Module 2

The 19 Century: Rizal’s Context

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“Man is partly the product of his time. His life and his message are
affected by his environment and the event that take place in the world he
lives in.”
The conditions and culture of man’s environment contributes
significantly to the development of his character and principles. Indeed,
no man is an island for an individual co-exist with the society he/she lives
in. A society shapes an individual and, in turn, man contributes to the
society.
In his work ‘Politics,’ Aristotle (384 – 322 BCE) explained how virtuous
lives of individual citizens are supported by the political community itself.
He believed that achieving virtue and acquiring a sense of self-identity
require social interaction and working with others. Being a member of
society (using his term,”the city”) is the natural state of man. Humans are,
by nature, social creatures who live in groups, and life in a community
(the city) is necessary for a complete human life. Note that for Aristotle,
“the city” represents the pinnacle of societal structure; it starts with
families, families form villages, and villages grow to become cities, the
centers of culture. A community then precedes an individual is plain, for
Course Outcome No.2: if an individual is not in himself sufficient to compose a perfect
Discuss Jose Rizal’s government, he is to a community as other parts are to a whole.
Life within the context
of the 19th Century It is prerogative to know and analyze the historical background of the
Philippines world and the Philippines during Dr. Jose Rizal’s time in order to
Learning Objectives: understand and appreciate his life. The 19th century when he lived was a
century of ferment caused by the changes in history. In Asia, Europe and
• Appraise the link
the Americas, events surged inevitably like sea tides significantly
between individual
and the society affecting the lives and fortunes of mankind.
• Analyze the various
Reference:: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-pima-
social, political,
economic, and philosophy/chapter/6-1-the-individual-and-society/
cultural changes
that occurred in the
19th century
Additional Readings:

Guide Questions: To supplement comprehension on the link between individual and the
1. What were the society read the following article:
events in Europe
Hosain, F. and Ali, M. (2014). Relation between Individual and Society.
that significantly
Open Journal of Social Scences,2, 130-137
affected the
Philippines? Retrieved through https://file.scirp.org/Html/8-1760197_49227.htm
2. How can we
describe the world
and the Philippines THE WORLD DURING RIZAL’S TIME
during the 19th
century? In this section, we will be exploring the important events that took place
during Rizal’s time. This will give us a comprehensive picture of his
context which will facilitate our understanding of his life and works.
 Two European countries succeeded in unifying their countries during Rizal’s time namely Italy
and Greece. The Italians under the leadership of Camillo Benso, count di Cavour and Giuseppe
Garibaldi and his army of “Red Shirts” drove out the Austrians and French Armies from Italy and
proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel, with Rome as capital city. Otto von
Bismarck, the ‘Iron Chancellor’, led the Prussians in beating France in the Franco-Prussian War and
established the German Empire on January 18, 1871, with King Wilhelm of Prussia as first Kaiser of
German Empire. With his defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, Emperor Napoleon III’s Second French
Empire collapsed, and over its ruins, the Third French Republic arose, with Adolph Thiers as the first
president.

The time of Rizal saw the bloom of Western Imperialism. England became the world’s leading
imperialist power. On account of her invincible navy and magnificent army, she was able to conquer
many countries throughout the world. During the glorious reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1860), the
British people proudly proclaimed: “Britannia rules the waves.” England acquired the island of Hong
Kong (Fragrant Harbor) through its victory in the First Opium War (1840-18420) against the tottering
Chinese Empire under the Manchu dynasty. In the Second Opium War (1856-1860), she won again
and forced the helpless Manchu dynasty to yield the Kowloon Peninsula. The successful suppression
of the Indian Rebellion and fall of the Mogul Empire led to her proclamation of her raj (rule) over the
subcontinent of India (now consisting of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). England also conquered
Burma through winning the Three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824-1826, 1852 and 1885). Further, many
lands in Asia became its colony specifically Ceylon, Maldives, Aden, Malaya, Singapore and Egypt.
Australia and New Zealand in the South Pacific also became British colonies.

Inspired by the British example, other imperialists colonize the weak countries in Southeast
Asia. In 1858-1863, France, aided by Filipino troops under Spanish officers, conquered Vietnam;
annexed Cambodia (1863); and Laos (1893); and merged all these countries into a federated colony
named French Indochina. After driving away the Portuguese and Spaniards from the East Indies in
the 17th century, colonized this vast and rich archipelago and named it the Netherlands East Indies
(now Indonesia).

