SUBJECT: GEC109 (SY 2021-2022)

TEACHER: LYRA JOY A. COLLANTES

Instruction: Please READ the Questions carefully. This is a 2-hour exam. It is important that you
must answer all the questions below and explain your answers with historical facts based on our
previous discussions to support your answers.

Based on your reading and class discussion, describe the 19th century Philippines in your own
understanding. In your conclusion, assess how the events in the past shaped the present
condition of the Philippines. (30pts.)

The Filipinos in the 19th century had suffered from feudal and master slave relationship
by the Spaniards. Their social structure is ranked into three groups the Highest class which is
composed of the Spanish officials, the Peninsulares, and the friars, the middle class which is
composed of the natives and the mestizos, and lastly the lowest class which is composed of the
indios. The Filipinos became the Spaniard’s slave from the 16th century up until the 19th century.
The Spaniards claimed the Filipinos’ taxes and they worked under the power of the Spaniards.
There was an appointment of officials with inferior qualifications, without dedication of duty and
moral strength to resist corruption for material advancement. Through the power and authority,
the Spaniards possess, they collected and wasted the money of the Filipinos. There were too
complicated functions to the unions of the church and the state. The Spanish officials traveled to
various places and the needs of the Philippines were ignored. They did not put too much
attention to the needs of the other people. There were inadequate administrative supervisions,
they were unable to face and solve the problems regarding to the Philippines. There were also
overlapping of powers and privileges of officials which made them competitive.

         The power of religious orders remained one of the great constants, over the centuries, of
Spanish colonial rule. The friars of the Augustinian, Dominican, and Franciscan orders
conducted many of the executive and control functions of government on the local level. They
were responsible for education and health measures. These missionaries emphasized the
teachings of the Catholic religion starting from the primary level to the tertiary level of education.
Their methods were outdated, they had limited curriculum, the students in the primary level
were taught the Christian Doctrines, the reading of Spanish books and a little of the natives’
language. Science and Mathematics were not very much taught to the students even in the
universities. Aside from the Christian Doctrines taught, Latin was also taught to the students
instead of Spanish. The absence of academic freedom in Spain’s educational system was
extended to the schools that Spaniards established in the Philippines. The country was opened
to foreign trade at the end of the 18th century which resulted in the rapid rise of foreign firms in
Manila. This stimulated agricultural production and export of sugar, rice hemp and tobacco. The
number of families which prospered from foreign commerce and trade were able to send their
sons for an education in Europe. Filipinos who were educated abroad were able to absorb the
intellectual development in Europe. Numerous factors Contributed to the Development of
Filipino Nationalism, some of these are the following: the Opening of the Philippines to
International Trade and the Rise of the Middle Class, Manila was opened to foreign trade which
brought prosperity to the Filipinos and Chinese mestizo resulting to the existence of middle
class. Influx of European Liberalism, Ideas of the enlightened philosophers like John Locke and
Jean Jacques Rosseau, masonry and the French Revolution reached the Philippines.  Liberty,
religious freedom, democracy, human rights such as suffrage, freedom of speech, press and
form associations and assemblies.

With how the Spanish government handled our governed our country during their stay,
out people swore to our future citizens that we would never again let foreign countries bully us
into slavery and manipulation. Today our country has strengthened its bond with allies that are
willing to help and assist us in times of need and in times of economic and foreign development.
With the many events that happened in our history, Philippines has stayed strong and Vigilant.

What were Rizal’s reasons for traveling to different places like Europe, Asia, and America?
(20pts.)

It is understood that Rizal had a personal reason as well as an altruistic reason for his
decision to study abroad. He wanted to become an eye specialist in order to cure her mother
from an eye ailment. He also wanted to study the cultures, laws and governments of European
countries in order to help his countrymen in defeating the bully which is the Spanish colonial
Government.
What are the major goals of Rizal in writing the Annotations of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las
Islas Filipinas?(30pts.)

Rizal wanted to awaken the unconsciousness of the Filipinos of their glorious ways of
the past, he wanted to help and correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due to
Spanish conquest, He wanted to prove that Filipinos are civilized even before the coming of the
Spaniards. By publishing his annotated version of de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
(Events of the Philippine Islands, originally published in 1609), Rizal's intent was not only to
provide the Filipino people their early history, a pre-Spanish history, but to present to them their
own authentic culture and identity.

Prove or Contradict: Noli Me Tangere is anti-clerical and anti-patriotic.(20pts.)

