POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

STA. MESA, MANILA

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Department of Mechanical Engineering

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Pagulayan, Daquila Hanz B. GEED 10013 Prof. Valila

BSME 2-2 Life and Works of Rizal Dec 23, 2021

Examine how Rizal keenly observed the effects of colonialism on Filipino

creativity, industriousness, perseverance, and other virtues

The indolence of the Filipino

By

Jose Rizal

Indolence a word that was always told by the Spaniards to our ancestors. Indolence, to
act in a way to avoid one’s duty or any activity. In other words, laziness. We were always called
lazy by our colonizers, even though we are the ones that tend to the fields, we were the ones that
always had errands that had been given to us by Spaniards, we were one of the most hardworking
ones. But why does the Spanish and Friars, always call our countrymen indolence.

Rizal had published this article, in the year 1890, by means of using their group La
Solidaridad. Rizal had published it to continue his struggle for Filipino education, in which he had
sought to utilize the truth to awaken his fellow Filipinos to Spain's corrupt and broken system.
Rizal had written it to remind us, fellow Filipinos, that we have rights as citizens of our country
and that we deserve to be treated with respect, to be treated equally and fairly.

In the article Rizal had described indolence as a kind of sickness, that will progressively
get worse if not treated immediately. Rizal recognizes that indolence exists amongst his
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
STA. MESA, MANILA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Department of Mechanical Engineering

____________________________________________________________________________
fellow Filipinos, but that there could be several different reasons for it. In his article, he said that
while indolence certainly occurs amongst his fellow Filipinos, it is caused by a plethora of
variables.

Surely Rizal is also pointing out that not only us Filipinos are indolent compared to the
Spaniards, but the Spaniards are also indolent to that of the other European countries such that
of France, Germany, and many more. The Spaniards had accused us Filipinos as indolent while
they themselves as well are indolent.

The climate of the Philippines differs much that to European settings. In Europe the climate
there is very cold and Europeans such as Spaniards are acclimatized to that climate and can
function much better that us Filipinos who are used to tropical climates. This means that even
though Spaniards are accusing us of being indolent, we Filipinos are much more hard working
than them due to us being acclimatized to our environment while they are not.

Rizal and other Filipinos who had gone to Spain to pursue higher education are still very
hardworking despite the changes in environment and climate. Rizal still had the gall to establish
La Solidaridad, organize, publish, write, and study in Spain and even protesting their actions.
When Rizal is compared to the Spaniards who accuse us of indolence, we can see who are the
ones that are truly indolent.

Another reason for the indolence of the Filipinos that Rizal had acknowledge is due to
Religion. Religion is a powerful tool that can convince, manipulate, and brainwash the masses to
the will of its church. A powerful example of this today is the INC religion where the church keeps
close contact and dictate what they can and cannot do.

Religion in the time of our ancestors were controlled by the Spaniards and its friars. By
being of Spanish descent or at the very least allies itself with Spain. The church had controlled of
the masses through means of confession, guilt tripping, black mailing, and the thought of going
to hell and suffer for all of eternity.
 POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
STA. MESA, MANILA
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Department of Mechanical Engineering

____________________________________________________________________________
Whatever Spain had wanted us to think its Friars will do through means of mas, Its
friars which preached then imposed its God and regulations on our fellow Filipinos, transformed
the our fellow Filipinos' souls. The friars persuaded the local Filipinos that a poor man had an
easier time entering heaven, therefore they chose not to work and remained poor to enter heaven
more readily after lying down. It resulted in the Filipino Indolence started to fester more.

Filipinos, according to Rizal, are not indolent. It all started with the galleon trade, which
decimated little companies. The galleon ships were developed by Spaniards, who later traveled
to Mexico and monopolized the commerce. Filipinos who worked for their own territories were
hired by the Spaniards to help build the Galleon ships.

How come Filipinos are indolent workers when they were, in fact, workers for the
Spaniards whenever the mother Spain had wanted to extend their colonies? Our ancestors were
made to work for Spain against other nations, and they had departed the Philippines with no
certainty of returning home to their families, friends, and loved ones. They were said to have
brought with them the island's greatest rowers and seafarers.

In fact, Indolence or laziness is so common that every culture and ethnicity has its own
name for it. Levels may differ, but they are basically the same for all ethnicities. It is a human
attribute, not only a Filipino characteristic.

That is why the accusation of Spain that we Filipinos are indolent, in the eyes of Rizal is
not entirely true; as Spaniards are more indolent than us and our indolence was a fruit of centuries
of indoctrination of Spain, its churches, and its Friars.
References:

Political and historical writings. (2021). Issuu.

https://issuu.com/filipinasheritagelibrary/docs/political_and_historical_writings_-
?e=18015266/13725577