THE DAWN OF

FILIPINO NATIONALISM
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the module, the students should be able

to:

• Examine the causes and effects of the Cavite

Mutiny; and
• Explain the conflict between the Filipino secular
priests and the Spanish regular priests.
UNIFICATION OF THE PHILIPPINES
UNDER SPANISH RULE

• Spain ruled the Philippines

for more than 300 years.
• Before Spain’s arrival, the
Philippines consisted of
independent and self-governing
barangays, peopled by diverse
tribes.
• It was Spain who gave the
Philippines its identity (Zaide,
1994).
• The natives were pacified by
the use of the Cross.
• The reduccion plan of Fr. Juan de
Plasencia was implemented.
• It transformed the Filipinos into law-
abiding citizens under the Spanish
Crown.
• Because of this plan, the
independence of the barangays
was lost.
• With the imposition of Catholicism
and Spanish culture, the Filipinos
were transformed into “little
brown Spaniards”.
• Spain’s political system was gradually
introduced into the country.
• Barangays were merged to form pueblos, pueblos
into alcaldias, in addition to the ayuntamientos
established by the colonizers.
• Despite unification, the people started to nurture
resentment and dislike for foreign rule.
 EARLY RESISTANCE TO SPANISH RULE

• The integration of the country

into the Spanish Empire
resulted into the
implementation of:
o taxation without
representation
o polo y servicio - forced
labor
o galleon trade
o indulto de comercio -
license to trade
o government monopolies
• Government restrictions and
control made the people
experience hardships and
miseries.
• They started harboring
grievances against the colonial
administrators.
• Revolts and uprisings began.
• Majority of the cause for
these uprisings is the desire
of the people to regain
their lost freedom.
EXAMPLES OF REVOLTS UNDER THIS
CAUSE:

• Revolt of Rajah Sulayman and Lakan Dula

• Tondo Conspiracy
• Revolt of Malong
• Dagohoy’s Revolt
• Revolt of Diego Silang
• Revolt of Palaris
• Basi Revolt
OTHER MAJOR CAUSES FOR EARLY
REVOLTS AND UPRISINGS:

• resistance to Spanish-imposed institutions

• agrarian unrest
• the desire to revert to their native religion

But, all of these did not last long. The early revolts
against Spanish rule failed for a number of reasons.
• owing to sectional jealousies
• lack of communication in the provinces
• absence of national leaderships
• the implementation of divide et impera or “divide
and rule”
• Filipinos were made to fight one another by the
colonial masters, failing torealize that their common
enemy was the Spaniards
THE EMERGENCE OF
THE FILIPINO
SENSE OF
NATIONHOOD

• Filipinos development
of their sense of
nationhood started
only during the last
years of Spanish rule.
THE FOLLOWING FACTORS ATTRIBUTED
TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FILIPINO
NATIONALISM:

• Opening of the country to world commerce

• Rise of Clase Media
• Liberal regime of Gov-Gen. Carlos Maria dela Torre
• Racial discrimination
• Secularization Controversy
• The Cavite Mutiny of 1872
THE OPENING OF THE PHILIPPINES TO
WORLD COMMERCE
THE OPENING OF THE PHILIPPINES TO
WORLD COMMERCE

• The opening of the country to world commerce

was a consequence of Spain’s adoption of the
laissez-faire policy.
• With the entry of foreign products and businessmen,
the economic isolation of the Philippines was ended.
• Liberal ideas also entered the country.
o John Locke’s “Theory of Revolution”
o Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “Social Contract
Theory” was introduced.
o Baron de Montesquieu - Separation of powers
o Voltaire - Freedom of religion
o Thomas Jefferson - Anti-slavery
• Liberal ideas from Europe filtered in when Spain
gradually exposed the Philippines to international
commerce.
• The sons and daughters of the Principalia were able to attain
education, thereupon giving then exposure to libertarian
ideas.
o The principalía or noble class was the ruling and
usually educated upper class in the towns of Spanish
Philippines.
o The ilustrados constituted the Filipino educated class
during the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th
century.
• Ilustrados like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar and
Graciano Lopez-Jaena who had their education in
Europe obtained liberal ideas on these significant
events in the history of the world.
• And then there were sentiments against the
Principales - where the masses had been skeptical
about local aristocracy due to their proportion and
influence in the society.
THE RISE OF CLASE MEDIA
THE RISE OF CLASE MEDIA

• Class Media - a new middle class. The rise of this

new social class came from a small class of
mestizos and the principalia or the ruling elite.
• Families of this class benefited from the opening
of the country to foreign commerce and trade.
• Thus, they were able to send their sons for
education in Europe.
• Being educated in Europe, these sons of
prosperous families were able to see the
difference of European and Filipino societies.
• They became disillusioned with Spain after
witnessing how more progressive are the states of
other countries.
• From their ranks emerged Filipino propagandists
clamoring for change in the Philippines.
LIBERAL REGIME OF
GOV. CARLOS MARIA
DELA TORRE

