C H A P T E R 8 :"

The Philippines in the

19th Century as Rizal's

Context
To the Young Women
of Malolos
BY JOSE RIZAL
BACKGROUND
Filipina women in Malolos petition

to open a school for women under

Teodora Sandiko

They triumphed and was granted

for permission but under Senorita

Guadalupe Reyes as their teacher

BACKGROUND
There was an abundance of girls with agreeable manners,

beautiful ways, and modest demeanor, but there was in all

an admixture of servitude and deference to the words or

whims of their so-called "spiritual fathers".

Emilia Tiongson, the only young woman Rizal knew in

Malolos, but only in name

No longer does the Filipina stand with her head bowed nor

does she spend her time on her knees, because she is

quickened by hope in the future; no longer will the mother

contribute to keeping her daughter in darkness and bring

her up in contempt and moral annihilation.

SALIENT POINT #1:
THE REJECTION OF THE SPIRITUAL

AUTHORITY OF THE FRIARS

a lot of priest in the Philippines in the 19th

Century does not embody the true spirit of Christ

and the Church.

“the will of God is different from that of the priest”
"Saint John did not demand a fee on the River

Jordan, nor did Christ teach for gain”, so why

priests does?
SALIENT POINT #2:
THE DEFENSE OF PRIVATE JUDGEMENT

"It is presumptuous to rely on one's

judgment,” but, in my opinion, it is more

presumptuous for a person to put his

judgment above that of the others and try to

make it prevail over theirs

SALIENT POINT #2:

THE DEFENSE OF PRIVATE JUDGEMENT

·“It is more presumptuous for a man to

constitute himself into an idol and pretend to

be in communication of thought with God;

and it is more than presumptuous and even

blasphemous for a person to attribute every

movement of his lips to God, to represent

every whim of his as the will of God, and to

brand his enemy as an enemy of God.”

SALIENT POINT #3:

QUALITIES FILIPINO MOTHERS NEED TO

POSSESS

be a noble wife
rear her children in the service of the state
set standards of behavior for men around her
SALIENT POINT #4:
DUTIES AND RENSPONSIBILITIES OF FILIPINA

MOTHERS TO THEIR CHILD

“Remember that a good mother does not resemble the

mother that the friar has created; she must bring up her

child to be the image of the true God,…”

duties of a Filipina mother:
raise their children close to the image of God
awaken and prepare the mind of her children to

every good and desirable idea

open her children’s eye to that they may jealously

guard their honor, love their fellowmen and their

native land, and do their duty.

SALIENT POINT #5:
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A WIFE TO

HER HUSBAND

“When she is married, she must aid her

husband, inspire him with courage, share his

perils, refrain from causing him to worry and

sweeten his moments of affection, always

remembering that there is no grief that a

brave heart cannot bear and there is no

bitterer inheritance than that of infamy and

slavery.”
SALIENT POINT #6:
COUNSEL TO YOUNG WOMEN TO THEIR

CHOISE OF LIFETIME PARTNERS

Things that a young woman should look on a man she intends to be her

husband:
an honored and noble name
a manly heart
a high spirit incapable of being satisfied with engendering slaves

·“If she is a maiden, the young man should love her not only because of her

beauty and her amiable character but also on account of her fortitude of mind

and loftiness of purpose, which quicken and elevate the feeble and timid and

ward off all vain thoughts.”

 MESSAGE OF RIZAL TO

THE FILIPINA WOMEN

It appears that Rizal’s ultimate desire was to afford Filipina

women with the same opportunities enjoyed by men in

education, an education that will liberate them.

He urged women to be vigilant of their right and not to be

obedient and inactive towards the injustices forced upon

them
"La Indolencia delos

Filipinos"
BY JOSE RIZAL
"La Indolencia delos Filipinos"

In 1890 Rizal wrote The indolence of

the Philippines.
Published in La Solidaridad in Madrid.
response to the accusation of the

Filipino indolence


in·do·lence
/ˈindələns/

noun
avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness.

