GEd 103:

The Life and Works of Rizal

RIZAL’S
CULTURAL ROOTS
Lesson 2
A.Y. 2022-2023, Midterm Class
“Culture is the name for what people are
interested in, their thoughts, their models,
the books they read and the speeches they
hear” 

Walter Lippmann.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

CHINESE HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

In 1594, the Spanish Governor Luiz Perez Dasmariñas created
Binondo as a permanent settlement for Chinese mestizos who
converted to Catholicism. In this part of Manila, Chinese merchants
and traders were free to do their business. Binondo also became the
place of intermarriages between Chinese immigrants and Filipino
natives, thus the emergence of Chinese mestizos.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

CHINESE HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

CHINESE HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Chinese mestizo communities, aside from Binondo, emerged in
many other parts of the archipelago. In Manila, notable communities
were Sta. Cruz and Tondo. In the early 17 th century, more than 100
Chinese individuals were married to native Filipinos in Iloilo,
Pampanga and Cebu. In Northern Luzon, Chinese mestizos could be
found in Pangasinan, Benguet, and Mountain Province.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

CHINESE HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

From the beginning of the Spanish Colonial period until 1740, the
inhabitants of the Philippines were classified into three: Spaniards,
Indios, and Chinese. As the Chinese mestizo population grew,
questions regarding their legal status as inhabitants of the country
arose. It was only 1741 that their legal status was officially
established when the whole population of the Philippine was
reclassified into four according to tax payment or tribute.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

CHINESE HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

CHINESE HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

These classes are the (1) Spaniards and Spanish mestizos, (2)
Indios, (3) Chinese and (4) Chinese mestizos. Spaniards and
Spanish mestizos were not required to pay taxes depending on their
income.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

CHINESE HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES

A Chinese mestizo then was:
 Any person born of a Chinese father and indio mother;
 A Spanish mestiza and a Chinese mestizo,
 A child of a Spanish mestiza and a Chinese mestizo

However, a Chinese mestiza and an indio were listed as Indios.

 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHINESE MESTIZO

Chinese mestizos became prominent and influential figures in the
areas of industry, commerce, and business during the Spanish
colonial period. They carried on a lucrative by collecting goods
from the north and selling them to Manila and nearby provinces.
They monopolized the internal trading in the Philippines while the
Spanish mestizos were concerned with foreign trade.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHINESE MESTIZO

The entrepreneurial power of the Chinese mestizos gave way to the
emergence of the Philippine middle class described as “more active
and enterprising, more prudent and pioneering, more oriented to
trade and commerce than the Indios” (Bowring, 1963).
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHINESE MESTIZO

Another significant role that Chinese mestizos played in the
Philippine society was the formation of the Filipino identity. This
was evident during the latter part of the 19 th century when they
became clearly influential in the economy of the Philippines as a
Spanish colony. This caused the Spaniards to be concerned with the
ability of the Chinese mestizos to cause discord in society.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHINESE MESTIZO

By 1800s, Chinese mestizos in the provinces began to form opinions
regarding the Spanish colonial rule. It was also difficult to separate
the Indios from Chinese mestizos since they identified themselves
with each other socially and culturally. Chinese mestizos shared
grievances with the Indios about the harsh conditions under the
Spanish rule
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHINESE MESTIZO

The most vivid manifestation of the budding sense of Filipino
nationalism appeared in the late 1870s in the writings of Pedro
Paterno and Gregorio Sanciano, who were both Chinese mestizos.

Their writings were nurtured by Jose Rizal, a known pride

of the Malay race but also a chinese mestizo.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHINESE MESTIZO

The significant role of Chinese mestizos in the making of the nation
was highly evident as the turn of the century. Their involvement in
the armed revolt against the colonizers showed that they recognized
Spain as the enemy-the oppressor. The Philippine Revolution of
1869 to 1898 was the act of determination on the part of Filipinos-
Indios and Chinese mestizos alike-to claim for themselves and for
the future generations the incomparable birthright of nationhood.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

RIZAL AND THE CHINESE MESTIZOS

Rizal is a fifth generation Chinese mestizo. However, he and his
father were considered as Indios. Some documents and scholarly
papers noted that Rizal dislike being called Chinese mestizo or
Tsinoy (in the modern sense), and disassociated himself from any
Chinese relations.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

RIZAL AND THE CHINESE MESTIZOS

Through his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Rizal
exposed the abuses and corruption of the Spanish authorities,
condemned the oppression of the people by the colonizers, and
ridiculed the hypocrisy and overbearing attitude of the Spanish
friars.
 The Ascendance of the Chinese Mestizo

RIZAL AND THE CHINESE MESTIZOS

Rizal clearly manifested his anti-Christian feelings win his writings,
as well as his correspondence with family and friends. By virtue of
his lineage, Rizal could have had a special connection with the
Chinese but such was not the case.

The concern on whether Rizal’s disdain over his Chinese lineage

made him less of a hero is not something to argue about. Chinese
mestizo or not, Rizal is a nationalist and a Filipino.
 GEd 103:
The Life and Works of Rizal

RIZAL’S
CULTURAL ROOTS
Lesson 2
A.Y. 2019-2020, Midterm Class
FAMILY
Jose Rizal was born to a wealthy family in Calamba, Laguna. He
was the 7th among the 11 children of Francisco Mercado Rizal and
Teodora Alonzo Realonda. Paciano, the second to the eldest child in
the family, was the only brother of Jose. His other siblings were
Saturnina, Narcisa, Olimpia, Lucia, Maria, Concepcion, Josefa,
Trinidad, and Soledad. Jose had a Chinese ancestors from his
father’s side, Domingo Lam-Co who married a Chinese mestiza,
Ines de la Rosa. Aside from his Chinese ancestry, he also had a
Japanese, Spanish, and Malay blood.

