Indolence of the Filipino People

By Rizal, Jose

I. Chapter 1: INDOLENCE DO EXIST

In the first part of Rizal’s essay, Rizal admits that indolence do exist among the Filipinos, but unlike
what outsiders say that Filipinos are naturally indolent and that indolence is the CAUSE of the country’s
troubles and backwardness, for Rizal, Indolence is the EFFECT of the country’s troubles and
backwardness. In order to demolish indolence, one must study its causes before curing it.

Before proceeding to the causes, we must first define the term indolence. Rizal defined indolence
as the sense of little love for work and lack of energy. Since the Middle Ages and up to now, there are
still superstitious people who always blame the devil for everything that they cannot comprehend. In the
essay, Rizal compared indolence to the devil; he stated that shortcomings and mistakes done by the
natives during that time are usually attributed by indolence. Just like what superstitious people of today
and of the past usually do of blaming the devil, Spaniards at that time blame indolence for the native’s
misdeeds and imperfection.

Although the Spaniards always blame indolence for the native’s misdeeds and shortcomings, are
the Filipinos really naturally indolent? Rizal said that one of the reasons why Filipinos are called
indolent by the Spaniards is the hot climate in a typical tropical country. He stated that an hour’s work
under the burning sun is equivalent to a day’s work in a temperate climate and yet, Europeans, during
that time, live surrounded by numerous trains of servants and never travel on foot. They were always
riding a carriage when traveling from one place to another. They also have servants who take off their
shoes for them and to fan them to relieve them of the country’s hot climate.

According to Rizal, Indolence is a blessing. For like the Chinaman, who in other colonies cultivates
the soil for only a certain number of years and retires, the tendency of natives to practice indolence is
only natural. Man is not a machine. Indolence in the Philippines is magnified for it is the effect of
misgovernment and backwardness not its cause.
II. Chapter 2: INDOLENCE AS A CHRONIC MALLADY

In the second part of the essay, Rizal compared indolence to a chronic disease. A chronic disease
that when given the improper treatment might become worse. In the Philippines, Indolence is a chronic
malady that is trying to be treated by the government and friars acting as physicians giving them
treatment that they think will cure the so called disease of the country but it is not hereditary.

As proof, Rizal cited different personalities that have stated that Filipinos are not naturally indolent.
Chirino, Colin, Argensola, Gaspan de San Agustin are some of these personalities which Rizal stated
that believe that Filipinos were hardworking people way before they were conquered by the Spaniards.
There are evidences that show that native Filipinos have been practicing trade way before the Spanish
arrived. Rizal quoted Morga who said:

“the natives are very far from exercising those trades and even forgotten much about farming,
raising poultry, stock and cotton and weaving cloth as they used to do in their paganism and for a long
time after the country was conquered.”

Another prominent personality that Rizal mentioned in his essay is Pigafetta. Pigafetta is an Italian
scholar and traveler. He traveled with Ferdinand Magellan and was one of the few who were able to go
back to Spain. He tells of the abundance of food in Paragua and how the inhabitants tilled their own
fields. This shows that before the Spaniards arrive in the Philippines, natives have always been hard
workers. Also there are also some evidences that states that some inhabitants of Luzon can
understand Castilian which maybe is a sign that they did practice trade way before the Spaniards
conquered the country.

III. Chapter 3: DETERIORATION OF POPULATION THROUGH WARS, INSURRECTIONS AND

INVASIONS

In the third part of his essay, Rizal explained how deterioration of population came about
through wars, insurrections and invasions that led to the farms to be neglected. This act of
 indifference by the farmers was also referred to as indolence by the Spaniards because the native
Filipinos were not working in the fields with their carabaos.

Wars, which are usually the Spaniards’ fight to maintain the honor of Spain, resulted to the
native Filipinos to be sent abroad to fight wars for Spain. Native Rowers and archers were also
sent to embark on a voyage to Spain with other Spaniards because they were the best rowers and
archers around. Although, the native’s departure was recorded their return was never stated. Due
to this forced commitment to Spain, deterioration of population was shown for their return were
never stated or accounted for.

One example of this is the island of Panay. Gaspar De San Agustin stated that from fifty
thousand, the number of tributaries went down to fourteen thousand in a little over half a century of
year’s time.

Invasions, specifically pirate invasions, are another cause of deterioration of population.

The Filipino natives were unable to defend themselves against said pirate invasions because
Spaniards left their subjects and tributaries unarmed. The Native Filipinos were unable to defend
themselves as they did before Spaniards arrived in the country. These pirate invasions destroyed
communities which also attributed to the deterioration of population.

Insurrections made by Malays were also one of the causes of deterioration of population.
The Malays at that time were known for their atrocities and murders. They believed that to preserve
their independence it was necessary to weaken the Spaniards by reducing the number of its
subjects. They have a greater hatred and a deeper resentment against Christian Filipinos, in spite
of being of their own race, served Spain. This hindered them from cultivating the fertile plain that
they already have.

IV. Chapter 4: SUSTAINING INDOLENCE

Filipinos, according to Rizal, are not responsible for their own misfortunes. Several acts by the
government and teachings of the friars can be blamed for the native Filipinos’ misfortunes.
 Despite of the evidences that native Filipinos have already practiced trade even before the arrival
of the Spaniards, trade between their Asian neighbors such as the Japanese, Borneans, Siamese and
Cambodians declined. The government feared the Filipinos’ exposure to their more independent and
free Asian neighbors. In line with this, the government who left their subjects unarmed to be able to
defend themselves felt the lack of security and defense so instead of working in their farms they turn to
gambling as an easy source of livelihood for it is greatly tolerated by the government. Apart from
gambling being present during those times, bribery was also operated on a wider scale.

Wrong teachings of the friars also resulted to farmers neglecting their farms. Teachings by the
friars that rich men will not go to heaven also resulted to the farmers preferring to live miserably and
indolently rather than working hard to be rich. For in the friar’s teachings, being a rich man on earth
means he will become liable to all kinds of trouble such as being appointed as the cabeza de barangay,
to be deported if an uprising occurs, to be forced banker of the military chief of the town etc. In the
perspective of the natives, why should they work hard to become rich if they would face such troubles,
better live a life of misery and indolence than live a life full of worry and burden.

V. Chapter 5: FACTORS AND SOLUTION TO INDOLENCE

In this chapter, Rizal explained the factors of indolence and his proposed solutions. Rizal stated
that the factors of indolence can be reduced into two factors. One is the lack of national sentiment and
the limited training and education of native Filipinos.

The lack of national sentiment, because the Filipinos think they are inferior to the foreign culture
they put their efforts into copying the foreign culture which deprives himself of other qualities suited to
his own nature he becomes stagnant hence it resulted to economic and cultural decadence. The lack of
national sentiment also brings about absence of all opposition to measures given by the Spaniards.
Because Filipinos feel inferior to foreign culture, they lose the means of opposing the measures given
by Spaniards.

The next factor is limited training and education of native Filipinos. As a child, conquerors engrave
in the mind of children that they are inferior and that they can never surpass the foreign culture that
have conquered or have set foot on their country and so, the child will have no progress. The child will
never be curious for curiosity is rewarded with ridicule from curates and looks of fear from his/her
relatives.

Rizal’s solution to these factors and causes of indolence is Education and Liberty. With the right
education, natives will have knowledge that will help him with his/her journey to the real world. The
natives will have the capacity to think for themselves and judge if what is happening is right or wrong.
With liberty, natives will have the freedom to live their life according o what they think is right. They will
live a life that will give them the opportunity to show their true potential. Without Education and Liberty,
reform is not possible.