Hacienda de Calamba Agrarian Dispute

Agrarian Disputes: Hacienda de Calamba Conflict

• In 1891, Jose Rizal, while in Hong Kong, received distressing news about his family's litigation case concerning the Hacienda de Calamba.
• The Spanish authorities were summoning Rizal's mother, Doña Teodora, and sisters, Josefa and Trinidad, for investigation.
• Rizal wrote a letter of support to his family, encouraging them to be patient and courageous.
• The conflict between Rizal's family and the Dominicans over the hacienda significantly affected Rizal.
• The chapter discusses the historical context, friar estates in the Philippines, and the Hacienda de Calamba conflict.

Learning Objectives regarding Agrarian Disputes

• Examine Rizal's life in the Philippines within the context of 19th-century developments.
• Explain how the Hacienda de Calamba issue illustrates agrarian conflicts in the late 19th century.
• Describe factors contributing to the changing Philippine society and economy.

Vocabulary related to Agrarian Disputes

• Conquistador: A Spanish conqueror.
• Caballeria: A small tract of land in a land grant.
• Canon: Annual rent paid by the inquilino.
• Cavan: A measure equal to 75 liters.
• Hacienda: Large estates used for livestock and agricultural production.
• Inquilino: A tenant who rented land from friars and subleased to sharecroppers.
• Principales: Ruling elite class.
• Sharecropper (kasamá): Someone who rented land from an inquilino and worked the land.
• Sitio de ganado mayor: A large tract of land in a land grant.

Brief History of Friar Estates in the Philippines

• Friar estates originated from land grants awarded to Spanish conquistadores in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
• Approximately 120 Spaniards received grants, including sitio de ganado mayor (1,742 hectares) and caballerias (42.5 hectares).
• Spanish hacenderos failed to develop lands because Spanish administrators often returned to Spain, the market for livestock products was small, and the Galleon Trade offered better economic rewards.
• Religious orders acquired land through donations and purchases, although Filipinos believed they had no legitimate titles.
• By the 19th century, religious estates constituted about 40% of Bulacan, Tondo (Rizal), Cavite, and Laguna provinces.
• Estates initially served as cattle ranches and farms, later focusing on rice and sugar as main commodities, generating income for religious orders in the 19th century.
• Social structure in haciendas consisted of lay brother administrators and cultivating tenants.
• Lay brother administrators had relative autonomy but tenants were required to work the land and pay rent.
• By the mid-18th century, the inquilinato system emerged, where individuals rented land for a fixed amount (canon) and provided personal services
• The inquilino could face expulsion for failing to meet the requirements.
• The inquilino would sublease the land to a kasamá or sharecropper.
• Religious hacenderos freed themselves from direct interaction with sharecroppers by leasing to an inquilino.
• Sharecroppers benefited from exemptions from Spanish government forced labor demands.
• The system of inquilinos diminished the income of the sharecroppers.
• Haciendas became sites of contestation between religious hacenderos, inquilinos, and sharecroppers.
• Abuses in friar estates were a cause of the Philippine Revolution in 1896.

Hacienda de Calamba Conflict Details

• Before 1759, the Hacienda de Calamba was owned by Spanish laymen.
• In 1759, Don Manuel Jauregui, a Spanish layman, donated the lands to the Jesuits, allowed to live in the Jesuit monastery.
• The Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines in 1767, and the Hacienda de Calamba was confiscated by the government.
• In 1803, the government sold the property to Don Clemente de Azansa for 44,507 pesos.
• In 1833, purchased by the Dominicans for 52,000 pesos, measuring 16,424 hectares.
• Families migrated to the hacienda for economic opportunities, including Rizal's ancestors, who became principal inquilinos.
• Rizal's family rented a large portion of land, about 380 hectares, with sugar as the main commodity.
• Much of the wealth of Rizal's family came from these lands.
• The conflict began to manifest itself as early as 1883.
• In 1883, Paciano Rizal noted that the friars were collecting rents without issuing receipts.
• Tenants failed to pay rents due to increased rent and low sugar prices.
• The Dominicans declared lands vacant and invited others to take over tenancies.
• Few outsiders responded, weakening the friars' position.
• Charges against the friars included yearly increases in rentals, faulty irrigation, and failure to issue receipts.
• The price of sugar continued to decline.
• Problems escalated in 1887 when the government demanded a report on the estate's income from the tenants, suspecting tax evasion by the Dominicans.
• Tenants submitted a report along with a petition authored by Rizal, which listed grievances against the hacienda owners.
• Tenants began withholding rents.
• The friars evicted tenants who refused to pay rent in 1891, including Rizal's family.
• Rizal worked to reverse the decision, but the family's exile was only lifted by a decree from another governor-general.
• Rizal was deeply affected by the experience, which influenced his second novel, El Filibusterismo.

