19th Century Philippines as Rizal's Context PDF

MODULE 1B **19^TH^ CENTURY PHILIPPINES AS RIZAL'S CONTEXT** I. **LEARNING OBJECTIVES** - - - II. **INTRODUCTION** One is said to be greatly influenced by its nature or genes and by nurturing or by the care one receives and its surroundings. As the saying go, man is partly a product of o...

MODULE 1B **19^TH^ CENTURY PHILIPPINES AS RIZAL'S CONTEXT** I. **LEARNING OBJECTIVES** - - - II. **INTRODUCTION** One is said to be greatly influenced by its nature or genes and by nurturing or by the care one receives and its surroundings. As the saying go, man is partly a product of one's time. One way or another, a person's perspective is influenced by the events in his surroundings. One's vision and mission are anchored on the happenings of his times. One may wonder why Jose Rizal is the Jose Rizal that we know him today. You may ask, what are the factors which made him fight ardently for his country his countrymen. In this lesson, you will learn how the events in 19^th^ century both in the world and the Philippines shaped the character of Jose Rizal. III. **LEARNING ACTIVITIES** A. **Engage** Activity 1. The World and I B. **Explore** Activity 2. Your Thoughts Reflect on the events that you have listed on activity 1 and answer the following question. C. **Explain** Man is partly a product of his time, so is Jose Rizal. One cannot fully understand one's thoughts without learning about the surroundings in the 19^th^ century. **The World in the 19^th^ Century** The world was in turmoil when Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 but social scientists considered the 19^th^ century as the birth of modern life as well as the birth of many nation-states around the globe (Umali, et.al, 2019). There were three great revolutions around the world which precipitated the birth of modernity. *Industrial Revolution* The Industrial Revolution marked a period of development in the latter half of the 18th century that transformed largely rural, agrarian societies in Europe and America into industrialized, urban ones as defined by History. com. Mass production of goods was made possible because manual labor is replaced by machines in manufacturing factories. Several technological inventions hasten the process. The firsts were steam engine and new machines and techniques in textile industry. The Industrial Revolution changed the entire economy of Europe. Rich merchants became the first capitalists while farmers from rural areas or remote provinces sought jobs in the cities as industrial workers. Although the center of Industrial Revolution is Europe, Philippine economy was influenced. It was in the middle of the 18^th^ century and middle of 19^th^ century, something that might be called an agricultural revolution , with concomitant development of agricultural industries and domestic as well as foreign trade according to De la Costa, 1965 (cited by Umali, et.al., 2019). The opportunities of Industrial Revolution in the colonial Philippine economy: 1. Encouraged ruling Spain in 1834 to open the Philippine economy to world commerce. This resulted in the building of new ports and cities. 2. Increased foreign industries since foreign traders were given a chance to engage in manufacturing and agriculture which positively resulted to the following: a. Merchant banks and financial systems were established. b. Improved machinery for agricultural products, sugar milling and rice hulling and introduced new ways of farming especially by the British and the Americans. c. Ended monopoly when foreign traders stimulated agrarian production, particularly, sugar, rice, and hemp. 3. The rise of new breed of influential and wealthy Filipino middle class. The class composed of Spanish and Chinese mestizos rose to position of power in the Filipin community and eventually became leaders in finance and education according to Agoncillo, 1990 (as cited by Umali, et.al., 2019). This class is composed of landed upper class ilustrados who were highly respected in their respective pueblos or towns. They are regarded as filibusteros of rebels though by the friars. It is said that these rich families were able to send their sons to Spain and abroad for higher studies. These sons became the fervent fighter against Spanish tyranny. They were members of the Propaganda Movement abroad and some are members of an international group called freemasonry. 4. Resulted in the construction of safer, faster, and more comfortable means of transportation and communication such as railways and steamships. The construction of steel bridges and the opening of the Suez Canal opened shorter routes to commerce. Better contacts for business and trade was made possible because of faster means of communication. This made Philippines closer to Spain and the world. *French Revolution* It is said that French Revolution changes the political landscape of the world in the 19^th^ century. This revolution which started in 1789 and ended in 1799 started as a political revolution in Europe and some parts of the world. This is a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France during which the French governmental structure was transform. These are the major changes brought by French Revolution: 1. A more democratic government based on the principles of citizenship and inalienable rights is formed from absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the rich and the clergy. 2. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity -- the battle cry of the French Revolution spreads in Europe and around the world. The effect of French Revolution in the Philippine political system 1. The political turbulence brought by French Revolution reached Spain. These brought changes in parliaments and constitutions, the Peninsular War, the loss of Spanish America, and the struggle between liberals and conservatives according to De la Costa, 1965 (as cited by Umali, et.al, 2019). There were several radical shifts in government structure introduced by extremists in motherland. All these political changes in Spain had their effect in the Philippines. It cracked the fabric of the old colonial system and introduced through cracks, possibilities for reforms, equality and freedom. 