19th-Century Philippines: Rizal's Context PDF

LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSÉ RIZAL CHAPTER 2 The Philippines in the Nineteenth Century as Rizal’s Context T o appreciate and understand the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, it is necessary to know the historical background of the world...

LIFE AND WORKS OF JOSÉ RIZAL CHAPTER 2 The Philippines in the Nineteenth Century as Rizal’s Context T o appreciate and understand the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, it is necessary to know the historical background of the world and of the Philippines during his times. The 19th century when he lived was a century of ferment caused by the blowing winds of Philippine Representation in Spanish Cortes To win the support of her overseas colonies during the Napoleonic. Invasion, Spain granted them representation in the Cortes. Accordingly, the history. In Asia, Europe, and the Americas, events Philippines experienced her first period of surged inexorably like sea tides, significantly affecting representation in the Cortes from 1810-1813. History the lives and fortunes of mankind. demonstrates that the first Philippine delegate, Ventura During the times of Rizal, the sinister shadows of De Los Reyes, took active part in the framing of the Spain’s decadence darkened Philippine skies. The Constitution of 1812, Spain’s first democratic Filipino people agonized beneath the yoke of Spanish constitution, and was one of its 184 signers. This misrule, for they were unfortunate victims of the evils constitution was extended to the Philippines. Another of unjust, bigoted, and deteriorating colonial power. achievement of Delegate De Los Reyes was the Among these evils are follows: abolition of Galleon trade. 1. Instability of colonial administration The first period of Philippine representation in the 2. Corrupt officialdom Spanish Cortes (1810-1813) was thus fruitful with 3. No Philippine representation in the Spanish beneficent results for the welfare of the colony. Cortes However, the second period of representation (1820- 4. Human rights denied to Filipino 1823) and the third period (1834-1837) were less 5. No equality before the law fruitful because the Philippine delegates were not as 6. Maladministration of Justice energetic and devoted in parliamentary work as De Los 7. Racial Discrimination Reyes. 8. Frailocracy Unfortunately, the representation of the overseas 9. Forced labor colonies (including the Philippines) was abolished in 10. Haciendas owned by the friars 1837. Since then Philippine conditions worsened 11. The Guardia Civil. because there was no means by which the Filipino people could exposed the anomalies perpetrated by the Instability of Colonial Administration colonial officials. Many Filipino Patriots valiantly pleaded for the restoration of Philippine representation The instability of Spanish politics since the in the Cortes. Until the end of Spanish rule 1n 1898. turbulent reign of King Ferdinand VII (1808-1833) Philippine representation in the Cortes was never marked the beginning of political chaos in Spain. The restored. Spanish government underwent frequent changes owing to bitter struggles between the forces of despotism and Human Rights Denied to Filipinos liberalism and the explosions of the Carlist Wars. From 1834 to 1862, Spain had adopted four constitutions, Since the adoption of the Spanish Constitution of elected 28 parliaments, and installed no less than 529 1812 and other constitutions in succeeding years, the ministers with portfolios; followed in subsequent years people of Spain enjoyed freedom of speech, freedom of by party strikes, revolutions, and other political the press, freedom of association, and other human upheavals. This political instability in Spain adversely rights (except freedom of religion). The Spaniards affected Philippine affairs because it brought about ardently guarded these rights so that no Spanish frequent periodic shifts in colonial policies and periodic monarch dared abolish them. rigodon of colonial officials. For instance, from 1835- Strangely enough, the Spanish authorities who 1897, the Philippine was ruled by 50 governors general, cherished these human rights or constitutional liberties each serving an average term of only one year and tree in Spain denied them to the Filipinos in Asia. months. No Equality before the Law Corrupt Colonial Officials The Spanish missionaries, who introduced With few exceptions, the colonial officials Christianity into the Philippines as early as in the 16 th (governors-general, judges, provincial executives, etc.) century, taught that all men, irrespective of color and sent by Spain to the Philippines in the 19th century were race are children of God and as such they are brothers, a far cry from their able and dedicated predecessors of equal before god. Fascinated by this noble concept of the 16th, 17th and 18 centuries. They were either highly human relations and convinced by the truth of the corrupt, incompetent, cruel or venal. Apparently, they Christian faiths, most Filipinos in the hinterlands of symbolize the decadent Spain of the 19th century. Luzon and the Visayas and in Mindanao and Sulu) became Christian.  