RIZAL: WORKS AND WRITINGS

AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF
PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM

An Instructional Module for Rizal

Prepared by:
ROWENA V. ISIDRO, LPT, Ph.D.
PREMEL JEAN B. FARILLON, LPT, M.Ed., RGC
MA. THERESA B. APEPE, LPT, M.A.Ed.
JEFFREY G. QUILANTANG, LPT, M.A.

First Semester, A. Y. 2020-2021

 Preface of the Course:

To give better picture of the rationale/reasons beyond the offering

of one course, one must move back from the realm of biography to the
ambit of social history. We all have to see social-historical forces at work.
Today, this recent crisis brought about by Covid 19 or pandemic
that made our lives more difficult, complicated and full of uncertainties –
the old question of why Rizal is still part of the General Education courses
adds up to controversies.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) thru a memorandum
in 2013 emphasizing a “paradigm shift to learning-based standards in
Philippine Higher Education (CHED, General Education Curriculum)
should provide holistic understanding, intellectual and Civic
Competencies for young students.” (Accessed on July 13, 2017 from
http://www.ched.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads 2013/17/CMO-No. 20-
2013.pdf.) And as emphasized in R. A. 1425, we should see a wider
picture beyond the personal life of Rizal and that would work for the
development of Filipino nationalism.
One important aspect of this module is the inclusion of the primary
sources/reading materials and recent research findings such as those on
the criteria of heroism.
Exercises were included that are intended to develop positive
values that would become part and parcel of the character of our youth
whom Rizal called “The hope of the Motherland”. The experiences and
examples of Rizal embedded in his life story and in his different works
that put Rizal in pedestal, context of history as well as what he means to
us in the present time. This module will also help sought answers on
issues regarding Rizal’s heroism and his place in the pantheon of heroes.
The goal of the course through this module is not merely to know
about Rizal but to imbibe the various principles that he espoused. These
principles will prove to be essential in the 21st century.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism ii

 Important Things to Remember

Before you begin learning what the module is about, please be familiar
with some icons to guide you through this instructional tool.

The portion in this module is where the reasons

Rationale
for having this learning kit is being presented
Introduction A part in the chapter or lesson where the topics
are being introduced.

Activate prior In here, you will do an activity that you already

knowledge know and is related to the lesson

Acquire new This is where the lesson is presented. It may

knowledge have several topics as stipulated in the
objectives.
Applying new In this part, you will practice what you have
Knowledge learned.
You will be tested here and you will be able to
know the gaps in your understanding of the
Assessment lesson. If you are not satisfied with your
achievement, you may go back to some points
that you may have missed.
References This is where the source of the materials is listed.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism iii
 UNIVERSITY VISION, MISSION, GOALS

VISION
ISAT U as a leading science and technology university in Southeast
Asia by 2030.

MISSION
The University is committed to provide quality and relevant advanced
education, higher technological, professional instruction and training in
arts, sciences, education, architecture, engineering, agriculture,
forestry, and other fields of study, thereby producing locally oriented,
globally competitive, and globally eco-friendly human resources. It
shall promote research and development programs to advance science
and technology and undertake sustainable extension and production
activities.

CORE VALUES
Integrity
Commitment
Accountability
Responsiveness
Excellence

INSTITUTIONAL GOALS

1. To provide a nurturing environment where academic freedom is

guaranteed and respected for the optimum development of human
potential.
2. To produce highly competent and eco-friendly graduates, who will
become leaders and experts in their fields of specialization.
3. To conduct research towards the advancement of science and
technology.
4. To provide extension and production activities for the improvement
of the quality of life in the community.
5. To provide effective and efficient delivery of services through
responsive management of human, physical, financial and
information resources.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism iv

Rationale

To better understand José Rizal as the national hero

of the Philippines, it is vital to discover his social origins and
the historical context of his birth. It is also significant to find
out the challenges of the times that molded his persona as
an individual. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we
should look at the world events in the contexts of history,
economics, religion, politics, and education. Reading and
analyzing the works of Dr. José Rizal along with these
conditions will assist you to comprehend Rizal’s thoughts,
his aims in writings, his feelings, and his principles. This will
also help you in understanding the interplay of several
factors that can explain why and how global events took
place and how these occurrences affected Rizal’s life.

Module Outcomes

At the end of the module, the learners must have:

1. traced the historical conditions that led to the
emergence of Chinese Mestizos as an important
element of Philippine society;
2. illustrated the history of agrarian relations and friar
lands during the Spanish colonial period; and
3. related the Cavite mutiny to the development of
Rizal’s nationalism.
 Lesson Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the learners must have:
1. traced the historical conditions that led to the emergence of
Chinese mestizos as an important element of Philippine society;
2. described Rizal’s life in the Philippines in relation to the world
events and developments of the 19th century;
3. explained the significant role of the Chinese Mestizos and
Inquilinos within the changing of Philippine economy and
society; and
4. determined the how the interaction of numerous factors
contributed to the changing landscape of Philippine society
and economy.

Introduction
To appreciate the details of Rizal’s to be related in
the next chapter, we should locate him within the
broader context of the Philippines in the 19th century.
This lesson will describe the changing landscape of
Philippine economy in the 19th century and relate how
these developments affected the society in which Rizal
lived, developed as mature person, and finally died as a
martyr. We will start by looking at the remarkable
economic development starting in the late 18th century
as a result of numerous factors. This lesson will also plot
https://twitter.com/rapplerdot
the effects of economic developments on Spanish com/status/87665484251661
policies on the lives of the people of the Philippines as 9264
well as their education and social life. The role of the
significant inhabitants, the Chinese Mestizos, the Philippine life, and economy
will also be noted. These Chinese Mestizos will also be located in the perspective
of the changing social stratification in the Philippines.

At this time of the pandemic, we will go back to the past before the birth
our national hero and tackle the numerous factors that influenced his life. Let us
try to be patient and analyze the interplay of these factors for you to know the
ascendancy of the Chinese Mestizos, whom you see in thriving in the business
sector of our country.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 73

 Activate

Look at yourself in the mirror for a while. Do you see any features that
resembles with that of the Chinese people? If you have, kindly answer the
following activity. If you don’t think you have the Chinese features, then follow the
instructions in the activity below.

Activity: Feeling Chinese? Do you have _____?

Direction: Kindly place a check (/) after each item if you think you belong in a
certain category. If you possess the features or not, you must still
answer this activity.