Emerging Nationalism: Cavite Mutiny

• In 1891, Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to the martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora.
• On January 20, 1872, about 250 Filipino soldiers and workers revolted at an arsenal in Cavite.
• Eleven Spaniards were killed, but government forces suppressed the uprising after three days.
• A decree by Governor-General Rafael de Izquierdo, removing the arsenal workers exemption from the tributo and polo, was a reason for the mutiny.
• Official accounts claimed the revolt was part of a larger movement to overthrow the Spanish government.
• Official reports claimed leaders expected support from 2,000 men from regiments in Cavite and Manila.
• The plan was to begin the revolt in Manila with rebels setting fires in Tondo.
• The Cavite mutiny began earlier than planned.
• The Spanish government used the incident to suppress the increasing calls for a more liberal administration.

Secularization Movement

• Filipino secular priests were those who clamored for reforms.
• The Catholic faith was spread by regular priests and secular priests.
• Regular clergy were better for missionary work due to discipline and asceticism, introducing the faith, converting natives, and establishing religious communities.
• The five religious orders were Augustinians, Discalced Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominicans, and Augustinian Recollects.
• Secular clergy managed religious communities and ideally continued the work of the regular clergy.
• In the Philippines, regular clergy remained administrators of parishes into the nineteenth century.
• Two issues were contentious: episcopal visitations and management of parishes.
• The Omnimoda bull in 1522 allowed regulars to administer sacraments independently.
• It conflicted with the Council of Trent, declaring priests caring for laymen must be subjected to espiscopal authority.
• The regular clergy often thwarted reforms, arguing visitations would subject the congregation to conflicting orders and violating vows; they resigned posts to avoid visitations.
• Regular priests maintained control over the parishes in the early stages of Christianization due to the scarcity of secular priests.
• In the late seventeenth century, efforts were intensified to produce and train Filipino secular priests.
• The regular clergy contested the rights of the secular clergy to the parishes.
• Regulars argued the Philippines remained an active mission (en viva conquista espiritual).
• The regulars refused to give up the parishes generate large profits.
• The majority of the regular clergy thought that the Filipino secular clergy were unqualified, incompetent, and were viewed as potential separatist leaders.
• In the mid-nineteenth century, Fr. Mariano Gomez and Fr. Pedro Pelaez drew up expositions on behalf of the secular clergy.
• By 1864, the issue of secularization transformed into one of racial equality.
• Fr. Jose Burgos was at the forefront of this struggle.

Execution of Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora

• As a result of the revolt in Cavite, several priests and laymen were arrested on the orders of Governor-General Izquierdo.
• The priests arrested were Fathers Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora, Jose Guevara, Mariano Gomez, Feliciano Gomez, Mariano Sevilla, Bartolome Serra, Miguel de Laza, Justo Guazon, Vicente del Rosario, Pedro Dandan, & Anacleto Desiderio.
• Lawyers and businessmen arrested: Gervacio Sanchez, Pedro Carillo, Maximo Inocencio, Balbino Mauricio, Ramon Maurente, Maximo Paterno, and Jose Basa.
• Filipinos were sentenced to exile in Guam.
• Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora were condemned to death by garrote on February 15, 1872.
• They were found guilty of treason and instigating the mutiny in the Cavite navy-yard.
• The sentencing was read to the priests in Fort Santiago.
• Burgos broke into sobs, Zamora lost his mind, and Gomez listened impassively.
• On February 17th, 1872, thousands of Filipinos assembled for the execution.
• The three priests followed Saldua.
• Burgos cried like a child, Zamora had vacant eyes, and Gomez held his head high.
• Zamora delivered his body to the executioner without a word.
• Burgos cried out "But what crime have I committed? Is it possible that I should die like this. My God, is there no justice on earth?".
• After being forced to the garrote, he said "But I am innocent!".
• The executioner knelt at his feet and asked his forgiveness.
• The friars wanted to make an example of Burgos and his companions, the public execution had the opposite effect.
• It aroused not fear but hatred of the friars.

