Rizal Law

Republic Act No. 1425 (Rizal Law) – states that every educational
institution are mandated to include Rizal’s life and writings in their
curriculum. This Act obliges all public and private schools, colleges and
universities nationwide to educate students about Rizal’s views which
greatly depicted his famous writings like “Noli Me Tangere” and El
Filibusterismo”
Rizal law was viewed as an act of degradation to the Catholic beliefs.
The Roman Catholic church in the Philippines strongly opposed the
printing and distribution of Rizal’s works because they would corrupt the
Catholic faith of the new generation.
 Rizal Law

The opposition persisted until the 1955 Senate election, making then
Claro M. Recto, the main proponent of the Rizal Bill and the one
sought its sponsorship to accuse the oppositions as communist action.
Believers of Catholic faith were advised to produce and send written
documentaries to their representatives and senators stating
unfavorable views about the Rizal Bill. Crusades took place and tension
between the supporters of Rizal and the Catholic Church emerged.
Symposiums promoting the eradication of the bill were organized. One
symposium with Fr. Jesus Cavanna as guest rendered a message that
Rizal’s works in view of the past injustices would corrupt the present
setup of Catholic churches in the country.
 Rizal Law

A radio commentator, Jesus Paredes argued that Catholic were not

deprived of their right to decline reading of Rizal’s novels if they felt like
they threaten their salvation.
Archbishop Rufino Santos of Manila asserted that Catholic students
would be affected if the mandatory reading of uncensored writings of
Rizal would prevail. The reading of circular containing the clear
opposition of the Archbishop led to Manila Mayor Arsenio Lacson to
walking out of the mass.
Support groups of Catholic churches: Catholic
Action of the Philippines, Congregation of the Mission, Knights of
Columbus, Catholic Teachers Guild.
 Rizal Law
Support groups of Rizal Bill: Veteranos de la Revolucion (Spirit of 1896), Alagad ni
Rizal, the Freemasons, Knights of Rizal.
Jose P. Laurel – co-author of Rizal Bill, sponsored by the Senate Committee on
Education, which was opposed by Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Mariano Jesus Cuenco,
and Decoroso Rosales.
The Chairman of the Committee of Education catered to the views of the Catholic
Church and made adjustments to compromise the opposition and the approbation
of the supporters of the Rizal Bill.
May 12, 1956 – the inserted compromise (contents) on the bill, which specified
that only college (university) students would have the option of reading
unexpurgated versions of clerically contested reading materials, such as Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibuterismo was approved unanimously. The bill was enacted on
June 12, 1956.
 Honoring Filipino National Heroes

The Philippines recognized the significant contribution of certain

personalities to the growth of Filipino minds, the acquisition of
independence, and their participation in the molding of Philippine
history. Nonetheless, there was no law nor executive order nor
proclamation issued officially to proclaim a Filipino historical icon as a
national hero. Even Jose Rizal, despite his enormous contribution to
Philippine history, was not clearly proclaimed as a National Hero. There
were laws enacted honoring significant historical persons and their
heroic acts that molded history. Jose Rizal’s position in Philippine
History is a tribute to the continued respect or acclamation of the
people in recognition of his contribution to the significant social
transformations that took place in our country.
 Honoring Filipino National Heroes
Jose Rizal was not the only one who was recognized as a hero. Rizal and
Bonifacio were great men who contributed to the acquisition of the
Philippine independence from the Spanish regime and abuses. Despite the
absence of a formal declaration proclaiming them as national heroes,
Philippine history applauded these men and had kept their contributions
passed on to generations. As historian argues, that heroes must not
legislated, the acclamation for heroes would be recognition enough.
March 28, 1983 – Pres. Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order No. 75
entitled “Creating the National Heroes Committee under the Office of the
President”. The said committee was created to learn, assess, and suggest
national personalities in recognition of the impact that such people made
on Philippine history. It was the Committee’s duty to make sure that just
 Honoring Filipino National Heroes
recognition be given to heroes for their authentic character and
extraordinary triumphs for the country.
The Committee adopted the following criteria as a basis for
determining who among the great Filipinos would be officially
proclaimed as national heroes:
i) Heroes are those who have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire
and struggle for the nation’s freedom, heroes are those who define and
contribute to a system or life of freedom; (ii) order for a nation; (iii)
heroes are those who contribute to the quality of life and destiny of a
nation.
 Philippine National Literature

Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are considered constant

and inspiring sources of patriotism and nationalism for the youth
during their formative years. The Rizal Bill showed the existence of a
corrective space, an ensemble of discourses and practices creating the
field of literary education in the Philippines. It is a written work, which
shows the life of Filipinos from the past and is a good source of learning
the value of education. The novels portrayed the Filipino people whose
national character had been shaped by literary works and the reading
of these works; the bill gave Rizal and his novels not only a central place
in the state’s nationalist project, but also a recognition of their vital role
in enabling Filipinos to grasp the ideals of freedom and nationalism.
 Philippine National Literature

Rizal was equipped with extraordinary literary skill as seen in his master
pieces Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891). The Noli
dealt with the country’s present, and the Fili pointed to its future.
Meanwhile, Rizal’s remarks of Morga (Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas)
traced the lineaments of the country’s past. Writing had become his
tool for reforms to awaken the Filipinos from abuses that the colonizers
had been doing for centuries in the country. Literature has always been
reliant on history, bringing people back to the past where social,
psychological, and linguistic resources portray old events that impact
the present time.
 Philippine National Literature

Literature can be a good basis of history and taking a glance of the past
attributes of Filipinos. Nevertheless, literature has its intervening
function, taking a look at Rizal’s novels; it was artefactual: a mixture of
reality best portrayed by fiction characters, which represent certain
people back then.
Furthermore, literature is a good driving tool to execute authority and
command one’s country. Rizal argues that Tagalog literature is living and
vigorous. Literature allows people to speak and change the future; it’s
an execution of dominance in one’s literary work.
 Philippine National Literature

