SAMUEL Tan, a prominent historian and former chairman of the Department of History at the University of the Philippines Diliman, has died at the age of 88.

“I am saddened to inform you that renowned scholar and former National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairman, Dr. Samuel K. Tan, passed away today,” peace advocate Amina Rasul, president of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy, said. Tan was the premiere historian of the Sulu Archipelago, who devoted his life in the study of the history of the Philippines.

He wrote more than 20 books including A History of the Philippines; Decolonization and Filipino Muslim Identity; The Filipino-American War, 1899-1913  Surat Sug: Letters of the Sultanate of Sulu; The Muslim South and Beyond; The Filipino Muslim armed struggle, 1900-1972; Internationalization of the Bangsamoro struggle; The Muslim armed struggle in the Philippines, 1900-1941; Ferdinand E. Marcos and the Filipino Military Tradition.

Rasul said that Tan also served as advisor to her mother, former senator Santanina Rasul.

“While in the Senate, Mama valued his advice not just on history but on governance and the peace process. I did, too. As a Tausug, thank you, Dr. Seng, for showing the world our heritage and the value we bring to the Philippines. You have left a void no historian can fill,” she said.