As a historian, I had my share of writing and looking through footnotes. It is an important part of any research work as it shows evidence for any study or theory. It is also important in annotating works, which form an interesting part of historical studies.

The essays here are some studies based on footnotes I have noted through the years. I call them footnotes in our history because, in a sense, they are in the background of our past. The topics discussed here are usually at the bottom of the pages of historical books or mentioned in no more than a paragraph or two in the text. Most of these essays began as papers read in national and international conferences and have been published in journals. Some are discussions about old Manila while others are studies about historical events. All of them are related to Philippine history and the formation of our culture. All of them are footnoted for the reader’s reference.
(from the Introduction)