An American troop commanded by Commodore Matthew C. Perry re-opened Japan to the

world on July 8, 1853. This event ended Japan’s 214-year old isolation from 1639 to 1853.
Subsequently, Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) modernized the country by opening its doors to Western
influences, including imperialism. No sooner had Japan strengthened her navy and army along
Western lines, when she, joining the Western imperialist powers, started her imperialist career by
fighting weak China in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and conquered Formosa and
Pescadores. Later, she annexed Korea in 1910.

At the time of Rizal’s birth, Philippines is still a colony of Spain. However, during that time,
most of Spain’s colony in Central and South America like Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela,
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and others have already gained their
independence from Spain through revolution. The Philippines was one of Spain’s remaining Spanish
colonies alongside Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Spanish Sahara. With the exception of the last colony,
the Philippines was the largest. In terms of natural resources and trade potential, the Philippines was
the richest.

The 19th century was also a time of radical transformations. The Age of Enlightenment reached
its zenith in France culminating the Revolution of 1789. In this age, ideas and freedom, liberty and
equality and the belief in the sovereignty of people in determining government spread all across
Europe. The monarchy of King Louis XVI was toppled by the French Revolution which led to the
creation of the French Republic. Though France was to slide back to monarchy following the
establishment of Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire in 1804 and the restoration of Bourbon
dynasty in 1814, the ideas of French Philosophes such as Jean Jacques Rosseau, Baron de
Montesquieu, Jean Marie Arouet (Voltaire), as well as, the Englishman John Locke would spread
around the world like a conflagration. After this, the world will never be the same again.
 THE PHILIPPINES OF RIZAL’S TIME

During the times of Rizal, the sinister shadows of Spain’s decadence darkened Philippine
skies. The Filipino people agonized beneath the yoke of Spanish misrule, for they were unfortunate
victims of the evils of an unjust, bigoted and deteriorating colonial power.

Instability of colonial administration

During Napoleon’s time (1804-1814), Spain was part of France’s alliance against Britain in
the Continental System. Nations in alliance with France tried to starve out Great Britain through a
trade embargo. When this alliance weakened, Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808 and forced King
Charles VI to abdicate in favor of his son who became Ferdinand VII. When Ferdinand proved to be
unsatisfactory to his demand, Napoleon replaced him with his own brother Joseph. The Spanish
people refused to accept Joseph and rallied around Ferdinand VII as their legitimate king. The
Spaniards resisted the French forces which triggered the first guerilla war. This event is the origin of
the word “guerilla” which means “little war.”

The Spanish patriots retreated and formed a government in southern Spain in the city of
Cadiz. Many of these patriots were liberals who believed in the sharing of political power. In order to
gain support from the liberals, King Ferdinand VII, who was a believer in the divine right of the king,
agreed to share political power by establishing a parliament called Cortes. The Cortes originated from
the Junta Central established by the Spanish liberals. They believed in the concepts of Natural Rights
of Man, Constitutionalism and Rights to Personal Property. A constitution was drafted to define
powers of the government called the Constitution of Cadiz.

After the withdrawal of the French from Spain, Ferdinand VII reassumed absolute political
power and abolished the Cortes. He believed that the body encroached on the powers that solely
belong to him. The decision was an unpopular one as Spanish American colonies, which already
started their fight for freedom, now wanted independence. By 1824, Latin America was freed from
Spanish rule with the battle of Ayacucho which means the loss of all its colonies from Mexico to
Argentina.

Instead of leaving for America to fight the rebels, a small group of soldiers revolted against
the monarchy in January 1820. This forced Ferdinand to restore the Cadiz Constitution of 1812 on
March 9, 1820. The Cortes was reconvened but the brief period of the liberals was short-lived as the
King appealed to his Bourbon cousins in France to invade Spain and defeat the liberals. A French
army invaded Spain and restored King Ferdinand’s power in 1823 after executing Rafael de Riego
and other leader of the liberals.

Ferdinand ruled with an iron fist until he died in 1833. His wife Maria Cristina rules as regent
for her daughter who would become Isabella II. The rule of Queen Isabella II was characterized by
decadence and mismanagement.

These events resulted to instability of Spanish politics. The turbulent reign of Ferdinand VII
marked the beginning of political chaos in Spain. Due to the opposing forces of despotism and
liberalism and explosion of Carlist Wars, the Spanish government underwent frequent changes. From
1834 to 1862, Spain had adopted four constitutions, elected 28 parliaments and installed no less than
529 ministers with portfolios; followed in subsequent years by party strifes, revolutions, and other
political upheavals.

