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Compendium of Open Access Resources on Southeast Asia

International Studies

National Library of the Philippines

 

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The National Library of the Philippines has digitized an impressive array of Filipino newspapers and journals, some dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition, the National library has digitized many classic literary, political and historical works of relevance to Filipino history and culture. 

Miguel de Benavides Library

Founded in 1611, the Miguel de Benavides Library of the University of Santo Tomas has amassed a unique and historically significant digital collection of Fillipiniana materials, including:

The Miguel de Benavides Library has also digitized many of its richest archival collections, organized into eight sub-collections:

Biblioteca Nacional De Espana

The Biblioteca Nacional de España (BNE) houses a rich collection of books, maps and archival materials on the Philippines, many of which available to the public in digital format. Most of these materials can be accessed via the link Biblioteca Digital Hispanica, the Hemeroteca Digital, and Colecciones.

The United States and its Territories, 1870-1925: The Age of Imperialism

The United States and its Territories, drawn from the University of Michigan Library's Southeast Asia collection, consists of monographs and government documents published in the United States, Spain, and the Philippines between 1870 and 1925. The primary focus of the material is the Spanish-American war and subsequent American governance (approximately 1898-1910). Although  access to the monographs may be limited to Hathi Trust members, the photograph collection, made up of more than 2,000 images, drawn from the Special Collections Research Center, are accessible to the public.  

 

Philippines Archives Collection at NARA

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) houses several collections pertaining to the Philippines, including:

In addition to these thematic collections, NARA houses a massive photograph collection and other important archival collections of relevance to the Philippines. Most collections include useful guides.

Philippine Revolutionary Papers, 1898-1900

The Philippine Revolutionary Papers collection, conceived and curated by librarians at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, includes letters, military orders and official government programs and invitations during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1898) and the Philippine American War (1899-1902). Noted documents were authored by the first president of the Philippines Emilio Aguinaldo as well as Lieutenant Colonel Joaquin Natividad Alejandrino, who fought under General Manuel Tinio in the Greater Ilocos region. Most of the documents were written in Spanish and are accompanied with English translations. Three letters were written in Ilokano and are awaiting English translation. These documents offer a glimpse of civilian and military life in the Greater Ilocos region during the turn of the century.