully obvious that no researcher is a blank slate. We all start with some fixed philosophy about what is true and what is not. It should not and can not be otherwise. All history is, in this sense, biased. Just like what one of the greatest Filipino historian talked about that “there is no such things in history as objectivity…”

Can any discipline truly be objective? Even in scientific subjects, scientists are drawn to certain subjects, issues and questions more than others, which may influence the way in which they interpret the results. Bias is even clearer when it comes to History because of the heavy reliance on primary sources, especially written documents. Humans are notoriously unreliable, and so any attempt to find out a single, universal truth is futile. Yet Historians have to put the pieces of the puzzle together in order to create a coherent narrative, even if this means focusing on specific issues at the expense of others.

Hence, an Historian goes to the primary sources available with ideas in their head about the issues that they want to research and the different avenues that they want to explore, but with an open mind about what the primary sources are likely to reveal. However, Historians cannot disassociate themselves from their underlying views and beliefs when it comes to interpreting sources.

Ultimately an Historian's job is to create a coherent narrative by utilising the documents and artifacts that have been uncovered. However, in order to create a coherent narrative, a certain amount of selectivity is required on the part of the Historian, which is clearly influenced by their overall intentions. Basically, the primary sources which do not neatly fit in with their overarching theories may be discarded, or only covered briefly. This paves the way for other Historians to come along and use those sources, as well as the ones already used, to enhance the Historiography available and maybe even to challenge a particular Historical theory.

It is impossible for Historians, and so History, to be completely objective. However, if the same primary sources are available to all Historians, they are each able to interpret the sources as they want. This builds up a substantial Historiography so that if there are flaws in the work of one Historian, there is potential for others to redress the balance. An Historian may take a particular political position, but they are always conscious of the fact that their work will be peer-reviewed, and so there is pressure to be as objective as possible within the framework available.

History is essentially about questioning the past. Historians can only work with the sources that are available, and so they are always going to be limited in the questions they can ask of them. Even though History can never be completely objective, it does not detract from the fact that History remains an extremely important subject which should be acknowledged as such.

History provides an overview of events that ultimately shaped the world in which we live today. History enables us to recognise the shared past which continues to shape our identities and helps cultivate a sense of belonging to society.

In this point of view, we can definitely say that in terms of asking such question on whether or not history is subjective or Objective, that question may answer quite easy as what this book point about. History of course is an objective knowledge. Thus, every evidences that may appear, every topic or problem statement that endure to our mind, there’s this bias statement that flows and wanted to proved about. But in the perspective of one of my Professor , she said that “there’s this subjectivity in studying history. And as much as possible you should look at history into a subjective form, without any biases”. Then I asked myself, on how can I look history as a subjective form of knowledge? He then answers my question. “You can write history by giving the good side and bad side of the story of the past.” In her answer, I, then realized that I can put the good and bad side of the story of the past.

When you read history, look for the objective facts and the subjective conclusion the writer draws from these facts. Look for which approach the writer is employing in their history. Look for what universal truths the writer is presenting. Historians do not always write what we want to hear so resist judging the content based upon personal ideology.

Remember that history gave us insight into who we are, who we can be, and a sense of our identity. Try to find the answer to those problems happened in the past, thus, then you can find the answer on the problem in our present, likewise for the following problems that may come up in the future. History as our identity gives us the sense of knowledge on looking back every single struggle that we had. We can look on the past while we are in the present, but we can never go back to the past to change our future. History may give us fear, changes, pride, and sometimes lead us to give up on some things that we have. But remember this, as long as you can handle yourself in choosing the right path, then history will be our handicap to show to the world that this fear would be our inspiration, that changes would be the hardest thing to do, the most useless asset is pride, and greatest mistake ever in our history, is giving up the things important to you. That’s the reason why our hero today is being celebrated the heroic deeds that they did. It’s because of the fact that they never give up the things that is important to them, and that’s independence and freedom.

In my daily living being a History student. I wonder myself, does history really repeat itself? If do, how?

Base on Clemente F. Rogers, an English Theologian, “History repeat itself, say the proverbs, but that is precisely what it never really does. It is the historians (of a sort) who repeat themselves.” I for one actually admitted this fact. It really does, that historians claim to study history, and telling everyone that history repeat itself, thus, what they really don’t know is that, they are the one who repeat telling the story of our past. As a matter of fact, in giving facts about history, you should as much as possible give new knowledge with regards to history. In our World History books, I for one disappointed in every aspect that Historians likewise authors of the book write history. For me, World History is not just the story of a few individuals and countries. As observation is concern, I have observed that our World History books and other books of history such as Asian History and even my own country history is just the story of a great man, their deeds, and everything about them. It is likewise the story of just a few countries.

Being a historian, it is our great responsibility to give such chronological detail on every history of the different country. If you’re an author of a book of World History, you should write the history of every single country in the world. Or just a history of every continent consist our world. Understanding the past appears to be a universal human need and the telling of history has emerged independently in civilizations around the world.

If your going to write the history of a certain country perhaps you should write the history of every state that that country consist. For the purposes of this survey it is written history recorded in a narrative format for the purpose of informing future generations about events. Thus, this would be a great deal to those studying History for them to know the real history of their country. Not just the period, not just the great men, but perhaps, every thing about their state and countries.

History, in its broadest sense, is the totality of all past events, although a more realistic definition would limit it to the known past. Historiography is the written record of what is known of human lives and societies in the past and how historians have attempted to understand them. Of all the fields of serious study and literary effort, history may be the hardest to define precisely, because the attempt to uncover past events and formulate an intelligible account of them necessarily involves the use and influence of many auxiliary disciplines and literary forms.

The concern of all serious historians has been to collect and record facts about the human past and often to discover new facts. They have known that the information they have is incomplete, partly incorrect, or biased and requires careful attention. All have tried to discover in the facts patterns of meaning addressed to the enduring questions of human life

A BITTER MAN in A CRUEL WORLD

Friendship is a term used in depicting for someone which is there in good or bad times. Friendships most likely are the backbone of every life. Without this, things may come up bad and your life is monotonous as ever. I have a lot of friends. But very few of them are real, and stay.


