#RizalLife

Chapter Description:

This chapter introduces students to Rizal's life specifically his

context. In studying the context of a certain individual or historic

event, one must take into consideration the time, place, and the

people or the overarching ideas present during the time in question.

Rizal lived in the late 19th century, a time when various reforms were

being implemented in the country. The sítuation of the Philippines,

however, was not as inclusive and the gap between the rich and the

poor created a tense atmosphere that eventually created nationalistic

activities and organizations like the propaganda movement in Spain and

the revolutionary movement (KKK) in the Philippines. It is important

for students to know the events during Rizal's time, the places that he

visited, as well as the people and ideas that he encountered to further

understand the formation of Rizal's personality and consciousness.

Chapter Outcomes:

At the end of the chapter, the students should be able to:

1appreciate how Rizal's context influenced the development of his

consciousness;

relate how the different events in the 19th century as well as the

different ideas he encountered during his travels were translated

to his works; and

2.
3

assess the importance of one's context in the formation of one's

character.

LESSON 5

19th Century Philippines

Lesson Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1 discuss important changes in Spain and in the Philippines;

enumerate the policies that enabled Filipinos to organize and ask for reforms; and

relate how the conditions of the 19th century Philippines and Europe affected the

formation of Rizal's consciousness.

3.

Lesson Introduction:

The late 18th and the early 19th century marked the beginning of the Industrial

Revolution led by the British. Through the development of steam engines and the

integration of machinery in production, Britain experienced rapid development and

urbanization. While other countries were quick to emulate British industrialization,

Spain lagged behind its neighbors mainly because of its engagements with the

Napoleonic and Carlist Wars and the internal power struggle between liberal and
conservative factions in Spain during the early 19th century. These changes in Spain

eventually affected its relations towards its colonies and the Philippines experienced

liberal policies and reform for the first time. This lesson explores the political and

economic situation of the Philippines during the 19th century to further contextualize

the life and times of Dr. Jose Rizal.

Exploration: Mapping Rizal's Travels

Rizal dedicated most of his life's works to the Philippines. However, his life can

also be characterized by his travels to different parts of the world. He travelled as a

student and these travels were important since he was exposed to different cultures

and political contexts. It was also through his sojourns that he realized how low

other peoples' awareness was ot the tiupino ldentity, prompting him to propose fn.

a creation of a Philippine Studies course in the PFhilippines. Even scholars such

Resil Mojares in his book, Waitirng for Marang Makiling observed that Rizal became a

Filipino outside the Philippines because ot the body of work that he produced abo

the country during his time abroad. This activity aims to make students appreciate

Rizal's journey outside the country and the highlights of his sojourn to different

countries.

Instructions: Form five groups and do the folloWing

Group 1- map Rizal's travel from the Philippines to Madrid:

Group 2-map Rizal's travel around Europe;

Group 3-map his travel from Paris to Germany;

Group 4-map his travels with his friend Maximo Viola; and

Group 5-map Rizal's Second Sojourn,

If an Internet connection is available, download the Google Earth

places that Rizal was able to explore during his travel to Europe using the

street view, tools, and mark functions.

If an Internet connection or Google Earth is not available, you may map Rizal's

travels manually. Print three maps in an A3 size paper: one world map, one map for

Europe, and one map for North America. Manually trace the travels of Rizal through

these three maps You may also paste images of the known tourist sites from these

places.

You may use various Internet sources to identify the places that Rizal was able

to see during his first and second sojourns, as well as his trip around Europe with his

friend Maximo Viola. Present your findings in class.

Lesson Discussion:

Economic and Political Situation of the Philippines

Some historians refer to the 19th century as a long century in Philippine history

because of the numerous changes that happened during this period. In terms of political

and economic changes, the brief occupation of Manila by British forces in 1762-1764

and the rapid development of economies in Europe made Spanish administrators n

the colony rethink their policies so as not to get left behind by their neighbors and to

prevent another incident such as the British occupation from happening again in the

near future.

ome ot the more notable reforms were the abolition of the Galleon trade and the

opening of the Philippines to world trade in 1830. This enabled not only the increase in
conomic activities in the country and the entry of firms from other European states

Dut also the entry of foreign ideas mostly through the form of books and other printed

media during that time. In the case of Rizal, he was able to read various European

iteratures such as Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo and the Three Musketeers

Andres Bonifacio, the leader of the Kataas-tansan, Kagalang-golangang Katipnan ng tgn

Anak ng Bayarn (KKK), was also able to read literatures on the French revolution that

later on influenced some of the works of both individuals.

