The document discusses several problems and difficulties in writing Philippine history, including a scarcity of written materials, especially at the local level. Translation issues with documents written in Spanish or other languages also pose problems. Foreign writers' biases and prejudices have also impacted Philippine histories. There is a lack of representative materials across the entire country, and some ethnic groups lack a written tradition. Finally, there are few trained historians in the Philippines. The document also outlines several major philosophies or views in the study of history, including the cyclical, providential, progressive, Marxist, and relativist views.

1. History
An Introduction

2. Problems and difficulties in the writing
and study of Philippine history
A. Scarcity of written materials, especially in the local level
B. Problems of translation with regard to documents written in Spanish
and other foreign language
C. Biases and prejudices on the part of foreign writers
D. The lack of representative materials for the whole country
E. Lacked of trained historians

3. A. Scarcity of written materials,
especially in the local level
1. Most of the materials for the Spanish and
American periods are kept in Manila and it is
expensive t do research there
2. Filipinos, in general, do not have a historical
sense. They tend to discard documents and
old objects after some time.
3. A substantial amount of country’s records
had been destroyed as a result of wars in the
Philippines

4. C. Biases and prejudices on the part of
foreign writers
1. The country’s colonizers judged the Filipino
civilization with their own civilization as the
yardstick
2. The perspective of the colonizers in writing
about the Filipinos was the master-slave
relationship

5. D. The lack of representative materials
for the whole country
1. The lack of research materials on the history
of the provinces and towns in the Philippines
has brought about the so-called Manila-
center or Luzon-centric writing of the
Philippine history
2. Some Filipino ethnic group do not have a
written tradition and, therefore, are
oftentimes left out in history books

6. E. Lacked of trained historians
1. Few young people are taking up history as
their major discipline.
2. The older historians had been trained in the
orientation, “No documents, no history,” i.e.
if there is nothing written, then one cannot
write history

7. Major views or philosophies in the
study of history

8. Cyclical view
• History repeats itself where all human events
occur in cycles.
• Leading exponents: Herodotus and Spengler

9. Providential view
• History is determined by God which consists
of recording the death struggle between good
and evil
• Foremost exponent: St. Augustine

10. Progressive view or Linear view
• It regards mankind as responsible for the
advancement of civilization, thus, placing
complete faith in human intelligence and
abilities rather than in divine intervention
• Man is getting better and better through the
ages
• Leading exponents: Bousset, Vico, Leibnitz,
and Marx

11. The Marxist or Leftist-Socialist view
• Using analysis, the advocates stress that
history is a science, capable of being
controlled, influenced, and predicted
• It regards history as history of economic
classes (class conflict), their rise, fall,
dominance and exploitation

12. Relativist view
• History classifies and groups together facts
about the past in terms of current needs or
contemporary concerns
• Each new situation implies a reinterpretation
of the past – thus, relationship to the past is in
a constant state of change
• History does not deal with causal analysis but
on discourse

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