CHAPTER II EARLY FILIPINO STUDENTS ACTIVITIES IN SPAIN (1880-1882)

Filipino Students to Spain o After the events of 1872, a sort of lull settled on Filipino nationalist activities
in the Philippines and in Spain.

Burgos had been executed.

Other Filipino priests who had been prominent in the controversy over the parishes returned from their
exile.

Archbishop Martinez resigned in 1874 and was replaced by a Dominican, Archbishop Pedro Payo on the
following year.

Towards 1880 the tiny trickle of students from the Philippines to the universities of the Peninsula
gradually turned into a steady flow.

Filipino Students to Spain

Most of the early students came from well-to-do families (*mostly creoles and mestizos)

Theywere soon followed by young men of Chinese Mestizo or Spanish Mestizo and those who came
from wealthy native families. 

>Creoles- tended to identify themselves with the

peninsular Spaniards 

>Chinese Mestizo- identified himself with the native

Filipino or Indio

* Under this time all those born in the Philippines shared a certain feeling, not yet clearly defined, of
being Filipinos, especially in early periods because of radical divisions had come to the force.

What kind of SPAIN did these Filipino students of the 1880s come into?

IT’S POLITICAL

IT’S RELIGIOUS

IT’S EDUCATIONAL

*it influenced them and gave direction to their nationalistic aspirations

Antonio Canovas Del Castillo

THE ARCHITECT OF RESTORATION 

Great admirer of British Parliamentary system 

The last quarter of the 19th Century witnessed his efforts to form a Spanish Parliamentary System in
that image.

On the accession of Alfonso XII to the throne in 1875 – largely the work of Canovas – Del Castillo created
around himself the Partido Liberal- Conservador / aka CONSERVATIVES

Though a conservative group as a whole it was NOT OF THE EXTREME RIGHT and though it generally
supported the church, it was NOT EXPLICITLY SO COMMITED.

TheNew Constitution of 1876, which embodied the program of Canovas aroused bitter protests from the
VATICAN and SPANISH BISHOPS.

*WHY??? Because though it proclaimed CATHOLICISM as the religion of the Spanish nation, unlike the
1869 CONSTITUTION, it nevertheless tolerated the private practice of OTHER RELIGIONS.

On the left of Canovas’ party and with his encouragement arose the party headed by Praxides Mateo
Sagasta, known as the Constitutionalist or LIBERAL PARTY. • They rally to those monarchist who still held
to the constitution of 1869, but supported ALFONSO XII.

FUSIONIST PARTY - formed afther the addition by 1878 of splinter groups from both left and right.

The two dynastic parties though not without a doctrinal basis, were largely united on rather
opportunistic grounds and were subject to frequent schisms and realignment.

* Most Doctrinaire is from left and right that refuses to recognize Alfonist monarchy. 

> Extreme Right – CARLISTS ( supporting Don Carlos VII’s claim to the throne, intransigently Catholic,
traditionalist, and absolutist.

> Left – were various factions of repablicans, hopelessly divided among themselves and united only in
opposition of monarchy.

EMILIO CASTELAR

LAST PRESIDENT of the REPUBLIC, led the REPUBLICANOS HISTORICOS or POSIBILISTAS o FEDERALISTAS -
under Francisco Pi y Margall, another former president, held aloof, as did the advocates of a unitary
republic under the 3rd former president Nicolas Salmeron.

Manuel Ruiz Zorilla

declared for the restoration of the republic means of revolution, and from his exile in France directed
endless conspiracies to this end. • Zorillistas or Republicanos Progreistas from time to time joined in
coalitions with other republican factions, now participating in, now abstaining from elections. • All these
coalitions were short-lived, however, and soon terminated in new internecine struggles.
11. Filipino Students to Spain • In the next 22 years till the assassination of Canovas by an anarchist in
1897, the 2 parties alternated in power eleven times. • The atmosphere of corruption that has
characterized so much of nineteenth-century political life was PERPETUATED. • Not only were there
eleven changes of party during this period, but both Canovas and Sagasta within a single term of office
often reorganized their cabinet two or three times.

12. Filipino Students to Spain

13. Filipino Students to Spain • PEDRO PATERNO  one of the two(2) Filipino nationalists known with
certainty to have been in Spain before 1880 (*the other was Gregorio Sanciano)  he has come to Spain
in 1871 ( studied Philosophy & Theology in Salamanca) Later had gone to Mandrid where he obtained
doctorate in law in 1880 Son of Maximo Paterno, a wealthy, Manila businessman who was among
deported to Marianas in 1872  Because of his father he has contact with men as Manuel Regidor and
Manueal Azcarraga (Philippine borns who has left Philippines and then got involved in political issues.)

14. PEDRO PATERNO  Paterno has made numerous highly-placed friends in 1880s and his home was
often placed for reunions artisticas, at which gathered many of the most prominent literary and political
figures of Spain.  In 1880 he brought out a small volume of verse entitled Sampaguitas . This was
presented as the first volume of a project collection entitled “Biblioteca Filipina”, designed to make
known to the public “The mature fruits produced by the Filipino youth”. * The verses make only
occasional mention of the Philippines, and are mostly romantic lyrics.

