WRITINGS AND PROPAGANDA

It is an essay written by Philippine

National Hero Jose Rizal to
forecast the future of the country
within a hundred years. Rizal felt
that it was time to remind Spain
that the circumstances that
ushered in the French Revolution
could have a telling effect for her
in the Philippines.

THE PHILIPPINES A CENTURY HENCE

Causes of the miseries suffered by the Filipino people:

• Spain’s implementation of her military policies – because of such laws, the Philippine population
decreased dramatically. Poverty became more rampant than ever, and farmlands were left to wither.
The family as a unit of society was neglected, and overall, every aspect of the life of the Filipino was
retarded.
• Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous culture – when Spain came with the sword
and the cross, it began the gradual destruction of the native Philippine culture. Because of this, the
Filipinos started losing confidence in their past and their heritage, became doubtful of their present
lifestyle, and eventually lost hope in the future and the preservation of their race.
• Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers – one of the most powerful forces that
influenced a culture of silence among the natives were the Spanish friars. Because of the use of force,
Filipinos learned to submit themselves to the will of the foreigners.

THE PHILIPPINES A CENTURY HENCE

 The question then arises as to what had awakened the hearts and opened the minds of the
Filipino people with regards to their plight. Eventually, the natives realized that such
oppression in their society by foreign colonizers must no longer be tolerated.

One question Rizal raises in this essay is whether or not Spain can indeed prevent the progress
of the Philippines:

1. Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had failed. National consciousness had still
awakened, and great Filipino minds still emerged from the rubble.
2. Keeping he people impoverished also came to no avail. On the contrary, living a life of
eternal destitution had allowed the Filipinos to act on the desire for a change in their way of
life. They began to explore other horizons through which they could move towards progress.
3. Exterminating the people as an alternative to hindering progress did not work either. The
Filipino race was able to survive amidst wars and famine, and became even more numerous
after such catastrophes. To wipe out the nation altogether would require the sacrifice of
thousands of Spanish soldiers, and this is something Spain would not allow.

THE PHILIPPINES A CENTURY HENCE

Noli Me Tangere
● written when Rizal was in Madrid, Spain
● “Touch Me Not" in English
● through Noli, Rizal brought the attention the
corruption and brutality of Spanish priests
and injustice to the natives
● Rizal has also given some sort of
encouragement back to his countrymen as to
recover their self confidence, to appreciate
their self worth, and to assert themselves as
the equal of the Spaniards.
El Filibusterismo
• written in Calamba, Laguna
• written as a sequel to Noli Me
Tangere
- the novel was published in 1891
in Ghent, Belgium.
- “The Reign of Greed” in
English title
- dedicated to the GomBurZa
History of La Liga Filipina
• On July 3, 1892, Rizal established the civic
organisation known as La Liga Filipina or
The Philippine League.
• It was founded not for the purpose of
independence, but for helping and
protecting its members, to create a more
unified spirit among the Filipinos.
 La Liga Filipina Aimed to:
● unite the whole country
● defense against all forms of violence and injustice
● mutual protection in every necessity and want
● encouragement of trade, instruction, and
education
● study and application reforms
Downfall of La Liga Filipina

They no intentions of raising arms against the

Spaniards, yet they saw them as a threat. On July 6, 1892,
Rizal was secretly arrested and was banished to Dapitan,
Zamboanga. The members were active in the beginning,
but they all eventually drifted apart and lost hope in
reforms.
La Solidaridad
La Solidaridad (The Solidarity) was an organization
created in Spain on December 13, 1888. It also issued
a newspaper of the same name which was published
in Barcelona, Spain on February 15, 1889.The social,
cultural, and economic conditions of the colonial
Philippines was published in La Solidaridad.
Speeches of the Spanish liberals about the
Philippines was also featured in the newspaper.

The Soli, as the reformists fondly called their official organ,

came out once every two weeks.
The Solidaridad’s first editor was Graciano Lopez Jaena.
Marcelo H. del Pilar took over in October 1889.
 In del Pilar's farewell editorial, he said :
"We are persuaded that no sacrifices are too little to win the
rights and the liberty of a nation that is oppressed by slavery."

For La Solidaridad, Jose Rizal often wrote under the pen name
Laong Laan. In the photo, he is with the publication’s editor
Marcelo H. del Pilar and treasurer Mariano Ponce.

Another alias used by Jose Rizal when writing in La Solidaridad was

Dimas-alang(Dimasalang), which in Tagalog means “untouchable.”
To the Young Women of Malolos
 To the Young Women of Malolos
-When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, women were expected to do nothing more than
housekeeping and bearing children. Formal training beyond primary grades was not a privilege that
they had.
-A group of women from Malolos, Bulacan allied themselves with Teodoro Sandiko (who taught the
Spanish language to adults in secret. This was because the Friars had forbidden the teaching of the
language to Indios and Mestizos as it would lessen their influence over them).
-In December 12, 1888, The women requested the permission of Governor-General Valeriano Weyler
to put up a night school where they can study the Spanish language under Teodoro Sandiko. This was
not approved as Fr. Felipe Garcia was against it.
-The women refused to give up, and in February 1889, they were finally allowed to study during
daytime under Guadalupe Reyes (who, along with reformist Doroteo Cortes, supported the women in
their endeavor).