GEC- RIZAL: The Life and Works of Rizal

LESSON 6: The 19th Century Philippine Economy, Society, and the Chinese Mestizos

ACTIVITY NO.1

Create a worksheet containing the table illustrated below. Write the changes and
developments that were felt in the 19 th century Philippines. After listing the changes, plot them
within Rizal’s biography and write which aspects you think had a direct or indirect impact on
Rizal while citing events in his life.

Change and Development Relation to Rizal’s Life

Transformation of the
economy has been rolled due
to the dwindling economy of
the Galleon Trade.
Industrialization became the
way and created an
opportunity for the
Philippines. Increase in
demand for raw materials
helped boost the agricultural
potential. Thus, Royal
Philippine Company was
established to finance
agricultural projects and
ECONOMIC
manage the new trade
between Philippines, Spain,
Europe, and other Asian
markets. However, the Royal
Philippine Company closed
and then Manila was opened
to world trade herein foreign
traders and investments
came in the country. The
rapid economic development
began to flow in cash crops
such as tobacco, sugar,
cotton, indigo, abaca, and
coffee.
POLITCAL Spaniards became
suspicious when there was
an influx of Chinese and
Chinese Mestizos settlement.
They began putting state
policies towards the sangley
ranging from higher taxes,
restriction of movement, to
actual policies of expulsion. It
was also in the 19th century
wherein guardia civil was
Rizal was financially well-off.
He also was not blind to the
discrimination and poverty on
going in the society. It was
said that Rizal’s family’s
agricultural business
benefitted from the economic
changes in the 19th century
(Rizal’s family were
leaseholders of sugar lands
in Calamba). They also
defended that the agriculture
can prosper without friar
involvement (due to
discrimination with the
labourers/farmers).
Because of the rampant
corruption of the government,
Rizal was pushed and
wanted to call for reforms in
the government. In addition,
the lack of concern of the
government officials also
motivated Rizal to educate
his fellow Filipinos. He also
created the La Liga Filipina
and the famous novels Noli
 established for monitoring
during the mass internal Me Tangere and El
migration for tax collection Filibusterismo where he
and the likes. However, graft depicted oppression,
and corruption were also corruption, and the inability of
rampant during the 19th the government to provide for
century and that Filipinos had basic need which impacted
limited participation in the the Philippines.
government.
Discrimination against the
poor, especially the farmers
against the hacienderos are
Rizal was motivated to
also evident during the 19th
educate his fellowmen (of
century as land became
which he became a teacher
important. There was still the
in his time in Dapitan) and
issue of Filipinos treated as
also wrote that through his
low-class and the Spaniards,
studies, “the eyes of my
SOCIO-CULTURAL the higher-class. Literate
intelligence opened a little,
population was demanded by
and my hear began to cherish
society with the increase of
nobler sentiments.” He was
demand for more
motivated to speak his mind
professionalized workforces.
when his mother was
Thus, chance for higher
imprisoned.
education spread to the
middle and lower-middle-
class.