Kasaysayan: Meaning of History

• The working definition of history used in the text was formed in 1986 after Rio Alma inscribed a copy of his book, (A)lamat at (H)istorya, to Ambeth, calling him a promoter of History
• The author questions why people find newness in his work when the material is very old, attributing it to asking questions others have not asked

Meaning of History

• Being a good storyteller is a good first mark of a good historian
• European languages share the same word for history and story, like "historia" in Spanish, "histoire" in French, and "gesichte" in German
• Kasaysayan at the University of the Philippines Diliman is rooted in:
  • Salaysay: a narrative or story
  • Saysay: meaning
• Kasaysayan contains a narrative (written, visual, or oral) about past events with meaning to a group in a time and place
• Salaysay and saysay are inseparable components of kasaysayan and are needed to have true history

History vs Kasaysayan

• The Western words for history can just be a narrative of past events while kasaysayan must have saysay, or meaning
• Saysay can give people a way of looking at the world with a Filipino viewpoint that influences the way people view time
• Memory is important and indispensable, and with it people can form relationships and forge identities
• History is not just memorizing dates, names, and places or telling students funny stories
• History makes people see their past so they can see the present, which gives them a sense of being Filipino
• History gives a national memory and national identity, contributing to a Filipino's way of seeing and dealing with the world

National Consciousness

• José Rizal used history in 1890 to recreate a pre-Hispanic Philippine past and give his countrymen a sense of history and identity
• Rizal exaggerated some of his assertions, but history must give a sense of meaning to lives
• History is used to “forge in the smithy of my soul, the uncreated conscience of my race."

Salaysay and Saysay

• History should not be a closed book
• Facts are a small part of history, the greater part is judgment of events, situations, and characters that can be debated
• History is an argument without end
• Teachers should teach students to gather all newspapers to see what the most important news of the day was; if none agree, then the students disagree with each other
• History teaching see connections between events and why they happened, as well as being helpful in similar situations
• History can give hindsight

Apolinario Mabini

• Apolinario Mabini's rumored syphilis was heard by the novelist F. Sionil José and confirmed by historians such as Agoncillo
• José then wrote the novel Po-On where Mabini, after resigning from the Aguinaldo Cabinet, conversed with Istak, in which he admitted indulgence in his youth, which led to the venereal disease
• In a new edition of Po-on Mabini's paralysis was caused by polio after a team of doctors excavated his bones and performed the autopsy
• Although the author could not pinpoint responsibility, the syphilis rumor likely originated from the elite, mestizo-dominated Malolos Congress
• On January 14, 1899 Mabini urged Emilio Aguinaldo to ignore the wealthy mestizos who had wormed their way into power with the constitution
• Felipe Buencamino threatened Aguinaldo that the latter would lose prestige if he did not approve the Constitution, but Mabini countered by highlighting the influence that Congress could wield when it came to Department Secretary appointments

Mabini and Congress

• Mabini may have been protecting his own interests, because at one point Aguinaldo had appointed him Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Congress would not confirm him
• Congress feared that Mabini, the enemy of Congress, would become acting President in case Aguinaldo died in office
• Representatives remarked that he could not become Chief Justice because he was lame
• The syphilis rumor then came out and Mabini's moral character was undermined
• Intrigue eventually pushed Mabini out of the Cabinet
• Mabini's relevance underscores that society hasn't changed much in a century
• Some writers simplify the factionalism during the revolution as haves vs have-nots
• All the rich and famous of Manila were in the Malolos Congress
• Note that there were no women in the Congress
• The so-called representatives did not represent the people
• The revolutionary government did not have effective control over regions and could not hold it in the capital, Manila
• Congress was filled with the economic elite. Mabini and Bonifacio were considered ilustrados
• Congress wanted to bill a national loan to finance the government and continue the revolution in which the government was authorized to have 20 million pesos payable in 40 years with 6% annual interest that can be quarterly, with collateral for this loan happening to be the property of the Republic

Aguinaldo

• Mabini saw through the opportunists hiding under a false patriotism to control Aguinaldo
• November 1898 letter states Mabini apologizing for taxing the President's patience by telling him the painful truth
• Mabini then asks Aguinaldo asks the president to read the letter about a board of 24 subscribers to manage the national loan
• Mabini did not expect Aguinaldo to give the elite too many concessions

The National Loan

• Mabini said that the rich would not put up money unless they have a voice in the Treasury, the board will ask for benefits and the soldiers will remain hungry, the administrators will pocket part of the money, and only a little will go to the government safe
• Members of board would ask benefits while soldiers are starving
• Money administrators will pocket part and a little will go to the government safe
• Andres Bonifacio tore up his cedula in August 1896 to signify freedom from oppression
• Mabini abolished the cedula but Filipinos imposed it
• Fortunately, nothing came of the loan

Malolos: Glorious Page in History?

• From Mabini's papers, the author has a contrary view of what was taught in school
• The author saw the photographs of Aguinaldo arriving in Malolos in a carriage that borrowed the footmen from the neighborhood funeraria
• Because the Malolos Congress was the death of the revolution, the so-called "glorious pages" should be reviewed without the rose-colored glasses
• The mess the country is in may be because of a distorted history
• It is more fruitful to discuss what did not happen, or what might have happened
• Making tentative conclusions develops thinking
• It is important to challenge existing beliefs, theories, and “facts”

History Today

• History is a dangerous and subversive undertaking that changes and molds lives
• Search for meaning in history makes mistakes
• “Error can sometimes be fertile, but perfection is always sterile."
• If questions aren't asked, there will never be answers
• History does not repeat itself, but people repeat history