Benito B. Caballero Jr.
Page: 1-14
Volume: 2, Issue: 2
Published at: 28 Aug 2025
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This study examines The Pillars, the official student publication of Ateneo de Naga University, as a historiographical source for reconstructing the local history of Naga City between 1960 and 1970. While Philippine historiography has traditionally privileged Manila-centered narratives and elite political actors, local publications provide valuable insight into how historical consciousness develops within provincial communities. Through qualitative textual analysis of editorials, reportage, political commentary, and literary texts, this research demonstrates that The Pillars functioned not merely as a campus chronicle but as an interpretive forum where students engaged with local governance, electoral politics, natural disasters, religious authority, and national crises such as the Jabidah incident. Drawing on theories of historical consciousness and the politics of historical production, the paper argues that student publications contribute to decentralizing Philippine historiography by preserving contemporaneous interpretations of events at the local level. The findings highlight the importance of provincial youth discourse as an alternative archive that complements institutional records and broadens the evidentiary base for writing local history.