Are

Filipinos

lazy?
CHAPTER I
Indolence – misused in the sense of little love for work and

lack of energy

Indolence does exist among Filipinos

Working hours of Filipinos (tenants) VS the working hours

of Spanish Official and Landlords

Tendency to indolence is very natural

Effect of misgovernment
Climate – a factor for being

indolent:

“A hot climate requires the

individual to quiet and rest, just

as cold incites to labor and

action”
"A man can live in any climate,

if he will only adapts himself to

its requirements and

conditions"
CHAPTER II
Chapter II
Rizal mention long chronic illness that is
examined by a physician after the examination
questions arise whether the illness is due to the
unhealthy condition or the effects of physician
bad treatment.
Rizal considers the situation similar in the case of
Philippines where physicians are the government
or friars, the patient are the people or the
Philippines and malady is the indolence or
laziness.

Chapter II
Rizal concluded that the Philippine was getting
worst from time to time during the colonization of
the Spaniards. The people avoiding the
responsibility instead of determining the causes
in order to fight back.
The Philippine people always embodies the
remedy or orders of the friars which totally wrong.
They are just accepting the rules and the law
because they always consider their security.

Chapter II

Rizal concluded that if this scenario continues the

patient will die; or let say the Philippine people
will suffer forever

"It is nothing, and only the patient has eight

million indolent red corpuscles: some few white
corpuscles in the form of an agricultural colony
will get us out of the trouble."

Chapter II
Rizal encourage the people to have hope that
might be someday the illness of the patient will be
cured. He also said that even though the
examination was not enough to discover the
cause at least the cause of death is known.

Rizal emphasized that he was not blaming the

physician nor the patient which is referred to the
government and the people itself thus he is
referring to the natural predispositions which the
indolence.

Chapter II
Rizal also stated that the illness of the people is
not hereditary, simply means that before the
Spanish colonization begun the Malayan was
able to have active trades not limited only among
themselves but with all the neighboring countries.

Rizal mentioned China as one of the countries

were the Malayans has purely commercial relation
with specially in terms of crude wax, cotton,
pearls, tortoise shell, betel-nuts, dry-goods, etc.

Chapter II

Pigafetta is one of the Magellan companions in

Philippine, Samar 1521 stated that "they
conducted him to their boats where they had their
merchandise, which consisted of cloves,
cinnamon, pepper, nutmegs, mace, gold, and
other things; and they made us understand by
gestures that such articles were to be found in the
islands to which we were going."
Chapter II

In the same year, 1521, the survivors of Magellan's

expedition met the son of the Rajah of Luzon,
who, as captain-general of the Sultan of Borneo
and admiral of his fleet, had conquered for him
the great city of Lave (Sarawak?).
Chapter II

The survivors of Magellan’s expedition reach the

islands of Pargua during their stay in the island
they witness the abundance of foodstuffs and its
inhabitants. A little later, these same survivors
captured a vessel, plundered and sacked it, and
took prisoner in it the chief of the Island of
Paragua with his son and brother.

Chapter II
-They let him ransom himself within seven days,
demanding 400 measures (cavanes?) of rice, 20
pigs, 20 goats, and 450 chickens. This is the first
act of piracy recorded in Philippine history the
chief paid everything and voluntarily added
coconuts, bananas, and sugar-cane jars filled with
palm-wine.
When the corsairs took Caesar prisoner and
required to pay twenty-five talents ransom, he
replied; "I will give you fifty, but later I will have
you all crucified!" The generosity Pargua chief
may reveal weaknesses and also demonstrate the
location in the island where abundantly
provisioned. The name of the chief was Tuan
Mahamud; his brother Guantil and his son Tuan
Mahamed.

Chapter II

In 1521 Magellan came first in the islands where

they meet the native of Luzon who can
understand Castilian. One of the servant-
intrepreter Magellan’s expedition survivor was
died at Pargua.

-In order to communicate they used their prisoner

who can speak Moro and Spanish.

