ANNOTATION OF ANTONIO MORGA’S Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas

Through the centuries, Jose Rizal has been known to be an earnest seeker of truth – it is this characteristic that marked him as a great historian. When the Spaniards came to conquer the islands, he had been so passionate to know the true conditions of the Philippines. But imagine how difficult it was to search for information during those days – most of the available sources were either written by friars of the religious orders and zealous missionaries determined to wipe out native beliefs and cultural practices, which they considered idolatrous and savage. Despite the colonizers’ claim that they were solely responsible for refining the Philippine islands, Rizal’s beliefs say otherwise. For him, the native populations of the Filipinos were self-sustaining and customarily spirited - it was because of the Spanish colonization that the Philippine’s rich culture and tradition faded to a certain extent. In order to support this supposition, Rizal went to look for a reliable account of the Philippines in the early days and at the onset of Spanish Colonization. Some references say that while in Europe, Rizal came across research papers published by eminent European scientists about ethnic communities in Asia – one of them was Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, author of “Versucheiner Ethnographie der Philippinen.” Rizal wrote to him and that was how their friendship began. It was Dr. Blumentritt, a knowledgeable Filipinologist, who recommended Dr. Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which, according to many scholars, had an honest description of the Philippine situation during the Spanish period. Other sources, however, claim that Rizal learned about Antonio Morga from his uncle, Jose Alberto, This knowledge about an ancient Philippine history written by a Spaniard came from the English Governor of Hong Kong, Sir John Browning, who had once paid his uncle a visit. While in London, Rizal immediately acquainted himself with the British Museum where he found one of the few remaining copies of Morga’s Sucesos. At his own expense, Rizal had the work republished with annotations that showed that the Philippines was an advanced civilization prior to Spanish colonization. Austin Craig, an early biographer of Rizal, translated some of the more important annotations into English. In this lesson, you will learn the importance of analyzing other people’s works in the past in order to gain a deeper understanding of our nation, with anticipation that you, too, may write a reliable historical fact of the Philippines.

Dr. Antonio de Morga and his Sucesos

Through the centuries, Jose Rizal has been known to be an earnest seeker of truth – it is this characteristic that marked him as a great historian. When the Spaniards came to conquer the islands, he had been so passionate to know the true conditions of the Philippines. But imagine how difficult it was to search for information during those days – most of the available sources were either written by friars of the religious orders and zealous missionaries determined to wipe out native beliefs and cultural practices, which they considered idolatrous and savage. Despite the colonizers’ claim that they were solely responsible for refining the Philippine islands, Rizal’s beliefs say otherwise. For him, the native populations of the Filipinos were self-sustaining and customarily spirited - it was because of the Spanish colonization that the Philippine’s rich culture and tradition faded to a certain extent. In order to support this supposition, Rizal went to look for a reliable account of the Philippines in the early days and at the onset of Spanish Colonization. Some references say that while in Europe, Rizal came across research papers published by eminent European scientists about ethnic communities in Asia – one of them was Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt, author of “Versucheiner Ethnographie der Philippinen.” Rizal wrote to him and that was how their friendship began. It was Dr. Blumentritt, a knowledgeable Filipinologist, who recommended Dr. Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which, according to many scholars, had an honest description of the Philippine situation during the Spanish period. Other sources, however, claim that Rizal learned about Antonio Morga from his uncle, Jose Alberto, This knowledge about an ancient Philippine history written by a Spaniard came from the English Governor of Hong Kong, Sir John Browning, who had once paid his uncle a visit. While in London, Rizal immediately acquainted himself with the British Museum where he found one of the few remaining copies of Morga’s Sucesos. At his own expense, Rizal had the work republished with annotations that showed that the Philippines was an advanced civilization prior to Spanish colonization. Austin Craig, an early biographer of Rizal, translated some of the more important annotations into English. In this lesson, you will learn the importance of analyzing other people’s works in the past in order to gain a deeper understanding of our nation, with anticipation that you, too, may write a reliable historical fact of the Philippines.

