UNIT 2

THE PHILIPPINES IN THE 19TH CENTURY AS RIZAL’S CONTEXT

THE PHILIPPINES IN THE 19TH CENTURY

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The learners are expected to:
1. Appraise the link between the individual and society
2. Analyze the various social, political, economic, and cultural changes that occurred
in the 19th century
3. Understand Jose Rizal in the context of his times

LEARNING CONTENT:

 CONDITIONS OF THE COUNTRY BEFORE THE BIRTH OF JOSE RIZAL:

1. More than 300 years of Spanish suppressive colonial rule

2. Several attempts, through revolts or uprisings, by the natives to drive the foreign
rulers away were all futile
3. The lack of unity and nationalism seemed to be the culprit
Policies Imposed by the Colonizers PTEIDF

1. Polo- the enforced or compulsory manual labor required for every male native
between 16 to 60 years of age.
2. Tribute- tax imposed on every individual or family to pay to the colonial
government as a symbol of vassalage to Spain
3. Encomienda – a system of landholding wherein individuals loyal to Spain were
granted land as trustees
4. Isolation Policy – the natives were banned from engaging in any form of
intercourse with their Asian neighbors.
5. Divide and Rule – the colonizers provoked the natives to fight among
themselves thus, strengthening their hold of power
6. Frailocracy – the rule of the friars or the clergy

 EVENTS LEADING TO THE CHANGE OF SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

1. Intellectual Revolution (Enlightenment)
 2. Industrial Revolution
3. Age of Explorations and Discoveries
4. The Opening of the Philippines to World Trade

A. AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Enlightenment, French (literally “century of the Enlightened”), a
European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries in which ideas concerning
God, reason, nature, and humanity were synthesized into a worldview that gained wide
assent in the West and that instigated revolutionary developments in art, philosophy, and
politics. Central to Enlightenment thought were the use and celebration of reason, the
power by which humans understand the universe and improve their own condition. The
goals of rational humanity were considered to be knowledge, freedom, and happiness.

The Enlightenment was both a movement and a state of mind. The term represents a
phase in the intellectual history of Europe, but it also serves to define programs of reform
in which influential literati, inspired by a common faith in the possibility of a better world,
outlined specific targets for criticism and proposals for action.

The powers and uses of reason had first been explored by the philosophers of ancient
Greece. The Romans adopted and preserved much of Greek culture, notably including
the ideas of a rational natural order and natural law. Amid the turmoil of empire, however,
a new concern arose for personal salvation, and the way was paved for the triumph of
the Christian religion. Christian thinkers gradually found uses for their Greco-Roman
heritage. The system of thought known as Scholasticism, culminating in the work
of Thomas Aquinas, resurrected reason as a tool of understanding but subordinated it to
spiritual revelation and the revealed truths of Christianity.

The intellectual and political edifice of Christianity, seemingly impregnable in the Middle
Ages, fell in turn to the assaults made on it by humanism, the Renaissance, and
the Protestant Reformation. Humanism bred the experimental science of Francis
Bacon, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Galileo and the mathematical investigations of René
Descartes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and Sir Isaac Newton. The Renaissance
rediscovered much of Classical culture and revived the notion of humans as creative
beings, and the Reformation, more directly but in the long run no less effectively,
challenged the monolithic authority of the Roman Catholic Church. For Martin Luther as
for Bacon or Descartes, the way to truth lay in the application of human reason. Received
authority, whether of Ptolemy in the sciences or of the church in matters of the spirit, was
to be subject to the probing of unfettered minds.
The successful application of reason to any question depended on its correct
application—on the development of a methodology of reasoning that would serve as its
own guarantee of validity. Such a methodology was most spectacularly achieved in
the sciences and mathematics, where the logics of induction and deduction made
possible the creation of a sweeping new cosmology. The success of Newton, in particular,
in capturing in a few mathematical equations the laws that govern the motions of
the planets, gave great impetus to a growing faith in the human capacity to attain
knowledge. At the same time, the idea of the universe as a mechanism governed by a
few simple—and discoverable—laws had a subversive effect on the concepts of a
personal God and individual salvation that were central to Christianity.

