POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

STA. MESA, MANILA

MONTEROZO, BRYAN MICHAEL B.

Reflect on the historical and socio-political contexts from which Rizal developed his thoughts
and actions against Spanish oppression and bigotry. Write a 4-page reflection paper

The Philippines: A Past Revisited

Historical awareness and the development of a better future for all people are greatly aided
by historical knowledge. Those who comprehend it will gain valuable insights and viewpoints on
the current difficulties that modern society is confronted with. According to several textbooks, the
Philippines has a long and colorful past, during which our forefathers struggled against Spanish,
American, and Japanese conquerors to gain independence. Although the documented and known
historical history of the Filipinos is extensive, it does not appear sufficient or enough in
understanding how a sequence of events had a significant impact on the way we live now.

Renato Constantino was the author of the book “The Philippines: A Past Revisited”, the
main goal of this is to give an overview of Philippine history from early colonial times until the end
of World War II explores the colonists' manipulations, conflicts, and oppression of the Filipino
population. This book made it easy for larger audiences to understand especially for the young
ones to enlighten themselves.

The Philippines' pre-colonial period was characterized by small populations and a small
number of Datu-ruled towns, which resulted in an ethnically diverse country. This country is
endowed with a multitude of natural resources that have served to sustain civilization throughout
its history. The subsistence agriculture system of an independent barrio community provides them
with enough food to meet their daily nutritional needs, and they are self-sufficient. It is acceptable
to claim that a working society existed in the past because of the presence of a leader, citizens,
servants (essentially laborers or those in debt who pay with obedience), and a specified territory
where they ruled.

Then the anomaly started when it was discovered by Spanish rulers during their
exploration of the Philippines, the country's natural resources sparked their interest. Hundreds of
years later, the Spaniards dominated the Philippines. In the 333 years since the arrival of Spanish
colonial rule in the Philippines, the Filipino people have been subjected to oppression, brutality,
and forced conversion to Christianity. Throughout the history of the Philippines, the unjust and
oppressive influence of Spanish colonialism has been visible. This is because of the authority that
Spain held. Money, wealth, and pride are the primary motivators behind Spain's expansion of its
territory and power.

During the colonization of Spain, the Spaniards brought feudalism to the Philippines,
where landowners provided land to tenants in exchange for their loyalty and services. Friars have
a significant impact on the atrocities and oppression of native groups. Slavery and religious
rationale were both heavily used to grab property and produce while masking the true motivations
for colonization. During this time, Constantino discovered that Spaniards used instruments like
the encomienda and the hacienda system to alleviate the local people.

Using these, they easily took control of Filipinos and their “own” land. In exchange for
these rights, individuals were able to profit from the crops they planted on their land by selling the
harvested goods. To avoid being ostracized and dying of hunger, poor Filipinos were forced to
pay rent on their “own” property. Their inability to study makes them particularly vulnerable, as
the Spanish government or upper-class Filipinos can take advantage of their ignorance.

Most of these were initiated by the friars, which were the “masters” during the past. With
their engagement in the government and through land acquisition, they gained political authority,
as well as an economic power, by indoctrinating to the natives their religion and its practices to
gain trust and make believable lies. Therefore, it is undeniable that religion (Catholicism) was
used as a potent tool to gain control over the masses. It can serve as a springboard for achieving
social mobility and ascending to positions of authority. Religion, in fact, was able to hide the
existence of wicked desires. Additionally, social class was a factor in an individual's place in the
church. The Catholic Church is claimed to have served as the foundation for feudalism at the
period. As a result, individuals are serving not only the local church and friars but also the Church
of Spain as a whole and its people. People, on the other hand, are blissfully unaware of this since
all they know is that God has been nice to them by sending Spanish people to the island in order
to save them from sins. Thus, taking land from locals became a much simple task because there
is no established system for land ownership in the Philippines.

While some Filipinos were fortunate enough to attend American-established schools and
become historians of our country, they had only limited ability to write and reveal the secrets of
the Spanish and American colonization of the Philippines, which is why the number of colonial
scholars has increased since the arrival of the Americans. Even though they were scholars,
discrimination and prejudice persisted in that time period. However, the local’s hardships inspired
the Filipinos to develop and fight for what was right for our country.

As a result of the hardships brought on by Spanish colonization in the Philippines, a

The revolt lasted for years, many failed attempts, but then became a fruitful success with
the help of the US. Under the American regime, the people's hopes for actual liberation continued.
However, conquerors have succeeded in creating a faulty and inadequate perspective of reality
in the Filipinos due to their ignorance. They were led to believe that their freedom was a favor
from America. During the American colonization of the Philippines, education proved to be the
most efficient tool. Public schools across the Philippines were a major factor in promoting an
imperial vision of instilling American culture and identity into the next generation of loyalists. The
school system was also created with the intention of dividing society and halting the development
of nationalistic sentiment in the country. At this time, Americans not only take over the Philippines
but also every Filipino's thoughts and feelings towards their own country.
 Americans made this mirage of being saved and protected from further oppression of
Spaniards and other countries. What was thought to be a good alliance became a tainted "film,"
where everything was just for show. Even after the Americans and other countries fled to the
Philippines and began to establish businesses, the exploitation of the Filipinos continued. Due to
the growth and development of capitalism in the Philippines, more people were exploited by
foreign countries. Natives were poisoned by the colonizers' use of religion and education that was
passed down through the generations. In order to eradicate colonial teachings, gain an
understanding of people's histories, grasp reality, and fight for freedom from all oppressors with
a genuine aim for independence, this type of work and certain scholars remain.

To sum it up, "The Philippines: A Past Revisited," written by Renato Constantino, was a
significant step in educating Filipinos about their own history through a critical reexamination. A
person's fame, fortune, power, or position defined them more than anything else during this period.
If you don't see the point in making a change, you won't be motivated to do so. Furthermore, they
were easily controlled and used as slaves by their colonial oppressors, who showed no care for
their own safety or well-being. Accordingly, the book provides a comprehensive account of the
correction of preceding historians' historical misunderstandings, including colonial education and
religious justification of the colonists, in a logically organized manner. His goal of improving the
historical understanding of the younger generations was accomplished.