The Philippines in the 19th

Century as Rizal’s Context

• Discuss the different evils brought about by the Spanish
despotic colonial rule in the Philippines.
• Describe how the Industrial Revolution shaped the 19th
century Philippines especially Rizal.
• Explain the rise of the middle-class called principalias and
how this political status shaped Rizal in the 19th century
Philippines.
• How do you think the political, economic, and socio-cultural
events of the 19th century shaped Rizal’s ideals for
nationalism and Filipino identity?
• Why do you think it is important to understand the context of
Rizal’s time?
Learning Objectives
• At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
a. appraise the link between the individual and
society;
b. analyze the various social, political, and economic
changes that occured in the nineteenth century;
and
c. demonstrate understanding of Jose Rizal in the
context of his time.
Guide Questions

1. What was the world like in Rizal’s time?

2. What was the Philippines like in Rizal’s time?
3. How do you think the political, economic, and
socio-cultural events of the 19th century
shaped Rizal’s ideals for nationalisim and
Filipino identity?
The World and the Philippines
of Rizal’s Time
 Political Context
• Europe prospered like never before and England led
the way as the growing imperialist power.
• In 1858-1863, France conquered Vietnam,
Cambodia, and Laos. Later, the Dutch colonized
Netherland East Indies. Other countries soon followed
Britain’s imperialist’s examples.
• From being considered as the “mistress of the world”,
Spain continued despotic colonial rule in its remaining
colonies - Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
Political Context
• In the context of the Philippines, the country suffered from
different social issues as a result of the Spanish despotic
colonial rule.
• The Filipino people were exposed to the evils of colonial
rule such as maladministration of justice, no equality
before the law racial prejudice, forced labor, frailocracy
and lack of representation in the Spanish Cortes.
• Spain was suffering from frequent constitutional and
governmental changes that led to colonial stability.
Political Context
• In a short span of 28 years (1834-1862), it adopted
4 constitutions, elected 28 parliaments, and instilled
529 ministers. It also suffered from internal party
strife, revolutions and other political upheavals
(Zaide, 1999).
• Due to the instability of Spain as a government, it
directly affected the Philippines as one of its
colonies.
 One example is given by Zaide (1999) in his book
“Jose Rizal Life, Works, and Writings”.
• There was this Spanish judge who was appointed to the Royale
Audiencia of Manila (the Supreme Court). He left Madrid with his
whole family and when cruising at sea along the long route via
Cape of Good Hope. After a leisurely voyage about six months
they arrived in Manila. To his dismay, he found out that he was
out of job. Another judge had arrived earlier to fill up his position.
During the 6 months when he was cruising at the sea, the
Spanish Government fell in Madrid and the new Government
sent his successor. The second judge took the shorter route via
the Suez Canal and reached Manila ahead of him.
 The constant shift of these political policies who also
disrupted the way Spain governed the Philippines.
1. There was maladministration in the delivery of justice. In
usual disputes that involved a Spanish or a Filipino the court
would often favor a Spaniard. Most Filipinos have to suffer
from the costly, unfair and partial trial.
2. There was no equality before the law. In the Philippine
context in the 19th century, the native nobles and pure-bred
Spaniards enjoyed legal preference both in law and social
duties. In law, the Spanish Penal Code imposed heavier
penalties on Filipinos. In social responsibilities, the Filipinos
were tasked to render forced labor or paying tribute.
The constant shift of these political policies who also
disrupted the way Spain governed the Philippines.