Rizal has written his third novel “Makamisa” in 1891-1892. This novel
was written for the Tagalog readers and not for the European readers.
At the time he had written such novel, he was on his way back to the
Philippines, and the propaganda movement was starting to shift.
Making Tagalog novels was Rizal’s way of speaking to his fellow
Filipinos. Rizal was also motivated to write a novel with a modern sense
of the world, an artistic and literary novel.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The 19th century was an era of growth and innovation, the idea of
industrialization became most popular during this period.
Philippines in the 19th century remained primitive despite the
emerging marks of growth noted in some sectors. The Government,
occupied by self-indulgent people, remained deaf and blind to the
people's cry of injustice and suffering. The social and economic systems
of the country remained reliant on the feudalistic patterns, which
fueled racial discrimination and division based on status quo.
Requests for reforms were disregarded, and the people were
discontented with the social setup of the country.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The existing racial discrimination urged the middle class to broaden
their knowledge. The foreign encounter of some educated middle class
contributed a lot to the country's development. They imported to the
medieval Philippines the idea of liberalism from the West and
promoted innovation in how the Filipino viewed the country as a
whole. It fueled patriotism among the Filipinos.
Rizal's masterpieces showcased his experiences in the Philippines and
in the world, most especially in Europe during his lifetime. The rough
conditions of society and mankind during his time led him to the idea
that all mankind, regardless of status, was born free and had equal
rights with others.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The product of Spanish colonization which upheld the landholding
system brought by the arrival of the conquistador, made the Philippines
feudalistic in setup. Dominion toward the land owned was practiced
wherein the authority and power resided in the hands of the wealthy
few. Hence, there was a huge gap between the landlords and their
tenants. It resulted in a pyramid structure of social division. Spaniards
dominated the peak of the pyramid structure of the social system of
the Philippines in the 19th century. Spanish officials, peninsulares, and
friars comprised the topmost part of the pyramid.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The middle part is composed of the favored natives, mestizos or the
half-breeds, the Philippine-born Spaniards and the criollos. This group
was called the middle class that enjoyed second priority in the social
strata. The landless indios were degraded and enslaved by society,
allowing them to occupy the lowest part of the pyramid.
Spanish occupation shaped the social structure of the Philippines. It
made the Philippine embrace the "master-slave" relationship allowing
the elites to hold the indios captive.
Exploitation was rampant and the Spaniards' tax and mandatory
contribution dragged the poor down.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
Thus, the powerless remained helpless, and the rich increased in
power. The social structure left the indios powerless in their own native
land.
Political System Philippine government in the 19th century revolved
around the dominion of the Spanish colonizers. The Spanish monarch
held the executive, legislative, judicial, and religious power. Such power
was executed in the Philippines through the Ministro De Ultramar
(Ministry of the Colonies) established in Madrid in 1863. Through the
Ministro De Ultramar, the Philippine affairs were governed in
accordance with the will of the Spanish monarch. Also it was the
Ministro De Ultramar's duty to report to the King of Spain.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he held the civil
guards, and all government officials in the Philippines submitted to him.
In addition, the governor- general held the supreme authority in the
economic and financial dealings of the country. In 1784, he acquired a
portion of the Intendant-General's power. The executive power resided
in the governor-general, with the central government structure highly
reliant on his decisions. The governor-general's power extended up to
the legislative processes. He had the power to suspend local laws or any
decree coming from Spain if he found it ineffective in the setup of the
Philippines. The governor-general led the Royal Audiencia, also known
as the Supreme Court, during the Spanish era, which lasted until 1861.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
During the Spanish era, the Philippine government had already existed,
but it was ruled and it functioned under the control of the King of Spain.
The Philippines back then had its own form of government. The country
functioned under a unified government system, which moved in
accordance with the demands of the Spanish government. The power
within the country revolved around one person, the governador-general.
He took action in line with the will of Spain. Having almost all powers in
the country, he could discipline or punish any person based on his
impulsive judgment. The governor general was responsible for dealing
with the nation's political matters and religious dealings in the church. His
power allowed him to move freely and inflict his wavering judgment that
weakened the government's administrative system.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
Spanish National Government Officials
Governor-general – head of a colonized country, has executive,
legislative, judiciary, and religious power.
Ministro De Ultramar – Spain King’s representative to a colonized
country who has almost having the same power as the governor-
general (executive, legislative, judiciary power, arm forces chief, head of
government officials).
Lieutenant-General Segundo Cabo – assisted the governador-general
with regard to the matters of the nation.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The national or central government was then followed by the operating
hierarchy of governance starting at the top, which was the provincial
government, also known as alcaldia run by the alcalde mayor or the
civil governors. Next in line was the city government called cabildo or
ayuntamiento, which was under the administration of two alcaldes
ordinarios or the mayor and vice mayor. After the city government was
the gobernadorcillo, fondly called capitan. The capitan served as the
chief executive and judge of the towns he ran. Attaining such position
demanded a yearly winning vote coming from the board composed of
the members of the town principalia.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The principalia consisted of old or former cabeza de barangay or
people of high standing in the community. In addition, it was the