This political instability in Spain adversely affected Philippines affairs because it brought about
frequent periodic shifts in colonial policies and a periodic rigodon of colonial officials. For instance,
from 1835 to 1897, the Philippines was ruled by 50 governors general, each serving an average term
of only one year and three months. At one time- from December 1853 to November 1854- a period
of less than a year, there were four governors-general.

To illustrate the confusing instability of Spanish politics and its inimical effect, an anecdote
was told as follows: In the year 1850, a Spanish jurist, who was appointed oidor (magistrate) of the
Royal Audiencia of Manila, left Madrid with his whole family and took the longer route via Cape Good
Hope, arriving in Manila after a leisurely trip of about six months. Much to his surprise and
discomfiture, he found out that another jurist was already occupying his position. During the six
months that he was leisurely cruising the sea, the ministry which appointed him fell in Madrid, and
the succeeding ministry named his successor. And this new jurist travelled faster, taking the shorter
route via the Isthmus of Suez Canal and reached Manila earlier.

The frequent change of colonial officials, hampered the political and economic development
of the Philippines. Hardly had one governor-general begun his administration when he was soon
replaced by his successor. Naturally, no chief executive, no matter how able and energetic he was,
could accomplish much for the colony.

Philippine Representation in the Spanish Cortes

To win the support of her overseas colonies during the Napoleonic invasion, Spain granted
them representation in the parliament called Cortes. The Cadiz Constitution of 1812 had a novel
feature of allowing Spanish colonies to be represented in the Cortes. By doing this, Filipinos as well
as other people of the colonies were considered as ‘citizens’ of Spain who has the same rights with
those people from the Peninsula. The Philippines experienced her first period of representation in the
Cortes from 1810 to 1813. Ventura de los Reyes, a rich merchant from Manila, was chosen to
represent the Philippines. History reveals that upon his arrival in Cadiz, Ventura de los Reyes took
an active part in drafting the Cadiz Constitution, Spain’s first democratic constitution, and became
one of its 184 signers. The reforms include in the said constitutions were the abolition of forced labor,
equality of all citizens, abolition of all monopolies including the galleon trade and the establishment
of free trade. It also guaranteed freedom of expression, press and religion.

The first period of Philippine representation in the Cortes (1810-1813) was indeed fruitful
which brought beneficial results for the welfare of the colony. However, the second period (1820-
1823) and third period (1834-1837) of representation were less fruitful because the Philippine
delegates were not as energetic and devoted in parliament as De los Reyes.

The Cortes was dissolved when Ferdinand VII reclaimed absolute power. He died in 1833 and
his wife Maria Cristina ruled as regent for her daughter Isabella II. Maria Cristina was forced to come
to terms with liberal elements by agreeing to reconvene the Cortes. During this time, the body held a
secret session in which it was decided that the Philippines should not be accorded representation
Instead, it was placed under the Overseas Ministry. The representation of overseas colonies was
unfortunately abolished in 1837. Since then, the condition in the Philippines worsened because there
was no means by which Filipinos could expose the anomalies perpetuated by the colonial officials.
Many Filipino patriots valiantly pleaded for the restoration of Philippine representation in the Cortes.
One of them, the silver-tongued Graciano Lopez Jaena, implored in sonorous Castillan on October
12, 1883, during the 391st anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus in Madrid: “We want
representation in the legislative chamber so that our aspirations may be known to the mother country
and its government.” Unfortunately, Spain ignored the fervent plea of Lopez Jaena and his
compatriots. Their grievance was embittered by the fact that Cuba and Puerto Rico were granted
representation in the Cortes by the Spanish Constitution of 1876.

Corrupt Colonial Officials

With few exceptions, the colonial officials (governors-general, judges, provincial executives,
etc.) were a far cry from their predecessors of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. They were either highly
corrupt, incompetent, cruel or venal. Apparently, they symbolized the decadent Spain of the 19th
century- not the Spain of Siglo de Oro which produced Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Calderon
de la Barca, El Greco (Domenico Theotocopuli), Velasquez, St. Theresa de Avila and other glories of
the Hispanic nation.

