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(READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY)______________________________________

The Filipino Historian(Controversial Issues in Philippine History)

By Pedro A. GageloniaDepartment of History, Far Eastern University

Prepared by: Alexander Robin M. CapitoTC-OBTEC 1-2

CHAPTER 11. NUMBER OF ISLANDS AND ISLETS IN THE

PHILIPPINES:

How many islands and islets comprise the Republic of the Philippines? As reflected in the different books on Philippine historiography the following “conflicting” figures may be had:

a) “ more than 7, 000 islands and islets” ---

(Agoncillo and Alfonso, HISTORY OF THE FILIPINO

PEOPLE)

b) “7, 083 islands --- (Molina, THE PHILIPPINES

THROUGH THE CENTURIES, Vol. I.)

c) “7, 100 islands and islets” --- (Alip, POLITICAL AND

CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES, Vol. I)

d) “7, 100 islands and islets” --- (In most of the

history books of Zaide)

e) “a broken archipelago of 7, 083 islands” ---

(Zaide, CATHOLICISM IN THE PHILIPPINES)

f) “comprising more than 7,000 islands” ---

(Google)

CHAPTER 1 2. NAMED ISLANDS AND ISLETS IN THE

PHILIPPINES:

a) “of the more than 7, 000 islands and islets, about 4, 000 are still unnamed”

(hence, a total of 3,000 named islands) --- (Agoncillo and Alfonso, HISTORY OF

THE FILIPINO PEOPLE)

b) “2,773 of the different islands and islets have been named” --- (Alip, POLITICAL

AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES, Vol. I)

c) “2,773 islands are named” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE HISTORY FOR CATHOLIC HIGH

SCHOOLS and THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, 1963)

d) “2, 782 are named” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY,

Vol. I, 1957)

e) “more than 2000 islands and islets have been named” --- [Gagelonia, Pedro A.,

THE FILIPINO HISTORIAN (Controversial Issues in Philippine History)]

f) “More than 5,000 islands of the archipelago are yet to be named.” --- (Google,

Wikipedia)

Note: Figures presented by Zaide differ in his own books.

CHAPTER 13. SIZE OF THE PHILIPPINES:

“The Philippines is located about 700 miles/1126.54 kilometers from the mainland of Asia.” --- (Zafra, A SHORT STORY OF THE PHILIPPINES)

“The Philippines constitutes a portion of the large archipelago once known as the East Indies. Our country is southeast of the Asiatic mainland.” --- (Molina, THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH CENTURIES, Vol.)

“The Philippines lies about 700 miles/1126.54 kilometers to theSoutheast of the Asia Mainland.” --- (Alip, A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES

“The Philippines is a sprawling archipelago fringing the southeastern rim of the Asian continent.” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY, Vol. I)

CHAPTER 14. LOCATION OF THE PHILIPPINE DEEP

The Philippine Trench (also Philippine Deep, Mindanao Trench, and Mindanao Deep) is a submarine trench to the east of the Philippines.It has a length of approximately 1,320 km (820 mi) and a width of about 30 km (19 mi) from the centre of the Philippine island of Luzontrending southeast to the northern Malukuisland of Halmahera in Indonesia. Its deepest point, the Galathea Depth, has a depth of 10,540 metres (5,760 fathoms; 34,580 feet), the third deepest in the world.

“The second lowest region of the earth, known as the Philippine Deep is found east of Mindanao.” --- (Molina, THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH THE CENTURIES, Vol. I)

“The lowest place is the Philippine Deep, an ocean depth east of Mindanao; it is, in fact, the lowest region in the world.” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE HISTORY FOR CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS)

“The lowest part on Earth is the Philippine Deep situated about 15 miles/24.1402 kilometers northeast of Mindanao. It is 34, 218 feet/10.429646 kilometers below sea level.” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY)

“The second lowest place in the world is the Philippine Deep located 45 miles/72.4205 kilometers east of Northern Mindanao, It is 35, 400 feet/10.78992 kilometers.” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE HISTORY)

“The Philippine Deep which is located east of Mindanao has depth of 35, 440 feet/10.802112 kilometers. It is the second deepest sea in the world.” --- (Agoncillo, PHILIPPINE HISTORY

“The Philippine Deep has a depth of 34,580 feet/10.539984 kilometers--- (Google)

CHAPTER 16. LONGEST RIVER IN THE PHILIPPINES

One other point in Philippine topography about which our noted historians have failed to be in agreement is the “longest river” in our country.