There are a lot of meanings regarding friendship. They say that they are your worst enemy as they know everything about you, and some say they are your reincarnated brothers and sisters. But how would you really know that this certain person is a friend or not? Simple, it is because a friend never forgets you in a paddle of trust and certainty. It’s when in years you have not made time, been separated by distance, have inevitably grown apart, and yet when you get to meet today, it feels like you’ve just last talked yesterday.

In a friendship a wasted moment can make you regret so bad, a single mistake can change your whole life from then you’ll see how the little things you ignore meant everything when they’re gone. If this very important thing would be gone for something imperceptible, then this would be the worst verdict you can come up regarding friendship. It’s like a dog. A dog would be the very best example for this. If you don’t correct them when they upset you, they will never learn how to treat you right. It’s like avoiding on something amiable, but remember in the span of life, avoiding something doesn’t mean that you hate it. It could also mean that you want it but you’re just unsure if that isn’t right.

If people say something bad about you, and judge you as if they know you, don’t get affected, just remember that “a dog won’t bark if it knows the person” and besides most of what’s being said about you by other people doesn’t really say of who you are, it says more about who they are. But honestly, whenever a person says something behind our back we find ourselves feeling incomplete and disturb our emotions. It just feels like, someone had stubbed us in our back without knowing it. But who cares? Those people aren’t really your friends. They are what you call “Fucking bullshit”. They are existing as it is what you call the survival of the fittest, that if you’re not like that, then in this world, you’re nothing. Remember this: “life is but an unending cycle of drudgery and toil, a ceaseless struggle for survival for the elemental right to just exist instead of truly living. Want is constant companion. Oppression is always close by. As for those interests intended to enhance the joy of living- these are total strangers. One cannot enjoy the sunset when he must worry about the oil to light the lamp when the darkness closes in”. It is what you called “Practicality.”

Practicality is not always bad, to the people bad to you and put you down. Just use it to the right person. But what more exceptional is the things who give the true value of your personality and attitude. Being true to yourself is like making fairytale in reality. It’s not like about accepting the real you, it’s about accepting you from who you’re not. And it’s about staying if you’re happy, and leave if you are not. It’s like, if it happens, it damn happens. If it wasn’t meant, it certainly doesn’t. Don’t push through, just let go. And dare not to mock yourself chasing and caressing for someone who didn’t even care to understand you. Guys I know it sucks, isn’t it? But you know what; it sucks a lot if you don’t give up. Love, value and care for yourself. It is because if you won’t, nobody would. Just be patient, as we know that these troubles produce patience and patience produces character. This make sense right? It’s like count the garden by the flowers never by the leaves that fall, and count your life with smile and not with the tears that roll and just count the blessings not the failure.

I, for one have a lot of failures in life. And every single one of them is tremendously hard to solve. Sometimes I even cry and just keep in silence for a moment. My friends are always asking on the things that I’m thinking. They want to help but they can’t do anything. Sometimes I’m thinking, if only there’s this magical genie that could help me out and have 3 wishes, I would wish for money, knowledge, and good future. Then my life is perfect. But it’s pretty impossible, because there’s no such thing. Until now, I would encounter new problem, and I admit it, it is my fault actually. They said that there are 3 things that person would encounter in his life, and it is permanent. First is life, the other one is death and the last one would be Problem. It’s pretty sad, but people must face it. Face the reality that these things really happen in our life. Just focus on the good times than the bad, just give more emphasis on the problem that shape and mold you than the things that put you down. Just remember that the hardships that you might be facing right now are just half of the amount of the happiness that you will experience in return. Righteousness in life is in the value of one’s self if you pursue the things which are truly precise, what I mean to say is that, a wrong thing is wrong even if everyone else is doing it; a right thing is right even if you’re the only person doing it. Don’t let other people affect your decision in life; it is always up to you on how you’re going to run your life. Run it for good, or ruin it that bad, Yes…people will care and try to shift you back to the right track, but always remember, at the end of the day, it’s always your choice that matters. It’s a matter of choosing what you love, then love your choice. And thus, it is your choice and destiny has nothing to do with it.

Someday, you’ll be alone and they’ll be gone, if that day would come, try to consider yourself lucky. Lucky in the sense that someone considers you as part of their lives, because not everyone has the opportunity to be loved as much, even if you are not at your best. Just continue the journey of being a channel of inspiration to every people. Because life is not a coincidence, it is an echo of what you invest. Everyone is a part of someone’s life, like a part of puzzle, that without doing your part it will create a gap or missing part. Remember this, “Every king was once a crying baby and every great building was once a picture. It is not about where you are today; it’s about where you will be tomorrow.”

I hope that this would be an inspiration to everyone. This might seem confusing, but if you’re a person who appreciates the true value of literature and art, you will know the real point of this.

Student Activism: An Ideology

Student Activism: Ideology that emerges in our Country


For more than a century, student movements have played a very important role among the agents of social changes. In some nations, students have succeeded in toppling governments on changing national policies. In other ways, they were instrumental in bringing about various cultural revivals. In our society being a developing nation in Asia, Filipino students were often instrumental in political and social and cultural developments. They provided inspired leadership to national liberation movements, political parties and a more local sphere, to labor organizations and cultural groups.

In the paradigm of the skeptic activist in our nation, today, the world is in great turmoil. Not only do we see war and destruction, but we also see growing poverty and hunger, the emergence of new slavery, and the ravaging of our ecosystem. Some have defined the modern world not in terms of technological advances but in terms of the growing gap between “rich” and “por.” This division of the world’s population is not simply economic but also social and political — i.e., a separation of world populations between those with basic human rights and those without. In fact, it is probably more accurate to describe today’s world not as a division between “rich” and “poor” but rather between “haves” and “disposable people”.

