LIFE AND WORK OF RIZAL

LESSON 10: THE PHILIPPINES: A CENTURY HENCE

Rizal’s work, “The Philippines a Century Hence” was serialized in La Solidaridad in four installments from
September 30, 1889 to January 31, 1890. In this essay, Rizal attempts to answer the basic question of whether the Philippines
will remain a Spanish colony or not.

Rizal's essay titled “The Philippines Century Hence presents compelling arguments on what the state of the country
will be like in the future. However, in order to be forward looking, one must, at first be able to look back at the country’s
past. In Rizal’s words, “In order to read the destiny of a people, it is necessary to open the book of its past.”

The first part of Rizal’s essay does this by illustrating that with the arrival of the Spaniards, the Filipinos were forced
to accept and subject themselves to a new and foreign culture. Time passed while Spaniards attempted to subjugate the
Filipinos completely, but Rizal argues that the continued oppression only resulted in the gradual awakening of the Filipinos.

By the nineteenth century, economic conditions had become better in the Philippines and Rizal recognizes this.
However, beyond the material prosperity, he points out that the Filipinos remain brutalized and oppressed. Since
advancement of progress is clearly inevitable, Rizal poses the question on whether the Philippines will remain a colony of
Spain despite all the changes.

To this question, his answer is straightforward. He states that the Philippines will remain a colony of Spain if the
mother country implements reforms such as freedom of the press and representation in the Cortes. Rizal also concedes that
if Spain does not grant these reforms, the Filipino will likely become independent after a violent and bloody revolution.

The final part of Rizal’s work presents another interesting point of discussion since he attempts to look, into the
future of the country. He argues that if the Philippines become free in the future, this independence will be short-lived since
the United States of America will probably acquire and colonize the country as one of their own territories.

In the end, Rizal makes a strong assertion that it is imperative for Spain to grant the Filipinos reform, for as he
eloquently states, “It is better to keep pace with the desire of a people than to give way before them; the former begets
sympathy and love, the latter contempt and anger.”