Inevitably, the method of reason was applied to religion itself. The product of a search for
a natural—rational—religion was Deism, which, although never an organized cult or
movement, conflicted with Christianity for two centuries, especially in England and
France. For the Deist, a very few religious truths sufficed, and they were truths felt to
be manifest to all rational beings: the existence of one God, often conceived of as
architect or mechanical, the existence of a system of rewards and punishments
administered by that God, and the obligation of humans to virtue and piety. Beyond
the natural religion of the Deists lay the more radical products of the application of reason
to religion: skepticism, atheism, and materialism.

The Enlightenment produced the first modern secularized theories

of psychology and ethics. John Locke conceived of the human mind as being at birth
a tabula rasa, a blank slate on which experience wrote freely and boldly, creating the
individual character according to the individual experience of the world. Supposed innate
qualities, such as goodness or original sin, had no reality. In a darker vein, Thomas
Hobbes portrayed humans as moved solely by considerations of their own pleasure and
pain. The notion of humans as neither good nor bad but interested principally in survival
and the maximization of their own pleasure led to radical political theories. Where
the state had once been viewed as an earthly approximation of an eternal order, with the
City of Man modeled on the City of God, now it came to be seen as a
mutually beneficial arrangement among humans aimed at protecting the natural rights
and self-interest of each.

Retrieved from:
www.britannica.com/event/Enlightenment-European-history
 B. INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The Industrial Revolution was a period of major industrialization that took place during the
late 1700s and early 1800s. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain and quickly
spread throughout the world; the American Industrial Revolution, commonly referred to
as the second Industrial Revolution, started sometime between 1820 and 1870. This time
period saw the mechanization of agriculture and textile manufacturing and a revolution in
power, including steam ships and railroads, that effected social, cultural and economic
conditions.

Breaking Down Industrial Revolution

Although the Industrial Revolution occurred approximately 200 years ago, it is a period in
time that left a profound impact on how people lived and the way businesses operated.
Arguably, factory systems developed during the Industrial Revolution are responsible for
the creation of capitalism and the modern cities of today. Production efficiency improved
during the Industrial Revolution with inventions such as the steam engine, which
dramatically reduced the time it took to manufacture products. More efficient production
subsequently reduced prices for products, primarily due to lower labor costs. Cheaper
steel prices encouraged the development of infrastructure such as railroads and bridges
during the American Industrial Revolution.

Increased Employment and Innovation

The Industrial Revolution created an increase in employment opportunities. As factories

became more prolific, managers and employees were required to operate them; this had
a flow-on effect of new and innovative products emerging. Increased innovation led to
higher levels of motivation and education that resulted in several ground-breaking
inventions that are still used today such as the telephone, X-ray, lightbulb, calculator and
anesthesia. The Industrial Revolution improved people’s lives. Due to Industrial
Revolution advancements, there were improvements in nutrition, health care and
education.

Pitfalls of the Industrial Revolution

Several major pitfalls developed as the Industrial Revolution progressed. There was a
reduction in agriculture as people were abandoning their farms to work in city factories
where they could earn a higher income. This led to a shortage a food produced on farms.
Increased pollution was a pitfall of the Industrial Revolution. Before the sharp increase in
factory numbers, there was a limited amount of pollution generated in the world as
production was predominantly manual. The Industrial Revolution provided an incentive to
increase profits, and as a result, working conditions in factories deteriorated. Long hours,
inadequate remuneration and minimal breaks became the norm. This subsequently led
to health issues for many factory workers. Labor movements in the United States
developed momentum from the late 19th century in response to poor working conditions
that developed during the Industrial Revolution.

Retrieved from:
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/industrial-revolution.asp

C. AGE OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERIES

What Was the Age of Exploration or the Age of Discovery?

The Age of Exploration is an informally defined period of European history when overseas
exploration became a major part of European culture.

The Age of Exploration, also known as the Age of Discovery, is the period in European
history when overseas exploration began to grow in popularity. This era began in the late
1400’s and lasted through the 1700’s. It is responsible for influencing European culture,
initiating globalization, and introducing colonialism around the world. For many
Europeans, the Age of Exploration signifies a time when new lands were discovered.
However, for many others, the Age of Exploration is remembered as a time their lands
were invaded and settled by newcomers.

Overseas travel, exploration, and discovery paved the way for trade between Europe,
Asia, and Africa (the Old World) and Australia and the Americas (the New World). This
trade brought about the exchange of new foods, animals, and plants. Additionally, it saw
the introduction of new human populations, including an increase in the trade and sale of
slaves and the use of slavery. The Age of Exploration facilitated the exchange of ideas
and religions between the hemispheres, but also resulted in the spread of communicable
diseases, which severely reduced and, in some cases, wiped out some populations.

