2. On Historiography
a. How did Zeus Salazar differentiate the Western definition and our “indigenous” perception of what history or kasaysayan is?
ANSWER: “Magkaiba ang kasaysayan, na binigyang-diin ng saysay, at historya, na nakatuon naman sa pagsisisyasat.”
Salazar defined “history” in Tagalog as different from the Western definition, which referred to knowledge, to the search of information or to what happened in the past. He defined ‘kasaysayan’ in our “indigenous” perception. It came from the root word ‘saysay’ which means “to relate in detail, to explain” and “value, worth, significance.” Whereas kasaysayan is also defined as “explanation,” “significance,” or “relevance.”[ ]
The definition of history is all about the knowledge in…show more content… Based on the book of Jocano, Philippines was already civilized. He looked at the problem that it was connected with what happened in the past and will affect in the future. He also offered solutions with those problems through his books Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
3. Pre-colonial Philippines (on culture and life ways) – Barangay by William Henry Scott
a. Looking into the Preface or the Introductory section of the book, what was/were the author’s objective/s in writing the book and did he achieve that/those objective/s?
ANSWER: The objective of the author was to not reconstruct the sixteenth century Philippine society by consideration of present Philippine societies, or of features believed to be common to all Austronesian people. Nor it seeks for similarities with the neighboring cultures in Southeast Asia. It seeks answer to the question: What did the Spaniards actually say about the Filipino people when they first met? The aim of the author that the answer to that question will allow the us, Filipino readers today to motivate themselves to visit the land of our ancestors four centuries ago. […show more content… What were the ultra-liberal cultural practices in pre-colonial Philippine societies that were eradicated (or cease to exist) during the colonial period and are still quite non-existent at present?
ANSWER: Tattooing is still here but the concept of having it is not the same as what it was supposed to be. Before, having a tattoo is an indication of his bravery or he/she had killed someone from their enemy. The same as tattooing, piercing has also changed its purpose. The death and burial rights that used boats as the vehicle of the dead person afterlife is not used today.
d. Were the Spanish claims of barbarism and incivility true in the context of Philippine pre-colonial times?
ANSWER: No. The evidences of commerce and trade in the Philippines with China, India, and Japan, social status, alphabet, laws, musical instruments, boat, literature, religion, farming, etc. are justifiable that people in the Philippines before the arrival of Spaniards are not barbaric and uncivilized. The Filipinos that time were less backward compared to the Western countries. [ ][ ]
e. OPINION SECTION
How did the book change the way you understand Philippine prehistory and the ways of life of its pre-colonial