Conference on Spanish Colonial Philippines

Lourdes Díaz-Trechuelo, In Memoriam
A Conference on Spanish Colonial Philippines
"a tribute to an eminent Spanish scholar who pioneered studies on the said subject in Spain"

11-12 March 2009
University of Asia and the Pacific
Pearl Drive, Ortigas Cente
Pasig City

Organizer:
University of Asia and the Pacific Department of History

Co-sponsors:
University of Córdoba
Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ortigas Foundation

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Dr. Lourdes Diáz-Trechuelo, who died in Seville last year, set a milestone in Philippine historiography in Spain when she wrote Arquitectura española en Filipinas (1565-1800) in 1959. She had since then published other scholarly works on the same topic. In 2006, the Philippine government recognized the significance of her contribution to Philippine historiography with a Presidential Medal.
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Topics and Speakers

Lourdes Díaz-Trechuelo: Founder of Filipinismo in Andalusia
Antonio García-Abásolo
(University of Córdoba, Spain)

Lourdes Díaz-Trechuelo and the Science of History
Jose S. Arcilla, S.J.
(Ateneo de Manila University)

The Portuguese Expansion in the Pacific Ocean:
Continuities and Discontinuities with the Spanish Experience.
Miguel Luque Talaván
(Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain)

Delving into a Forgotten Past: Díaz-Trechuelo's Arquitectura Espanola en Filipinas and the Restoration of the Walled City of Intramuros
Jose Victor Z. Torres
(Intramuros Administration)

The Architecture of San Agustin Monastery through the Years
Pedro Galende, O.S.A.
(San Agustin Museum)

Transformation and Adaptation of the Activities and Facilities of the Misericordia of Manila
Juan O. Mesquida
(University of Asia and the Pacific)

Finding Philippine Art in Spanish Museums
Regalado T. Jose

Filipinos on the Mexican Pacific Coast in the Seventeenth Century
Antonio García-Abásolo
(University of Córdoba, Spain)

Early Spanish Migration and the Birth of Sixteenth-Century Philippine Cities
Danilo M. Gerona
(Ateneo de Naga University)

The Drafts of the Handbook of Confessors of the Synod of Manila of 1582
Paul A. Dumol
(University of Asia and the Pacific)

The Franciscans in Cavite Puerto: A Forgotten Presence, 1577-1663.
Maria Eloisa P. De Castro
(University of Santo Tomas)

Jurisdictional Conflicts Involving the Ecclesiastical Prison of Manila in Governor Arandía’s Times (1757-1758)
Marta Manchado López
(University of Córdoba, Spain)

Lourdes Diaz-Trechuelo and the Importance of Economic Studies of Spanish Colonialism
Ferdinand C. Llanes
(University of the Philippines Diliman)

The Economic Institutions of the Enlightenment under Governor Basco:
The Royal Economic Society and the Royal Philippine Company
Benito F. Legarda

A Market in Intramuros: Basco’s Impossible Dream
Celestina P. Boncan
(National Historical Institute)

Debunking the Myth of the Lazy Native:
Ciriaco González Carvajal’s Programs for Progress
Marya Svetlana T. Camacho
(University of Asia and the Pacific)


Admission is free, but participants are encouraged to register in advance.
For inquiries, please contact Ms. Girlie Caedo or Ms. Krishna Luna
at 637-0912 local 277/288 or e-mail mgcaedo@uap.edu.ph.

Source: http://www.uap.edu.ph/news.aspx?pg=49

Symposium on Philippine-American War

Symposium on Philippine-American War

9:00 a.m., February 10, 2009

Thomas Aquinas Research Center Auditorium
University of Santo Tomas
Espana, Manila

in commemoration of the

110th Anniversary of the Philippine-American War

Organized by the

Kaanak ng mga Bayaning Pilipino 1896

National Commission for Culture & the Arts

Philippine Historical Association

University of Santo Tomas

PROGRAM

Welcome Remarks
Dr. CLOTILDE ARCANGEL
Dean, UST College of Education

Opening Remarks
DR. EVELYN SONGCO
President, Philippine Historical Association

THE PHILIPPINES IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR:
Pawn in the Clash of Two Imperialist Powers
DR. CELESTINA BONCAN
Past President, Philippine Historical Association

REMEMBERING THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR:
Saga of the Gallant Resistance of a Freedom-Loving People
PROF. DARLENE ESPENA
Assistant Secretary, Philippine Historical Association

THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR REVISITED:
Tales of Filipino Heroism
MR. EUGENIO ROY DAZA
President, Kaanak ng mga Bayaning Pilipino 1896

LAUNCHING OF “Memorial Shrine to the Heroes of 1896”

Notes about the speakers:

Dr. Boncan is the Chief of the Research, Publications and Heraldry Division of the National Historical Institute. She holds Ph.D. degree in History from UP Diliman.