Student Activism defined by Fletcher as work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change[1]. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding. In some settings, student groups have had a major role in broader political event. This means, that student activist deals with these entire problems, not just in terms of education but rather the problem of our country. In dealing with this kind of problem at a very young age is pretty ironic, but for them, it is the reality that we should face. They believe in the philosophy that “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”[2]

Historically, in times of crisis, student activism has been a crucial force for social change. Students around the world have been at the forefront of movements to promote democracy and human rights. Student movements have toppled powerful dictatorships and military juntas. Student movements have ended wars. And student activism has often served as the conscience for nations, reminding people in times of turmoil of the founding ideals of their countries and the aspirations of all people for justice, dignity, and equality. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the world’s most repressive government’s jail and often murder student activists, close down college campuses during times of crisis, and enforce strict guidelines about what can and cannot be taught in school systems. Those in power understand the significance of student movements — often more so than student activists themselves[3].

Student movements gain power not because they are composed of militant and dedicated students. Student movements draw their power through the formation of strategic alliances with other sectors of society facing oppression, such as workers, women, and farmers and other dispossessed peoples in the countryside. By joining in solidarity with others, student movements gain the power necessary to transform society.

In order to form alliances with other sectors of society, students must educate themselves and others about issues facing these sectors. Thus, student activism is as much about educating and organizing as about engaging in actions such as participating in rallies and marches. Or more accurately, becoming an activist requires a new understanding about the relationship between educating, organizing, and acting. Unlike the traditional academic approach that separates knowing the world from interacting with it, activism requires rethinking the relationship between thinking and doing. Only in academia are knowing and doing regarded as separate things; in reality, knowing and doing are parts of the same process. In the course of everyday life, we are always simultaneously thinking and acting, and gaining wisdom and maturity is based on training ourselves to reflect constantly about our actions and to carry out actions based on an understanding of consequences and responsibilities. Becoming an activist helps each person become conscious of their role as an agent of historical and social change.

Thus, student activism is about social change and transformation. But is the focus of activists only on changing the institutions of society? No, it is not. Changing society must be done in tandem with changing oneself. Otherwise, activists within their own movements and in the new social institutions they create will simply end up replicating the same relationships of oppression that they are fighting. Nor can we wait until later — “after the revolution,” after the creation of new institutions, or after “we have gotten into power” — to address serious problems like poverty, corruptions, scandals etc. that plague human relationships. These issues must be addressed as part of our ongoing struggles to change the world. In other words, activism must be viewed as engaging in both social change and personal transformation simultaneously. We cannot change injustices in the world without also confronting and overcoming injustices in our own practices.

The pages that follow provide resources for current student activists and more detailed information for others interested in exploring the exciting challenge of student activism. Educate. Organize. And transform society and each of our lives.

Division in Student Activism

Unlike the militants, Student Activist believed that the best way to achieve needed change was to work within it by non-violent and legal means; not to destroy the system. In the beliefs of the activist, it may seem that they have same goals but base on this study, they have divided themselves into two. The two forms of activism are the following: [1] Radical Activist, [2] Conservative Activists. Radical Activism saw their lives as part of the national political affairs. They supported political parties and therefore it was not uncommon to include them in national mass demonstration and strikes. Hence, conservatives on the other hand, tended to see themselves as full time students preparing for a career. They were more likely to look upon their student lives as long-term investments toward well paying occupations. They were more concerned with technical, professional problems, and they were unhappy when their university life was marred by the participation of radical students in national politics.[4]

Draw a fine distinction between conservatives and the radicals who have tried to isolate one from the other. While the radicals talked of destroying the system, the conservatives talked of rebuilding it. The radicals strove to differentiate itself from the mass, while the conservatives tried to point to areas within the Philippine tradition which support the case and to build upon them. As regards goals, while the conservatives were responding to failures of Philippine society to cope with the problems in the society and with the emerging nations around the world, and hoping for the right leadership to influence public policy in the right directions, the conservatives sees Philippines response to the problems of cities and developing nations as being generically related to Philippines per se – to its culture, its values, its attitudes which may coerce the majority as effectively as its own minorities and minorities elsewhere.

Ideology in Terms of Education

Activism is essentially about raising awareness and promoting education to help liberate and empower our communities. Awareness and education open people to new ways of thinking and new ways of looking at the world around them. New ways of thinking enable people to confront and solve problems in different ways. What is needed in the current period is a new kind of education — an education for our liberation. On the one hand, this requires activists to expand the content of education by bringing to the forefront issues of globalization, environmental awareness, human rights, poverty and corruption, and a host of other topics to help people understand the world. But developing an education for our liberation goes beyond questions of content. It also requires activists to adopt a new approach to education — an approach that sees education as a process linked to organizing and centered on human interactions. In this kind of form of education, activist assures a lot of changes in terms of the beliefs and awareness of student. Just like in PUP we have asked some Activist in terms of Education.

“Oo ang edukasyon napaka-halaga… pero aanhin mo din ang edukasyon, kung mismong badget dito binabawasan pa ng gobyerno…. Dapat tayong mga skolar ng bayan, magkaisa para sa mataas na badyet ng ating paaralan…”

In terms of education, they believe that education is in priority in life, but how can they study if the facilities in their classroom are broke and in bad condition. They want a higher budget in education, not in war. They said that the Arroyo administration must have focused on the needs of the youth, as youth is the future of our country.

“Interviewer: Bakit marami sa inyo ang hindi pumapasok sa mga klase?”
“Activist: Sa totoo lang, mas Masaya kasi kaming kasama ang mga kaibigan naming ditto. Madalas tinatamad na kaming pumasok, kaya tumatambay na lang kami sa tambayan, pero meron din kaming parang lecture forum dun, yung parang binabanggit yung mga isyu sa ating bansa… Hindi naman kasalanan ng samahan namin kung marami sa amin ang hindi pumapasok, nasa desisyon pa rin yun ng bawat isa sa amin….”

In this interview, we have notice, that their organization is requiring them to go to class, but it is in their decision if they’re going to or not. Most of the time, they just hang out to their friends and enjoying themselves around. They told us that issue in our country are much more important that getting a 1.0 grade in class cards.

