Learning Module for College A.Y.

2021-2022 RIZAL’S LIFE AND

WORKS
1 RIZAL’S LIFE AND WORKS
1st Semester of Academic Year 2021-2022
Module 5-Week 7

(Continuation…)
CHAPTER 2: THE PHILIPPINE CONDITION IN THE 19TH CENTURY AS RIZAL’S CONTEXT
Learning Objectives:
a. Illustrate the economic, socio-cultural, and political structures during the 19th century
b. Relate the educational system established in the 19th century Philippines with that of the present
c. Differentiate the significance of the educational system established in the 19th century Philippines with that of the
present
d. Analyze the economic, socio-cultural and political structures during the 19th century and its corresponding implications
to the present situation.
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MALADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

The courts of justice in the Philippines during Rizal’s time were notoriously corrupt. They were courts of “injustice”, as
far as the brown Filipinos were concerned. The Spanish judges, fiscals (prosecuting attorneys) and other court officials were
inept, venial, and often times ignorant of law.
Justice was costly, partial, and slow. Poor Filipinos had no access to the courts because they could not afford the heavy
expenses of litigation. To the Filipino masses, litigation in court was a calamity. The expenses incurred even in a simple lawsuit
often exceeded the value of the property at issue, so that in many instances the litigants found themselves impoverished at the end
of the long tussle. Criminal cases dragged on for many years during which period either the delinquents took to flight, or the
documents were lost.
Dr. Rizal and his family were victims of Spanish injustice. Twice, first in 1871 and second in 1891, Doña Teodora
(Rizal’s mother) was unjustly arrested and jailed on flimsy grounds. Rizal himself was deported in July, 1892 to Dapitan without
benefit of a trial. His brother Paciano and his brothers-in-law were exiled to various parts of the archipelago without due process
of law. Like Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora, Rizal was executed – a noble victim of Spanish
miscarriage of justice.
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SOCIO-CULTURAL CONDITION DURING THE 19TH CENTURY: THE SOCIAL STRATIFICATION/SOCIAL
STRUCTURE

The Spaniards imposed new social stratification which discriminate the natives in their own land. The highest class is the
Peninsulares, they are the Spanish born in Spain and live in the Philippines, the Insulates, they are the Spanish born in the
Philippines, third class is the Creoles, they are the mix blood or the combination of Spanish and Filipino. In this class the
illustrado or the well educated Filipino and the Principalia or the land owners. And the last class is the Indios or the natives.
The privileges in laws and in the society are enjoyed by the highest class. The Peninsulares and Insulares established
their community in Intramuros and enclosed it in a wall to segregate their populations from the other class. The Intramuros
became the site of power, center of education and spirituality. The creoles as the mix blood are the first one who thought of
fighting the Spaniards however, they only seek for reform and not for independence. The Indios are the unfortunate class and
discriminated in the society and subjected to numerous taxations.
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TRANSFORMATION OF THE SOCIETY AND CULTURE

The Hispanization of the Filipinos is very evident in the different aspects of the society and Catholicism has an important
role in the transformation of the culture of the Filipinos. The literature became Theocentric, from epics, it turns to be awit,
corrido, moromoro, komedya and pasyon. All of the form of literature discussed the importance and triumph of Catholicism.
The alibata was replaced by the Abecedario of the Spaniards. The first book printed in the country was the Doctrina
Christiana en letra y lengua china also centered of the Synod of Calasiao in 1773 which ordered that the painters should use
the concepts of the church and they are only allowed to have other subjects after 10 years.
In terms of dwellings the simple bahay kubo became stone house with different divisions and parts. The Sala for the
receiving of visitors, azotea, banguerahan for wash room, komedor or the room for dining and the separate rooms for the
members of the family.
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RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Spaniard or a mestizo, no matter how stupid or Mongol born, he always enjoyed political
Prepared and social prestige
by: VANESA in the
D. MANZON
community.
Racial prejudice was prevalent everywhere – in government offices, in the courts of justice, in the armed forces, in
the social circles and even in the educational institutions and in the ecclesiastical hierarchy. One of the shining stars of the
Filipino clergy, Father Jose Burgos (1837-1872) complained of the lack of opportunities for educated young Filipinos to rise
in the service of God and country. He lamented “shall a young man strive to rise in the profession of law or of theology,
when he can vision no future to himself”. Filipinos will aspire to the seats of the wise and will devote sleepless nights to such
 Learning Module for College A.Y. 2021-2022 RIZAL’S LIFE AND
WORKS
an ideal, when he clearly sees that his noblest feelings are crushed down in oblivion, and when few only are dispensed the
2sinecures of honor and profit.
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FRAILOCRACY/SECULARIZATION OF FILIPINO PRIESTS

The Spanish political philosophy of union of Church and State arose a unique form of government in Hispanic
Philippines called “Frailocracy” (frailocracia), because it was a government by friars. The friars (Augustinians, Dominicans and
Franciscans) controlled the religious and educational life of the Philippines, and later in the 19 th century, they came to acquire
tremendous political power, influences and riches.
The friars practically rule the Philippines through a façade of civil government. The colonial authorities from the
governor general down to the alcaldes mayores, were under the control of the friars. Almost every town in the archipelago,
except in lands, was ruled by the friar curate. Aside from his priestly duties, the friar was the supervisor of local elections, the
inspector of schools and taxes, the arbiter of morals, the censor of books, the superintendent of public works, and the guardian of
peace and order. So great was his political influence that his recommendations were heeded by the governor general and the
provincial officials. He could send a patriotic Filipino to jail or denounce him as a filibustero (traitor) to be exiled to a distant
place or to be executed as an enemy of God.
Jose P. Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Graciano Lops Jaena and other Filipino reformists denounced the friars as the
enemies of liberal reforms and modern progress in the Philippines.
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EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DURING THE SPANISH REGIME