Prof. Espena is teaching History courses at the De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University. She is finishing her masteral studies in History at UP Diliman.

Mr. Daza is the president of the Kaanak ng mga Bayaning Pilipino 1896, Inc.

REMEMBERING DR. ROSARIO M. CORTES

Dr. Rosario Mendoza Cortes

(October 27, 1922 - January 21, 2009)

Professor Emeritus of History, UP Diliman

Former President, Philippine Historical Association

REMEMBERING DR. ROSARIO M. CORTES

by Dr. Napoleon Casambre

I knew Dr. Rosario M. Cortes as a colleague and friend in the Department of History, UP-Diliman. I first came to know her when she joined the History Department after transferring from the UP Prep School in Manila. Being colleagues in the same Department, we saw each other more often than not. Sometimes, we would bump into each other along the way going to our classes at Palma Hall; at other times, we met during college or departmental faculty meetings. Among the members of the teaching staff, perhaps, I was one of those close to her. For one thing, we could trace our roots from the same province of Pangasinan and we sometimes spoke in our native tongue. Besides, she knew my older brother, who was once her classmate in the Pangasinan provincial high school. And believe it or not, by some twists of fate, Kuya Alex and Manang Rose were born on the same day, the same month and in the same year.

As time went by, that bond of friendship was reinforced when she worked for her doctoral degree and I became chairman of her dissertation committee. Dra. Cortes was interested in local history and she wrote her MA thesis on the early history of Pangasinan. When she pursued her doctoral studies, she wanted to continue her research on Pangasinan history. Thus, she proposed to the director of the Philippine Studies Program that she wanted to do her dissertati\on on the history of Pangasinan in the 19th century. Then I was chosen as the chairman of her dissertation committee. As adviser and as advisee we worked closely together. She was a diligent and a thorough researcher. Having the facility of the English language, she finished writing her dissertation in record time. In all my experience as a dissertation adviser, she was the one who gave me the least problem. When she submitted to me the first draft of her dissertation, it also became the last draft. Subsequently, she made two other final drafts to be read by the other members of her dissertation committee. After passing her oral defense with flying colors, she became the first home-grown Ph.D. in the Department of History. Her works on the history of Pangasinan are all published and, as far as I know, they are the most authoritative on the subject. Mainly because of these works, she was appointed emeritus professor of history when she retired from the U.P.

One incident that makes me remember Dr. Cortes was when she came to my office one morning and asked me why and how come she was referred to in a petition circulating in the Department in the 1980's as one of the "Gang of Three.". At that time the Department faculty was divided into two factions. I was identified as the leader of one faction with Drs. Cortes, Leslie Bauzon and a few others as members. Since the three of us came from Pangasinan, we were referred by the other faction as the "Gang of Three." I told her that she was not involved in the controversy in the Department but since she also came from my province our opponents thought that she was a member of my group We didn't know exactly who wrote the petition but those who signed it were all belonging to the other group. Those were the days when the Department of History thrived in controversies, according to one faculty of another department.

As an historian, Dra. Cortes wrote history for the sake of historical scholarship. This is well reflected in her works. She observed rigorously the rules of the historical craft, such as the use of historical facts instead of just facts. I've read her all her published works on the history of Pangasian and I found no sign to use them as an argument to prove something . Unlike some historical works which are slanted, her published works are products of an impartial mind. While some historians believe that a good history is a product of less facts but more imagination, Dra. Cortes believed the other way round.

As a teacher, Dr. Cortes was well liked by her students, according to my feedback. She went to class well prepared. Though a bit strict in class, she was fair to her students. She knew how to teach and what to teach. She taught history as a good story by telling it as it is. The only complaint of some of her students was that she conducted her class in English instead of Pilipino. Understandably, she didn't use Pilipino because she was not proficient in the language. To her, teaching is essentially communication and therefore she had to use the language in which she was proficient. She had proficieny in the Englsh language and, according to her, she felt at home in class using it as her medium of instruction. One time, she came to me and told me about her language problem, knowing that I had the same problem in one of my classes She said to me, "If I had to use Pilipino as the medium of instruction in my classes, I might be only betraying my ignorance instead of my erudition."

