This 1912 publication represents a complex and controversial chapter in Philippine historiography. Authored by Jose E. Marco and annotated by the prominent scholar Manuel Artigas y Cuerva, the text purports to provide a definitive chronological account of Negros Island from pre-colonial times to the early 20th century. Marco is a notorious figure in Philippine history, later identified by historians like William Henry Scott as a prolific forger of historical documents (including the infamous Code of Kalantiaw). Despite the modern academic consensus regarding the dubious authenticity of Marco's "discoveries," this volume remains a significant cultural artifact. It reflects the intellectual climate of the early American colonial period, where Filipinos sought to reconstruct a grand national identity through recovered—or in this case, manufactured—heritage. For institutions like Silliman University, which houses this copy, the book serves as a critical case study in historiography and the evolution of Philippine historical consciousness. It documents how local myths and "histories" were integrated into the broader national narrative of the era.
Reseña Histórica de la Isla de Negros: Desde los Tiempos Más Remotos Hasta Nuestros Días