History Week




THERE are hundreds of millions of documents – annual reports, court records, service records, censuses, appointment papers, royal decrees, laws, confidential reports, papal bulls and encyclicals, petitions by inhabitants, personal letters, diaries, newspapers, maps, pictures, covering the period from 1521 to the present – that are housed in our country’s archives and institutions, notably the National Archives of the Philippines and the archives of the University of the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas, the Ateneo de Manila University, and other religious groups in the country in various parishes nationwide. Altogether, these collections constitute a priceless heritage of our people. They are the embodiment of our past. From these records, one can reconstruct the history of every town, province, region, and ethnic group in the country.


For lack of care, preservation, and support, many of these documents are now decaying and, if not preserved, will be reduced to dust. With this deterioration, parts of our country’s history will be lost forever.

"Save our History, Save our Nation," is the theme for this year’s celebration of History Week. The theme highlights the important role history plays in charting and guiding the future of the nation and its inhabitants. Leading the celebration of History Week is the National Historical Institute and the Philippine Historical Association. Lectures and conferences on various historical topics are the highlights of the celebration.

Dr. Jose P. Rizal, our national hero, emphasized the study of history "To foretell the destiny of the Filipino people," he wrote in his essay The Philippines A Century Hence, "one must study their past." French President Jaques Chirac corroborated Dr. Rizal’s view. "Without memory," he wrote, "there is no future."

Let us preserve our history and our records – and help preserve our nation. Let us emphasize the study and teaching of history in our schools.

i want to get a hold of the 1960 copy of the hudhud epic by frances lambercht!!!!!!!!! its so hard to get along with other epics of the philippines from igorot to lumad to muslim!!!!!! how can i get them?!!!!!!!!

Get ? Or borrow?