My interpretation of it is, anything that happened in the past and was recorded even through the word of mouth will be considered as history. For Emma Joseph, member of The Big Question Team, “History is often quoted in the justification of many actions and events – from territorial claims to long-running conflicts”. From my experience, it is necessary to study history because it gives us information of the past, especially at times when I am not present in that event. Since history is written or passed orally, it can be used as a reference to trace the identity and origin of a certain thing or topic.
In the context of the Philippine History, it allows the people to learn how the country started, how the people lived before, and how Philippines continued to develop. For me, through the prominent people and distinguished demonstrations in the Philippines, the character of Filipinos has slowly come into being. As for Dr. Leslie E. Bauzon, Vice-President and Chair of the Social Sciences Division of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), he stresses the “importance of history and anthropology as tools for understanding ancestral roots, which he says provides a lens to assess the social and economic dilemmas that beset the Philippines today”.
In conclusion, history is a valuable piece in our whole persona as a Filipino. As this will encourage the people to become more conscious and politically active of the current events. Without knowing, it can’t answer the questions regarding who we are.
