A BOOK REVIEW ON TEODORO AGONCILLO'S THE HISTORY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE (PART 2)

Chapter 15
The United States of America replaced Spain in the Philippines after the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898. The period 1901 to 1910 became known as, what Teodoro Agoncillo called, the period of suppressed nationalism, which is what this chapter is all about.
This was the era where the Filipinos were subjected to regulations to some of their fundamental rights and were even subjected to the atrocities of the sedition law.
American rule started with a military government - which aimed to create a means to establish a civil government. It established a Supreme Court of 9 justices, 6 of whom were Filipinos. Municipal Elections were also held and municipal governments were reorganized.
The Military government was later redefined by the Spooner Amendment to a purely-civil government that was authorized by congress. The said amendment provided a temporary government until a more permanent one could be established.
American Policy was later introduced through the Schurman Commission, who made investigations on the conditions of the Philippines and made recommendations to the President. The Commission, in its declaration, aimed to secure the well-being of the Filipino people. The second Philippine Commission or the Taft Commission implied that the American efforts in the Philippines were for the Filipinos and not the Americans. It granted Filipinos certain fundamental rights and it provided for a gradual Filipinization of the government.
The resistance was not over by the time of the Philippine Commissions though; Macario Sakay led a 4-year guerilla war against the Americans and even proclaimed "A New Republic" with himself as commander-in-chief. Sakay caught the attention of the Americans because of his affiliation with the Katipunan and by the thousands of followers he had in the different provinces. His resistance proved impregnable until he was convinced to surrender by Dominador Gomez, a Filipino politician. Among the conditions to his surrender was that he and his men would not be harmed or molested. In his trial he was found guilty and sentenced to die by hanging. He was executed regardless of the previous agreement. The regulation of nationalism was not only done to the guerillas, Nationalistic parties that wanted independence were also kept on a short leash.
One notable instance of suppression was the provision of the Flag Law. It
prohibited the display of the Philippine Flag or any banner representing Philippine resistance to the Americans. The Philippine Assembly made amends to repeal the law, but they were halted by the Philippine Commission.
The nationalism that emerged after this period is a nationalism trapped behind the rhetorics of party-politics.

Chapter 16-17
The Americans presented one excuse to stay in the country: that the Filipinos were not yet prepared to engage in Self-Government. For the Filipinos to achieve independence, they had to prove that they were able to manage themselves. To do this, they were called to occupy positions or to Filipinize the government, starting from the local positions up to the national.
In the first decade, town positions were the first to be offered by the Americans. The Second Philippine commission then enacted the Municipal Code, enabling the municipal function in the country. Other Acts of the commission provided for governors who managed provincial governments.
In the years to follow, National Government through the Supreme Court would be Filipinized, along with the formation of the Philippine Commission and The Philippine Assembly which would create avenues through legislature towards self-sufficiency in education, infrastructure, civil service, and other pertinent amenities.
It was however, still not in the intention of the Americans to allow the Filipino self-government to deprive them of their control over the country. They still retained the pivotal positions and influenced decisions in the country.
On the other hand, as the Filipinization of the Government accelerated, the United States enacted laws to aid the Philippines into in independence. It was however, done alongside making the country economically dependent though it is closing in on political independence.
With the Wilson-Harrison Policy and the Jones Law, the promise of the withdrawal of American Rule was given and a clear hope of at least political independence was seen. As the years passed, the number of American officials in the Philippines holding office declined, and the Filipinization neared its end. The Filipino government was allowed to reorganize and restructure its executive branch and with it the cabinet was redefined along with other government positions.
As the political freedom was slowly granted, the political war that once aroused from Filipino and American politicians turned into a political battle between Filipinos themselves. In the hierarchy of offices, Osmena and Quezon ducked it out in a bitter struggle for power, with Quezon claiming the position of President. Now the government had minorities that did not criticize American Policy, but checked Filipino Policy for the Philippines.
Eventually, free trade was allowed in the country and boomed the economies of both the Filipinos and the Americans. The country crept slowly into self-sufficiency and gave way to political and economic development, though still kept in check by the United States.

