05 eLMS Task 1: Essay

1.) Why did the Spaniards brand us as indolent?

- Spaniards accuse Filipinos of being lazy because they consistently observe them not working and
believe that they would rather gamble their money than work in farm. The Philippines, however, is
close to a tropical zone, and the hot weather there can make it difficult for people to work. This is
one of the reasons why Spaniards accuse Filipinos of being lazy. Additionally, according to Dr. Jose
Rizal, there were deeper-rooted factors that contributed to the Philippines' eventual decline,
including abuse and discrimination, inaction on the part of the government, endemic corruption,
incorrect church doctrines, and bad examples from some Spaniards who led lives of complacency.
The education system was twisted, they taught repeated prayers and other things that could not be
used by the students to lead the country, there were no courses in Agriculture, Industry and other
sectors which were severely required by the Philippines during those times. Rizal noted that the
Filipinos were diligent and hardworking even before the arrival of the Spaniards.

2.) How did Rizal and the other Filipino scholars defend the Filipinos against the labeling from
Spain? Why?

- He defends Filipinos by asserting that they are not inherently lazy and that they have long engaged
in economic activities like farming and trade before the arrival of Spaniards. However, indolence has
deeper roots, including abuse and discrimination, government inaction, systemic corruption and red
tape, false religious beliefs, and poor examples from some lazy Spaniards who have contributed to
the degradation of Filipino values. The major causes of indolence, according to Rizal, are the absence
of national sentiment and unity among Filipino natives, as well as the poor training and education
they acquired. Rizal thought that freedom and education might heal the laziness of the Filipinos. We
shouldn't pass judgment on anyone, especially if we don't understand their culture.