15. Filipino Students to Spain o Gregorio Sanciano  of greater significance and certainly of greater merit
was the work of Gregorio Sanciano.  of Chinese mestizo origin, like the Paternos, Sanciano had already
earned his doctorate in law by 1880. (* he began to contribute articles to news paper EL DEMOCRATA
on reforms needed in Philippines especially economic matters)  in 1881 he published a book called El
progreso de Filipinas.  He pointed to the URGENT necessity of roads, bridges, railroads, and public
works in general to promote agriculture  The educational system was inadequate  A radical change in
the system of raising revenue was needed, the taxation and collection of tribute was unjust  All of
these form radical discrimination

16. Gregorio Sanciano  He proposed the abolition of various indirect taxes and customs duties, showing
how they impeded the progress of the economy.  He proposed property tax, an industrial and
commercial tax, and others based on ability to pay.  To achieve it, he pointed out the means that must
be taken to establish clear titles to landed property and to provide the acquisition of unoccupied or
state-owned lands.

17. Gregorio Sanciano  his entire book is eminently practical, treating in dispassionate fashion the
economic problems of the country and their solution.  His book was more on an economic study 
Some sections of his book are charged with deep nationalist feeling  He somehow expresses a calm
serene tone of his exposition and replaced it by muted sense of outrage at the injustice and
inexpediency of law that only foments divisions between classes and races.

18. Gregorio Sanciano  he says that by setting one class against another such system has been at the
root of the revolts that have occurred in 19th century.  according to him this tribute is a symbol of rule
imposed by force, as in the ages of barbarism and has no place in the modern regime of liberty.  the
Filipinos must have to enjoy tax proportioned to their resources, larger or smaller in amount
19. Gregorio Sanciano • His principle of assimilation that all Filipinos were Spanish citizens must have
the same rights and duties as peninsular Spaniards has become the ostensible basis of nationalist
campaign for fifteen (15) years. • The Philippines should be granted representation in Cortes • Another
point of significance in the his work is the clear line which connected him with the Philippine reform
movement of 1869-72.

20. Gregorio Sanciano • The point of departure of his treatise was recommendations of the Junta de
reformas economicas (*one of several reform commissions set up by Governor de la Torre in 1869-70) •
But suppressed on the accession of Izquerdo. • He speaks with nostalgia of “that period of liberty and
reforms” and presents a fervent, if somewhat guarded, defence of most of those executed or exiled in
aftermath of the Cavite Mutiny.

21. Gregorio Sanciano • 1870 campaign of anonymous letters against the type of instruction given in the
university by the Dominicans. (*opposition to the exclusive control of church over education, triggered
nationalists) • One of the most significant feeling in his book is his impassioned yet carefully reasoned
and documented refutation of he Spanish commonplace of the indololencia del indigena. • Turning to
the reports of the provincial governors regarding land matters, he shows contradiction between those
who say that valuable land remains unoccupied because of the indolence of Filipinos and Those who
report on the high rate of immigration and on the scarcity of land in their provinces.

22. Gregorio Sanciano • Sanciano’s book anticipates most of the principal themes of the later Filipino
nationalist campaign; Administrative reform Eradication of corruption in the government
Recognition of Filipino rights as loyal Spaniards Extension of Spanish law to the Philippines
Curtailment of the excessive power of the friars in the life of the country Assertion of the dignity of
the Filipino.

23. Gregorio Sanciano • The book was not the type to have a mass appeal, and information is lacking on
its circulation in the Philippines. • Jose Rizal was impressed by the book. (*1882 letter to his brother, he
mentioned the proximate return to the Philippines of Sanciano “the author of EL Progreso deFilipinas”)
(*Rizal’s nationalist essay “Sobre la indolencia de los Filipinos” in La Solidaridad in 1890 was based on
Sanciano’s treatment of the subject)

24. Gregorio Sanciano In 1884 there was disturbance in Pangasinan, apparently over local grievances,
but in the aftermath a number of prominent Filipinos were imprisoned, among them is Sanciano.
Eventually they were released, but there is no trace of any further activity on Sanciano’s part before his
death a few years later.

25. The First Filipino Colony  Growing Filipino colony appeared during the publication of Sanciano’s
book. (*it was a baquet given in honor of Fernando de Leon y Castillo, overseas minister in the liberal
government of Sagasta, by the Filipino colony in Madrid)  June 25 1881 he had published a long
discussed degree abolishing the government tobacco monopoly in the Philippines.

26. The First Filipino Colony At the banquet Visayan medical student Graciano Lopez Jaena, delivered a
speech, he eulogized the glorious mission of Spain personified by Magellan, Legazpi and others who
brought civilization and progress to the Philippines.  Philippines (* “Proud to call herself daughter of
the fatherland of Calderon and Cervantes”)  When liberty and the encouragement of the arts shall
reign in her, this Pearl of the Orient will be a source of inexhaustible wealth for Spain.
27. The First Filipino Colony Graciano Lopez Jaena plays an important role in the Filipino movement. 
born in Jaro, Ilo-ilo in 1856 First studied in the Jaro seminary and later gone to Manila to study
medicine Works as apprentice at a hospital due to lack of secondary diploma , then returned to his
native province. Had trouble with authorities then later gone to Spain in 1880 to study medicine at the
University of Valencia 1881 gave up his study and left for Madrid then began to be active in po