Chapter 18
In the efforts to achieve independence, a large campaign displaying the significant increase in the efficiency of Filipino Government management was made by the Filipino Executive leaders. Through the Jones Law, it became clear that upon the satisfaction of the Americans, the Filipinos would gain their independence.
The changes in the American Administration and the position held by the Democrats in office were the deciding factor to the change of American plans for the country. They resented the Republicans' plan to acquire the country and wished for its independence. It simply shows that the reigning party in the US greatly affects the Philippines and the Filipinos themselves.
Although several efforts were made to campaign independence, there was no road to it that was not riddled with controversy. Several political errors and mismanagement, although minute claimed a heavy toll on the American perspective of Filipino ability. Although it was insignificant when compared to the total accomplishment of the government, the problems created delays in the independence problem. It was in the Thompson report that the effects of these problems were seen - for it declared the people unfit to self-govern.

Chapter 19-20
The Filipinos still had to earn their right to be independent, or as the Americans said so. After the Osmena-Roxas mission, and along with several pressures in the American economy, such as the agricultural and immigration problems, it became clear to the United States that Philippine Independence must be given and the country must watch for itself as America found it difficult to manage the colony and her problems at the same time.
With the Hare-Hawes-Cutting and the Tydings-McDuffie acts, Philippine independence was officially sanctioned and a clear picture of how to achieve it was apparent. It only called for the retention of strategic ports and bases for the American Military after the recession of American power.
Soon after, many political developments were done, along with the adoption of the American Constitution with a few amendments to fit the country's needs. It would not be too long until the Commonwealth would be established, and its creation would be the primary avenue towards Philippine Independence.
However, the Final stretch was not to be an easy one for the Filipinos. The Commonwealth was riddled with many political, social and economic problems. There was a lack of stability in the government, the national defense was below standards and civil service was scarce. For the Philippines to achieve stability, they must combat these issues and arise from all the problems of the nation.
The disunity in politics slowed and agitated the already withering state. This was followed by the decline of the economy and the trade relations with the United States. In addition to the crippling attacks, the foreign control of some political aspects made in difficult to recover.
There were more issues such as the Social Problems that plagued the people like a cancer. This was resolved though, by the administering of Social Justice and stipulated in the constitution. This did affect the problems, but not at the brisk rate that was desperately needed.

Chapter 21
In chapter twenty-one, the results of the American occupation were stated systematically in a way that gives emphasis to the necessary factors which contributed greatly in bringing out substantial effects to our country, Philippines. Unlike the other authors, Teodoro Agoncillo gave importance not only to the good effects but also to the bad ones together with the hidden agenda behind each characteristic.

Chapter 22
The Japanese occupation presented in chapter twenty-two demonstrates an organized pattern-- - from the causes to the smallest detail of the effects. In this chapter, the author did not give favor to any party. He actually raised the notion that it is not only the Japanese whom the people were afraid of that time. He pointed that Japanese-paid Filipino spies also existed and that Filipinos were tortured to death if a spy reports him to the Japanese. History seems to be repeating itself or maybe it is just that traitors or collaborators will always be there whenever there is hostilities.

Chapter 23-24
Chapter twenty-three provides information that are detailed enough to accentuate the progression of the battle between the Japanese and Americans. Chapter twenty-four, on the other hand, explained the effects brought about by the war and how the United States used the situation for their own benefit. In this chapter, it is clearly visible that the author did not take bias against anyone because he included both sides of the situation.

Chapter 25
Chapter twenty-five, which is about the Hukbalahap movement, was intelligibly written, and the author did well in explicating the importance, purpose, and role of the Huks in our history. We deem is accurate to allot a chapter for this topic because some Filipinos barely know anything about the movement and we concede to the author's objectives in writing this part.

Chapter 26-27
The country's leaders and the struggle for development after the war are the topics that are talked about in chapters twenty-six and twenty-seven. The information was provided with clear, elaborate details and is presented in an orderly manner which helps the readers in understanding the material further.

Chapter 28- 30
Chapters twenty eight to thirty focuses on the economic, external, cultural, and social aspects of the Philippines after the war. The author emphasized that although the economy continued to grow after the war, it is still under an undeveloped stage. He also pointed out that even though the Americans already gave us freedom, we are still under their rule because their colonization changed our views and made us despise our nationality. The analyses about the four aspects are well thought of and the author had enough resources that can also be used for further study. Therefore, we can say that the information provided in these chapters are credible and can be used by students studying Philippine history.

