Republic of the Philippines

Bicol University
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Daraga, Albay

(GEC 12)

~ Library Research on “A Brief Summary of the First Voyage around

the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta”~

Prepared and respectfully submitted:

JOELLE MAINE R. BERGONIO

BSED Filipino-1

Noted:

MYRNA A. PEREYRA
Subject Professor
 An Analysis and Discussion on a Primary Source in
Philippine History

This analysis and discussion on a primary source in Philippine History

was done through a library research about the brief summary of the first
voyage around the world by Magellan that was documented by Antonio
Pigafetta. The library research was an alternative plan for the subject on
Readings on Philippine History class shedule last August 29, 2019. The library
research has two main objectives. First, the students should identify a primary
source in Philippine history. Second is to write an essay discussing the
importance of the text; the background of the author; the content of the
document, and the text’s contribution to understanding Philippine history.

Historian’s most important tool in understanding, analyzing, and

interpreting past events is historical sources. These historical sources will
supply them necessary historical facts. Students who study important events
in the Philippine history need to make use of primary sources in tracing and
connecting the past to the present times.

One of the most important primary documents is Antonio Pigafetta’s

First Voyage around the World. His documentation is an important travelogue
in studying the Philippines’ precolonial and Spaniards colonialization time. It
served as the prime evidence in the discovery of the Philippine archipelago by
Ferdinand Magellan. It contained on how he encountered with local leaders,
his death in Lapulapu’s place in the Battle of Mactan and the departure of the
survivors from the islands. Pigafetta’s work shows a great importance in the
chronological study of Philippine history.

As Filipino students who study our country’s history, we must be

observant and must be able to recognize the different views of the author’s
text. There are certain factors which can affect the contents of the text like the
background of the author, and the situation or condition he was in during the
documentation. These also influenced his narration of the events including the
inclusion of details in the text, his characterization of the community he had
encountered and his point of view in interpreting the events. Antonio Pigafetta
was born into a wealthy Vicenza family in Italy. He was a scholar on
cartography and geography. He was commisioned by King Charles I of Spain
to join and document the voyage of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
and his Spanish crew on their way to Moluccas or Spice Islands. He was
among one of Magellan’s original crew who completed the first
circumnavigation of the world. The First Voyage Around the World by
Magellan was published after Pigafetta returned to Italy.

The content of Pigafetta’s text was written from his perspective during
sixteenth century European perspective. For example, when their fleet
reached what he called the Ladrones Islands or the Islands of the Thieves, he
stated that the people have no arms, but use sticks. People are poor, but
ingenious, and great thieves, and that’s why they called these three islands as
the Ladrones Islands. His observations and assessments of the indigenous
cultures employed European standards. For him, wearing indigenous attires
was still like naked because Europeans viewed that wearing fewer clothes
was like wearing nothing. But those indigenous attires suit the tropical climate
of the islands. He also described the materials used by the natives for their
houses like palm and bamboo. These materials helped the natives adapt to
the warm climate of the country. In the sixteenth century, European economy
was mercantilist. They measure the wealth of the different kingdoms based on
the precious metals like gold and silver. So in order for Spain to be on top of
all European nations, they need to explore for new lands where they could
find more gold and more wealth The beliefs of indigenous people were
different from the Christian’s beliefs and they were sometimes considered as
barbaric and demonic. Hence, one of their ultimate purposes was the
domination of Christianity all over the world. They were also after in exploiting
the abundance of spices like ginger which can be used to blend the taste of
European cuisines. Understanding the context would reveal that spices were
seen as prestige goods in Europe.
 Analyzing and examining the primary document became the pool of our
knowledge and understanding of the precolonial period in the Philippines
which is a great help in the study and understanding phase in our own history.
Primary sources have different kind of analysis and have different importance
depending in the occurrence of situation. Pigafetta’s text played a major role
in understanding the Philippine history especially during its precolonial
periods. It can be considered as the most credible and most detailed historical
source in the study of Philippine history.
Sources of informations during the library research are included for
truthfulness of data gathered wherein a brief summary of the First Voyage
around the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta is written or cited.

Candelaria, John Lee P. and Alporha, Veronica C. (2018). Readings in

Philippine History (GEC Series). Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Halili, Maria Christine N. (2014). Philippine History Second Edition. Sampaloc,

Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.