Cagayan River

• The Cagayan River, also known as the Rio Grande de Cagayan, is the longest, largest and widest river in the coutry. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in the northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan. Small streams originating from Balete Pass, Cordillera, Caraballo and Sierra Madre Mountains meet other streams and rivers and flow to the Cagayan River.

Rio Grande de Mindanao

• The Rio Grande de Mindanao, also known as the Mindanao River, is the second largest river system in the Philippines, after the Cagayan Riverof Luzon. It is the largest river on the southern island of Mindanao with a drainage area of 23,169 km2 (8,946 sq mi) draining majority of the central and eastern portion of the island. It is also the second longest river in the country with a length of approximately 373 km (232 mi). It is an important transportation artery on the island, used mainly in transporting agricultural products and, formerly, timber.

Rio Grande de Mindanao

• Its headwaters are in the mountains of Impasugong, Bukidnon, south of Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental, where it is called the PulangiRiver. Joining the Kabacan River, it becomes the Mindanao River. Flowing out of the mountains, it forms the center of a broad, fertile plain in the south-central portion of the island. Before its mouth in the Moro Gulf, it splits into two parallel sections, the Cotabato and Tamontaka, separated by a 180 m (600 ft) hill.

“Cagayan River is the longest in the whole country.” --- (Alip, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES, Vol. I)“Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in the Philippines.” ---(Molina, THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH THE CENTURIES, Vol. I)“Rio Grande de Mindanao” --- (Benitez, HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES)“Our longest river is the Cagayan River in Luzon.” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE HISTORY FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS)“The longest river is the Rio Grande de Mindanao.” --- (Zaide, PHILIPPINE HISTORY FOR HIGH SCHOOLS)“approximately 483 km” --- ( Fr. Miguel Bernard, S.J., FIVE LETTERS DESCRIBING THE EXPLORATION OF THE PULANGI OR RIO GRANDE DE MINDANAO, Philippine Historical Review, Vol. I. No. 2, 1966)“Cagayan River – 505 km Rio Grande de Cagayan or simply Cagayan River, with a total length of 505 kilometers, is the longest and widest river in the Philippines.” “Mindanao River or Rio Grande de Mindanao is the country’s second largest river system. It is also the second longest Philippine river with a length of 373 km.” --- (Google)

CHAPTER 17. STRAITS:

(A strait is a naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water.)

Historians likewise differ in their records of the number of straits found in in the Philippines.

“Eight landlock straits in the Philippines.” --- (Molina, THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH THE CENTURIES, Vol. I)“Twenty landlock straits.” --- (Agoncillo, PHILIPPINE HISTORY)“Eight landlock straits.” --- (Zaide, HISTORY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE)“Twenty-two straits” --- (Google)

CHAPTER 18. COASTLINE:

COASTLINE (A coastline or a seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean, or a line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake.)

The coastline of the Philippines also provides an interesting subject of disagreement among Filipino Historiographers.

“The irregular coastline of the Philippines stretches by 10, 850 statute miles/17,461.382 statute kilometers. It is thrice longer than the coastline of the United States of America.”“10, 850 statute miles/ 17,461.382 statute kilometers . . . thrice longer than the United States coastline.” --- (Zaide, in all his history books)“Our coastline is 11, 440 statute miles/ 18, 410.895 statute kilometers.” --- (Molina, THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH THE CENTURIES, Vol. I)“The total length of our coastline is nearly 11, 000 miles/17, 702.784 kilometers.” --- (Alip, A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES)“11, 440 statute miles/18, 410.895 statute kilometers.” ---(Benitez, HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES)“36, 289 kilometers”--- (Google)

CHAPTER 19. MOUNTAINS:

Everyone is inclined to accept Mount Apo as the highest peak in the Philippines but our historians do not agree among themselves relative to the actual height of this mountain.