Chinese Physical Features Yes No

A. Physical Features
1. Tsinito/a eyes (Chinky eyes)
2. Slanting Eyebrows
3. Fair complexion
B. With Chinese Family Name
Write: ________________________________

Processing Questions:

1. How you feel about the activity in determining if you have Chinese features?
Was it fun? Why or why not?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. After answering the activity sheet, would you conclude that you must
descended or your family originated from the Chinese? Why or Why not?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. What have you realized after doing the activity?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 74

 Acquire

ASCENDANCE OF THE CHINESE MESTIZOS AND INQUILINOS

Did you enjoy doing your activity? I hope you have. At this time, I will bring
you to the past lives of our ancestors. So, are you ready now to immerse yourself
in the early life of the Filipinos before our national hero was born? If you are,
fasten your seat belts and let’s take a little ride to the 19th century Philippines.

A. The Changing Landscape of Philippine Economy and Society

Many intellectuals think 19th century as period of intense change in the
Philippines. During this era, massive political, economic, cultural, and social
factors were experienced. However, this change had its first waves in the
preceding century. By the late 18th century, the empire in Spain experienced an
imperial change from the Habsburgs to the Bourbons. Under the new
management, Spain changed colonial policies that would have an effect on the
Philippines. With the goal of revitalizing the lucrativeness of the colonies like the
Philippines, Bourbon policies and reforms were done (Romero, et. al., 2006;
Daquila, 2009; Wanni-Obias, et. al. 2018).
The following events changed the landscape of the Philippine economy
and society as related by Romero, et. al. (2006), De Viana, et. al. (2018) and
Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018).
 José de Basco y Vargas, the first governor-
general to the Philippines under the Bourbon
command arrived in the Philippines in 1778.

 The Galleon Trade, the main economic

institution existing in the Philippines, was
already a losing empire when Basco arrived.
This was a form of trade between the
Philippines and Mexico. The galleons were the
big ships that would sale to Mexico loaded with
goods and return to the Philippines carrying
the payment in silver. José Basco y Vargas
(1733 -1787)
 The global wave of industrialization became https://philippineculturaleduc
an opportunity as Spain search for ways to ation.com.ph/basco-jose-y-
recover the deteriorating economy of the vargas/
empire. As many grand powers in Europe and
the West were experiencing industrialization, an increased demand
for raw materials presented an opportunity to look into the agricultural
prospect of the Philippines.
 It was thought that the transformation of the economy to being export-
oriented, harnessing the agricultural products that could be generated
from the Philippines, was the means to survive.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 75

  The Royal Philippines Company was established by Basco in 1875
to finance agricultural ventures and manage the new trade being
established between the Philippines and Spain as well as other
European and Asian markets in order to better facilitate the projected
change of direction of the economy. However, these changes were
met with indifference.

 The Catholic Church was one of the different sectors that opposed
these changes for its leaders were not interested in the labor
readjustments involved in the planned reforms, and traders still
preferred the Galleon Trade. It also did not help that the Royal
Philippine Company was troubled with issues of mismanagement and
corruption.

 As Basco pushed for the reforms in the Philippines, he did the

following steps:
1. lifted a ban on Chinese merchants that reinforced the internal
trade;
2. initialized the development of cash crop farms;
3. relaxed certain policies that allowed the gradual opening of
Manila to foreign markets; and
4. established the Tobacco Monopoly to maximize the production
of this export good.
 World events continued to affect the Philippines at the beginning of
the 19th century. By 1810, the Mexican War of independence
disturbed the Spanish empire, and eventually resulted to the loss of the
precious Latin American colonies. With this came the ultimate end of
the Galleon Trade which complicated matters in the Philippines.

 Manila was opened to World Trade by 1834 and policies were

standardized when the Philippine economy dangled in the balance with
the eventual closing of the Royal Philippine Company. This was
followed by Sual, Iloilo, and Zamboanga in 1855, Cebu in 1860, and
Legaspi and Tacloban in 1873.

 Foreign merchants and traders came, resided in Manila, and

assumed the control in the financing and facilitating the growing
agricultural cash crop, export- oriented, economy. Some of the major
investments came from British and American traders that set up
merchant house in Manila. These merchant houses were the firms
established in Manila and other cities by foreign traders.

 Cash crops like tobacco, sugar, cotton, indigo, abaca, coffee, and
rice were the agricultural products that comprised the majority of the
exports that led to the rapid development of the economy in the
Philippines by the first half of the 19th century.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 76

  The significance of land became more evident as cash crops
became the major source of revenue in the colony. As the provinces
shifted to cultivating cash crops, land ownership and management
began to be a concern.
B. The Inquilinato System and Inquilinos
By the mid-19th century, the native
farmers in the Philippines felt the pressure
in the change of the economy while the
hacienderos grabbed the opportunity of
increase their wealth. An expanding
economy based on exporting agricultural
products led to these changes and
gradually established the Inquilinato
system.
At this time, I will list some important
Spanish words that you may not have
encountered before with their meaning as The "Inquilinos" of Cavite: A
given by Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018) for you Social Class in Nineteenth-
to understand this topic easily. Century Philippines
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20070841?seq=1
 Canon – annual rent paid by the
Inquilino
 Cavan – a measure equal to 75 liter
 Hacienda – a large estate that was used for raising livestock and
agricultural production
 Hacienderos – the plantation or farm owners
 Inquilino – a tenant who rented land from the friars and subleased the
land to sharecroppers
 Kasamá (sharecropper) – an individual who rented the land from an
inquilino and worked the land
 Pacto de Retroventa – an agreement that allowed landowner to sell
his/her land with the guarantee that he/she
could buy the land back at the same price
Under the inquilinato system, the following situations were occurring as
related by Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018):
 An individual rented land for a fixed annual amount, known as canon.
Aside from the rent, the inquilino or lessee was also expected to render
personal services to his landlords.
 If the inquilino were unsuccessful to comply these requirements, he
could be expelled from the land. Usually, the inquilino, in turn, would
sub-lease the land to a kasamá or sharecropper who would cultivate
the land.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 77