To name some we have the following officials:

A. General Rafael de Izquierdo (1871-1873)- executed the innocent Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, the “Martyrs of 1872.”
B. Admiral Jose Malcampo (1874-1877)- Izquierdo’s successor who was a Moro fighter but wan inept
and weak administrator

C. General Fernando Primo de Rivera (1880-1883 and 1897-1898)- enriched himself by accepting
bribes from gambling Casinos in Manila which he scandalously permitted to operate

D. General Valeriano Weyler (1888-1891)- received huge bribes and gifts of diamonds for his wife
from wealthy Chinese who evaded the anti-Chinese law

-brutally persecuted the tenants of Calamba, particularly the family of Dr. Jose Rizal

After the loss of Latin American colonies, numerous job-seekers and penniless Spanish
sycophants came to the Philippines where they became judges, provincial executives, army officers
and empleados (government employees). They were either relatives or proteges of civil officials and
friars. They became rich by illegal means or by marrying heiress of rich Filipino families. Believing in
the superiority of their alien white skin and tall noses, they conducted themselves with arrogance and
superciliousness.

Human Rights Denied to the Filipinos

The Spaniards enjoyed freedom of speech, press, association and other human rights (except
freedom of religion) since the adoption of the Spanish Constitution of 1812. They diligently guarded
these rights so that no monarch tried to eradicate them.

However, the Spanish authorities who cherished these human rights denied such to the
Filipinos. This clear inequality and inconsistency was lamented by Sinibaldo de Mas, a Spanish
economist and diplomat, in his writings in 1843: “Why do we fall into an anomaly, such as combining
our claim for liberty for ourselves, and our wish to impose our law on remote peoples? Why do we
deny to others the benefit which we desire for our Fatherland?”

No Equality Before the Law

As early as 16th century, the Spanish missionaries introduced Christianity in the Philippines
as well as its teachings on the equality among all men irrespective of race and skin color-that we are
all brothers as children of God. Captivated by these noble teachings of good human relations,
Filipinos converted to Christianity (except from the people of the hinterlands in Luzon and the Visayas
and Mindanao).

However, the Spanish colonial authorities did not practice Christ’s teachings of brotherhood
among people especially during the last decades of Hispanic rule. They arrogantly considered their
white race as superiors and the brown-skinned Filipinos as inferiors. For them, as imperialists,
Filipinos and Spaniards may be equal in the eyes of God but certainly not before the law.

The legal inequality expressed in the Spanish Penal Code, which imposed heavier
punishment on native Filipinos or mestizos than the white-complexioned Spaniards, was naturally
hated by the Filipinos. Ferdinand Blumentritt once wrote to Rizal in 1887: “The provision of the Penal
Code that a heavier penalty will be imposed on the Indio or mestizo irritates me exceedingly, because
it signifies that every person not born white is in fact a latent criminal. This is a very great injustice
that seems enormous and unjust for being embodied in law.”

Maladministration of Justice

During the time of Rizal, the courts of justice in the Philippines were ‘courts of injustice’ since
they are notoriously corrupt. The Spanish judges, fiscals and other court officials were incompetent,
venal and often ignorant of law.

The process of gaining justice is definitely costly and slow. Most of the time, the amount spent
in a simple lawsuit exceeds the value of the property at issue, thus, litigants found themselves
impoverished in the end of a long tussle. Determinants of achieving victory in cases include wealth,
social prestige and skin color. A rich man or Spaniard can easily win a case even if the heavy
evidences are presented.
 John Foreman, a British eyewitness of the last years of Spanish reign in the Philippines,
related:

It was hard to get the judgment executed as it was to win a case. Even when the
question at issue was supposed to be settled, a defect in the sentence could always be
concocted to reopen the whole affair. If the case had been tried and judgment given,
under the Civil Code, a way was found to convert it into a Criminal Code, a flaw could be
discovered under the Laws of the Indies, or the Siete Partidas, or the Roman Law, or the
Novisima Recopilacion, or the Antigo Fueros, Decrees, Royal Orders, Ordenanzas del
Buen Gobierno, and so forth, by which the case could be reopened.

The infamous case of Juan de la Cruz (1886-1898) is one of the occurrences of

maladministration of justice. Two men were brutally killed in their sleep at the waterfront of Cavite on
the night of June 7, 1886. The next day, Juan de la Cruz, a coxswain of motor launch, was arrested
on the mere suspicion of executing the murder. He suffered for twelve years as a prisoner in Cavite
without proper trial and investigation. When the Americans landed in Cavite after the Battle of Manila
Bay on May 1, 1898, they found him still in jail anticipating for a trial.

