● It narrates the history of wars, intrigues, diplomacy and

- The Life And Works Of evangelization of the Philippines in a somewhat disjointed way.
● Modern historians including Rizal have noted that Morga has a
Rizal Finals Reviewer - definite bias and would often distort facts or even rely on intention to
fit his defense of the Spanish Conquest.
UNIT 6 - Literary Masterpieces of Jose Rizal Chapters of Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
● Chapter 1: the discovery of Philippines
Lesson 1: Dr. Morga: An Insight Into His Life And Work ● Chapter 2-7 : Chronological report on government administration
Jose Rizal Statement under Governor-General
● Spanish colonization retarded, rather than brought civilization to the ● Chapter 8: Philippine Islands, the natives there, their culture, custom,
Philippines and its inhabitants.” tradition and Government.
Dr. Morga’s Statement ● Note. The first 7 chapters mainly concern the Political events during
● Born on Nov. 29, 1559 Seville Spain the terms of the first 11 Governor General in the Philippines.
● Died on July 21, 1636 , Metropolitan District of Quito, ● Chapter 8 gives description of the pre-Hispanic Filipino
● Ecuador What Leads Jose Rizal to Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas?
● Nationality is Spanish ● Rizal was an earnest seeker of truth and this marked him
● He graduated in the University of Salamanca in 1574 ● as a historian.
● Doctorate in Canon Law, 1578 ● He had a burning desire to know exactly the conditions of the
● A Lawyer Philippines when the Spaniards came ashore to the islands
● A Historian ● His theory was that the country was economically self sufficient and
● He joined the government service in 1580 prosperous
● In 1593, he was appointed Lieutenant Governor in Manila ● He believed the conquest of the Spaniards contributed in part to the
● In 1598, he resigned his post to assume the office of oidor or judge in decline of the Philippine’s rich tradition and culture.
the Audencia ● He then decided to undertake the annotation of Antonio de Morga’s
● He wrote the first formal history of the Philippines conquest by Spain Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas
by his own observation. ● His personal friendship with Ferdinand Blumentritt provided the
Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas inspiration for doing a new edition of Morga’s Sucesos
● It is one of the important works on the early history of the Spanish ● Rizal proceeded to annotate every chapter of the Sucesos
colonization of the Philippines published in Mexico in 1609 by DR. Rizal’s Annotation of Morga’s Sucesos
Antonio de Morga. ● His extensive annotations of Morga’s work number no less than 639
● Annotated by Jose Rizal with a prologue by Dr. Ferdinand items or almost two annotations for every page
Blumentritt. ● Rizal also annotated Morga’s typographical errors
 ● He commented on every statement that could be nuanced in Filipino
Cultural Practices. For example, on page 248 Morga describes that
ancient Filipino prefer to eat salt fish which begin to decompose and
smell. (Bagoong)
Main Propositions in Rizal’s New Edition of Morga’s Sucesos
● The people of the Philippines had a culture on their own, before the
coming of the Spaniards
● Filipinos were decimated, demoralized, exploited and ruined by the
Spanish Colonization
● The Present state of the Philippines was not necessarily superior to its
past.
Controversies and Criticisms
● Rizal selectively used Morga’s historical accounts to supports his own
agenda of advocating for Philippine independence and social reform.
● Rizal focus on the injustices of the Spanish colonial regime, as
highlighted in Morga’s work, was seen by some as a deliberate
attempt to further his nationalist cause.
● Critics argue that Rizal’s interpretation of Morga’s writing may have
at times skewed the historical record to fit his narrative, potentially
overlooking certain nuances and complexities.
● Another controversy arises from the notion that Rizal may have
unintentionally contributed to the Rizalization of Philippine history,
where his perspectives and ideas have overshadowed other historical
figures and narratives.
● In this annotation, we've explored the connection between Dr. José
Rizal and Dr. Morga's work. Dr. Morga's writings significantly
influenced Rizal's advocacy for Philippine independence and social
reform. However, controversies and criticisms exist regarding Rizal's
selective use of Morga's writings to support his agenda. This
relationship highlights the complex interplay between history and the
pursuit of national identity. Despite the debates, the legacies of Dr.