Because of this historical period, world maps are now available. Although, this arguably
led to increased military conquest and resource exploitation. Christian missionaries were
also able to spread around the world during the Age of Exploration, helping Christianity
become one of the most widely practiced religions in the world.

Events Leading Up to the Age of Exploration

Before the Age of Exploration really took off, several seafaring expeditions occurred,
leaving behind some information that prompted the Age of Exploration. In the 12th
century, Muhammad al-Idrisi, an Arab geographer, created a world map for the King of
Sicily. Al-Idrisi collected information from Norman explorers and Islamic merchants,
creating the most complex and thorough world map of its time. However, little was known
about the southern reaches of the African continent, so it was excluded. This map, the
Tabula Rogeriana, provided inspiration to a number of curious explorers.

From the late 13th to early 15th century (the Middle Ages), some explorers traveled by
land from to Eurasia and beyond, using pre-existing trade routes from Eurasia to the
Middle East to China. These trips were carried out by Italian traders, Christian
missionaries, and Russian royalty. In the mid-14th century, a Moroccan scholar set out to
several regions, including: North Africa, West Africa, the Sahara Desert, the Horn of
Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe, and China. During the early 15th century, Arab and
Chinese traders traveled along the Indian Ocean and to present-day India, Thailand, East
Africa, Arabia, and Southeast Asia. When the Young Emperor of China died, however,
the new Emperor advocated isolationism and abolished international exploration and
trade. Several books were published about travel accounts, feeding the greater of the
world and its undiscovered places.

The First Discoveries of the Age of Exploration

The Portuguese are often credited with making the first discoveries of the Age of
Exploration. These exploration parties traveled down the west coast of Africa and
eventually to the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean by 1488. A decade later,
Vasco de Gama discovered the way around the Cape of Good Hope and to India, which
established the first sea route between Portugal and India. Portuguese exploration
continued to Japan in 1542 and to Brazil in 1500.
Late in the 15th century, Spain became involved in sea exploration as well in order to
overcome the monopoly that Portugal held over the west African trade route. In 1492,
Christopher Columbus left Spain, manning 3 ships, and crossed the Atlantic Ocean. His
exploration crew first landed in the already inhabited Canary Islands before proceeding
to the Bahamas. He erroneously believed that he had landed in the West Indies.

By the beginning of the 1500’s, the governments of other countries commissioned

explorers to search for a shorter route to the “West Indies”. This resulted in the North
Atlantic route to present-day Newfoundland in North America. Doubts began to raise that
this new Atlantic path was actually leading to Asia. Explorers began to learn significantly
more about these new lands and by 1513, the Pacific Ocean was reached by crossing
the Isthmus of Panama.

Exploring the Pacific Ocean and Beyond

Discovering that the Pacific Ocean is located on the other side of the New World led to a
renewed desire to explore. Between 1515 and 1516, Spanish crews sailed the west coast
of South America, while the Portuguese were exploring off the coast of Southeast Asia.
This exploration resulted in the first circumnavigation of the world in 1519. Magellan took
off from Seville with a fleet of 5 ships, sailing south toward South America and navigating
around the southern tip known as Tierra del Fuego. The crew continued across the Pacific
Ocean, landed in the Spice Islands in 1521, and returned to Spain in September of 1522.

Exploration increasingly left the water and entered the land, resulting in invasions and
colonizations throughout the Americas. Northern European countries and Russia became
involved in world exploration in the latter part of the 16th century further exploring North
America, Siberia, New Zealand, and Australia.

Legacy of The Age of Exploration

The Age of Exploration has had perhaps one of the greatest impacts on global relations
of any other historic period or event. Because of this widespread discovery and
exploration movement, New World and Old World products were exchanged. This
brought horses, cows, and sheep from Europe to the New World and tobacco, cotton,
potatoes, and corn to the Old World.

European forces came to dominate large tracts of land and inhabitants around the world,
taking advantage of their perceived discoveries to colonize, settle, and exploit the new
areas. This gave rise to the Age of Imperialism, which was pushed by increasing demand
for slaves, commodities, and trade. Many existing communities and kingdoms were
abolished and taken over by European interests. With these political aggressions came
language, cultural, and religious conversions as well as genocides and removal of
indigenous peoples from their original lands and homes.

