The Dawn of Filipino

Nationalism
Chapter 4
Unification of the Philippines Under
Spanish Rule

Spain ruled the Philippines for more than 300

years.
Before Spain’s arrival, the Philippines consisted
of independent and self-governing barangays,
peopled by diverse tribes.
It was Spain who gave the Philippines its identity
(Zaide, 1994).
The natives were pacified by the use of the Cross.
The reduccion plan of Fr. Juan de Plasencia was
implemented. It transformed the Filipinos into law-
abiding citizens under the Spanish Crown.
Because of this plan, the independence of the
barangays was lost.
With the imposition of Catholicism and Spanish
culture, the Filipinos were transformed into “little
brown Spaniards”.
Spain’s political system was gradually
introduced into the country.
Barangays were merged to form pueblos,
pueblos into alcaldias, in addition to the
ayuntamientos established by the colonizers.
Despite unification, the people started to
nurture resentment and dislike for foreign rule.
Early Resistance to Spanish Rule

The integration of the country into the Spanish

Empire resulted into the implementation of:
- taxation without representation
- polo y servicio = forced labor
- galleon trade
- indulto de comercio = license to trade
- government monopolies
Government restrictions and control made the
people experience hardships and miseries. They
started harboring grievances against the colonial
administrators.
Revolts and uprisings began. Majority of the
cause for these uprisings is the desire of the
people to regain their lost freedom.
 Examples of revolts under this cause:
- Revolt of Rajah Sulayman and Lakan Dula
- Tondo Conspiracy
- Revolt of Malong
- Dagohoy’s Revolt
- Revolt of Diego Silang
- Revolt of Palaris
 Other major causes for early revolts and
uprisings:
- resistance to Spanish-imposed institutions
- agrarian unrest
- the desire to revert to their native religion
But, all of these did not last long. The early
revolts against Spanish rule failed for a number
of reasons.
- owing to sectional jealousies
- lack of communication in the provinces
- absence of national leaderships
- the implementation of divide et impera or “divide
and rule”
- Filipinos were made to fight one another by the
colonial masters, failing to realize that their common
enemy was the Spaniards
 The Emergence of the Filipino
Sense of Nationhood

Filipinos development of their sense of nationhood started only during

the last years of Spanish rule.
The following factors attributed to the development of Filipino
nationalism:
- opening of the country to world commerce
- rise of clase media
- liberal regime of Carlos Ma. dela Torre
- racial discrimination
- secularization controversy
- The Cavite Mutiny of 1872
The Opening of the Philippines to
World Commerce

The opening of the country to world commerce was a

consequence of Spain’s adoption of the laissez-faire
policy.
With the entry of foreign products and businessmen, the
economic isolation of the Philippines was ended.
Liberal ideas also entered the country. John Locke’s
“Theory of Revolution” and Jean Jacques Rousseau’s
“Social Contract Theory” was introduced.
The Rise of Clase Media

Class Media - a new middle class. The rise of

this new social class came from a small class of
mestizos and the principalia or the ruling elite.
Families of this class benefited from the opening
of the country to foreign commerce and trade.
Thus, they were able to send their sons for
education in Europe.
Being educated in Europe, these sons of
prosperous families were able to see the
difference of European and Filipino societies.
They became disillusioned with Spain after
witnessing how more progressive are the states of
other countries.
From their ranks emerged Filipino propagandists
clamoring for change in the Philippines.
Liberal Regime of Carlos Ma. dela
Torre

The fall of Queen Isabella and the triumph of

liberalism in Spain resulted into the appointment
of dela Torre as Governor-General in the
Philippines.
With his assumption into office, he demonstrated
his democratic and liberal philosophy in governing
the country.
This development was something the friars then did
not like. For the first time, the Filipinos were allowed
to talk about freedom and democracy openly.
During his term of office, freedom of speech and of
the press as guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution
were recognized.
Because of this policy, Father Burgos and other
Filipino clergy were motivated to work for the
Filipinization of parishes throughout the country.
With the restoration of the Spanish monarchy
and the return of conservatism in Spain, dela
Torre was removed from office.
He was replaced by the reactionary Rafael de
Izquierdo, who boasted that he came to the
Philippines with a cross on one hand and a sword
on the other.
 Racial Discrimination