Noli Me Tangere is what's called an anti-clerical novel – it mercilessly satirizes and

sharply criticizes the Church hierarchy and its agents in the Philippines, clearly blaming them for
the poverty and sufferings of ordinary Filipino people at the time it was written. A committee
composed of Dominican friars was formed and it stated that the “Noli” was “heretical, impious,
and scandalous of the religious order” and was also “anti-patriotic, subversive of public order
and injurious to the government of Spain and its functions in the Philippine Islands in the
political order.”

Explain why Rizal would never subscribe to the “useless spilling of blood.”  (20pts.)

This statement has something to do with the revolution initiated by Andres Bonifacio--the
Katipunan who plans to revolt against the Spanish colonizers. Rizal knows that blood will shed
and will turned out to be useless if they will execute the plan of Bonifacio during that time,
because of the lack of power and capability to protect themselves in terms of weapons and
arms, they should be prepared and ready enough to confront the bomb, as of this point in time,
Rizal knows they weren’t ready.

 What do you think are the reasons why the concepts of bayani or kabayanihan have shifted
and evolved through the years? (20pts.)
Especially when anchored on the definitions given by old dictionaries, mga
bayani may historically (and profoundly) refer to those who contributed to the birth of a
nation. However, the modern-day bayani may refer to someone who contributes to a
nation in a global world.
One case in point is out Overseas Filipino Workers (PFWs) – Filipinos who are
working in foreign countries. They basically travel abroad in pursuit of better
employment to provide for the needs of their respective families in the Philippines.
OFWs are often referred to as mga bagong bayani. Working abroad is a form of
taking risks (pakikipagsapalaran) for them as it entails sacrifices and likely dangers, such
as loneliness, anxieties, traumas, fatigue, culture shock, and even exploitation. All of
these they are willing to endure just to make a living and grant a better future for their
respective families, from whom they are separated for years.
OFWs also play a vital role in the progress of the Philippines‟ economic
status.
By remitting their savings back to the country, they help the government in pulling up the
country‟s economic status with the overall dollar reserve. The money they send provides
the much-needed hard currency, saving the country from defaulting on foreign debt
obligations. In the process, OFWs also help stabilize the Philippine peso in relation to
peso-dollar exchange and also contribute to the country‟s GNP growth. In recognition of
their contributions to the national economy, OFWs are, thus called “Bayang Bayani”
(Modern-day Heroes) and the Philippines celebrates December as the Month of Overseas
Filipino Workers.
This only goes to show that our concept of kabayanihan and bayani do shift and
evolve. To have a better understanding of how these concepts change, let us compare the
nation of OFWs as modern-day bayani to earlier meanings of bayani.
Especially when anchored on the definitions given by old dictionaries, mga bayani may
historically (and profoundly) refer to those who contributed to the birth of a nation. However, the
modern-day bayani may refer to someone who contributes to a nation in a global world. One
case in point is out Overseas Filipino Workers (PFWs) – Filipinos who are working in foreign
countries. They basically travel abroad in pursuit of better employment to provide for the needs
of their respective families in the Philippines. OFWs are often referred to as mga bagong
bayani. Working abroad is a form of taking risks (pakikipagsapalaran) for them as it entails
sacrifices and likely dangers, such as loneliness, anxieties, traumas, fatigue, culture shock, and
even exploitation. All of these they are willing to endure just to make a living and grant a better
future for their respective families, from whom they are separated for years.
OFWs also play a vital role in the progress of the Philippines‟ economic status. By remitting
their savings back to the country, they help the government in pulling up the country‟s economic
status with the overall dollar reserve. The money they send provides the much-needed hard
currency, saving the country from defaulting on foreign debt obligations. In the process, OFWs
also help stabilize the Philippine peso in relation to peso-dollar exchange and also contribute to
the country‟s GNP growth. In recognition of their contributions to the national economy, OFWs
are, thus called “Bayang Bayani” (Modern-day Heroes) and the Philippines celebrates
December as the Month of Overseas Filipino Workers. This only goes to show that our concept
of kabayanihan and bayani do shift and evolve. To have a better understanding of how these
concepts change, let us compare the nation of OFWs as modern-day bayani to earlier meanings
of bayani.
Especially when anchored on the definitions given by old dictionaries, mga
bayani may historically (and profoundly) refer to those who contributed to the birth of a
nation. However, the modern-day bayani may refer to someone who contributes to a
nation in a global world.
