Not everyone knows, especially Filipinos, that national hero Jose Rizal was a visionary

who thought ahead of his time. Rizal, aware of the importance of historical events in
people's lives, thought it was past time to remind Spain that the forces and
circumstances that ushered in the French and Spanish revolutions could have a telling
effect on her in the Philippines. As a result, he wrote Filipinas Dentro de Cien Aos, or The
Philippines in a Century, Hence, to forecast the country's future in a hundred years.

Hindi alam ng lahat, lalo na ng mga Pilipino, na ang pambansang bayani na si Jose Rizal
ay isang visionary na nauna sa kanyang panahon. Si Rizal, na batid ang kahalagahan ng
mga makasaysayang pangyayari sa buhay ng mga tao, , thought it was past time to
remind Spain that the forces and circumstances na nagbunsod sa mga rebolusyong
Pranses at Espanyol ay maaaring magkaroon ng malaking epekto sa kanya sa Pilipinas.
Dahil dito, isinulat ni Jose Rizal ang Filipinas Dentro de Cien Aos, o The Philippines a
Century Hence, to forecast the country's future in a hundred years.

"The Philippines a Century Hence" was an essay written by our national hero Jose Rizal
that came out as a series of four articles in La Solidaridad on September 30, 1899,
October 31, 1899, December 15, 1899, and February 1, 1890. Ito ay isang panawagan sa
Spain na pagbigyan ang mga repormang hinihiling ng mga mamamayang Pilipino, na,
ayon kay Rizal, kapag hindi napagbigyan, it would lead the Filipinos to rise up in arms
against the Spaniards at makuha ang kanilang kalayaan mula sa kanila. Rizal also
predicted in the essay that after the ousting of the Spaniards, another power mula sa
Estados Unidos or United Stated would come and take the Philippines. This prophecy ay
pinatunayan ng mga sumunod na pangyayari sa bansa. Rizal exposed several issues
concerning our country in his essay. The abuses of human rights, the lack of freedom of
the press, and the lack of representation in the Spanish Cortes

He believed in the birth of the Filipino spirit as a nation, despite his belief that the
Philippines should not be separated from Spain. He had always believed that the spread
of libertarian ideas would have an immediate impact on the Philippines, having been
influenced by the French Revolution a century before.
He believed in the birth of the Filipino spirit as a nation, despite his belief that the
Philippines should not be separated from Spain. Noon pa man ay naniniwala siya na ang
paglaganap ng mga ideyang libertarian ay magkakaroon ng agarang epekto sa Pilipinas,
na naimpluwensyahan ng Rebolusyong Pranses noong isang siglo.

His essay has been interpreted as an ultimatum to Spain—to reform or to declare

independence. In "Dentro de Cien Aos," Rizal turned from the Philippines' past and
present to consider their future. Rizal explained that it was necessary to postulate a
practically unlimited period of time within which events could develop because there
was nothing fixed in nature, and even less in the lives of people. What can be predicted
within these flimsy boundaries? Will the Philippines remain a Spanish colony, become a
Spanish province, gain independence, or fall into the hands of others?

Ang kanyang sanaysay ay binigyang-kahulugan bilang isang ultimatum sa Espanya—

upang magreporma o magdeklara ng kalayaan. Sa "Dentro de Cien Aos," tumalikod si
Rizal sa nakaraan at kasalukuyan ng Pilipinas upang isaalang-alang ang kanilang
kinabukasan. Ipinaliwanag ni Rizal na kinakailangang mag-postulate ng halos walang
limitasyong yugto ng panahon kung saan maaaring umunlad ang mga pangyayari
because there was nothing fixed in nature, and even less in the lives of people. What
can be predicted within these flimsy boundaries? Will the Philippines remain a Spanish
colony, become a Spanish province, gain independence, or fall into the hands of others?

To all appearances, Spain's military position in the Philippines was far stronger than it
had been when an isolated handful of soldiers with long and perilous communication
lines were attempting to hold the unconquered islands against the Chinese, Dutch,
Portuguese, British, and unconquered Muslims. But, over the centuries, the sense of
equality and opportunity that had sustained Filipino loyalty in the past had been
destroyed; to the regime's abuses had been added the denigration of the entire race.
Gripes were mounting, and if, rather than responding with reforms, a reactionary and
repressive policy was pursued, those who suffer and think "might be compelled to risk
the miseries of an uncertain life full of privations and bitterness, in the hope of some
improvement."

To all appearances, Spain's military position in the Philippines was far stronger than it
had been when an isolated handful of soldiers with long and perilous communication
lines were attempting to hold the unconquered islands against the Chinese, Dutch,
Portuguese, British, and unconquered Muslims. Ngunit, sa paglipas ng mga siglo, ang
pakiramdam ng pagkakapantay-pantay at pagkakataon na nagpapanatili ng katapatan
ng mga Pilipino sa nakaraan ay nawasak; sa mga regime’s abuses ay idinagdag abuses
had been added the denigration of the entire race. Dumadami ang mga hinaing, at kung,
sa halip na tumugon sa pamamagitan ng mga reporma, a reactionary and repressive
policy ay ipagpatuloy, those who suffer and think ay "maaaring mapilitan na
ipagsapalaran ang mga paghihirap ng isang walang katiyakang buhay na puno ng
kahirapan at kapaitan, sa pag-asa ng ilang pagpapabuti. ."

The Philippines A Century Hence

 Jose Rizal was aware of the importance of historical events in people's lives, thought it was past
time to remind Spain that the forces and circumstances that ushered in the French and Spanish
revolutions could have a telling effect on her in the Philippines.

 He wrote Filipinas Dentro de Cien Aos, or The Philippines in a Century, Hence, to forecast the
country's future in a hundred years. He believed in the birth of the Filipino spirit as a nation,
despite his belief that the Philippines should not be separated from mother Spain.

 He had always believed that the spread of libertarian ideas would have an immediate impact on
the Philippines, having been influenced by the French Revolution a century before him. His essay
has been interpreted as an ultimatum to Spain—to reform or to declare independence.

 In "Dentro De Cien Aos," Rizal turned from the Philippines' past and present to consider their
future. He explained that it was necessary to postulate a practically unlimited period of time
within which events could develop because there was nothing fixed in nature, and even less in
the lives of the people.
 To all appearances, Spain's military position in the Philippines was far stronger than it had been
when an isolated handful of soldiers with long and perilous communication lines were
attempting to hold the unconquered islands against the Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, British, and
unconquered Muslims.

 But, over the centuries, the sense of equality and opportunity that had sustained Filipino loyalty
in the past had been destroyed; to the regime's abuses had been added the denigration of the
entire race.