The highest mountain in the Philippines is Mt. Apo, towering over Southern Mindanao, covering the provinces of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.

“Mount Apo is 9, 600 feet/2.92608 kilometres high.” --- ( Agoncillo, PHILIPPINE HISTORY)“9, 699 (9698.9993438) feet/2.95625499999024 kilometres high” --- ( Alip, A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES)“9, 690 feet/2.953512 kilometres high” ---(Zaide, in all history books)“2.954 kilometres high” --- (Google)

Mount Pulog/Mount Pulag

Mount Pulag is the 3rd highest mountain in the Philippines . It is Luzon’s highest peak at 2,922 meters above sea level. The borders between the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya meet at the mountain's peak.

“Mount Pulog is the second highest peak in the island. It is 8, 481 (8, 481.0006562) feet/ 2.585009 kilometres high.” --- (Agoncillo, PHILIPPINE HISTORY)“Mt. Pulog is 9, 606 (9606.0006562) feet/2.927909 (2.92790900000976) kilometreshigh.’’--- ( Alip, A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES)“ Mount Dulang-dulang is 2.938 kilometreshigh” “Mount Pulog is 2.922 kilometres.” ---(Google)

Mount Dulang-dulang, dubbed by Filipino mountaineers as "D2", is one of the high elevation peaks in the Kitanglad Mountain Range, located in the north central portion of the province of Bukidnon in the island of Mindanao.

CHAPTER 110. MAJOR ISLANDS IN THE PHILIPPINES

For this particular point of controversy, five writers’ data shall be tabulated for easier comprehension, namely: Alip’s (Political and Cultural History of the Philippines, Vol. I), De la Costa’s (Jesuits in the Philippines), Zaide’s (Philippine History and The Republic of the Philippines), Zafra’s (A Short History of the Philippines), and this writer’s, (The Filipinos of yesteryears, Star Book Store, 1967, 562p.).

CHAPTER 2

SHRI-VISAYAN AND MADJAPAHIT EMPIRES, THEIR “ALLEGED” SUZERAINTY OVER PRE-HISPANIC PHILIPPINES:

Prof. H. Otley Beyer, in attempting to reconstruct more rigidly the ancient past,advances the belief that the Philippines was once an integral part of the Shri-Visayan Empire, and subsequently of the Madjapahit Empire.

According to Zaide (Philippine Political and Cultural History, Vol. I), “the twomain centers of the Shri-Visayan influence in the Philippines were Sulu and theVisayas.” With reference to the Madjapahit Empire, Zaide cites the Manila Baydistrict, Sulu Archipelago and Lanao district as places where “its power wasstrongly felt.”

Alip, (Political and Cultural History of the Philippines, Vol. I) says that the “Shri-Vishayan Empire during its height of power included the whole Philippines andthat the Madjapahit Empire’s influence was in Mindanao, Luzon and SuluArchipelago.

Lourdes Rausa-Gomez, in a critical study of the Madjapahit Empires publishedin 1967 Philippine Studies, says that “there is no evidence at all substantiatesthe claim of some Filipino historians that imperial domains reached the Suluand Visayas portions in the Philippines.”’ Gomez debunks Beyer’s hypothesiswhich was “partly based” on his etymology of the Philippine term Visaya,according to Gomez, is to this day debatable. She cites Juan R. Francisco’stheory that the term Visaya is of Sanskrit origin which means “sphere,dominion, territory, country, and kingdom.”

In an article written by Alberto Santamaria, entitled Visayas “ElVictorioso”, which appeared in the Unitas in 1960, it is indicated thatthe term Visaya means El Victorioso or simply Victorioso referring tothe successful subjugation of the Visayas by Sri-Vijaya.

The two areas namely, Manila and Sulu, which were said to have beenplaces where the Madjapahit power had been felt strongly arebelieved to be areas in Java or the Lesser Sundas. This is evidenced bythe absence of such words in the spelling list of the Radja Pasey or theNagarakartagama/ Nagarakertagama.

Srivijaya was a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the islandof Sumatra, Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia.

The Majapahit Empire was a vast archipelagic empire based on theisland of Java from 1293 to around 1500.