CONDITION REPORT
HARDBOUND
COVER IS POOR BUT ALL PAGES ARE IN FAIR CONDITION, SOME FOXING

ABOUT THE WORK

Revista de Filipinas is quite simply a pioneering work in the history of journalism in the Philippines. For one, it proved the existence in Manila of a community of intellectuals interested in the educational and scientific progress of the archipelago. The Revista was the first cultural magazine in the Philippines, in keeping with others published in Europe at the same time. It was founded in July 1875 by the Galician José Felipe del Pan, a colonial official who was behind the founding and direction of several periodicals. This particular one published numerous articles on the Philippines’ climate, geology, and flora and presented for the first time, several manuscripts on the history of the Philippines. It also published translations of scientific articles on the Philippines that had been published abroad. Clearly, it was instrumental in disseminating knowledge about the geography and peoples of the Philippines, and many of its studies are focused on specific provinces. The most educated people in science and literature in the Philippines collaborated in this journal. For these multitide of reasons, the Revista de Filipinas is one of the most beloved and sought-after works by Filipino bibliophiles. It was motivated more by a sincere desire to disseminate knowledge and improve the intellectual life of the archipelago than to obtain economic benefits, which is probably why it was forced to close in November 1877. It depended almost entirely on subscriptions, a large part of them coming from the provincial capitals, but it was not enough for the economic support of such a praiseworthy enterprise. Significant works were also published under the journal in separate volumes, such as John Bowring’s book of travels, Tomás de Comyn’s report on the Philippines, or Father Francisco Moreno’s early history of the Philippines. Volume 1 runs from July 1875 to June 1876 and was printed at the legendary Imprenta de Ramirez y Giraudier. It contains articles on history, biographies of illustrious personages, political studies and on the colonial administration, articles on volcanology, numerous ethnographic studies and on the customs of the different ethnic peoples of the archipelago, articles on agriculture, industry, commerce, hygiene and medicine — with emphasis on ideas that would contribute to the social and economic progress of the Philippines — as well as bibliographical entries and cultural news. It also included serialized literary novels. It was published, as was the custom then, in the form of fascicles, which were then bound following the annual index’s publication. Curiously, the religious ingredient is entirely absent in its pages. It was the most serious initiative until then to disseminate rational knowledge and enlighten the population of the Philippines. Very important and extremely rare.