19TH CENTURY PHILIPPINES AS RIZAL’S CONTEXT

BRIEF HISTORY
By the late 18th century, political and economic changes in Europe were finally beginning to affect
Spain and, thus, the Philippines. Important as a stimulus to trade was the gradual elimination of the
monopoly enjoyed by the galleon to Acapulco. The last galleon arrived in Manila in 1815, and by the
mid-1830s Manila was open to foreign merchants almost without restriction. The demand for
Philippine sugar and abaca (hemp) grew apace, and the volume of exports to Europe expanded even
further after the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869.

Not until 1863 was there public education in the Philippines, and even then the church controlled the
curriculum. Less than one-fifth of those who went to school could read and write Spanish, and far
fewer could speak it properly.

There, nationalism and a passion for reform blossomed in the liberal atmosphere. Out of this talented
group of overseas Filipino students arose what came to be known as the Propaganda Movement.
Magazines, poetry, and pamphleteering flourished. José Rizal, this movement’s most brilliant figure.

Rizal produced two political novels—Noli me tangere (1887; Touch Me Not) and El filibusterismo
(1891; The Reign of Greed)—which had a wide impact in the Philippines.

In 1892 Rizal returned home and formed the Liga Filipina, a modest reform-minded society, loyal to
Spain, that breathed no word of independence. But Rizal was quickly arrested by the overly fearful
Spanish, exiled to a remote island in the south, and finally executed in 1896. Meanwhile, within the
Philippines there had developed a firm commitment to independence among a somewhat less
privileged class.

Shocked by the arrest of Rizal in 1892, these activists quickly formed the Katipunan under the
leadership of Andres Bonifacio, a self-educated warehouseman. The Katipunan was dedicated to the
expulsion of the Spanish from the islands, and preparations were made for armed revolt. Filipino rebels
had been numerous in the history of Spanish rule, but now for the first time they were inspired by
nationalist ambitions and possessed the education needed to make success a real possibility.

Here it comes The Philippine Revolution

In August 1896, Spanish friars uncovered evidence of the Katipunan’s plans, and its leaders were
forced into premature action. Revolts broke out in several provinces around Manila. After months of
fighting, severe Spanish retaliation forced the revolutionary armies to retreat to the hills. In December
1897 a truce was concluded with the Spanish. Emilio Aguinaldo, a municipal mayor and commander of
the rebel forces, was paid a large sum and was allowed to go to Hong Kong with other leaders; the
Spanish promised reforms as well. But reforms were slow in coming, and small bands of rebels,
distrustful of Spanish promises, kept their arms; clashes grew more frequent.

Meanwhile, war had broken out between Spain and the United States (the Spanish-American War).
After the U.S. naval victory in the Battle of Manila Bay in May 1898, Aguinaldo and his entourage
returned to the Philippines with the help of Adm. George Dewey. Confident of U.S. support, Aguinaldo
reorganized his forces and soon liberated several towns south of Manila.

Independence was declared on June 12 (now celebrated as Independence Day). In September a

constitutional congress met in Malolos, north of Manila, which drew up a fundamental law derived
from European and Latin American precedents. A government was formed on the basis of that
constitution in January 1899, with Aguinaldo as president of the new country, popularly known as the
“Malolos Republic.”
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE 19th CENTURY: SPAIN AND THE PHILIPPINES
Objectives: Examine the historical background of the rise of nationalism and in the context of Rizal’s
ideas.

19th CENTURY SPAIN

Spain during the first three quarters of the 19th century was a country of instability and chaos.
Conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte, he made his brother Joseph as king.
Guerilla warfare against the French ensued.

In 1812 a constitution was made by the Liberal Cortes.

Ferdinand VII was restored to power by 1814, he returned to absolute government.

Civil wars broke out between the Liberals and Carlists (supporters of Don Carlos)
Maria Cristina as regent of her infant daughter Isabella (successor to the throne under the terms of
Pragmatic Sanction)

1868 a revolution against Isabella took place and she was forced to abdicate
Alfonso XII of Spain became king, which finally brought Spain into a period of stability and reform

Philippines in the 19th Century

Economic Development- Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade
Reforms made by Gov. Gen. Jose Basco y Vargas
- Real Compania de Filipinas 1785
-Tobacco Monopoly
-1830 – growth of export economy from the British and American merchants
-Philippines exported agricultural products resulting to the growth and profit of Filipino hacienderos
and inquilinos of the friar haciendas
-Economic Development as a whole is a non-Spanish initiative

Opening of the Suez Canal in 1869

THE PHILIPPINE SOCIETY

 INSULARES
 PENINSULARES
 CREOLE-(Mestizo/Mestiza)
 INDIO

THE NATIVE POPULATION

PRINCIPALIA- they are the rich landowners; local gov’t officials.
ILLUSTRADO-educated middle-class
COMMON PEOPLE OR MASSES-they are the majority the class; workers

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
Spain has no consistent policy for the overseas colonies.
Philippines was used as a dumping ground to reward Spanish official
Rampant corruption in the Government
Governor-general was the chief executive with the widest of powers

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
 1860 spread of education –rise of Ilustrados
 1859- Ateneo Municipal run by the Jesuits
 1865- Escuela Normal de Maestros
 Humanistic Education in literature, science and philosophy
 Experience of Filipino students in Spain

RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENT
 Religious Orders played a dominant part in Philippine life.
 Government relied heavily on the friars to maintain Spanish power
 Secularization issue between the regular and secular clergy (Filipino parish priests vs.
Dominicans, Augustinians, Recollects and etc.)
 Cavite Mutiny that led to the execution of GOMBURZA (Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez and
Jacinto Zamora) in Bagumbayan

Conclusion
The development of Rizal’s ideas and of nationalism is composed of different factors. Both the events
in Spain and her policies in the Philippines paved the way for nationalism to develop. Spain can no
longer prolong her administration esp. since reforms were far from her agenda.

