lOMoARcPSD|11232395
Annotation of Morga‟s Sucesos delas I s l a s F i l i p i n a s |1
ANNOTATION OF MORGA’S SUCESOS DELAS ISLAS FILIPINAS
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Analyze Rizal‟s ideas on how to rewrite Philippine History
2. Compare and contrast Rizal and Morga‟s different views about Filipinos and
Philippine culture
“To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open the books that tell of her past”
- Jose Rizal
Annotation is a short explanation or note added to a text or image, or the act of
adding short explanations or notes. It is a brief note following each citation listed on an
annotated bibliography. The goal is to briefly summarize the source and/or explain why
it is important for a topic. They are typically a single concise paragraph, but might be
longer if you are summarizing and evaluating. Sucesos means the work of an honest
observer, a versatile bureaucrat, who knew the workings of the administration from the
inside. Las Islas Filipinas means “The Philippine Island” in English and was named in
honor of King Philip II of Spain.
Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas is one of the important
works depicting the Philippines during the colonization of
Spain, written and published based on the experience and
observation by Antonio De Morga in Mexico 1609. He
wrote that the purpose for writing Sucesos was so he could
chronicle "the deeds achieved by our Spaniards, the
discovery, conquest, and conversion of the Filipinas Islands
– as well as various fortunes that they have from time to time
in the great kingdoms and among the pagan peoples
surrounding the islands." It explains the political, social and
archive.org
economic aspects of a colonizer and the colonized country.
Rizal found the book while he was in London at the British Museum‟s reading
room. He hand-copied the whole 351 pages of the book and annotated every chapter of it.
It was the first historical work on the Philippines by a Filipino and the first history written
from the point of view of the colonized not the colonizer. The annotated version by Jose
Rizal includes a prologue by Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt. The work consists of 8 chapters:
1.Of the First discoveries of the Eastern islands
2.Of the government of Dr. Francisco de Sande
3.Of the government of don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa
4.Of the government of Dr. Santiago de Vera
5.Of the government of Gomes Perez Dasrmariñas
6. Of the government of don Francisco Tello
7. Of the government of don Pedro de Acuña
8. An account of the Philippine Islands.
, lOMoARcPSD|11232395
Annotation of Morga‟s Sucesos delas I s l a s F i l i p i n a s |2
Who is Antonio Morga?
Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559 – July 21, 1636)
was a Spanish lawyer and a high-ranking colonial official for 43
years, in the Philippines (1594 to 1604), New Spain and Peru,
where he was president of the Audiencia for 20 years.
He was also a historian. After being reassigned to
Mexico, he published the book Sucesos de las islas Filipinas in
1609, considered one of the most important works on the early
history of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. As Deputy
Governor in the Philippines, he restored the audiencia. He took
over the function of judge. He also took command of Spanish
wikipedia.org
ships in a 1600 naval battle against Dutch corsairs, but suffered
defeat and barely survived.
What Lead Jose Rizal to Morga’s Work?
Rizal was an earnest seeker of truth and this marked him as historian. He had a
burning desire to know exactly the condition of the Philippines when the Spaniards came
ashore to the islands. His theory was that the country was economically self-sufficient
and prosperous. Entertained by the idea that it had a lively and vigorous community, he
believed the conquest of the Spaniards contributed in part to the decline of the
Philippine‟s rich traditions and culture.
He then decided to undertake the annotation of Antonio de Morga‟s Sucesos De
Las Islas Filipinas. His personal friendship with Ferdinand Blumentritt provided the
inspiration for doing a new edition of Morga‟s Sucesos. Devoting four months research
and writing and almost a year to get his manuscript published in Paris in January 1890.
Why Jose Rizal Chose Morga’s Work?
1. Rizal felt Morga to be more "objective" than the religious writers whose accounts
included many miracle stories. Morga, compared to religious chroniclers, was more
sympathetic to the indios; and finally, Morga was not only an eyewitness but a major
actor in the events he narrates.
2. Rizal's second consideration for the choice of Morga was that it was the only civil, as
opposed to religious or ecclesiastical, history of the Philippines written during the
colonial period.
3. The third consideration for the choice of Morga was Rizal‟s opinion that this secular
account was more objective, more trustworthy, than those written by the religious
missionaries which were liberally sprinkled with tales of miracles and apparitions.
4. The fourth consideration in Rizal's choice of the Morga was that it appeared more
sympathetic, at least in parts, to the indios, in contrast to the friar accounts, many of
which were biased or downright racist in tone and interpretation
5. The fifth and last consideration was that Morga was an eyewitness, and therefore a
primary source, on the Philippines and its people at the point of first contact with Spain.