Morga and José Rizal in shaping Philippine history are undeniably
profound.
● In conclusion, the connection between Dr. Rizal and Dr. Morga's
work is a testament to the enduring impact of historical literature. Dr.
Morga's writings profoundly influenced Rizal's pursuit of Philippine
independence and social reform, even as it sparked controversies.
This relationship underscores the intricate interplay between history,
literature, and the quest for national identity. As we reflect on their
legacies, we recognize the profound and lasting contributions of both
Dr. Morga and José Rizal to the rich tapestry of Philippine history.
Lesson 2: The Indolence of the Filipinos, The Philippines A century
Hence, To the Young Women of Malolos
The Indolence of Filipinos
Historical Context of Rizal’s Writing of the “The Indolence of the
Filipinos”:
● Peninsular authorities in the late 1880’s reported about the Philippine
natives being indolent.
● Dr. Gregorio Sancianco, (a propagandist) in his Progreso de Filipinas
laughingly dealt with the question by asserting that such indolence
did not exist.
● He claimed that whatever was reported about it did not deserve a
reply, not even the slight attention.
● July-September, 1890 – Rizal wrote a historical treatise (published in
La Solidaridad) on the subject not denying the matter (natives were
indolent) but defending them from the charge that they were born
indolent.
● Rizal critically analyzed the causes why the natives did not work hard
during the Spanish regime and concluded that they were not by nature
indolent.
Rizal’s Historical Assertions:
1. Native Filipinos before the coming of the Spaniards were industrious
and hardworking.
2. Their indolence was not hereditary as they were actively engaged in
agriculture, industries, and commerce.
3. Economic life declined as they abandoned their pre-colonial
industries and worked less compared to their ancestors upon the
conquest by the Spaniards.
4. The causes of the economic decline can be summarized as follows:
● Native revolts and internal disorders following establishment
of Spanish colonial rule.
● Wars fought by the natives for Spain against the Dutch,
Portuguese, English and other Spanish enemies.
● Piratical attacks waged by some Muslims against
non-Muslim coastal villages / towns.
● Forced labor (polo) which compelled many of the natives to
work in shipyards, roads, bridges and other public works.
● Lack of stimulus to work harder because they would not
enjoy the fruits of their labor.
● Bad example shown by the Spaniards in despising manual
labor.
● Spanish missionaries teaching: the poor has greater chances
to enter heaven than the rich.
● Government neglect of and indifference to agriculture,
industry and commerce.
● Encouragement and propagation of gambling by Spanish
authorities.
● Non-promotion in education of economic enterprise and
activity.
5. Other significant factors that contributed to native indolence:
● Miserly return for their labor.
● Trade with China (Manila-Acapulco Trade).
● Fiestas and other religious festivities.
● Curtailment of individual liberty.
● Ownership of the big estates by the friars
● Deprivation of / lack of respect for human dignity
● Feeling of inferiority
● Placing hopes on miracles
● Climate
On Gambling:
● Antonio Morga, author of “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas,” never
spoke of gambling about vices and other defects of the native
Filipinos.
● In cockfighting, only two are Tagalog words (sabong and tari).
● The rest are Spanish and they refer to gambling:
➔ Sultada (soltada) – the act of setting free the cocks or the
fight itself.
➔ Pusta (apuesta) – bet
➔ Logro – winnings
➔ Sentensyador (sentenciador) – referee
● More words of Spanish origin referring to gambling:
➔ Sugal (jugar) – to gamble
➔ Baraha (baraja) – playing cards
➔ Taya (tallar) – bet
➔ Paris-paris (pares) – pair of cards
● Such words are comparable to the non-existence before of kumpisal
(confesar, or to confess to a priest and bintana (ventana, or window)
which is originally durungawan.