  As a result, a three-layered system arose with the landlords at the top,
the inquilinos in the middle, and kasamá at the bottom.
With this system, who were the winners? Can you guess? You are right!
The hacienderos!!! They grabbed the opportunity of increasing their wealth
through this situation. For example:
 When a small landowner needed money and capital for a business
venture, he would engage in a pacto de retroventa which is an
agreement of sale guaranteeing that he could buy the land back at the
same price at which it was sold.
 In the end, they would lose the land and would be forced to become
tenant farmers, or kasamá because it became difficult to purchase
back land given the nonstop increasing demand of the economy and
the renewals of the sale, which further buried the farmers to
indebtedness.
 Aside from the said method, land acquisition also came to in the
form of land-grabbing. As the growing economy required better
management of lands, inquilinos emerged, renting land to rent it to
smaller farmers. These factors would bring change to the social
stratification in the countryside that continued with tensions and
controversy.
C. The Chinese and Chinese Mestizos
The sectors like the Chinese and the
Chinese Mestizos really benefited from the
changing economy in the Philippines. Before
the colonization of Spain, the natives of the
Philippines had had trade relations with the
Chinese.
In this part, I will also list some
important Chinese terms that are used in this
topic with their meaning as given by Wanni-
Obias, et. al. (2018) as additional information https://artbooks.ph/products/chinese-
and-chinese-mestizos-of-manila
in your vocabulary.
 Parian – a Chinese territory established in 1581 outside the walls of
Intramuros in which the Chinese were forced to live
 Sangley – a term that flourished in the Spanish Philippines to refer to
people of pure Chinese descent that came from the Hokkien
word “seng-li” meaning business
As Wickberg (1964, 2000), Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018) and De Viana, et.
al. (2018) related, during the peak of the Galleon Trade, Chinese products mostly

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 78

 comprised the goods being traded. However, the Spaniards became suspicious
of the arrival of Chinese settlements in the Philippines.
These suspicions of the Spaniards among the Chinese led to strict state
policies towards the sangley such as:
 higher taxes
 restriction of movement that led to establishment of the Chinese
territory, (the Parian)
 actual policies of expulsion
The Chinese, however, became the “necessary outsiders” in the
Philippine colonial economy and society. The Spanish realized the significance of
the role of the Chinese in sustaining the economy, even though the Spaniards
were suspicious of the latter.
As a result, the following events were the outcome:
 The Chinese intermarried with the indios or the natives who were
farmers that became traders. They gave birth to Chinese mestizos,
thus, they were integrated into the
colonial society.

 The Chinese mestizos played a

significant role in the economy during
the Spanish colonial period. They
influenced the changing economy in the
19th century by purchasing land,
accumulating wealth and influence.

 As a result, they became richer and

formed the nucleus of the middle
class. The increased wealth allowed
the middle-class families to have better Chinese-Filipino Mestizo
houses and sent their children to Costume
colleges and universities for tertiary https://www.alamy.com/english-chinese-
(Mallat deBassilan, 1846)1800s-1-
filipino-mestizo-costume-1800s-1-
education. They gained higher education january-1846-jean-mallat-de-bassilan-
january-1846-jean-mallat-de-
bassilan-chinese-mestizo-costume-
chinese-mestizo-costume-
degrees which they believed made them equal with the Spaniards.
image184947276.html
image184947276.html
 Eventually they became concerned with issues of equality including
secularization. Rizal’s family belonged in the middle class and by the
time of Rizal’s youth, the quest for equality was the cry of the times. It
influenced Rizal throughout his life and it became his lifelong quest.

D. Impact on Life in the Colony

The economic development, as mentioned, brought about social,
political, and cultural developments. Romero, et. al. (2006), De Viana, et. al.
(2018) and Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018) narrated sample situations to understand
this occurrence:

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 79

  The new economy required a more literate population to address the
increasing need for a more professionalized labor force to handle
the trading activities in Manila and other centers.
 This demand obliged the issuance of the colonial government order
that required all towns to set up primary schools to teach the people
how to read and write.

 The Educational Reform Decree of 1863 was eventually passed and

implemented which mandated free primary education. This decree
ordered the establishment of public primary schools and a normal
school to train teachers for the primary grades.

 Eventually, the 19th century also gave birth to many schools that
addressed the growing demand for more professionals. Schools like
Ateneo Municipal were established by the Jesuits during this time.
They belong to the Society of Jesus (S. J.), a Roman Catholic order
of the religious men founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, noted for its
educational, missionary, and charitable works (Petruzzello, 2019).
 From then on, the Jesuits had been influential in disseminating
general primary education, improving methods of instruction and
enriching the curricula for higher education.
 The complex nature of the developing economy also allowed the
government to intensify bureaucratization and to reorganize colonial
governance.

 As Manila became a trading center, it became a feasible destination

for people in search of better prospects or those who wanted to escape
the deteriorating conditions in the farmlands. The increased rate of
internal migration raised several concerns:
o People gathered in the centers of trade like Manila.
Overcrowding means issues in living quarters, sanitation and
public health, and increase in criminality.

o The continuous movement of people makes tax collection extra

difficult.
Governor-General Narciso Claveria
implemented the 1849 decree, a measure that
urged the people in the colony to adopt surnames
to lessen the said concerns.

Governor-General
Claveria Narciso
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7-october-1846/

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism (Mallat deBassilan, 80
1846)1800s-1-january-
1846-jean-mallat-de-
 The catalogo de appellidos was drawn up and the colonial government
required the following policies to the people to have better surveillance
mechanism:
1. assigned surnames to people
2. forbade changing names at will.
3. register their names
4. possess cedula personal bearing one’s
name and residence
The Guardia Civil was established to help carry out the policies better. As
the new economy managed the colonial state new opportunities, it also prompted
the state to be more regulatory and to declare its authority.
E. Reclassification of the Social Stratification
The Philippine society felt the impact of the developing economy. As a
result social relations went through re-evaluations and the changing dynamics
led to a renegotiation of social stratification. With the growing relevance of the
mestizo population, new lines were drawn with the new levels of social strata.
Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018) presented this in the matrix below.

Level Description
Pure-blooded Spaniard born in Iberian Peninsula (i.e.
Peninsular
Spain)
Insular Pure-blooded Spaniard born in the Philippines
Born of mixed parentage, a mestizo can be:
Spanish Mestizo – one parent is Spanish, the other
Mestizo is a native (indio)
Chinese Mestizo – one parent is Chinese, the other
parent is native (indio)
Wealthy pure-blooded native supposedly descended
Principalia
from the kadatoan class
Indio Pure-blooded native of the Philippines
Chino Infiel Non-Catholic pure blooded Chinese

When the Spaniards lost economic power in the 19th century, these events
took place as narrated by Wanni-Obias, et.al. (2018):
 The Spaniard asserted their authority by virtue of their race. This issue
brought problems with the rising principalia and mestizo populations
who realized their vital position in society as movers and facilitators of
the economy.
 Renegotiation continued throughout the century as the mestizos and
principalia elite finally wanted social recognition that the pure-blooded
Spaniards had consistently deprived them

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 81

  The wealthy mestizos and members of the principalia continued to
accumulate economic and cultural capital. They also availed
themselves of the opportunity to attain higher degrees of education not
only in the Philippines but in Europe as well. These activities improved
their relevance in society. It was from these groups that expressions of
nationalism would arise.