Altogether, Teodoro Agoncillo's book can be considered as a masterpiece. All throughout the book, he was able to consider both sides of the story and to present information in the point of view of a Filipino. His examples are highly worthy because it present interesting facts that stimulate the reader to read further. Moreover, his manner of dividing the chapters into subtitles makes the book very understandable to readers.

C. Sources
According to Agoncillo himself, the major obstruction in writing this Philippine history is sources because of its restrictions and limitations so it will be for the best if these sources are to be checked.
Agoncillo used a lot of sources; some are of Filipino authors while some are of foreign authors. Here are some:

? Commercial Progress In the Philippine Islands by Warren T. Mason
This source only proves and supports the book of Toedoro Agoncillo about the rich culture of the Filipinos even before the Spaniards came. It clearly states that the Filipinos are advanced when it comes to different fields of arts, crafts, language, etc. in their own way. They might not have the technology but they have the intelligence and practicality to create something that is not only beautiful but also functional as well to their lives before the Spaniards came into the picture. This is the same as what Teodoro Agoncillo cited in his book about the culture and tradition of the Filipinos in different fields particularly in the first few chapters.

? The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan by Teodoro Agoncillo
This source particularly discussed in detail the story of Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan and was another piece made by Teodoro Agoncillo. In his book, A Short History of The Filipino People, he discussed this topic only briefly and was quite shorter than this. This is just like added information if you want to know more about the topic. I think that it would be better if he got other sources for this topic because this source was also his own so there wouldn't be new ideas or things that would be put in this book that is different from what he had done. It will still be the same contents that will be found in this source and the book that we are reviewing.

? The Court-Martial of Andres Bonifaco by Paz Policarpio
This source was really interesting especially that the letter from Mariano Noriel, Brigadier-General of the Spanish forces to their president was included and this was a good source to get ideas about the arresting of Andres Bonifacio which shows the facts and truth that lead to the said event and the reasons behind it. You will realize here that the Spaniards tried to talk to him personally and convinced him to surrender but Bonifacio didn't paid attention to it which lead to his capturing. Teodoro Agoncillo did a good job of getting source from this book which showed that his work was not all based on what he knew and that he got his information from true resources.

? The Cornerstone of Philippine Independence by Francis Borton Harrison
It is considered a primary source because the author himself is the witness to what was happening in the Philippines that time. Although he is an American citizen, which implies that the book might not be free from bias, we can say that his book is a good source and somehow reliable because Governor-General Francis Harrison is a rational person and is also the one who gave the Filipinos the chance to express themselves.

? Malolos: The Crisis Of The Republic by Teodoro Agoncillo
Just like the other source, for me Teodoro Agoncillo should have gotten other sources instead of his own for this book. Like my previous reason, the contents of this source will be the same for his book and there wouldn't be new ideas and concepts that would be added to the book.

? The Philippine Insurgent Records
This source just like the other sources is for me credible because this is a collection of the evidences of the revolutions that happened in the Philippines. For Agoncillo to use this source is a good thing for the book because the things about the revolutions that will be found in the book are all true and are all base on facts and evidences which will add credibility for his book.
? Maximo Kalaw's The Development of Philippine Politics
It is a reliable source in itself. His dissertation contains a number of reliable sources, and the fact that he is a Filipino makes him more suitable to write such book.

? Philippine Independence---- Motives,Problems, and Prospects by Grayson Kirk
This is an effective book and therefore a worthy source because it was able to promote the Philippine independence and to persuade the United States Congress to establish Philippine Commonwealth. That only proves that the book does not take any side between the Filipinos and the Americans.

? Joseph Ralston Hayden's The Philippines A Study in National Development
The author was a unique collector of Philippine materials and was praised by his colleagues for his book. We can say that he had enough sources in his books and that his book is a great source because his inclination to Philippine materials is an advantage that can be used to prove how much he knows the Philippines.

? A History of Education in the Philippines by Encarnacion Alzona
It is the right book for the subject because the author herself is able to see the actual situation for the reason that she lived on that time when the Americans were promoting education among the Filipinos. Moreover, the book was highly commended by critics of her time and that implies how credible this source is.

