Name: Ron Aldelene Gonzales

Course: BSIE – 3A

Year and Section:

I. Are you familiar with Renato Constantino’s “Veneration Without Understanding?”

Research on Constantino’s work and give some examples of this unexamined adoration
of the Filipinos towards Rizal. Explain why it is essential to truly understand Rizal's
context before studying his life and works (10pts).

Veneration Without Understanding is not our typical history related literary work. It is
about our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, and it highlights the arguments and perspectives
that we do not usually see or hear about him especially his reasoning why he had to do
what he did for the revolution at that time. Constantino’s article is for us Filipinos who
over honor him without knowing his context, he believes that we are just learning it, not
understanding it fully. His article reminds us that we should know what makes a hero a
hero and how we should decide one. He stated reasons why Rizal is not worthy of such
title, one which is known is that he refuses to support the revolution and is against it and
another is simply because the Americans were the one who hailed him as it will benefit
them. It is essential to understand the context first, Constantino may be doubtful and
against Rizal being the national hero for some reasons but we should consider that his
ideals and principles is one that we should admire most of all, his works may be made in
his time for the Filipinos to have something to believe in despite discrimination amidst
the revolution, but it’s still applicable in our time and we should adapt his principles and
ideals as a guide in our own society and its issues. Rizal wasn’t perfect like all of us, we
may still him as the hero he is called for and as the hero who said no, but most
importantly, we all just want the same thing, to be free of such unfair situation, to be
committed and loyal to our country and fight to end corruption.

II. To fully understand Rizal’s context of the Philippines during his time, read Rizal in the
Context of Nineteenth-Century Philippines. Afterward, list the changes and developments
that were felt in the 19th century Philippines that might have a direct or indirect impact
on Rizal’s life (30pts).

Aspects Change and Development Relation to Rizal’s Life

Economic Growth export economy Rizal’s Chinese ancestor benefited
brought both the machinery from the export economy, specifically
and consumer goods in the having hectares or land.
Philippines.
Philippine exports were Since the Rizal family had lands
agricultural products such as rented from the hacienda for over 390
 rice, sugar and abaca. hectares, they must have had to deal
with the friction between the
Inquilinos were equivalently inquilinos and haciendas.
hacienderos in their own right.

Friction between inquilinos

and haciendas as lands grew in
value and rents were raised.

Political Filipinos were deprived of Rizal depicts in his novel as how the
positions they had formerly Guardia civils became an oppressive
held in the bureaucracy. force and using of position for
personal benefits.
Opening of Suez Canal 1869
Because of a system that is exploitive
Corruption of Spanish and incapable, nationalist like Rizal,
government and its inability to made his decision to separate from
provide for basic needs of Spain.
public works, school and
order.

Guardia Civil became an

oppressive force harassing
farmers.

Taxes never found its way for

agricultural progress.

Filipinos were under a system

that is both exploitive and
incapable of producing
benefits for the colony.

Socio- Spread of higher education Rizal’s picture of the trials of the

cultural among middle and lower schoolteacher in the Noli. As like
middle classes Filipinos. what’s stated by Fr. Bustamante that
the ones who do not follow will
Communication is Spanish was become evil and will be an enemy of
made possible, both regional God and the King.
and national in scope.
As a chapter of El Filibusterismo and
Return of the Jesuits to take his passing remarks in Noli show,
charge of evangelization of Filipino nationalists were much less
Mindanao. appreciative of other educational
 institutions, run by the Dominicans.
Jesuits had major influences in
terms of education, having Because Fr. Burgos emphasized the
returned with new ideas and need for Filipinos to look to their
methods to Philippine heritage, Rizal joined an historical
education system. consciousness formed by German
historiography.
Ayuntamiento renamed into
Ateneo Municipal, and had Rizal lay a historical foundation in his
been transformed into a Morga and other essays for a national
secondary school. consciousness and pride.

Aside from Latin, Spanish and Rizal had a land dispute with the
Greek, French and English and Dominican Hacienda of Calamba.
Natural Sciences were also
studied.

Escuela Normal de Maestros

were opened to Spanish
speaking teachers.

Ideas of nationalism awoken in

secondary schools. Rizal’s
fifth year in Ateneo made his
patriotic sentiments developed.

Interest in the Filipino past was

one final cultural factor in the
rise of nationalism.

Spain became less willing to

promote happiness and
prosperity to Filipinos. Thus,
making Spanish colonial lean
heavily on their main purpose
of mainstay, the devotion of
Filipinos to their Catholic
faith.

Lack of Friars in the beginning

of 19th century turned over
many parishes to the Filipino
priests.
Prepared by:

Ms. Anna Mae T. Sales

Faculty Member, CAS