The religion is still the center of the educational system imposed by the Spaniards. The primary education is usually
catered by the friars, so the young Filipinos will learn the Christian doctrine, alphabet, language, customs and policies. Girls and
boys have separate schools and they also have different curriculums. For Male in secondary education is the Colegio Maximo de
San Ignacio founded in 1589, the College of San Ildefonso in 1599, Ateneo de Municipal in 1817. The curriculum for male
includes Spanish History, Latin, Philosophy, Canon, Civil law and Rhetoric. For Female is the Colegios of Santa Potenciana in
1591, Sta. Isabel in 1632, Santa Catalina de Sena in 1696, Sta. Rita College in 1719 and in 1868 is the establishment of Colegio
de la Inmaculada Concepcion Concordia. The curriculum for females includes rules of courtesy, vocal music, language and
sewing.
The educational system is also used to pacify the Filipinos and train them in Catholicism and to follow laws imposed by
the Spaniards. The Filipino students are not allowed to speak their own dialect in school, school buildings and other facilities are
not enough for education the population of students. The Department of Education during the Spanish could not also provide
enough books and other instructional materials needed for the quality education.
The parochial schools were established with Spanish missionaries as the teachers. The friars occupied the dominant
positions. They decided what to be taught to the children. Learning in every level was by rote or memorization and the students
memorized the contents of the book that they did not understand.
The students were taught in the native dialects although there was a law requiring the children to be taught in Spanish.
The Spaniards believed that learning Spanish would make the Filipino people to oppose Spanish rule. Religion was the most
important subject. The natives were reminded that they had inferior intelligence and they were fit only for manual labor. The
children attended classes on the ground floor of the convent, or in a stable in the “casa real” or in the darkest corner in the
pueblo’s town hall. The friars maintained these miserable schools to repress human intellect rather than to cultivate and develop
them.
At the end of the Spanish period, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) was the only institution of university level in
Manila. It was established in 1611 solely for the Spaniards and mestizos. It opened its doors to Filipino students four decades
before the end of the Spanish regime thus Jose Rizal and other heroes had come to study. The official secondary schools for boys
were San Juan de Letran College and Ateneo De Manila. Secondary Education for girls was established in Manila; pioneered by
Santa Isabel College, la Concordia, Sta. Catalina College, Sta. Rosa and Asilo de Lookan.
Although the Spanish colonial administration issued the Educational Decree of 20 December 1863 (Educational Decree
of 1863) stating, “that each major town in the Philippines should establish at least one primary school for boys and another for
girls, that the medium of instruction is Spanish”, the friars did not implement this decree because they believed that if the
Filipinos will be educated, it might be inspired by new ideas of freedom and independence as well as justice.
The Filipino must be kept in the dark. Thus, this explained why books read by the Filipino people had to pass through
rigid censorship by church authorities as well as the government.
Another noble intention of Spain to improve the Educational System in the Philippines was the Moret Decree of
1870. This decree intended to secularize higher education in the colony; again, the friars opposed the idea of the
government’s control over education.

Prepared by: VANESA D. MANZON

 Learning Module for College A.Y. 2021-2022 RIZAL’S LIFE AND
WORKS
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3ECONOMIC CONDITION DURING THE 19TH CENTURY: THE ENCOMIENDA SYSTEM

After the establishment of the Spanish government in Manila, the challenge that Legazpi faced is hoe he could control the
different part of the country in with his limited armies. To solve the issue of governance, he converted the land of the indios into
the encomienda. Another colonial system that is intimately connected with the tribute us the encomienda system. The word
encomienda comes from the Spanish encomendar which means “to entrust”. The encomienda is a grant of inhabitants living in
particular conquered territory which is Spain gave to Spanish colonizers as a reward for his services (Zaide, 1987).

Three types of encomienda

1. Royal – the taxes will go to the King of Spain
2. Ecclesiastical – the taxes will go to the Church
3. Privado – is the encomienda given to the friend of the King who had contribution for the colonization.

However, after the establishment of the taxes and the military part of the Spanish Colonial government in the Philippines,
they abolished the encomienda and convert the lang into haciendas.
The enconmiendero had the right to collect taxes, monitor the peace and order and govern the parcel of land given to
him. However, he is not allowed to live inside his enconmienda to avoid the direct communication to the natives living in the
enconmienda. The natives who are the real owner of the land became slaves in their own properties. they were workers who are
also subjected to taxation.

Reference:
Life and Works of Dr. Jose P. Rizal (Michael C. Pangilinan……. et.al.,)

QUIZ 2 (Write your answers in ½ sheet of paper, including your Complete Name, Subject and Course/Year)
Direction: Answer the following questions. (20 Points)

 Are you in favor of the Educational System of the Spanish? Why?

 What can you say about the economic condition during 19th century?

Rubrics
POINT
S
Originality (not copy-paste answer) 10
Content and Organization 10

Prepared by: VANESA D. MANZON

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