THE

PHILIPPINES A
CENTURY
HENCE
BY DR. JOSE RIZAL
• “In the Philippine Islands the American
government has tried, and is trying, to
carry out exactly what the greatest
genius and most revered patriot ever
known in the Philippines, Jose Rizal,
steadfastly advocated.”
• -From a public address at Fargo, N.D., on April 7th 1903, by
the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
INTRODUCTION
A sketch map, by Dr. Rizal, of spheres of influence in the Pacific at the time of writing “The Philippines A Century
Hence,” as they appeared to him.
THE PHILIPPINES
A CENTURY
HENCE
• Published between September
30, 1889 - February 1, 1890,
originally written as “Filipinas
dentro de cien anos” is a
socio-political essay written in
four parts in the magazine La
Solidaridad by José Rizal. It was
then translated by Charles
Derbyshire. It was published in
Madrid, Spain.
• Jose Rizal made the essay 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.
MAIN POINTS
• PART ONE • PART TWO
Analysis of the past Comparison of the past and present (at the
time of writing) condition of the Philippines
1. Spain’s implementation of her
military policies 1. Maintenance of Spanish authority
2. Role of priests
2. Deterioration and disappearance
of Filipino indigenous culture a. Emergence of an enlightened class
3. Passivity and submissiveness to the b. Prevention of progress of the Philippines
Spanish colonizers 1. Brutalization of the masses through a
caste addicted to the government
Realization of the oppression of the
colonizers 2. Impoverishment of the country
3. Gradual extermination of the
inhabitants
MAIN POINTS
PART FOUR
• The future of colonization
1. Assimilation
2. Extermination
PART THREE
3. Encystment
• Transformation in a political sense • Accumulation of acts of injustice
• Reforms • Philippines and the other foreign powers
1. Freedom of the press 1. England
2. Germany
2. Inclusion of Filipino deputies in
3. France
the government
4. Holland
3. Equal educational
5. Japan
opportunities
6. United States
• A message to Spain
 CHAPER I

T H E P H I L I P P I N E S A C E N T U RY H E N C E
• Following our usual custom of facing squarely the most difficult and
delicate questions relating to the Philippines, without weighing the
consequences that our frankness may bring upon us, we shall in the
present article treat of their future.
• In order to read the destiny of a people, it is necessary to open the
book of its past, and this, for the Philippines, may be reduced in
general terms to what follows.
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, the Filipinos learned to submit themselves to the will of the foreigners.

Source: http://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com/
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.
QUESTIONS

• Will the Philippine Islands continue to be a Spanish colony, and if so,

what kind of colony?
• Will they become a province of Spain, with or without autonomy?
• And to reach this stage, what sacrifices will have to be made?
• Will they be separated from the mother country to live
independently, to fall into the hands of other nations, or to ally
themselves with neighboring powers?
CHAPTER II

T H E P H I L I P P I N E S A C E N T U RY H E N C E
I. WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE
PHILIPPINES WITHIN A CENTURY? WILL
THEY CONTINUE TO BE A SPANISH
COLONY?
a. For those who have a STRONG SPIRIT over the liberty of
the country, INDEPENDENCE was ASSURED.
b. But for those who are DISCOURAGED and
DISILLUSIONED by sad experience shall be a PRISON of
the colony FOREVER.
II. NOW, THEN, IS THE PHILIPPINES IN THE SAME
CONDITION THEY WERE THREE CENTURIES AGO?

