Yumul, John Heyward T.

Readings in Philippine History

BSCE-1H Group 2

Report #52

The Campaign for Reforms

The three Filipino priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora have the unjust execution and it was
a turning point of Philippine history, the reform movement. Realizing the danger of fighting for their cause on the
home front, the sons of the wealthy and the well-to-do Filipino families migrated to Europe to breathe atmosphere
of the old world, that initiated a sustained campaign for reforms in the administration of the Philippines. The
Filipino intellectuals secretly collaborated with those in Spain and founded nationalistic societies and more than a
decade the Filipino propagandist swaged their war of propaganda against the Spanish authorities and friars but they
failed to awaken the Government of the Peninsula to the demoralizing realities of colonial administration. But the
reform movement was failure and it did not achieve its goals, led to the founding of the revolutionary Katipunan
with separatist aims.
19thcentury, the economic development of the Philippines led to the rise of the Filipino middle class. In the
previous centuries, the middle class was composed by the Spanish and Chinese mestizos, rose to a position of
power in the Filipino community and eventually became leaders in finance and education. The Spanish authorities
looked down upon them, for they did not belong to the inner circle of
Peninsulares-Spaniards born in Spain-whose prerogative it was to rule and govern. Spanish society in the
Philippines was a sort of caste consisting of two well-defined classes: the peninsulares or Spaniards born in Spain
and the
insulares or Spaniards born in the Philippines. To show their contempt for the
insulares ,the peninsulares called the former Filipinos. The ´nativesµ, on the other hand, were invariably called
indios.In their attempts to win a ´place in the sunµ, the members of the middleclass started the movement for
reforms. The Filipino middle class and the µnativesµ came to work hand in hand, with the former naturally leading
thelatter by the hand.1869. the chance of the middle class to show their political color came when General Carlos
Maria de la Torre became governor. July 12, 1869. They marched to the governor·s residence and theres erenaded
him. The list of the serenaders was a roster of the well- knownmestizos and insularesof the period: Jose Burgos,
Maximo Paterno, Angel Garchitorena, Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, Andres Nieto, Manuel Genato and others.From
1872 to 1882. The middle class led the reform movement which was temporarily silenced during the decade.
When he Filipino intelligentsia, a segment of the middle class, took over the leadership from the
wealthy segment. The dissatisfaction of the Filipino men of wealth and intellect was centered around the abuses of
the Spanish authorities, civil as well as clerical. Spanish citizens, the Filipinos would be represented in the Spanish
Cortes and thereby their representatives in the body could propose and participate in the approval of laws beneficial
to the country.
Introduction

REFORM AND REVOLUTION REFORM

THE CAMPAIGN FOR REFORMS:

Role of the Middle Class

 The unjust execution of the 3 Martyr Priests Gomez, Burgos, Zamora

 Led to a new era-The Reform Movement
 Propagandists waged their war against Spain but it failed. However, its failure led to the founding of the
revolutionary KATIPUNAN.

The Role of the Middle Class Filipino Middle Class

 19t h c e n t u r y r i s e o f t h e m i d d l e class
 Non-existent in previous centuries
 Composed of Spanish and Chinese mestizos.
 Became leaders in finance and education.
2 Spanish Classes Consideration
 Peninsulares -S p a n i a r d s b o r n i n S p a i n
 Insulares -Spaniards born in the Philippines

 Natives(The pure Filipino blood)were invariable called Indios

 Natives were never called Filipinos until Governor-General Basilio Augusti n called for
loyalty and aid for Indios in 1898.
 Before 1898, the Filipinos were called indios and Insulares Filipinos.
 The members of the middle class started the movement for reforms but, the spanish look down
upon them while ”natives” look upon h i m w i t h s u s p i c i o n t h e n a t i v e s having
been, and continued to be, the victims of mestizos arrogant and insolent mannerisms.
 It was thus that the Filipino Middle Class and the natives came to work hand in hand,
with the former naturally leading the latter by the hand.
The Rise of the Middle Class
 1896, the chance of the middleclass to show their political color when General Carlos
Maria de la tore became the governor.
 The middle class saw an ally in him for de la Torre showed his democratic tendencies
when hedismissed the palace halberdiersand lived simply within his means
Halberdiers
 A weapon of the15th and16th centuries having an axlike bladeand a steel spike mounted
on the end of a long shaft.
 July12,1896- M i d d l e C l a s s m a r c h e d t o t h e governor s place and serenaded him.
List of well-known Mestizo and Insulareserenaders of the period:
 Maximo Paterno
 Angel Garchitorena
 JoaquinPardodeTavera
 Andres Nieto
 Manuel Genato
 From then on, the middle class ledon the reform movement whichwas temporarily
silenced duringthe decade from1872To 1882 when the Filipino intelligentsia, asegment
of the middle class, tookover the leadership from thewealthy segment.

Source:
https://www.scribd.com/document/155492294/The-Campaign-for-
Reforms?fbclid=IwAR1zl5iKNy5Mp_xFAnakgLslw-cyEGnCo3mGBCGBeU1P8vInx-
rASMHGg80