Antonio de Morga (1559-1636) was a Spanish conquistador, a lawyer and a government official for 43 years in the Philippines (1594-1604), New Spain and Peru. As Deputy Governor in the country, he reinstated the Audiencia, taking over the function of judge or oidor. He was also in command of the Spanish ships in a 1600 naval battle against Dutch corsairs, but suffered defeat and barely survived. He may have undergone important failures in both his military and political capacities but he is now remembered for his work as a historian. He was also a historian. He authored the book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Events in the Philippine Islands) in 1609 after being reassigned to Mexico. This book narrates observations about the Filipinos and the Philippines from the perspective of the Spaniards. In fact, this book is considered valuable in the sense that it reflects the first formal record of the earliest days of the Philippines as a Spanish colony. Morga’s work, which is based partly on documentary research, keen observation, and partly on his personal involvement and knowledge, is said to be the best account of Spanish colonialism in the country. With Morga’s position in the colonial government, he had access to many important documents that allowed him to write about the natives’ and their conquerors’ political, social and economic phases of life from the year 1493 to 1603. Rizal was greatly impressed by Morga’s work that he, himself, decided to annotate it and publish a new edition. He meticulously added footnotes on every chapter of the Sucesos that could be a misrepresentation of Filipino cultural practices. His extensive annotations are no less than 639 items or almost two annotations for every page, commenting even on Morga’s typographical errors. Rizal began his work in London and completed it in Paris in 1890. In his dedication to complete his new edition of the Sucesos, he explained among other things, that the purpose of his work is:

“If the book (Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas) succeeds to awaken your consciousness of our past, already effaced from your memory, and to rectify what has been falsified and slandered, then I have not worked in vain, and with this as a basis, however small it may be, we shall be able to study the future.”

The Preface

Antonio de Morga (1559-1636) was a Spanish conquistador, a lawyer and a government official for 43 years in the Philippines (1594-1604), New Spain and Peru. As Deputy Governor in the country, he reinstated the Audiencia, taking over the function of judge or oidor. He was also in command of the Spanish ships in a 1600 naval battle against Dutch corsairs, but suffered defeat and barely survived. He may have undergone important failures in both his military and political capacities but he is now remembered for his work as a historian. He was also a historian. He authored the book, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Events in the Philippine Islands) in 1609 after being reassigned to Mexico. This book narrates observations about the Filipinos and the Philippines from the perspective of the Spaniards. In fact, this book is considered valuable in the sense that it reflects the first formal record of the earliest days of the Philippines as a Spanish colony. Morga’s work, which is based partly on documentary research, keen observation, and partly on his personal involvement and knowledge, is said to be the best account of Spanish colonialism in the country. With Morga’s position in the colonial government, he had access to many important documents that allowed him to write about the natives’ and their conquerors’ political, social and economic phases of life from the year 1493 to 1603. Rizal was greatly impressed by Morga’s work that he, himself, decided to annotate it and publish a new edition. He meticulously added footnotes on every chapter of the Sucesos that could be a misrepresentation of Filipino cultural practices. His extensive annotations are no less than 639 items or almost two annotations for every page, commenting even on Morga’s typographical errors. Rizal began his work in London and completed it in Paris in 1890. In his dedication to complete his new edition of the Sucesos, he explained among other things, that the purpose of his work is:

Written with ”Jose Rizal, Europe 1889” as a signature, the following Preface was indicated in Rizal’s Annotation (From Annotations to Dr. Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, n.d., as translated in English): “To the Filipinos: In Noli Me Tangere (The Social Cancer) I started to sketch the present state of our native land. But the effect which my effort produced made me realize that, before attempting to unroll before your eyes the other pictures which were to follow, it was necessary first to post you on the past. So only can you fairly judge the present and estimate how much progress has been made during the three centuries (of Spanish rule). Like almost all of you, I was born and brought up in ignorance of our country’s past and so, without knowledge or authority to speak of what I neither saw nor have studied, I deem it necessary to quote the testimony of an illustrious Spaniard who in the beginning of the new era controlled the destinies of the Philippines and had personal knowledge of our ancient nationality in its last days. It is then the shade of our ancestor’s civilization which the au-thor will call before you. If the work serves to awaken in you a consciousness of our past, and to blot from your memory or to rectify what has been falsified or is calumny, then I shall not have labored in vain. With this preparation, slight though it may be, we can all pass to the study of the future.” Notable Annotations The English translation of some of the more important annotations of the Sucesos was done by an early biographer of Rizal, Austin Craig (1872-1949). The following are excerpts from Rizal's annotations to inspire young Filipinos of today (Taken from Craig, 1929 as translated by Derbyshire, n.d. in kahimyang.com).