Chap 8 – The Beginning of Filipino Nationalism
wife of Diego who took over the leadership
Events and developments in the 1800s – 1900s
that led to the further awakening of the people’s
consciousness as a nation.
a. The Bristish invasion in the colony
b. Silang and Palaris revolt
c. The united Basi revolt
d. The opening of the Suez Canal
e. Secularization movement
Bristish invasion and occupation
Facts:
1. IN 1761, Spain and France entered into an
alliance against England’s ambition of
supremacy.
2. The British sent an expedition to the Phils to
occupy and seize it from Spain.
3. Archbishop Manuel Rojo was the GG when the
British bombardedIntramuros, Malate, Ermita
and Bagumbayan ( now Luneta)
4. The Spaniards with their Filipino soldiers were
unprepared of the attacks but their cannons were
no match to the superior weapons of the English.
5. Archbishop Rojo surrendered Mla and Cavite
6. Simon Anda – the Audencia at that time escaped
to Pampanga to continue resistance.
7. The British took over the reins of govt
Silang and Palaris revolt
Facts:
1. The Spanish defeat in the hands of the British
opened the eyes of the Filipinos to the
impermanence of Spanish rule in the country
and that it could be challenged by forced arms
2. Diego Silang
a. Ilocano
b. Demand- expulsion of Spaniards and
Spanish mestizos from Ilocos
c. He was successful at first was led to the
expulsion of the Spanish ProvGov and many
Spaniards from Vigan
d. He declared himself “King of the Ilocos”
e. The British was very impressed of Diego
Silang and tried to win him over to their side
by sending him gifts and promising to make
him governor if he conspired with theBritish
against the Spaniards.
f. Silang accepted but he was killed by an
assassin.
b. Gabriela Silang
a.
and carried on the fight but was later on
captured and hanged
c. Juan dela Cruz Palaris
a. revolt in Pangasinan.
b. he demanded the end of the payment of
tributes and abuses of Spanish officials
c. his revolt was widespread
d. Palaris was inspired by the success of the
British invasion in Mla and inciting the
people to revolt.
e. for more than a year, Palaris dominated the
provinces.
f. but with the conclusion of war between
Spain and France, the British left the Phils
g. the Spaniards sent a heavy troop to quell the
revolt
h. Palaris was defeated in the revolt and died in
the battle
Bascons economic plans
a. Reasons for slow economy:
1. Incompetence of Spanish officials
2. Graft and greed of merchants and religious
corporations engaged in the galleon trade
3. Restrictive economic policies
4. Constant quarrels between civil and
ecclesiastical authorities assigned in the
colony
b. Jose Basco y Vargas – GG of the Phils in 1778
1. Surveyed the economic condition in the
colony
2. Found the galleon trade unproductive for the
govtbec it was only benefiting a few
officials and religious order
3. To improve commerce and industry, he
encourage the cultivation of crops for
export like indigo, coffee, cocoa, hemp,
mulberry trees, spices and cotton.
4. He offered prizes to those who excelled in
the manufacture of silk a fabrics cotton and
flax
5. Adv agricultural implements imported from
the US
6. He founded the Economic Society of
Friends and the Royal Company.
The Royal company however failed bec
of mismanagement and lack of
cooperation
7. But Basco’s establishment of govt
monopolies negated his positive economic
projects.
 - Like the tobaccos and wine monopolies
while profitable for the govt, had
devastating effects on Filipinos.
- Only the govt have the exclusive right
to purchase, classify and sell these
products locally and export them
abroad.
8. Revolt against this monopoly resulted like
the Basi revolt which was the bloodiest
uprising during this time.
Nicholas Loney = a British vice consul in Iloilo
who introduced the 1st modern machinery that
converted sugar cane into refined sugar.
This led to the unprecedented prosperity
of the provinces engaged in sugar production
and to the rise of the middle class.
The Rise of the Filipino middle class
1. Middle class = a group below the aristocratic
Spanish officials, families and religious orders
but higher or above the masses.
2. A. they can send their children to colleges and
universities in Manila and even Europe;
B. they change their lifestyle = clothes, houses,
forms of amusement ;
3. Term ‘ Filipino’ in the late 19th century means:
a. Applies to Spaniards born in the Philippines
or insulares.
b. Espanoles or peninsulares= are those
Spaniards born in Spain but working and
residing in the Phils.
c. The rest are either meztizos or indios.
4. Indios of the lower class live in poverty and
ignorance and suffers discrimination;
5. Two (2) events developed the consciousness of
the masses as a different race and class in
society:
a. The Tagalog publication of Florante and
Laura by Francisco Baltazar or Balagtas
- For the first time it made notice that the
Phils is oppressed and is in need of
freedom .
b. Revolt by Apolinario dela Cruz or Hermano
Pule
- In Tayabas, Rizal
- The Spanish authorities were alarmed of
its pure indio membership under the
guise of a Confradia.
1. Aim of Confradia- to revive the ancient
Catalonan teachings within the Catholic
Church.
2. Only indios were admitted to the
confraternity
3. This made Hermano Pule very popular
that he was made “King of the
Tagalogs”;
- The govt lost no time in suppressing
their activities.
- Hermano Pule and followers won some
of the battles but when reinforcement
from Manila arrived, he was captured
and shot.
Education of some Filipinos
1. Colleges and universities in the Phils where
only for Spaniards and Spanish meztizos;
2. For boys - San Juan de Letran, San Jose,
San Felipe
For girls - College of Santa Potenciana, Santa
Isabel College, Sta Rosa College,
3. Only in the 2nd half of the 19th century – natives
where finally admitted to these colleges.
4. Well to do Filipinos where able to send their
children to Manila to study.
5. Many of them became lawyers, physicians,
teachers, land surveyors.
6. They are then called the Illustrados .
Opening of the Suez Canal:
Effects:
1. Shorter route and travel time between Spain
and the Philippines;
2. Many Spaniards with progressive ideas
migrated to the Phils
- Like Valera and Novales whose
subversive ideas and activities
 advocated freedom and liberties which c. Censorship of the press and restrictions of
they later on influenced educated freedom were restored;
Filipinos to ask changes in govt. d. Those who favored dela Torre’s
administration were considered suspects and
3. Influx of progressive books and periodicals to were spied upon;
our country.