Apply
A. Direction: List all the changes that occurred in the Philippines into the three
(3) columns base on various aspects.

Political Aspect Socio-cultural Aspect Economic Aspect

1
2
3
4
5

B. Impressions of Chinese people

When you go to the city proper or in any part of the “poblacion” of your
towns, can you see any Chinese or Chinese Mestizos? What comes to your mind
when see them? But, wait, do you know the difference between them? While
strolling in the streets, can you see stores or houses owned by the Chinese? If
yes, can you describe them? If no, please answer base on your stored
knowledge when you see the Chinese in other places. Kindly write your answers
on the next table.

Descriptions or Impressions

Chinese Features Chinese Stores Chinese Houses

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 82

 Assessment

Name: Date:
Program and Section: Score:

A. Direction: Identify the following items and write your answers legibly after
each item. Wrong spelling will be marked wrong. (15 points)

1. The first governor-general to the Philippines under the Bourbon command

who arrived in the Philippines in 1778. ____________________

2. The main trade of the Philippines that was opened to World Trade by
1834. ____________________

3. The main economic trade institution existing between the Philippines and
Mexico. ____________________

4. This was established in 1875 to finance agricultural ventures and manage

the new trade being established between the Philippines and Spain as
well as other European and Asian markets. ____________________

5. One of the cash crops that comprised the major agricultural products for
export led to the rapid development of the economy in the Philippines by
the first half of the 19th century. ____________________

6. A tenant who rented land from the friars and subleased the land to
sharecroppers. ____________________

7. An agreement that allowed landowner to sell his/her land with the

guarantee that he/she could buy the land back at the same price.
____________________

8. They played a significant role in the economy during the Spanish colonial
period for they influenced the changing economy by purchasing land,
accumulating wealth and influence. ____________________

9. An individual who rented the land from a tenant and cultivated the land.
____________________

10. A Chinese territory established in 1581 outside the walls of Intramuros in

which the Chinese were forced to live. ____________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 83

 11. They “necessary outsiders” in the Philippine colonial economy and
society. ____________________

12. They are the pure-blooded native of the Philippines.

____________________

13. The decree that was passed and implemented which mandated free
primary education by establishing public primary schools and a normal
school to train teachers for the primary grades. ____________________

14. The Governor-General who implemented the 1849 decree, a measure that
urged the people in the colony to adopt surnames to lessen the said
concerns. ____________________

15. The wealthy pure-blooded native supposedly descended from the

kadatoan class. ____________________

B. Direction: Answer the following questions in not less than 5 sentences.

Please try to be open-minded and be specific when you give
example situations in explaining your point of view. (10 points
each/20 points)

1. What were the implications of the ascendance of the Chinese Mestizos and
Inquilinos?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 84

 2. Give one factor that contributed to the changing landscape of Philippine
society and economy in the 19th century and how did this happen?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 85

 Lesson Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the learners must have:
1. examined Rizal’s life in the Philippines within the wider context
of the development in the 19th century;
2. illustrated the history of agrarian relations and the friar lands
during the Spanish colonial period;
3. explained how the Hacienda de Calamba issue serves as an
exemplary illustration of agrarian disputes in the late 19th century;
and
4. described the interplay of several factors that contributed to the
changing landscape of Philippine society and economy.

Introduction
As one of the students and teachers of history, I agree that the conflict
between Rizal’s family and the Dominican friars over the Hacienda de Calamba
seriously affected our national hero. In order to understand this event, this lesson
will illustrate the historical context of the agrarian relations and the friar lands
during the Spanish colonial period behind the incident that played a crucial role in
Rizal’s life. A history of the origin of the friar lands in the Philippines will be
provided and will then give a brief history into the Hacienda de Calamba conflict.

We will examine Rizal’s life in

the Philippines within the wider
context of the development in the 19th
century. Let us see how the interplay
of several factors that contributed to
the changing landscape of Philippine
society and economy affected Rizal’s
life and his family.

The Philippines under the Frailocacy

https://scribblingblues.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/the-
philippines-under-the-frailocracy/#jp-carousel-108
 Activate

Think of the properties of your immediate family, which are actually owned
by your parents or siblings. Does your family have a land, a house, a vehicle or
any other properties that needs a title deed or a document that proves ownership
that your family owns them?

If your family owns properties, then, that’s

good. But the question is, are these documents
available when someone asks to see them? Have
you seen these documents yourself? If not, then
you have to be sure, you might want to ask your
parents about these things in order to be sure
that your properties are still in the family. You
may want to check your family’s properties were
not forgotten if it was pawned to someone and
may have already been seized or sold due to
https://www.jbsolis.com/2019/12/landbank-
failure of payment of the interest. farm-lot-for-sale.html

The statements and questions I posed

above must have blown you away but it’s the reality, in the past and even at
present. But that will be a preparation for you to answer the activities later after
the lesson.

At this time, please answer the following activity about your own properties
as a person and as a student. List down the things that you personally own
because you bought them or they were given to you as a gift. Please kindly write
your answers in the following table then answer the questions afterwards.

Activity: What Do I Own?

The things I own personally are….

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 86

 Processing Questions:

1. Which among the things you listed above you like the most? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Which of these things is the most valuable item in your list? Why?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. If you were given the chance to buy a very important property and funds are
available, what would that be? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

4. How do you feel about the previous activity? What have you realized?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Acquire

AGRARIAN RELATIONS AND THE FRIAR LANDS

How was the previous activity? Did you realize a lot of things? I hope you
have. At this time, I will bring you to the time when the friars owned the lands in
the upper portion of the country which led to agrarian disputes and controversies
that also involved Rizal’s family. Are you ready to learn more about Rizal’s life? If
you are, then go with me to the 16th and 17th century Philippines.

A. History of Friar Lands in the Philippines

Daquila (2009) and Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018) gave a detailed account of
the origin of the friar lands. I will relate these events in chronological order for you
to better understand easily.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 87

 The friar lands can be traced back to
land grants bestowed to the early Spanish
conquistadores who arrived in the Philippines
during late 16th and 17th centuries.
Approximately 120 Spaniards were awarded
grants that were often comprised of a large
area of land known as sitio de ganado mayor
that measures 1,742 hectares and smaller
territories of land known as caballerias
measuring 42.5 hectares.
After some time, the Spanish Pureza
hacienderos were not able to develop their https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle
/content/261466/film-review-pureza-an-
lands for some reasons. unflinching-look-at-the-negros-sugar-
industry/story/
1. The Spanish people stay in the
Philippines temporarily. The Spanish administrators return to Spain
after having served in the country.