a. For the liberal Spaniards: the ethical condition of the

people remains the same, that is, the native Filipinos have
not advanced.
b. For the friars and their followers the people have been
redeemed from savagery, that is, they have progressed;
c. For many Filipinos ethics, spirit and customs have decayed,
as decay all the good qualities of a people that falls into
slavery that is, they have retrograded.
• Spaniards were able to take hold of the Philippines for three
centuries because Filipinos remained faithful, giving up their liberty
and their independence, in exchange of all the promises given to
them.
• Filipinos sees the Spaniards as protectors but soon realizes that
they are its exploiters and executioners.
• Enlightenment is spreading and the persecution it suffers quickens
it.
III. IF THIS STATE OF AFFAIR CONTINUES , WHAT
WILL BECOME IN THE PHILIPPINES WITHIN A
CENTURY?
• People start to awaken and if the government doesn’t change its
acts, a revolution will occur.
• What do people like?
1. A Filipino representative for the Cortes and an authorized to
cry out against all kinds of abuses.
2. To practice their human rights.
• Possible Outcomes:
1. The Philippines will remain under Spanish domination, but
with more law and greater liberty.
2. They will declare themselves independent.
ONE QUESTION RIZAL RAISES IN THIS ESSAY IS WHETHER
OR NOT SPAIN CAN INDEED PREVENT THE PROGRESS OF
THE PHILIPPINES:
• Keeping the people uneducated and ignorant had failed. National consciousness
had still awakened, and great Filipino minds still emerged from the rubble.
• Keeping the 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.
• 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
CHAPTER III
FREE PRESS
• The importance of FREE PRESS was
emphasized in this part.
• Free press is needed in order to voice
out their complaints and suggestions
towards the reformation of the country.
• It will also keep the government in
touch with public opinion.
• The injustice reasons of the Spanish
government were also tackled on why
they wouldn’t risk putting a Filipino
representative in the Spanish Cortes.
• If the Philippine will remain under the control of
Spain, transformation will eventually happen and
will affect the people. In this case, some
governors have been trying to introduce needed
reforms.
• But it produced scanty result for the government
as well as to the country. With this, our country
is most likely reminded to Sancho Panza in
Barataria Island where he took his seat on
appointed table covered with fruits and variety of
food but when Pedro Rezio interposed Sancho
was as hungry as ever.
• That he should not eat except according to the
usage and custom of other island.