Rizal’s Purpose of Annotating Morga’s Work
1. To awaken the consciousness of the Filipinos regarding their glorious ways of the past
2. To correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to Spanish Conquest
3. To prove that the Filipinos are civilized/advanced even before the coming of the
Spaniards
Rizal’s Annotation
It could be sum up in the annotated version of Rizal that the people of the
Annotation of Morga‟s Sucesos delas I s l a s F i l i p i n a s |1
ANNOTATION OF MORGA’S SUCESOS DELAS ISLAS FILIPINAS
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Analyze Rizal‟s ideas on how to rewrite Philippine History
2. Compare and contrast Rizal and Morga‟s different views about Filipinos and
Philippine culture
“To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open the books that tell of her past”
- Jose Rizal
Annotation is a short explanation or note added to a text or image, or the act of
adding short explanations or notes. It is a brief note following each citation listed on an
annotated bibliography. The goal is to briefly summarize the source and/or explain why
it is important for a topic. They are typically a single concise paragraph, but might be
longer if you are summarizing and evaluating. Sucesos means the work of an honest
observer, a versatile bureaucrat, who knew the workings of the administration from the
inside. Las Islas Filipinas means “The Philippine Island” in English and was named in
honor of King Philip II of Spain.
Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas is one of the important
works depicting the Philippines during the colonization of
Spain, written and published based on the experience and
observation by Antonio De Morga in Mexico 1609. He
wrote that the purpose for writing Sucesos was so he could
chronicle "the deeds achieved by our Spaniards, the
discovery, conquest, and conversion of the Filipinas Islands
– as well as various fortunes that they have from time to time
in the great kingdoms and among the pagan peoples
surrounding the islands." It explains the political, social and
archive.org
economic aspects of a colonizer and the colonized country.
Rizal found the book while he was in London at the British Museum‟s reading
room. He hand-copied the whole 351 pages of the book and annotated every chapter of it.
It was the first historical work on the Philippines by a Filipino and the first history written
from the point of view of the colonized not the colonizer. The annotated version by Jose
Rizal includes a prologue by Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt. The work consists of 8 chapters:
1.Of the First discoveries of the Eastern islands
2.Of the government of Dr. Francisco de Sande
3.Of the government of don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa
4.Of the government of Dr. Santiago de Vera
5.Of the government of Gomes Perez Dasrmariñas
6. Of the government of don Francisco Tello
7. Of the government of don Pedro de Acuña
8. An account of the Philippine Islands.
, lOMoARcPSD|11232395
Annotation of Morga‟s Sucesos delas I s l a s F i l i p i n a s |2
Who is Antonio Morga?
Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559 – July 21, 1636)
was a Spanish lawyer and a high-ranking colonial official for 43
years, in the Philippines (1594 to 1604), New Spain and Peru,
where he was president of the Audiencia for 20 years.
He was also a historian. After being reassigned to
Mexico, he published the book Sucesos de las islas Filipinas in
1609, considered one of the most important works on the early
history of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. As Deputy
Governor in the Philippines, he restored the audiencia. He took
over the function of judge. He also took command of Spanish
wikipedia.org
ships in a 1600 naval battle against Dutch corsairs, but suffered
defeat and barely survived.
What Lead Jose Rizal to Morga’s Work?
Rizal was an earnest seeker of truth and this marked him as historian. He had a
burning desire to know exactly the condition of the Philippines when the Spaniards came
ashore to the islands. His theory was that the country was economically self-sufficient
and prosperous. Entertained by the idea that it had a lively and vigorous community, he
believed the conquest of the Spaniards contributed in part to the decline of the
Philippine‟s rich traditions and culture.
He then decided to undertake the annotation of Antonio de Morga‟s Sucesos De
Las Islas Filipinas. His personal friendship with Ferdinand Blumentritt provided the
inspiration for doing a new edition of Morga‟s Sucesos. Devoting four months research
and writing and almost a year to get his manuscript published in Paris in January 1890.
Why Jose Rizal Chose Morga’s Work?
1. Rizal felt Morga to be more "objective" than the religious writers whose accounts
included many miracle stories. Morga, compared to religious chroniclers, was more
sympathetic to the indios; and finally, Morga was not only an eyewitness but a major
actor in the events he narrates.
2. Rizal's second consideration for the choice of Morga was that it was the only civil, as
opposed to religious or ecclesiastical, history of the Philippines written during the
colonial period.
3. The third consideration for the choice of Morga was Rizal‟s opinion that this secular
account was more objective, more trustworthy, than those written by the religious
missionaries which were liberally sprinkled with tales of miracles and apparitions.
4. The fourth consideration in Rizal's choice of the Morga was that it appeared more
sympathetic, at least in parts, to the indios, in contrast to the friar accounts, many of
which were biased or downright racist in tone and interpretation
5. The fifth and last consideration was that Morga was an eyewitness, and therefore a
primary source, on the Philippines and its people at the point of first contact with Spain.
Rizal’s Purpose of Annotating Morga’s Work
1. To awaken the consciousness of the Filipinos regarding their glorious ways of the past
2. To correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to Spanish Conquest
3. To prove that the Filipinos are civilized/advanced even before the coming of the
Spaniards
Rizal’s Annotation
It could be sum up in the annotated version of Rizal that the people of the
