University of Cebu-Main Campus

Sanciangko St., Cebu City, 6000 Philippines

College of Arts and Sciences
Tel. no. 255-7777 loc. 4102

Name: Richa Rose W. Quimod Subject & Schedule: RIZAL 101(12:00 AM - 1:30 PM)
Degree Program: BSBA 2- FM Instructor: Mr. Jude Legaspi

SEMI FINALS TASK 1

TENANT GRIEVANCES AND RIZAL'S PETITION

Read the following excerpt from "Petition of the Town of Calamba" written by José Rizal in
January 1888. Answer the worksheet found at the end of the text.

From the declaration of the tenants interviewed, it turns out that the products of the Estate-if by-products
are to be understood everything that the land produces-have increased for the Estate and diminished
remarkably for the tenants, not only in the years that have passed but also in the last three, as the
enclosed account proves. Such a statement needs to be explained. The products increase to the benefit of
the Estate:

(1) Because the wild forests which are given to the tenants for a low rent at the beginning according as
the tenants clear and clean them, investing large capital in them, according as the fortune of the
farmer becomes involved in them, the contract is arbitrarily altered by the Estate, the rent rises
enormously, there being a case when 45 pesos became 900 in a few years through an annual forced
imposition.

(2) Because some lands pay twice for two harvests of rice, where some bamboo groves are found, the
farmer pays for the land and for each bamboo grove besides, regardless of whether it is useless or it
has been felled. In the lands where huts have been erected for the workers, one has to pay for the lots
and the huts besides.

(3) Because the rent of the town lots where houses or warehouses are erected increases every time an
official or servant of the Estate measures them. There seems to exist either a supernatural power that
invisibly extends the land or a natural power that shortens the measure of the official, who after all is
neither an expert nor a surveyor, though he is very venal indeed. Without this trick, the rent is also
raised when the tenant makes improvement in the lot, or when he replaces the bamboo fence with a
stone one, or builds a wooden house, for comfort and public embellishment; therefore, many do not
improve their dwellings even if they have the means to do so...

(4) Because ricefields that are planted with only 3 or 4 cavanes of seed, pay as if they have a capacity
for 9.5 and 14 cavanes, on pain of being declared vacant and given to others... The products for the
tenants have decreased considerably in spite of continuous labor, not only before but also these last
years as proven by the large number of ruined farmers, indebted and dispossessed of their property...
On the other hand, the desperate ones who wish to return a parcel of land that is unproductive will
not be allowed to do so and they face ruin as they will be threatened of being despoiled of all their
other parcels. It arouses suspicion that they do not want to write in the receipts the amount paid as
rental and the total absence of any record, especially in these last years.

Source: Rizal, J. 2007. "Petition of the town of Calamba" In Political and Historical Writings Manila: National Historical
Institute, pp. 37-41.
 WRITTEN DOCUMENT ANALYSIS WORKSHEET

Instruction: Provide the required information in the given spaces.

1. Type of document (Encircle the letter that corresponds to your answer.)

a. newspaper
b. letter
c. map
d. report
e. diary
f. others; please specify:
_______________________________________________________________

2. Date of the document: January 1888

3. Who is the author of the document: José Rizal

4. Who is the audience of this document?

 The government is the intended reader of Rizal's essay since it serves as a response to questions
the government asks the Calamba tenants regarding the rent they paid to the Dominican
hacienda in order to verify whether or not taxes have been paid. This petition was written by him
as an appeal regarding what was happening to his family and the injustices occurring in the
Hacienda de Calamba.

5. List three things in a document that are important:

 The document drafted by Rizal is starting what injustices that the Dominican Friars do to the
tenants in their land. The three main points of the document are, the first one is the incorrect
stating of the Dominican Friars for their taxes, wherein they collected massive amount of
payment from the tenants without receipt. Second is the altering of contacts done by the Friars
which is made to increase the rent and abuse their power over the Inquilinos and Sharecropper
together with their families.The third one is the huge decrease in the production made by the
estate which was happening not just from the current year but for 3 years prior.

6. Why was this document was written? Cite pieces of evidence in the document that support your
answer.

 This Document is written by Jose' Rizal not just to help the people and families in the Hacienda
but to start this petition and inform the government and other people to what are the unfairly
wrong doings by the Friars which was collected from the interviews made to the tenants like the
unnecessary payments for the objects in their rented land, the increase in town lots every time the
friars servants measures it,the payment from their harvest which is tenfold to what they actually
harvested and lastly the threats that they get when they try to get out of that land, that's why this
petition was also put in hope that this will help them put end to these injustices.
7. List two things that tell you about life in the Philippines at that time the document was written.

 Power and Injustice, because the Dominican Friar and even most of the Estate owners at that
time is using their power and rank in the society to get ahead of other people especially those
who are lower in them. Also the spreading injustices at that time that which directly affected our
Filipino people, like in this happening that even though many tenants had appeal this petition and
favored them at first, but at the end they still lose. This event was also one that rooted Rizal to
pursue his plans at hand.

8. Write a question to the author that is not answered by the document.

 If I would ask the author which is Jose' Rizal that was not answered in the Document it would
be, why did He waited for Three years before he did the petition, or if he did not have any idea at
that time, knowing his family is on that the same land and knowing their background why did
they not do some starting actions and waited for Rizal to do the petition, also aside from the
petition, knowing Rizal is known for his literary works and talent in letters, what else did he do
at this time to help the tenants,knowing that at the end the court still favors the Friars.