3. Racial prejudice against native Filipinos became

prevalent.
As evident by the words of Father Burgos, who is known for
taking an active part in the Secularization Movement, he
provided unequivocal evidence of how racial discrimination
was prevalent even among the native clergies
(Schumacher, 1999).
The filipino by his nature, by his character, by the influence
of the climate or the race is not good for undertaking lofty
offices. It is a common saying that the Tagalog is an
excellent soldier, an ordinary corporal, a bad sergeant,
cannot discharge the post of an officer at all, because he is
unfit for it. In the same way, the filipino who is consecrated
to the service of the altar ordinarily carries out well the
discharge of the routine offices in the church, but he never
succeeds in excelling when he is found possessing the
priesthood...
The constant shift of these political policies who also
disrupted the way Spain governed the Philippines.
4. The mandatory exercise of forced labor opressed the
Filipino further.
Also known as polo y servicio all filipino males with ages
ranging from 16 to 60 were required to render forced labor
by the Spanish Government. The workers were called
polistas while mandatory labor itself was called polo.
• Some people in the community where exempted from
rendering forced labor such as the aristocracy or
principalia, well-off Filipinos, government officials like the
gobernadorcillos or cabeza de barangay and school
teachers. The well of Filipinos and principalia shall be
exempted by paying the falla amounting the seven pesos.
Moreover, the government officials and the teachers were
considered legally exempt due to their services to the
community. Therefore, poor and uninfluential filipinos had
no choice but to render forced labor.
The constant shift of these political policies who also
disrupted the way Spain governed the Philippines.
5. The existence of frailocracy or the “government rule of
the friars.” In the 19th century, there was no separation
between the Church and State.
The friars became so powerful that it resulted to the abuse
of Filipinos. These friars contributed to the rise of agrarian
unrest, the secularization movement and Filipino abuses in
many forms. Since these friars are Spaniards and can
communicate pretty well with the Spanish Government
through their native language, they were task to report
whatever is happening in their parishes and friar-estates
• Instead of reporting the deplorable conditions of the
Filipinos, they chose to close their eyes, cover their ears
and open their purse.
The constant shift of these political policies who also
disrupted the way Spain governed the Philippines.
6. The Philippines suffered from a lack of representation in
the Spanish Cortes. Ideally the colonial government should
open its parliament to colonial representation.
• It was on year 1811 that the Philippines was represented
by a 71-year old Filipino-Spanish merchant named
Ventura de los Reyes. However, his diligent
representation was one reason why the galleon trade was
abolished for its reported abuses. These examples are
proof of how representation would benefit the country by
communicating the needs of the colony. Despite its
emerging advantages, it was only short-lived. Thus, social
injustice is continually oppressed and marginalized the
Filipinos during the 19th century Philippines.
Economic Context

• The second half of the 19th century was a period of rapid

economic growth. In Europe, the use of increasingly
expensive, powerful and productive steam engines
resulted in the use of machinery in the manufacturing
sector in the cities of Europe.
• The invention of tools, ships, and other types of
machinery brought trade, governments, and people closer
to each other. To remove this external barriers the Suez
Canal where constructed.
• The Suez Canal is a waterway that connects Europe to
Asia by creating a direct shipping route without having to
circumnavigate the African continent. This new
infrastructure brought about by the economic
developments in Europe brought Spain closer to the
Philippines.
The opening of Suez Canal also brought several
advantages to the Philippines
1. The distance of travel between Europe and the
Philippines was significantly shortened.
2. It brought the country closer to Spain.
Before the canals opening the travel from Spain to the
Philippines would take more than two months. However
upon the opening of Suez Canal it was significantly reduced
to 30 days.
• What is then the implication of the Suez Canal to the
Filipinos during the time?
• It is a fact that the outstanding economic developments
brought by industrialization then enabled the construction
of the Suez Canal.
• With travel significantly shortened, the Filipino ilustrados
were able to send their children to universities in Europe.
The education gained by these illustrados open their
minds to the opposing conditions that are happening in
the colony (Philippines) and the mother country (Spain).
• Being enrolled in prestigious universities in Europe, these
Filipino ilustrados witnessed how the mother country
enjoy freedom, free from biases, and justices and racial
discrimination. On the other hand, while Spain enjoyed
freedom and rights, the colony suffered from the
maladministration of justice committed by its incompetent
and corrupt government officials.
• On this notion, the call for reforms had been constantly
wage by the ilustrados abroad like Rizal. They organize
the Propaganda Movement that aimed to expose the
deplorable conditions of the Filipinos in the Philippines so
that Spain may remedy them.
Socio-Cultural Context