2. The democratic aspiration created by French Revolution moved the colonies of Spain to revolt for independence in the 19^th^ century which included the Philippines. The American Revolution American Revolution is the political upheaval during the last half of the 18^th^ century in which the 13 colonies of North America overthrew the rule of the British Empire and rejected the British monarchy to make the United States of America a sovereign nation. This event is very relevant in political history for: 1. It had given the world the idea that colonized people can gain independence from their colonizers. The Americans were able to overthrow their British colonial masters to gain independence and the status of one sovereign nation-state. This reverberated in Europe and around the world and inspired others to follow. The Effect to the Philippines American Revolution did not directly affect the local economy and politics of the Philippines in the nineteenth century but had significant repercussions to the democratic aspirations of the Filipino reformist led by Jose Rizal during this period. Jose Rizal was inspired to fight for freedom and independence. When Spain allowed Philippines for world trade in the 19^th^ century, liberal ideas from America borne by ships and men from foreign ports began to reach the country and influenced the ilustrados. The books containing the thoughts of great liberal thinkers such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire, Locke, Jefferson, and others spread and reached Philippines. The Weakening of Catholic Church in the 19^th^ Century The Catholic Church in Europe was the most powerful institution in Europe. The union of Church-State since the middle ages has identified the Church with the monarchy and aristocracy. Because it favored the monarchy and upheld the monarchy, the Church in the nineteenth century had been considered an adversary to the new Republican states and the recently unified countries. Here are the following which strongly opposed the Church: - The French who saw the Church as a threat to the newly formed republican state, - Bismark of Germany considered the Church as a threat to the unified German Empire, and - The liberals of Spain considered the Church as an enemy of reforms. Europe sought to curtail the influence of the Church in political life and education. Anti-clericalism movement had gained strength in the nineteenth century. Romero et al, 1978 (as cited by Umali et al, 2019) believed that this movement was not only for political reasons but also for materialistic preferences of the people generated by the economic prosperity of the period. It is said that there is a little effect to the control and power of the local church in the Philippines the declining influence of the Catholic Church in Europe. The power of the friars in the Philippines did not dwindle despite the strong anti-clericalism movement in Spain. One of the main reasons is the weakening of civil authority due to constant change of political leaders, this brings forth the consolidation of the power of the friars. Filipinos turned more and more to the friars for moral and political guidance. The union of the Church and State is still prevailing and 'frailocracy' or rule of the friars became the new form of governance. In the last decades of the 19^th^ century, it is said that the Spanish friars were so influential and powerful that they practically ruled the whole archipelago. The propagandists, including Dr. Jose Rizal, did his best to downplay the power and influence of the Spanish friars in the Philippines. They would do this by exposing their abuses and immorality. This will turn the allegiance of the Indios from the friars to the Filipino reformists and leaders. **The Philippines during Rizal's Time: Political and Socio-cultural Context** The Philippines is colony of Spain and she belonged to the King of Spain. The Philippines is indirectly ruled by the Spaniards thru the Viceroy of Mexico. The Filipino people greatly suffered for the misrule of this Spanish Colonists. Pangilinan et al, 2020 cited the following ills of Spanish colonization in the Philippine archipelago: - ***Instability of Colonial Administration.*** The instability of Spanish politics since the turbulent reign of King Ferdinand VII (1808-1833) marked the beginning of political chaos in Spain. The Spanish government underwent frequent changes owing to bitter struggles between the forces of despotism and liberalism and the explosions of the Carlist Wars. From 1834 to 1862, Spain had adopted four constitutions, elected 28 parliaments, and installed no less than 529 ministers with portfolios; followed in subsequent years by party strifes, revolutions, and other political upheavals. - ***Corrupt Colonial Officials.*** General Rafael de Izquierdo (1871-73), a boastful and ruthless govérnor general, aroused the anger of the Filipinos by executing the innocent Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, the "Martyrs of 1872". The successor, Admiral Jose Malcampo (1874-77), was a good Moro fighter, but was an inept and weak administrator. General Fernando Primo de Rivera, governor general for two terms (1880-83 and 1897-98), accepted bribes from gambling casinos in Manila which was scandalously permitted to operate. General Valeriano Weyler (1888-91), a cruel and corrupt governor general of Hispanic-German ancestry, arrived in Manila a poor man and returned to Spain a millionaire by receiving huge bribes and gifts of diamonds for his wife from wealthy Chinese who evaded the anti-Chinese law. The Filipinos scornfully called Valeriano Weyler a "tyrant" because of brutally persecuting the Calamba tenants, particularly the family of Dr. Jose Rizal. - ***Philippine Representation in Spanish Cortes.