? The Good Fight by President Manuel L. Quezon
This is a book about the war in the point of view of the Filipinos. We deem it appropriate for it to be in the Filipino's viewpoint for the reason that the Filipinos back then are the victims. They are the ones who were not able to escape from the cruelty of the fighting parties. Moreover, President Quezon is known as a person of integrity and knowledge. Thus, using the book as a source is such a wise decision.

? R. W. Volckmann's We Remained
This is quite questionable simply because guerillas do not easily reveal themselves to people especially to those who are of the different race. It can also be bias to some extent because the author is not a Filipino. However, considering the fact that not all people with different nationality cannot be trusted and not all Filipinos can be trusted, there is still a possibility that the book contain credible information.

There may be a lot of sources but not all of this is reliable and this is where critical analysis should come in.

D. Contribution to Philippine Historiography
Who better writes about the Philippine history than the Filipinos?
This is what Teodoro Agoncillo who is considered the country's foremost historian is talking about on one of his greatest contributions to Filipino historiography - writing Filipino history from the Filipino point of view. There is no rule stating that other historians of different nationality are banned from writing about our history; however, for him a primary source is still the best source.

Teodoro Agoncillo's book, History of the Filipino People helped greatly in enlightening and educating people about the country's history. In addition to that, the book is said to provide accurate dates regarding the historical events in our country. Moreover, it provides detailed description of our country's culture and historical heritage. Furthermore, he corrected many misconceptions done by authors before him.

History of the Filipino People is an ingenious abandonment of the traditional history-telling made by textbooks. It includes Philippine history before 1872-- an important but lost part of history. Philippine history has also achieved justice through the book because the viewpoint taken by the authors is that of a Filipino. Using a Filipino point of view, however, does not mean that the authors distorted facts; rather, they took the Filipino point of view in cases that branch out into two interpretations, that of a Filipino and that of the other nationality. The book also gives importance to the Aglipayan movement-- something that other authors give little or no attention. The authors of the book, as they put it, believe that "It [Aglipayan movement] is to the Philippines what the Reformation is to Europe. " Readings from original sources and primary sources are used by the authors which gives the book the genuine authenticity that it deserves. Indeed, Philippine history was made clear and was more appreciated through Teodoro Agoncillo's book, History of the Filipino People.

E. Comparison to Other Works
Agoncillo's History of the Filipino People, first published in 1960, remains to date a popular standard textbook in many Filipino universities, as are many of Agoncillo's other works. While Agoncillo was initially controversial for his perceived leftist bent, his works stand well to the right in the ideological spectrum as compared to his equally influential contemporary Renato Constantino, author of the book, The Philippines:A Past Revisited. At the same time, Agoncillo's perspective is considerably more liberal than that of Gregorio F. Zaide, author of the book, Philippine Political and Cultural History. Zaide, Agoncillo and Constantino stand as the most prominent 20th century Filipino historians to emerge during the post-war period. Other historians like Amado Henandez, author of the book, Philippine Society and Revolution have a communist view compared to Agoncillo's Filipino view.
Today, almost fifty years after the book was first employed as a text, it continues to be used in classrooms, reprinted, counterfeited, and photocopied. And though, like most school textbooks, it is largely ignored in accounts of Philippine historiography, the book is, in fact, the de facto history of the Philippines.

Bibliography:

A. Books
• Teodoro A. Agoncillo: Manunulat, Kritiko at Istoryador o Mananalaysay by Genoveva Edroza Matute
• The Historicism of Teodoro Agoncillo by Antonio C. Hila
• Talking History: Conversations with Teodoro Andal Agoncillo by Ambeth R. Ocampo

B. Internet Sites
• http://www.yahoo.com
• http://www.google.com
• http://www.nast.dost.gov.ph/pro_agoncillo.htm
• http://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Teodoro_A._Agoncillo
• http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Teodoro_A._Agoncillo
• http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Marathon/9112/agoncilloT.htm
• http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2532573/1/Made_In_The_Philippines_Made_By_Filipinos
• http://ah.brookes.ac.uk/conference/presentation/teodoro_agoncillos_history_of_the_filipino_people/