RLW 101

ANG PILIPINAS SA IKA-19 DANTAON SA KONTEKSTO NI RIZAL

JOSE RIZAL  This era was characterized by various political
 Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda upheavals, including the American Revolution
and the French Revolution (late 18th century)
 Pinanganak noong June 19, 1861 sa Calamba,
Laguna.
o Both are heavily influenced by the
 December 30, 1896: Bagumbayan (Luneta)
Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that
valued reason, rationality, and individualism
19TH CENTURY
o Challenged the power of the monarchy
Birth of Modernity
o Paved the way for new forms of governance
 The term modernity emphasizes the break from based on individual rights, nationalism, and
traditional ways of life and the emergence of new freedom.
ideas, attitudes, and institutions that marked the
transition to a new era. o French Revolution
 Pinatalsik ang monarchy
BEFORE 19TH CENTURY  Nagkaroon ng chance yumaman ang
Monarchy Democracy mga tao nang dumating ang mga
Feudalism Capitalism bourgeoisie (merchants) at sila na ang
Passively-Accepting Reform-minded tinawag na “elite” at nagkaroon ng
position sa government then eventually
 Europe history: overthrow the monarchy and become a
 Dark Ages democracy
o Fall of the Roman Empire
o Hindi na na-enhance ang kanilang pamumuhay
(like Science)
o No advancement
 Renaissance
o After dark ages
o “Rebirth”, hindi na naka-base sa Catholic
Church
o People share knowledge (like theories)
o Until 18th century

 All the theories they know were put into action or into
tangible things

Part of Age of Revolution Economical Condition

 Industrial Revolution  While different parts of Europe were flourishing, Spain

 New modes of production, transportation, and
communication were introduced, bringing about a
shift from manual labor to machine-based
production.
 First wave of globalization (steam engines and
railroads were invented)
 Yumaman ang Britain at nagging mas advanced
ang kanilang technology
 Political Revolution (late 18th and 19th Century)
was experiencing a slow decline.
 Trading was already apparent among our ancestors
even before the Spaniards colonized Philippines.
 Early Philippine merchants traded with various
countries, including China, Japan, Siam (Thailand),
Cambodia, India, Borneo, and the Moluccas.
 The Spanish Crown saw an opportunity to profit from
this trade, eventually closed the ports of Manila to all
 countries except Acapulco, Mexico. (16th Century:
Mexico was a colony of Spain)
 Hence, the birth of Manila-Acapulco Trade a.k.a.
Galleon Trade. (“Galleon” is the ship used)
 Throughout centuries, Manila became the center of
commerce in the East.
 Different goods such as Mangoes, tamarind, rice,
carabao, Chinese tea, textiles, fireworks, perfume,
precious stones, and tuba (coconut wine), were sent
to Mexico.
 On the return voyage, valuable flora and fauna
including guava, avocado, papaya, pineapple, horses,
and cattle were brought into the Philippines.
 Spain became a mercantilist superpower but not
forever
1. Late 18th Century, Galleon System faced tough
competition: other nations became self-sufficient
and preferred direct trade.
o Chinese immigrants: serves as middlemen
between the provinces, where the crops were
planted, and the merchant houses of the
Mestizos in Manila.
o Inquilinos: Rich natives became tenants.
 They oversee the production of cash crops
by subleasing large estates or haciendas
from friars and then subletting them to
indigenous farmers (TIMESTAMP 8:22)
o Suez Canal: artificial sea-level waterway
 Shortened the distance of travel between
Europe and the Philippines
 Gave way to more intensive production of
crops which is a huge advantage in
commercial enterprises.
 POSITIVE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE
PEOPLE:
1. The Philippines was opened for world commerce

2. Spain was heavily dependent on the silver mines
in South America, which slowly dwindled. The
value of silver also declined due to the increased
production of silver in America.
3. War for Independence in Mexico, shifting the
focus and priority of consumers away from trade.
2. Foreigners were engaged in manufacturing and
agriculture.
3. The Philippine economy became dynamic and
balanced.
4. There was a rise of new influential and wealthy
Filipino middle class.

