Studying history means studying the past and the events from it.

It is also the study of change,

and this makes it one of the most useful of disciplines. The world is driven by change, which is
continuously shaping our lives in ways that we don’t even realize. Change affects us from the
highest levels of governments and countries down to the most trivial details for which the role of
change in society helps us interpret the world in its current state. It also provides a firm grasp of
why things change, the mechanisms driving change and its significance. Studying history is the
key to understand how these forces shape our lives today - the past is the key to the present.
History provides context for everything that we see around us today, and the key to
understanding the world we find ourselves in now is to look at how it came to be.

Without history, it is impossible to understand how cultures come to be. As the study of change,
history identifies the driving forces behind cultures. A culture’s history is integral to the shared
identities of its members, and you can’t see the full picture of a culture without understanding the
history behind it. Many problems, features, and characteristics of modern Philippine society can
be traced back to historical questions on our colonial past, as well as our pre-colonial culture.
Moreover, in order to successfully navigate our society in the present day, it is essential to know
what came before, the driving forces of change that shape our lives, and the individuals of the
past who shaped our society. Likewise, in order to understand our place within society, within
our culture, and even within our own family, it is essential to realize that our present is the
product of what came before, and the past provides a context for everything we do as an
individual. Knowing where you fit into history gives you a context for yourself, your culture, and
your world today. History gives you an understanding of your own identity. Because we have an
understanding of a shared past and a communal identity, and we get this shared experience
through our common knowledge of our history. Learning about how we came to be as a
community informs how we see ourselves as a group in the present day, and we do this through
knowing our history. Knowing how our shared experience came to be and what has defined us in
the past gives us a reason to work towards a better society.
Besides, without understanding the root of a problem, there is no hope of solving it. This is what
history does: it identifies the driving forces of society, of government, of individuals, of change,
and it traces these features of the past to contemporary features of the world. We can’t confront
international crises without one of the most basic tools in our belt, namely understanding how the
crisis arose and what forces shape them. Conflict cannot be resolved without comprehending the
historical roots of a situation. If we want to stand any chance of confronting the pressing issues
of our world, we need to start at the root of the problem: we need to know history.

History as a discipline allows us to see beyond textbooks and see the past through new lenses.
Because if we cling to what the textbooks tell us then we will already have a wrong
understanding of Philippine history. The study of history allows us to see beyond the standard
textbook and the primary source itself, interpreted into new and alternative viewpoints.
Philippine history is in and of itself very interesting. Philippine history is a unique narrative of
colonialism, reaction, and revolution. It is also a culturally diverse country from precolonial
times. There’s an emerging trend to study the social history of the country (i.e. more on the day-
to-day experience of the Filipinos during certain periods) and uncover more stories beyond the
usual stories taught in schools across the country. The country’s experience of colonialism, the
rise of nationalistic feelings, and the people’s subsequent reaction may allow us to gain more
perspectives on nationalism and revolutions.
In studying history, we learn how to compare conflicting interpretations and identify biases. We
learn how to see an issue from multiple perspectives. We learn how to assess evidence and
determine its value. A good understanding of history will leave any student with this
indispensable inventory of skills that can carry anybody far in life.  Conversely, by giving us an
understanding of change, history also helps us comprehend stability and the continuities that
exist from past to present and from society to society. In short, history is a tool to understand the
world. 

History is the greatest of stories. History is a thrilling adventure that takes place across our
country, the world and through the ages. History is a tale that spans the entire human experience,
and it is a tale in which we all have a part to play. Being a Filipino, it is our duty and service to
the country to learn the story of the past. It is also an important step for some sort of nationalism
for the country. The Philippines’ cultural, political, and national history is unique and special in
its own right. The importance of its promulgation across the citizens and residents of the Islands
is important so all may know the story of how the nation came to be.

People often say that “history repeats itself,” but if we study the successes and failures of the
past, we may, ideally, be able to learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future.
Studying history can provide us with insight into our cultures of origin as well as cultures with
which we might be less familiar, thereby increasing cross-cultural awareness and understanding.

Personally, Philippine history is important to Filipinos because it is essentially a record of what

we've done, as a country, in order to get to the present condition that we live in.

A lot of times people tend to see Philippine history as just a chronological report of what
happened around the Philippine Islands yesterday, and the day before that. However, if you
really look at it, history is also the biggest and most neglected data analysis project that every
Filipino should look into to find the answers how we've achieved certain things and failed to
improve in others.

The Philippines has a rich history filled with heroic acts and visionary thinking, the only thing
that is lacking, in my opinion, is the ability to look back at them and learn how to do them better.
The Philippines is certainly looking to achieve many things in the 21st century that will require
the analysis of past efforts and the careful peeling away of the things that did not work.