- These books were read by educated Campaign for secularization

Filipinos who learned about the
democratic practices in Europe, such as
freedom of the press, freedom of speech
etc.
4. Encouraged many educated Filipinos to go to
Europe to continue their studies and to prove
that they were the equal of the Spaniards.
Liberalism in the Phils
1. GG Carlos Maria dela Torre
- He practiced the liberal principles of
revolution of Spain;
- He showed democratic ways of living
simply here in the Phils
- He even walk on the streets of Manila in
civilian clothes
2. The Spaniards who wants monarchy were
scandalized but remained silent.
3. Significance of De la Torre Administration:
1. 2 kinds of priests:
a. Regular priest- those who belong to the
religious orders like Dominicans. Jesuits,
Recollects, Augustinians or Franciscans.
- They have a mission to fulfill – to
convert non – Christians to Christianity.
As soon as they are done – then they
leave and go to another area to make
converts
b. Secular priests - were not members of any
religious order.
2. Friar – curates - are the friars or members of
the religious orders who occupies parishes.
3. When some natives studied priesthood and
became seculars, they were only given
subordinate positions because friar curates
refused to vacate the parishes.

a. Abolish the censorship of the press; 4. At first, the Spanish archbishop and some
b. abolish flogging as punishment governors supported their demands and a few
c. he solved the agrarian unrest in Cavite secular priest became parish heads.

- to the Filipinos who embraced liberal 5. But a decree was passed denying a native clergy
ideas – Dela Torres was the best GG the right to administer parishes occupied by
they ever had. regulars.

6. This led to Secularization .which movement was

The Return of Autocracy later called “Filipinization” because of its racial
1. However, dela Torre’s administration was brief. overtone.
He only served for 2 years as GG;
7. Leaders of Secularization:
2. Rafael de Izquirdo– was appointed new GG.
Rule like an autocrat – “ with a cross on one a. Fr. Pedro Pablo Pelaez
hand and a sword on the other hand” b. Fr. Jose Burgos
c. Fr. Jacinto Zamora
a. He immediately reversed the reforms of d. Fr. Mariano Gomez
dela Torre e. Toribio del Pilar , etc
b. He disapproved the establishment of schools
of Arts and Trade in Manila bec he was
afraid it might be used as a political club The Cavite Mutiny – January 20, 1872
 1. The Cavite Mutiny occurred at the height of the d. It may have halted the secularization
Secularization controversy. movement, but not its advocacy for
“Filipinization” of the parishes.
2. Reason of the mutiny – revocation of the
privilege of shipyard workers to be exempted
from forced labor and paying tribute to the GG
Izquierdo;

3. The mutineers was led by La Madrid.

4. They killed many Spanish soldiers which led to

the sending of an expedition of armies to Cavite.

5. The govt believing it to be rebellion, ordered the

arrest of Filipinos and mestizos who were
allegedly behind the mutiny.

6. Arrested were the GOMBURZA , Pedro

Dandan, Toribio del Pilar, Mariano Sevilla and
many others.

7. They were all sentenced to banish to Guam

except the GOMBURZA who were sentenced to
death.

The execution of GOMBURZA

1. They were tried for Rebellion

1. During the trial, the Spanish govt failed to prove
convincingly that the 3 priest were really
connected to the January Mutiny
2. The GG promised to present documents that the
priests were guilty of “rebellion”, which to many
was actually mutiny.
3. He failed to present any document even up to
this day
4. Nevertheless, they were sentenced to death by
garrote;

5. Zamora lost his mind and silently accepted to be

garroted;
6. GOMBURZA - maintained their innocence
until the end.
7. The witnesses knelt down , took off their hats
and prayed for the souls of the innocent priests.
8. Importance of the GOMBURZA execution:
a. Filipinos who witnessed the
execution began to think and feel as
Filipinos .
b. They suspected that bec they
belong to a different race , the
Spaniards, who had felt to be
superior, treated them as beast og
burden;
c. They began to feel the necessity for
unity.