Racial Discrimination

As we have discussed earlier, the Spaniards did not practice the Christian doctrine of equality
among all men. Spaniards and their mestizos mockingly called the brown-skinned and flat-nosed
Filipinos “indios.” As a response, Filipinos resentfully dubbed their pale-complexioned detractors with
the disparaging term “bangus.” During this time, a white skin and high nose is a symbol of superiority
in the society. Therefore, no matter how imprudent these people are, they still enjoyed political and
social prestige. Racial prejudice was rampant everywhere- in government offices, in the courts of
justice, in the social circles, and even in the educational institutions and ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Father Jose Burgos, one of the shining stars of Filipino clergy, grieved the Spanish
misconception that a man’s worth is dependent on the color of his skin, height of his nose, the color
of his hair and shape of his skull. He complained on the lack of opportunities for educated young
Filipinos to serve God and the country. He lamented: “Why for instance shall a young man strive to
rise in the profession of law or theology, when he can vision no future for himself save that of obscurity
and jaunty unconcern? What Filipino will aspire to the seat of the wise and will devote sleepless nights
to such an ideal, when he clearly sees that his noblest feelings are crushed down in the unwelcome
atmosphere of contumely and oblivion, and when he knows that among the privileged few only are
dispensed the sinecures of honor and profit.”

Frailocracy

Due to the Spanish political philosophy of the union of Church and State, a unique government
was conceived in the Hispanic Philippines called “frailocracy” (frailocracia), so named because it was
a “government by friars.” From the days of Spanish conquest, the friars (Augustinians, Dominicans
and Franciscans) took over the religious and educational life in the Philippines, and eventually, in the
19th century they gained massive political power, influence and riches.

The friars ruled the Philippines through its heavy influence in the civil government. Friars
controlled the colonial authorities, from the governor-general down to the alcaldes mayor. Almost
every town in the Philippines, except in the unpacified Islamic Mindanao and in the pagan hinterlands,
was ruled by a friar curate. Aside from his priestly duties, the friar was the supervisor of local elections,
the inspector of schools and taxes, the arbiter of morals, the censor of books and comedias, the
superintendent of public works and the guardian of peace and order. His political influence is so great
that he could send a patriotic Filipino to jail or condemn him as a filibustero (traitor) to be exiled to a
distant place or worse be executed as an enemy of God and Spain.

Frailocracy was both a boon and a bane. Its negative side was darkly portrayed by Rizal and
his contemporaries by way of retaliation against certain evil-hearted friars who persecuted them.
Nevertheless, frailocracy is no just about the bad face. Its positive contributions should also be known.
Dr. Jose P. Laurel gave his felicitous opinion on this: “It would be a gross ingratitude on the part of
the Filipinos to be conscious only of the abuses of the friars, and close their eyes to the beneficent
influences of the ecclesiastical element on the life of the Filipinos.”

Haciendas owned by the friars

The wealthiest landlords during Rizal’s time were the Spanish friars belonging to different
religious orders since they owned the best haciendas. The rural folks resented the loss of the lands
owned by their ancestors since the pre-Spanish period. Sadly, they became tenants who cultivated
these lands generation after generation. These friar lands became the centers of agrarian
insurgencies, in as much as the Filipino tenants regarded the friar owners as usurpers of ancestral
lands. Nonetheless, the friars were the legal owners in the eyes of the law for they acquired royal
titles of ownership from the Spanish monarch.

As early as 1768, realizing the harm that friar-owned haciendas may cause to Filipino-Spanish
relations, Governor Anda suggested to the Madrid government the sale of the friar lands.
Unfortunately, this excellent solution was not heeded.

Rizal believed that one of the causes of economic stagnation in the Hispanic Philippines is
the friar ownership of the productive lands. In his famous essay “Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos”
(Indolence of the Filipinos), he wrote:

The fact that the best plantations, the best tracts of lands in some provinces… are in the land of
religious corporations… is one of the reasons why many towns do not progress inspite of the efforts
of their inhabitants. We will be met with the objection, as an argument on the other side, that those
which do not belong to them. They surely are! Just as their brethren in Europe, in founding their
convents, knew how to select the best valley, the best uplands for the cultivation of the vine or the
production of beer, so also the Philippine monks have known how to select the best towns, the
beautiful plains, the well-watered fields, to make of them rich plantations. For some time the friars
have deceived many by making them believe that if these plantations were prospering, it was
because they were under their care, and the indolence of the natives was thus emphasized; but
they forgot that in some provinces where they have not been able to get possession of the best
tracts of land, their plantations, like Bauan and Liang, are inferior to Taal, Balayan and Lipa, regions
cultivated entirely by the natives without any monkish interference whatsoever.

