Module:
Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary
Sources in Philippine History
Learning Objectives:
1. familiarize oneself with the primary documents in different historical periods of the Philippines
2. learn history through primary sources
3. interpret primary sources through examining the content and context of the document
4. understand the context behind each selected document
In this chapter, we are going to look at a number of primary sources from different historical periods and evaluate these
documents’ content in terms of historical value, and examine the context of their production. These primary sources range
from chronicles, official documents, speeches and cartoons to visual arts.
A Glance at Selected Philippine Political Caricature in ALfred McCoy’s Philippine
Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941)
● Political cartoons and caricature – recent art form which veered away from the classical art by exaggerating human
features and poking fun at its subject
● Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941) – book by Alfred McCoy and Alfredo
Roces which is a compilation of political cartoons published on newspaper dailies and periodicals
● A public post is not a hereditary crown - this cartoon shows a politician from Tondo, named Dr. Santos, passing his
crown to his brother-in-law, Dr. Barcelona
o A FIlipino guy wearing salakot and barong tagalog was trying to stop Santos, telling the latter to stop giving
Barcelona the crown because it is not his to begin with
● War against the Speculators! - drawn by Fernando Amorsolo and was aimed as a commentary to the workings of
Manila Police at that period
o A Filipino child who stole a skinny chicken because he had nothing to eat. The police officer was relentlessly
pursuing the child. A man wearing a salakot, labeled Juan de la Cruz was grabbing the officer, telling him to
leave the small-time pickpockets and thieves and to turn at the great thieves instead. He was pointing to
huge warehouses containing bulks of rice, milk, and grocery products.
● Death Cars - a commentary on the unprecedented cases of colorum automobiles in the city streets
o The Philippine Free Press published this commentary when fatal accidents involving colorum vehicles and
taxis occurred too often already.
● Flaming Youth - depicts a cinema
o A blown-up police officer was at the screen saying that couples are not allowed to neck and make love in
the theater. Two youngsters looked horrified while an older couple seemed amused.
● Uncle Sam Riding a Chariot - based on an event in 1907 when William Howard Taft was brought to the Manila pier
riding a chariot pulled by students of Liceo de Manila
o The Filipino boys were carrying American objects lije baseball bats, whiskey and boxing gloves.
● El Turno de los Partidos - published by Lipang Kalabaw on August 24, 1907
o Uncle Sam rationing porridge to the politicians and members of the Progresista Party while members of the
Nacionalista Party look on and wait for their turn.
o depicts the patronage of the United States being coveted by politicians from either of the Progresista Party
and Nacionalista Party
Analysis of the Political Caricatures during the American Period
• The transition from the Spanish Colonial period to American Occupation demonstrated different strands of changes
and shifts in culture, society and politics.
o The Americans drastically introduced democracy to the nascent nation and the consequences were far from
ideal.
o Filipinos were introduced to different manifestations of modernity like healthcare, modern transportation
and media.
o Upper principalia class experienced economic prosperity with the opening up of the Philippine economy to
the United States but majority of the poor Filipino remained poor, desperate, and victims of state
repression.
• The selected cartoons illustrate not only the opinion of certain media outfits about the Philippine society during the
American period but also paint a broad image of society and politics under the United States.
o First, it seemed that the Filipino politicians at that time did not understand well enough the essence of
democracy and the accompanying democratic institutions and processes.
▪ Example: rising dynastic politics in Tondo
o Patronage also became influential and powerful, not only between clients and patrons but also between
the newly formed political parties composed of the elite and the United States
▪ Example: El Turno de los Partidos
▪ essence of competing political parties to enforce choices among the voters were cancelled out
▪ problem continues up to the present where politicians transfer from one party to another
depending on which party was powerful in specific periods of time
• The transition from a Catholic-centered, Spanish-Filipino society to an imperial American-assimilated one
o Example: unprecedented increase of motorized vehicles in the city
▪ automobiles became a popular mode of transportation in the city and led to emergence of taxis
▪ laws and policy implementation were mediocre leading to increasing colorum and unlicensed
vehicles transporting people around the city
▪ rules governing the issuance of driver’s license was loose and traffic police could not be bothered
by rampant violations of traffic rules
o Another example: sexual revolution in the 1930s
▪ young people disturbed the conservative Filipino mindset by engaging in daring sexual activities in
public spaces like cinemas
▪ that period was the meeting point between the conservative past and the liberated future of the
Philippines
• The cartoons illustrated the conditions of poor Filipinos in the Philippines now governed by the United States
o Example: War against the Speculators!
▪ depicted how police authorities oppress petty Filipino criminals while turning a blind eye on
hoarders who monopolize goods in their huge warehouses (Chinese merchants)
o Example: Uncle Sam riding a Chariot
▪ depicts how American controlled Filipinos through seemingly harmless American objects
▪ by controlling their consciousness and mentality, Americans got to control and subjugate Filipinos
Reference: Canlelaria, John Lee P. , Alporha, Veronica C. (2018) pp. 31-35, Readings in Philippine History, Rex Book Store
Inc.