2. The market for livestock products, which haciendas offered, continued

relatively small until the later part of the Spanish colonial era.

3. The Spaniards were more attracted to the Galleon Trade that was
based in Manila offered larger economic profits. The religious orders
assumed control of the task of developing the lands because of the
Spanish hacienderos lacked the interest to do this.
The religious orders acquired the land through several ways such as these
cases:
1. The lands were donated by Spaniards seeking spiritual benefits.

2. Estates that had been heavily mortgaged to the ecclesiastics were

eventually purchased by the religious orders themselves.

3. The lands were donated or sold by number of Filipino principales that

contributed to the formation of the friar lands.

Even these methods are known to many, the Filipinos still believe that the
religious orders had no titles to their lands and that they had acquired these
lands through usurpation or taking over the property by force and other
suspicious ways. However, the religious estates in the Tagalog region continued
to expand that by the 19th century, they comprised approximately 40% of the
provinces of Bulacan, Rizal (which used to be called Tondo), Cavite and Laguna.
The preoccupation in the estates was the diverse during the early
centuries of Spanish colonial rule. In the 16th and 17th century:

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 88

 1. The lands mostly served as cattle ranches and farms of
subsistence crops.
2. Rice and sugar was the main agricultural products in the haciendas
and became important sources of revenue for the religious orders
especially during the 19th century.
Agrarian relations in the
haciendas developed in that period. In
the 16th century, the social structure
found in the haciendas consisted
predominantly of lay brother
administrators at the top and cultivating
tenants below. Even though the lay
brother administrators were under the
direct authority of the heads of their
religious orders, they had the freedom
to make their own decisions on
managerial affairs. Whereas the
tenants, on the other hand, were Spanish Hacienderos in Pampanga
expected to cultivate the land and pay an http://viewsfromthepampang.blogspot.com/2016/11/4
annual rent, which was usually referring 12-spanish-hacienderos-in-pampanga.html
to a fixed amount of harvest and or in
money in later centuries.
By the half of 18th century, a flourishing economy based on exporting
agricultural crops led to these changes and gradually established the Inquilinato
system. This system was already explained in the previous lesson. But I will
reiterate this again to refresh your memory and explain the system in more
details as related by Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018):
Under the inquilinato system, these situations were occurring:
1. An individual rented land for a fixed annual amount, known as canon.
Aside from the rent, the inquilino or lessee was also expected to
render personal services to his landlords.

2. If the inquilino were unsuccessful to comply these requirements, he

could be expelled from the land. Usually, the inquilino, in turn, would
sub-lease the land to a kasamá or sharecropper who would cultivate
the land.
3. As a result, a three-layered system arose with the landlords at the
top, the inquilinos in the middle, and kasamá at the bottom.

4. The religious hacienderos freed themselves from the social

responsibilities of handling matters with the kasamá or sharecroppers
since it was now the inquilinos who deal directly with the kasamá by
leasing the land to an inquilino.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 89

 5. The kasamá or sharecroppers
preferred this arrangement
because their labor
responsibilities to the religious
estates allowed them to be
excused from the responsibilities
of forced labor commanded by
the Spanish government.

6. However, the disadvantage to

this type of arrangement was The Tenancy Problem
that two non-working groups also http://www.rms gs.de/phileng/history/kap02.html
reduced the revenue of the
sharecroppers. After the inquilino paid his rent to the religious
hacienderos and taken his own share, the remaining amount of the
income would then be divided among all sharecroppers.
The change in the social structure and land tenure practices would
eventually make the haciendas as sites of controversy among the Spanish
religious hacienderos, the inquilinos, and the kasamá. Now it must not be
surprising for you at this time, then, that when the Philippine Revolution broke out
in1896, the abuses in the friar lands were often known as one of the main causes
that started the rebellion.
B. Hacienda de Calamba Conflict
The Hacienda de Calamba must be familiar to you for this is the place
where Rizal, our national hero lived and spent most of his youth. But not much is
known about the Hacienda de Calamba before 1759 other than it was owned by
several Spanish laymen according to Daquila (2009) and Wanni-Obias, et. al.
(2018):
In 1759, a poor Spanish layman,
Don Manuel Jauregui, donated the lands
to the Jesuits on the condition that he would
be allowed to live in the Jesuit monastery
for the rest of his life.
The Society of Jesus (S.J.) or known
as the Jesuits claimed ownership to the
land for only eight years before they were
expelled from the Philippines through a
Spanish Jesuits from the Old Manila
decree issued by King Charles III on
Observatory
February 27, 1767 and the society was https://hechoayer.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/igl
disbanded by 1768. esia-de-san-ignacio-de-loyola-intramuros-on-the-
200th-anniversary-of-the-restoration-of-the-jesuits/

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 90

 The government seized the Jesuit properties, including the Hacienda de
Calamba, as a result of the expulsion and place under the management of the
Office of Jesuit Temporalities.
In 1803, the government sold the property to a Spanish layman, Don
Clemente de Asanza, for ₱ 44,507.00. When he died in 1833, the Hacienda de
Calamba, which measured 16,424
hectares.
In 1833, the Dominicans
bought the Hacienda de Calamba
for ₱ 52,000.00 from the
government when Asanza died. By
this time, many families from
neighboring towns had migrated to
the hacienda in search of economic
opportunities. Among the families
that arrived at the hacienda were
Rizal’s ancestors, who eventually Dominican Friars
https://dominicanfriars.org/about/history-dominican-friars/
became one of the principal
inquilinos in the hacienda.
Rizal’s family rented one of the largest leased lands in the hacienda,
measuring approximately 380 hectares.
Sugar was a main agricultural product planted in the hacienda as there
was a big demand for the crop in the world market. Much of the wealth of Rizal’s
family came from these lands; thus, it was natural that when the conflict began to
be show as early as 1883, there was much for the family to be concerned about.
At this time in 1833, Rizal
was already 22 years old when the
conflict in the Hacienda de
Calamba happened and Rizal was
in Hong Kong. Paciano Rizal,
Rizal’s brother, wrote that the friars
were collecting rents without
issuing the usual receipts. Two
years later, the tenants were not
able to pay their rents because the
rent had increased while sugar
prices had remained low in the
world market.
The Dominicans were
The Hacienda de Calamba during the
furious with these actions of the
Philippine Revolution
tenants so they punish them for not http://haciendadecalamba.blogspot. com/2012/06/chapter-iii-
paying the rent. The Dominicans leasehold-system-at.html