Forced Labor

Polo y servicio or polo was the compulsory labor imposed by the Spaniards on adult Filipino
males in the construction of public works like churches, hospitals, building and repair of roads and
bridges, building of ships in the shipyard and others.

Initially, Filipino males aged 16 to 60 years old were required to render forced labor for 40
days a year. Later, the Royal Decree of July 12, 1883, implemented by the New Regulations
promulgated by the Council of State of February 3, 1885, increased the minimum age of the polistas
from 16 to 18 years old and reduced the days of labor from 40 to 15 days. The Royal Decree also
mandated all male Spanish residents from 18 to 60 years old to render the polo, but this certain
provision was never executed in the Philippines for obvious reasons. Thus, only the brown-skinned
Filipinos did the dirty job. The well-to-do, however, were able to escape by paying the falla, the money
paid to the government for exemption from the polo.

The abuses connected with this system made the Filipinos come to hate it. First, the white
Spanish residents, contrary to law, were not recruited by the authorities to do the polo. Second,
according to law, the Filipino polistas should receive a daily stipend of two pesetas (50 centavos) but
actually received only a part of the said amount and worse, they got nothing. Third, the annual forced
labor caused inconvenience and discomfort to the Filipinos since their works in farms and shops are
oftentimes disturbed and they were sometimes obliged to work in construction projects far from their
homes.

Dr. Jose Rizal narrated a true incident suffered from the forced labor:
 In the town of Los Baňos a hospital was built by laborers snatched from all the
towns of the province. Each laborer forced by authorities was paid eight cuartos
(five centavos) daily, the ordinary wage being two pesetas or four peales fuertes.
In addition, sales and charity bazaars were held to defray the cost of the buildings.
The architect was a Franciscan brother. The hospital was erected, a palace of the
captain general was constructed, agriculture and the towns suffered for their
construction. Why are the people who pay their taxes compelled to work gratis?
Why do they pay taxes if they are not going to be allowed to live with their families?
Do they pay taxes so that they will be enslaved? Will the money of the taxpayer be
used to hire petty tyrants and not to attend the demands of society? What? Is the
Spanish flag perchance the flag of the slave trade?

The Guardia Civil

Royal Decree of February 12, 1852, as amended by the Royal decree of March 24, 1888,
formed the Guardia Civil (Constabulary). The purpose of the Guardia Civil is the preservation of
internal peace and order in the Philippines. This was patterned after the well-known and well-
disciplined Guardia Civil of Spain.

Guardia Civil in the Philippines had executed commendable services in suppressing bandits
in the provinces. However, this authority later became a symbol of abuse. They have maltreated
innocent people, robbing their carabaos, chickens and valuable belongings, and raped helpless
women. Unlike the respected and admired Guardia Civil of Spain, both officers (Spaniards) and men
(natives) in the Philippines were ill-trained and undisciplined.

Rizal is a witness of the hideous acts committed by the Guardia Civil on the people of
Calamba. He himself and his mother experienced the cruelties of the lieutenant of the Guardia Civil.
It was natural for him to direct his stinging satire against the hated Guardia Civil. Through Elias in his
novel Noli Me Tangere, Rizal exposed the Guardia Civil as a bunch of ruthless ruffians good only “for
disturbing the peace” and “persecuting honest men.”

References:

De Viana, A. (2012). Jose Rizal in Our Time: A Guide for the Better Understanding of the Philippines’
Foremost National Hero. Revised Edition. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp. p.25-26

Zaide, G. and Zaide, S. (1994). Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of Genius, Writer, Scientist and
National Hero. All-Nations Publishing Co.,Inc.

Reflection:

1. What do you think is the foremost reason of the drastic changes in the 19th Century?

2. Why did Aristole say that self-identity is acquired through social interaction?

3. Why did Spain deny Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes when, in fact, it has granted
that right to other colonies namely Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Spanish Constitution of 1876?

Learning Activities:

Activity No. 1

In long bond paper, create a poster showing the relationship between an individual and the
society. Then, give a comprehensive explanation of your work delineating the different patterns by
which individual and society affect each other.

Rubrics:

Content-Accuracy -30 %
Content-Originality -30 %

Relevance of Graphics -20 %

Attractiveness -20 %

100 %

Activity No. 2

Analyze the political, economic, social and cultural changes that occurred in the world and
the Philippines during the 19th century. Using a tabular presentation, describe the condition of life
prior to the 19th century and the changes that happened in the 19th century, then, identify the causes
of these changes.

Prior to the 19th During the 19th

Causes
Century Century

POLITICAL

SOCIAL

CULTURAL

ECONOMIC