My contacts with Dra. Cortes continued even after her retirement from the U.P. We saw each other in meetings, conferences, and seminar-worshops sponsored by the Philippine Historical Association. We were then active members of the Association and, at one time or another, served in various capacities. She was president for two terms and editor of the Historical Bullletin, the official journal of the PHA for quite sometime. We gave lectures in conferences and seminar-workshops in various parts of the country. She started to be less active in the PHA only when became sickly.

Since I came to know Dra, Cortes, I've always called her Manang Rose as a sign of respect, and admiration.

The President's Report

by Dr. Celestina P. Boncan

President, Philippine Historical Association (2006-2008)
PHA General Assembly

January 31, 2009, National Historical Institute

Good morning!

I have the honor and pleasure to give you today a report of the activities of the Philippine Historical Association from 2006 up to the present. For the information of everyone, a resolution was passed by the outgoing board on December 28, 2005 allowing itself to continue as an Interim Board until such time that a new Certificate of Incorporation could be acquired from the Securities & Exchange Commission inasmuch as the old one would already expire by the end of 2005. Then President Evelyn Miranda declined to become president again, Vice President Evelyn Songco begged off due to pressure of work. Yours truly accepted the offer by the board to become president.

We officially started our term as president on February 3, 2006 in which day the Interim Board was formally inducted by Mrs. Emelita Almosara, Deputy Executive Director of the National Historical Institute.

When we began our term, we faced a daunting task. The first item in our agenda was to put the “house in order” so to speak and this was to get a new Certificate of Incorporation from the Securities & Exchange Commission which we were able to get on October 20, 2006.

Another very important matter that had to be attended to immediately was the restoration of the PHA’s good standing in the Philippine Social Science Council in which the PHA is one of the regular members and where it represents the History Discipline together with the Philippine National Historical Society. The matter stemmed on the fact that the PHA had been remiss for five years in complying with the PSSC’s requirement of an annual journal. We immediately addressed this requirement by publishing five journals before the deadline given by the PSSC. I am happy to report that the PHA starting from April 2007 until now is in good standing in the PSSC. And because of this, the PHA has been able to enjoy, for 2007 and again in 2008, the privilege of regular members of receiving an annual financial grant as support for their activities, especially the annual conference, the first time that the PHA has enjoyed this privilege in so many years.

We thank the PSSC for its patience and generosity to the PHA.

We also faced a daunting task as our term comes right after the PHA had just celebrated its 50th anniversary. There was before us the achievements of the PHA’s founders and past presidents. It was only but fitting that we endeavor to make this second half century of the PHA as dynamic as it could be possible.

In our first year as president, we endeavored to continue the PHA tradition of making the annual conference as a venue in tackling issues of national importance. Hence, we chose the theme “The Historical Development of Philippine Political Parties” as there had been much public debate on Charter Change at the time. Through this conference held at the University of Makati (September 18), the PHA offered a venue for an academic discussion on one of the pillars of the country’s political life --- the political party system.

We endeavored to increase attendance in the annual conference by focusing on topics that would be interesting and beneficial to teachers of history on all levels. The 2007 annual conference which was held at the National Library (September 21) dealt with “Controversies and Fallacies in Philippine History” while the 2008 annual conference held at the University of Santo Tomas (September 19) was on “Effective and Creative Strategies in Teaching Philippine History.” I am happy to report that the 2007 and 2008 annual conferences each registered more than two hundred paying participants, the first time that this has happened in so many years.

We conceptualized new seminar projects to be undertaken such as “The Men of Valor and Fortitude: The Generals of the Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War” which was first held at the University of the Philippines Baguio (February 10, 2007), then at St. Anthony’s College in San Jose de Buenavista, Province of Antique (February 26, 2008), this focusing on the generals of the Visayas.

Another is the Pocket Lecture Series wherein the PHA shall conduct half day lectures at public schools free of charge as part of the commitment to Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya of the Department of Education to help enhance the teaching of Philippine History. The first was held at the Manila Science High School (November 9, 2007), the second at the V. Mapa High School (November 16, 2007), the third at the GSIS Museum of Art for the Pasay City High School (January 29, 2008), and the fourth at the J. Laurel High School (February 20, 2008).

We ventured into the realm of public health by holding a seminar entitled “America’s Legacy to Philippine Public Health” on July 7, 2007 at the Baguio-Mountain Provinces Museum.

Upon the invitation of the Colegio de Sto. Nino in Cebu City, we held a seminar on the theme “Teaching Greatness to Filipino Youth through History” on October 20, 2007.

We echoed free of charge our 2008 annual conference “Effective and Creative Strategies in Teaching Philippine History” at the Holy Trinity College in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on November 6-7, 2008 to benefit 156 public school teachers of the Divisions of Palawan and Puerto Princesa.