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 91

 declared the lands vacant and invited residents of other towns to take over the
tenancies. However, since only a few outsiders replied to their invitation, the
friars weakened their position. Many tenants were spared from eviction, except
for four or five tenants.
The charges against the friars continued with Rizal’s brother-in-law,
Mariano Herboso. He complained about the following:
1. Annual increase in rentals
2. Faulty irrigation systems
3. Failure of the friars to issue receipts

The price of sugar continued to go down in the world market and this
situation became so dreadful that at one time, Paciano thought of returning his
lands to the friars and cultivate land elsewhere.
In 1887, the problems continued to worsen; the colonial government
demanded from the tenants of the hacienda a report on income and production of
the estate because they suspected that the Dominicans were evading payment
of their taxes. The tenants obeyed and submitted a report, but they also attached
a petition written by Jose Rizal. The petition included a list of grievances against
the hacienda owners that also included a complaint on the increasing amount of
rent. The tenants began to refuse paying the rents to show resistance.
In 1891, the friars started to evict tenants who refused to pay rent as a
form of vengeance. Those who still continued to fight the friars were evicted in
the end. Among those who were banished to remote areas in the country were
Rizal’s parents, brother, and sisters.
Although Rizal tried on reversing the decision of the Philippine courts, his
family’s exile would only be lifted upon the issuance of a decree from another
governor-general. The experience affected Rizal deeply and the increasing
despair he felt from the event would be reflected in his second novel, El
Filibusterismo.

Apply
A. Direction: Please answer the questions below and write your answers on the
space provided in not more than 5 sentences for each question.
(5 points each/15 points)
1. If you lived during the time of the friars, would you respond to the invitation
of becoming one of their tenants as an inquilino? Why or Why not?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 92

 2. If you were given a choice, which would you choose, to be an inquilino or
a kasamá/sharecropper? Why?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3. If you are friends with the Rizal family, what would be your advice to them
given their situation before their eviction from their land?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

B. Direction: List the important properties that your family own in your own
knowledge and write the document that proves that. But in do
this activity, you may want to request your parents to help you if it
is okay with them. This activity may help you and your family to
keep track of your family’s assets. But remember, you are not
obliged write everything here, just write the most important.

Important Property Proof of Ownership

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 93

 Processing Questions:

1. Which among the family’s properties you consider the most valuable Why?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. How do you feel about the previous activity? What have you realized?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 94

 Assessment

Name: Date:
Program and Section: Score:

A. Direction: Fill in the blanks or identify what is being described in the

following items inside the table and write only one (1) answer on
the last column of the table. (10 points)

Statement Answer
The friar lands can be traced back to land grants
1 bestowed to the early _____ who arrived in the
Philippines during late 16th and 17th centuries.
2 Two main agricultural products in the haciendas and
became important sources of revenue for the religious
3 orders especially during the 19th century.
This person preferred the arrangement of being free
4 from the responsibilities of forced labor commanded
by the Spanish government.
A small territory that measuring 42.5 hectares owned
5
by Spanish hacienderos.
This territory was owned by several Spanish laymen
6
before it was owned by the Dominicans.
The order of priests who claimed ownership to the
7 land for only eight years before they were expelled
from the Philippines in 1767.
The main charge against the friars by Rizal’s family
8
regarding their rented land which they refuse to pay.
This is the reason why Spanish hacienderos lacked
9
interest to develop their lands.
A large area of land measuring to 1,742 hectares
10
owned by Spanish hacienderos.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 95

 B. Direction: Answer the following questions in not less than 5 sentences.
Please be open-minded and be specific when you give example
situations in explaining your point of view. (10 points each/
20 points)

1. Given the social tensions between the hacienda owners and indios, why were
the indios willing to become the kasamá of the inquilinos?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Why did the Hacienda de Calamba become a site of agitation in the late 19th
century?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 96

 Lesson Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the learners must have:
1. examined the causes and effects of the Cavite Mutiny;
2. explained the conflict between the Filipino secular priests
and the Spanish regular priests;
3. determine the reasons behind the execution of the three
martyred priest, known as the GomBurZa; and
4. determined the how the interaction of numerous factors
contributed to the changing landscape of Philippine society
and economy.

Introduction
As a teacher of the Rizal subject for more than a decade now, I have read
many textbooks and references about the life, works, and writings of Rizal written
by various authors and one of them was my mentor in the Social Sciences, Dr.
Sonia S. Daquila. I would be mesmerized listening to her every time she talks
about our national hero. The experience was like when the young José Rizal was
listening to Paciano talking about Father Jose Burgos. Even though Rizal was
only 10 years old when the
three martyred priests were
sentenced to death in 1872,
the events that happened in
that year in his life must have
influenced him in making his
decisions, formed his beliefs
and convictions, and molded
his personality. Now, I fully
understood why Rizal
dedicated his second novel, El
Filibusterismo, to the three GOMBURZA
http://malacanang.gov.ph/7695-the-martyrdom-of-the-gomburza/
martyred priests, Mariano
Gomez, Jose Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora. This lesson will focus on these events specifically in the Cavite
mutiny, the execution of the GomBurZa and a background on the Intra-clergy
conflicts.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 97

 Activate
Think of any conflict that you have witnessed or know personally in your
surroundings recently. It could be in your home, school, or in your neighborhood.
What did you do How did you feel about it? Did you wonder what the reason
behind the conflict? Were you scared, alarmed, affected, or just dismissed the
thought from your mind?

At this time, please answer the following activity about a recent conflict in
life that you have seen around you. Please describe what you have seen.

Activity: Conflicts in Life

I saw this conflict recently…

Processing Questions:

1. How did you feel about the conflict?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2. What was the reason of the conflict?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. When you saw or knew about the conflict, what did you do/ why?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

4. How do you feel about the previous activity? What have you realized?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 98

 Acquire

INTRA-CLERGY CONFLICTS AND CAVITE MUTINY

How was your experience while doing the previous activity? Did you realize
something? If you have, I hope you learned an important lesson. At this time, I
will bring you to the time when conflicts arose among the clergy in the Church
and the laymen which led to the mutiny of some Filipinos in certain parts of the
country. Some of Rizal’s family was a witness to these events. Are you ready to
learn more about Rizal’s life? If you are, then go with me to the late 19 th century
Philippines.

