1. “To The Brave Sons of the Philippines”:
A Case of Mistaken Identity in Writing
Revolutionary History
William Henry Scott

2. • William Henry Scott (1921 – 1993) was a historian of
the Gran Cordillera Central and Prehispanic Philippines.
He personally rejected the description anthropologist as
applying to himself.
• Scott held a Bachelor's degree from Yale University, a
Masters from Columbia University and a PhD from the
University of Santo Tomas. Scott's dissertation was
published by the University of Santo Tomas Press as
Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine
History in 1968. A revised and expanded second edition
was published in 1984.
William Henry Scott

3. • Scott's first well known academic work is The Discovery
of the Igorots. This is a history of the Cordillera mountain
region over several centuries of Spanish
contact, constructed from contemporary Spanish sources.
Scott argues that the difficulties the Spaniards
encountered extending their rule in the face of local
resistance resulted in the inhabitants of the region being
classified as a 'savage' race separate to the more tractable
lowland Filipinos.
William Henry Scott

4. • He debunked the Kalantiaw legend in this book. Datu
Kalantiaw was the main character in a historical
fabrication written in 1913 by Jose E. Marco. Through a
series of failures by scholars to critically assess Marco's
representation, the invented legend was adopted as actual
history. As a result of Scott's work, Kalantiaw is no
longer a part of the standard history texts in the
Philippines.
William Henry Scott

5. • Scott died unexpectedly on 4 October 1993, aged 72, in St
Luke's Hospital, Quezon City, following what was
considered to have been a routine gall bladder operation.
He was buried in the cemetery of Saint Mary the
Virgin, Sagada, Mountain Province on 10 October 1993.
William Henry Scott

6. • This article covers events on the late 1800s Philippines.
Basically, it talks of a document during the time of
Philippine Revolution against Spain – 1896 onwards.
TIME FRAME…

7. • “To The Brave Sons of the Philippines” was made by a
Malabar on 1897.
• It was an appeal to expand the Katipunan to Ilocos and
the Northern provinces and to resort to guerilla warfare,
not to obtain independence but to force Spain to grant
political and economic concessions to her Philippine
colony.
SUMMARY

8. • In it’s publishing in La Politica de España en Filipinas
(W. Retana), “Malabar” changed to “Emilio Aguinaldo”.
• In The Philippine Insurrection against United States
(John R.M. Taylor), it had a date and a place: Biac-na-
bato, September 6, 1897.
• Reprinted by Pedro Achutegui and Miguel Bernad as
documents in their 1972 Aguinaldo and the Philippine
Revolution of 1896.
SUMMARY

9. • Historians commented on the significance of the article.
• Foreman, says it is the basic goals of revolution.
• Achutegui and Bernad narrowed the address of the
manifesto to the “Tagalog nation” rather than to the “sons
of the Philippines”.
• Constantino sees it as evidence to Aguinaldo’s bourgeois
vacillation from his stated revolutionary goal of complete
independence.
SUMMARY

10. • The manifesto was NOT written by Aguinaldo on July or
September, but by an Isabelo de los Reyes in Malaban on
30May 1987.
• Isabelo was a small-time Ilocano businessman in Tondo
and a professional journalist.
• “Malabar” manifesto contains characteristic of his style.
• The contents of the Malabar manifesto was spelled out in
de los Reyes’ Memoria, specifically in chapters III and
IV.
SUMMARY

11. • III. The Present State of the Insurrection – this chapter
basically talks on the garrisoning of the Spanish in towns.
It also proposes the way of fighting against the Spanish
through “guerilla warfare” in reference to Spanish-Cuban
war.
• IV. Program of the Revolution – this chapter talks of the
“aspirations” of the Philippines.
SUMMARY

12. • Isabelo de los Reyes was imprisoned because of
Memoria. He was released from Bilibid on May 17. With
his wife dead, he and his children moved to their father-
in-law in Malabon, edited “Memoria”, attended a
Katipunan wedding, and wrote the Malabar manifesto.
• “Aguinaldo makes my program his.”
– Isabelo de los Reyes
SUMMARY

13. • Emilio Aguinaldo was not the author of the Malabar
manifesto “To The Brave Sons of the Philippines”.
• False facts emerge with the various
transpositions, citations, and use of the Malabar
manifesto.
• For one to aim for political and economic concession
rather than complete independence means that he
recognizes that Philippines still can’t stand alone.
• There was a great divide between the Luzon people and
everyone else. It is evident in the point raised by
Achutegui and Bernad.
SIGNIFICANT POINTS
RAISED IN THE ARTICLE

14. • “To the Brave Sons of the Philippines” (Malabar
manifesto) is one important document during the
revolutionary period. If one studies this document, one
would have the idea of the conditions of the Philippines
during that period. Also, with this document we are able
to appreciate the skill and intellect of a Filipino writer
during that particular time.
RELEVANCE/IMPORTANCE
TO OUR SUBJECT