The end of Spain's wars with the Dutch and the British, as well as the nullification

of the slave raiding activities of the Moro, also led to the development of agricultural

lands and the discovery of new frontiers in the Philippines. This eventually created a

change in the social and economic elass in the country with the principalias and mestizo

benefitting from these changes, thus the consequent emergence of local elites. n

Laguna, Jose Rizal's family was considercd to be one of the local elites in the province

since they were leasing large blocks of lands from friar estates in Calamba.

These developments however did not help in bridging the gap between the local

elites and the poor and marginalized sectors in the country. This gap led to different

revolts such as the Basi Revolts in Tlocos Sur and locos Norte during the early 19th

century. 1hese revolts showed the growing gap between the rich and the poor because

they were directed not only against the Spanish authorities but also to the babaknangs

or elites in the two provinces. The implementation of the Cadiz Constitution in 1812

also provided a brief legal justifcation for the quest for equality since it was slated

in the document that all citizens of Spain, including those in the colonies, were cqual

under the law.

In Southern Tagalog areas, brigandage and tulisanes increased their robbing,

the Guardia Civil in 1868. Some movements such as the Cofradia de San Jose in

Tayabas, Quezon, on the other hand, had more religious overtones that challenged

the dominance of the Catholic Church and the discrimination between the religious

orders and secular priests.

Education and the Rise of the llustrados

But through all these reforms, perhaps the most notable was the increase of

educated Filipinos as the colonial government, under directives from Spain, also

started to reform educational institutions in the Philippines. Filipino and Chinese

Mestizo elite families who were able to capitalize on the opening of the Philippine

markets to the world sent their children to school to take professional courses not

only in the Philippines but also in Europe. Travelling to Europe during that time was

also made easier with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1859. With their education

and exposure outside the country, these individuals, who later on were referred to as

ilustrados, eventually formed the core of a new emerging movement that asked the

colonial government for much needed reforms in the Philippines.

This new movement, called the reform and propaganda movement, was different

from earlier revolts because it had a more nationalistic and racial dimension fuelled

by the sufferings and discriminations experienced by Filipinos under the Spaniards.

This was also supplemented by the liberal policies applied by liberal administrations

of Spain in the Philippines such as the Cadiz Constitution in 1812. This movement

also drew inspiration from the earlier efforts of the native secular priests such as Padre

Jose Burgos who fought for equal rights among the clergy in the 1860's. The secular

priests' move, along with the students' involvement from different higher institutions

in the country during that time, to gain equal rights, however, was interpreted by the
Spanish administrators and friars as an attempt to overthrow the government leading

to massive breakdowns made against students along with some local elites in the

country in 1872. Burgos, along with fathers Jacinto Zamora and Mariano Gomez, were

executed on February 17, 1872.

Rizal was born in 1861 amidst all of these polilical and economic retorms and

turmoils. He belonged to a local elite family who was fortunate enough to capitalize

on the existing conditions at the time. He was sent to school in the Philippines; and

despite the hardships that his family had to go through during the latter part of the

Century, he was able to study in Europe. Rizal actively participated in the propaganda

movement while he was studying in Europe. Later on, he moved back to the Philippines

in 1892 establishing the La Liga Filipina. Rizal's involvement in the revolution is still a

controversial issue among historians today, with some arguing that Rizal was not in

favor of the revolution; while others see Rizal being one of the main influences of the

KKK.

Two things are for sure, however. First is that Rizal also thought about revolution

as a means of emancipating the PhiliPpines from Spain based on his letters to fellow

Propagandists and friends such as Jose Alejandrino, Antonio Luna, Marcelo H. Del

Pilar, and Ferdinand Blumentritt. Second is that the founders of Katipunan, like

Andres Bonifacio and Deodato Arellano, were members of Rizal's La Liga Filipina.

MEMORY TEST:

tences.

n the spaces below, answer the following questions in two to three se

19th century?

How did these economic changes affect the lives of Filipinos during that time?

The Spaniards also provided educational reforms especially in higher education

in the country. Universities in the Philippines such as the Ateneo and the Univer-

sity of Santo Tomas were required to provide secular courses to Filipinos. How

did education help in shaping the nationalistic consciousness of Filipinos during

that time?

Based on your personal assessment, how were these events in the 19th century

crucial to the formation of Rizal's love for his country?

STUDENT'S JoURNAL:

Reflect on the importance of a person's context and his/her awareness of the

various problems in society. What are the different problems in your community

today? How do these problems affect your daily life? How can these problems be

addressed by an ordinary student or a citizen?