Another factor that contributed to the development

of the Filipinos’ sense of nationhood.
The Spaniards considered the Filipinos an inferior
race and sarcastically called them Indios.
Discrimination towards the Filipinos were prevalent in
the universities, government offices, church, and the
Court of Justice.
Fray Miguel de Bustamente portrayed the Filipino
in his pamphlet entitled “Si Tandang Basyong
Macunat” as an individual with low mental ability,
incapable of acquiring European education, and
fitted only to work in the fields and tend to carabaos.
This kind of attack intensified the enmity between
Filipinos and Spaniards. This led them to realize
that the Spaniards and the Filipinos were two
separate, distinct peoples.
Secularization Controversy

Secularization of parishes was the transfer of

the ministries established by the regular Spanish
clergy to the Filipino seculars.
The controversy began as a religious issue then
later on became a racial controversy between the
friars and the Filipino secular clergy.
Leading the Filipino seculars in the struggle was Fr.
Pedro Pelaez, an insulares, who rose to the position
of vicar capitular of Manila. He led the fight against
royal decrees turning secular parishes over to the
friars.
The Jesuits then returned to the Philippines.
Parishes under Filipino regulars in Manila were then
turned over to the Recollects in exchange for the
parishes held by the Recollects in Mindanao.
Fr. Pelaez appealed to Queen Isabella II for
ecclesiastical equality between the Spanish regulars
and Filipino seculars.
But, the earthquake that occurred in Manila took the
life of Fr. Pelaez. The struggle for equality was then
temporarily stopped.
Fr. Burgos continued the struggle started by his
former professor. He exerted all efforts to defend the
Filipino clergy from the attacks of the Spanish
regulars.
The controversy led to the unification of the
Filipino clergy, which in effect, strengthened their
sense of identity.
The former religious conflict took on racial
overtones because the friars were Spaniards and
the seculars were true-blooded Filipinos.
For the first time, the word “Filipino” meant not
only the Filipino Spaniards; now it included the
native clergy.
 Cavite Mutiny of 1872

On the night of January 20, 1872, a mutiny broke

out among Filipino soldiers in the arsenal of Cavite
under the leadership of Sgt. La Madrid.
This mutiny was brought about by Izquierdo’s
abolition of their exemption from tributes and
forced labor, which the soldiers previously enjoyed.
The Spanish authorities took advantage of the
situation by arresting liberal-minded Filipinos. Nine
Filipino priests were deported to Marianas Islands,
together with thirteen lawyers and businessmen.
The incident was exaggerated by the Spaniards to
implicate Fathers José Burgos, Mariano Gomez,
and Jacinto Zamora, due to their active involvement
in the campaign for the secularization of parishes.
These three priests were executed by garrote for
alleged complicity in the rebellion.
The Filipinos deeply resented the execution of
GomBurZa, owing to their innocence of the crime
for which they were tried. They hailed the three
Filipinos priests as true martyrs of the fatherland.
The martyrdom of GomBurZa was a turning point
in Philippine history. It ushered in an era of peaceful
campaign for reforms to counter the evils of the
Spanish Regime, known in our history as the
Propaganda Movement.
 Rizal and the Cavite Mutiny of
1872

Rizal was still very young when the mutiny broke out.
Although at his tender age, Rizal was already cognizant of
the deplorable conditions of the country.
Originally, his plan was to take up priesthood and become
a Jesuit father. When he heard of the martyrdom of
GomBurZa, he changed his mind and swore to dedicate
his life to vindicate the victims of Spanish oppresion. He
was only 11 years old at this time.
 In his letter to Ponce, he said:
“ Without 1872 there would not be now either a
Plaridel, or Jaena, nor Sanciano, or would there exist
brave and generous Filipino colonies in Europe;
Without 1872, Rizal would be a Jesuit now and instead
of writing the 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 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 martirize innocent families for our
fault, goodbye friar government, and perhaps
goodbye Spanish government.”
The End
Thank you!