Instruction: Read and describe the Philippine situation when Jose Rizal was born.

Jose Rizal was born (on June 19, 1861) in the time when the Philippines were under the Spanish colonial
rule. Since the early 16th century, Spain has ruled this nation, sometimes known as the Spanish East
Indies or the Philippine Islands.

At the time of Rizal's birth, the political, social, and economic climate in the Philippines faced several
problems. Here are some crucial details:

1. Spanish Colonialism: Through the "encomienda system," a form of administration, the Spanish
government exercised authority over the archipelago, allowing its encomenderos (landowners)
to exploit and subjugate the native inhabitants.

2. Social Classes: Social classes were rampant during Rizal's days, where the indigenous people and
those with mixed indigenous and Chinese or Spanish ancestry were placed lower in the social
structure, while the Spanish colonizers and their mestizo descendants held the highest position.

3. Economic exploitation: Spanish colonials abused their power by exploiting Filipino workers and
benefitting from our raw commodities such as tobacco, wood, and agricultural goods.

4. Cultural Suppression: Spanish colonizers forced their language, religion (Catholicism), and
cultural norms on Filipinos. Due to this, we lost our traditional beliefs and traditions, and
indigenous cultures were marginalized.

5. Limited Political Rights: Filipinos are mostly excluded from positions of authority and have little
political representation. The Spanish government appointed a governor-general from Spain to
rule the country.

Finally, regardless of the circumstances of our country during those times, Rizal's birth and his
experience played a crucial role in forming his beliefs and igniting his nationalism. Because of his
advocacy to call for civil rights and for reform, the revolutionary movement was born in the late 19th
century, resulting in our independence from Spanish colonial rule.

References
https://econ.upd.edu.ph/perse/?p=7208. (n.d.).