cabeza de barangay, the leader of the smallest unit of government,
the barangay or barrio. The cabeza de barangay controlled the
barangay, and such title was usually given to Mestizo or Filipino Chinese
people who were responsible for levying taxes and maintaining peace
in the barangay.
In each town, an Alferez or second lieutenant headed the corps of
guardia civil. Peace and order in the country was upheld by the guardia
civil or cuardrilleros who served as the peace forces that did police
duties.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The governor-general of the Royal Audiencia, acting separately or
occasionally made laws for the country called autos acordados. These
laws covered very broad fields, ranging from tribute collection to the
control of corruption in the provincial government.
Philippine government had no official body in charge of the enactment
of laws. Laws that were applied in the Philippines during the Spanish
colonization emanated from various sources. An example of the
Philippine law during the Spanish era was the Laws of the Indies or
Leyes.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
Several laws promulgated in Spain were also adopted in the
Philippines. The Laws were Codigo Comercio, Codigo Penal, Codigo
Civil, Las Siete Partidas, and Las Leyes de Toro. Numerous groups of
laws were made by the Spanish rulers intended only for the Philippines.
The laws did not seek equality and fairness, but they were made to
hold the Philippines captive under the mandates of Spain.
For three brief periods, the Philippines was represented in the Spanish
Cortes (Spanish legislature): from 1810 to 1813, 1820 to 1823, and from
1834 to 1837. The Filipinos and their Spanish sympathizers failed to
restore our representation to the Spanish law-making body after 1837.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The reason for the Philippine's weak administrative system was the
inadequacy of the people seated in the position. People who ran the
country lacked qualifications, skills, and leadership traits. The
government in the administrative level was occupied by appointed
people who held office in accordance with their selfish motives. The
results of such actions were injustices, lack of coordination among
officials, and increased financial abuses. Also, the courts rendered poor
judgment caused by biases and discrimination.
The King's appointees in the Philippine had a tenure of office based on
the King's impulse.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The distance of the colony, the inadequate administrative supervision,
and the overlapping of powers and privileges of these officials,
contributed to the perpetuation of anomalies in the government
service. After spending much time and money to obtain their royal
appointment, many officials exploited their office and its wide powers
to recover their expenses and enrich themselves. When a conflict of
interest arose in the performance of duties, the officials inevitably
favored their personal interest over the welfare of the state. The
insecurity of their term of office made them more dishonest and
determined to recover their financial losses through devious means.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
Officials who sought to advance their own self-interest did so by
collecting higher taxes than the usual. Abuses in the privilege of tax
collection were recorded and historical records showed that the most
corrupt branch of the government back then could be found in the
administrative system. The alcalde who functioned as the administrator,
judge, and military commandant received a salary of twenty-five pesos
and liberal allowances; he was the most fraudulent official. Discontented
of their salaries and allowances, such officials increased contributions
and financially abused the Filipino hacienderos.
Rampant abuses and exploitation prevailed within a monopolized trading
setup; trades were one of the highest sources of financial abuses.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
Those who wished to participate in such an activity needed to pay a
very high price just to get a license; such payment was called indulto
para comerciar. Goods produced by the natives were bought for a very
low price and sold back to them expensively. The high cost of their
agricultural produce, goods, and crops left many without adequate
food to eat and commodities to consume. Also, parishes had the
opportunity to correct or check such corrupt activities, but most of
them chose to tolerate them in exchange of favors.
The alcalde who was also the provincial judge controlled a court loaded
with biases in favor of the mischievous deeds of the Spaniards.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
Complaints increased as the abuses continued; natives who had sought
assistance and help from more responsible officials in Spain led to the
promulgation of two decrees intended to end corruption. The apathetic
higher officials doubled the rate of abuses in the country. With the
effort of the government of Spain to address such issue, reformed
decrees were issued in 1844, which provided a fix salary of P1,500 or
P1,600 according to rank for provincial governors. Also, such decree
imposed a specific qualifications that only lawyers or persons with two
years of legal experience in some law-related offices could become a
provincial governor. The decree also abolished the participation of
provincial governors in the trading sector.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
In many instances, decisions were delayed, and the people were
burdened by the injustice of the courts of justice. The poor were often
declared guilty without any due process of law. Merits of cases were
simply based on money, race, and link with influential people.
An exemplar of such injustice could be best viewed in the case of Doña
Teodora, the mother of Jose Rizal. Her case was rooted in her brother,
Jose Alberto's unfaithful wife who abandoned their children while her
husband was in Europe. The wife eloped with her lover but was later on
forgiven by Jose Alberto in the hope that she would change and took
her back again to Binian.
 Socio-political and Economic Conditions of the
Philippines
The wife despised Doña Teodora, and a few days later, she connived
with a lieutenant of the guardia civil and accused her husband for
trying to poison her with Doña Teodora as an accomplice.
Doña Teodora was promptly arrested and was intimidated by the
prosecutor and the judge, the Calamba mayor, into admitting the
charges against her. Doña Teodora complied with what was instructed
of her in exchange of a promised freedom and a fast trial on her case.
She then appealed to the Royal Audiencia, and the case was later on
dismissed because of insufficient evidence. But the freedom was
temporary; she was arrested again for a new contempt of court.
 Education System During Spanish Period

