Rizal as a Product of his Time

(1000 words)

Opinions and beliefs are human attributes that govern their character, and they

are influenced by one’s society. Hence, it is impossible to separate a person’s opinions

from the context of their society. Some of these beliefs, especially when historical

figures are involved, may not have aged well – society is dynamic, and what was then

acceptable may now be outdated or even problematic. Rizal is not exempt from this;

having lived centuries ago, it is evident that his opinions and thoughts were very much

influenced by his political and social milieu. This essay will explain his opinions and how

were they formed, taking into account the societal context of the time.

Firstly, Rizal’s views on Philippine independence were shaped by international

affairs during the 19th century. The earlier part of the century was marked by revolutions

around Latin America. (Minster, 2021) The American Revolution provided inspiration to

these movements, as it was one of the earliest cases of a colony breaking apart from its

colonizer. (Hummel, 2018) However, the latter part of the decade was tumultuous as it

coincided with a renewed development of imperialism, concentrated in Africa, Asia, and

the Middle East – this was known as the “age of new imperialism” to contrast with “old

imperialism” in the 15th century which centered around the Americas. (Longley, 2022)

Hence, Rizal wanted Philippine independence to be a gradual process, and he was

willing for the country to remain under Spanish rule for a while longer. He thought the

independent Philippines would be vulnerable to the imperialistic ambitions of more

powerful countries. (De Pedro & Liza, 2010)

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 Despite Rizal’s notable Chinese mestizo background, he harbored prejudices

against the Chinese people: on a letter he’d written to his mother, he pledged to never

buy any Chinese products. Rizal’s revolutionary novels, Noli Me Tangere and El

Filibusterismo, portrayed Chinese people in a negative light. To illustrate, in Noli Me

Tangere, he wrote a gravedigger saying that being drowned would be more favorable

than being buried amongst the Chinese. Furthermore, the character Quiroga, profiled as

an opportunistic businessman solely committed to profit, was based on Carlos Palanca,

a tycoon involved in dubious affairs. (Adan, 2020) Additionally, in Chapter 14 of El

Filibusterismo, Rizal describes the food sold by a Chinese vendor as “indigestible” and

wrote in a scene where the vendor in question is being harassed by a group of children,

without any condemnation in the narration. Ang (2005) has provided instances where

Rizal has denied his Chinese ancestry: he contradicted a document describing himself

as a Chinese mestizo, claiming that it is false and that he was a pure indio.

Rizal’s animosity towards the Chinese was not unique to him alone. Wickberg

(2001) noted that Chinese influence in the Philippine economy had long been dormant

since their expulsion, however, when the colonial government relaxed immigration

policies in the 19th century, the Chinese influence expanded to a greater reach,

exceeding pre-expulsion levels. This came with an anti-Chinese sentiment, particularly

among the higher classes of Philippine society, of which Rizal was a part. The mass

migration of the Chinese had driven these mestizos out of their jobs. Consequently, this

played a huge role in how Chinese people were characterized: they were blamed for an

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1879 cholera epidemic in Manila and an 1880 nationwide economic depression. All

these present viewpoints during Rizal’s era have cemented Rizal’s own opinions

towards the Chinese people.

Another aspect of society that affected Rizal’s character was an agrarian dispute

in his hometown. Rizal lamented the corruption inherent in the hacienda system and the

Spanish-ruled Philippines as a whole. He criticized the administration of the Dominican

friars, who owned the haciendas. As Rizal’s family was one of the most prosperous

tenants in the Hacienda de Calamba, Rizal himself was directly affected by this issue.

When Rizal visited Calamba in the 1880s, he was able to hear out the grievances and

complaints of the leaseholders or inquilinos. (Aguilar, 2017) This prompted him to draft

a petition questioning the authenticity of the hacienda’s ownership of the Dominicans.

(Ocampo, 2013) Many leaseholders, including the Rizals, stopped paying rent. The

friars thus took the case to the provincial court, ending in their favor, which issued the

eviction of the non-paying leaseholders, sparking a conflict leading to cases of injury

and arson. Therefore, in 1891, governor-general Valeriano Weyler ordered the exile of

the involved tenants, which included relatives of Rizal.

Public historian Ambeth Ocampo (2013) wrote: “Rizal’s heroism is rooted not just

in his subversive novels but also in an agrarian dispute that resonates in our times.” The

Calamba incident could thus be seen as a metaphor for revolution, with the friars and

Weyler representing the colonial state suppressing dissent. In El Filibusterismo, he

included a subplot involving a murdered friar administering the payment of rents, which

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closely mirrors the Calamba incident. This suggests that the event was significant

enough in Rizal’s mind; it was a personal injustice he and his family had first-hand

experience, and he perhaps wanted to immortalize it, to convey it to the readers, and to

connect it to the bigger picture of Philippine independence.

On the whole, Rizal’s thoughts have certainly been influenced by society and the

greater world around him. His visions for Philippine independence were a response to

the growing threat of imperialism from around that period. Moreover, the prevailing

discriminatory attitudes against the Chinese people around the country undoubtedly

affected his point of view towards them as well, which can be further displayed by their

characterization in his novels and his real-life refusal to do business with them. Finally,

he drew from his experiences in the Calamba uprising for his works, commemorating its

legacy and core message of independence and revolution. While some of these views

are obsolete to modern eyes, there is a reason for these opinions, stemming from the

status quo he lived through. Understanding Rizal’s line of thought and its connection

with the things he has witnessed and experienced is vital to further understanding Rizal

as a person.

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 References

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Alberdi, C. (2011, October 25). Jose Rizal, an ilustrado in the 19th Century

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