INTRODUCTION

The Filipinos during the time of Dr. Jose Rizal were unfortunate victims of the evils of an unjust, biased, and
deteriorating power of the Spaniards. Our group will depict five of the most evident forms of discrimination, abuse,
and elitism during the Spanish occupation.

SCENE 1: CORRUPT COLONIAL OFFICIALS

The first scene depicts the corruption happening between Spanish officials – manifested by accepting bribes and
using the Filipino taxpayers’ money for their own personal good.

(Enactment of poor Filipinos lining up to pay for their taxes to a corrupt government official. After collecting the funds,
the government official then tiptoes away from his office along with the money.)

SCENE 2: NO EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW

Spanish missionaries in the 16th century taught that all men, irrespective of color and race are children of God and as
such they are brothers, equal before God. To the imperialist way of thinking, brown Filipinos and white Spaniards may
be equal to God, but not before the law and certainly not in practice. Spanish authorities arrogantly treated the brown-
skinned Filipinos as inferior beings, not as their Christian brothers to be protected but rather as their majesty’s
subjects to be exploited.

The next scene shows how unequally-treated Filipinos are despite being in their own country. Spaniards arrogantly
showed off their wealth and regarded brown-skinned Filipinos as inferior beings.

(Enactment of wealthy Spaniards and poor Filipinos having their meals on opposite sides. Wealthy Spaniards look
happy and arrogantly sneers at Filipinos. Meanwhile, the poor Filipinos look distressed while hopelessly looking
down.)

SCENE 3: THE GUARDIA CIVIL

The Guardia Civil had rendered meritorious services in suppressing the bandits in the provinces. However, they later
became infamous for their rampant abuses, such as maltreating innocent people, looting their carabaos, chickens
and valuable belongings and sexually abusing women. Rizal himself witnessed the discrimination of how the guardia
civil, either Filipino or insulares (full-blooded Spaniards born in the colonies), treated the Filipinos.

The third scene displays two guardia civils arresting an innocent Filipino without explaining anything to the receiving
end.

(Enactment of two guardia civils approaching a Filipino out of nowhere. They then ask his name, and after the Filipino
answered, they violently arrested him without telling anything. The Filipino keeps on asking why they are arresting
him, but they just told him to be quiet.)

SCENE 4: HACIENDAS OWNED BY FRIARS

During Rizal’s times the Spanish friars (priests) belonging to different religious orders were the richest landlords, for
they owned the best haciendas or agricultural lands in the Philippines.

(Enactment of a friar watching over his territory, an agricultural land farmed by poor Filipinos. The friar arrogantly
looks at them, while another Filipino servant fans him and shades him with an umbrella.)

SCENE 5: FORCED LABOR, ALSO KNOWN AS “POLO Y SERVICIO”

Spanish colonial authorities imposed compulsory labor on adult Filipino males in the construction of churches,
schools, hospitals, building and repair of roads and bridges, building of ships, and other public works. In this scene,
this forced labor, also known as “Polo y Servicio,” is depicted.

(Enactment of forced Filipino workers doing construction work while an arrogant Spaniard closely monitors them. He
also shouts at Filipinos who show any form of exhaustion and annoyance to their work.)