THE PHILIPPINES A
CENTURY HENCE(Other
possible topics letter to
the Women of
Malolos/The Indolence of
the Filipinos)
✓The Philippines a Century Hence’’ is an essay
written by PhilippineNational Hero Jose Rizal
to forecast the future of the country within a
hundred years. Rizal felt that it was time to
remind Spain that the circumtances that
ushered in the French Revolution could have a
telling effect for her in the Philippines.
This essay, published in La Solidaridad starts by
analyzing the various causes of the miseries suffered
by the Filipino people:
1. Spain’s implementation of her military policies-
because of such laws,the Philippines population
decreased dramatically.Poverty became more rampant
than ever, and famlands were left wither. The family as
a unit of society was neglected, and overall, every
aspect of the life of the Filipino was retarded.
2.Deterioration and disappearance of
Filipino indigenious culture-when Spain
came with the sword and the cross,it
began the gradual destruction of the native
Philippine culture.Because of this, the
Filipinos started losing confidence in their
past and their heritage, became doubtful
or their present lifestyle , and eventually
lost hope in the future and the
preservation of their race.
3.Passivity and submissiveness to the
Spanish colonizers- one of the most
powerful forces that influenced a culture
of silence among the natives were the
Spanish friars.Because of the use of force,
the Filipinos learned to submit themselves
to the will of the foreigners.
One question Rizal raises in this essay is
whether or not Spain can indeed prevent
the progress of the Philippines.
1.Keeping the people uneducated and
ignorant had failed.National consciousness
had still awakened, and great Filipino
minds still emerged from the rubbled.
2.Keeping the people impoverished also
came to no avail. On the contrary,living a life
of eternal destitution had allowed the
Filipinos to act on the desire for a change in
their way of life. They began to explore other
horizons through which they could move
towards progress.
3.Exterminating the people as an alternative to
hindering progress did not work either. The
Filipino race was able to survive amidst wars
and famine,and became even more numerous
after such catastrophes.To wipe out the nation
altogether would require the sacrifice of
thousands of Spanish soldiers,and this is
something Spain would not allow.
Spain, therefore, had no means to stop the
progress of the country.What she needs to do
is to change her colonial policies so that they
are inkeeping with the needs of the
Philippines society and to the rising
nationalism of the people.What Rizal had
envisioned in his essay came true.In 1898,the
Americans wrestled with Spain to win the
Philippines ,and eventually took over the
country.
Theirs was a reign of democracy and
liberty.Five decades after Rizal’s death,the
Philippines gained her long-awaited
independence.This was in fulfillment of what
he had written in his essay: “History does not
record in its annals any lasting domination by
one people to another,of different races,of
diverse usages and customs,of opposite and
divergent ideas.One of the two had to yield
and succumb.”
✓Rizal’s letter to the women of Malolos
emphasized reason and supported the education
of women so that they may be enlightened:
religiousness required reason; without reason
there was only religiosity. Rizal’s letter argued
that women’s value was contingent on their
contribution to the Filipino identity, stressing how
the character of motherhood reflected the
character of
motherland.
Thankyou
for
listening!!!
