MODULE 5: GROWTH OF NATIONALISM

Lesson 5.1 Birth of Filipino Nationalism

Introduction

Nationalism means love of one’s country or the feeling of oneness. It is the feeling of belonging to a country, that unselfishly
you share your hopes and aspirations for its common good.

For the greater part of the Spanish period, Filipinos did not have the chance to unite as one nation nor did they feel that they
belong to one. The ideas of nationalism reached the Philippines during the 19th century.

Factors that contributed to the rise of nationalism

1. The Education of some Filipinos

In the second half of nineteenth century, colleges and universities such as University of Santo Tomas accepted native
Filipinos. Owing to the opening of the doors of Spanish colleges and university to Filipinos, the well-to-do Filipino parents were
able to send their children to these schools.

As a result, a good number of those children became lawyers, physicians, pharmaists, teachers, land surveyors, and
merchants.

It was these educated Filipinos who asked for reforms in the administration of Philippines.

2. The Opening of the Suez Canal

The Opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 resulted in the shortening of the distance between Spain and the Philippines. Because
of this, many Spaniards with progressive ideas migrated to the Philippines. Because of this, many Spaniards with progressive
ideas migrated to the Philippines.

Sending of Progressive books and periodicals to the Philippine became easy and cheap. This encouraged many educated
filipinos to continue thier studies and to prove that they were equal of the Spaniards.

3. Liberation in the Philippines

Queen Isabela II was overthrown by revolutionist in 1868. The triumph of the revolutionists led to the sending of progressive
or liberal Spaniards to the Philippines. One of them was Gov. Gen. Carlos Maria dela Torre. He showed his democratic ways by
living simply.

Dela Torre administration of the Philippines was significant because he

a. abolished the censorship of the Press
b. abolished flogging as a punishment
c. solved the agrarian unrest in Cavite

4. The Return of Autocracy

Unfortunately, the administration of De la Torre was short. Gov. Gen. Rafael Izquierdo was sent to the Philippines as
Governor-General.

Being an autocrat, he boasted that he would rule the Philippines “with a cross in one hand and a sword in the other”.

5. Racial Prejudice
The Spaniards commonly regarded the Filipino natives as belonging to the “inferior race” and haughtily called them indios.
The preconceived notion of the Spanish colonizers that the natives could not rise beyond their “limited intelligence” instigated the
enlightened Filipinos to struggle for equality. Jose Rizal's annotation of Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
denounced the allegations of the Spaniards that the Filipinos were savages and had no culture prior to the coming of the Western
colonizers.

6. The Campaign for Secularization

Secularization Movement
- a campaign of the Filipino secularsd to administer parishes occupied by Spanish regulars. The leaders of the Filipino campaign
to secularize the parishes were Fr. Pedro Pablo Pelaez, Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora, Mariano Gomez, and others.
Priests are of two classes:
1. Regular - are the priests who belong to the religious orders like Dominican, Franciscan, Recollect, Augustinian. They have
mission to fulfill, that is to convert non-Christian people to Christianity. They occupied parishes.

2. Secular - they are not a member of any religious order. They are native Filipinos that studied priesthood and given subordinate
position.

6. The Cavite Mutiny

The relations between the Filipino seculars and the Spanish regulars became worse. At the height of the secularization
controversy, the Cavite mutiny occured. On January 20,1872, the Filipino workers and some marine detachment mutinied. This
mutiny was caused by the revocation by Gov. Gen. Izquierdo of the privilege of Filipino workers to be exempted from forced
laborand from paying tribute. The mutineers led by La Madrid, killed some Spanish soldiers. Because of this event, the gov-gen.
ordred the arrest of the Filipinos and mestizos allegedly connected to the rebellion. Some who were arrested were the priests
GomBurZa.

7. The execution of Gom-Bur-Za

Before the trial of the three priests, they were jailed at Fort Santiago. The government failed to prove convincingly that the
accused seculars were really connected with the January mutiny. on February 17,1872, three priests marched from Forth Santiago
to Bagumbayan Field. ne by one was executed. Filipinos who were witnessing the event took off their hats and knelt in order to
pray for the souls of the innocent priests.

The importance of the execution of the three priests are:

1. Filipinos began to think and feel as Filipinos, not as Ilocanos, Tagalogs, Bisayans, Bicolano, and others.
2. They began to feel the necessity for unity
3. The seed of nationalism was planted in the minds and hearts of the Filipinos despiite the continued cruel measures of Spanish
government.

Lesson 5.2 The Propaganda Movement

Introduction

The ten years that elapsed after the execution of Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora was a peaceful years because the Filipinos
were cowed into silence by the Spanish authorities. Those who criticize the Spanish rule experienced threats of persecution. There
was discontent not only amongthe masses but also among the educated and the well-to-do Filipinos. Some educated and wealthy
left for Spain to study and worked for the introduction of reforms in the Philippines. Some of them were Dr. Jose Rizal, Graciano
Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and others.

Learning Content

A. Rise of the Propaganda Movement

After the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, the condition in the country worsened.
1. Spanish Oppression and abuses continued
2. The Patriotic intellectuals, who dared to voice the sentiments of the people, were persecuted.
3. The colonial government was corrupt and inefficient
4. The people denied their individual rights and liberties and their representation to the Spanish Cortes was not restored.