19th CENTURY
- It was the Era of challenges and responses
- It is the period of major challenges that affect man and society.
- Age of Enlightenment

POLITICAL CONTEXT
-The struggle of Nationalism
-The French Revolution and The American Civil War

CONSERVATISM VS. LIBERALISM

-In Spain there was the spilt among the intellectuals into two irrecincilable camps, the Conservatives
and the Liberals, neither of which advantaged adequate practical solutions to end all strives.

FRAILOCRACY
-Rule of Friars

POLITICAL STRUCTURE DURING SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD….

ECONOMIC CONTEXT
Industrialization
This generally applied to the extraordinary transformation in the method of: production, transportation,
communication through the substitution ofmanual labor to machine.

ENCONMIENDA TO HACIENDA
Enconmienda and hacienda systems. Labor systems developed by Spain granting large amounts of land
to settlers in the Americas and claiming ownership of all of the resources of the natives. The
enconmienda and hacienda systems developed by an exchange among the natives for work in return for
protection and education.

ENCOMENDERO
These men had helped conquer the Philippines. The enconmienda was not actually a land grant but was
a favor from the King. The Spaniards who recieves this favor was given the right to collect tributes-or
taxes from the inhabitants of the area assigned to him.

GALLEON TRADE
Manila- Acapulco Galleon Trade
The Manila- Acapulco Galleon Trade was the main source of income for the colony during the early
years. Service was inaugurated in 1565 and continued into the early 19th Century.

The Galleon Trade brought silver from the New Spain and silk from China by way of Manila. This
way, the Philippines earned its income through buy and sell- that is, they bought silk from China for
resale to New Spain and then bought American silver for resale to China..

INDULTO DE COMERCIO
-Privilege of provincial governors to engage in and monopolize trade.

FORCED LABOR (Polo y Servicio)

Polo y Servicio is the forced labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16-60 years of age who were
obligated to give personal services to community projects. One could be exempted from polo by paying
the falla, a daily fine of one and a half real.

In 1884, labor was reduced to 15 days. The polo system was patterned after the Mexican repartimento,
selection for forced labor.

TAXATION
To support the colony, several forms of taxes and monopolies were imposed.
Direct: The tithe is the payment of the 10% of an individuals annual income to the government. The
sanctorum is the tax being paid as support to the church. The tribute (buwis) is the tax or rent given to
the landlord a resident is under. It may be in cash or in kind (tobacco, chickens, produce, gold,
blankets, cotton, rise, etc, depending on the region of the country), fixed at 8 reales and later increased
to 15 reales.

SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT
PENINSULARES
INSULARES
SPANISH MESTIZOS
PRINCIPALIA
CHINESE MESTIZOS
CHINESE
INDIOS

PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DURING SPANISH TIME

1855- The year Spain realized the need of establishing a system of public education for the indios.
- This was also the year that Gov. Gen Crespo organized a Commission and recommended
remedial measures to improve elementary education.

1861- The year the Commission completed its report and forwarded it to Spain.

1863- the year that the Educational Decree of 1863 was issued.

PROVISIONS OF EDUCATIONAL DECREE OF 1863

1. Establishments of Teacher Training School.
2. Government supervises the public school system.
3. Use of spanish as medium of instruction in all schools.
4. Establishment of one primary schools for boys and for girls each of major town.

DEFECTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DURING SPANISH TIME

1. Emphasis on Religion
 Fear of God was emphasized
 Obedience to friar was instilled in the mind of the people.
 Indios were constantly reminded that they have inferior intelligence and were fit for manual labor
only.
 Will of God was emphasized.

2. Absence of Academic Freedom

 Most schools were not opened to the natives
 Students were not allowed to express their opinion.

3. Racial Discrimination
 Prior to educational decree of 1863, the schools were not opened to the natives.
 Spaniards hesitated to consider the indios as educable as themselves.

4. Limited Curriculum
Education was limited to the 3R’s,that is Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.

THE PHILIPPINES OF RIZAL’S TIME

During the time of Rizal, the sinister shadow of Spain’s decadence darkened the Philippine skies. The
Filipino agonized beneath the yoke of Spanish misrule, for they were unfortunate victims of the evils of
an unjust, bigoted, and deteriorating colonial power. Among these evils were as follows:
Evils of the Unjust Colonial Power
 Instability of Colonial Adminitration
 Corrupt Officialdom
 No Philippine Representation in the Spanish Cortes
 Human Rights Denied to Filipinos
 No Equality Before the Law
 Maladministration of Justice.
 Racial Discrimination
 Frailocracy
 Forced Labor or “Polo Y Servicios”
 Haciendas owned by the Friars
 The Guardia Civil