7 Interesting Facts About Philippine History and Historical Figures

There are a number of things about Philippine history that we have either forgotten about or do not know of. These are a few of those things: 

1. Malvar the Orange Farmer 

Miguel Malvar, the last Philippine general to surrender to the American troops, was an orange farmer before he took up arms against colonizers. 

2. Goyo was a playboy. 

Gregorio del Pilar fondly called Goyo by his peers was a good looking lad and he made sure his good looks was put to good use. Historians have confirmed that Goyo was a playboy and had girlfriends in every town he went to. Could it be that the term manggogoyo in the vernacular came from the general’s nickname Goyo? 

3. Rizal's mom was sent to jail. 

 Doña Teodora, Rizal’s mother did some jail time when she was accused by a relative that Teodora tried to poison her. 

She was only released when the Governor-General fell in love with Rizal’s sister Soledad. According to accounts, when the Governor-General asked the young woman what he could give to her as a gift, Soledad immediately said,”Mi madre”. 

4. The Code of Kalantiaw is a forgery. 

The Code of Kalantiaw although considered as a disputed document by Teodoro Agoncillo is a forgery. The forger? Jose E. Marco. Marco, who considered himself a historian, forged a  number of documents including the Code of Kalantiaw. 

Today, there are still many who believe that the code actually existed. Marco continued to forge documents until the year of his death. 

Sources: 

Sulat sa Tanso by Hector Santos 

Kalantiaw The Hoax

5. Yes, they dated albeit briefly.


Before she married strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda briefly dated Ninoy Aquino. (Source: The Imelda Marcos Story –As Told by David Byrne )

6. Rizal was a Nazi - a grammar Nazi.

Rizal was a grammar Nazi but in a nice way. In his letter to his nephew Alfredo, he wrote, “Your letter pleased me very much… I congratulate you on your excellent grade. I believe it is my duty to call your attention to a little mistake you have committed in your letter, a mistake that many commit in society. One does not say ‘I and my brothers greet you’ but ‘My brothers and I greet you.’ You must always put yourself in the last place; you should say, ‘Emilio and I; You and I; My friend and I’ etc.”

Source: Jose Rizal’s 150th Year: To Outlive One’s Name by Denise Roco

7. Bruce Willis looks like Douglas McArthur


Yes, he returned. Again. 

No citation needed.