MODULE 2

THE PHILIPPINE IN THE NINETEENTH

CENTURY AS RIZAL’S CONTEXT

Time Frame: 2 weeks (6 hours)

Intended Learning Outcomes:

During the learning engagements, you should be able to:
1. Explain the various social, political, economic and cultural changes that
occurred in the nineteenth century.
2. Describe the significant events and their implications during the context of
Rizal‘s time.
3. Appraise the link between the individual and society.

Content

The 19th century is commonly depicted as the birth of modern life as

well as the birth of many nation states around the globe. The century was also a
period of massive changes in Europe, Spain and consequently in the Philippines. It
was during this era that the power and glory of Spain, the Philippines‘ colonizer,
had waned both in its colonies and the world.

Three Aspects of 19th century Philippines

a. Economic
b. Social
c. Political

THE ECONOMIC CONTEXT

A. The end of Galleon Trade
B. The opening of Suez Canal
C. The Rise of the Export of Crop Company
D. The Established Monopolies in the Philippines
 A. The Galleon Trade
In 1565, the Spanish government
closed the ports of Manila to all countries
except Mexico, thereby giving birth to the
Manila –Acapulco Trade, popularly
known as the “Galleon Trade”. The
Galleon Trade (1565-1815) was a ship
“galleon” trade going back and forth
between Manila and Acapulco Mexico. It
started when Andres de Urdaneta and
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi discovered
return route from Cebu to Mexico in
1565.The trade served as the central
income- generating business for Spanish
colonist in the Philippines. Because of
Galleon Trade, Manila became a trading
hub where China, India, Japan, and
Southeast Asian Countries sent their
goods to be consolidated for shipping. In
September 14, 1815, the galleon trade
ended with the Mexico‘s war of
independence.

B. Opening of Suez Canal

An artificial sea-level waterway in
Egypt, the Suez Canal connects the
Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea
through the Isthmus of Suez constructed
by the Suez Canal Company in 1859 to
1869 under the leadership of Ferdinand
de Lesseps. It was officially opened in
November 17, 1869.
The opening of the canal made the travel between Europe and Philippines
closer to Spain and become huge advantage in commercial enterprises between
Europe and East Asia. As travel time from the Philippines to Spain and vice versa
was shortened to 30 days from more than two months, this positively affected the

development of agricultural exports, which brought economic prosperity to native

Indios or the so called ―Illustrados‖ (Filipinos with money and education).
These developments also paved the way for Filipino ―Illustrados‖ to send
their children to universities in Europe. Because of Suez Canal, the process of
importation not only for commercial products but also of books, magazines and
newspapers.
 C. The Rise of the Export of Crop Company

During the Galleon Trade, most of

the Spaniards in the Philippines were
engrossed in maritime trading undertakings
between Manila and Mexico.

Between 1820 and 1870, years after

the Galleon trade, Philippines was on its
way of developing and export crop
economy such as sugar cane. Manila hemp
and coffee were produced from foreign
countries while imported goods of
European factory found their way in the
Philippines. Because of the new export
crop economy in the Philippines that
provided opportunities for expanding the
population of the Chinese, Chinese moved
to the provinces that produced hemp, sugar
cane and tobacco.

D. Establishment of Monopolies

Monopoly contracting was another source of wealth during the post – galleon
era. In 1850, government monopoly contracts opened for the first time for
foreign revenues. In 1840, the Spanish government had legalized the use of
opium importation and salt was created but even before 1850. Monopolies and
some products had been established and controlled by government.

Monopolies special crop and items:

Spirituous liquors (1712-1864)

Betel nut (1764)

Tobacco (1782-1864)
Explosive (1805-1864)
On March 1, 1782, Governor General Jose Basco placed Philippines‘
tobacco industry under government control.
Because of aiming to increase the government revenue, Mexico was no
longer sufficient to maintain the colony. Order thus issued for the whispered
cultivation of tobacco in the province of Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos
Sur, La Union, Isabela, Abra, Nueva Ecija and Marinduque. These provinces
 planted nothing but Tobacco which was sold to government at a pre-designated
price. Tobacco plant must sell to them by each family. Nobody was allowed to
keep even a few tobacco leaves even for personal use. Fines or physical
punishments were sanctioned to anyone who failed to follow the system.
In 1882, tobacco monopoly was finally abolished in the Philippines from
1781- 1881, a century of hardship and social injustice caused by the tobacco
monopoly prompted Filipinos in general and Novo Ecijanos to seek freedom.

THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND

Concerning the social picture of the 19th century Philippines at three topics:
a. Education
b. The Rise of Chinese Mestizo
c. The Rise of the Inquilinos

A. Education in the 19th Century

With the coming of Spanish colonizers, the European system of education was
introduced to archipelago. Schools were established and run by Catholic missionaries.
King Philip II‘s Leyes de Indias mandated Spanish authorities to educate the locals of
the Philippines, teach them how to read and write and to learn Spanish.

The first school in land were Parochial schools opened in their parishes by
the missionaries such as Augustanians, Franciscans, Jesuit and Dominicans.
Colleges were established for boys and girls. There was no co –education during
the Spanish regime as boys and girls studied in separate schools. History, Latin,
geography, mathematics and philosophy were the subjects taught to college.
In the 17th century, university education was opened in the country.
However, colleges and universities were only opened for the Spaniards and
those with Spaniards‘ blood (mestizos). It was only in the 19th century when
they accepted native Filipinos.

In 1863, a royal decree called for the establishment of a public school

system in the Philippines. Education in the colony was finally administered by
the government during the last half of 19th century; the church controlled its
curriculum.

Ilustrados new social class in the country emerged because of the

growing number of educated natives. But despite their wealth and education, the
Ilustrados were still deemed by the Spaniards as inferior. The aims of Ilustrador
were to be able to in same level with level with proud Spaniards.
Jose Rizal is the most prominent Ilustrados who inspired the craving for
freedom and independence with his novels written in Spanish.
 B. The Rise of Chinese Mestizo

In the late eighteenth and early centuries, deep-seated Spanish suspicion of the
Chinese gave way to recognition of their potentially constructive role in economic
development. Chinese expulsion orders issued repealed in 1788. Nevertheless, the
Chinese remained concentrated in towns around Manila, particularly Binondo and
Santa Cruz. In 1839, the government issued a decree granting them freedom of
occupation and residence.
Of equal, if not greater, significance for subsequent political, cultural and
economic developments was the Chines Mestizos. At the beginning of the 19 th
century, they composes about 5 percent of the total population of around 2.5 million
and were concentrated in the most developed provinces of Central Luzon and in
Manila and its environs. A much smaller number lived in the more important towns
of the Visayan Islands, such as Cebu and Iloilo, and on Mindanao. Converts to
Catholicism and speakers of Filipino language or Spanish rather than Chinese dialects,
the mestizos enjoyed a legal status as subjects of Spain that was denied the Chinese.

The 18th century expulsion edicts had given the Chinese mestizos the
opportunity to enter retailing and skilled craft occupations formerly dominated by
the Chinese. The removal of legal restrictions on Chinese economic activity and
the competition of new Chinese immigrants, however, drove a large number of
mestizos out of the commercial sector in mid-nineteenth century. As a result,
many Chinese mestizos invested in land, particularly in Cental Luzon. The estates
of the religious orders were concentrated in this region, and mestizos became
inquilinos (lessees) of these lands, subletting them to cultivators; a portion of the
rent was given by the inquilino to friary estate. Like the Chinese, the mestizos were
moneylenders and acquired land when debtors defaulted.

C. The Rise of the Inquilinos

The term “Inquilino” has the same meaning as the English “tenant “.
The 19th century inquilinous system in the Philippines is better understood as
qualified system of tenancy or the right to use land in exchange of rent.

Inquilinos paid a fixed rent and amount was determined by the size and
quality of land being worked. As friar state enlarged outlining the boundaries
that separated these estates from communal lands become a common cause of
conflict.

THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

The so-called political influences affecting the 19th century Philippines largely
impacted the locals, particularly Jose Rizal. These political influences, worthy of
mention are:
A. Liberalism
B. The Impact of the Bourbon Reforms and;
 C. The Cadiz Constitutions
A. Liberalism
Liberalism is a worldwide founded idea of freedom and equality. It
includes a wide range of political philosophies that consider individual liberty and
underscore individual rights and equality of opportunity. Liberals normally believe
that government is necessary to protect individuals from being abused by others.

The French Revolution (1989-1799) is a political revolution in Europe and

in some other parts of the globe. “Having Liberty and Fraternity” as its battle cry,
this revolution become a period history of France as the French government
structure changed from absolute monarchy onto more liberal government system
founded on the principles of citizenship and inalienable rights.

Spain later experienced a stormy century of political disturbances which include

numerous changes in parliaments and constitutions. The Peninsular War, the loss of
Spanish and America and the struggle between liberals and conservatives. The
liberals in Spain considered the Catholic Church as an enemy of reforms. In 19 th
century movement against the Catholic Church called Anti-clericalism.

Radical modifications in government from were introduced by liberals in Spain.

“Cracking the fabric of the old colonial system and introducing though cracks
perilous possibilities of reform of equality and even emancipation in the Philippines”.

Philippines were opened to world trade in the 19th

century. Liberal ideas from Americas were carried by
ships and people from foreign ports. Jean Jacques Rousseau
(Social Contract), John Locke (Two Treatises of
Government), Thomas Paine (Common Sense), Thomas

Jefferson Montesquieu, Voltaire and some other political

thinker entered Philippines.

B. The Impact of the Bourbon Reforms

Spanish Bourbon King Philip V assented to the throne. He and his
successors Ferdinand VI, Charles III and Charles IV advocated a century long
effort to reform and modify the Spanish Empire. The Bourbon Reforms
endeavoured the curtail contraband commerce, reclaim control over transacting
trade, restrict the church‘s power, reform state finance to fill dwindling royal
coffers, and found tighter administrative and political control with the empire.

C. The Cadiz Constitution

During the Napoleonic occupation of Spain, a liberal constitution was
promulgated in Cadiz in March 1812; The Cadiz constitution was the first
constitution in Europe to deal with national sovereignty as coming from the people
and not from the king. Unlike the French constitution, which applied to all French
–speaking citizens of France, this Spanish constitution of 1812 had a universal
character as in included everyone, like the Italian kingdoms even Philippines.
Governor-General Manuel Gonzales Aguilar called for an election in Manila
which resulted in the selection of Don de los Reyes, a wealthy merchant and member
of the Royal Corps of Artillery of Manila as Deputy. The Vigan-Don Ventura de los
Reyes was son of poor Ilocano parents. In 1762, he took part in the Ilocos revolt led by
Diego Silang and he was one of the delegates who signed the Constitution.

Seeing Rizal’s Life in His Society

In various social sciences, it was a widely accepted principle thaw we see
the life of an individual in his/her society in the life of an individual. This is
precisely the reason that 19th century Philippines was chosen as Rizal‘s society.
One unique feature of Rizal is that he did not only know the valuable
information about his society but also had a quality of mind that helped him use
the information in a way that he could think about what is going on in the world
and what might be happening within himself. Sociologist calls this quality of
mind the ―sociological imagination.
Having a sociological imagination, people can view their life and career
in terms or larger historical forces. This quality of mind can be understood of
their own experience by locating themselves in history. They can recognize the
responses available to them by becoming aware of all of the individuals who
share the same situation as themselves.
People who cannot locate their lives in history are unlikely to know how to
respond effectively to a world in which the lives of people around the globe are
interconnected and which one society‘s problems are part of larger global problems.

Intended Learning
Assessment Task 1
Identify the significant events in the social, political, economic, and
cultural context that happened during the nineteenth century. What do you think
were the implications of these at the present time?

Events in the 19th century Philippines Implications at present time

 Assessment

Task 2

Through a poster –slogan, illustrate the difference of the link or connection of the
people and society in the 19th century and at the present time (21st century).You may
use symbolism to show your ideas.