A. Cavite Mutiny
On January 20, 1872, approximately
250 Filipino soldiers from the marine
infantry, artillery, and workers rose in
rebellion at an arsenal in Cavite led by
Sergeant Fernando La Madrid. Eleven
Spaniards were killed during the mutiny,
but an immediate assault led by
government forces put an end to the
uprising after three days (Romero, et. al.,
2006; Wanni-Obias, et. al. 2018).
Cavite Mutiny (January 20, 1872)
https://alchetron.com/1872-Cavite-mutiny
According to Romero, et. al. (2006)
and Wanni-Obias, et. al., (2018), the often
cited reason for the mutiny was a decree released by Governor-General Rafael
de Izquierdo. They resented the governor-general’s policy of cutting some of
their privileges. This decree ordered that the arsenal workers would not be
exempted from the polo and tributo, a privilege they had enjoyed in the past.
The Spanish words mentioned above may not be familiar to you so
definitions of these terms are provided below for you to understand them.
 Polo – the system of forced labor that required Filipino males from 16
to 60 years old to render service for a period of 40 days.
 Tributo – the system of taxation imposed by the Spanish colonial
government on the Filipinos in order to generate resources for
the maintenance of the colony
Romero, et. al. (2006) and Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018) related the
following events that happened about the revolt.
 Official accounts argued that the revolt was part of a larger movement
with the aim of dethroning the Spanish government and asserting
independence.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 99

  Official reports also claimed that the leaders of the mutiny had
expected the reinforcement of close to 2,000 men from troops guarding
in Cavite and sympathizers from Manila. Their plan was to start the
uprising after midnight in Manila with rebels setting fires in Tondo to
distract the authorities.

 A signal will be made by setting up fireworks to the rebels in Cavite

who would attack the arsenal. However, what really happened was the
mutiny in Cavite started earlier in the evening and many of those who
promised to help change sides and swore loyalty to Spain.

 Eventually, the mutiny failed and the Spanish government used the
incident as a means to stop the growing calls for a more liberal
administration.

 Among those who sought for reforms were Filipino secular priests. For
you to understand how the Filipino secular priests became involved in
the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, a brief historical background on the intra-
clergy conflicts in the Philippines will be tackled first.

B. Intra-Clergy Conflicts
Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018) pointed out that the introduction and the
strengthening of Christianity in the Philippine were mostly through the efforts of
two types of clergy:
1. Regular Priests
 The jurisdiction of the regular clergy fell on their elected prelates.
 They were better prepared for missionary work because of their
standards of discipline and asceticism.
 It is their job to introduce the faith, convert the natives, and establish
religious communities.
 In the Philippines, five (5) religious orders took on this task when they
arrive in the country.
a. Augustinians who arrived in 1565
b. Discalced Franciscans who arrived in 1578
c. Jesuits who arrived in 1581,
d. Dominicans who arrived in 1587
e. Augustinian Recollects who arrived in 1606.

2. Secular Priests
 The secular clergy were priests who “live in the world.”
 They were under the authority of bishops and not members of a
religion order.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 100
  Their main task was the management of the religious communities and
if possible, the continuation of the work already given up by the regular
clergy.
 The management of the parishes themselves was left to the secular
priests.
In the Philippines, the missionary efforts presented a unique case for the
regular clergy remained administrators of the parishes well into the 19th century.
Whereas, in other Spanish colonies, the secular priests replaced the regular
clergy in well-established parishes in the management of the religious
communities.
Two issues were particularly causing arguments among the clergy in the
Philippines according to Wanni-Obias, et. al. (2018):
1. Episcopal Visitations – an official pastoral visit conducted by the bishop on
a diocese to examine the conditions of a congregation which was often done
once every three years

 An omnimoda bull passed by Pope Adrian V in 1522 permitted the

regular clergy to administer the sacraments and act as parish priests
independent from the authority of the local bishop.

 This bull was in conflict with reforms established in the Council of Trent
(1545-1563), which declared that no priest could care for the souls of
people unless they were subjected to episcopal authority that often
came in the form of visitations.

 King Philip II was granted discretionary power to implement the

reforms in the Philippines but the regular clergy often opposed their
implementation. The regular clergy argued that if they allowed the
visitations to occur, the congregation would be placed under the
control of two sources of authority, the bishop and the provincial
superiors, who may issue contradicting orders. By refusing the
episcopal visitations, they wished to avoid the possibility of violating
their oaths of disobedience to their superiors.

 The serious efforts to impose the visitations, however, were often

opposed by the regular clergy who abused their authority by resigning
from their posts and leaving the parishes unattended. This type of
situations was especially tragic in the early stages of Christianization
when the small number of secular priests often forced the government
to grant to the demands of the regular clergy.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 101
 2. Management of the Parishes

 Regular priests controlled over the parishes in the early stages of

Christianization out of need because of the scarcity of secular priests
to whom the parishes would be passed on.

 But in the beginning in the late 17th century, efforts were strengthened
to produce and train Filipino secular priests. By 19th century, they
constituted an increasingly significant number of Filipino secular
priests. Even though this was the scenario, the regular clergy usually
opposed, if not outright declined, the rights of the secular clergy to the
parishes.

 These are the reasons of the regular clergy for doing so:

a. The regular clergy thought that the Philippines still remained an

active mission because some groups of Filipinos were not fully
yet Christianized. Thus, they would argue that the Filipinos were
not ready to be assigned to the secular clergy.
b. The economic aspect in the sense that the regulars were
refusing to give up the parishes that generated big profits for
them.
c. The regular priests refused to give up the parishes because
they think that the Filipino secular clergy were unqualified and
incompetent.
d. The worst reason was that some regulars regarded the secular
as potential leaders of any future separatist movement.

 The secular clergy reacted strongly to these claims of the regular

clergy. In the mid-19th century, Fr. Mariano Gomez, parish priest of
Bacoor, Cavite and Fr. Pedro Pelaez, secretary to the archbishop,
prepared expositions to the government on behalf of the secular
clergy, but their effort was useless.

 The fight eventually took on a different tone toward 1860s as the issue
of secularization was no longer limited to questions of merit and
competence. By 1864, the nature of the issue became one of the racial
equality. At the head of this struggle to gain equality between Spanish
and Filipino priests was Fr. Jose Burgos.

