Lecture 3: World of Jose Rizal

Life and Works of Jose Rizal

SS041
Ezekiel Guevarra
Quick History
• Homo Luzonensis lived in the island of Luzon
50,000 to 67,000 years ago.

• Laguna Copper Plate is the dated written artifact

in the Philippines. Dating 900AD. During this
time the Arab-Byzantine Wars was also
happening.

• In 1521 Ferdinand Magellan successfully

navigated towards west discovering a route
going to South East Asia. Giving the Spain an
access route going to the Island of Moluccas.

• Miguel Lopez de Legazpi successfully ceded the

islands of Marianas, Guam, and Cebu. Legazpi
placed the capital of the Spanish East Indies in
Manila in 1565.
Quick History
• Religious congregations managed the people in
the Spanish East Indies.

• The early polities leaders was given the

privileged to be Principalia. This is a type of
social class that govern certain areas in the
Philippines. They gained the titles of Cabeza de
Baranggay, Gobernadorcillo, and Alcalde.

• Claveria Decree was imposed throughout the

island. This decree in 1849 aimed to give
surnames to the Indios.
THE WORLD OF JOSE RIZAL
Instability of Colonial Administration
• The reign of King Ferdinand VII (1808-1835)
marked the political chaos in Spain.

• Years of struggle between liberalism and

conservatism.

• From 1834 to 862 Spain adopted four

constitutions.

• Same goes with the Philippine colonial

administration.
Philippine Representation to Cortes
• Ventura de los Reyes first representative of the
Philippines to Spanish Cortes in 1810.

• Successors made less impact in the legislation

until the Spanish Cortes was abolished in 1837.
Corrupt Colonial Officials

Rafael de Izquierdo Jose Malcampo Fernando Primo de Rivera

 Corrupt Colonial Officials
• After the loss of Spain in Mexico, Guatemala,
Chile, and Argentina, Spanish officials came to
the Philippines to become as judges, provincial
executives, army officers, and empleados
(government employees)

• 1810, Tomas de Comyn, commented that

ignorant barbers and lackeys were appointed
provincial governors, and rough sailors and
soldiers were named district judges and garrison
commanders.

Valeriano Weyler Camilo de Polavieja

HUMAN RIGHTS DENIED TO INDIOS
• In 1812 Spain enjoyed the freedom of speech, freedom
of the press, freedom of association, and other human
rights.

• The Spaniards guarded this human rights ardently so

that no Spanish monarch dared to abolish these rights.

• But these rights was not enjoyed by the colonies in the

Spanish East Indies. Indios are regarded as inferior
being than Spanish-blooded citizens.

• Leyes de Indias was promulgated by the Spanish

monarchs to protect the natives of the Spanish
Colonies.

• Spanish Penal Code was enforces in the Philippines,

but imposed heavier penalties on native Indios.
Maladministration of Justice
• Real Audiencia serves and the supreme court in
the Philippines.

• Spanish judges, fiscals, and other officials were

oftentimes ignorant of law.

• Justice was costly, partial, and slow. Indios has

no access to the courts because they cannot
afford the expenses.

• Skin color, wealth, and social prestige were

predominant factors in winning a case in court.

• The case of Juan Dela Cruz of 1886 to 1889

Frailocracy
• Unique in the Philippines

• Friars has the ultimate powers over the

Philippine governance

• Supervisor of local elections, inspector of

schools, and taxed, arbiter of morals, censor of
books and stage plays, superintendent of public
works, guardian of peace and order.

• Bajo el Son dela Campana

• Roman God Janus, two faced

Polo y Servicio
• Forced labor

• Males from 16 to 60 are obliged to render forced

labor for 40 days a year

• Also implemented on Spanish males but was

never implemented

• Falla was sum of money paid to the government

to be exempt from the Polo
Haciendas Owned by Friars
• Lands was owned by the Friar Corporations

• Titles was given by the Spanish crown

• Family of Rizal was one of the victims

• Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos (Indolence of

the Filipinos)
Guardia Civil
• Created in 1852 to serve as the constabulary

• Rendered meritorious service in handling bandits

• Officials were Spanish while the natives serves as the

guards

• Become infamous for their rampant abuses,

maltreating of innocent people, looting of carabaos,
chickens, and valuable items, raping helpless women.

• Ill-trained and undisciplined unlike its counter parts in

Spain

• Elias of Noli Me Tangere “so much power in the hands

of men, ignorant men filled with passions, without
moral training of untried principles is a weapon in
hands of madman in a defenseless multitude”
In Summary
• Maladministration of Justice
• Instability of Colonial Administration
• Racial Discrimination
• Corrupt Colonial Officials
• Frailocracy
• Philippine Representation in Spanish Cortes
• Forced Labor
• Human Rights Denied to Filipinos
• Haciendas Owned by Friars
• No Equality before the Law
• Guardia Civil
END OF PRESENTATION

Life and Works of Jose Rizal

SS041
Ezekiel Guevarra