Family, Childhood, and Early Education of Rizal

EDUCATION
By three years old, Jose was already able to recite the alphabet
because of his mother's guidance. In his journals, he wrote, "My
mother taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble
prayers which I raised fervently to God." Aside from his mother,
Jose also had a private tutor, Leon Monroy, who taught him the
rudiments of Latin. Aside from Monroy, Jose was also taught by his
Uncle Manuel Alberto and Uncle Gregorio.

Family, Childhood, and Early Education of Rizal

EDUCATION
Jose had his early education in Calamba and Bifian. His education
was focused on reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Instruction was imposed very rigidly and strictly. Teachers made use
of whips to force knowledge into the minds of the students.

Family, Childhood, and Early Education of Rizal

EDUCATION
Jose's first teacher in Bifian was Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz
who he described as tall, thin, long-necked, sharp-nosed, and with a
body slightly bent forward. In Bifian, Jose regularly attended mass,
went to the orchard, went to class at 10:00 a.m. and ate lunch,
arrived home at 5:00 p.m., and consistently studied and drew. He
also prayed daily before going to bed

Family, Childhood, and Early Education of Rizal

EDUCATION
In terms of academics, Jose was the most outstanding among all his
classmates. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin, and other
subjects. This made his older classmates jealous of him. They told
lies about Jose to teachers just to discredit him. Although he was not
quarrelsome, Jose never ever backed out from a fight.

Family, Childhood, and Early Education of Rizal

RIZAL'S INFLUENCES
Jose Rizal grew up surrounded by influences that have contributed
to the development of his nationalist sensibilities. From his father,
Francisco, Rizal learned the value of self-respect, love for work,
and independent thinking. His greatest influence was his mother,
Teodora. His love for freedom and justice was inculcated in him by
Paciano while his sisters taught him to be respectful and kind to
women.

Family, Childhood, and Early Education of Rizal

RIZAL'S INFLUENCES
He got his love for books and his being hardworking from his Uncle
Gregorio. His Uncle Jose encouraged him to develop his skills in
painting, sketching, and sculpting.

An equally important influence on the character of Rizal was the

environment he grew up in. As mentioned, he spent his childhood in
Calamba, in a family that nurtured his mind and soul. The Rizal
family had a beautiful garden which helped Rizal appreciate nature.
These things stimulated the young hero's innate artistic and literary
talents.
Family, Childhood, and Early Education of Rizal
 HISTORY OF THE FRIAR LANDS
The existence of friar lands in the Philippines can be traced back to
the early Spanish colonial period when Spanish conquistadors were
awarded lands in the form of haciendas for their loyalty to the
Spanish crown. Approximately 120 Spaniards were granted either
large tracts of land called sitio de ganado mayor or smaller tracts
called caballerias.

Agrarian Relations And The Friar Lands

 HISTORY OF THE FRIAR LANDS
One reason is that the Spaniards were not expected to permanently
stay in the Philippines. Many of them returned to Spain once they
were done serving in the country. Also, the livestock market during
this time was still small. Thus the Galleon Trade based in Manila,
appealed more to the Spaniards because it offered better economic
opportunities.

Agrarian Relations And The Friar Lands

 HISTORY OF THE FRIAR LANDS
When the export of agricultural crops started to blossom in the 18th
century, the inquilinato system was put into place. In this system,
one who rented land for a fixed annual amount, an inquilino, was
expected to give personal services to the landlords. If he or she
failed to do so, he or she would be expelled from the land.

Agrarian Relations And The Friar Lands

 HISTORY OF THE FRIAR LANDS
The inquilinos could also lease the land they were renting from the
landlord to a kasama or sharecropper who would then be
responsible for cultivating the land. The inquilinato system
functioned as a three-layered system with the landlords on top, the
inquilinos in the middle, and the kasamas at the bottom.

Agrarian Relations And The Friar Lands

 HACIENDA DE CALAMBA DISPUTE
The Hacienda de Calamba was originally owned by a Spaniard who
donated the land to Jesuit friars to allow him to permanently stay in
the Jesuit monastery. However, since the Jesuits were expelled from
the Philippines, the hacienda went to the possession of the Spanish
colonial government. In 1803, the land was sold to Don Clemente de
Azansa.

After his death, it was eventually sold to the Dominicans who

claimed ownership of the hacienda until late 19th century.

Agrarian Relations And The Friar Lands

 HACIENDA DE CALAMBA DISPUTE
The Hacienda de Calamba was originally owned by a Spaniard who
donated the land to Jesuit friars to allow him to permanently stay in
the Jesuit monastery. However, since the Jesuits were expelled from
the Philippines, the hacienda went to the possession of the Spanish
colonial government. In 1803, the land was sold to Don Clemente de
Azansa.

Agrarian Relations And The Friar Lands

 HACIENDA DE CALAMBA DISPUTE
Rizal's family became one of the principal inquilinos of the
hacienda. They rented one of the largest leased parcel of land
measuring approximately 380 hectares. The main crop was
sugarcane since it was the most in-demand in the world market then.
The Rizal family got their income mainly from the land they rented.

Agrarian Relations And The Friar Lands

 GEd 103:
The Life and Works of Rizal

RIZAL’S
CULTURAL ROOTS
Lesson 2
A.Y. 2019-2020, Midterm Class