 First decade of the 19th century: Galleon trade 5. People were encouraged to participate in the
system was ended by decree trade.

 Because Galleon Trade ended the Philippines need a 6. Migration and increase in population were
commercial purpose. encouraged

 1884: Spain opened the Philippine economy to world

commerce.

 The Philippines became a supplier of raw

materials for the industries of the West by utilizing
its underutilized land resources to venture into
cash crop agriculture (a type of farming where
crops are grown for sale rather than for personal
or local consumption)
 British, Dutch, and American trading companies
invested large capital in the country for large-
scale production of different products (like
tobacco and sugar)
 To make transactions easier, foreign investors
need people who are already in the
Philippines (such as Chines, mestizos, and rich
natives)
RLW 101
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH RIZAL?
 The fast tempo of economic progress in the
Philippines during the 19th Century facilitated by
Industrial Revolution resulted to the rise to a new
breed of rich and influential Filipino middle class.
 Dahil maganda ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas,
yumaman ang mga Inquilino. Kasama rito ang Rizal
patriarch, ang pamilyang Mercado
 Domingo Lam-co: Rizal’s Chinese ancestor (lolo ng
tatay ni Rizal from Hokkien, China)
 When he had to come to the Binan hacienda in
the mid-18th century, the average holding of an
Inquilino was 2.9 hectares.
 1890s: after Rizal’s father moved to Calamba
hacienda, the Rizal family rented from the
hacienda over 390 hectares.
 The family Mercado became one of the most affluent
family in Calamba. This enabled the family to live a
prosperous and comfortable life, thus giving the Rizal
children more time and focus toward education.
INQUILINO: yumaman na mga katutubo na umuupa sa
mga prayle (ang mga lupa sa Pilipinas ay pagmamay-ari
na ng hari ng Espanya). Ang hari ay maaring iregalo ang
mga hacienda
Social Condition
 Education is considered a status symbol
 Only a few people, usually those with Spanish blood,
have the opportunity to experience college education.
 Privileged people belong to the highest racial class
(tuktok ng hierarchy)
 Racial Hierarchy in 19th Century
 Peninsulares
o Highest class
o Pure-blooded Spaniards who were born in the
Iberian Peninsula, such as Spain.
o Officials and friars (prayle) who had the power
and authority to rule over the Filipinos
 Insulares
o Or Creoles
o Second-highest racial class
o Full-blooded Spaniards born in the Philippines
or the Marianas
o Despite being part of the second-highest racial
class, were viewed negatively because they are
born in the Philippines
o Philippines was considered to be a “dumping
ground” for societal misfits
 Mestizos
o Or colloquially Tisoy
o Refer to people of mixed native Filipino and any
foreign ancestry.
 Native Filipinos and Indio
o At the bottom of the hierarchy
o Indio: term used to refer to the poor people of
the country who were viewed as inferior and
treated as second-class citizens.
 The Spanish colonial government’s discrimination
against Indios limited their opportunities and social
mobility.
 Indio: tawag ng European sa mga tao sa colony dahil
unang-unang kilalalng colony noon ay India. Then
every place that they colonize, they call it India
 This resulted in the term “Indio” becoming associated
with social and economic oppression.
 Spanish blood was highly valued during Spanish
colonial era.
 Those with any trace of Indio blood were never
considered the social equals of pure-blooded
Spaniards
 Filipinos were viewed as inferior, they denied them
access to education. Obtaining a college education
was difficult for those at the bottom of the hierarchy.
 Wealthy families like the Rizals were able to send their
children to study in prestigious schools
  https://youtu.be/nvOhea-
 The exposure of young Filipinos in Spain and Europe KxM8?si=oA54ljPqFTfT0g0n (TIMESTAMP
inspire them to form the Ilustrados 18:53)