“ Marami din sa amin ayaw ng pumasok kasi yung mga propesor namin tamad din pumasok eh…. Magbibigay lang ng assignment tapos layas agad… Madalas ang galling galling pang mag-bigay ng test, eh hindi nga siya nagtuturo ehh… puro pareport lang”

Another reason would be the Professor, they told us that most of the time, their professor don’t attend classes and just giving such hard home works. They told us that it’s unfair on their part as the student, because their responsibility must put in priority, and that’s to teach us. But they can’t blame their professors, with a very low salary that they’ve receiving in this university. Most of the Professor has a part-time job in other schools just to satisfy their needs.

“Isapang nag-papahirap sa mga iskolar ng bayan, yung SIS na yan… Sa administrasyon ni Guevarra wala na siyang ginawa kung hindi magpatayo ng mga building na wala namang kakwenta kwenta… Dapat mas unahin muna nya yung mga pasilidad sa mga classroom…. Yung SIS na yan, dagdag pahirap pa sa mga mag-aaral”

They are also complaining about the SIS fee that the University had offered to reduce a long line during enrolment process. This SIS fee are for the students, that they can pay their tuition fee in the bank, and they can assure their grades because they’re not going to be enrolled if there professors have not yet given their grades. This has an advantage and disadvantage: Advantage in the sense that, Students are not going to fall in a very long line, and the process of their enrolment would not take a long time, maybe a day is enough. While disadvantage in the sense that this fee cost a lot of money that the student should also pay. They’re saying that we are our nation’s scholar and the government should pay for all those things. The government has the responsibility in giving our needs especially about our education.


Student Activist: An Organizer for Social Change

Ideas for social change come from individuals — or, more accurately, they come from individuals through discussions with others. Individuals can turn ideas into action, but truly effective action emerges from collective efforts involving large numbers of people at the grassroots level. In other words, social change hinges on the ability of individual activists to organize with others collectively. This requires not only the reaching of common goals and a common understanding of issues but also grasping the importance of forging new human relationships based on mutual respect and solidarity.

Thus, effective activists are essentially political organizers who have devoted time to keenly develop skills in bringing people together through community education and promoting interrelationships based on respect and solidarity.

We’ve discussed the importance of creating a new approach to education for our liberation. Here we focus on the role of activists as organizers who people together to create political strategies for social change and to forge new human relationships based on respect and solidarity.

Strategies for political change are strategies for political organization. Although each political situation is unique and must be appreciated for its uniqueness, all organizing strategies share several things in common. [1] They help people to analyze power relations in society and provide insights into how unequal relations can be changed. [2] They focus on uniting all who can be united around common goals and new human values. [3] They help people to connect specific political issues with broader issues; in other words, they enable people to understand the interconnections and interrelatedness between issues. [4] They emphasize the active involvement of people in the decisions that affect their lives; in other words, they enable people to discover the power within themselves to change their lives and to change society. In short, social change is not made by individual activists who devise strategies for manipulating or acting upon others. Social change occurs when activists through interactions with others enable people collectively to find the power within them to become active agents making their own history.

Organizing strategies develop from intense and ongoing discussions at the grassroots level among people striving to reach a common understanding of critical issues facing them and seeking to create a path for their own liberation. There are no magical shortcuts in this often difficult process, although people can draw from the accumulated wisdom of past generations and contemporaries around the globe involved in similar movements for social change.

It is fairly common in all grassroots political movements to hear some activists complain about apathy in their community. “The people just aren’t interested in fighting for justice. They don’t care. They don’t want to become involved.” Remarks like these should serve as warning signs to activists. They are warning signs that point not to the state of one’s community but about the thinking of the individual activists themselves.

They point to problems in not only particular organizing strategies but, more fundamentally, in the basic understanding particular activists of the overall process of organizing for social change.
Fighting for social change involves both organizing grassroots power to change the institutions of society and mobilizing one’s own courage to change oneself. Activism must be both institution-transforming and self transforming simultaneously. In the final section that follows.

Eradication of Social Problems
World history is littered with tragic stories of social movements for reform and revolution that after gaining some power transformed into institutions of oppression no different from the very forces of evil that they were opposing.

Common explanations focus on “human nature,” such as the corrupting influences of power (i.e., “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”)[5] and the degeneration of new leaders when faced with the realities of power. Similarly, some argue that oppression and exploitation are embedded in all human societies and cannot be eliminated; the best that can be done is to change the position of oppressors and oppressed, victimizers and victims. Still other explanations tend to rationalize corruption in social movements as a necessary stage in eradicating the old order. Behind all of these common answers is the belief that real social change is impossible and that oppressed peoples should simply accept their conditions of exploitation because the alternatives are no better.

However, the political degeneration of activists involved in social movements for reform and revolution is hardly inevitable. Truly committed activists recognize that participation in movements must be accompanied by a genuine dedication to transforming their own lives, their values, and their aspirations. We cannot wait until “after we have gained power” to deal with issues of poverty, corruption, and to much use of political power. We cannot decide to set up a hierarchy of oppression and address only what we consider the most important ones. We must realize that promoting a revolution in values and thinking is as critical for the process of social change as gaining power over the institutions that influence our lives.

In this period of our history, Filipino student activist face a special responsibility: that of not only engaging in our own self-transformation in the course of fighting for social change but also promoting the transformations in values and thinking of other Filipinos. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the last four of life, he called for a radical reconstruction of society and change economically and politically in values. Equally, communism reduces men to a cog in the wheel of the state. . . . The good and just society is neither the thesis of capitalism nor the antithesis of communism, but a socially conscious democracy which reconciles the truths of individualism and collectivism.”[6]

“A true revolution of values, will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies” and to “see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring[7]. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. Thus, this means that being a student activists, participate in rallies and militantly oppose the oppressive old world order, they must not push into the background the importance of transforming the values. That they must recognize the critical significance of spiritual values like compassion, generosity and community as “weapons” to combat militaristic world visions and corporate-driven material[8].

