UBAS, CHRISTINE JOICE MIDDLE B.

Bse 2-1
Polytechnic University of the Philippines

THINK PIECE
What do you think Philippine society was before the arrival of the Spaniards? Have you ever thought
what it was? Let’s evaluate Jose Rizal views and William henry Scott analysis of the colonial period. In
Indolence of the Filipinos, we will see that Rizal claim that even before Spaniards came to the Philippines
we are already working hard and industrious. We weren’t lazy like how Spaniards perceive us. Its just
that during their reigning period they are being too hard on us. During pre-colonial period we already
carried on active trade not only with Europeans but also all in other country that was near us. Rizal also
claimed that natives before was abound in long accounts about the industry and agricultures. I even
notice in Indolence of the Filipinos that there’s already a kind of government because it states that
there’s already a rajah and sultan which means they are the one who’s leading. In the Philippines in a
Hundred Years Hence, there, Rizal foresee our nation within a hundred years. It’s a predict of what will
occur soon. It states and analyzes the hardships and sufferings of the Filipino by the hands of Spaniards.
It was the eye opener of our fellow Filipinos that oppression of those outsider shouldn’t be tolerated.
Even though Spain hindering the country’s progress we will continue to be developed. It also states
there that Philippines will soon have its independence and it was really happened. That’s Rizal views
while Scott’s analysis of the pre-colonial period is, it seems like even before Spaniards came, we already
have our own government and leaders who rule the community, there’s even a class structures and
social status. There’s also a law that natives were following, and culture and tradition was also present
on it if we look at the Filipino class structure in sixteenth century by William Henry Scott.

let’s compare Dr. Jose Rizal views and William Henry Scott's analysis of the pre-colonial period. If we
look on the claims in Indolence of the Philippines and Philippines in a hundred years of Rizal and with
William Henry Scott's analysis of the pre-colonial period, we will notice that they have similarities and
differences. I remember in Indolence of the Philippines, Rizal states there that Pigaffeta notice the
massive wealth of the place and there was ship that was a payment for certain duties of the king of the
island. I also noticed that there is a word Rajah and there was even mentioned in the sentence there
which is a captain-general and admiral. It was also stated there that they had a boat where their
merchandise is so technically there was already a merchant that importing and exporting product from
other countries there that time (Rizal, The Indolence of the Filipino). In Philippines in a Hundred Years

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Hence, I see the word “former rulers” based from that word on the sentence that I read I assumed that
they have a leader already three centuries ago before the colonial period, I say it because in the
paragraph Rizal is like implying that the ancestors from past which is a former ruler who fight during the
pre-colonial period because that time when Rizal is writing the In Philippines in a Hundred Years Hence
is that was the colonial so I think it’s the same with Indolence Of the Philippines (Rizal, The Philippines a
Century Hence). Like the two works of Rizal that I mentioned above I noticed also that Scott Filipino Class
Structure in the sixteenth century tackles about what was the society before, also the social classes of
Filipinos and its relevance to the position that they have during the pre-colonial period (Scott, Philippine
Studies: Filipino Class Structure in the Sixteenth Century). I think the similarities of the Indolence of the
Philippines and Philippines in a hundred years hence of Rizal and William Henry Scott's analysis of the
pre-colonial period is that it both tackle that before we already have our own kind of concept of
government and rules or laws. Also, it tells us that even before Spaniards came, we already have a way
of trading system from other neighboring country. The Differences of those three is Indolence of the
Philippines is written to prove how good the lifestyle of our ancestor to Spaniard and to counter their
claims that Filipinos are lazy, also to show that we are productive human beings even during pre-colonial
period. Spain regime is the one that cause indolence. In Philippines in a hundred years hence, its like the
before and after the reign of Spaniards in our country. It has a glimpse of the past and future
happenings. In William Henry Scott's analysis of the pre-colonial period which is the Filipino Class
Structure in the sixteenth century, I think it is differ from the two in a way that Scott states that those
social status during pre-colonial period is inclined with Spaniards terms. Scott works is a bit confusing
because on his paper’s conclusion he stated that the Filipino society is divided into three classes
however in some sources it was only two.

All in all, I really noticed in Indolence of the Philippines and Philippines in a hundred years of Rizal and
with William Henry Scott's analysis of the pre-colonial period is those two works of Rizal screams
nationalism and strong will of having our own to prove that Spaniard’s regime is the cause of our
hardships. Before their arrival Philippines is a promising land, there was a vast of wealth and culture and
suddenly when they came Filipinos faced a sudden changes where new era began however the trace of
the great things in past disappeared. Scott’s analysis of precolonial period differs in the two because it
has some changes in old histories.

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REFERENCES

Primary Sources

Rizal, J. The Indolence of the Filipino by José Rizal. Project Gutenberg.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6885 (accessed November 25, 2022).

Rizal, J. The Philippines a Century Hence by José Rizal. Project Gutenberg.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35899 (accessed November 25, 2022).

Scott W. H. Philippine Studies: Filipino Class Structure in the Sixteenth Century. Loyola Heights Quezon
City: Ateneo De Manila University, 1980.