Agoncillo, Archives, and the "Luck" of Finding Rizal’s Third Book | Ambeth Revealed with Lance Cham

Follow our social media channels for exclusive content:   / lance.cham     / lance.cham   Welcome to another episode of Ambeth Revealed hosted by Lance Cham! In this episode, historian Ambeth Ocampo traces his journey as an "accidental historian," revealing how a background in journalism and a childhood obsession with Shakespeare’s footnotes led him to the archives. He pays tribute to the mentors who shaped him, namely Doreen Fernandez and Teodoro Agoncillo. Ambeth shares intimate stories of his sessions with Agoncillo, who, believing formal schooling couldn't teach Ambeth enough, poured his lifetime of knowledge into him before he passed. The duo also unpack and recount Ambeth's "eureka" moment: the discovery of Rizal’s unfinished third novel. While a librarian had dismissed the 245-page manuscript as a mere draft of the Noli Me Tangere, Ambeth realized the familiar characters were missing, unveiling a work never before seen by the world. Lastly, the historian also offered practical advice on navigating archives, from using the bibliographies of Horacio de la Costa as a roadmap, to reading "useless information" and finding the human side of heroes through the correspondence of Rizal’s sisters. We hope you enjoy the show! Subscribe to Spotify and YouTube so we can keep you posted."