On Climate:
● The warm climate requires quiet and rest for the individual, just as
cold incites him to work and to action.
● Thus, Rizal says that the Spaniard is more indolent than the French
and the German.
● In the tropical countries, severe work is not a good thing as in cold
countries.
● Nature has therefore made the land more fertile, more productive as
compensation.
Conclusion:
“Who is the indolent one, the Indio coadjutor, poorly paid and badly treated,
who has to visit all the indigent sick living in the country, or the friar curate
who gets fabulously rich, goes about in a carriage, eats and drinks well, and
does not trouble himself unless he can collect excessive fees?
- Rizal, in this Essay
“Who is the indolent one in the offices in Manila? Is it the poor clerk, who
comes in at eight in the morning and leaves at one o’clock in the afternoon
with his parasol, and copies and writes and works by himself and for his chief,
or is it his chief who comes in a carriage at ten o’clock, leaves before twelve,
reads with his newspaper while smoking with his feet stretched out on a chair
or a table, or speaking ill of everything with his friends?
- Rizal, in this Essay
Unit 7: Birth of a Filipino National Consciousness
What is Nationalism?
● It usually springs from the consciousness of a national identity of
being one people.
● Identification with one’s own nation and support for its interests,
especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interest of other
nations.
● It is an ideology that emphasizes loyalty, devotion, or allegiance to a
nation or nation-state and holds that such obligations outweigh other
individual or group interests.
Lesson 1: Foundation of Our Indigenous Culture
Archeologists and historians who have been reconstructing our past to
ascertain our racial origin hypothesized that:
1. Our indigenous culture started to develop in the pre-historic and
pre-Christian eras.
2. These early cultures ranged from the Old Stone Age to the Metal Age
with organized community life.
3. The early settlers came from Borneo, Indo-China, South China and
other parts of Southeast Asia
Malays- brought here their technology that started the development of our
indigenous culture. These skills were mining and melting of iron tools,
weapons, utensils and ornaments; irrigated agriculture cultivation of fruit
trees, spices, fiber, ornamental plants and other agricultural products. The use
of the carabao and the horse as work animals, the manufacture of ornamented
pottery and glass beads and weaving
● Between these periods of migration, towards the end of the 19th
century, our country began to experience contacts with Arab, Chinese
and Malay traders. The fusion of these successive culture migrations
and mingling of their Asian blood have assimilated so well to
produce the Filipino people and our indigenous culture. From then on
until the Spaniards came, the settlers in their respective traditions had
established an agricultural economy; maintained trade relations with
each other; and developed religious and social norms, a language, a
system of writing, literature, and a political and judicial system in
accordance with the standards of the period.
The Chinese and Arabs who took part of history
Unification of the Country by Spain
● More than 300 centuries of Spanish domination in the Philippines
was one of the longest in southeast asia by a western colonizer. Her
most worthy legacy was the functional unification of the
widely-scattered people under a highly centralized and bureaucratic
government
Roman Catholicism - the better known Spanish legacy among present day
Filipinos, was the state of religion through catholicism and a system of
education.
Happenings during theSpanish Era: new knowledge of chemistry and physics and other ideas greatly
1. Christianity enhanced the industrial revolution.
2. Spanish Abuses Here are the few things in the 19th Century:
3. Philippine Revolts 1. Transportation
2. Communication
● The process of acculturation and the government’s notorious 3. Karl Max (Marxism)
monopolistic restrictions and control dominated the people’s lives. One of the 19th century philosophers who brilliantly expounded the
Most of the Spanish officials became abusive that gave rise to revolts. philosophy of socialism of now known as Marxism which has now known as
Causes of Filipino Revolts the most influential concept among labor circles. With the publication of the
1. The desire to regain our lost freedom. “Communist Manifesto” in 1814, Socialism passed permanently into the
2. The Spanish abuses/oppression tradition of western civilization.
3. Agrarian complaints or the loss of the Filipino lands.
4. The Religious intolerance of the Spanish authorities The Altered position of the Catholic Church in the 19th Century Causes
of the diminishing power of the Church:
● Sumoroy (1649-1650) ● Enlightenment
● Diego Silang (1762-1763) ● Liberation of People
● Palaris (1762-1763) ● Formation of Different Religions
● Apolinario Dela Cruz (1840-1841) ● Religious Reformations
● And Several others.
