Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina

RIZAL’S LIFE AND WORK

GED192

GROUP REPORTING

Rizal’s Changing View on the Spanish Rule

Indolence of Filipinos
The Filipino Farmers
Abandonment of Assimilation

GROUP 1
Ayad, Ezekiel
Cachero, Marielyn
Caniedo, Mc Fhilip
Caoayan, Ian Theodore
Pascual, Beverly
Sanalila, Ricky Ray
Tuazon, Lorenz
 A. INDOLENCE AND THE SPANISH COLONIAL RULE
Shortly after Rizal published his first novel, Noli Me Tangere, he became
an active contributor to the biweekly newspaper, La Solidaridad. Two of his
essays published on the newspaper were Sobre La Indolencia de los Filipinos (1890)
and Los Agricultores Filipinos (1889).

Sobre La Indolencia de los Filipinos (1890):

- Rizal acknowledge Gregorio Sancianco’s El Progreso de Filipinas (1881) and
recognized the evident indolence of the Filipinos.
- Rizal acknowledged the perceived indolence of Filipinos but argued it was not
inherent but rather a result of the tropical climate and oppressive Spanish
colonial rule.
- He likened indolence to an illness, emphasizing the need to diagnose its causes
to find appropriate solutions.
- Factors contributing to Filipino indolence:
- Unreasonable taxes and forced labor (polo y servicio) imposed by the Spanish.
- Limited education and training to prevent insubordination.
- Stigma that Filipino culture was inferior, leading to submissive attitudes.
- Rizal concluded that the solution to indolence was education and liberation from
oppression.

Los Agricultores Filipinos (1889)

- Rizal praised Spanish intentions to develop Philippine agriculture for social and
economic advancement.
- While exiled in Dapitan, Rizal focused on farming, applying modern agricultural
methods from Europe.
- Recommended the use of fertilizers and farm machines for improved productivity.
- Urged the Ministry of Colonies to consult Filipino farmers on agrarian issues and
provide assistance.
- Highlighted abusive colonial policies like polo y servicio as hindrances to
agricultural productivity.
- Addressed the issue of banditry and urged farmers to arm themselves for
protection against lawless elements.
 B. THE FILIPINO FARMERS

Challenges Faced by Filipino Farmers During the Spanish Regime

- Natural Calamities: Farmers dealt with plagues, floods, locusts, and poor
harvests, which threatened their livelihoods.
- Tyranny of Officials: Farmers faced oppression from tyrant leaders, officers, and
robbers.
- Forced Labor: Lack of laborers due to forced labor practices by the Spaniards.

Issues with Capitalist Farmers

- Tyrant Officers - Civil guards from other towns abused power by stealing crops
and resources.
- Unjust Arrests - Laborers of capitalist farmers were arrested for minor reasons,
affecting productivity.
- Delayed Work - Farmers faced delays ranging from days to months due to these
issues.

Bribery and Corruption

- Official's Wrath - Farmers were sometimes targeted unjustly by officials for
personal grudges or refusal to pay bribes.
- Tulisanes or Bandits - Due to lack of government protection, farmers had to
defend their properties against bandits, sometimes resorting to arming
themselves.

Challenges in Obtaining Firearms

- License Difficulties - Even with good relations with authorities, acquiring or
renewing firearm licenses was challenging.
- Confiscation - Firearms were sometimes confiscated, leaving farmers
defenseless.

Case Example - Province of La Laguna

- Loyal Citizen - Despite loyalty to Spain and contributions to defending against
invaders, a citizen lost his firearm license renewal and had his firearm
confiscated.
- Outcome - The farmer had to abandon his farms, resulting in losses of valuable
crops like abaca.
 C. RIZAL’S ABANDONMENT OF ASSIMILATION

Deterioration of Reform Efforts

- Lack of progress in reform campaigns led by ilustrados and propagandists made
many Filipinos lose hope.
- Filipinos in Spain became demotivated; some passively participated while others
sought alternative ways to resist Spanish rule.
- Personal rivalries among Filipinos hindered the formation of concrete plans and
actions.

Rizal and Jaena’s Withdrawal from La Solidaridad

- Disagreements and differences in ideals led Graciano Lopez Jaena and Jose
Rizal to withdraw from La Solidaridad.
- Marcelo H. del Pilar managed the newspaper alone after their departure.
- Desire to establish a new united organization emerged to counter Spanish rule
due to personal rivalries hindering actions.

Reform Demands
- Filipinos lobbied for representation in the Spanish Cortes for a limited voice in the
Spanish government.
- Lack of commitment from the Spanish government made Filipino representation
hard to materialize.
- Rizal focused on the plight of hacienderos in Calamba and brought their issues to
the Spanish courts.

Rizal’s Growing Skepticism

- Rizal doubted the feasibility of peaceful reform campaigns due to Spain’s
unwillingness to learn from past colonial experiences.
- After his mother and sister were arrested and mistreated in Manila, Rizal
expressed disillusionment with hope from Europe and emphasized the need for
action in the Philippines.
- Rizal hinted at his return to the Philippines, stating the battle should be fought
there.

Establishment of La Liga Filipina

- After publishing "El Filibusterismo," Rizal returned to Manila and founded La Liga
Filipina.
- La Liga Filipina was a secret society promoting mutual protection, defense
against injustices, and the promotion of education among Filipinos, embodying
the ideas presented in Rizal’s novel.
Rizal's Message
- Despite condemning Spanish rule, Rizal did not advocate for immediate
revolution but believed in preparing Filipinos for eventual independence.
- He emphasized the importance of education, exemplary lives, and sacrifice as
paths to freedom.
- At the novel's end, through Padre Florentino, Rizal called on the youth to rise to
the challenge of achieving independence.

Summary:
In summary, José Rizal's views on Spanish rule in the Philippines evolved from
initially optimistic to critical and reformist. He played a pivotal role in inspiring the Filipino
nationalist movement and laying the groundwork for the country's eventual struggle for
independence.
● Indolence and the Spanish Colonial rule were the root causes of why the
Spaniards called the Filipinos indolent.
● Rizal’s Abandonment of Assimilation tackles the circumstances that made
Rizal reconsider the idea of assimilation and turn to other means of achieving
reformation.
● El Filibusterismo focuses on the significant changes in Rizal’s ideas from Noli Me
Tangere to El Filibusterismo