The Filipino exiles of 1872 and many patriotic students abroad met in Hongkong, Singapore, Barcelona, Spain.
Paris,London, and other foreign cities. Inspired by a common cause, they banded together and consecrated thmselves to the
sublime ideal of working for the welfare and happiness of their fatherland. Aggressively but peacefully, by means of the pen and
the tongue, they crusaded for reforms that is known in Philippine History as the “Propaganda Movement”. It began in 1872, when
Gomburza were executed at the Luneta in 1892, when Rizal was exiled to Dapitan.

1. Aims of the Propaganda Movement

a) Equality of Filipinos and Spaniards before the law.
b) Assimilation of the Philippines as regular province of Spain
c) Restoration of Philippine representation in the Spanish Cortes
d) Filipinization of the Philippine parishes
e) Individual liberties for Filipinos, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to meet and petition
for redress of grievances.

2. The Propagandists
The great triumvirate of the Propaganda Movement were Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose Rizal, and Marcelo H. Del Pilar.
The minor reformists were Jose Panganiban, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce, Eduardo de Lete, and a few others. They were
all young men who went to Europe to study.
 The contributors to La Solidaridad were mostly Filipinos using pen names like:
a) Del Pilar (Plaridel)
b) Rizal (Laon-laang)
c) Mariano Ponce (Naning, Tigbalang or Kalipulako)
d) Antonio Luna (Taga-ilog)
e) Jose Ma.. Panganiban (Jomapa)
f) Dominador Gomez (Ramiro Franco)

A. Jose Rizal - the great thinker and writer born in Calamba, Laguna on June 19,1861. He studied at Ateneo Municipal,
and later in the University of Santo Tomas. At the age of 26, he wrote his first novel Noli Me Tangere, which means “Touch
Me Not”. In his novel, he exposed the defects o fthe Spanish administration in Philippines, the greed and immorality of the
friars, and the superstitions of the Filipinos. Next, he wrote his second novel, Rizal expressed his political ideas and in story
form, predicted the coming of the Revolution. Rizal wrote poems, essays, and many articles all showing his love of country,
his patriotism, his love of parents, his happiness, and his sorrows.

B. Garciano Lopez Jaena - the great orator, born in Jairo, Iloilo City on December 17,1856. In 1889, he founded the
fornightly newspaper La Solidaridad (Solidarity) and he became the first editor. The newspaper became the propaganda arm
of the Filipino reformists in Spain. Copies were sent secretly to the Philippines and distributed to educated Filipinos. He also
delivered speeches aside from being a writer. He expressed the demands of the Filipino reformists. These are:
1) representation in the Spanish Cortes
2) The right to vote
3) Freedom of speech of assembly and of the press
4) Freedom of commerce
5) The removal of the friars in the Philippines
6) The education of the people
7) Reforms in the jails of the country
8) Aboliition of the diezmos prediales or the tithe consisting of one-tenth of the produce of the land.

C. Marcelo H. Del Pilar - the great political analyst and editor. He was born in Kupang, Bulacan on August 30,1850.
He studies at the College of San Jose and later at the University of Santo Tomas where he finished his law studies in 1880. In
1882, he founded the Tagalog-Spanish newspaper Diariong Tagalog. A year after his arrival in Spain he became the editor-
in-chief of La Solidaridad. He died of tuberculosis.

The Pro-Filipino Societies

1. Circulo Hispano-Filipino (The Spanish Filipino Circle) - the purpose was to bring to the attention of the Spanish
authorities in Spain the conditions of the Philippines and to work for the introduction of reforms which would benefit the
Filipinos.
2. Asociacion Hispano-Filipina - the purpose was to work for the materials and moral improvement of the Philippines.

Masonry and its Role

The Filipino reformists in Spain did not spare any effort to win friend for the sake of the country. The friars hated Masonry
as they hated the Filipinos who were questioning their right to remain in the Philippines. Unity among Filipinos in Spainwas
maintained by this masonic lodge. Aims of the Masons in the Philippines were:
1. To work for freedom and prosperity of the Philippines
2. To work for good governance
3. To ask for representation to the Spanish Cortes
4. To make the Philippines a province of Spain.

La Liga Filipina - In July 3,1892, Rizal and a group of patriotic Filipinos, including Andres Bonifacio, founded the La Liga
Filipina. The aims of the Liga Filipina according to its constitution were:
1. To unite the whole archipelago into one strong body.
2. Mutual Protection of all members in case of necessity
3. The encouragement of agriculture, commerce, and education
4. Defense against any kind of violence and injustice
5. Study and application of reforms

Reason why the Reform Movement Failed - the campaign to introduce reform waged by patriotic Filipinos in Spain and in
the Philippines failed. Some laws were introduced but these law were not implemented in the Philippines.

The following reasons explain why the reform movement failed:

1. The Spanish high officials in Spain were too busy with their own problems to listen to the collective voice of the
reformists.
2. The reformists in Spain and in the Philippines did not have the necessary financial means with which make their
campaign effective.
3. The reformists themselves were not united, due to rivalry and jealousies among reformists.
Activity 1: Semantic Web

What are the factors that contributed to the development of Filipino Nationalism?

NATIONALISM