 Ilustrados: a group of educated natives who sought

feedom and independence from Spanish rule.
 means “erudite”, “learned”, or “enlightened ones”.
 One of their aims was to be in the same level with
the proud Spaniards
 Assimilation

Cultural Condition

 A key factor in the emergence of nationalism in the late

19th century was the cultural development consequent
on the rapid spread of education from about 1860.
 EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IN THE MID-19TH
CENTURY
1. The Industrial Revolution necessitated changes
in the education system of the Philippines.
 Schools need to focus on teaching skilled
labor, as that is what the economy needs.
 Before, schools are controlled by the friars
(prayle)
 Inadequate, suppressive, and controlled
Political Condition
 During Rizal’s time, there were widespread calls for
democracy in the Philippines.
To understand why, we need to look back again to the
16th century
 When Spanish missionaries introduced Christianity,
they taught that all men are equal before God.
 Despite the teachings of Christianity, which
emphasized equality among all people, the
Spanish colonial authorities did not treat
brown-skinned Filipinos equally

2. The Educational Decree of 1863.

 Attempt of the Spanish Colonial Government  Most Filipinos (except the hinterland of Luzon and the
to address the lack of formal education Visayas and in Mindanao and Sulu) became Christians
among Filipinos.
 Kailangan mag tayo each town ng at least  Spaniards used religion to justify their malicious
behaviors
one primary school for boys and girls
 This decree marked the beginning of formal
education in the Philippines and opened up
educational opportunities to a wider segment
of society, including the middle and lower
classes.
 But it lack resources and qualified teachers
 The curriculum was heavily influenced by the
Spanish that hinders the national identity of
the Filipinos

 During Rizal’s time, the court of justice in the

Philippines was notoriously corrupt
 “Ang hustisya ay para lang sa Kastila”
3. The return of the Jesuits was a significant event
that influenced the educational system in the
Philippines.  Brown Filipinos were often treated unfairly and justice
was costly, partial, and slow.
 Jesuits returned in the Philippines with ideas
(first-hand na-experience ng pamilya ni Rizal)
and methods new to the educational system.
RLW 101
 The poor had no access to the courts due to the heavy
expenses of litigation, while the rich and those with
white skin color were favored in court.
 Patuloy na yumayaman ang mayayamang Kastila at
patuloy na humihirap ang mahihirap na Pilipino.
If you witnessed such injustices happening to your
fellow Filipinos, wouldn’t you feel angry?

 Ilustrados viewed Spain as regressive, incompatible,

and the main reason why the country was not
progressing

 Racial prejudice was rampant in the Philippines

during the Spanish colonial period.

 The local indigenous population was prohibited from

organizing assemblies or political meetings.

 Merit was not based on one’s capabilities or

qualifications but on wealth, race, and connections
with influential people

 This system of discrimination resulted in a sense of

oppression and discontent among the local papulation.

 The Spanish colonial government in the Philippines

was highly centralized and authoritarian

 The Church played a significant role in the state’s

proceedings, manipulating the indigenous people to
comply with the state’s laws as it saw fit.

 The colonial government was primarily interested in

exploiting the country’s natural resources and labor for
the benefit of Spain.  If other countries could achieve independence,
could the Philippines also do so?
 Money were collected from the natives was not used Example: French revolution
to improve their province, but rather for the self-
betterment of the officials
 This motivated people to follow suit. Filipino reformists
like Rizal were inspired by the revolution to pursue
freedom and independence for the country.

 The thirst for reform and nationalism flourished in

liberal atmosphere, and, to make a long story short,
this led to the Philippine Independence movement
and the death of Rizal.

“The cries for democracy during Rizal's time were a result

of the long-standing injustices and corruption of the
Spanish colonial authorities, who used religion to justify
their actions.”

“The call for democracy was a call for equality, justice, and
fairness for all Filipinos, regardless of their skin color or
social status.”