During the Age of Exploration, the slave trade grew significantly which had a profound
impact on the economy and on society as a whole. The introduction of agricultural
practices and crops was so successful that some areas now rely on introduced foods as
major dietary staples (this includes potatoes in Europe and manioc and corn in Africa).
Many of these new staples helped to increase the population sizes in their new countries.
Goods and commodities were not the only things traded during the Age of Exploration.
Additionally, technology and cultures were also shared. This was a time when countries
everywhere began to understand that the world was much bigger than previously
believed. The economies, cultures, and politics of many countries around the world were
drastically influenced by this period in history.

Retrieved from: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-was-the-age-of-exploration-or-

the-age-of-discovery.html

 OPENING OF THE PHILIPPINE PORT TO WORLD TRADE

It means that the goods from the Philippines could be shipped out to any of the countries
abroad. And goods from other country could enter the Philippines directly. Before Spanish
banned the other foreigners from living in the provinces or having businesses in the
Philippines. They did not apply to Chinese settlers, but it covered other white men.

 History of Opening of Port to World Trade

The world turns its eyes on the Philippines when, the Royal Company of the Philippines,
or in Spanish, the Real Compaña de Filipinas Governor-General Félix Berenguer de
Marquina recommended that the King of Spain to open Manila to world commerce.
Furthermore, the bankruptcy of the Real Compaña de Filipinas (Royal Company of the
Philippines) catapulted the Spanish king to open Manila to world trade. In a royal decree
issued on September 6, 1834, the privileges of the company were revoked and the port
of Manila was opened to trade.

On September 6, 1834, the Philippines opened to world trade- by a royal decree, Your
Majesty the King declared the Royal Company of the Philippines abolished and opened
Manila’s ports to world trade. Because Manila was a great harbor (the shape of the bay
protected trade boats from rough waters) it became one of the best cities to trade with,
luring American, British and other European and Asian merchants to its shores. As a
result, Spain’s economic supremacy lost its footing in the region.
Modern methods of production and transportation, notably sugar mills and steamships,
opened the Philippines for economic development. British, French, Dutch, and North
American traders began to demand Philippine agricultural products, including sugar,
cigars, and abaca (Manila hemp). Sugar became the leading export crop. In 1834 Spain
lifted restrictions on trade between foreign nations and the Philippines.

 People involved in Opening the Port to World Trade

The good and quite modern King Charles III of Spain was the one who created the
company, and his goal was to make trade to Spain from the Philippines more efficient.
Governor-General Félix Berenguer de Marquina recommended that the King of Spain
open Manila to world commerce. Your Majesty the King declared the Royal Company of
the Philippines abolished and opened Manila’s ports to world trade.  Governor-General
Basco had opened the Philippines to this trade.

Other persons who joined in the opening of the Philippines to world trade were: Sebir
(1787) a Frenchman conducted a profitable business in Manila; Tomas de Comyn (1798),
a Spanish writer, in his book published in Madrid 1820, mentioned an unnamed English
merchant who left the Philippines in 1798 after living in Manila for 20 years during which
he became rich; George W. Hubbell (1821), an American businessman, and his younger
brother Henry, arrived in Manila, engaged in business, and founded the Hubbell
Company.

What Is the Impact of Opening the Port to World Trade to All Filipinos?

The Impact of Opening the Port to World Trade to All Filipinos 19th Century:

a. When world trades open to the Philippines, it has caused for the Spaniards to sell
more product to other countries. Since the materials came from the Philippines. They
use our resources and do not repay us as they sell more things we grow to have less
resources. But the positive is that our economy increases.

b. The economy of the Philippines rose rapidly and its local industries developed to
satisfy the rising demands of an industrializing Europe.

c. Manila and the Philippines garnered great economic growth around this time. Many
shops opened in the Binondo and the rest of the “Extramuros” area (the areas
outside of Intramuros). The best part of this was that some were also owned by
Filipino businessmen who were knowledgeable in finance and consumer retail.
Manila itself expanded – more people came to settle in the city and grew rich through
profit from trade.
d. In short by 19th and 20th century, the opening of the port and the other parts of the
Philippine to foreign trade brought not only economic prosperity to the country but
also remarkable transformation in the life of the Filipinos. As the people, prospered,
their standard of living improved.