All revolts from Sumoroy to Apolinario Dela Cruz had failed due The Catholic church in Europe was a most powerful influential institution.
to two reasons: The church has been identified with the monarchy and aristocracy since the
1. The absence of Nationalism medieval era. The church therefore was considered an adversary of the young
2. Lack of National Leaders Republican states and the recently unified countries. The French viewed the
● All these revolts failed because of sectional jealousies, the lack of church as a threat to their newly established republican state, and Bismark of
communication in the provinces and the absence of a national the Germany considered the church as a threat to the new unified German
leadership. The insular nature of the country hindered contacts among Empire.
the Filipinos.
The New Breed of Native Middle Class
Lesson 2: Challenge of the 19th Century ● The 19th Century economic and social stimuli effected a marked
● Industrialization rapidly changed rapidly gained momentum in the improvement in the standard of living of a small group of indios and
second half of the 19th century. The wonders of science and man’s mestizos who ere engaged in commercial agriculture and trade. This
group became the nucleus of growing class.

Lesson 3: Initial response to 19th century challenges:
1. Francisco Baltazar- voiced his disgust in the prevailing social order
through his Literary pieces, particularly “Florante at Laura”
2. Father Pelaez- used the pulpit and the press to expose and criticize the
rampant racial discrimination against the native clergy.
3. Father Burgos- openly and eagerly worked for clerical equality and
for the secularization of parishes.
Futile Spanish Attempts to Initiate Reforms
Sensing the prevalent social discontent, political insecurity and the
growing anti-Spanish feelings in the islands, the spanish governors: General
Manuel Pavia and Carlos Ma de la Torre warned the spanish government and
suggested certain reforms. Governor Rafael de Izquierdo, on the other hand
blamed higher educations the motivating factor of all these agitations.
Fortunately for the Philippines, the Spanish government could not
agree on policies to counteract the surging rise of nationalistic sentiments. The
political instability in Spain had caused frequent changes of Spanish officials
in the Philippines which caused further confusion and increased social as well
as political discontent in the country.
Filipino Sentiment of Nationality Aroused
This local incident was magnified by the Spanish authorities into a
"national rebellion" to justify mass reprisals. When the news of the Cavite
mutiny reached Manila, the arrest of liberal intellectuals was immediately
ordered. Among those arrested were mestizos and natives who were most
vocal in suggesting reforms during De la Torre's regime. They were Fathers
Gomez, burgos, Zamora, Austin Mendoza, Mariano Lopez and Feliciano
Lopez.
The vindictive fiasco made no distinction of social classes or status -
mestizos, indios, priests, lawyers, and workers were all imprisoned,
humiliated, and sentenced as a group. These social groups finally realized that
to save their lives and fortune, they have to seek one common objective; they
had to unite, or there would be no end to their miseries.
Activities seemed to settle down as the reformists carried on with
more discretion, setting up headquarters wherever freer conditions permitted.
Eventually a peaceful but vigorous campaign called the Propaganda
Movement was launched.
The Propaganda Movement
After eight years of relative peace and quiet, the historical drama now
unfolds in Madrid where intellectual and political ferment have been long in
progress. Two young Doctors of Laws, Pedro Paterno and Gregorio
Sancianco, both chinese mestizos endowed with nationalist sentiments were in
Spain during the "lull" years following the tragedies of 1872.Their Literary
works seemed to have anticipated the dream of their compatriots and set the
pattern of action and themes for the other nationalists to follow. These two
intellectuals were soon joined by Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose Rizal, Pedro de
Govantes and Eduardo de Lete.