Emerging Nationalism: Imagining a Nation

• Economic conditions in the Philippines in the late nineteenth century allowed Creole and Mestizo families to send their sons to study in Europe.
• The young Filipino students formed ideas about progress and love for their motherland.
• Nineteenth century Spain restored the monarchy of Alfonso XII establishing a constitutional monarchy.
• The Constitution of 1876 ensured political stability through the rotation of the Liberal and Conservative parties.
• Political and religious institutions could be questioned and attacked.
• Allowed these young students to think, question, and imagine what a nation is.

Vocabulary related to imagining a nation

• Cortes: Legislative body of the Spanish government.
• Creole: A Spaniard born in the Philippines.
• Mestizo: An individual born of mixed ancestry.
• Propaganda: Information used to promote a cause or point of view.
• Restoration: Spanish Restoration from 1874–1931 saw the restoration of the monarchy under Alfonso XII.

Learning Objectives for Imagining a Nation

• Discuss the Propaganda Movement.
• Distinguish Rizal's involvement in the movement.
• Explain how propaganda works.

Imagining A Nation: Key Attempts

• The earliest attempt to unite Filipinos studying in Spain was the formation of the Circulo Hispano-Filipino.
• The organization, under Juan Atayde, had the support of sympathetic Spaniards.
• The Circulo published Revista del Circulo Hispano-Filipino in 1882, but lasted until 1883.

La Solidaridad

• After the Revista del Circulo Hispano-Filipino, the Filipinos continued to write and engage in journalism.
• Los Dos Mundos came out in 1883 demanding equality for overseas Hispanics.
• Graciano Lopez Jaena and Pedro Govantes y Azcarraga were involved as staff members.
• Rizal and Eduardo de Lete contributed articles on socio-political and economic reforms.
• Another newspaper, España en Filipinas, began publication through the support of Filipinos, creoles, and mestizos.
• Differences caused this newspaper to be short-lived as well.
• In January 1889, the Filipino community in Barcelona prepared to publish a new periodical.
• Mariano Ponce and Pablo Rianzares helped with finances.
• Graciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. del Pilar were part of the publication as well.
• In February 15, 1889, La Solidaridad's first issue was released.
• It stated its mission to combat reaction, impede retrogression, applaud liberal ideas, and defend progress.
• Philippine representation in the Cortes, freedom of the press, and the end of exiling residents were reforms the paper sought.
• La Solidaridad covered Spanish politics, attacks on friars, and reforms in the Philippines.
• José Rizal, Dominador Gomez, Jose Maria Panganiban, Antonio Luna, and Ferdinand Blumentritt contributed to the newspaper.
• Over time, del Pilar took on the active role of running the paper.
• The first issue printed in Madrid came out in November 15, 1889.
• In 1890, Rizal and del Pilar began to show differences.
• Rizal felt issues should be brought closer to home.
• Del Pilar felt persuasion of Spanish leaders should continue.
• At a New Year's Eve banquet in 1891, the Filipinos in Madrid proposed that they elect a leader.
• After three ballots, the Filipinos had two more inconclusive ballots the next day.
• Rizal won the position as Filipino leader due to the manipulatons of Mariano Ponce.
• Rizal left Madrid and stopped contributing to La Solidaridad, focusing on writing his novels.
• The periodical was continually published until 1895.
• Because of lack of funds the newspaper released its final issue.
• Del Pilar stated that "no sacrifices are too little to win the rights and the liberty of a nation that is oppressed by slavery."
• La Solidaridad sought to be a propagandist above all of ideals of democracy that might reign over all nations.
• Gather liberal ideas in the camp of politics, in the fields of science, arts, letters, commerce, agriculture, and industry.
• Discuss all problems which deal with the general interest of the nation, seeking solutions that are