Philippine Historical Review

Philippine Historical Review
Title	Philippine Historical Review
Discipline	History
Language	English
Publisher	University of the Philippines Press
Country	Philippines
History	1953–present
Frequency	Biannual
Issn	0031-7689

Philippine Historical Review The Philippine Historical Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on the history of the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and related global contexts such as the Spanish Empire, United States, and Japan. It publishes research on topics ranging from precolonial polities like Kingdom of Tondo and Rajahnate of Cebu to modern events including the People Power Revolution and the Moro conflict. The journal serves scholars affiliated with institutions such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, and international centers like the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Overview

The Review emphasizes archival studies drawing on holdings at the National Archives of the Philippines, Archivo General de Indias, British Library, US National Archives, and Yale University Library. Articles often analyze primary sources from collections associated with figures such as Miguel López de Legazpi, Jose Rizal, Emilio Aguinaldo, Andres Bonifacio, and Manuel L. Quezon. Themes include colonial administration under the Spanish Philippines, the Philippine Revolution, the Philippine–American War, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, postwar reconstruction, land reform legislated by the Agricultural Tenancy Act, and movements tied to leaders like Benigno Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino.

History and Development

Founded in 1953 by scholars associated with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines Diliman, the journal emerged amid debates over nationalist historiography promoted by historians such as Teodoro Agoncillo and Renato Constantino. Early issues featured contributions on topics including the Cavite mutiny, the Katipunan, the Malolos Republic, and analyses of sources from the Archivo General de Indias and the Vatican Secret Archives. During the Martial Law era declared by Ferdinand Marcos, contributors engaged with censorship controversies that also involved institutions like the Philippine Constabulary and responses from the National Press Club. Post-1986, the Review expanded to include interdisciplinary work from scholars at University of San Carlos, Silliman University, Mindanao State University, University of Santo Tomas, and international collaborators at Harvard University, Oxford University, Stanford University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, and Australian National University.

Editorial Structure and Policies

The editorial board typically includes professors from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and regional universities such as University of the Philippines Visayas and University of the Philippines Mindanao. Peer review is blind and overseen by editors with expertise in areas including precolonial studies on polities like Butuan, maritime history involving the China Trade, and modern political history involving figures like Ferdinand Marcos and Jose P. Laurel. Submission policies require adherence to citation practices when using primary sources from archives including the National Library of the Philippines and the Library of Congress. The journal has published special issues on events such as the Galleon Trade, the Tydings–McDuffie Act, the Bataan Death March, and the Choice of the Filipino Independence period, collaborating with organizations like the Historical Research and Documentation Program and the Philippine Studies Association.

Notable Contributions and Impact

The Review has published influential articles on subjects such as the historiography of Jose Rizal, reinterpretations of the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio, analyses of the Philippine–American War combatants including Apolinario Mabini, and studies on indigenous groups like the Aeta, Ifugao, Maranao, T'boli, and Ipil. It has advanced scholarship on land tenure disputes surrounding the Hacienda Luisita, maritime archaeology in Tubbataha Reef, trade networks connecting Manila and Acapulco, and constitutional debates from the Malolos Constitution to the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines. The journal’s work has informed museum exhibitions at the National Museum of the Philippines and curricula at the Philippine Normal University and shaped public history projects linked to the National Historical Institute and the Presidential Museum and Library.

Indexing and Accessibility

The Review is indexed in regional and international bibliographies together with journals like Philippine Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, Journal of Asian Studies, and databases maintained by institutions such as the Asia Task Force and the International Council on Archives. Libraries that hold complete runs include the National Library of the Philippines, University of the Philippines Main Library, Ateneo Rizal Library, the British Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Library of Congress. Digitization efforts have partnered with projects at Southeast Asia Digital Library, HathiTrust, and university repositories at Ateneo de Manila University and University of the Philippines System to increase access for researchers in locations from Cebu to Davao and abroad at centers like Cornell University Library and University of California, Berkeley.

Criticism and Controversies

The Review has faced critique over representation, including debates about metropolitan bias privileging manuscripts from Manila over provincial archives in Iloilo, Zamboanga, and Baguio, and contested interpretations of events like the Moro conflict and the legacy of Ferdinand Marcos. Scholars affiliated with Bangsamoro groups and indigenous organizations such as the Cordillera Peoples Alliance have challenged narratives in certain articles, prompting response forums featuring contributors from De La Salle University and Silliman University. Controversies have also arisen regarding editorial decisions during periods of political tension affecting institutions like the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Category:Academic journals Category:History of the Philippines