Chapter II

They arrived at the Island of Cebu, "abounding in

provisions, with mines and washings of gold, and
peopled with natives," as Morga says;
Chapter II

All the histories of those first years, in short,

abound in long accounts about the industry and
agriculture of the natives: mines, gold-washings,
looms, farms, barter, naval construction, raising of
poultry and stock, weaving of silk and cotton,
distilleries, manufactures of arms, pearl fisheries,
the civet industry, the horn and hide industry, etc.,
Chapter II

What causes operated to awake this terrible

predisposition from its lethargy? How is it that the
Filipino people, so fond of its customs as to
border. on routine, has given up its old habits of
work, of trade, of navigation, etc., even to the
extent of completely forgetting its past?
CHAPTER III
Chapter III

We have already spoken of the more or less latent

predisposition which exists in the Philippines
toward indolence, and which must exist
everywhere, in the whole world, in all men,
because we all hate to work more or less, as it may
be more or less laborious, more or less
unproductive.
Chapter III

Futhermore, all the statement discribes how the

spaniards sabotage, abuse, and take advantage
the filipino in Dumangas, Iloilo, Sulu
Chapter III

First came the wars, the internal disorders which

the new change of affairs naturally brought with
it. It was necessary to subject the people either by
cajolery or force; there were fights, there was
slaughter; those who had submitted peacefully
seemed to repent of it; insurrections were
suspected, and some occurred; naturally there
were executions, and many capable laborers
perished.
 Chapter III
"Although anciently there were in this town of
Dumangas many people, in the course of time
they have very greatly diminished because the
natives are the best sailors and most skillful
rowers on the whole coast, and so the governors
in the port of Iloilo take most of the people from
this town for the ships that they send abroad...
When the Spaniards reached this island (Panay) it
is said that there were on it more than fifty
thousand families, but these diminished greatly;
...and at present, they may amount to some
fourteen thousand tributaries."
4 x 50,000 Families = 200,000 tributaries
- 14,000 tributaries
186,000 tributaries
 Chapter III

"With the invasions of the pirates from Sulu and

Mindanao," says Padre Gaspar de San Agustin,
[the island of Bantayan, near Cebu] "has been
greatly reduced, because they easily captured the
people there, since the latter had no place to
fortify themselves and were far from help from
Cebu. The hostile Sulu did great damage on this
island in 1608, leaving it almost depopulated."
(Page 380).
Chapter III
It seems that these have caused more thorn
sufficient to breed indolence even amid beehive.
This is explained why, after thirty-two years of the
system, the circumspect and prudent Morga said
that the natives "have forgotten much about
farming, raising poultry, stock, and cotton, and
weaving cloth, as they used to do in their
paganism and for a long time after the country
had been conquered!"

Still, they struggled a long time against indolence,

yes: but their enemies were so numerous that at
last, they gave up!
CHAPTER IV
Chapter IV
The government and governed have to bow their
heads and say they deserve their fate.
Filipinos frequently dealt with other individuals of
their own race.
The Government acted toward these others with
great mistrust and severity.
The natives were not allowed to go to their labors,
that is, their farms, without permission from the
governor.
The Government, which has a constant fear of the
people, denies to the farmers.
Chapter IV
The Philippines is not the same as they were in the
17th and 18th centuries, but the frauds subsist and
piratical as much as or worse than they did then.
“The Governor of the Philippines” is a despot who
thinks only of destroying all competition that may
trouble him or attempt to participate in his profits.
The great difficulty that every enterprise
encountered with the administration contributed not
a little to kill off all commercial and industrial
movement.
The pernicious example of the dominators in
surrounding themselves with servants and
despising manual or corporal labor as a thing
unbecoming the nobility and chivalrous pride of the
heroes of so many centuries.
Chapter IV
The Malay says that the rich man on earth is liable to
all kinds of trouble, to be appointed a cabeza de
barangay, to be deported if an uprising occurs and
to be forced banker of the military chief of the town.
Gambling and lotteras, which propagate dislike for
balance and laborious toil by its promise of
unexpected wealth, went with them the lavishness
and hospitality of the Filipinos.
The apathy of the government toward everything in
commerce and agriculture contributes not a little to
foster indolence.
The fact that the best plantations, the best tracts of
land in some provinces are in the hands of religious
corporations is one of the reasons why many towns
do not progress.
Chapter IV
A competitive examination is held to fill a
particular position, and after he has earned it, it is
abolished.
From his birth until he sinks into his grace,
training of the native is brutalizing, depressive
and antihuman.
The ancient writers, like Chirino, Morga, and
Colin, take pleasure in describing them as well
featured, with right aptitudes for anything they
take up, keen and susceptible and of resolute
will.
CHAPTER V
Chapter V
The very limited training in the home, the
tyrannical and sterile education of the rare
centers of learning, and the blind subordination
of the youth to one of higher age influence the
mind.
The native is not naturally inclined to method,
but his mind is disposed to accept all truths.
The lack of national sentiment in the Philippines
leads to the absence of all opposition to
measures prejudicial to the people.
 Chapter V
·He writes: “We with that obstacles be not put in his way,
that the many, his climate and the situation of the islands
afford to be not augmented. We desire that the policy be at
once frank and consistent, that is, highly civilizing, without
sordid reservations, without fear or jealousy, wishing the
good for the sake of the good, civilization for the purpose
of culture, without ulterior thoughts of gratitude. If the
logical and regulated system of exploitation be chosen,
stifling with the jingle of gold and the sheen of opulence
the sentiments of independence in the colonies, paying
with its wealth for its lack of liberty, as the English do in
India, then build roads, lay out highways, foster the
freedom of trade, let government heed materials interests
more than the benefits of four orders of friars."