 Romero, et. al. (2006) emphasized that Father Jose Burgos, a

Spanish Mestizo, openly and enthusiastically worked for clerical
equality and for the secularization of parishes. His intense nationalism
was pronounced in his defense of the much criticized Filipino clergy.
He argued that although the prejudiced attitude and policies of the

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 102
 friars, several Filipinos had done well and he mentioned how each of
them had been successful. They were never given the suitable
incentive, however, when they showed their capabilities, they were
disregarded and their accomplishments were underestimated.
C. Execution of the GomBurZa
Romero, et. al. (2006) pointed out that the result of the rebellion in Cavite
was that some priests and laymen were arrested on the orders of Governor-
General Izquierdo. The following are some of the details about the arrest and
sentence to the priests and laymen:
Among the priests arrested in the succeeding days were:
1. Fr. Jose Burgos 8. Fr. Bartolome Serra
2. Fr. Jacinto Zamora 9. Fr. Miguel de Laza
3. Fr. Mariano Gomez 10. Fr. Justo Guanzon
4. Fr. Agustin Mendoza 11. Fr. Vicente del Rosario
5. Fr. Jose Guevarra 12. Fr. Pedro Dandan
6. Mariano Lopez 13. Fr. Anacleto Desideri
7. Feliciano Gomez 14. Fr. Mariano Sevilla

Among the laymen were lawyers and businessmen arrested were:

1. Dr. Joaquin Pardo de Tavera 7. Ramon Maurente

2. Antonio Ma. Regidor 8. Maximo Paterno
3. Gervacio Sanchez 9. Antonio Ma. Regidor
4. Pedro Carillo 10. Jose Ma. Basa
5. Maximo Inocencio 11. Enrique Parayso
6. Balbino Mauricio,

All prisoners – priests, laymen, businessmen, soldiers – were thrown into

a common prison cell to wait for trial. They were accused of “wanting to establish
here a republic in conspiracy with the republican partisans in Spain”. All were
given rushed trials, and summary convictions and punishments were given to all
groups. Thus, the military court sentenced the three priests to die through a
strangulation machine called garrote. This an apparatus used for capital
punishment in which an iron collar is tightened around a condemned person’s
neck

The efforts of Archbishop Gregorio

Meliton Martinez to save them were
unsuccessful. These Filipinos were
sentenced to varying terms of exile in
Guam. The rest of the accused were either
exiled to the Marianas or were sentenced to
imprisonment and hard labor for eight to ten
years.
GomBurza (February 17, 1872)
http://www.pinoystop.org/tag/gomburza/

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 103
 A French-writer named Edmund Plauchut (1962 in Wanni-Obias, et. al.,
2018) accounted that the three priests, Fr. Burgos, Fr. Gomez, and Fr. Zamora
were convicted to death by garrote on February 17, 1872. While they were
strangulated, the great number of people that witnessed the event knelt and
prayed. This impulsive show of respect and sympathy for the martyrs was
interpreted by Spanish members of the crowd as a signal for revolt. They
panicked and try to find refuge in Intramuros.
Romero, et. al. (2018) further explained that the authorities declared the
Cavite Mutiny Affair a close incident. They did not realize that the oppressive
mass retaliation would start a series of militant expressions of nationalist
sentiment. The vindictive failure made no difference of social class or status,
either they mestizos, indios, priests, lawyers, and workers, they were all
imprisoned, shamed, and convicted as a group. Those social groups finally
realized that to save their lives and wealth, they had to pursue for one common
objective: they had to unite, or there would be no end to their miseries.

Apply
A. Direction: Read the following excerpt from a letter José Rizal wrote to
Mariano Ponce (in Wanni-Obias, et. al., 2018). Answer the
questions that follow. Please answer the questions after the text
write your answers on the space provided in not more than 5
sentences for each question. (5 points each/15 points)

“Without 1872 there would not be now either a Plaridel, or Jaena, or

Santiago, or would there exist brave and generous Filipino colonies in Europe;
without 1872, Rizal would be a Jesuit now and instead of writing Noli Me
Tangere, would have written the opposite. At the sight of those injustices and
cruelties, while still a child, my imagination was awakened, and I swore to devote
myself to avenge one day so many victims, and with this idea in my mind I have
been studying and this can be read in all my works and writings. God will
someday give me an opportunity to carry out my promise. Good! May they
commit abuses, let there be imprisonments, banishments, executions, good. Let
destiny be fulfilled! The day they lay their hands on us, the day they martyrize
innocent families for our faults, goodbye, friar government, and perhaps,
goodbye Spanish government!”

1. What do you think is the main idea in Rizal’s letter?

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Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 104
 2. Give one thing in the letter that support Rizal’s message. Why?

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_____________________________________________________________________

3. What did you realize after reading the excerpt of the letter of José Rizal?

_____________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________

B. Direction: Research about any revolt, rebellion, or uprising that happened in

our city, town, or province in the 19th – 20th centuries. List the
important events, people, dates, causes, and effects of that event.
Please provide a title and write about lesson you have learned
from that event. (20 points)

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 105
 Assessment

Name: Date:
Program and Section: Score:

A. Direction: Fill in the blanks or identify what is being described in the

following items inside the table and write only one (1) answer on
the last column of the table. (10 points)

Statement Answer
The leader of the mutineers who were soldiers and
1
workers who rose in revolt at an arsenal in Cavite.
The system of taxation imposed by the Spanish
colonial government on the Filipinos in order to
2
generate resources for the maintenance of the
colony.
It is the job of this clergy to introduce the faith,
3 convert the natives, and establish religious
communities.
The three martyred priests who were sentenced to
4
death by means of strangulation in 1872.
They were thought to be unqualified and
5 incompetent in handling matters that involves
management of parishes.
The system of forced labor that required Filipino
6 males from 16 to 60 years old to render service for a
period of 40 days.
The main task of this clergy was the management of
7
the religious communities.
An official pastoral visit conducted by the bishop on a
8 diocese to examine the conditions of a congregation
which was often done once every three years.
The Spanish Mestizo who openly and
9 enthusiastically worked for clerical equality and for
the secularization of parishes.
The order of clergy that arrived in 1587 in the
10
Philippines.

Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 106
 B. Direction: Answer the following questions in not less than 5 sentences.
Please be open-minded and be specific when you give example
situations in explaining your point of view. (10 points each/
20 points)

1. What conflicts marred the relations between the secular and regularly clergy?
________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________

2. Why did the GomBurZa convicted to death?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Rizal: Works and Writings and the Development of Philippine Nationalism 107
 References

Daquila, S. S. (2009). Seeds of revolution: Analysis of life and works of Dr. Jose
Rizal. Brainbow Essentials.

Romero, M. C. S., Sta. Romana, J. R., & Santos, L. Y. (2006). Rizal and the
development of national consciousness: A textbook for the course on
Rizal’s life, works, and writings (2nd ed.). Katha Publishing Co., Inc.

Wani-Obias, R., Mallari, A. A., & Reguindin-Estella, J. (2018). Emerging

nationalism. In The life and works of José Rizal. pp. 87-97. C & E
Publishing, Inc.

Wani-Obias, R., Mallari, A. A., & Reguindin-Estella, J. (2018). Agrarian disputes.

In The life and works of José Rizal. pp. 72-86. C & E Publishing, Inc.

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