Dr. Paterno Published his first literary work which was a collection of
verses entitled Sampaguitas (1880). He attempted to project to the public a
Filipino national personality through the works of a Filipino.
Dr. Gregorio Sanciano wrote on a more serious theme: economic
reforms to improve political administration. His book, "El Progreso de
Filipinas (1881), analyzed the revenue system and concluded the equality of
the Philippine tax structure had deterred the economic growth of the
Philippines.
The works of Paterne and Sancianco clearly summed up the ideas that
were to recur in the political and intellectual activities of the propagandists for
the next 15 years. The propagandists asserted an image of dignity and identity
as members of the Spanish nation by working for their right to administrative
and economic reforms in order to correct existing prejudices and annotations.
Unifying Forces During the Unorganized Years
 Spontaneous expressions of nationalistic sentiments with no formal
organization to coordinate and direct their activities characterize the early
stages of the propaganda movement in Spain. Although they worked
individually writing articles for liberal and radical Spanish newspapers, they
acted as one on certain occasions. These were the things that happened
therefore:
● abolition of the tobacco monopoly in 1881
● the victory of Juan Luna and Felix Resureccion Hidalgo at the
"Exposicion Filipina in 1887 forming of an organization called Circle
Hispano-Filipino led by Juara Atayde, a spaniard born in the
Philippines
● forming of an organization called :Circulo Hispano-Filipino led by
Juana Atayde, a Spaniard born in the Philippines
● A propaganda newspaper, "España en Filipinas' advocated economic
and administrative reforms for the Philippines
● Rizal's Name Tangere was published in March 1887 which added fuel
to heated arguments between the pro and anti propagandist. Rizal
expected unfavorable reactions from the friar group. It’s publication
spurred the Filipinos to close their ranks and defend the novel from
criticism, using it for propaganda purposes.
Revival of Activities in the Philippines
As the drive for reforms in Spain gained his momentum, the
nationalist-reformists in the Philippines were busy with their own plans. The
local strategy in organizing the propaganda work was performed by Marcelo
H. Del Pilar exhorted the young men to join student organizations. He
stumped the provinces and moralized among the people about patriotism,
sacrifice, and industry.
His works were:
● his duplos and essays which satirized local conditions were sidely
circulated in the Tagalog Provinces.
● secretly organized the Comite de Propaganda shich used Manila and
Malolos as centers of their operations.
Encouraged by their growing consciousness of unity, the consummate
leadership of Del Pilar, and the support of liberal-minded officials, the natives
further questioned the right of the parish priests to decide whose names were
to be deleted from the list of taxpayers. They also exposed instances where
friars abused their authority. such as the deportation of those who complained
against the friars of various crimes demanded the expulsion of the friars and
the exile of the Archbishop.
Glimpses of Propaganda Literature
The biographies of great Filipinos such as Rizal and their novels were
serialized in La Solidaridad to show enhancement of the liberal's motives for
reforms.
Included historical essays stressed the importance of education,
analyzed the grievances of country-men and belied unfair charges against the
people, this ideas of Mariano ponce.
Thus, the writer-reformists through their profilic writings make their
demands for reform clear, and build the Filipino image of hope, pride and
dignity.
Masonry and the Propaganda Movement
Not satisfied with their research, journalistic, literary and oratorical
feats, the propagandists joined the brotherhood of masons. The liberal ideas of
the masons, their fearless attacks on the government and the church, and the
freedom they generally enjoyed attracted the attention of the propagandists.
They hoped that this association would help them fight the friars and
obtain reforms.
Counter-Propaganda Moves
The expose, satives and criticisms written against the Spaniards
stimulated varied reactions, among which was sympathy for the spanish
authorities in the Philippines. This group of sympathizers also organized their
counter propaganda moves similar to those of the filipino propagandists.
They published and wrote for newspapers, adopted of the
"PSEUDONYMS", and banned all the writings Propagandists from the
Philippines.