One case in point is out Overseas Filipino Workers (PFWs) – Filipinos who are
working in foreign countries. They basically travel abroad in pursuit of better
employment to provide for the needs of their respective families in the Philippines.
OFWs are often referred to as mga bagong bayani. Working abroad is a form of
taking risks (pakikipagsapalaran) for them as it entails sacrifices and likely dangers, such
as loneliness, anxieties, traumas, fatigue, culture shock, and even exploitation. All of
these they are willing to endure just to make a living and grant a better future for their
respective families, from whom they are separated for years.
OFWs also play a vital role in the progress of the Philippines‟ economic
status.
By remitting their savings back to the country, they help the government in pulling up the
country‟s economic status with the overall dollar reserve. The money they send provides
the much-needed hard currency, saving the country from defaulting on foreign debt
obligations. In the process, OFWs also help stabilize the Philippine peso in relation to
peso-dollar exchange and also contribute to the country‟s GNP growth. In recognition of
their contributions to the national economy, OFWs are, thus called “Bayang Bayani”
(Modern-day Heroes) and the Philippines celebrates December as the Month of Overseas
Filipino Workers.
This only goes to show that our concept of kabayanihan and bayani do shift and
evolve. To have a better understanding of how these concepts change, let us compare the
nation of OFWs as modern-day bayani to earlier meanings of bayani.
Especially when anchored on the definitions given by old dictionaries, mga
bayani may historically (and profoundly) refer to those who contributed to the birth of a
nation. However, the modern-day bayani may refer to someone who contributes to a
nation in a global world.
One case in point is out Overseas Filipino Workers (PFWs) – Filipinos who are
working in foreign countries. They basically travel abroad in pursuit of better
employment to provide for the needs of their respective families in the Philippines.
OFWs are often referred to as mga bagong bayani. Working abroad is a form of
taking risks (pakikipagsapalaran) for them as it entails sacrifices and likely dangers, such
as loneliness, anxieties, traumas, fatigue, culture shock, and even exploitation. All of
these they are willing to endure just to make a living and grant a better future for their
respective families, from whom they are separated for years.
OFWs also play a vital role in the progress of the Philippines‟ economic
status.
By remitting their savings back to the country, they help the government in pulling up the
country‟s economic status with the overall dollar reserve. The money they send provides
the much-needed hard currency, saving the country from defaulting on foreign debt
obligations. In the process, OFWs also help stabilize the Philippine peso in relation to
peso-dollar exchange and also contribute to the country‟s GNP growth. In recognition of
their contributions to the national economy, OFWs are, thus called “Bayang Bayani”
(Modern-day Heroes) and the Philippines celebrates December as the Month of Overseas
Filipino Workers.
This only goes to show that our concept of kabayanihan and bayani do shift and
evolve. To have a better understanding of how these concepts change, let us compare the
nation of OFWs as modern-day bayani to earlier meanings of bayani.
Especially when anchored on the definitions given by old dictionaries, mga
bayani may historically (and profoundly) refer to those who contributed to the birth of a
nation. However, the modern-day bayani may refer to someone who contributes to a
nation in a global world.
One case in point is out Overseas Filipino Workers (PFWs) – Filipinos who are
working in foreign countries. They basically travel abroad in pursuit of better
employment to provide for the needs of their respective families in the Philippines.
OFWs are often referred to as mga bagong bayani. Working abroad is a form of
taking risks (pakikipagsapalaran) for them as it entails sacrifices and likely dangers, such
as loneliness, anxieties, traumas, fatigue, culture shock, and even exploitation. All of
these they are willing to endure just to make a living and grant a better future for their
respective families, from whom they are separated for years.
OFWs also play a vital role in the progress of the Philippines‟ economic
status.
By remitting their savings back to the country, they help the government in pulling up the
country‟s economic status with the overall dollar reserve. The money they send provides
the much-needed hard currency, saving the country from defaulting on foreign debt
obligations. In the process, OFWs also help stabilize the Philippine peso in relation to
peso-dollar exchange and also contribute to the country‟s GNP growth. In recognition of
their contributions to the national economy, OFWs are, thus called “Bayang Bayani”
(Modern-day Heroes) and the Philippines celebrates December as the Month of Overseas
Filipino Workers.
This only goes to show that our concept of kabayanihan and bayani do shift and
evolve. To have a better understanding of how these concepts change, let us compare the
nation of OFWs as modern-day bayani to earlier meanings of bayani.