[1] Fletcher, A. (2005) Guide to Social Change Led By and With Young People Olympia, WA: CommonAction
[2] Robert Harris, “What Students Want: Activism without Rhetoric,” Reprinted Dialogue. Vol. 2 No. 2 pp.56-57
[3] Omatsu, Glenn, “Student Activism: Resource Handbook,” CSUN Associated Students “Week of Activism”, April 2002
[4] Glaucio A. O. Soares, “The Active Few: Student Ideology and Participation in developing countries, “Student Politics”, ed. Seymor M. Lipset: (New York Basic Books Inc. 1967), pp.124-27
[5] The Grolier Internatinal Dictionary, (Danburry Connecticut, 1983) pp.695
[6] Arturo Tolentino, “The Republic in Action, (Quezon City: Bookman Publishing Company, 1962) pp.79
[7] Edward Schwartz, “What Students Wants: A view for the liberal Left,” Reprinted from Dialogue Vol. 2 pp.94
[8] Omatsu, Glenn, “Student Activism: Resource Handbook,” CSUN Associated Students “Week of Activism”, April 2002 p. 5

Ang Kambal na Simbahan ng Bostillos, Legarda

Sa Pagdating ng mga Pransiskano

Noong 1576 nagbigay kautusan ang Hari ng Espanya na magpadala ng mga misyonaryong Pransiskano sa Pilipinas sa pamumuno ni Fr. Antonio de San Gregorio. Marami ang nabigla sa kautusan, ngunit nagbigay ng malaking halaga ang gobyerno ng Espanya upang makapagbigay suporta sa ekspidisyon gagawin.

Nagsimula ang ekspidisyon at nilisan nila ang Espanya noong Hunyo 24, 1577 at nakarating sa Mehiko sa tatlong buwan na paglalakbay. Sa kanilang paglalakbay, sari-saring problema ang kanilang naranasan, isa na dito ay ang pagmatay ng walong prayle dahil sa epedemya (Rodriguez; 1992, p.48). Dahilan sa kakulangan ng prayle na maipapadala sa Pilipinas, nangalap sila ng iba pang prayleng pransiskano sa Mehiko at nagsagawa ng panibagong ekspidisyon papuntang Pilipinas noong Marso 7, 1578 at nakarating sa Maynila noong ika-2 ng Hulyo sa parehas na taon. Ang labing-limang Pransiskano ay temporaryong nanatili sa pangangalaga ng mga Agustino bago sila mailipat sa panibagong distrito noong pyesta ng Birhen ng mga Angel noong ika-1 ng Agosto 1578.

Sa panahong nagdaan, itinuon ng mga Prayle ang kanilang atensyon sa pagpapakalat ng Katolisismo sa lungsod ng Maynila at maging sa mga kalapit lungsod nito. Nagpatayo sila ng mga simbahan sa Maynila, Lucban at maging sa Paete, Laguna (De Vera; 2005, p.11). Hinati nila ang kanilang samahan sa dalawahan upang magtungo sa iba’t ibang lungsod at ipakalat ang mga salita ng Dyos at gawing kristyano ang mga mamamayang Pilipino. Sila ang nagging guro sa mga katutubong Pilipino at tinuruan nila ang mga ito kung paano magsulat at magbasa. Sa pagtuturo ng mga salita, tinuruan din ng mga Pransiskano ang mga katutubo na intindihin ang mga doktrina sa bibliya.

Ang mga Misyonaryong Pransiskano sa Sampaloc

Noong 1613 nanatili ang mga Pransiskano sa Sampaloc dahilan sa masamang kalagayan ng San Francisco del monte, nagdesisyon si Fr. Blas de la Madre de Dios na manatili sa Sampaloc upang magtayo ng maliit na simbahan at maipakalat ang doctrina ng Kristyanismo. Isang mayamang nagmamay-ari ng malaking lupain sa Sampaloc ang nagbigay ng lupa sa mga misyonaryong Pransiskano at nagbayad sa pagpapagawa ng simbahan sila ay sina Don Pedro de Chavez at ang kanyang asawa na si Dona Anade Vera.

Bago ito maging isang kumunidad, nagging parte ito ng Sta. Ana. Ang kauna-unahang kura paroko ng Sampaloc ay si Fr. Agustin de Tordecillas, isa sa mga misyonaryong nagtungo dito dahil sa kautusang isinagawa ng Hari ng Espanya. Ibinigay niya ang kanyang buhay sa paglilingkod sa Birhen ng Loreto noong taong 1616. Makikita ang kabuuhang imahe ng Birhen ng Loreto sa sentrong altar ng Simbahan. Pinaniniwalaan na ang imahe ng birhen ng Loreto ay nagmula pa sa mga Espanyol na Pransiskano na nagtungo sa Europa.

Noong 1639, nagkaroon ng rebulosyon sa pagitan ng mga Tsino at mga Espanyol at sinunog ang Simbahan. Ipinatayo muli ito ni Fr. Andres de Puertoliano ngunit hindi ito nanatili sa dating kondisyon nito kayat naisipan ni Fr. Francisco de Santa Catalina ang pagpapaganda at pagsasa-ayos ng simbahan, naghanap siya ng mga taong kusang magbibigay donasyon sa Simbahan. Dahilan dito nagkaroon ng mas malaking lupain ang simbahan na kinatatayuan nito, at maging napabago ang kabuuhang hitsura nito. Ngunit ito ang nagsilbing bahay bakasyonan ng mga Pransiskanong prayle na nanggagaling pa sa mga probinsya.

Noong 1692 nagkamit ng kauna-unahang printing press ang ating bansa at pinagkaloob ito sa Simbahan ng Birhen ng Loreto. Nagkaroon ng napakalaking kontribusyon ang pagkakaroong ng printing press sa Simbahan dahil mas medaling naipakalat ang mga turo ng panginoon. Ngunit noong 1808, ay nagkaroon ng malaking pagkakautang ang simbahan at ibinenta ang printing press sa “Venerable Orden Tercera” (VOT, ang Pangatlong Utos na nagmula pa sa Arsobispo ng bansa.