Disappointing Reforms
These were not the principal the Filipino wanted. The maura law was
a fine piece of municipal legislation but it came three years before the
outbreak of the revolution and was too late for implementation without a
guarantee of their human, and civil rights, the Penal Code, Civil Code and the
code of commerce were useless to the Filipinos.
Problems of the Propagandists
The widening rift among the propagandist was aggravated by their
personal problems, their depleted financial conditions, their homesickness and
concern for their families in the Philippines, and their rivalries and criticism of
one another because no substantial reforms were granted.
Rizal attempts to carry on the propaganda in the Philippines
Of these three stalwarts of the propaganda, Rizal came home with the
hope of working for reforms on Philippine soil. He organized La Liga Filipina
on 3 July 1892:
Objectives according to its constitution:
● Unificatio of the whole archipelago into one compact, vigorous, and
homogenous body;
● Mutual protection in every want and necessity;
● Defense against all violence and injustice;
● Encouragement of education, agriculture and commerce and;
● Study and application of reforms.
However noble Rizal's intentions were, La Liga was short lived
because of his exile to Dapitan in 1892. Rizal's last desperate attempt to carry
on the propaganda movement in the Philippines had failed
Propaganda Movement
The unjust execution of fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora was a turning point in the history of the Philippines.
It marked the beginning of a new era as the propaganda period.
A peaceful campaign organization using literary endeavor as
mouthpiece to publicize the political, economic and religious problems in the
colony.
Among their specific goals were:
➔ Representations of the Philippines in the Cortes (Spanish parliament)
➔ Secularization of the clergy
➔ Legalization of the Spanish and Filipino equality
➔ Creation of a public school system independent of the friars
➔ Abolition of the polo (labor service) and bandala (forced sale of local
products to the government)
➔ Guarantee of basic freedom of speech and association
➔ Equal opportunity for Filipinos and Spaniards to enter government
service
Propagandists
Graciano Lopez Jaena
● 1889, he established La Solidaridad in Barcelona
● He died of Tuberculosis
Dr. Jose P. Rizal
● The most outstanding among the propagandist December 30, 1896
● Rizal was shot to death by a firing squad at Bagumbayan
● In 1889 he started the newspaper, La Solidaridad (solidarity), that
circulated both in Spain and the Philippines and was the medium of
the Propaganda movement.
Marcelo H. Del pilar
 ● The political analyst of the propaganda movement and the greatest
journalist produced by the Filipino race
● Editor of La Solidaridad
Movement
❖ Marcelo H. Del Pilar
➢ Diariong Tagalog, Caiingat Cayo, La Frailocracia en
Filipinas, Dasalan and Toksohan and La Sobrenia Monacal,
dudas, Pasiong Dapat ipag-alab ng taong babasa, Dupluhan,
Sagot ng espania sa hibik ng Filipinas and Kadakilaan ng
Diyos.
❖ Graciano Lopez Jaena
➢ La Solidaridad, Fray Botod, Esperanza, and La Hija del fraile
❖ Jose Rizal
➢ Noli Me tangere, El Filibusterismo, The Indolence of the
Filipinos, Philippines a century hence, To the Filipino youth,
and Mi ultimo adios. And the organization of La liga Filipina
Used Pen names
➔ Rizal - Dimasalang and Laong Laan
➔ Mariano Ponce - Tikbalang, Naning and Kalipulako
➔ Antonio Luna - Taga-Ilog
➔ Marcelo H. Del pilar - Plaridel
➔ Jose Ma. Panganiban - Jomapa
La Solidaridad
● Ang La Solidaridad ang naging pangalan ng isang samahan ng mga
Pilipinong ilustrado sa Espanya na naghangad na magkaroon ng
representasyon ang Pilipinas sa Cortes Generales
Reasons of the failure of the Propaganda Movement
➢ When the time came the financial support from the Philippines
gradually lessened until finally it was put to an end
➢ Due to leadership crisis
With the failure of the Propaganda Movement, the Filipinos gave up
and the last ditch of hope to peaceful means. Andres Bonifacio led the
Filipinos to a new phase of social and political awareness marked by the
founding Katipunan.