• educational system was pitiable and limited to the wealthy few

• intellectual growth can be seen in the middle class and was always
censored by the friars for fear that the knowledge would expose the
injustices that had been going on in the country
• an overemphasis on religious matters, outdated teaching methods,
poor classroom facilities, limited curriculum, and lack of teaching
materials such as books
• negligence in the promotion of primary schools resulting from the
absence of academic freedom
 Education System During Spanish Period

• corruption in education existed to maintain control over Philippine

territory
• schools freely add or omit topics in the curricula, no government
intervention
• fear of God was emphasized and obedience to the friars was instilled
in the minds of the people
• Indios remained inferior, in the belief that they were incapable of
growth and acquiring higher social status
• mirror of Spain’s outdated educational system
 Education System During Spanish Period

• students memorized and repeated the contents of the book

• knowledge was measured in terms of the ability of the students to
memorize
• middle class Filipinos were humiliated in the class
• despite the fact that they could level up with the Spanish students,
still they were belittled
• Natives never had the chance to prove themselves worthy of
education
 Education System at the End of Spanish Period

• College of San Juan de Letran was the only official secondary school
although it was also offered at Ateneo de Manila
• University of Santo Tomas which was initially established solely for
Spaniards and mestizos, opened the door for Filipino students 4o
years before the end of Spanish rule
• Theological seminaries maintained by Jesuits, Paulists, and
Augustinians had already founded in Manila, Jaru, Nueva Caceres, and
Nueva Segovia
• Filipino seminarians were not admitted until the latter part of the
Spanish regime
 Education System at the End of Spanish Period

• Filipinos who desired to study in seminaries were bound to be

assistants of Spanish priests because they were not willing to give any
Filipino ultimate freedom
• Public schools were welcomed in 1855, when the government of
Spain recognized the need to educate indios in primary education
• Governor Manuel Crespo y Cebrian (1854 – 1856), organized a
commission to study and recommend remedial measures to improve
elementary education
• The Commission completed its work after six years
 Education System at the End of Spanish Period

• in 1861, the report was forwarded to Spain

• he remedial measures were put into action when the Educational
Decree of December 20, 1863 was issued
• the decree obliged all major towns to establish one primary school for
boys and girls
• educators of primary schools were trained at a normal school for men
opened in 1865
• Spanish was the medium of instruction and was placed under the
supervision of Jesuits
 Education System at the End of Spanish Period

• Escuela Normal Elemental (1893) – school that trains male teachers

for secondary schools
• The decree of 1863 was a breakthrough in the educational history of
the Philippines under Spain
• The friars assigned to implement the educational decree from Spain
were against the teaching of Spanish to the Philippines because, for
them teaching the indios the native language of Spaniards would
increase their knowledge and encourage the people to clash with the
Spanish rule.
 Education System at the End of Spanish Period

• Friars blocked the enforcement of the Madrid orders regarding

education and strongly opposed the implementation of Moret Decree
in 1870 intended to secularize higher education
• Corrupt conditions in education urged Rizal and some of his fellow
ilustrados to continue their studies abroad
• The biases in the educational system encouraged students to petition
in 1870 led by Felipe Buencamino at UST
• Inspired by Moret Decree, the students circulated anonymous letters
that criticized the Dominican methods of instruction, demanded
better professors, and government control of the university
 Rizal and the Theory of Nationalism

• Rizal was one of the elites who demanded changes in the Philippine
government during the Spanish colonization
• He voiced the inclusion of Filipinos as representatives in the Cortes
together with other ilustrados
• He requested Filipinization in the churches and equal rights
• Rizal as an ilustrado came from a family belonging to the middle class
• His father owned lands and one of their most profitable goods was
sugarcane and the family lived a good life compared to common
Filipinos during those times
 Rizal and the Theory of Nationalism

• The fortune of his family was well used and he was sent to schools
run by Dominicans and Jesuits
• He was able to acquire education from Spanish schools, allowing him
to nurture his skills and talents
• He excelled in almost all aspects of his studies
• He was good in language, spelling, and science, and he was able to
master numerous foreign languages
• Education led him to a deeper understanding of equality and order in
society
 Rizal and the Theory of Nationalism

• His learning also increased his desires for reforms

• Education opened his eyes to biases in the Philippines and the abuses
of the Spaniards against the Filipinos
• Rizal’s writings made a huge impact on the minds of the natives who
wished to break free from the abuse of the Spaniards
• The dilemma that Rizal faced was depicted in his two famous novels
“Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo”. In the Noli, he was
represented by both Elias and Ibarra. In the chapter “The Voice of the
Hunted”, Elias believed in the need for radical reforms in the armed
forces, priesthood, and administrative justice system.
 Rizal and the Theory of Nationalism

• Ibarra did not agree with the reforms Elias wanted and believed in the
power of the authorities and the need for necessary evil.
• In the chapter “Elias Story”, Elias saw the need for armed struggle and
resistance against the opposing forces while Ibarra disagreed and
believed that education was the key to make the people liberated.
• But in the chapter “Chase on the Lake”, Elias suddenly had a change
of heart; he believed in reforms while Ibarra became a filibuster,
initiating revolution
• The change of heart on Ibarra was a product of hardships and the
desire to attain personal vengeance
 Rizal and the Theory of Nationalism