One useful analogy is to think of a country as a person, and its history as the person's memories
and experiences. A person learns, grows, and matures based on his experiences. Good
experiences serve as his source of pride and confidence, while bad experiences serve as his
source of learning. The important thing is the person should process these experiences and apply
the lessons to what he plans for in the future, History works the same way for a country. By
understanding, learning, and processing our experiences as a nation, we obtain "national pride"
from our good experiences and, hopefully, learn from our bad ones.
Our principles and beliefs are shaped by what we learn from History.
Note that History is just a lens to understand society. The others "lens" include disciplines such
as the ones mentioned above.

A multidisciplinary approach is the best way to understand the reasons behind our current
situation, history is just one of those approaches.

There as popular Tagalog proverb that is said by Jose Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines -
“Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan hindi makararating sa pinaroroonan ”. It is
translated to "He who does not know where he came from, will never reach his destination".
History is a tool to understand the present and eventually confront the future.

To Filipino students, it is important because they are part of Philippine society, and you always
want to know where you came from, what sources or influences shaped you.

To study ANY history should enhance your appreciation of humankind.

To learn from mistakes. History is a great teacher. It has recorded some of the greatest and
most fatal mistakes that humanity has committed in the pursuit of power, fame, and money.
Not all Filipinos in our history books were victims. A lot of them were the very criminals
that caused the suffering of their own countrymen. History shows us the consequences of
their actions. Not to pour salt into the wound. But to remind, that this, this is what happens
when you go too far, or when you don’t go far enough. It reminds us not to commit the
same mistakes.

Understanding of history gives you a context and perspective to a lot of facets of our lives as
Filipino. History gives you perspective on the current challenges that we are facing.. It does give
you context on modern day issues.

It makes us feel proud that we as a multi cultural nation can actually exsist.
History is a multifaceted discipline that will increase your cultural awareness and moral
understanding of the world we live in.
By studying history you’ll gain a range of transferable skills, from informed citizenship and
critical thinking, to research and general awareness. What’s more, the knowledge acquired
through the study of history is relevant in a wide range of disciplines and can lead to diverse
employment opportunities.

George Santayana’s oft-quoted aphorism: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned
to repeat it”. Studying history enables us to develop better understanding of the world in which
we live. Building knowledge and understanding of historical events and trends, especially over
the past century, enables us to develop a much greater appreciation for current events today. And
if we heed Santayana’s warning, then remembering history – and learning important lessons
from it – should help us to avoid previous mistakes and prevent previous misdeeds from
happening again.’
It is part of the rich tapestry of human existence, as valid and important in its own right as any
other part.

Or - to mix metaphors - it is one of the many stones from which we create the mosaic that we
call “human history.” The assumption that some stones are “important,” and thus, presumably,
others are not is simply to misunderstand what a mosaic is.

The significance of Phil History is it teaches lessons, mainly in politics, that should not be
repeated, if we want to move forwards.

Philippine history is one of the interesting histories happened in Asia. And knowing how the
Philippines before and after some times, it is fun and educational. Every event in history will
leave us lessons and learnings. It would help us understand better why are we experiencing
current situations like what we are experiencing now. For example, the amount of fare and prices
of goods in the market, why are they like that? It's because of inflation rates and international
economic issues that happened before and is occurring until now. Why our cars looks like this
now when before, cars are huge and made up of woods and other metals. It's because of new
inventions and discoveries. History will teach us these things.  
History will make us understand more our culture. In this way, we could understand our country
and fellow countrymen more. There are many things that history can teach us and all are useful
in our knowledge and learnings.
It is to gain much valued knowledge about details on Philippine history. Also, for you gain the
most important thing about having a perspective in matters of Philippine history. Just read well
and be daring to think strongly and well enough about your perspective from reading Philippine
history. Read widely and deeply. Reading is always revolutionary, that's why for so long and
even up to now, so many of us are still distracted and discouraged from reading deeply and
widely enough than usual. Along the way of your reading journey, take time to gain inputs from
others too. But refuse to take trash, even if you initially think it is seemingly from credible
sources. You gain perspective from reading the original and derivative sources of what we call
Philippine history now.

3. It develops our national identity and prevents colonial mentality.

4. Learning our history reminds us that we are very rich in resources.
6. We appreciate the effort and achievement of Filipino heroes.
8. History unites us as one and molds us to be responsible Filipino citizens.
9. Know your root! BE PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO!

History is all around us, we only have to open our minds and heart to it.
 “Our view of history shapes the way we view the present, and therefore it could be easier for
new generations to preserve history and pass it on into the future generations to know what has
really happened in the past”. 3. “Philippine youths should be aware of their own respective
culture to know the history of their own country”. 4. To evaluate the happenings of the past for
the present generation not to commit the same mistakes of the past.