In practice, however, the Spanish colonial Dominicans, and Franciscans) controlled the religious authorities who were Christians, did not implement and educational life of the Philippines, and later in the Christ’s precept of the brotherhood of all men under the 19th century they came to acquire tremendous political Fatherhood of God. Especially during the last decades power, influence, and riches. of Hispanic rule, they arrogantly regarded the browned- The friars practically ruled the Philippines through skinned Filipinos as inferior beings, not their Christian a façade of civil government. The colonial authorities, brother’s to be protected but rather as their majesty from the governor general down to the alcaldes, were subjects to be exploited. To their imperialist way of under the control of the friars. Almost every town in the thinking, brown Filipinos and White Spaniards may be archipelago, except in unpacified Islamic Mindanao and equal before God, but not before the law and certainly Sulu and in the pagan hinterlands, was ruled by the friar not in practice. They could not appeal to the law for curate. Aside from his priestly duties, the friar was the justice because the law, being dispense by Spaniards, supervisor of local elections, the inspectors of the was only for the white Spaniards. school and taxes, the arbiter of morals, the censor of books and comedias (stage play), the superintendent of Maladministration of Justice public works, and the guardian of peace and order. So great was his political influence that his The courts of justice in Philippines during Rizal’s recommendations were heeded by the governor general time were notoriously corrupt. Verily, they were and the provincial officials. He could send a patriotic courts of injustice as far as the brown Filipinos Filipino to jail or denounced him as a filibustero were concerned. The Spanish judges, fiscals (traitor) to be exiled to a distant placed or to be (prosecuting, attorneys), and other court officials were executed as an enemy of god and Spain. inept, venal, and often ignorant of law. Justice was costly partial and slow. Poor Filipinos Forced Labor had no access to the courts because they could not afford the heavy expenses of litigation. Wealth, social Known as the polo, it was the compulsory labor prestige, and color of skin were preponderant factors in imposed by the Spanish colonial authorities on adult winning a case in court. Irrespective of the weight of Filipino males in the construction of churches, schools, evidence, a rich man or a Spaniard, whose skin was hospitals; building and repair of roads and bridges; the white, easily achieved victory in any litigation. building of ships in the shipyards; and other public works. Racial Discrimination Originally 16-60 years old were obliged to render forced labor for 40 days a year. Later, the Royal Decree Spain introduced Christianity into the Philippines of July 12, 1883. Implemented by the New Regulations with its beautiful egalitarian concept of the brotherhood promulgated by the council of state of February 3, 1885, of all men under God the Father. The Spanish increased the minimum age of the polistas (those who authorities, civil as well as ecclesiastical, zealously performed the forced labor) from 16-18 and reduced the propagated the Christian faith, but seldom practiced its days of labor from 40-15. The same Royal Decree sublime tenets. They regarded the converted Filipinos provided that not only native Filipinos, but also male not as brother Christians, but as inferior beings who Spanish residents from 18 years old to 60 must render were infinitely undeserving of the rights and privileges forced labor, but this particular provision was never that the white Spaniards enjoyed. implemented in the Philippines for obvious reasons. So, With this unchristian attitude, many Spaniards and the brown Filipinos did the dirty job of building or their mestizo satellites derisively called the brown- repairing the public works. The well to do among them skinned and flat-nosed Filipinos “Indios” (Indians). In were able to escape this manual labor by paying the Retaliation, the Filipinos jealously dubbed their pale- “falla”, which was the sum of money paid to the complexioned detractors with the disparaging term government to be exempted from the polo. “bangus” (milkfish). During Rizal’s time a white skin, a high nose, and Castilian lineage were a badge of Haciendas owned by the Friars vaunted superiority. Hence, a Spaniard or a mestizo, no matter how stupid or mongrel-born he was, always During Rizal’s times the Spanish friars belonging enjoyed political and social prestige in the community. to different religious were the richest landlords, for they owned the best haciendas (agricultural lands) in the Frailocracy Philippines. The rural folks, who had been living in these haciendas and cultivating them generation after Owing to the Spanish political philosophy of generations become tenants. Naturally they resented the union of church and state, there a rose a unique form of loss of their lands which belong to their ancestors since government in Hispanic Philippines called “frailocracy” pre-Spanish times; legally, however, the friars were (frailocracia), so named because it was a government recognized as legal owners of said lands because they by friars. History discloses that since the days of the obtained royal tittles of ownership from the Spanish Spanish conquests, the friars (Augustinians, crown.  Rizal, whose family and relatives were tenants of the Dominicans Estate of Calamba, tried to initiate agrarian reforms in 1887, but in vain. His advocacy of agrarian reforms ignited the wrath of the Dominican Friars, who retaliated by raising the rentals of the lands leased by family and other Calamba tenants. The Guardia Civil The last hated symbol of Spanish tyranny was the Guardia Civil which was created by the Royal Decree of February 12, 2852, as amended by the Royal Decree of March 24, 1888, for the purpose of maintaining internal peace and order in the Philippines. It was patterned after the famous and well-disciplined Guardia Civil in Spain. While it is true that the Guardia Civil in the Philippines had rendered meritorious services in suppressing the bandits in the provinces, they late become infamous for their rampant abuses, such as maltreating innocent people. Looting their carabaos, chickens and valuable belongings, and raping helpless women. Both officers (Spaniards) and men (natives) were ill trained and undisciplined, unlike the Guardia Civil in Spain who were respected and well-liked by the populace. References Dr. Augusto V. DeViana, Helena Ma. F. Cabrera, DBA Emelita P. Samala, Myrna M. De Vera, Janet Atutubo. Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot: A study of His Life and Times. Manila Philippines. Rex Bookstore. Gregorio F. Zaide, Ph. D, Sonia M. Zaide, Ph. D. Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero. All Nations Publishing Co. Inc.