CONTEMPORARY Filipino historians are often handicapped by the lack or absence of written materials that could counterbalance the misconceptions, misrepresentations, biases and prejudices of Spanish and American colonial writers. This predicament is true of the history of every group of people in the Philippine archipelago, including that of the Bisayans.
It must be pointed out that […]

One of the surprising things about Dr. Jose Rizal that should be recognized by every Filipino is the relevance of his political thoughts in every step of our political development. This is particularly of great importance in the light of the many political issues and concerns that confront the nation today.
A famous author and editor […]

IT IS unfortunate that a vast number of Filipino laymen lack interest or understanding of Philippine history. This may have been brought about by an inadequate background in history and a general tendency on the part of the people to be less conscious of the value of the past to their present life. Or, maybe, […]

The Spanish colonizers alleged that , when they arrived in the Philippines, they found the Filipinos, including the Bisayans, not to have any knowledge in writing and in reading. This allegation implies that the natives did not possess an alphabet and did not have a system of writing; therefore, they were said to be uncivilized.
Nevertheless, […]

The Pulahanes de Passi in the north-central part of Panay was a socio-religious group that reacted to the harsh conditions of the Spanish rule during the revolutionary period and, later, to American imperialist ambition. It must be pointed out that the voice of freedom came from both the middle class and the poorer sector of […]

BARRIO OBRERO, situated four kilometers away from the Iloilo downtown area across the Iloilo River, was once a mangrove swamp before it was settled by a good number of people. The place was inhabited when it served as a shelter for thousands of working families that became homeless resulting from a major conflagration that hit […]

PANAY’S socio-cultural development started long before the coming of the Spanish colonizers. Historical records and archaeological findings would attest to the fact that the pre-Spanish Panayanons were a people of rich culture and of relatively advanced civilization. Their culture belonged to the Iron Age.
Early Spanish writers like Antonio de Morga, Miguel de Loarca and Francisco […]

THE IDEA of putting up a permanent docking area in Antique at Lipata Point in Culasi was first conceived in 1977. It was to facilitate travel between Antique and Manila, as well as other places in the country, and to encourage investors to do business in Culasi and the whole province of Antique. However, nothing was […]

AS ALREADY KNOWN, Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. This came about as a result of the renewal of the revolution against Spain after Aguinaldo ended his voluntary exile in Hongkong. As may be recalled, the Pact of Biyak-na-Bato was agreed upon between the Filipinos under Aguinaldo and the Spaniards […]

PANAY ISLAND Island has always been prominent in the boat-building industry in the Philippines since the pre-colonial days. The construction of various types of wooden boats was already a flourishing activity in the island long before the coming of the Spanish colonizers. Because of their primary importance, boats and their cultural dimensions have permeated many […]