• The portrayals of Rizal in the different characters of his novels

depicted how his mind struggled on whether to fight for revolution or
reform
• His mind was opened as he saw the plight of his fellowmen who
suffered under the oppressive hands of Spain.
• He allowed himself to be a realist as he understood why there was a
need for revolution
• On the other hand, he believed in an orderly and peaceful
environment wherein he did not want to see blood shed nor people
hurt.
 Rizal and the Theory of Nationalism

• Rizal was very idealistic; he wanted to set the Filipinos free from their
hardships from the hands of the Spaniards
• He dreamed to set his fellowmen from the tyrant Spaniards
• When he died, the natives were able to push through their freedom
with their strong nationalism that had heated up and strengthen by
his artistic and realistic viewpoints of his writings.
• He had influenced numerous natives to fight for independence
• Nationalism usually springs from the consciousness of a national
identity of being one people
 Rizal’s Nationalism as Traced by its Cultural Roots

• Things that built-up the nationalism of the Filipinos: the abuses of the
Spanish people, the opening of international trade, the influence of
liberal thoughts in the Philippines, the revolution in Cavite, the death
of GOMBURZA, the rise of new middle class, the secularization
movement, and the death of Jose Rizal.
Cultural Roots
• Indigenous culture. According to archaeologists and historians, the
origin of our culture was hypothesized based on the following: a) our
indigenous culture began to develop in the pre-historic and pre-
Christian eras; b) these early cultures ranged from the crude Old
 Rizal’s Nationalism as Traced by its Cultural Roots

Stone Age to the Metal Age with organized community life; c) the early
settlers came from Borneo, Indo-China, South China, and some other
parts of Southeast Asia.
• It is believed that 25,000 years ago, the Negritos arrived in the
Philippines were considered the first people who arrived here.
• Malays, one of the early settlers in the country, migrated around 300
to 200 BC. They brought with them skills in mining and smelting of
iron tools, weapons, utensils, and ornaments. Also, they developed
irrigation for agriculture, cultivated fruit trees, spices, fiber,
ornamental plants, and some other agricultural products; used
 Rizal’s Nationalism as Traced by its Cultural Roots

carabaos and horses as working animals, and used technology in the

manufacture of ornamental pottery and glass beads in the art of
weaving.
• The second wave of Malay immigrants brought with them the system
of writing called syllabaries system.
• The Muslim Malays, the last group of Malays to migrate to the
Philippines came, and it marked the foundation and development of
Islam in Mindanao and Sulu.
• Remote areas in the Philippines were inhabited by the earliest
descendants of the early settlers of the island, the Negritos.
 Rizal’s Nationalism as Traced by its Cultural Roots

• The numerous historical influences made the Filipinos a mixture of

various ethnicity. Despite the countless of the early Filipino tribes and
inhabitants, unity was hard to attain in the country as a whole.
• The lack of unity and identity made it easier for the colonizers to
conquer the Philippines. The country was divided into small
independent political groups called barangays, which were constantly
fighting for survival. However, it is firmly established that these groups
of people molded our identity as a people and gave us a heritage that
Western colonization could not uproot in four centuries.
 Rizal’s Nationalism as Traced by its Cultural Roots

• Filipinos belong to a mixture of races. Centuries of contact with the

Western and Asian countries through trade and colonization made
the Filipino race very complex.
Common Traits – difficult to depict due to the existence of numerous
races, practices, and beliefs.
• Hospitality – Filipino culture naturally felt and seen in every
household whenever visitors come or even strangers pass by. Even a
poor Filipino would offer what he has, food, shelter, and
accommodation to the extent that the owner would sleep on the
floor just to make the visitor or stranger feel at home.
 Common Traits

• Close Family Ties – Filipinos are family-centered, may consists of

grandparents, parents, and siblings. They viewed blood to be thicker
than water. The family comes first, creating a close relationship
among members with the father as the head.
• Respect for elders – parents always remind their children to say
“Respect your elders”. It is very offending not to hear the words “po”
and “opo” when the young address older persons.
• Fatalistic – best symbolized in the phrase “Bahala na”. Filipinos
fatalistic nature is caused by their reliance on faith.
 Common Traits

• Loyalty – faithfulness and trustworthiness to a close companion or

friend. It is best portrayed through helping one another not only the
benefactor but also his family.
• Jealousy – a man, dislikes a woman who flirts with several men. For
him, what is “his is his” and what is “yours is yours”.
• Sense of Pakikisama – able to fit in with other people and set aside
their selfish wants. We have inherited the sense of camaraderie,
setting aside individuality and welcoming collaboration.