Why Do We Need to

Study Philippine
History?
By Prof Jet Castillo
Argument
• We are now in the 21st century, is history still relevant?
• It’s time to move on.
• Historians are like who drive a car and looking at the rear view mirror
all the time.
• The problems today are different from the problems yesterday.
• Let the heroes rest in peace.
Seven reasons why we need to
study
Philippine History
1. The Law says so
• Article 14, Section 3 of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution says that “all educational institutions
shall include the study of the… appreciation of the
roles of national heroes in the historical development
of the country.”
• Even in the 2018 New General Education Curricula of
college programs, Philippine History is still included,
whereas other subjects like English Grammar,
Chemistry, Algebra, Trigonometry, etc. are no longer
included.
2. To develop pride and nationalism
• By studying the greatness of our heroes, we develop pride. It’s like a
child who says, “My father is great, he has done great things!”
• We appreciate their sacrifices to attain the freedom that we enjoy
today.
• We learn to treasure and take care of what we have today, after
learning the process it has gone through.
• We learn to LOVE our country more.
• Nationalism = love of country
• To add up to our being Filipinos.
2. To develop pride and nationalism
• Someday our children and grandchildren will ask us
questions about Philippine History because they have a
homework or because they are simply curious about it.
• We should be ready to give them accurate answers.
• History must be shared to the next generation so that
our sense of national pride and identity will continue on
in the future.
• If we don’t share history to the youth, the stories of our
heroes and national pride may just have a dead end in
our generation.
3. To develop critical thinking
• We will achieve this by studying the roots of the issues and problems
we are facing today.
• We can better approach our problems if we know these info.
• Because The Present is connected to the Past.
• Example: Filipinos have great colonial mentality because of our long
and colorful colonial history.
• Example: Filipinos are regionalistic because during the precolonial
times, we were a disjointed archipelago with several independent
mini-kingdoms called barangays.
3. To develop critical thinking
• If we have the skill of critical thinking, we can avoid the mistakes of the
past.
• Old Tagalog proverb: “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinangalingan
ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.”
• Old English proverb: “History repeats itself.”
• Teodoro Agoncillo says: “History does not repeat itself. It is us who
repeat history.”
• We, people of the present have the responsibility to learn from the
mistakes of the people of the past, and we have the ability to prevent
them from happening in our time.
4. To have something to say to the
foreigners
• When foreigners would ask us about the reason for
the holidays, or people in our money, or street AUG

names like Quirino High Way, Roxas Blvd, or 21

monuments they see, we should be ready to give

them accurate answers.
• If we can’t, we are a humiliation for our race and
country.
• Malayan graduates are geared to be in the global
workplace, so this is not a remote possibility.
5. To re-construct a pro-Filipino
history using the Pantayong
Pananaw
• Much of our history is written in the Pangkayong Pananaw.
• Our historians were Spanish explorers and priests, and
American social scientists and journalists in the colonial era.
They told us our history in their perspective.
• Example: “Magellan discovered the Philippines.” But isn’t it
that the ancient Malayans discovered the Philippines ahead of
Magellan?
• Example: “Macario Sakay was a bandit” says the Americans.
But isn’t he a revolutionary in the perspective of his fellow
Filipinos?
• We need to correct these historical fallacies.
6. To build Local History
• Fact: Much of our history is Manila-centric or Luzon-centric.
• Most of the heroes in the textbooks are from Manila or Luzon.
• But there are also several heroes from the Visayas and Mindanao who
fought for our freedom. But they are not in the history books.
• Even in our own barangays or towns, there are stories of local
personalities who did acts of heroism during the Spanish Times,
American Period, World War 2, Martial Law and other eras in our
history.
• Modern students of history are required to document these.
7. To have fun
• The study of history can be very fun and entertaining.
• In this present age, young people need quality entertainment.
• In Malayan, we will do away with the traditional and boring
“memorization” style of teaching history.
• History is meant to be enjoyed, just like looking at your old family
photo album and reminiscing those events.
7 Reasons why we need to study
Philippine History

1. Because the law says so 5. To re-construct a Pro-Filipino

2. Develop pride and nationalism History using Pantayong Pananaw.
3. To develop critical thinking 6. Build local history
4. Tell something to the 7. Have fun
foreigners