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Lesson 2. Rizal in the 19th Century Philippines

This lesson presents the different social, political, economic, and cultural context of 19th-century
Philippines in which Rizal was situated. To better understands the different aspects of 19th-century Philippines, a
brief discussion of the Spanish Colonization is also included in this section.

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Vocabulary

 Identify the social context within which Rizal was
situated;
 Analyse various social, political, economic, and
cultural changes that occurred in the 19th century;
and
 Explain how these changes affected and influenced
Jose Rizal.
Waning – to become weaker in strength or influence
Foretaste – an experience that lets you know in advance
what something will be like.
Media Censorship – the act of altering, editing, or banning
of any or all media resulting from the presumption that its
content is perceived to be objectionable, incendiary, illicit,
or immoral.
Secularization – the activity of changing something so it is
no longer under the control or influence of religion.
Frailocracy – a government in which friars or priests are
the rulers.
Ilustrados – constituted the Filipino educated class during
the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century.
Mutiny – forcible or passive resistance to lawful authority;
especially concerted revolt.

The life of a person is shaped by the society that he or she is a part of. Thus, in studying and understanding
the life of Jose Rizal, it is necessary to look into the social context where he was situated in the 19th century
Philippines.

Jose Rizal was born in the 19th century. During this time, Spain’s glory and rule as a colonial power was
already waning. The natives of the Philippines were slowly realizing the need to awaken their national
consciousness. This was sparked by movements against the oppression of the Spanish colonizers.

It was Jose Rizal who first used the word Filipino to refer to the inhabitants of the country, whether they
are of Spanish or Filipino blood. Under the Spanish rule, the native inhabitants are called indios while inhabitants
with Spanish blood (Peninsulares, Insulares, Mestizo) were regarded as Filipinos. He realized that the people
residing in the Philippines should be call one name – Filipino.

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The events around the world also contributed to the formation of national consciousness led by Rizal and
other noted ilustrados during the 19th century. Different events contributed to how Rizal’s own the national
consciousness was shaped.

For one, the Industrial Revolution, which refer to the transition to new manufacturing processes that
made used of steam-powered, special-purposed machinery, factories, and mass production in Europe, had its effect
on the Philippine economy. In rural areas, it paved the way for new agricultural techniques. In the larger cities of
the country such as manila, modern textile implements were introduce and helped develop the textile industry,
benefitting only a limited number of already rich Filipinos.

The Industrial Revolution increased the movements of trade around the world which made Filipinos of
Spanish ancestry wealthier because they had connection to those who handled goods from one country to another.
With newer production methods, Filipino merchants and small-scale industrial became the prominent in the
Philippine society, thus forming a new group of influential middle-class Filipinos.

Families from this class had the means to provide education for their children. This is why many prominent
figures in the Propaganda Movement, against the colonizer came from the middle class – those who had the
privilege to recognize and condemn the ills of the Spanish colonial government through their education. Rizal was
among them.

By the 19th century, two centuries after the Spaniards first came to the Philippines, the hold of the Catholic
Church in other Spanish colonies was already waning, yet this was not the case in the Philippines. The Spanish
friars, despite the controversies involving them, were crucial in maintaining the Philippines archipelago as a
Spanish colony.

The Filipinos turned more and more to the friars for moral and political guidance as Spanish civil official
in the country became more corrupt and immoral. The friars then became more influential and powerful because of
frailocracy or the rules of the friars.

The dominance of the friars in the country prompted Rizal and the propagandist to expose their abuses in
forwarding their power and influence in the Philippines. The growing power of the friars in the 19th century urged
the reformists and nationalists to work harder to let the people know who the real enemies were.

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The Suez Canal was the first infrastructure that paved the way for information of books, magazines, and
newspaper with liberal ideas from Europe and America. This was instrumental to the political awakening of Rizal
because he was able to expand his perspective therefore shaping his nationalist sensibilities.

The leadership of Gov. Gen. Carlos Ma. Dela Torre (1869-1871), gave Rizal, the reformist, and the
Filipinos a foretaste of democratic rule. During the leadership of Dela Torre, Media censorship became relaxed
and limited secularization of education began. He gave amnesty to rebels including Casimiro Camerino, the leader
of the bandits of Cavite, and establish the Guardia Civil.

Dela Torre’s terms and regulation were easily pushed out of view when he was replaced by Gov. Gen.
Izquierdo (1871-1873) who was exactly the opposite of Dela Torre’s liberal-minded rule. For Izquierdo, the
Indios should not be given the same rights and freedom enjoy by the Spaniards in the Philippines. He imposed
harsh policies and laws, far from liberal measures that Dela Torre implemented. Izquierdo was also responsible for
removing the long-standing personal benefits of the workers under the encomienda system and forced labor
exemption among soldiers. This led to the Cavite Mutiny on January 20, 1872 that was staged by 200 military
personnel of the San Felipe Arsenal in Cavite.

The Cavite Mutiny was a failed uprising against the Spaniards, resulting in disarmed, imprisoned, and
dead Filipino Soldiers. Those who were suspected to be involved in the mutiny were also arrested and executed.
The Spanish authorities and friars used the mutiny to implicate the three secular priests – Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos, Jacinto Zamora, collective known as Gomburza- and proclaimed that they were instigator of the said
mutiny. The priests were executed by garrote at Bagumbayan on February 15, 1872. This event had an impact to
Rizal and his family since Burgos was a personal friend of his brother, Paciano. The martyrdom of the three priests
awakened the desire for independence among many Filipino. In fact, Rizal dedicated his El Filibusterismo to the
three Priest.

Rizal’s aim to make the Philippines known as a country of writers and intellectuals was a result of his
firsthand experience of racial discrimination when he was in Spain. Considered as an inferior race, Filipinos were
not given access to public goods and experienced rampant prejudice in government offices, schools, and in society
in general.

A number of economic, social, political, and cultural changes in the country and around the world
contribute to the formations of Rizal’s national consciousness and his reformist agenda. The liberal and

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progressive ideas of Rizal, together with the other reformist, stirred the national consciousness of native which
eventually led to the Philippine Revolution of 1896. Rizal’s contribution to the declined of the Spanish rule in the
19th Century is recognized until today.

Summary of the Lesson

 This lesson aimed to situate Rizal’s life within the larger context of the 19th century. It focused on the
developments in the century that shaped the world in which Rizal lived.
 The Philippines, being part of the wider Spanish empire, underwent changes which had a dynamic change
in the 18th century.
 The significant events in the 19th century that contributed to the formation and the rest of the
propagandists’ consciousness were the Industrial Revolution, frailocracy, opening of the Suez Canal,
the democratic leadership of the Governor General Dela Torre, Governor General Izquierdo’s
replacement of Dela Torre, and Cavite mutiny.
 Thus, it is not surprising that people like Jose Rizal flourished in the 19 th century. Born in the 1860s, Rizal
grew up in a society which is in transitions. By the time he matured, he could reap the benefits of the
changes that were happening.
 As he was exposed to higher education, so was the raising inequality and worsening conditions for the
majority of the population.

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References:

Obias, R., Mallari, A. & Estella, J. (2018), The Life and Works of Jose Rizal, C& E Publishing, Inc.,
Clemente, J. & Cruz, G. (2019), The Life and Works of Rizal Outcome-Based Module, C& E Publishing, Inc.,
Crudo, E., Guiwa, H. & Pawilen, R. (2019), A Course Module for The Life, Works, and Writings of Jose Rizal, Rex
Bookstore, Inc.,

Learning Module on The Life and Works of Jose Rizal