Vernerable Orden Tercera (VOT)
Noong 1609 nagsagawa ng Pangatlong utos mula sa mataas na kapulungan ng mga prayle na maitatag ang tinatawag na Vernerable Orden Tercera (VOT) ito ay ang pagbibigay tulong sa mga misyonaryo at mga prayleng nagtutungo sa ating bansa, at mabigyan ng libreng tirahan at sahod sa pang-araw-araw. Layunin din nito na ipakalat ang doktrina ng Panginoon sa iba’t ibang kapuluan ng Pilipinas. At direktang sasabihin ang sitwasyon ng kanilang misyon sa mataas na kapulungan ng Vernerable Order Tercera. Ang Sampaloc ang nagging sentro ng Samahan.

Noong 1783 naging sentro ng relihiyong katolisismo ang Sampaloc sa kadahilanang ditto ipinatayo ang kauna-unahang opisina para sa Samahan. Naging aktibo ang samahan, isa sa mga naisagawa ng mga Pransiskanong prayle ay ang pagpapatayo ng isa pang maliit na simbahan sa tabi ng Simbahan ng Birhen ng Loreto noong 1794, upang magbigay pugay sa Nuestra Senora de Peregrina. Ngunit ito’y gumuho dahilan sa malakas na lindol. Pinasimulan ni Fr. Pedro A. Flores ang muling pagsasa-ayos ng Simbahan, ngunit natapos ito sa panunungkulan ni Fr. Ramon Cervices noong 1888. Nagpatayo din ng maliit na libingan para sa mga prayle si Fr. Cervices, kung saan ito ang nagging ekstensyon ng San Antonio at Bustillos Streets.

Si Fr. Cervices ang huling Pransiskanong prayle na nagtagal hanggang 1896 sa rebolusyong nasagawa. Ang mga layunin at kinalabasan ng misyon ng mga misyonaryong Pransiskano ay nagging matagumpay at nagkaroon ng malaking papel sa ating kultura at tradisyon.

Ang Simbahan sa Panahon ng Rebulusyonaryong Pilipino

Sa panahon ng Rebulusyonaryong Pilipino, nilisan ng mga Pransiskano ang mga simbahan at nagtungo sa simbahan sa Intramuros, marami sa mga simbahan ay pinabayaan dahil sa ang mga prayleng Pilipino ang namamalakad sa simbahan. Isang prayleng secular ang namahala sa Kambal na Simbahan ng Bustillos, Legarda sa panahon ng Rebulusyonaryong Pilipino.
Nang matapos ang rebulusyon, nagging malaking dagok ito sa mga regular na prayle. Dahilan sa digmaang nararanasan mula sa mga Amerikano, marami sa mga Prayle ang lumisan ng bansa at ipina-ubaya na lamang ang simbahan sa secular. Hindi na nila nagawa pang kunin ang simbahan dahilan sa pinapalisan na din sila ng mga Amerikano at maging mga Pilipino.

Ang simbahan ay pinanghawakan ng Secular ng prayle sa pangangalaga ng Arsobispo ng Maynila. Ngunit hindi nagawang makuha ng mga Secular ang mga posesyon at mga gamit na mayroon ang Commision ng Tertyaris.

Noong 1907 isang pagtatalo ang naisagawa dahilan sa pagkukuha ng posesyon ng mga kayamanang napapaloob sa VOT sa Sampaloc. Ayon sa mga Pransiskano, tanging sila lamang ang may karapatang mag-ako ng mga posesyon at lupain ng sampaloc na pinagtatayuan ng Simbahan. Noong ika-27 ng Abril 1909 ang disisyon ng “Tribunal del Registro de Propiedad” ay pumabor sa mga Pransiskano na nirerepresenta ni Fr. Caviedes.

Ang Simbahan sa Pagtatapos ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig

Sa pagtatapos ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig, lahat ng mga Simbahan na ipinatayo sa Maynila ay nawasak. Ito ay isang malaking dagok sa buhay ng mga Prayle, maging ang Simbahan ng Bustillos ay nasira at hindi na mapakinabangan sa laki ng danyos. Dahilan sa ang intramurous ang nagiging sentro ng mga Militar sa tuwing may gyera. Naisipan ni Fr. Mariano Montero na ilipat na lamang ang pagsasagawa ng simbahan sa Sampaloc. Dahilan ditto,a y inilipat niya ang Simbahan ng Sta. Ana, at maging ang rebulto ni San Antonio ng Padua sa altar ng Simbahan ng Sampaloc. Dahilan sa hirap ng buhay sa kapanahunan ng pagtatapos ng ikalawang digmaan pangdaigdig, mas dumami ang deboto ng simbahan at tuwing Martes ay nagsasagawa ng nobena sa misa. Pinangalanan din ang simbahan bilang “Shrine of St. Antonyo”, sa pagtutulungan ng mga mamamayan sa Sampaloc at Rev. Rufino Santos, na Arsobispo ng Maynila, ay naipatayo ng Kambal na Simbahan.

Nagpatayo din si Fr. Victorino Caballer ng maliit na simbahan sa tabi ng simbahan ng San Antonyo at pinangalanan itong “St. Francis Guest House”. Isa sa mga layunin ni Fr. Caballer ay gawing maliit na klinika ang unang palapag, at kainan ang ikalawang palapag, ang ikatlo at ikaapat ay pahingahan ng mga Prayle.

Si Fr. Roberto Manguiat ang itinalagang mangalaga nito, at noong 1967 na natapos ang pagpapagawa ng Simbahan.

Ang Simbahan Ngayon
Sa ngayon ay nagkaroon ng malaking papel ang simbahan sa pagtataguyod ng doctrina ng diyos. Si Fr. Wilfredo Benito ang itinalaga bilang tagapangsiwa ng Simbahan ng Birhen ng Loreto, habang si Fr. Romeo Floralde naman ang itinalagang humawak sa Simbahan ng San Antonyo.

Ngayon ay aktibo ang simbahan sa mga pyesta at mga misang naisasagawa tuwing Huwebes ang Linggo. Bukas din ang simbahan sa mga mangungumpisal. Nagpatayo din si Fr. Benito ng maliit na moseo katabi ng Simbahan.