*** To win the support of the overseas colonies during the Napoleonic invasion, Spain granted them representation in the Cortes (Spanish parliament). Accordingly, the Philippines experienced the first period of representation in the Cortes from 1810 to 1813. History demonstrates that the first Philippine delegate, Ventura de los Reyes, took active part in the framing of the Constitution of 1812, Spain's first democratic constitution, and was one of its 184 signers. This constitution was extended to the Philippines. Another achievement of Delegate De los Reyes was the abolition of the galleon trade. Unfortunately, the representation of the overseas colonies (including the Philippines) in the Spanish Cortes was abolished in 1837. Since then Philippine conditions worsened because there was no means by which the Filipino people could expose the anomalies perpetrated by the colonial officials. - ***Human Rights Denied to Filipinos.*** Since the adoption of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 and other constitutions in succeeding years, the people of Spain enjoyed freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, and other human rights (except freedom of religion). The Spaniards ardently guarded these rights so that no Spanish monarch dared abolish them. Strangely enough, the Spanish authorities who cherished these human rights or constitutional liberties in Spain denied them to the Filipinos in Asia. - ***No Equality Before the Law.*** The Spanish colonial authorities, who were Christians, did not implement Christ's precept of fellow personhood of all humans under one God. Especially during the last decades of Hispanic rule, they arrogantly regarded the brown-skinned Filipinos as inferior beings, not their fellow Christians to be protected but rather as their majesty's subjects to be exploited. To their imperialist way of thinking, brown Filipinos and white Spaniards may be equal before God, but not before the law and certainly not in practice.  - ***Racial Discrimination.*** With the unchristian attitude, many Spaniards and their mestizo satellites derisively called the brown-skinned and flat-nosed\' Filipinos "Indios" (Indians). During Rizal's time a white skin, a high nose, and Castilian lineage were a badge of vaunted superiority. Hence, a Spaniard or a mestizo, no matter how stupid or mongrelborn, always enjoyed political and social prestige in the community. Racial prejudice was prevalent everywhere -in government offices, in the courts of justice, in the armed forces, in the social circles, and even in the educational institutions and in the ecclesiastical hierarchy. - ***Frailocracy.*** Owing to the Spanish political philosophy of union of Church and State, there arose a unique form of government in Hispanic Philippines called "frailocracy" (frailocracia so named because it was "a government by friars"). History discloses that since the days of the Spanish conquest, the friars (Augustinians, Dominicans, and Franciscans) controlled the religious and educational life of the Philippines, and later in the19th century they came to acquire tremendous political power. The friars practically ruled the Philippines through a facade of civil government. The colonial authorities, from the governor general down to the alcaldes mayores, were under the control of the friars. - ***The Guardia Civil.*** The last hated symbol of Spanish tyranny was the Guardia Civil (Constabulary) which was created by the Royal Decree of February 12, 1852, as amended by the Royal Decree of March 24, 1888, for the purpose of maintaining in the 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 later became infamous for their abuses, such as maltreating innocent people, looting their carabaos, chickens, and valuable belongings, and raping helpless women. Both officers (Spaniards) and men (natives) were untrained and undisciplined, unlike the Guardia Civil in Spain who were respected and well-liked by the populace.  - ***The Social Stratification***. The Spaniards imposed new social stratification which discriminate the natives in own land. It is composed of the following: 1. Peninsulares which is the highest class. They are the Spanish born in Spain and live in the Philippines. 2. Insulares. They are the Spanish born in the Philippines. 3. Creoles. They are the mix blood or the combination of Spanish and Filipino. This is where the Ilustrado or the well-educated Filipino and the principalia or the land owners. 4. Indios. They are the natives of the islands. Because of Industrial Revolution, Spain was encouraged to open Philippine economy to world trade which resulted to building of ports and cities. Foreign industries increased rapidly where foreigners were given a chance to engage in manufacturing and agriculture. British and Americans improved machinery for agricultural products, sugar milling, rice hulling and introduced new ways of farming (Umali et.al, 2019). - **Educational System**. Religion is the center of the educational system and schools are managed by the friars. The curriculum is focused on Christian doctrine, alphabet, language, customs and policies. Girls and boys are separated with different curriculum. The educational system was used as a tool to pacify the Filipinos, train them in Catholism, and to make them follow laws imposed by the Spaniards. The kind of education that they imposed to the Filipinos repressed human intellect rather than cultivate and develop them. The Spaniards did not have the noble intention to educate the natives for: a. The Filipino students were not allowed to speak their own dialect in school. b. School buildings and other facilities were not enough for education of the