UNDERSTANDING

RIZAL IN THE
CONTEXT OF THE 19TH
CENTURY PHILIPPINES
• THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND
SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE 19"
CENTURY SHAPED THE KIND OF RIZAL
THAT WE KNOW TODAY IN HISTORY.
WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF
THAT MILIEU, ONE CAN SCARCELY
UNDERSTAND RIZAL'S ENDURING
IMPORTANCE TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE
NOR THE RELEVANCE OF HIS IDEAS
AND IDEALS TODAY (SCHUMACHER,
1991)
• TO KNOW WHY RIZAL FOUGHT FOR REFORMS, ONE MUST LOOK INTO
THE POLITICAL CONDITIONS OF THE 19TH CENTURY TO UNDERSTAND
THE POLITICAL STRUGGLES OF THE FILIPINOS. TO KNOW WHY RIZAL
FOUGHT AGAINST THE SPANIARDS, ONE MUST ASSESS HOW THE
SPANISH GOVERNMENT EXPLOITED THE FILIPINOS THROUGH THEIR
ECONOMIC POLICIES. TO DETERMINE WHY RIZAL ATTACKED THE
FRIARS IN HIS NOVELS, ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THE SOCIAL
REALITIES OF THE FILIPINOS DURING HIS TIME.
 RIZAL IS A PRODUCT OF THE
19TH CENTURY, WOULD RIZAL BE.
WHO HE IS TODAY IF THE
PHILIPPINE CONTEXT IN THE 19"
CENTURY WERE DIFFERENT?
THE KIND OF RIZAL THAT WE KNOW TODAY IS A PRODUCT
OF HIS OWN TIME. HE WAS AT THE RIGHT TIME, WITH THE
RIGHT PEOPLE, AND WITH THE RIGHT CONTEXT TO
CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONALISM. WE CANNOT SEEMINGLY
IMAGINE A 19" CENTURY PHILIPPINES WITHOUT SOMEONE
LIKE RIZAL ON IT. HIS LIFE, WORKS, AND WRITINGS HELPED
SHAPED OUR HISTORY. HE USED HIS KNOWLEDGE FOR THE
BETTERMENT OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE AND THE
PHILIPPINES
NEXT, RIZAL RESPONDED TO THE NEEDS OF THE TIME. THE FILIPINOS'
DEPLORABLE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS PAVED THE WAY FOR
RIZAL TO RISE AGAINST THE SPANIARDS AND CALL OUT INEFFICIENCY,
INJUSTICE AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. HE TOOK AN ACTIVE ROLE
THROUGH THE PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT SO THAT SPAIN MAY REMEDY
THEM. FROM HIS STUDY ABROAD AND OBSERVANCE OF THE EUROPEAN
LAWS, WAYS AND CULTURES, HE REALIZED THAT THE PHILIPPINES COULD
BE A BETTER PLACE IF ONLY SPAIN WOULD TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS IN
PROTECTING ITS COLONY. HE DID NOT HESITATE TO WRITE THE NOLI ME
TANGERE AND THE EL FILIBUSTERISMO TO SHOWCASE THE POLITICAL
CONDITIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES UNDER THE HANDS OF THE CORRUPT
FRIARS AND INEFFICIENT SPANISH OFFICIALS. THEREFORE, RIZAL CAME
OUT AT A TIME WHEN HE WAS MOST NEEDED.
 THE INDEPENDENCE THAT WE HAVE
TODAY IS THE RESULT OF HOW RIZAL,
TOGETHER WITH OTHER FILIPINO HEROES IN
HISTORY, FOUGHT HARD TO ACHIEVE THE
BLESSINGS OF INDEPENDENCE AND
DEMOCRACY.