UNIT 8 – Rizal`s Concepts on Nation Building
“ On this battlefield man has no better weapon than his intelligence, no other
force but his heart”
- Jose Rizal -
Rizal’s Concept of being a Filipino and Filipino Nationalism
● Not because he helped established an independent Philippine state in
fact, specifically and explicitly denounced the 1896
● He is considered as the Father of Filipino Nationalism.
● He was instrumental in the creation of the conceptualization of
Filipino as an ethnopolitical collective (as a people or the people)
● Despite political inhibitions, Rizal aimed at the restoration of his
people’s dignity and the recognition of their natural rights. He gained
a better perspective of his country’s problems.
● He began to understand that the prolonged subjugation of his people
was caused primarily by two factors, namely: the absence of national
consciousness and the education of the people.
● His blueprint for nation building includes the importance of
education, instilling racial pride and dignity among the people, the
promotion of national consciousness, the re-orientation of values and
attitudes, and the willingness to sacrifice for the country.
 ● Rizal looked upon education as a pre- requisite to the realization of a
people’s freedom. It is through education that people obtain
knowledge of themselves as individuals and as members of a nation.
● The long period of colonial domination and the constant humiliations
and discrimination experienced by the Filipino people from their
colonial masters produced a feeling of inferiority and a lack of racial
pride and dignity.
● He wanted his people to dedicate their thoughts, words and actions
not solely to themselves as citizens of a nation.
● Rizal emphasized that the task of nation building is accompanied by
hardships and sufferings which the people must inevitably experience
to bolster their courage.
● The paramount problem during Rizal’s time was the development of a
national consciousness. It was important that the people realized the
miserable facts of their existence, the cause of their oppression and
the sacrifices they must endure to be freed from colonial domination.
Rizal’s Program of Action
● Organize a group of Filipino students in Madrid that would use their
varied talents to work for solutions to the Philippine Problems.
● Proposed writing a book similar to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle
Toms Cabin which would deal with the various aspects of Filipino
life.
● From the records in the vast Filipiniana collection of the British
Museum, Rizal had pieced together the past history of the Philippines
which revealed that even before the coming of the Spaniards the
Filipinos had developed culture.
● He wrote “The Indolence of the Filipino’s” which came out as a
series of articles in La Solidaridad from July 15 to September 15,
1899.
● Feared the possibility of the Filipinos resort to arms as a desperate
means to fight, he wrote El Filibusterismo to show his countrymen
the price they should be willing to pay and the problems they would
have solve first before plunging the country to revolution.
● He thought of showing the people how to organize themselves into a
compact homogenous body of the Philippines. Rizal major plan of
organization was the establishment of La Liga Filipina.
● His exile demonstrated the hero’s untiring efforts at continuing the
program of action that he relentlessly pursued for the realization of
his blueprint of nation building.
Rizal’s Program of Reforms
● The nationalism he taught his people did not end with the attainment
of independence. He looked beyond independence to the progressive
development of a new nation in politics, economics, technology and
education. His writings conveyed concepts that are applicable for all
time especially to the present in all major areas of political,
socio-economic and educational reforms and his moral teachings and
principles convey the essence of national awareness.
Jose Rizal was an idealist who wished to liberate his fellow countrymen
from ignorance, exploitation and discrimination.
● Father of “ Philippine Nationalism” for his intellectual and idealistic
support for Philippine Independence.
● He preached for and encouraged Filipinos to recognize their potential
as Filipino Citizens.
He exposed to his people the injustices that friars and civil authorities
had inflicted upon them, as well as the ways is which the corrupt and bribed
friars had used the catholic faith as a tool of oppression and prostituted it
through outward acts that gave the appearance of religion. The friars also
enriched themselves not only by extorting excessive fees for church services
but also by unjust acquisition of land estates. They enjoy priorities over high
government officials whose tenure of office they can control.