• The fall of Queen

Isabella and the triumph
of liberalism in Spain
resulted into the
appointment of dela
Torre as Gov-General
in the Philippines.
• With his assumption into office, he demonstrated his
democratic and liberal philosophy in governing the
country.
• This development was something the friars then did
not like. For the first time, the Filipinos were allowed
to talk about freedom and democracy openly.
• During his term of office, freedom of speech and of
the press as guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution
were recognized.
• Because of this policy, Father Burgos and other Filipino
clergy were motivated to work for the Filipinization of
parishes throughout the country.
• This development was something the friars then did not
like. For the first time, the Filipinos were allowed to talk
about freedom and democracy openly.
• With the restoration of the Spanish monarchy and the
return of conservatism in Spain, dela Torre was removed
from office.
• He was replaced by the reactionary Rafael de Izquierdo, who
boasted that he came to the Philippines with a cross on one
hand and a sword on the other.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

• Another factor that contributed

to the development of the
Filipinos’ sense of nationhood.
• The Spaniards considered the
Filipinos an inferior race and
sarcastically called them Indios.
• Discrimination towards the
Filipinos were prevalent in the
universities, government offices,
church, and the Court of Justice.
• Fray Miguel de Bustamente portrayed the Filipino in
his pamphlet entitled “Si Tandang Basyong Macunat”
as an individual with low mental ability, incapable of
acquiring European education, and fitted only to
work in the fields and tend to carabaos.
• This kind of attack intensified the enmity between
Filipinos and Spaniards.
• This led them to realize that the Spaniards and the
Filipinos were two separate, distinct peoples.
SECULARIZATION CONTROVERSY
SECULARIZATION MOVEMENT

• Secularization of parishes was the transfer of the

ministries established by the regular Spanish clergy to
the Filipino seculars.
• The controversy began as a religious issue then later
on became a racial controversy between the friars
and the Filipino secular clergy.
• Leading the Filipino seculars in the struggle was Fr.
Pedro Pelaez, an insulares, who rose to the position of
vicar capitular of Manila. He led the fight against royal
decrees turning secular parishes over to the friars.
• The Jesuits then returned to the Philippines. Parishes
under Filipino regulars in Manila were then turned
over to the Recollects in exchange for the parishes
held by the Recollects in Mindanao.
• Fr. Pelaez appealed to Queen Isabella II for
ecclesiastical equality between the Spanish regulars
and Filipino seculars.
• But, an earthquake that occurred in Manila took the
life of Fr. Pelaez. The struggle for equality was then
temporarily stopped.
• Fr. Burgos continued the struggle started by his former
professor. He exerted all efforts to defend the Filipino
clergy from the attacks of the Spanish regulars.
• The controversy led to the unification of the Filipino
clergy, which in effect, strengthened their sense of
identity.
• The former religious conflict took on racial overtones
because the friars were Spaniards and the seculars
were true-blooded Filipinos. For the first time, the
word “Filipino” meant not only the Filipino Spaniards;
now it included the native clergy.
CAVITE MUTINY
CAVITE MUTINY OF 1872

• On the night January 20, 1872, two hundred Filipinos

employed at the Cavite arsenal led by Sgt. La Madrid
staged a revolt against the Spanish government. This
mutiny was brought about by Gov. Izquierdo’s abolition
of their exemption from tributes and forced labor,
which the soldiers previously enjoyed.
• The Cavite Mutiny led to the persecution of
prominent Filipinos: secular priests Mariano Gómez,
José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora—who would then be
collectively named GOMBURZA— were tagged as the
masterminds of the uprising.
• The Spanish authorities took advantage of the
situation by arresting liberal-minded Filipinos. Nine
Filipino priests were deported to Marianas Islands,
together with thirteen lawyers and businessmen.
• The incident was exaggerated by the Spaniards to
implicate Fathers José Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and
Jacinto Zamora, due to their active involvement in
the campaign for the secularization of parishes.
• These three priests were executed by garrote for
alleged complicity in the rebellion.
• The Filipinos deeply resented the execution of
GomBurZa, owing to their innocence of the crime
for which they were tried.
• They hailed the three Filipinos priests as true
martyrs of the fatherland.
• The martyrdom of GomBurZa was a turning point
in Philippine history.
• It ushered in an era of peaceful campaign for
reforms to counter the evils of the Spanish Regime,
known in our history as the Propaganda Movement.
RIZAL AND THE CAVITE MUTINY

• Rizal was still very young when the mutiny broke out.
Although at his tender age, Rizal was already
cognizant of the deplorable conditions of the
country.
• Originally, his plan was to take up priesthood and
become a Jesuit father. When he heard of the
martyrdom of GomBurZa, he changed his mind and
swore to dedicate his life to vindicate the victims of
Spanish oppression. He was only 11 years old at this
time.
In his letter to Ponce, he said:

“ Without 1872 there would not be now either a

Plaridel, or Jaena, nor Sanciano, or would there
exist brave and generous Filipino colonies in
Europe; Without 1872, Rizal would be a Jesuit now
and instead of writing the Noli Me Tangere, would
have written the opposite. At the sight of those
injustices and cruelties, while still a child, my
imagination was awakened and I swore to devote
myself to avenge one day so many victims…”
“… and with this idea in mind I have been studying
and this can be read in all my works and writings.
God will someday give me an opportunity to carry
out my promise. Good! May they commit abuses, let
there be imprisonments, banishments, executions,
good. Let destiny be fulfilled! The day they lay their
hands on us, the day they martyrize innocent families
for our fault, goodbye friar government, and perhaps
goodbye Spanish government.”