THE GLOBAL CONTEXT: THE

THREE GREAT REVOLUTIONS

Ø The Industrial Revolution in England

Ø The French Revolution in France
Ø The American Revolution.

 Industrial Revolution

Ø The industrial revolution is an economic revolution which started with

the invention of the steam engine

Ø The merchants of Europe who became wealthy through trade. Farmers

from rural areas migrated to the cities and became industrial workers
while their wives remained as housekeepers at home.

ØKarl Marx's characterized as the first instance of the domestication of

women.

Ø A radical transformation of the economy took place between the

middle of the eighteenth century and the middle of the nineteenth –
“revolution”.

 Ø Foreigners were allowed to engage in manufacturing and agriculture.

(Merchant banks and financial institutions were also established)

Ø The British and Americans improved agricultural machinery for:

- sugar milling
- rice hulling
- introduced new methods of farming

Ø Industrial Revolution - The fast tempo of economic progress in the Philippines

during the 19th century.
Ø This class, composed of Spanish and Chinese mestizos rose
- ilustrados who belonged to the landed gentry and who were highly
respected in their respective pueblos or towns, though regarded as
filibusteros or rebels by the friars.
 THE FRENCH

REVOLUTION

Ø (1789-1799) - started a political revolution in Europe and social upheaval

and radical change in the history of France.

Ø The overthrow of monarchical rule, democratic principles of Liberty,

Equality, and Fraternity

Ø The Peninsular War, the loss of Spanish America, and the struggle
between liberals and conservatives (De la Costa, 1965).

Ø From 1834 to 1862, for instance, a brief span of only 28 years, Spain had
four constitutions, 28 parliaments, and 529 ministers with portfolio (Zaide,
1999).

Ø Because of this political turmoil in the motherland, the global power of the
"Siglo de Oro of Spain in the sixteenth century as the mistress of the world
with vast territories had wanted abroad in the nineteenth century.

Ø Cuba, a colony of Spain, was waging a revolution against Spain when

Rizal volunteered to discontinue his exile in Dapitan to work as volunteer
doctor.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Ø It is not directly affecting the local economy and politics of the Philippines in the
nineteenth century

Ø The American Revolution refers to the political upheaval during the last half of the
18th century in which the 13 colonies of North America overthrew the rule of the
British Empire and rejected the British monarchy to make the United States of America
a sovereign nation.

Ø The 13 colonies are the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia.
Ø The American Revolution had in a way inspired others
to follow, Filipino reformists like Rizal to aspire for
freedom and independence. When the Philippines was
opened by Spain to world trade in the 19th century,
liberal ideas from America borne by ships and men from
foreign ports began to reach the country and influenced
the ilustrados.
Ø These ideas, contained in books and newspapers,
were ideologies of the American and French Revolutions
and the thoughts of Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire,
Locke, Jefferson, and other political philosophers (Zaide,
1999)
thank you!