 The subject of the controversy is the identity of the place “Mazaua” which is the island

mentione by Pigafetta in his book. There are two claims as to its identity: Limasawa in Southern
Leyte and Masao in Butuan. Since the textbook supplied only limited information, I researched
some more in the internet and found out more claims as to where and when it happened. It was
a bit frustrating reading and dealing with conflicting ideas, but it was still fun and informative. It
made me realized how important is accuracy and how useful are evidences in dealing with
scientific investigation.
 The major event that happened in 1872 is the Cavite Mutiny that prompted the martyrdom of
the three priests namely Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. There were different accounts in
reference to the said events based on the perspective of their authors. Reading different
versions gave me a better understanding to what really happened during that time. Naturally, I
would be partial to the account written by my fellow Filipino but the other Spanish versions also
gave me ideas about the cause and effect of the brief event. The incident was a major factor in
the awakening of nationalism among Filipinos.
 Initially, I thought of the “cry” as the actual clash of the Kaipuneros and Guardia Civil. It was until
I read the different versions of the first cry of the revolution that I understood that it meant the
defiance to the Filipino’s allegiance to the Spain accompanied with patriotic shouts. One of the
things I learned is that the involvement of the author in the historic event is crucial. Accuracy
could greatly depend on how the author acquired certain data of the incident that took place.
Considering every version, our side on what is the truth depends on the source.
 The lesson tackled about the Church organization, personnel, and role in the society early in the
colonial era. Their- the church- involvement to the political, economic and religious aspects gave
them control over the country- both the government and the people. In Plaridel’s La Soberania
Monacal en Filipinas, he denounced the friars for their wrong teaching which has resulted in a
life of poverty and misery of the Filipinos. The church’s interference is still relevant today even
though it’s not quite evident. They still hold a significant amount of influence to the society
given that we’re still a religious country.
 Taxes were compulsory in the Spanish era and that applies to all its colonies. The two main
reasons for it were for Spain’s sovereignty to be recognized and to defray expense of
pacification. For the majority of the Filipinos, those taxes take too much of them especially the
less privileged ones. The tax collectors at that time can arbitrarily collect taxes from the Indios
which resulted to them abusing that authority. Those abuses triggered some of the Filipinos to
revolt and to become rebels. It’s just funny that up until now, we still hate taxes. Some things
never really change.