Name: Melody L.

Hioco Couse & Year: BSED 2- Filipino

Philippine in the 19th Century and today’s generation

For the Spaniards, they considered that the 19th century of the Philippines
was the age of enlightenment, but for us Filipinos, it represents one of the darkest
periods in our history. For at least 333 years, Spaniards ruled the Philippines, and
they oppressed Filipinos. In their generation, the Filipinos have been subjected to
extreme deprivation and suffering. Injustice, social and racial discrimination, the
economic system, and cruel church and government corruption are all prevalent. The
Filipinos in the 19th century couldn’t even fight for their rights in court because there
wasn’t enough room, and they couldn’t even express their opinions because they
would be punished if they did such things. The Filipinos at the bottom of their so-
called social hierarchy are regarded as slaves and fools with no rights to own land
because only the high-class and middle-class can own land. They can’t speak freely
or receive an education. The money and taxes are being collected in large amounts.
The Friars are greedy and vicious individuals who are supposed to threaten those
who have faith in the region and in God. In today's society, justice is supposed to be
available to all, but in the 19th century, it was only available to those at the top of the
social hierarchy, and money could be used to buy laws that are supposed to cover
and be followed by all citizens of the state. To sum up, the Philippines nowadays is a
democratic country where the voice of every Filipino is heard. There is equality of
rights for each individual. We have the freedom of choice to go to school. Unlike in
the 19th century, we do not have any rights if we do not belong to the high class or
middle class.

From our colorful history—from my own perspective, the 19th century was a
sickening era. I know that remembering the past is very painful, but we should not
bury or forget the Spanish colonization. It is also a piece of history that reminds us of
how Rizal, other propagandists, and our heroes worked tirelessly to reclaim our land.
It made me realize that knowledge and the mind are one great weapon and that the
pen, used properly, is truly mightier than any word.