Sa kasamaang palad ay maraming mga establi-semento ang naipatayo katabi nito. Marami ding mga tindahan ang nasa katabi nito. Ang labas na kaanyuan ng simbahan ay pinapaganda. Ngunit, gustuhin man ng simbahan na paalisin ang mga nagtitinda sa labas ng Simbahan ay wala naman itong maisagawa. Naging ani-palengke ang palibot ng simbahan. Nakalulungkot man sabihin, ngunit, mas nagbibigay pagpapahalaga na ang mga tao sa pera, at kinalilimutan na nila ang tunay na gawain ng Simbahan.

Sangguniang Aklat

Hirschkind, Charles (2004) “Civic Virtue and Religious Reason: A Catholic Counter-Public.” Quezon City
Parish Church of Our Lady of Loreto “Blessings of the Parish Church for Our Lady of Loreto” Manila, 1958
Pio, Trinidad V., “A Devotional to St. Pio Pretrelina. St. Francis of Asisi” Quezon City 1972
Rodriguez, Roberto L.,”The Church Jesus Built” (g.mag publishing Inc. 2006)
Thompson, J.P., “The Philippines in Christian World”, (W.N.) 1972

Artikulo
Ante, Oscar (OFM), “Saint Anthony Shrine Newsletter” November 23, 2001
De Vera, Ellalyn B., “Twin Churches in Bustillos Street as Manila’s Spiritual Beacons” Manila Bulletin (June 19, 2005)

Perspective in History

“History is our generation, our generation represents the past, present and future. Our generation writes our own History...” –Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.-

Science as we all know is the systematical body of knowledge, comprehension that deals with truth and fact[1]. Together with science, a body of knowledge emerges. Pact with the truth behind the facts at the same time proves the facts by means of clear investigation or inquiry. History is a branch of social science that traces the progress and development of man’s civilization from the ancient to the modern. It is largely a continuous flow of events, each giving rise to the others, a latter one being the effect of an earlier one, an earlier one maybe giving rise to a later one.

The word History comes from the Greek word Historia[2] which means inquiry or knowledge acquired by investigation. History from the other books refers as a branch of knowledge which deals with the study of past human experience on earth[3]. This is the account of how the people lived, what they did and said how they solved their problems, and what ideas or idealism and customs they developed.

Hence, history is the effort to reconstruct the past to discover what people thoughts, people deeds, their beliefs and actions, which continue to influence human life. In order to appreciate the past fully, we must put it into perspective so that we can understand the factors that have helped to shape us as individuals, the society in which we live and the nature of other peoples’ societies.

Everyone and anyone can study history, even if you are the most unsophisticated person in the world. Learning history is like learning from ones mistake and taking it as inspiration by giving you a chance to change it. In the sense that history is for everyone who wants it. History is for everyone who needs it. But before you get the presence of history, we should first acknowledge the people behind it. Most especially, the Historians whom examine primary sources, the first hand accounts of people who lived through the events, they are the people in the best position to know what happened and what may be happening. Historians normally use a variety of evidences in their research for an accurate understanding of the past and present. Basically, the documents written is being analyzed and given their own interpretation and recorded. Historians are like detectives. He or she must have the remarkable ability to find clues from the mountain of data or information gathered. In the quest of truth, the historians must seek out people who can help him obtain specific information, and must be able to separate out fact from fiction. It is not easy on becoming a well-known historian; he or she must possess an adequate academic background, but also an inquiring mind and a firm commitment to the truth. You should have skills, knowledge, and capacity and preserver attitude to accomplish these difficulties in making researches.



Base on Cicero, a Roman Statesmen:
History is the witness of the times, the light of the truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, and the messenger of antiquity”

As what I have said before, History is the truth and fact, it is our generation, a generation that grows and demonstrate, moreover, studied the ways of people living over the years that deserve to have attention, in the case of point are the reigns of monarchs, the careers of the great political figures, mighty soldier, and people whom change and give a big participation in our local history and change our civilization.

Remember that the study of History does not make you smart for the next time; but wise forever. As you start your journey through history, keep in mind that a single history account cannot summarize the nations past. The recording and resurrection of history relies as many sources, both primary and secondary. Our place in history is still evolving in a personal and collective sense. What better way to make a history as a study is by developing it and improving it, by looking forward in a new millennium and by reading and learning about the highlights of what brought our generation at this point of time.

I for one believe that it is in the awareness of our past accomplishments that we can measure our capabilities as a person. As historian, it is very important to secure our foundation for our contemporary institution. That it is the responsibility of them to rely on other non literary evidences. In nearly all periods of early history, people inscribed laws, treaties with other states etc. That in the face of the evidence historians must determine what is accurate and what is false or biased. They do so by taking the earliest information first. They compare various versions of particular events or large trends with one another. Some people who have left with evidences of the past were more intelligent or better informed than the other. Therefore, their testimony is preferred and strengthened by other writers who independently reported the same thing when two or more historians conclude that they present an accurate account of events.

For most people, the study of history has traditionally meant the study of their own nationality, religion, and ethnic past. It fully appreciated the great differences among various societies and the complexity of the historical problems surrounding these cultures. I have wondered if the study of local or national history is sufficient for people who will spend most of their lives in a small barometer of time. I believe that studying history in a broad and comparative context is an exciting, important, and highly practical pursuit.

History has a wide range of parameter, but it focuses more precisely on past. People thought history as a memorization subject. Memorizing the dates, people behind history and places similarly, happenings dealing in past. What they really don’t know is that, history is not just about memorization of those things but rather focuses basically on Analyzing and interpreting facts or data gathered. Since history is about change in time, a historical statement is about a process. To represent something as a process, it must be defined as being part of a relation prior to a definition of empirical specifics. The empirical qualities are secondary and emerge as a result of the causal relation. The point is that, if you, as a researcher can analyze and interpret history then, you also have the capability to empiric[4] documents which you believe are questionable. History as an empirical subject matter is quite challenging. As an Historian, you shouldn’t just believe on the basic principles other authors are claiming. It is also your responsibility to assure for the sake of the next generation historian that, that document may be invalid or fallacious.