1. Why Study History? (1998) https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-

history-and-archives/historical-archives/why-study-history-(1998)
2. By Peter N. Stearns
3. Consequently, history must serve, however imperfectly, as our laboratory, and data from
the past must serve as our most vital evidence in the unavoidable quest to figure out why
our complex species behaves as it does in societal settings. This, fundamentally, is why
we cannot stay away from history: it offers the only extensive evidential base for the
contemplation and analysis of how societies function, and people need to have some
sense of how societies function simply to run their own lives.
4. History Helps Us Understand Change and How the Society We Live in Came to Be
5. The past causes the present, and so the future. Only through studying history can we
grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to comprehend the factors
that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of an
institution or a society persist despite change.
6. History as art and entertainment serves a real purpose, on aesthetic grounds but also on
the level of human understanding. Stories well done are stories that reveal how people
and societies have actually functioned, and they prompt thoughts about the human
experience in other times and places. The same aesthetic and humanistic goals inspire
people to immerse themselves in efforts to reconstruct quite remote pasts, far removed
from immediate, present-day utility. Exploring what historians sometimes call the
"pastness of the past"—the ways people in distant ages constructed their lives—involves
a sense of beauty and excitement, and ultimately another perspective on human life and
society.
7. History Contributes to Moral Understanding
8. History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation. Studying the stories of
individuals and situations in the past allows a student of history to test his or her own
moral sense, to hone it against some of the real complexities individuals have faced in
difficult settings. People who have weathered adversity not just in some work of fiction,
but in real, historical circumstances can provide inspiration. "History teaching by
example" is one phrase that describes this use of a study of the past—a study not only of
certifiable heroes, the great men and women of history who successfully worked through
moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary people who provide lessons in courage,
diligence, or constructive protest.
9. History Provides Identity
10. History also helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one of the reasons all
modern nations encourage its teaching in some form. Historical data include evidence
about how families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about how
they have evolved while retaining cohesion. For many Americans, studying the history of
one's own family is the most obvious use of history, for it provides facts about genealogy
and (at a slightly more complex level) a basis for understanding how the family has
 interacted with larger historical change. Family identity is established and confirmed.
Many institutions, businesses, communities, and social units, such as ethnic groups in the
United States, use history for similar identity purposes. Merely defining the group in the
present pales against the possibility of forming an identity based on a rich past. And of
course nations use identity history as well—and sometimes abuse it. Histories that tell the
national story, emphasizing distinctive features of the national experience, are meant to
drive home an understanding of national values and a commitment to national loyalty.
11. Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship
12. A study of history is essential for good citizenship. This is the most common justification
for the place of history in school curricula. Sometimes advocates of citizenship history
hope merely to promote national identity and loyalty through a history spiced by vivid
stories and lessons in individual success and morality. But the importance of history for
citizenship goes beyond this narrow goal and can even challenge it at some points.
13. History that lays the foundation for genuine citizenship returns, in one sense, to the
essential uses of the study of the past. History provides data about the emergence of
national institutions, problems, and values—it's the only significant storehouse of such
data available. It offers evidence also about how nations have interacted with other
societies, providing international and comparative perspectives essential for responsible
citizenship. Further, studying history helps us understand how recent, current, and
prospective changes that affect the lives of citizens are emerging or may emerge and what
causes are involved. More important, studying history encourages habits of mind that are
vital for responsible public behavior, whether as a national or community leader, an
informed voter, a petitioner, or a simple observer.
14. The Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history builds experience in dealing with
and assessing various kinds of evidence—the sorts of evidence historians use in shaping
the most accurate pictures of the past that they can. Learning how to interpret the
statements of past political leaders—one kind of evidence—helps form the capacity to
distinguish between the objective and the self-serving among statements made by
present-day political leaders. Learning how to combine different kinds of evidence—
public statements, private records, numerical data, visual materials—develops the ability
to make coherent arguments based on a variety of data. This skill can also be applied to
information encountered in everyday life.
15. The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Learning history means gaining some
skill in sorting through diverse, often conflicting interpretations. Understanding how
societies work—the central goal of historical study—is inherently imprecise, and the
same certainly holds true for understanding what is going on in the present day. Learning
how to identify and evaluate conflicting interpretations is an essential citizenship skill for
which history, as an often-contested laboratory of human experience, provides training.
16. Historical study, in sum, is crucial to the promotion of that elusive creature, the well-
informed citizen. It provides basic factual information about the background of our
political institutions and about the values and problems that affect our social well-being.
It also contributes to our capacity to use evidence, assess interpretations, and analyze
change and continuities. No one can ever quite deal with the present as the historian deals
with the past—we lack the perspective for this feat; but we can move in this direction by
applying historical habits of mind, and we will function as better citizens in the process.
Gabriel Gagno, MA History, University of the Philippines Diliman (2022)
Answered January 1, 2018
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-importance-of-studying-Philippine-history