In terms of publications, we endeavored to come out with an issue of the Historical Bulletin (annual journal) every year and the PHA Balita (newsletter) during the annual conference.

We have also endeavored to come out with printed programs, for the 2007 and 2008 annual conferences and the colloquia for Philippine Independence Day (in Kawit in 2007 and in Malolos in 2008).

We revitalized old linkages, most especially with the National Historical Institute. We actively participated in the project of the National Historical Institute to popularize local history writing --- in 2007 held at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (September 20), Silliman University, Dumaguete City (November 6-7) and University of Northern Philippines, Vigan (November 23-24); in 2008 held at the National Historical Institute (August 21-22), at the Rizal Memorial Colleges, Davao City (September 25-26), at the Naga Colleges Foundation, Naga City (October 16-17), at the University of San Carlos, Cebu City (December 11-12).

We also actively participated in two main historical commemorations undertaken annually by the NHI. For Philippine Independence Day, we organized colloquia, in 2007 on the theme “The Significance of June 12 as Philippine Independence Day” at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite (June 9) and in 2008 on the theme “The Role of Bulacan in the Struggle for Philippine Independence” at the Casa Real Shrine in Malolos, Bulacan (June 11).

For Rizal Day, we continued the seminar-workshop that we conceptualized in 2005, “Teaching Rizal in the Classroom: Making the Rizal Course Relevant in Our Time” --- in Siliman University, Dumaguete City on January 26-27, 2007, University of San Agustin, Iloilo City January 18, 2008, and Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City on December 9, 2008.

We have also endeavored to request the National Historical Institute to publish a special issue of the Historical Bulletin in commemoration of its 50th anniversary. I am happy to report that the NHI will indeed publish this commemorative issue in time for the 2009 annual conference in September.

We thank with the utmost gratitude all the support that the NHI has given to us in the last three years.

We also revitalized our linkage with the Philippine Social Science Council. In 2006 the PHA was a member of the National Organizing Committee chaired by the Philippine Social Science Council that prepared the 19th Conference of the International Association of Historians of Asia which was held on November 22-24, 2006 at the Hotel Intercontinental Makati. The PHA had a stake on this since the IAHA traces its beginnings to the international conference organized by the PHA in 1960 whose participants passed a resolution to found an association of historians of Asia. For the 19th IAHA, the PHA fielded a panel on the theme “History in a Multi-disciplinal World.” I am proud to report that the PHA was the only regular member association of the PSSC that fielded a panel.

On May 8, 2008 the PHA participated in the PSSC’s 6th National Social Science Congress by fielding a panel entitled “Imparting History in Philippine Education.”

We made use of the PHA’s membership in the Committee of Historical Research of the NCAA by applying for financial assistance to be able to hold more seminars outside of Metro Manila (“The Men of Valor and Fortitude” seminars held in Baguio City and San Jose, Antique and the seminar “America’s Legacy to Philippine Public Health” in Baguio City).

We thank with the utmost gratitude all the support that the NCCA has given to us in the last three years.

We thank with the utmost gratitude too all the institutions and schools that partnered with us in bringing history closer to our people.

I must admit that the task of being president was not easy. Being PRESIDENT means being PRESSED to give one’s all, being PRESIDENT means being PRESSURED to “deliver the goods.”

But surely there were lighter moments in being president of the PHA as there were many instances of being together and being able to keep in touch with past presidents (Napoleon Casambre, Oscar Evangelista, Milagros Guerrero, Pablo Trillana III, Ambeth Ocampo) as part of our thrust to link the present with the past. Unfortunately, however, one of them is no longer with us, our dearly beloved Dr. Rosario Cortes.

Before I close, I would like to thank the people without whom we would not have been able to accomplish what we have set out to do. At this point, I would like to personally thank:

Dean Gloria Santos (Executive Director)
Dr. Cesar Pobre (Governor, Past President)
Dr. Evelyn Miranda (Immediate Past President)
Dr. Teofista Vivar (Auditor)
Dr. Evelyn Songco (Vice President)
Dr. Estrellita Muhi (Treasurer)
Prof. Orestes de los Reyes (Assistant Treasurer)

I would also like to thank three young men whom I personally recruited to the board on my authority as president. I was not mistaken in getting them as they have proven themselves time and time again to be responsible, dedicated and trustworthy. They are:

Prof. Jerome Ong (Secretary)
Mr. Jonathan Balsamo (Public Relations Officer)
Mr. Michael Chua (Assistant to the President)

Sa inyong lahat, maraming maraming salamat po!