• There came the rise of the enlightenment period, where

people began to rely on human reason rather than faith
and religion. In the Philippines, information through books
and print media began to spread across the seas. The
opening of the Suez Canal made these pieces of
information readily available to the Filipinos by mail or
hand-carried by travelers. Knowing how the French took
part in their political revolution and how the Americans
engage in the civil war became an inspiring lesson to the
Filipinos. especially the ilustrados.
• The 19th century Philippines saw the rise of middle-class,
the principalias. With the increasing demand for abaca
and other crops in europe there was a need for more
filipino people to cultivate lands. Manila became a free
port in 1834 primarily to European traders. After several
months, provincial ports in the Philippines we're also
opened the world trade. The increasing trade resulted to
its gradual increase that can be attested to by these
numbers (Majul, 1978):
“In 1831, hemp exports amounted to only what about 346
tons. In 1837, it rose to 2,585 tons in 1858, it rose up to
27,500 tons-two-thirds going to the United States. Also, in
1872, about 30,000 piculs of sugar were exported. This
increased to 146,661 in 1840. It became 566,371 in 1854
and, in 1857, the amount rose to 714,059. With an increase
of exports (including tobacco, copra, coffee and rice) many
Spaniards and affluent natives began to invest in many of
the foreign commercial firms.”
To enhance their trading capacities, Spain
implimented the following measure (Majul, 1978):
1. Reformation of the Galleon Trade;
2. Settlement of the Spaniards in the provinces for
agricultural and trade purposes; and
3. Government expropriation of the landed estates of the
friar corporations.
• With these measures, the Spanish Government was now
duty-bound to allow Filipinos to rent and cultivate
agricultural lands. To achieve this, more families had to
engage in farming. Among those principalia families who
benefited from leasing the land owned by the Dominican
estate was the family of Rizal. The primary source of
income of the family came from leasing and cultivating
this wealthy friar estate. They planted crops like abaca,
corn, sugarcane, and others. They also domesticated
animals like turkeys.
• Friars who owned the land exploited the tenants through
flimsily increasing land rentals and taxes. This resulted in
several agrarian unrest and dissatisfaction with the living
conditions of the Filipinos under the friar-owned estates.
Most of the lands rented by the Filipinos from these friar
estates where reduced due to the several factors such as:
land reform, church donations, inheritance, revolt or
misfortune.
Understanding Rizal in the
Context of the 19th Century
Philippines
• The political, economic, and social conditions of the 19th century shape
the kind of Rizal that we know today in history. Without an
understanding of the milieu, one can scarcely understand Rizal's
enduring importance to the Filipino people nor the relevance of his
ideas and ideals today.
• To know why rizal faithful reforms, one must look into the political
conditions of the 19th century to understand the political struggles of
the Filipinos.
• To know why Rizal fought against the Spaniards one must assess how
the Spanish Government exploited to Filipinos through their economic
policies.
• To determine why Rizal attack the friars in his novels, one must
understand the social realities of the Filipinos during this time.
• Rizal is a product of the 19th century. Would Rizal be who
he is today if the Philippine context in the 19th century
were different?
• Definitely, yes.
• The kind of Rizal that we know today is a product of his
own time. He was at the right time, with the right people,
and with the right context to campaign for nationalism. We
cannot seemingly imagine and 19th century Philippines
without someone like Rizal on it. His life, works, and
writings helped shaped our history. He uses his
knowledge for the betterment of the Filipino people and
the Philippines.
• Next, Rizal responded to the needs of the time. The
Filipinos’ deplorable political and social conditions paved
the way for Rizal to rise against the Spaniards and
call-out inefficiency, injustice and racial discrimination. He
took an active role through the Propaganda Movement so
that Spain may remedy them.
• From his study abroad and observance of the European
laws, ways and cultures, he realized that the Philippines
could be a better place if only Spain would take proactive
steps in protecting its colony. He did not hesitate to write
the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to showcase
the political conditions of the Philippines under the hands
of the corrupt friars and inefficient Spanish officials.
Therefore Rizal came out at a time when he was most
neede. He took an active role in achieving true filipino
identity.
• Lastly, Rizal's idea of a Filipino nation would not be
possible without the events of the 19th century. Therefore,
the success of Rizal and other filipino people to achieve
independence was a response to fulfill their growing
desire for justice, equality and freedom. The world and the
Philippine context of the 19th century molded the
environment that Rizal lived. He reponded to what the
people needed and used his capabilities to achieve
Filipino identity.