population of the students. c. The Department of Education could not provide enough books and other instructional materials needed for quality education. d. The friars dominated schools, learning in every level was rote or memorization, students memorized contents of the book that they did not understand. e. Spanish language was never taught to the natives because the friars believed that it would make the Filipino people empowered to oppose colonial rule. f. Classes were held in miserable places such as on the ground floor of the convent or in the stable in the casa real or in the darkest corner in the pueblo's town hall. g. The friars made religion the most important subject where the natives were reminded that they have inferior intelligence and that they are fit for manual labor only. Laws to improve Educational System in the Philippines: 1. Educational Decree of 20 December 1863 (Educational Decree of 1863) provided that each major town in the Philippines should establish at least one primary school for boys and another for girls, and that the medium of instruction is Spanish. This was not implemented by the friars with the thought that Filipinos who are educated might be inspired by new ideas of freedom and independence as well as justice. 2. Moret Decree of 1870 which is intended to secularize higher education in the colony but again was opposed by the friars. **The Philippines in the 19^th^ Century: Economic Context** - **Encomienda System** When the Spanish government tried to establish its colonial rule in Manila through Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, he struggled how since he only had a little army. He converted the lands of the colonized natives into encomienda. The word encomienda originated from the Spanish encomendar meaning 'to entrust'. Zaide, 1987 as cited by Pangilinan et al, 2020 defines encomienda as a grant of inhabitants living in a particular conquered territory which Spain gave to Spanish colonizers as a reward for his service. Three types of ecomienda: 1. Royal - the taxes will go to the King of Spain 2. Eccclesiastical -- the taxes will go to the Church 3. Provado -- encomienda given to the friend of the king who had contribution for the colonization The encomiendero had the right to collect taxes, monitor the peace and order and govern the parcel of land given to him. The native who are the real owner of the land became slaves in their own properties. The encomienda system was abolished and converted into haciendas after taxes and the military part of the Spanish Colonial government was established in the Philippines. Encomienda to Hacienda The Spanish friars belonging to different religious orders were the richest hacienderos or landlords during Rizal's times. They owned the best agricultural lands where the rural folks who had been cultivating the lands generations before became tenants. Filipino farmers resented the loss of their lands but legally the friars were recognized as legal owners of the said lands because they were given royal titles of ownership from the Spanish Crown. Other Socio-Economic Policies Imposed by Spaniards 1. Reduccion. Natives were forced to live in the place near the center and they could hear the sound of the bell. This is to easily monitor and convert the natives into Catholism. 2. Bandala. The natives were obliged to sell their products to the Spaniards at a lowest price or sometimes a promissory note from the Spaniards. 3. 4. Taxation. These are classified as the following: a. Cedula -- male and female 18 years old and above will pay 8 reales every year for the cedula. b. Sanctorum -- tax for the church amounting to 3 reales. c. Donativo de Zamboanga -- one half real to finance the war in Mindanao against the Muslims. d. Tribute -- it may be paid in cash or in kind. D. **Elaborate** Activity 3. **Analysis** Base on the readings above, analyze the various socio-cultural, political, and economic changes in nineteenth century in the Philippines and in the world. List down at least two (2) important events or changes in the different aspects using the retrieval chart below. **Various Aspect** **World** **Philippines** ------------------------ ----------- ----------------- Socio-cultural Changes Political Changes Economic Changes E. **Evaluate.** Activity 3**. Collage Making (30 points)** Show the the differences and similarities of the 19^th^ century world and Philippines during the time of Rizal and the world and Philippines today using photos. Use at least five (5) photos which best shows the events in each time frame. Add caption if necessary.  Activity 4**. Shaping Rizal** What are the important events in 19^th^ century in the world or Philippines that you think greatly influenced Jose Rizal? List down at least three (3). Include a brief explanation in each one. *Important Events in the 19^th^ Century Brief Explanation* **References:** As-il, E. (2020). *Rizal: In Perspective.* Bulacan: St. Andrew Publishing House. Ayson, E. (2022). *Ang Bayani: The Life, Works, Writings, and Travels of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.* Quezon City: Wiseman's Books Trading, Inc. Crudo, E. (2019). A Course Module for The Life, Works, and Writings of Jose Rizal. Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc. Pangilinan, M. (2018). *Life and Works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal: A Modular Approach Based on the New CHED Curriculum.* Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc. Umali, V. et.al. (2019*). Jose Rizal: A Review on the Life and Works of the First Filipino.* Mandaluyong City: Books ATBP. Publishing Corp. Valenzuela, E. and Eleonor H. Calayag. (2019). *Rizal's Life and Works: Towards Social Awareness and Nationalism.(Textbook on Rizal Course for the New General Education Courses).* Quezon City: Great Books Trading. Industrial Revolution. Retrieved from revolution/industrial-revolution