Note: Sancho Panza is a fictional character in the novel Don

Quixote written by Spanish author Don Miguel de Cervantes
Saavedra
-Source:Wikipedia
Sancho Panza = Philippines
Dishes = Reforms
Pedro Rezio= played by many persons, interested in not having the dishes
touched, perhaps that they may themselves get the benefit of them.
The result is the long suffering of Sancho (Philippines) misses his liberty and ends
up rebelling. In this manner as long as the Philippines have no liberty of press, all
the efforts of the colonial ministers will meet the fate like the dishes in Barataria
Island.
WHAT RISK DOES THE GOVERNMENT
SEE IN THEM?
• One of the three things either that they will prove unruly,
become political trimmers, or act properly.
• Because the Spanish parliament especially abounds in
oratorical paladins invisible in debate.
• So we see no serious reason why Philippines may not have
representatives. We know that the lack of enlightenment,
the indolence, the egotism may convert reform into a
harmful instrument.
• When the laws and the acts of officials are kept under
surveillance the word justice may cease to be a colonial
jest. The things that makes the English most respected in
their possessions is their strict and speedy justice so that
the inhabitants repose entire confidence in the judges.
Justice is the foremost virtue of the civilized races.
• To recapitulate: The Philippines will remain Spanish if
1. they enter upon the life of law and civilization,
2. if the rights of their inhabitants are respected, if the other rights
due them are granted,
3. if the liberal policy of the government is carried out without false
interpretation..
• Otherwise, if an attempt is made to see in the islands a love to be
exploited, a resource to satisfy ambitions, however great may be the
loyalty of Filipinos and it will be impossible to hinder the operations of
the laws of history.
• Close indeed are the bonds that unite us to Spain. Two peoples do not
live for three centuries in continual contract, sharing a same lot, holding
their same belief, worshipping the same God but that ties are formed
between them stronger than those engendered by affection.
• We, who today are struggling by the legal and peaceful means of debate
so understand it, and with our gaze fixed upon our deals, shall not cease
to plead our cause, without going beyond the pale of the law, but if
violence first silences us or we have the misfortune to fall, then we do
not know what course will be taken that will rush in to occupy the
places that we leave vacant.
• In contemplating such unfortunate, eventually we must turn away in
horror, and so instead of closing our eyes, we will face what the future
may bring.
CHAPTER IV
SPANISH COLONIZATION WAS
EXPLAINED SCIENTIFICALLY.
• ““THE EXISTENCE OF A FOREIGN BODY WITHIN
ANOTHER ENDOWED WITH STRENGTH AND
ACTIVITY IS CONTRARY TO ALL NATURAL AND
ETHICAL LAWS. SCIENCE TEACHES US THAT IT
EITHER ASSIMILATED, DESTROYS THE ORGANISM, IS
ELIMINATED OR BECOMES ENCYSTED.”
• “now, applying these considerations to the Philippines, we must conclude, as a
deduction from all we have said, that:
1. if their population will not assimilate to the Spanish nation
2. if the dominators do not enter into the spirit of their inhabitants
3. if equitable laws and free liberal reforms do not make each forget that they
belong to different races
4. If both peoples be not amalgamated to constitute one mass, socially and
politically, homogeneous, that is, not harassed by opposing tendencies and
antagonistic ideas and interests some day the Philippines will fatally and infallibly
declare themselves independent.
“WE HAVE SAID AND STATISTICS
PROVE THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO
EXTERMINATE THE FILIPINO PEOPLE”
• Moreover, in order to destroy the six million Malays, even
supposing them to be in their infancy and that they have
never learned to fight and defend themselves, Spain would
have to sacrifice at least a fourth of her population. This we
commend to the notice of the partizans of colonial
exploitation.
THE PHILIPPINES IS IN DANGER IN FALLING INTO OTHER HANDS AGAIN.
WHO ARE THE POSSIBLE COLONIZERS?
– ENGLAND
• Has enough colonies in the orient and is not going to risk losing her balance.
– GERMANY
• Will not care to run any risk, and because a scattering of her forces and a war in
distant countries will endanger her existence on the continent.
– FRANCE
• Has enough to do and sees more of a future in Tonking and China, besides the fact
that the French spirit does not shine in zeal for colonization.
– HOLLAND
• Is sensible and will be content to keep the Moluccas and Java.
– JAPAN
• Is under diplomatic pressure from Russia and England. Japan is more attracted to
Korea than the Philippines, which is easier to seize.
– US
• Whose interests lie in the Pacific and who has no hand in the spoliation of Africa, may
someday dream of foreign possession.
“Therefore, we repeat, and we will repeat, while there is time, that it
is better to keep pace with the desires of a people than to give way
before them… We shall never tire of repeating this while a ray of
hope is left us, for we prefer this unpleasant task to the need of
some day saying to the mother country:”
A MESSAGE TO SPAN
• “Spain, we have spent our youth in serving they interests in the interests of our
country; we have looked to thee, we have expended the whole light of our
intellects, all the fervor and enthusiasm of our hearts in working for the good
of what was thine, to draw from thee a glance of love, a liberal policy that
would assure us the peace of our native land and thy sway over loyal but
unfortunate islands! Spain, thou hast remained deaf, and, wrapped up in thy
pride, hast pursued thy fatal course and accused us of being traitors, merely
because we love our country, because we tell thee the truth and hate all kinds
of injustice. What dost thou wish us to tell our wretched country, when it asks
about the result of our efforts? Must we say to it that, since for it we have lost
everything – youth, future, hope, peace, family; since in its service we have
exhausted all the resources of hope, all the disillusions of desire, it also takes
the residue which we can not use, the blood from our veins and the strength
left in our arms? Spain, must we some day tell Filipinas that thou hast no ear
for her woes and that if she wishes to be saved she must redeem herself?”
• What Rizal had envisioned in his essay came true. In 1898, the Americans
wrestled with Spain to win the Philippines, and eventually took over the
country. Theirs was a reign of democracy and liberty. Five decades after
Rizal’s death, the Philippines gained her long-awaited independence. This
was in fulfillment of what he had written in his essay: “History does not
record in its annals any lasting domination by one people over another,
of different races, of diverse usages and customs, of opposite and
divergent ideas. One of the two had to yield and succumb.”
SOURCES:
• https://prezi.com/jw3xhuqr5qp3/the-philippines-a-century-hence/
• https://www.slideshare.net/enelrahcOnallim/the-philippines-a-century-hence-powerpoint-
presentation
• https://prezi.com/poq-bm984-td/the-philippines-a-century-hence/
• https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35899/35899-h/35899-h.htm#xd20e994
END