In the basic principles of history, philosophers are claiming that history has its logical interpretation. This I believe is true! For the fact that I for one acknowledge the importance of logical interpretation in every statement, arguments and issues in history. Base on Sextus Empiricus, a well known philosopher:

“This we do affirm—that if truth is to be sought in every division of philosophy we, must before all else, possess trustworthy principles and methods for the discernment of truth. The logical branch is that which includes the theory of criteria and of proofs; so it is with this that we ought to make our beginnings”

In this statement given by Empiricus like philosophy, history may be affirmed by possessing the right methods and principles that may use in conducting research. You should always remember that in every theory that we may come up to, we should always obtain proofs (evidences and sources) before arriving into conclusion. If a researcher is not careful on his research, he/she may just arise on a dull or pumpy-lumpy idealism in history. We should always remember that there is always logic in every argument or proposition in history, before argumentative statement may approach, critics should always be at the side of it. Just like logic- which perhaps the study of methods and principles use to distinguish correct from incorrect reasoning[5].

Correct reasoning is useful wherever knowledge is sought. Whether in science, politics, and most especially in history, we use logical reasoning in reaching defensible conclusion. Hence, in history there’s always a premise and conclusion. Thus, the proposition used in an argument should support other statement. With that, the premise should support the proposition to come up into a justifiable conclusion and to support the argument per se.

Moreover, History consequently makes ideas, concepts, and principles as easy to understand as possible. With this in stating history, aside from using simpler language, it is necessary to include very clear and practical illustrations and framework of this ideas, concepts and principles. History per se also tries to explain their long struggle to forge a just society and unified nation out of many distinct cultures. Remember that no single work can hope to tell the full story of any nation. History as a subject matter is almost unparalleled diversity, in which change has occurred at such constant and dizzying speed that historical time seems almost to have accelerated—to task is particularly difficult. Nevertheless, history attempts to present as full a picture as possible of the remarkable story of the nation and its people.

When I was still in my 2nd year college level, one of my professors defines history as: the study of man’s achievement or failures since the dawn of recorded time[6]. As I’ve thought about this description of history, I have just realized that without people, history is none sense, that every people behind their doing is part of history. That history embarks upon to human itself, and that every individual and their doings is the center of the study. We cannot deny the fact that human being makes achievements and failures, that without failures there’s no achievement attach to it. That in every success theirs always disappointment but this failures lead us to become invulnerable and if people recorded this type of doings and happenings, history subsist.

History is the chronological account of man, as we carry on to our explanation of history, every history should be categorized in a chronological order or else, your research would be a disaster and hard to understand by readers. It’s quite easy to make a research but it’s tough to classify it and provide it with necessary details. In writing history, you can either write it through timeline or aspects and areas of history. This is the basic but this is the most effective. If you’re going to use the timeline, you can execute it by era or by century, while using areas and aspects such as periodicities, geographical location, military history, sociological, economical, people’s history, moral aspect, and even spiritual (religious) aspect is an excellent way of writing it, that readers may and could understand. This may elaborate every single detail, even very basic knowledge.

The immense thing about history is that, people define it as boring subject matter. I for one agree to this testimony! History is boring but yet interesting, of course, in reading history, you should be ready to imagine the happenings that written in the books of history.
The purpose of writing this book is for the people appreciating the value of history and even people disregarding the importance of history. People say that we don’t need to come back from the past as this thing is already done. But, since this thing is already over, we shouldn’t just move forward without learning from these mistakes. History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided. Things that we made with mistakes and trying to learn from it. This is the key to our success.

Base on one of the movie I so just now: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, that’s the reason why we call it present”. Every day that passes-by is history. But in every day that we live we need to record down those memorable things that had happened. That in every depository of great action should be recognized. History is the witness of what past are, the example and instructor of the present and even the monitor of the future. That in every day we live is a gift and we should be thankful that we become the witness of this accomplishments and failures.

In Constantino’s perspective of history is having a proper understanding on past. In his statement, “a proper understanding of our history will serve to demonstrate how our present has been distorted by the faulty knowledge of our past”. In our history, there’s a need for a volume done from its theoretical perspective, yet possessing a local flavor. History that may give a high quality of information to those interested and informed public a glimpse of the nature of our world’s history and inform future generations historians, and researchers of the true and right character of our history.

As I have said before, Science deals with fact and truth and history is a science. But as we study history more carefully, we begin to challenge its qualification as science. Sometimes we claim that history is not basically science but rather just mere lies. Why?

The truth behind history is that, history is much of the guesswork. Every single piece of evidence that can be found could be interpreted into different aspect. Because historians base their conclusion and interpretation on little evidences that sometimes most of the historians conflict each other of what is truth and what’s just mere lies.

For instance: Some historians claim that Ferdinand Magellan is the first person to circumnavigate the world. But some of them contradict this information and have a different perspective about it. That it was Sebastian Del Cano whom to first to circumnavigate the world because of the fact that Ferdinand Magellan unfortunately didn’t finish his voyage and die in the Philippines before finishing his expedition.

This circumstances it what exactly I’m pointing out. That because of lack of evidences and data gathered historian tends to have different interpretation on history. Because of this, historians must carefully sift through data and draw conclusion only on what is generally agreed on. Whatever would come up, historians must, and obliged to base his opinion on factual primary sources. Because if not; then were not talking about history but rather just mere opinion.

Remember that knowledge arrived to a great deal of victory, and history is one of this knowledge that people may learn and grasp for his sake. One Philosopher said that: Those who do not remember the past must condemned to respect it. Indeed, that if you’re not willing to accept the essence of past, then take it and write it. That past actually happened that history is the one which took time to write down every single happening.

[1] Many people think that truth and fact are same, but the real meaning of the two is different, Fact is an observation that verifies the Truth.
[2] Other books refer it as “istoria”
[3] Crifford, McDonald: History and society
[4] Empirical- ability to be tested
[5] Copi, Logic: Language, deduction and inductions
[6] Definition of History by Prof. Carmencita Amon